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Ghost Army
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2024) |
| Ghost Army | |
|---|---|
| Ghost Army | |
| Founded | Activated on |
| Country | USA |
| Type | United States Army |
| Role | Tactical Deception |
| Size | 1,100 |
| Part of | United States Army |
| Formations | |
| Colors | |
| Equipment | |
| Website | Ghost Army |
| Photograph of Notable officers of the 406th Engineer Combat Company | Add photograph from the book Ghosts of ETO page 29 |
| Notable officers of the 406th Engineer Combat Company | * Captain George Rebh (commander) * Lt. William Aliapoulos (3rd Platoon) Awarded Bronze Star for service during Operation Brittany. * Lt. George Daley (1st Platoon) * Lt. Ted Kelker (HQ Platoon) * Lt. Thomas Robinson (2nd Platoon) * Source: Official Document[1] From the book Ghosts of ETO page 29 |
| Insignia | |
| Identification marking | |
| Vehicle marking | |
| Regimental War Flag | |
The Ghost Army was a United States Army tactical deception unit during World War II officially known as the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.[2][3] The 1,100-man unit was given a unique mission: to deceive Hitler's forces and mislead them as to the size and location of Allied forces, while giving the actual units elsewhere time to maneuver.[4] Activated on 20 January 1944, the Ghost Army arrived in Europe in May shortly before D-Day and returned to the US at the end of the war in July 1945.[5][6] During their tenure, the Ghost Army carried out more than 20 deception campaigns, putting on a "traveling road show" using inflatable tanks, sound trucks, fake radio transmissions, scripts and pretense.[3]
Their story was kept a secret for more than 50 years after the war, until it was declassified in 1996.[3][7] The unit was the subject of a PBS documentary The Ghost Army in 2013.[6] In February 2022, members of the Ghost Army were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, citing their unique and highly distinguished service.[4]
- ^ "406th Engineers Special Orders" (PDF).
- ^ "1st Hqs, Special Troops". nasaa-home.org. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ a b c Gormly, Kellie B. (5 July 2022). "How the Ghost Army of WWII Used Art to Deceive the Nazis". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ a b Patel, Vimal (4 February 2022). "Ghost Army, a World War II Master of Deception, Finally Wins Recognition". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ a b Binkovitz, Leah (21 May 2013). "When an Army of Artists Fooled Hitler". Smithsonian.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Garber, Megan (22 May 2013). "Ghost Army: The Inflatable Tanks That Fooled Hitler". The Atlantic. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
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