Largest fake army

Before the invasion of Europe by allied forces on “D-Day” – 6 June 1944 – a huge and complex deception plan had been created and was known as Bodyguard. Under this plan, Operation Fortitude provided for the creation of two fake field army groups: one in the north, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, to threaten Norway, and one in the south to menace the Pas de Calais, France. The illusion to be created in German minds was that there were two army groups in the south – the 21 Army Group under General Montgomery (the real Normandy invasion force), and the First United States Army Group (FUSAG), a fictitious force under General Patton, but with both intended for the invasion of the Pas de Calais. The fake force consisted of a million men. The deception was created by false radio traffic, input from double-cross agents and the secret services, and the construction of dummy buildings and equipment. FUSAG ensured that many German troops remained tied down in the Pas de Calais area instead of Normandy, thus saving many allied lives when the invasion commenced.