Operation Cascade
Encyclopedia
Operation Cascade was the codename for an Allied
deception
operation during World War II
for the Middle East and North Africa. Operation Cascade was one of the first successful Allied deception operations in World War II, and provided valuable experience for later operations.
Howard, pg 33 in 1941, and in 1942 eventually evolved into Operation Cascade. The goal of the operation was to create a false order of battle in order to keep the Axis
guessing as to the strength of the Allies in the Mediterranean theatre, by use of bogus troop formations, radio traffic and double agents.
Bogus units had to be created, and actually shipped from their bases in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. An order of battle had to be drawn up for these units, crests and signs had to be created, and some form of physical presence was needed to convince enemy agents that the units really existed. False radio traffic, and information gathered by civilian informers in Egypt, increased the Axis impression that these units were real and present in the theatre. Most of the civilian agents, however, were double agents controlled by 'A' force through a double-agent network called Cheese.
Enemy documents, captured during and after the battle of El Alamein, showed that Cascade was a success. An analysis by 'A' force, published on 19 November 1942, showed that enemy intelligence overestimated the armoured strength of the British forces by 40%, and infantry strength by 45%.
, and the invasion of Southern France
). The British forces built up during Operation Cascade were later used in Operation Zeppelin
to tie down Axis forces in the Balkan and Greece, and prevent the Axis from using these forces against the Allied invasion of Sicily in Operation Husky
. In 1944, the actual Allied strength in the Mediterranean totalled about 52 divisions; Axis intelligence accepted a strength of about 70 divisions in the theatre.
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
deception
Deception
Deception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification, bad faith, and subterfuge are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth . Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand. It can employ distraction, camouflage or concealment...
operation during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the Middle East and North Africa. Operation Cascade was one of the first successful Allied deception operations in World War II, and provided valuable experience for later operations.
Background
In 1942, the British forces in the Middle East were very weak. To deter the Axis from attacking, a deception operation was planned. This operation was started by 'A' force under command of Colonel Dudley ClarkeDudley Clarke
Dudley Wrangel Clarke, CBE, CB was a Brigadier in the British Army who was behind several deception operations during the Second World War and who founded the British Army's Commando force. He was born at Ladysmith, Natal, and educated at Charterhouse School...
Howard, pg 33 in 1941, and in 1942 eventually evolved into Operation Cascade. The goal of the operation was to create a false order of battle in order to keep the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
guessing as to the strength of the Allies in the Mediterranean theatre, by use of bogus troop formations, radio traffic and double agents.
Implementation
In 1941, 'A' force (the British organization responsible for army intelligence operations in the Middle East) had already created three bogus formations to deceive the enemy in the Mediterranean Theatre: the 1st SAS Brigade, the 10th Armoured Division in the Western Desert, and the 7th Division to guard Cyprus. This fictional buildup was expanded into a systematic plan to inflate British strength throughout the Middle East. In March 1942, the real strength stood at 5 Armoured and 10 Infantry divisions. Cascade intended to increase this strength, for the benefit of enemy intelligence, to 8 Armoured and 21 infantry divisions.Bogus units had to be created, and actually shipped from their bases in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. An order of battle had to be drawn up for these units, crests and signs had to be created, and some form of physical presence was needed to convince enemy agents that the units really existed. False radio traffic, and information gathered by civilian informers in Egypt, increased the Axis impression that these units were real and present in the theatre. Most of the civilian agents, however, were double agents controlled by 'A' force through a double-agent network called Cheese.
Enemy documents, captured during and after the battle of El Alamein, showed that Cascade was a success. An analysis by 'A' force, published on 19 November 1942, showed that enemy intelligence overestimated the armoured strength of the British forces by 40%, and infantry strength by 45%.
Influence
Operation Cascade gave the Allies valuable experience in planning deception operations, which was later used to good extent in the deception operations covering the invasion of Europe (D-Day landings in NormandyOperation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, and the invasion of Southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
). The British forces built up during Operation Cascade were later used in Operation Zeppelin
Operation Zeppelin (Allies)
During World War II, Operation Zeppelin was a deception plan carried out by the Allies designed to depict a potential amphibious landing on Crete, western Greece, or the Romanian Black Sea coast...
to tie down Axis forces in the Balkan and Greece, and prevent the Axis from using these forces against the Allied invasion of Sicily in Operation Husky
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. In 1944, the actual Allied strength in the Mediterranean totalled about 52 divisions; Axis intelligence accepted a strength of about 70 divisions in the theatre.
Further reading
- Jon LatimerJon LatimerJonathan David Latimer was an historian and writer based in Wales. His books include Operation Compass 1940 , Tobruk 1941 , Deception in War , Alamein , Burma: The Forgotten War and 1812: War with America which won a...
, Deception in War, London: John Murray, 2001 - Howard, Michael Eliot. Hinsley, Francis Harry. British Intelligence in the Second World War: Volume 5, Strategic Deception. Cambridge University Press, 1990. ISBN 9780521401456
- Latimer, Jon. Alamein. Harvard University Press, 2002. ISBN 9780674010161.
- Crowdy, Terry. Deceiving Hitler: Double Cross and Deception in World War II. Osprey Publishing, 2008. ISBN 9781846031359.