To everyone: With every news story you read, consider this …
We actually told the Germans we were going to invade Normandy many hours before we did so. How is this relevant? Please read on.
Consider Juan Pujol Garcia, also known as Garbo, a Spanish national. At the beginning of WWII, on his own, he decided to become a spy, and give the Germans bogus information regarding Britain. MI5 caught wind of what he was doing and recruited him. He was brought to England where he continued his work and took it to a new level.
MI5 and Garbo, created a fictitious network of spies. They provided the Germans with detailed information about the fictitious build up of forces in the South East of England and the coming invasion at Pas de Calais. He also provided them with a myriad of factual information, which mostly confirmed things they already knew. This in order to build up is credibility.
Now for the juice...
Late in the evening of June 5, 1944, Garbo transmitted a message to the Germans that the Normandy invasion had started. This many hours before troops landed on the beaches. We already knew however, that the Germans would not decode and transmit the message to high command, until the next morning.
Then, as the magnitude of the Normandy invasion became apparent, with Rommel screaming bloody murder for tanks, the Germans began to divert a tank division from the Pas de Calais to Normandy. That’s when Garbo dropped the other shoe. With credibility unquestionable, he transmitted a message that an invasion at Pas de Calais was immanent and Normandy was a diversion. This message was not delayed, and when Hitler received the information he stopped the transfer of tanks and returned the division to Pas de Calais, where they remained for a month.
Such is the nature of the information games, which no doubt are going to be employed in the coming conflicts.
This deception, the technique used, was felt to be so important that it was not revealed to the public until 1998. Some of the deceptions of today, may not be revealed in our lifetime.
With every story you read and every tidbit leaked, consider the history of Garbo, MI5 and Normandy. |
