Deception, technology and the D-day invasion

In the planning of Operation Overlord, the D-day invasion of 1944, it was essential that the enemy should be deceived regarding the time and place of the sea-borne assault. Deception plans ensured that the enemy´s forces were deployed in several possible invasion zones so as to minimise the expected opposition to the invasion. Many of the deception plans were highly effective. Of particular note, radio technology enabled the German early warning radar system to be almost completely paralysed, and led to the simulation of invasion convoys heading for the Boulogne and the Fe´camp regions of France to create confusion as to the places of the real landings. It is remarkable that, though the planning of Overlord and the assembly of the vast forces of men and materials necessary for its implementation occupied many months, the invasion should come on the enemy as a surprise both in time and place. This paper considers some aspects of the art and technology of deception as applied to safeguard the Allied invasion of France in June 1994