Back to all stories

The Ghost Army: 23rd Headquarters Special Troops

Normandy & D-Day • obscure • Normandy, France
Ghost Army inflatable tank

The Ghost Army was a unit of 1,100 artists, designers, and sound engineers who used inflatable tanks, sonic deception, and fake radio traffic to deceive the Germans. They "appeared" as entire divisions, successfully misleading German intelligence on multiple occasions, most notably before the Battle of the Bulge.

Many of these soldiers later became famous artists, including Ellsworth Kelly and Bill Blass.

Sources & Further Reading:
US Army official history, Ghost Army Foundation

For Mike — may these stories continue to ignite your passion for history.