Just days before the infamous D-Day a group of German radio operators have just received news of chatter from U.S and British forces about to gear up for a huge operation.
As a german recon plane quietly crosses the English channel what it sees confirms their suspicion. Hundreds of tanks, trucks and ammunition ready to be loaded aborde landing crafts for a pending attack. Now armed with this information the Germans move their most heavily fortified troops into Calais and prepared to keep the Allied Forces out of Europe.
But little do they know, the army they’re preparing for are nothing more than smoke and mirrors, an illusion, …A Ghost Army.
If this sounds like the synopsis to one of Hollywood’s next big blockbusters I wouldn’t blame you for thinking so, but this isn’t a Michael Bay film this is actually the story of the brave men who helped win a war without firing a bullet.
The 23rd Headquarters special troops also known as the “Ghost Army” was the first multimedia tactical deception unit in history, this first of its kind unconventional unit was made up of 1,100 Artist, Designers, Engineers, Radio operators and Actors.
Most notably famed fashion designer Bill Blass, painter Ellsworth Kelly and photographer Art Kane.
The unit was the creation of Colonel Billy Harris, Major Ralph Ingersoll and under the command of Colonel Harry L. Reeder. This top-secret unit was used to create the illusion of multiple different units using visual and radio deception to fool German forces during the final years of World War II.
The 23rd was split into four separate divisions , the first being
Camouflage Engineers, they were responsible for the creation and deployment of various life-size inflatable tanks, trucks and infantry weapons.
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