This almost reads like a plot from a movie. This seriously couldn't have happened. I don't believe it. It's easy to mythologise people who are dead.
Except it did. It was so unbelievable it actually worked.
Sorge was lucky to escape the purge - otherwise nobody would have heard of him since the most interesting moment was his capture.
Call me cynical ... historians, writers and the movies seem to fabricate things up to keep people in a dream. At this point I'm pretty certain there are no "heroes" who "save" the world like Mission Impossible.