"During World War Two, the US Army, along with several Allied nations, created an entire Phantom Army to deceive the Germans into believing that the Allied forces were as much as 70% stronger than they actually were.
Prior to Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France, the First United States Army Group (FUSAG) was created and placed under the command of General George Patton in southeast England. The mission of FUSAG was to deceive the Germans into believing that the real invasion of France ouwld be at Pas de Calais, not Normandy. On paper, FUSAG was comprised of the 14th Army, 2 Corps, 1 Armored Division, 5 Airborne Divisions, and 14 Infantry Divisions. added to this force was 1 Airborne and 9 Infantry Divisions that had been activated but not actually raised bringing the FUSAG's total force to 30 non-existent divisions. This deception was named "Operation Quicksilver."
A variety of techniques were employed to get the Germans to believe that this force was in preparing for the invasion. These techniques ranged from double agents, false radio traffic, "lost" documents, fals marriage and death notices in local papers where the unit was noted prominently. One elaborate deception included the use of the magazine National Geographic. The Army provided assiatnce to the magazine in preparing a full color layout showing a wide variety of unit insignias including shoulder patches. The Army inserted the insignia and patches of the bogus units. When the magazine first hit the stands, the Army allowed some issues to be distributed. The after a few days, they halted the printing, removed the bogus units, and re-released the magazine in a revised version."
After it's all over... believe half of what you hear then.
