Photos Phantom Army WW2

[Xcalibur]

Dummy kit used by all sides during WW2
Hopefully this thread will be a story of deception in war shown in photographs

The Ghost Army was an Allied Army tactical deception unit during World War II officially known as the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops(Operation Quicksilver).[1] The 1,100-man unit was given a unique mission within the Allied Army: to impersonate other Allied Army units to deceive the enemy. From a few weeks after D-Day, when they landed in France, until the end of the war, they put on a "traveling road show" utilizing inflatable tanks, sound trucks, fake radio transmissions, scripts and pretence. They staged more than 20 battlefield deceptions, often operating very close to the front lines. Their story was kept secret for more than 40 years after the war, and elements of it remain classified.[2]The unit was the subject of a PBS documentary The Ghost Army in 2013.
Wikipedia

23rd Headquarters Special Troops - US Army: "Ghost Army" United States Army tactical deception unit during World War II

DUMMY VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT USED FOR DECEPTION DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. © IWM (H 42531) IWM Non Commercial License

DUMMY VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT USED FOR DECEPTION DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. © IWM (H 42530) IWM Non Commercial License

DUMMY VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT USED FOR DECEPTION DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. © IWM (H 42533) IWM Non Commercial License

 

[Bombardier]

Don't forget 'Operation Fortitude'

Operation Fortitude was the code name for a World War II military deception employed by the Allied nations as part of an overall deception strategy during the build-up to the 1944 Normandy landings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Fortitude

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First United States Army Group
First United States Army Group (often abbreviated FUSAG) was a fictitious (paper command) Allied Army Group in World War II prior to D-Day, part of Operation Quicksilver, created to deceive the Germans about where the Allies would land in France. To attract Axis attention, prominent US general George S. Patton was placed in command of the fabricated formation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_United_States_Army_Group

Insignia of First United States Army Group

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[Xcalibur]

Good point Iwill upload more photographs soon

 

[Xcalibur]

Some more with credit to the US National Archives & Bundesarchiv

 

[Head Shot]

Here are some from the German side

Dummy Ju88, Epinay airfield France September 1944

Unknown location