Operation "Mince Meat"

[Vulkan]

In 1943 a plan was designed by the British secret service to decieve Germans from where was the invasion of Southern Europe going to take place.
A copse from a drowned man was disguised as a Navy officer carrying fake documents bound for the allied headquarters in Northern Africa, indicating that the invasion was going to take place in Greece and that mock landings would be launched in Sicily to deceive the enemy.
This "drowned officer" was released from the submarine HMS Seraph near Huelva (Spain) and eventually made it to the coast where it was found by spanish authorities and, within hours, all the information it carried was in the hands of the local Abwehr.
This plan was a complete sucess. The germans took the bait fully. Hitler sent Rommel to Greece to build up the defences therein. There were almost no German troops in Sicilly when the invasion was launched and Hitler was still convinced that this was a diversion two weeks after.

Could anyone elaborate further on this british inteligence success??

[WalterS]

I would recommend the book "The Man Who Never Was," by Ewen Montagu, the British Intelligence officer who directed the operation. It is short, readable and very informative.

[Englander]

A copse from a drowned man was disguised as a Navy officer

That should be a Major in the Royal marines..

the coast where it was found by spanish authorities and, within hours, all the information it carried was in the hands of the local Abwehr.

As planned...The British new the Spanish government was willing to cooperate with the Germans.

and very informative.

Ewen Montagu took most of the secrets to his grave.....But, the body was identified a few years back.

This plan was a complete sucess

One in the eye for the Germans, you could say..

[Montys Foxhounds]

Hi,

I can tell you that the "Man who never was" is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave Comisssion grave in Heluva, Spain. Under his fake name of Major Martin RM.

Hope it helps.

[Michael Emrys]

A copse from a drowned man...

AIUI, he actually died of pneumonia, the symptoms of which resemble drowning.

...carrying fake documents bound for the allied headquarters in Northern Africa, indicating that the invasion was going to take place in Greece and that mock landings would be launched in Sicily to deceive the enemy.

I don't recall that Sicily was mentioned at all in the documents he was carrying, although I might be mistaken on that point. I do recall that Sardinia was hinted at as a definite invasion target. The Germans took that bait too and sent additional troops to Sardinia, including a Panzer brigade.

There were almost no German troops in Sicilly when the invasion was launched...

The Hermann Göring Panzer Division was present in the invasion zones and gave the American landings a spot of trouble. I think there was about an additional division's worth of German troops on the island as well, but I don't recall off the top of my head what they were. There were lots of Italian troops on the island, but only a division or two were very good, the rest were more or less militia.

Could anyone elaborate further on this british inteligence success??

Hope this has helped.