Ghost Army of World War II

by Jack M. Kneece

Overview

In 1942, the U.S. began to form a handpicked army to fight in Europe. What made it different is that its troops were composed of artists, actors, meteorologists, and sound technicians, and their true mission was not to fight, but to deceive the German army.

Information about the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops was classified top secret until 1996. Following the declassification, Jack Kneece interviewed many of the key personnel involved in this elaborate ruse, including fashion designer Bill Blass.

Until the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many Americans were opposed to becoming involved in the war in Europe, and the military was ill-prepared to fight, with only 130,000 enlisted troops and equipment left over from World War I. One solution was to create a special force that gave the illusion of 30,000 heavily armed men. In fact, there were only 1,000.

German soldiers referred to them as the "Phantom Army," because one moment they were in one place, and the next, they were attacking their flanks or from the rear. This small army duped the Germans successfully in 21 separate operations during World War II, many of which took place within a few hundred yards of the front lines.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455604876
Publisher:	Pelican Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/31/2001
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Jack Kneece is a career journalist who was the first to interview Bobby Baker during the Baker/Lyndon Johnson scandal of 1967. His article appeared on the front cover of the Washington Post. He has written for a number of newspapers and wire services across the country, helped start Singapore's new afternoon newspaper, and served as a correspondent in Islamabad, Pakistan. He lives in Peak, South Carolina.

Jack Kneece is a career journalist who was the first to interview Bobby Baker during the Baker/Lyndon Johnson scandal of 1967. His article appeared on the front cover of the Washington Post. He has written for a number of newspapers and wire services across the country, helped start Singapore’s new afternoon newspaper, and served as a correspondent in Islamabad, Pakistan. He lives in Peak, South Carolina.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1	A Top Secret Army	11
Chapter 2	A Mosaic of Experts	35
Chapter 3	Eye of the Storm	57
Chapter 4	Ghosts Land in Normandy	73
Chapter 5	A Ghost Named Syracuse	99
Chapter 6	A Ghost Named Arnett	113
Chapter 7	Corporal Enderlein	125
Chapter 8	Ghosts of Paris	139
Chapter 9	Liberation of Torce	157
Chapter 10	Operation Metz	161
Chapter 11	Bob Tompkins' War Diary	175
Chapter 12	Battle of the Bulge	205
Chapter 13	Lonnie Gault's War	229
Chapter 14	Triumph on the Rhine	247
Chapter 15	Japan Looms	263
Chapter 16	Epilogue	279

Editorial Reviews

The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops were a secret American Army unit deployed in World War II with the express mission of simulating large groups of military forces in an effort to confuse the German foe after the Normandy invasion. Journalist Kneece recounts the activities of the unit, in its efforts to fool the Germans that the 1000 man force was, at various times, different well-equipped American battalions of many thousands. Kneece personalizes the account with a large focus on the recollections of the actors, fashion designers, artists, and others who regularly deceived the German army in various campaigns. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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