British deception formations in World War II

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Map depicting the targets of all the subordinate plans of Bodyguard

During World War II the British Army made extensive use of fictional army formations, as part of strategic or tactical military deceptions. Their use was pioneered by Dudley Clarke during the North African campaign. Clarke eventually formulated an elaborate order of battle deception (Operation Cascade) to mislead the Axis high command as to the strength of Allied forces in the region. Based on these successes the London Controlling Section made extensive use of notional formations during Operation Bodyguard - a deception operation ahead of the June 1944 Normandy Landings.

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Armies[]

Armies
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Divisional insignia Deception plan Notes Source(s)
Third Army N/A N/A N/A N/A German intelligence were aware of the British Army's regional commands from before the war. Due to various Allied deception efforts, German intelligence had over-estimated the number of Allied forces based within the UK at the start of 1944. While there was no specific deception effort to create the Third Army, German intelligence believed that one had been formed from Northern Command. [1]
Fourth Army June 1943
March 1944 		November 1943
February 1945 		Operation Tindall, Fortitude North, Fortitude South II, Scottish Command initially created and maintained the ruse of the army, and utilized a variant of their own insignia: the lion replaced by medieval style number four. The army was initially composed of the XXI Corps. As part of Operation Tindall, it aimed to threaten an Allied invasion of German-occupied Norway. The initial formation was wound down in late 1943, but revived again in early 1944 as part of Fortitude North that likewise aimed to create a threat to Norway. The new army was then composed real formations and the notional II and VII Corps. In July 1944, the army notionally moved to England and joined the deceptive First United States Army Group for Fortitude South II. In September 1944, the army was used to threaten the Kiel-Bremen area, to divert German attention away from where Operation Market Garden would be launched. By November, the army was composed of the notional . By the end of the year, it was notionally based in Yorkshire, to threaten a landing along the Dutch coast as part of Operation Trolleycar. The army was disbanded in early 1945, with German intelligence informed that it had been used as a source of reinforcements and merged with Northern Command [2][3]
Fifth Army N/A N/A N/A N/A German intelligence were aware of the British Army's regional commands from before the war. Due to various Allied deception efforts, German intelligence had over-estimated the number of Allied forces based within the UK at the start of 1944. While there was no specific deception effort to create the Fifth Army, German intelligence believed that one had been formed from Eastern Command. [1]
1943 1945 N/A Operation Cockade Eastern Command formed the fictitious Sixth Army in 1943, as part of Operation Cockade. The army was intended to pose a threat to any coast of northeastern Europe, but was not used in any deception effort after 1943. German intelligence maintained the army on their order of battle of British forces until the end of the war, and believed it to be based around Luton. [4][5]
Twelfth Army May 1943 1945 N/A Operation Cascade, The insignia, designed by Noel Wild, was a seal balancing a globe, denoting the eastern hemisphere, on its nose. The army was created to be based in Egypt and Palestine, and to pose a threat to the Balkans. The army contained the notional III, XVI, and XIV Corps in addition to the notional . The army was transferred to British India, were it was notionally composed of the and . As part of , the army was to pose a threat to Sumatra with a purported invasion date set for some time in 1945. This plan was dropped when an actual Twelfth Army was activated. [6]

Corps[]

