In 1939 and 1940, Solberg traveled to Germany using his business as official cover for the British to observe production lines and factory assemblies there.

[5] In December 1940, Solberg joined Army Intelligence and spent eight months in North Africa under his Armco cover, contacting French resistance fighters there.

[6] When William Donovan created the Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI), Goodfellow and others at Army Intelligence recommended Solberg for developing a newly invented curriculum for what would be called Special Operations.

[6] However, the United States had no such organization, so at the end of the month, Solberg was sent to England to observe and train with the British Special Operations Executive.

Solberg believed that as the Director of SO, he should be responsible for what was now being called SO and SI activities at COI - In February 1942, Donovan relieved him of command, and sent him to the American embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.

[6] However, Solberg’s mission in Africa was not approved - he had not informed anyone at OSS about his trip, and had defied direct orders by going to the continent.

[8] It is possible that Solberg remained in the intelligence business as "Rene Solborg," the American contact for the Belgian spymaster André Moyen.

Goodfellow to Lt. Col. Ralph C. Smith, 10 October 1941, subject: Lt. Col. Robert A. Solberg and points on liaison,” copy in Thomas Troy Files, CIA Records (RG 263), Box 2, Folder 19, National Archives II.

This article incorporates public domain material from ""Wild Bill" Donovan and the Origins of the OSS (U.S. National Park Service)".