what battle did the British fake their tanks wwii north africa

Operation Zeppelin was the equivalent of Operation Fortitude, but with fictitious targets in Mediterranean countries. Two more deception operations took place far from French beaches between February and July 1944. Operation Ironside did not make use of any type of physical deception like the fake tanks used during Operation Fortitude – instead, it relied purely on controlled misinformation.ĭouble agents were given the task of confusing the Germans between May and June 1944, passing the message that the Allied block was planning an attack near Bordeaux, along the Bay of Biscay.Īgain, the aim was to deflect German assets and attention away from Normandy. Meanwhile, a second operation was also in motion to deceive Germany into thinking another attack could be taking place in France. This part of the plan, which also used inflatable tanks pointing towards Nazi-controlled territories, was called Operation Fortitude. Ultimately, the aim was for the Allies to make Germany believe they were about to strike at the same time in both France at Pas de Calais and in Norway, shifting their attention away from the shores of Normandy. Germany already suspected that any Allied attempt at invasion would take place on the French coast and Pas de Calais, the Nazi-controlled territory closest to England, appeared to be the most likely target.

One of the more delicate aspects of the plan was to distract Nazi troops on the Western Front of the territory they controlled, as that was precisely where the landings were going to take place.

What battle did the British fake their tanks wwii north africa