Corps
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Divisional insignia Deception plan Notes Source(s)
II Corps 1944 1945 II corps.svg Fortitude North, Fortitude South II, The notional formation was founded when the existing corps was disbanded. The original insignia was maintained. The corps initially consisted of a mix of real and notional formations and was based in Scotland, as part of the notional Fourth Army, to threaten Norway. The notional plan included the corps launching an amphibious and airborne landing to capture Stavanger, before advancing to take Oslo. In June 1944, the corps was transferred to England to become part of Fortitude South II and again consisted of a mix of real and fake formations. In November, it was attached to the real First Canadian Army to support the Operation Tolleycar II deception effort. [4]
III Corps May 1943 August 1944 III corps.svg Operation Cascade, Operation Boardman, Was previously a real formation that had fought during the Battle of France, and had been evacuated back to the UK in 1940. The corps was notionally dispatched from the UK to Iran in 1943, and became part of the notional Twelfth Army. It was used to project a threat towards Italy, during Operation Boardman, and later to threaten an Allied landing on the island of Corfu as part of . [7][8]
VII Corps Unknown January 1945 N/A Fortitude North, Fortitude South II A previously real formation that had been disbanded on 1940, the notional corps was reactivated to bolster the notional Fourth Army. The notional corp's insignia was a scallop shell upon a blue background. While based in Scotland, as part of Fortitude North, it was used to threaten an invasion of Norway and was composed of a mix of real and fake formations. It was then reassigned to England as part of Fortitude South II and provided with a new composition of real and notional formations. In September 1944, the corps notionally moved to East Anglia and then on to Yorkshire in December. In January 1945, it was disbanded. [7]
XIV Corps December 1943 May 1945 N/A Operation Cascade, , Operation Zeppelin The corps' insignia was a black wolfs head, with its tongue protruding, on a white background. The corps was notionally activated in December 1943, composed completely of notional formations, and based across Algeria and Tunisia. Various legitimate administration units in these areas posed as the corps. The deception included Christmas party invites, for the officers of the corps, being leaked to Axis agents based in Spain and Turkey. Over the 1943–1944 winter, the corps was used to threaten the Tuscany area of Italy, in an attempt to protect and support the Anzio landing. In early 1944, notional paratroopers were added to the order of battle and the corps purportedly moved to Sicily. It then notionally moved to the western end of the Mediterranean by May. During the 1944–1945 winter, the corps notionally moved to Terni, Italy. Its insignia was adopted by a mountain warfare training facility in the area, and the corps' took on the role of the 15th Army Group's reserve that was being trained in mountain warfare in order to take part in any fighting in the Alps in 1945. [9]
XVI Corps November 1943 Unknown N/A The notional corps was activated in Egypt in November 1943. Its insignia was a phoenix emerging from red flames while bearing a flaming torch in its mouth, all on a white background. The corps was composed entirely of notional divisions, and was assigned to the notional Twelfth Army. It was intended, as part of , that the corps would threaten an invasion of several of the Greek Ionian Islands. [10]
XVIII Corps June 1941 June 1941 N/A Cyprus Defense Plan Cyprus was a low priority area for the British, who did not want to bolster its small garrison. In June 1941, following the Battle of Crete, efforts were made to reinforce the island. This included the activation of the notional XVIII Corps. It is not known if it had any insignia created, and was shortly renamed . [10][11][12]
1944 December 1944 UK 6th Airborne Division Patch.svg N/A The notional airborne corps, which was composed of real and fake airborne divisions, was attached to the First Allied Airborne Army in the autumn of 1944. In December, the corps was disbanded and it was leaked to Germany that it had only been an administrative formation. [10][13]
XXI Corps Unknown Unknown N/A Operation Tindall The corps formed part of notional Fourth Army and the threat to Norway. [10]
June 1941 Unknown N/A Cyprus Defense Plan 1941, Operation Cascade, Originally the notional XVIII Corps prior to being renamed. This formation was provided with insignia of the British headquarters based in Cyprus, which was a red lion passant gardant on a yellow background. It was composed of notional divisions until the real 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division arrived on the island. After that division left, the corps reverted to an order of battle of only notional divisions. [10]

Divisions[]

Divisions
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Divisional insignia Deception plan Notes Source(s)
2nd Airborne Division UK 6th Airborne Division Patch.svg The division comprised a small number of personnel and amount of equipment, especially radio communications, which aimed to mimic the activities of a real, 10,000 strong plus, division. Its imaginary composition included the 11th Parachute Brigade, 12th Parachute Brigade, and the 13th Airlanding Brigade.[14] The division was first referred to as part of the British II Corps of the British Fourth Army, with units based at Skegness and Grantham in Lincolnshire. For Operation Fortitude South II, the division along with the notional United States 9th and 21st Airborne Divisions were depicted as being under the direct control of the First United States Army Group and tasked with seizing key positions inland of the fictitious Pas de Calais beachheads.[14][15] In the aftermath of Fortitude South, the notional 2nd Airborne Division, the notional United States 9th and 21st Airborne Divisions and the real United States 17th Airborne Divisions were used to depict an airborne threat to the Kiel-Bremen area in support of Operation Market Garden.[16] The division was disposed of in December 1944, by announcing that it had been disbanded to provide replacements for the 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions.[14] [17][13]
UK 6th Airborne Division Patch.svg [17][13]
4th Airborne Division 4th Airborne Division was part of Operation Cascade, a 1943 order of battle deception during the North African campaign, and initially based in Palestine.[18]

The division comprised both fictitious and real units. In 1941 Dudley Clarke had conducted Operation Abeam, to play on Italian fears of airborne assault, in which he created the 1st SAS Brigade. During 1941 and 1942 it formed part of Clarke's non-specific plans to deceive the Axis command as to the true size of Allied forces in the region. By the end of 1942 airborne units were training in the Middle East; one such unit, the 4th Parachute Brigade, was combined with 1st SAS to become the 4th Airborne Division. In addition, the division notionally included the 7th Parachute Brigade (comprising Greek Squadrons, Special Forces, and a French Parachute Battalion).[18]

