The Army That Never Existed: The 23rd Ghost Army

The US Army’s 23rd Special Troops, aka the “Ghost Army,” was probably one of the most creative and unusual units of the Second World War. It was activated in January 1944 and made up of signals troops, engineers specialized in camouflage and deception, and combat troops for its own security.

With inflatable tanks, guns and trucks, the 23rd could stage large troop movements within a few hours that enemy air reconnaissance could not tell apart from real units. Faking field posts and entire airfields was possible too. The idea came from the British, who had already fooled the Wehrmacht with dummy vehicles at the Battle of El Alamein.

On top of that, loudspeakers mounted on vehicles blasted the enemy with various recordings of track and engine noise from up to 25 km away, to simulate troops moving up. The recordings used were state of the art and could be played back through a special program to fit the situation.That way a unit of around 1,100 men could fake a force of up to 30,000 soldiers and is said to have been used successfully after the Normandy landings and during the battle for the Rhine. Because of the strict secrecy, it is uncertain whether and to what extent the deception operations influenced the course of the war. What is certain is that the Ghost Army does not appear as such in Wehrmacht reports, which suggests that the German troops fell for the deception.

The 23rd Special Troops were disbanded as early as 1945, but the files stayed classified until 1996. Many of the artists recruited for the Ghost Army went back to their civilian professions after the war and became respected fashion designers, sound and film technicians or advertising men.

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Frequently Asked Questions About the Ghost Army

What was the Ghost Army?

The nickname of the US Army’s 23rd Special Troops, a deception unit of the Second World War. It was activated in January 1944 and made up of signals troops, camouflage and deception engineers, and combat troops for its own security.

How did the Ghost Army fool the Germans?

With inflatable tanks, guns and trucks that enemy air reconnaissance could not tell apart from real units, fake field posts and airfields, and vehicle-mounted loudspeakers that played track and engine noise up to 25 km away.

How many soldiers were in the Ghost Army?

Around 1,100 men. Together they could fake a force of up to 30,000 soldiers.

Where was the Ghost Army used?

It is said to have been used successfully after the Normandy landings and during the battle for the Rhine.

Did the Ghost Army’s deception work?

Because of the strict secrecy, its exact influence on the war is uncertain. But the Ghost Army does not appear as such in Wehrmacht reports, which suggests the Germans fell for the deception.

When did the Ghost Army become public?

The unit was disbanded in 1945, but its files stayed classified until 1996. Many of its artists went on to become fashion designers, sound and film technicians or advertising men.