The Ghost Army: Conning the Third Reich

by Gerry Souter, Janet Souter

Overview

Our story is about the genesis and evolution of these phantoms and men-who-never-were, these artists and magicians at the front line who operated in stealth and secrecy.

Throughout the course of World War II, Allied forces engaged in elaborate deceptions to fool Hitler's armies. A ragtag group of Bohemian artists and creatives were assembled to devise these strategies, including rubber dummy tanks, faux railway lines and falsified wireless intelligence. They made armies appear out of thin air, baffling German forces and ensuring Allied success in battle. For fifty years, information on the Ghost Army strategies was classified. It is only recently that details of their heroic actions have come to light.

This book includes details of SHAEF command centre who organised many of the deceptions, the First US Army Group (the so-called 'Ghost Army'), the 23rd Camouflage Engineers, and accounts of the double cross agents who risked their lives and freedom to mislead Nazi High Command. Featuring never-before-seen information from veteran interviews, The Ghost Army brings to life the fascinating story of the men and women who conned Adolf Hitler.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781788883429
Publisher:	Arcturus Publishing Limited
Publication date:	05/20/2019
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	301,617
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Gerry and Janet Souter are a prolific and wide-ranging author team with a total of 58 traditionally published books in the fields of U. S. history, military history, biographies, fine arts, memoir, young adult, auto racing, computers and business.

Both come from a fine arts background having studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Janet in advertising art and Gerry in photography, and the University of Chicago degree program.

They have travelled extensively, Janet in the travel industry and Gerry as an international photojournalist, documentary film maker and award-winning video/television producer, writer and director. Gerry has flown with the Blue Angels, rode the wing of a Stearman crop duster, parachuted with the Golden Knights, free-ballooned over the Colorado Rocky Mountains, boated marlin off Cabo St. Lucas, sailed on the Nile in a felucca and travelled by camel across the Egyptian Sahara. Gerry is also a certified expert marksman, has won ribbons at English-saddle show jumping, and drove a 650 HP Indianapolis race car on the Joliet, Illinois Speedway.

Their books published in the U.S. and U.K, include: The Founding of the United States Experience , Our Founding Fathers , The Vietnam War Experience , The Afghanistan-Iraq Wars , Battle Tanks , Modern Military Rifles and Careers in the United States Secret Service and Federal Protective Service . Fine art titles include: Camille Claudel , Edward Hopper-Light and Dark , Diego Rivera , Georgia O'Keeffe , Frida Kahlo-Beneath the Mirror , Malevich-Journey into Infinity and American Realists .

Gerry and Janet's world travels and adventures in the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Egypt, Venezuela, Mexico, the Caribbean, China, Africa, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Marseilles, Maracaibo, Jamaica, Canadian Northwest Territories, and all 48 States in the U.S. give them a broad knowledge base and writing experience in a variety of genres and voices for their readers. Their three grown children all have careers in fine arts and communications.

The Souters' home is in Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA.

Table of Contents

Overture 10

Introduction 15

Chapter 1 A Legacy of Stealth 19

Chapter 2 Failed Rehearsal 33

Chapter 3 Putting on the Med - Deceptions at El Alamein 37

Chapter 4 Two Divas and a Cast of Spies 57

Chapter 5 Operation Mincemeat 63

Chapter 6 Untying the Italian Boot: Salerno & Anzio 71

Chapter 7 Fortitude - Wheels Within Wheels 78

Chapter 8 Whenever the Twain Shall Meet 91

Chapter 9 Quicksilver - Big Bobs Away 103

Chapter 10 FORTITUDE 117

Chapter 11 The Deception Shell-Game - America Wants In 125

Chapter 12 Every Stage Can Use an Orson Welles 135

Chapter 13 "Garbo" - The One-man Phantom Spy Network 143

Chapter 14 The 23rd Headquarters Company (Special) on the March 151

Chapter 15 The ELEPHANT in the Room 159

Chapter 16 Living the Life of a Gypsy Command 171

Chapter 17 You're in the Army Now - Divisions Come Calling 177

Chapter 18 Paris and Conning MPs - and Nosy Officers 187

Chapter 19 In and Out of Luxembourg City - Ducking Shells and Nursing Hangovers 195

Chapter 20 ELSENBORN, Illusion on the Roer River 203

Chapter 21 Koblenz and the Battle of the Bulge 208

Chapter 22 Up Tempo: The 23rd Zig-zags East 219

Chapter 23 Operation VIERSEN - the Vanishing Ninth Army 225

Chapter 24 The Ghost Army Does Not Become a Part of History 237

Bernie Bluestein's Peacetime Years 243

Encore: Top-secret recognition of the 23rd's contribution to the Rhine Crossing from General William Simpson, 9th Army 244

Surviving Members of the Ghost Army as of this writing 245

Epilogue: Monument Dedication Ceremony, Luxembourg City to the 23rd HQ SPL Troops, 2018 246

Endnotes 248

Index 253

Interviews

Contains approximately 60,000 words.