A Quarter Mug
It is well known that then general Dwight Eisenhower was prepared for a calamity on D-Day. He had prepared comments stating that any failure would be “mine alone” but alas, storming Normandy proved successful, due to an expansive program of deception.
Of course, the Axis Powers were cognizant that the Allies would be attempting to push Westward towards Germany, along the way liberating countries overtaken by Hitler. Thanks to the attack on Pearl Harbor, America was now fully emerged in the war and this tipped the scales towards Nazism’s defeat.
But finding a place to launch the invasion was easier said than done. Personally, I’m not usually one for the history of military tactics. Something about honoring or giving air space to those dedicated to the destruction of mankind seems off-putting to me. This case is special, however. Freeing Europe from the devil reincarnate seems like a task worthy of the most special care.
Operation Fortitude South
The NAZIs were aware that the Allied Powers were going to spring an amphibious assault somewhere along the English Channel. It only made sense for the Allies to sail from Dover (England) to Pas-de-Calais (France) due to its short distance. Now, the Allies had to convince Hitler that this was indeed the plan. It was imperative to concentrate NAZI forces in this location and trick Hitler into choosing the wrong spot to defend.
How does a military deceive their opponent into thinking that a large scale invasion is imminent? By creating an entirely fake army, of course. This was one titled the First United States Army Group (FUSAG) and was headed by General Patton to convince the NAZIs of its importance.
FUSAG deployed thousands of inflatable tanks and other dummy equipment, even going so far as to constantly scramble fake radio communications for German spies to report back on. Wood, canvas and scaffolding materials were fashioned to piece together a navy; one when seen from 30,000 feet by German planes surely looked like the real deal.
Of course, this operation would be incomplete without a fun spy story. Juan Pujol Garcia, nicknamed Garbo, proved to be integral to the mission. The double agent was deeply trusted by German intelligence, who paid him over $300,000 for information throughout the war. Without his daring deception, the Allied Powers may have been stonewalled during the crossing.
Garbo invented as much as 27 fictitious characters and backstories to fool the Germans into believing phony intelligence. Not only did they believe Pas-de-Calais to be the true landing spot for the Allies, they continued to think so even after D-Day. Indeed, Garbo has convinced NAZI intelligence that the Normandy landing was only a diversion for the greater invasion of Pas-de-Calais.
Three days after D-Day, the German military still kept forces from moving south and confronting the Allies. The feared General Erwin Rommel wanted to move two armored divisions and 19 infantry division to Normandy but was forcefully denied by his superiors. Keeping the Desert Fox away out of the fight was an amazing strategic victory.
Just How Successful Was This Mission
Garbo’s counterintelligence, as well as the physical, tangible machinations for developing a fake army, were unquestionably successful. Two months after D-Day there were still more German forces in Pas-de-Calais than Normandy. The Germans were steadfast in their belief that a stronger force would be coming from the North.
Such deception allowed for the Allied Powers to gradually move east and liberate countries who suffered from German blitzkrieg. Although the D-Day invasion of Normandy resulted in horrific casualties, it proved victorious because of the brains as well as the brawn.