In Memoriam

The Principles of Military Deception and Operation QUICKSILVER

“…QUICKSILVER also had to give the perception that the attack would come much later than was planned, so that if the Germans guessed the true objective, they may still be surprised. 4 The effect that the Allies hoped to achieve was to create numerous threats in order to force Hitler to scatter already scarce resources among other viable invasion sites, leaving northern and southern France relatively weakly defended. 5 Appropriate focus and objective are vital to all MILDEC operations.…”

“…4 The effect that the Allies hoped to achieve was to create numerous threats in order to force Hitler to scatter already scarce resources among other viable invasion sites, leaving northern and southern France relatively weakly defended. 5 Appropriate focus and objective are vital to all MILDEC operations. Operation QUICKSILVER planners were intensely aware that these two principles would have to be carefully thought out and targeted at the principal decision makers in the German military to secure the preferred effect.…”

“…The greater deception plan, Operation FORTITUDE SOUTH, was among the overall strategic deception plans started in July 1943, nearly a year before D-Day. 12 The Controlling Officer, COL J. Bevan, felt that the lesson that deception plans must not be rushed had finally been learned. Indeed when considering the magnitude of the Operation QUICKSILVER and the other deception plans, it would take that entire year to get the pieces in place to fully deceive Adolf Hitler.…”