D-Day naval deceptions
Glimmer and Taxable played on the German belief, amplified by Allied deception efforts over the preceding months, that the main invasion force would land in the Calais region.They were conducted as part of Operation Bodyguard, a broad strategic military deception intended to support the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in June 1944.The London Controlling Section (LCS) had spent some time convincing German commanders that the fictional First United States Army Group (FUSAG) represented the bulk of the Allied invasion force.[1] The Allied story for FUSAG was that the army group, based in south-east England, would invade the Pas-de-Calais region several weeks after a smaller diversionary landing in Normandy.The latter would come into effect once landings were made but the former (involving naval, air and special forces units) were used to cover the approach of the true invasion fleet.[4] Allied planners proposed that small boats, towing large radar reflecting balloons (code named Filbert) and carrying both Moonshine jamming and standard wireless equipment (for transmitting fake traffic), would advance toward the French coast under a cloud of Window.The chaff and other countermeasures would hide the small size of the naval force while wireless traffic would play on the FUSAG story to mislead the Germans into expecting a major landing.By dropping chaff in progressive patterns, Royal Air Force (RAF) bombers for both operations were able to create the illusion of a large fleet on coastal radar screens.[8] The larger of the two operations, Taxable, was carried out by 18 small boats, a mix of Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) and RAF Pinnaces, designated Special Task Force A.[3][6] Task Force A left port in the evening of 5 June, but struggled in bad seas which affected their equipment and ability to converge at their meeting point.From there the task force simulated a landing attempt; by running fast to within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the beach before returning to the 7-mile marker under cover of smoke.In an 11 June report on the operations, Lieutenant Commander Ian Cox (who was in charge of deception units) indicated that German forces had been convinced by the fake radio traffic.
Operation BodyguardHarbour Defence Motor LaunchTactical deceptionEnglish ChannelLondon Controlling SectionOps (B)Cap d'AntiferPas-de-CalaisNormandyNo. 617 "Dam Busters" SquadronNo. 218 "Gold Coast" SquadronRoyal Naval ReserveOperation OverlordAtlantic WallBodyguardFortitudeZeppelinTitanicCombined Bomber OffensivePointblankTransport PlanPostage AbleTarbrushFabiusCaen canal and Orne river bridgesMerville BatteryMallardAmerican SectorAlbanyBostonChicagoDetroitElmiraNormandy landingsPointe du HocGambitPort-en-BessinAmericanOperation ChastityBritishMulberryBrécourt ManorGraignesLa Haye-du-PuitsSaint-LôCarentanHill 30CherbourgBrévilleVillers-BocageLe Mesnil-PatryNormandy massacresArdenne AbbeyDouvresMartletWindsorCharnwoodJupiter2nd OdonAtlanticGoodwoodVerrières RidgeSpringBluecoatTotalizeHill 140LüttichTractableHill 262ChamboisFalaiseSaint-MaloMantes-GassicourtLa RochelleUshantLa CainePierres NoiresAudierne BayJedburghDingsonSamwestCooneyBulbasketHoundsworthLoytonKiplingDragoonWallace & HardyCemeteriesmilitary deceptionsAllied landings in NormandyRAF Bomber CommandOperation Titanicmilitary deceptionFirst United States Army GroupOperation Fortitude SouthEnglandSeetakt radarTelecommunications Research EstablishmentRoyal Air Forceradar reflectorHarbour Defence Motor LaunchesRAF PinnacesLancaster bombersNewhavenWing CommanderShort StirlingLieutenant CommanderreconnaissanceHiroshi ŌshimaSquadron LeaderLes MunroBrickhill, PaulThe Dam BustersScribnerLatimer, JonWest, NigelBeevor, AntonyAlliedWorld War II'A' ForceDudley ClarkeVictor JonesJohn BevanDennis WheatleyRonald Wingate