In June 1943, the 4th Parachute Brigade completed training and was assigned to 1st Airborne Division; it was replaced in the 4th Airborne Division by the fictional 6th (Gurkha) Parachute Brigade (comprising the 6th Battalion, 6th Gurkha Regiment, the 160th Parachute Regiment (Gurkha), and the 161st Parachute Regiment (Gurkha)).[18]

The 4th Airborne Division was utilised as part of the fictional British Twelfth Army during Operation Barclay (where it was supposed to be destined for an assault on Greece and Crete) and Operation Zeppelin (where it was presented as part of a simulated threat to Crete).[18]

Unlike most of the other British airborne divisions, 4th Airborne was given an individual insignia. This took the form of an open white parachute with black wings on a blue background.[18]

[17]
5th Airborne Division The division was created in late 1943 as part of to cover the departure 1st Airborne Division from Italy. It was notionally built up around the 2nd Parachute Brigade, which had been left in Italy when the 1st Airborne Division travelled to Britain.[19]

Its notional composition included the 2nd Parachute Brigade, 8th Parachute Brigade, and 9th Air Landing Brigade.

Initially it was portrayed as part of the British XIV Corps of the British Twelfth Army in Sicily, subsequently it was depicted as being attached successively to the British Twelfth Army's (Operation Ferdinand) and British III Corps (). Finally in December 1944, it was presented to the Germans as the theatre airborne reserve until the end of the war.[19]

Like the 4th Airborne Division, the 5th Airborne Division was given its own insignia. This took the form of a bright blue bolt of lightning, formed by five zig-zags on a dark red square. In 1945 this was replaced by the standard insignia used by the 1st, 2nd & 6th Airborne Divisions.[19]

Part of Fortitude South II, it belonged to the British VII Corps, its HQ was located in Newmarket. It was composed of the 37th Armoured Brigade (AB) and the 43rd Infantry Brigade (IB) in addition to divisional support elements. It went to Yorkshire in November 1944 before being disbanded in January 1945. [20]
7th Division (Cyprus) The division was formed on 14 June 1941. Based in Cyprus, it was notionally composed of '21st Infantry Brigade' (which did not exist), '22nd Infantry Brigade' (22nd Guards Brigade was actually fighting in the Western Desert at the time) and 23rd Infantry Brigade (which was actually in Syria). The divisional HQ commanded all troops actually in Cyprus, but ceased to exist on 23 August. However, the deception continued until June 1943. [21][22]
8th Armoured Division 8ArmDiv.png [21]
9th Armoured Division 9armd div.jpg [21]
[23]
[23]
[23]
[23]
[24]
23rd Division [24]
[24]
32nd Division (Air Transit) [24]
33rd Division [24]
34th Division [25]
40th Infantry Division The 40th Infantry Division was notionally created on 9 November 1943 as part of .[26][27] Operation Foynes was a deception plan to "conceal from the Germans the weakening of the allied position in the Mediterranean". To aid in the build-up for Operation Overlord, eight veteran Anglo-American divisions were withdrawn to the United Kingdom. They were replaced by three genuine divisions. To cover the shortfall, four phantom divisions were created in the theater and a further two were "held in readiness to be "sent" but were never used".[28]

The 40th Division was created by renaming the 43rd Infantry Brigade. The 30th battalions of the Somerset Light Infantry, Royal Norfolk Regiment and Dorset Regiment played the role of the 119th, 120th, and 121st Infantry Brigades.[26][27] To keep up appearances, the battalion commanding officers flew brigadier pennants, and the divisional insignia of the First World War's 40th Division was adopted (which were manufactured locally): a white diamond with a superimposed acorn.[26][27] In actuality, the brigade consisted of "low medical category men armed with personal weapons only and with a skeleton complement of transport" who were undertaking internal and lines of communication duties on Sicily. The deception was played out until June 1944, when the formation was disbanded."[26]

