Ghost Army Report

    They ghost army United States army tactical deception (which means a thing that deceives) unit in World War Two officially known as the 23^rd special troops. The 1,100 man was giving a unique mission within the army to impersonate other U.S army to deceive the enemy. From a few weeks after D Day (D Day is the date of the allied landing in France) when they landed in France until the end of the war they put on a traveling road show using inflatable tanks sound trucks phony radio transmissions and playacting. They staged over 20 battlefield deceptions, often operating very close to the front lines. Their mission was kept secret until 1996, and elements of it remained classified.

      Inspiration for the unit came from the British who had used similar techniques on a smaller scale at the battle of El Alamein. The unit had beginnings at Camp Forrest, Tennessee at was fully formed at pine camp NY (which is now fort drum)  before sailing in England in early May 1944. In England they were based near Stratford and some troops participated in operation Fortitude the British simulation of a landing force designated for the Pas de Calais. Some troops went to Normandy two weeks after D Day were they simulated a fake Mulberry harbor at nights with lights to draw German fire away from the real ones. Next the full force assisted in bottling up the German defenders of Brest by simulating a larger force then was actually encircling them. As the allied army’s moved east so did the 23^rd and it eventually was mostly based out of luxemore where it engaged in deceptions of the Ruhr river positions along the Maginot line, Hurtgen forest, and finally a major crossing of the Rhine to draw German troops away from the actual sites.

         Ghost soldiers were encouraged to use their brains and talent to mislead deceived and befuddle the German Army. Many were recruited from art schools advertising agencies and other venues that encourage creative thinking. In civilian life ghost soldiers had been artists, actors, set designers, and engineers. Although the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops consisted of only 1,100 soldiers, the contingent used inflatable tanks and artillery, fake aircraft and giant speakers broadcasting the sounds of men and artillery to make the Germans think it was upwards of a two division 30,000 man force. The unit's elaborate ruses helped deflect German units from the locations of larger allied combat units. The unit consisted of the 406^th combat engineers. The 603rd Camouflage Engineers, the 3132 Signal Service Company Special and the Signal Company Special.

       To add to the mix of techniques, the unit often employed theatrical effects to supplement the other deceptions. Collectively called "atmosphere", this included simulating actual units deployed elsewhere by sewing on their divisional patches, painting appropriate unit designators on vehicles and having the companies deployed as if they were regimental headquarters units. Trucks would be driven in looping convoys with just two troops in the seats near the tailgate to simulate a truck full of infantry under the canvas cover. Military police would deploy at cross roads wearing appropriate divisional insignia and some officers would simulate divisional generals and staff officers visiting towns where enemy agents were likely to see them. A few actual tanks and artillery pieces were occasionally assigned to the unit to make the dummies in the distance seem more realistic.