The Role of Intelligence in Operation Bodyguard, the Deception of the D-Day invasions

Introduction

The D-Day Landings of June 6 , 1944 is characterized by military genuis not merely because of military might , but due also in large part to the successful use of intelligence on the part of Allies and the failure of counterintelligence on the part of the Axis . The proper use of military intelligence permitted the Allies to take the Germans by complete surprise and in the process defeat them . It was this intelligence that gave historians the right to refer to D-Day as the beginning of the end of World War II

. The Followig discussion examines the intricate role of intelligence in the defeat of the Germans with respect to the D-Day Landings on June 6 , 1944

D-Day , June 6 , 1944

D-Day is the term commonly used to refer to the start of the Normandy Invasion by the Allied forces during the Second World War . The Battle of Normandy was codenamed Operation Overload . Operation Overload remains the largest sea invasion in world history with approximately 156 ,000 entering France 's coast of Normandy via the English Channel from the UK . The Battle of Normandy commenced with glider and parachute landings in the dark of night with naval and air bombardments followed by further landings at dawn

By dawn on June 6 , 1944 the Normandy coast was occupied with appoximately 5 ,000 figher ships including 23 cruisers , 9 battleships 104 destroyers and 71 varieties of landing sea craft comprisng transport for troops , merhantmen and mine sweepers . By 5 :30 a .m . all of the Normandy coast stretching from Caen to Vierville-sur-Mer was occupied by the Allies ' armada . That day the only German response consisted of three torpedo boats that sank the Svenner , a Norwegian destroyer . The Allied naval attack which started at 5 .50 a .m . detonated enemy minefields and destroyed blockhouses and many German military positions By nightfall the Allied forces had outdone the Germans , but the battle would rage on

The Battle for Normandy would not go smoothly due in large part to the German 's relentless spirit . They would hold their ground and the battle would rage on for sex weeks until finally the Germans were defeated The success was attributed to the military genius of four years of planning , a plan that involved deception and double cross , concepts brought together by allied intelligence units

The Intelligence Behind the D-Day Landing

Codename Neptune was the name given to the assault phase of Operation Overload . This assault would not have been successful had it not been facilitated by a strategic plan which had been characterized by deception and double cross . This deception strategy was based on an age-old concept explained by Sun Tzu as follows

All warfare is based on deception . Hence , when able to attack , we must seem unable when using force , we must seem inactive when we are near , we must make the adversary believe we are far away when far away , we must make him believe we are near . Hold our baits to entice the adversary...