A notorious former SS officer known as “Hitler’s commando” reportedly worked as an assassin for Israeli intelligence.

Lt-Col Otto Skorzeny, once described by British and American intelligence as “the most dangerous man in Europe”, was secretly recruited by Mossad after the Second World War, according to Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper.

In 1962 he assassinated a former Nazi rocket scientist, the newspaper claimed. Heinz Krug, who worked under Wernher von Braun on the programme to develop the V2 rockets that were used to devastating effect against London in the final stages of the war, disappeared without trace from Munich. He was working on a missile programme for the Egyptian government at the time.

It has long been suspected he was targeted by Israel, nervous of its then-enemy Egypt’s intentions.

Ha’aretz claims he was murdered by Skorzeny on Mossad’s orders.

Fearing for his life after several other scientists on the programme received threatening letters and calls from Israel, Krug hired the former SS officer as a bodyguard.

But he was unaware the man he had hired to protect him was a double agent working for the Israelis.