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When an Army of Artists Fooled Hitler
Smithsonian ^ | May 21, 2013 | Leah Binkovitz

Posted on 05/21/2013 4:54:46 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Edited on 05/21/2013 5:21:33 PM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]

Mixing real tanks alongside the inflatable ones, the troops appeared to be assembling a massive attack. Their fake observation planes were so convincing, American pilots tried to land in the field next to them. When the offensive finally made its move across the Rhine, with General Dwight Eisenhower and Prime Minister Winston Churchill watching, they were met with little German resistance. The riverbanks were left for the taking and the Ghost Army earned a commendation for its success.


(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: 23rd; adolfhitler; brest; brittany; dday; dwighteisenhower; france; georgepatton; germany; ghostarmy; godsgravesglyphs; massachusetts; nintharmy; thirdarmy; winstonchurchill; worldwartwo
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subtitled "A new documentary shares the story of the 23rd unit’s daring deceptions".
When an Army of Artists Fooled Hitler

1 posted on 05/21/2013 4:54:46 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
In the early- or mid-1970s, Bob Crane was on one of the old talk shows (probably Mike Douglas) and noted that "Hogan's Heroes" was in syndication and dubbed into the local language or subtitled in nearly every country on Earth. "Germany?" "Yes, it's very popular in Germany. And in Japan, it's shown as a documentary."

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


2 posted on 05/21/2013 4:56:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I think I’ll watch this tonite.


3 posted on 05/21/2013 5:01:06 PM PDT by bigheadfred ( barry your mouth is writing checks your ass cant cash)
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To: SunkenCiv

We still have inflatable tanks...the acronymn was BATV...don’t remember what it stands for. They now come with a generator and a heating device, to give them a thermal signature.


4 posted on 05/21/2013 5:03:07 PM PDT by lacrew (Mr. Soetoro, we regret to inform you that your race card is over the credit limit.)
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To: SunkenCiv

In an neat coincidence, right now I’m watching my local public TV station which is running a show about the army’s WWII 603rd Camouflage Engineers.


5 posted on 05/21/2013 5:09:56 PM PDT by DManA
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To: SunkenCiv

Springtime for Hitler?


6 posted on 05/21/2013 5:10:53 PM PDT by keving (We get the government we vote for)
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To: SunkenCiv

Springtime for Hitler?


7 posted on 05/21/2013 5:11:12 PM PDT by keving (We get the government we vote for)
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To: SunkenCiv

The deception was far more elaborate that this brief decription . It also included a body loaded with secret documents winding up on a seacoast controlled by the Nazis.Phoney radio transmissions between units etc as the Germans bought into but never questioned returing recon aircrraft loaded with pics.Which could have been easily shot down.


8 posted on 05/21/2013 5:11:25 PM PDT by mosesdapoet (Serious contribution pause.Please continue onto meaningless venting no one reads.)
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To: bigheadfred

I wish I had known it was on. I don’t know what is on PBS, as I never watch it!


9 posted on 05/21/2013 5:21:16 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: mosesdapoet

I remember in “Eye of the Needle”, I think that was the title, the German spy discovers the ruse and even photographs some of the fake tanks etc.

Not sure if there was any truth in the story. Probably totally made up. It was cool when Kate Nelligan put her country first and shot him.


10 posted on 05/21/2013 5:21:52 PM PDT by yarddog (Truth, Justice, and what was once the American Way.)
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To: Red_Devil 232

it starts at eight my local time


11 posted on 05/21/2013 5:23:02 PM PDT by bigheadfred ( barry your mouth is writing checks your ass cant cash)
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To: mosesdapoet

I remember about this happening - from earlier reporting.


12 posted on 05/21/2013 5:24:24 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: bigheadfred

Wow, thanks for pointing that out! I hadn’t realized it was tonight, and I caught it about 8 minutes after. Entranced, now 20 minutes later, I’m finally writing this. Great footage, so far none of the phony anti-war (P)BS.


13 posted on 05/21/2013 5:28:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: DManA

Is that a different show, or maybe a different episode?


14 posted on 05/21/2013 5:34:46 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Watching it now. Fascinating.


15 posted on 05/21/2013 5:37:06 PM PDT by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: mosesdapoet

“The Man Who Never Was” was a British operation, and not the same as this.

The British also had Ultra (cracking the Enigma code; there was a period of some months when the Germans had added a wheel to the Enigma machines, and the British were unable to crack the messages), and Double Cross (all the German agents in the UK — except for one — were captives and feeding phony info back to Berlin.

There was a US operation in Scotland that was purported to be an entire army (I think purportedly assigned to Patton) that used fake tanks and simulated radio traffic to fool with the Abhwer.


16 posted on 05/21/2013 5:39:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Maybe it’s on right now? It’s on here. They just got to the beginning of the Bulge.


17 posted on 05/21/2013 5:40:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: lacrew; keving

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. [Sun Tzu]


18 posted on 05/21/2013 5:40:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: yarddog

Perhaps “The Druid” by Leonard Mosley?


19 posted on 05/21/2013 5:42:05 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Not sure. What a story!


20 posted on 05/21/2013 5:45:25 PM PDT by DManA
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