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In 1943 British intelligence let a corpse carrying fake Allied invasion plans wash ashore in Spain, to hide that Sicily was the real target. The ruse, called Operation Mincemeat, led Hitler to strengthen Greece and Sardinia instead.

Huelva, Spain, 1943

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The story behind the card

The corpse was Glyndwr Michael, a homeless Welshman who had died after eating rat poison. Intelligence officers turned him into 'Major William Martin' of the Royal Marines and gave him a convincing private life: love letters and a photograph from an invented fiancée called Pam, and a receipt for an engagement ring from a Bond Street jeweller. On 30 April 1943 the submarine HMS Seraph released the body off Huelva, and the documents reached German intelligence through Spanish officials. Hitler sent the 1st Panzer Division from France to Greece, and German troops on Sardinia were doubled. The invasion of Sicily, planned as a 90-day campaign, was over in 38 days, with far fewer casualties than expected.

Türkçe oku
1943'te İngiliz istihbaratı, üzerinde sahte çıkarma planları bulunan bir cesedi, kıyıya vursun diye İspanya açıklarında denize bıraktı. Amaç, Müttefiklerin asıl hedefinin Sicilya olduğunu gizlemekti. Mincemeat Harekâtı adı verilen bu oyun, Hitler'i Yunanistan ile Sardinya'yı güçlendirmeye yöneltti.
Huelva, İspanya, 1943

Ceset, fare zehri yiyerek ölmüş evsiz bir Galli olan Glyndwr Michael'dı. İstihbaratçılar onu Kraliyet Deniz Piyadeleri'nden “Binbaşı William Martin” yaptı ve ona inandırıcı bir özel hayat da kurdu: Pam adında hayali bir nişanlıdan aşk mektupları ve bir fotoğraf, Londra'daki Bond Street'te bir kuyumcudan alınmış nişan yüzüğünün faturası. HMS Seraph denizaltısı cesedi 30 Nisan 1943'te Huelva açıklarında denize bıraktı; belgeler İspanyol yetkililerin eliyle Alman istihbaratına ulaştı. Hitler, 1. Panzer Tümeni'ni Fransa'dan Yunanistan'a gönderdi; Sardinya'daki Alman askerlerinin sayısı da iki katına çıktı. Doksan gün sürmesi beklenen Sicilya harekâtı otuz sekiz günde bitti ve kayıplar tahmin edilenin çok altında kaldı.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Operation Mincemeat
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