The Deceivers

[DJBarney]

(Please don't move to off topic - there is an idea for FH at the end).

I'm reading a book at the moment "The Deceivers" by Thaddeus Holt. "Allied Military Deception in the Second Word War". Complete with endorsement by a former Director of Central Intelligence (CIA?) ...

"Thaddeus Holt has given us a riveting history of the allied deception operations in World War II. The British were especially masterful - the sphinx-like and sardonic Dudley Clarke and his colleagues had a huge hand in the victory. Far more dramatic than any fiction." R James Woosley, Director of Central Intelligence, 1993 - 1995.

It's just fascinating and very humorous in parts. There was a problem with steam trains bolting out of stations at an alarming fashion because the driver had assumed he was carrying tonnes of tanks when they were actually dummies . Dummy landing craft blowing off in the wind in front of German observers and other events like an agent being recognised even though he was dressed in drag .

There's a lot more to it than placing dummy tanks in fields. Months of carefully placed information on the airwaves and manufactured rumours, documents and little titbits would be crafted to play on the worries of the enemy. Worries that were already known about and could be used to make the enemy take specific actions that you wanted them to do.

A few enemy maps were captured with regiments, even divisions marked on them that never actually existed. There were a few instances of the allies themselves ocassionaly forgetting to inform their own side of deceptions leading to non-existing troops being entered onto the books and some confusion, but most deception operations were strictly controlled from the highest levels.

An eye opener for me was the fact that these operations worked much better in the British forces because of the different structure. Different levels of command could easily talk to one another, whereas the US structure was a strict bureacracy of having to go up the chain of command which just doesn't work for deception operations because of it's cross discipline nature.

Operation Overlord is probably the best example of sucessful use of deception that had been carried out over months if not years. Many other operations would also not have suceeded without it.

I doubt if FH will ever have any way of actually using deception in it, but it's an interesting thought. Blow up dummy tanks that can be wheeled to locations quickly while no one is looking ? From a distance it might be enough to make the enemy decide to attack in a completely different location .

[Flippy Warbear]

I think its already enough deceiving to have static tank wrecks littered around the battlefields. Nowadays I sure know which is which but back then I did fire a shell at them to make sure they wont shell me.

Of course, even knowing theres a static tank wreck doesnt mean it cant be deceiving... AT-personel or an enemy tank can be lurking behind it.

[DJBarney]

I think I've been trying for that head shot before and then found that it's the top of a post or something.

[Ts4EVER]

Originally Posted by DJBarney

I think I've been trying for that head shot before and then found that it's the top of a post or something.

I once shot a dolphin because I thought it was a MG34 gunner

[GirlsHateMe]

Originally Posted by Ts4EVER

I once shot a dolphin because I thought it was a MG34 gunner

Did you mean a dolphin diver ?

[Ts4EVER]

Originally Posted by GirlsHateMe

Did you mean a dolphin diver ?

yes, it was a poor attempt of a pun.

[sheikyerbouti]

Back on topic,

How about giving the commander the option of deploying air dropped decoys.

I am thinking of a map like Crete where the commander could drop "parachute dummies" which might distract AA and people for a while.

or, How about a false artillery drop? Instead of a full scale barrage, simulate a couple of mortar potshots with a bunch of smoke to add confusion. Sort of like a "cover for retreat" option.

Smoke screens, of course, are already a decoy but I have rarely seen it used on Sfakia (as nobody bothers to command).

[DJBarney]

Ha! I just noticed your sig. See Tibet: The Liberal Stupidity Revs Up Again, and a few other more recent posts on my blog.

Dummy parachutists with exploding firecrackers ? False sounds of battle playing over that hill ? I'll have to experiment with the commander some as I usually play straight SP.

Or what about or ? Oh, I can't say anything about that .

[Meadow]

I think certainly on a D-Day map a droppable decoy of Ruperts (I think that's what they were called) here and there would be a great way to confuse the enemy. Dummy tanks etc served more of a strategic role, though, so I don't think we could get them to work.

[General Tso]

I think the dummy tanks etc. were mostly used on the British Isles, so German reconnaissance planes and/or spies would spot them and report back to the Abwehr.

I do like the Rupert idea on a night drop map Normandy map.