As described in the Syllabus, conduct a critique of a Denial and Deception operation of your choice. This critique will be your final Assignment. Set the stage of the situation and identify: the major players; their interests and objectives; the reason for deciding upon Denial and Deception; the objectives of the effort; the mechanics of the effort; their effects on the situation; and their effects on the overall situation. Finally, provide your detailed analytic judgment/critique as the premise/main point of the summary.
The critique of the operations themselves, your evaluation of the operation, MUST form the premise/thesis of this summary. It is not sufficient to simply state that either the operation was a success or not. Your main point/premise of the critique must be your detailed and specific bottom-line analytic judgment about the operation itself.
You can use the M&A approach and/or you can use the principles of deception that we have covered earlier in class to help you dissect the operation and develop your own ideas. Whatever your approach to your critique, it must be structured and evaluative.
The operation you choose should fit into the intelligence/national security/covert action/law enforcement field of study (the field of study for this course).
YOU MUST WRITE YOUR CRITIQUE ON THE TOPIC SELECTED EARLIER IN CLASS.
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Thelma Jordan
APUS
A Deception Leading to the Invasion of Sicily
Operation Mincemeat stands as one of the most masterfully executed deception operations of World War II. This ingenious plan was orchestrated by the British to mislead the Germans about the true target of an imminent Allied invasion. The operation involved an elaborate ruse in which the British fabricated the corpse of a fictitious officer and strategically planted documents to misdirect German military attention. The ultimate goal was to divert German forces from the actual invasion site of Sicily by convincing them that the Allies would attack Greece and Sardinia instead (Anderson, 2022).
To pull off this elaborate deception, the British meticulously crafted a dead body, outfitting it in the uniform of a British officer and placing crucial forged documents in its briefcase. These documents contained false intelligence suggesting that the Allies were planning to invade Greece and Sardinia. The British then enlisted the cooperation of Spanish officials, who, though neutral, were sympathetic to the Allies. These Spanish intermediaries were tasked with ensuring that the body, and its incriminating documents, would be discovered by the Germans. By feeding this misinformation to the Germans, the Allies successfully misled them about their strategic intentions.
This deception had a profound impact on the German military's strategic positioning. The belief that Greece and Sardinia were the actual targets led the Germans to reallocate their forces, concentrating their resources and troops in those areas. Consequently, the German defense in Sicily was significantly weakened, making it more feasible for the Allied forces to execute Operation Husky, the code name for the invasion of Sicily. The operation's success was thus a direct result of the Germans' misplaced focus and the subsequent reduced resistance in Sicily.
The success of Operation Mincemeat hinged on a deep understanding of human psychology. The Germans, eager to believe in intelligence that aligned with their own expectations and preconceptions, were readily deceived by the falsified information (DaSilva, 2022). The use of a deceased body as a carrier of misleading documents demonstrated a high level of creativity and resourcefulness on the part of the Allies. It illustrated how deception, when expertly crafted and executed, can dramatically alter the course of military operations with relatively minimal direct conflict.
However, the operation was fraught with considerable risks. There was always a possibility that the Germans might recognize the documents as fraudulent or that the Spanish intermediaries might fail to deliver the information as planned. Despite these risks, Operation Mincemeat’s success proved pivotal in the Mediterranean theater. It not only facilitated the Allied victory in Sicily but also set the stage for subsequent campaigns in Italy (DaSilva, 2022). The brilliance and effectiveness of Operation Mincemeat continue to be celebrated as one of the most successful and innovative deception operations in military history.
References
Anderson, M. G. (2022). The Case for Deception in Operational Success.
DaSilva, M. N. (2022). Operation Mincemeat: The Impact and Influence of WWII’s Most Daring Intelligence Operation.