[25]
[25]
55th Division 55 inf div -vector2.svg [29]
57th Division The division was formed in North Africa during November 1943, by renaming the 42nd Infantry Brigade.[30] Notionally, it was the revived First World War 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division, and used that division's "Derby 'D'", a red and white letter 'D' on its side on a black background, insignia.[30][31] Mike Chappell comments proof that "the phantom 57th had done their job" was found on German "enemy order of battle charts", which depicted the division's insignia inverted.[30] The 30th battalions Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, Green Howards and Suffolk Regiment played the role of the 170th, 171st, and 172nd Infantry Brigades.[30][31] The division was initially formed as part of Operation Foynes. Afterwards, the division was notionally part of the notional XIV Corps. It was notionally based in the Terni area, and was later transferred to the notional III Corps that was being used to threaten an invasion of Greece as part of .[31] [29]
58th Division Created in 1944, taking the identity of a genuine division from World War I, the division's insignia was a stag in an attempt to "suggest a connection with the Scottish Highlands". The division's number was chosen as Ultra intercepts had shown the Germans "believed there was a 58th Division" located in the Windsor area. The purpose of the division was to replace the genuine 3rd Infantry Division, which had hitherto been part of Operation Fortitude North's notional planned attack on Stavanger. The 58th took over this role, allowing the real troops to participate in Overlord related training: Exercise Fabius. Following this, the division notionally undertook mountain training near Inverness and Glasgow. During the summer, the division was notionally transferred south to England as part of Fortitude South II. It was initially, fictionally, based in Gravesend before moving to East Anglia, Yorkshire, and finally to Hertfordshire where it was "disbanded" in April 1945.[31][32][33] [29]
59th Division 59 inf div -vector.svg [34]
64th Division [34]
68th Division [34]
70th Division British WWII 6th Infantry Division.svg [34]
76th Division 76th Infantry vector2.svg [34]
77th Division 77 inf div -vector.svg [34]
80th Division British 80th Infantry (Reserve) Badge.svg Part of VII Corps. The fake division was created by signallers of the 61st Infantry Division. The fake division, as part of Fortitude South, threatened to invade the Pas de Calais as part of FUSAG. Was 'disbanded' near the end of the war. [35]
[35]

Brigades[]

Brigades
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Divisional insignia Deception plan Notes Source(s)
10th Armoured Brigade [35]
27th Armoured Brigade [35]
33rd Armoured Brigade [35]
42nd Tank Brigade [35]
[36]
[36]
[36]
[36]

Notes[]

Footnotes[]

Citations[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Hesketh 2000, pp. 169–170.
  2. ^ Holt 2004, pp. 486, 912, 915.
  3. ^ Hesketh 2000, pp. 2–3, 37, 64–65, 242–245, 305–306, 327–329, 334–335.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Holt 2004, pp. 912–913.
  5. ^ Hesketh 2000, pp. 2–3.
  6. ^ Holt 2004, p. 913.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Holt 2004, p. 914.
  8. ^ Jackson & Gleave 2004, p. 323.
  9. ^ Holt 2004, pp. 914–915.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Holt 2004, p. 915.
  11. ^ Playfair et al. 2004, p. 190.
  12. ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 204.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Badge, Formation, 1st Airborne Division & 6th Airborne Division & 16th Airborne Division TA". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c Holt. 2005. p.916
  15. ^ Hesketh. 1999. p. 418
  16. ^ Hesketh. 1999. p. 306
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c Holt 2004, p. 916.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Holt (2004), pg. 225–226
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c Thaddeus Holt. The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War. Phoenix. 2005. ISBN 0753819171
  20. ^ Holt 2004, p. 917.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b c Holt 2004, p. 918.
  22. ^ Joslen, p. 52.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Holt 2004, p. 919.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Holt 2004, p. 920.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b c Holt 2004, p. 921.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Chappell, p.23
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b c Holt, p. 921
  28. ^ Holt, pp. 498-499
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b c Holt 2004, p. 922.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Chappell, p. 36
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Holt, p. 922
  32. ^ Martin, pp. 185–8.
  33. ^ Levine, pp. 212, 217, 233.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Holt 2004, p. 923.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Holt 2004, p. 924.
  36. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Holt 2004, p. 925.

References[]

  • Chappell, Michael (1987). British Battle Insignia 1939–1940. Men-At-Arms. 2. London: Osprey. ISBN 978-0-85045-739-1.
  • Hesketh, Roger (2000). Fortitude: The D-Day Deception Campaign. Woodstock: Overlook Hardcover. ISBN 978-1-585-67075-8.
  • Holt, Thaddeus (2004). The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War. New York: Scribner. ISBN 978-0-743-25042-9.
  • Jackson, William; Gleave, T. P. (2004) [1986]. Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East: Victory in the Mediterranean Part II: June to October 1944. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. VI. London: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 978-1-845-74071-9.
  • Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1990]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.
  • Levine, Joshua (2011) Operation Fortitude: The Greatest Hoax of the Second World War, London: Collins, ISBN 978-0-00-739587-3.
  • Martin, David (2014) Londoners on the Western Front: The 58th (2/1st London) Division in the Great War, Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books, ISBN 978-1-78159-180-2.
  • Playfair, I. S. O.; et al. (2004) [1954]. Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East: The Early Successes Against Italy (to May 1941). History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. I. London: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84574-065-8.
  • Playfair, I. S. O.; et al. (2004) [1956]. Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East: The Germans Come to the Help of their Ally (1941). History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. II. London: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84574-066-5 – via Hyperwar Foundation (1956 version).
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