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User:ErrantX/Sandbox/List of Operation Bodyguard deception plans

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The main sub-plans of Operation Bodyguard

Operation Bodyguard was an overall wartime deception strategy for the Allied nations in 1944. The broad aims of the operation were to disguise Allied intentions again continental Europe throughout the year, in particular the invasion of Normandy in June and to a lesser extent landings in Southern France in August. Whilst the main "story" was defined in the Bodyguard plan, a large number of sub-operations filled in the detail. By the end of the August landings over 30 operations had been conducted as part of the overall plan. Of particular note were the operation's Fortitude (the main deceptions based in England), Zeppelin (the strategy for the Mediterranean) and tactical deceptions during D-Day.

Bodyguard edit

Main article: Operation Bodyguard

Bodyguard was suspended in August 1944.[1]

Operation Bodyguard: Main Plans
Operation Notes Subsidiary
Copperhead A small operation close to D-Day, designed to convince the Germans that Bernard Montgomery was in North Africa, and not ready to lead an invasion force across the channel. ME Clifton-James impersonated the General, appearing in Gibraltar and Algiers.[2] Hampered by the fact that Clifton-James was an alcoholic which may have led to the operation being cut short.[3] The operation appeared to add little to the overall picture of Bodyguard and didn't meaningfully affect German plans.[4]
Ferdinand Successor to Zeppelin in the Mediterranean.[5] Successfully masked the Allied plans for troops destined for Operation Dragoon through an elaborate deception. The story for Ferdinand was that strong defensive forces in the Zeppelin invasion targets had put off Allied planners, who now preferred an invasion near Genoa in support of the ongoing Italian campaign. The operation directly contradicted Vendetta's goals, in an attempt to distract attention from the Dragoon landing sites. It ran from early July to 15 August, when the invasion of southern France occurred.[6]
Fortitude North Cadboll, Carrot, Leek, Onion, Skye, Veritas
Fortitude South Cadboll II, Quicksilver, See Saw, Mercury, Tweezer, Van Dyke
Graffham
Ironside
Royal Flush
D-Day tactical deceptions A series of tactical operations run prior to the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 in support of Fortitude South. Intended to cause confusion and misdirection as to the intended landing sites and the scale of the invasion. Naval deceptions and dummy paratroopers drew attention to Pas-de-Calais. Big Drum, Glimmer, Paradise, Taxable, Titanic
Zeppelin One of two overall strategic plans for the Mediterranean portion of Bodyguard, covering up to July 1944. Developed threats to the Balkans and southern France.[1] Succeeded in July by Ferdinand.[7] Dungloe, Dunton, Turpitude, Vendetta

Fortitude North edit

Operation Notes
Cadboll Order of battle deception; British formations including the 3rd and 54th Divisions, along with some fictional units, staged out of Clyde ready for the invasion of Norway.[8] Replaced with Cadboll II (part of Fortitude South).[8]
Carrot I & II Signals deception; fake wireless traffic on 12 and 15 April 1944, simulating naval maneuvers including the British 52nd Division.[8]
Leek I & II Signals deception; fake wireless traffic on 4, 10 and 11 May 1944, simulating naval maneuvers including the British 52nd Division.[9][10]
Onion I & II Signals deception; fake wireless traffic on 20 and 24 April 1944, simulating naval maneuvers including the British 52nd Division.[11]
Skye I, II, III & IV Signals deception; fake wireless traffic related to the fictional Fourth Army. Split into four parts representing (in order) Fourth Army HQ, British II Corps, American XV Corps and British VII Corps.[12]
Veritas Reconnaissance flights over Norway, 26 April 1944.[13]

Fortitude South edit

Operation Notes
Cadboll II Re-deployment of fictional II Corps from Scotland to Cambridge (so they appeared available for invasion of France or Norway).[8][14] Succeeded by Tweezer[8]
Quicksilver I -VI
See Saw Supporting Quicksilver I, wireless deception faking naval maneuvers by US 28th Division, 1 to 3 June.[12]
Mercury
Tweezer Next stage of Cadboll II commencing 8 June 1944. II Corps added to FUSAG to replace formations sent to France during Normandy landings.[15]
Van Dyke

