Obscure WWII Facts

The U.S. Army deployed a top-secret "Ghost Army" - the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops - consisting of 1,100 men who used inflatable tanks, sound effects, and fake radio transmissions to deceive the Germans. They played crucial roles in multiple operations including drawing German fire away from Patton's Third Army. Their existence remained classified until 1996. Many were artists and sound engineers from New York and Philadelphia.