Operation Fortitude : An art of Deception Part I

- Atlantic Wall 1944-

Months before D-day WW II on November the 3th 1943 , Adolf Hitler issued his renowned Directive 51 to his top brass Generals.
The document was his answer on the effort to prevail against the upcoming Allies invasion. Through the years he felt supremely confident that the german could repel the invasion.

Several years earlier he has buil the Atlantic wall , a line of forts across the coast from France to Norway. Hitler has also 10 millions of soldiers at his disposal supported by the most advanced military industry at that time.In the frontline he has legendary generals like Erwin von Rommel ,Field Marshall Gerd Von Runstedt, Heinz Guiderian. Addition to those facts, his intelligence was well infiltrated in all level of British military. With these enormous advantage power in Hitler’s grasp ,it would take more than normal effort for the allies to toppled Hitler.

They will need to land a massive armada somewhere in the continents’s shore. This wouldn’t be enough. Furtherly allied forces must concealed a stronghold at the beachhead before the Germans could repel them back to the water edge.

Inside directive 51 ,Hitler instructed his generals to concentrate their forces in Pas De Calais and strengthened their position along the Atlantic wall. This was very reasonable. Pas De Calais was the shortest point Allied forces could launched an invasion . It had number of major ports and the Allies would need a port to land their troops. This region was also the launching site for V-1 and V-2 rockets direct to Great Britain. It would be a perfect reason for the allies forces to invade Pas De Calais before Hitler would commenced the bombing operation.

In the early of 1944 ,Hitler received Several keys reports from his intelligence…., exactly what he had foreseen,precisely what he wanted to hear…… His Agents in England reported the indication of a forming enormous troops in southeastern of England . FUSAG (First United States Army Group) which was commanded by General Patton. They captured so many wire transmission signaling a presence of a massive troops. Clearly this troops are positioned to crossed into Pas De Calais. The most important was that among all of allies General , Hitler feared Patton the most. He demanded more information on Patton’s army. He ordered to reconnaissance the area through High flying recon planes. Their photograph showed enormous amounts of tanks , troops tents and planes squadron were marshalling in the area as if it was to launched an invasion. A captured German general who has been imprisoned in England was repatriated reported to Hitler that he notices a massive FUSAG troops activities on his way back to London.