D-Day tactical deceptions edit

Main articles: D-Day naval deceptions and Operation Titanic

On D-Day itself the Allies conducted a number of tactical deceptions intended to continue the ongoing story of Fortitude South. Naval deceptions targeted the Calais area with the aim of misleading the Germans as to the intended Allied target.[16]

Operation Notes
Big Drum A minor fictional invasion to the east of the Normandy landing sites, designed to mislead Germans about the size of the bridgehead.
Glimmer Fictional invasion, implemented with radar, radio and visual deception from small boats and specially purposed bombers, targeting Pas-de-Calais. Partner of Taxable.[16]
Paradise I - IV [17]
Taxable The larger of two fictional invasions on the morning of D-Day. Targeting Cap d'Antifer and implemented in the same way as Glimmer.[16]
Titanic

Zeppelin edit

Main article: Operation Zeppelin (deception plan)

Operation Zeppelin was one of two major strategic plan for the Mediterranean portion of Bodyguard, running between February and May 1944.[1] Zeppelin, and its main constituent plans Vendetta and Turpitude, focused on tying down German resources in Southern France and The Balkans.[18] Formations from the long running order of battle deceptions, Operation Cascade and its successor Operation Wantage, we're used to implement threats starting in early February. Zeppelin's early stages focused on the Balkans, until May when Operation Vendetta added a threat to southern France. The operation officially came to a close on 6 July and was succeeded by the Ferdinand deception plan.[5]

Operation Notes
Dungloe Story, via double agents in London, that invasion plans would be communicated to Yugoslavian leaders via code words on public radio. Intended to help with a postponement phase of Zeppelin throughout March.[5][19]
Dunton Similar to Ironside, story that American divisions would be sailing direct from the East Coast of the United States in support of Zeppelin attacks.[19]
Turpitude Specific codename for the fourth phase of Zeppelin against the Balkans, running alongside Vendetta during May-June 1944. Assisted by elements of the political deception codenamed Royal Flush.[15]
Vendetta Specific threat to Southern France, based on existing Allied plans against the area later in the year.[20] Also assisted by Royal Flush. Closed down in July due to the impending Operation Dragoon, with emphasis drawn away from this threat toward Italy (Operation Ferdinand).[7]

Unimplemented plans edit

Operation Notes
Braintree Follow up to Ferdinand, instead scrapped in favour of continuing the latter plan into September 1944.[21][1]
Chatter [22]
Gowrie
Spam Proposed deception in the style of Operation Mincemeat, supporting Fortitude South, to drop a body in the English channel with notes referring to D-Day as an exercise.[23]
Torrent / Appendix Y Original 1943 plan by COSSAC (later Ops (B)) similar in form to the later Fortitude South. Rejected in favour of Bodyguard's broaders strategy.[24][25]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Holt (2005), pg. 811
  2. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 815
  3. ^ Rusbridger (1991), pg. 178
  4. ^ Levine (2011), pp. 264–266
  5. ^ a b c Holt (2005), pp. 597-603
  6. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 616
  7. ^ a b Crowdy (2008), pg. 290
  8. ^ a b c d e Holt (2005), pg. 813
  9. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 826
  10. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 827
  11. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 831
  12. ^ a b Holt (2005), pg. 836
  13. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 842
  14. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 587
  15. ^ a b Holt (2005), pg. 840
  16. ^ a b c Barbier (2007), pp. 70-71
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Holt578 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 510
  19. ^ a b Holt (2005), pg. 818
  20. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 841
  21. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 622
  22. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 814
  23. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 837
  24. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 504
  25. ^ Holt (2005), pg. 808

Bibliography edit

  • Barbier, Mary (2007). D-Day Deception: Operation Fortitude and the Normandy Invasion. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-99479-1.
  • Crowdy, Terry (2008). Deceiving Hitler : Double Cross andDeception in World War II. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-135-9.
  • Holt, Thaddeus (2005). The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War. London: Phoenix. ISBN 0-7538-1917-1.
  • Levine, Joshua (2011). Operation Fortitude: The True Story of the Key Spy Operation of WWII That Saved D-Day. Collins. ISBN 0-00-741324-6.
  • Rusbridger, James (1991). The Intelligence Game: The Illusions and Delusions of International Espionage. London: Tauris. ISBN 1-85043-338-0.


[[:Category:World War II deception operations] Category:Operation Bodyguard

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