New to the catalogue

(Picture credit: HarperCollins)

A thrilling deception plan involving double agents, a pretend flotilla and a fictitious Army Unit. No, this isn’t a Hollywood film, but a description of Operation Fortitude, which took place during the Second World War.

The success of the Allies in invading France on D-Day was made possible as a result of this cunning deception plan. Drawing attention away from the Normandy landings and giving the Germans the impression that a bigger invasion would take place at the Pas de Calais was the key aim of Operation Fortitude. A fascinating tale resulted and is told here in full, with details of those who played a significant role in Fortitude’s success.

One of the key players in Fortitude was, R. V. Jones, Head of British Scientific Intelligence. His ingenious plan was to invent tinfoil confetti which, when dropped by British Lancaster Bombers, gave the impression that a flotilla was approaching. This clever invention helped to confuse the German Army regarding the direction of the Allied attack.

Another significant contribution was made by the Spanish Double Agent known as by the British as GARBO. He fed the German High Command stories from his fake spy network. His reports were key in helping to divert German resources. Indeed, he was so successful in this that they were persuaded by his intelligence throughout the rest of the Second World War.

The ingenuity and utter brilliance of those involved in this operation are clear. There were many others involved and a great number of their thrilling stories are contained in Joshua Levine’s book. Their actions helped D-Day to go ahead successfully and it can be said that this, ultimately, helped to change the course of the Second World War.

As always, further details of Operation Fortitude : the story of the spy operation that saved D-Day can be found on our catalogue.