# When did the Allies want to the Germans to believe the (phoney) invasion around Calais would occur?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-allies-want-to-the-germans-to-believe-the-phoney-invasion-around-calais-would-occur/690221>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 6, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-allies-want-to-the-germans-to-believe-the-phoney-invasion-around-calais-would-occur/690221 "2014-06-06T19:05:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-allies-want-to-the-germans-to-believe-the-phoney-invasion-around-calais-would-occur/690221/1 "2014-06-06T19:05:12Z")

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How long after the Normandy landings did the Allies want to the Germans to believe the ‘real’ invasion around Calais would occur?

I ask because there seem to be [two conflicting intervals provided by Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Day_naval_deceptions#Background) on the subject (with the [full article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Day_naval_deceptions) actually being, as some of you will be aware, Wiki’s Featured Article today).

One [statement from Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Day_naval_deceptions#Background) reads:

> [@](#):
>
> The Allied story for FUSAG was that the army group, based in south-east England, would invade the Pas-de-Calais region several weeks after a smaller diversionary landing in Normandy. (emphasis added)

Yet, in [the very next section of that Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Day_naval_deceptions#Glimmer_and_Taxable) (and elsewhere), one reads the following:

> [@](#):
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> Glimmer and Taxable were very similar operations. They were executed in the early hours of 6 June 1944 whilst the invasion fleet was approaching Normandy. Taxable simulated an invasion force approaching Cap d’Antifer and Glimmer threatened Pas-de-Calais. (emphasis added)

So, which was it? Was the feigned Calais invasion (Operation Glimmer) supposed to happen on June 6 or “several weeks after”?

I suppose one way to reconcile this apparent contradiction is that in the period leading up to the Normandy landings, the hope was that the Germans would be expecting instead an invasion at Calais and in late June, whereas once D-Day got going, the idea was to make them think that Pas-de-Calais region was going to be invaded later the same day, or the next.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-allies-want-to-the-germans-to-believe-the-phoney-invasion-around-calais-would-occur/690221/2 "2014-06-06T21:48:15Z")

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The idea was to give them the impression that the Normandy landings were a gigantic feint, one which would be maintained for some weeks but going nowhere and would ultimately do no more than divert German troops away from the real point of assault for long enough.

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-allies-want-to-the-germans-to-believe-the-phoney-invasion-around-calais-would-occur/690221/3 "2014-06-07T03:54:10Z")

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FUSAG, the fake army group set up to give the impression of an invasion at Calais, was under the nominal command of General George Patton. Patton flew to Normandy about a month after the D-Day landings, so one could argue that the deception was kept up at least until then:

> **[George S. Patton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patton#Normandy_breakout_offensive)**
>
> Border War
> World War I
> World War II

> [@](#):
>
> As a result of Operation Fortitude, the German 15th Army remained at Pas de Calais to defend against Patton’s supposed attack.[130] This formation held its position even after the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Patton flew into France a month later and returned to combat duty.

In any case, Patton’s Third Army (the real one) became operational on 1 August 1944, so all pretense had been dropped by then.