Operation Bodyguard

Operation Bodyguard was the code name for a high level World War II deception plan employed by the Allied nations during the build up to the 1944 invasion of north-western Europe. The plan set out a general strategy to mislead German high command as to the exact date and location of the invasion. It was implemented as a number of independent operations, eventually culminating in tactical surprise during the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (also known as D-Day) and a delayed German reinforcement of the region for some time afterward.

At the time of the invasion German coastal defences were stretched thin as Hitler tried to defend the whole of Europe. The Allies had already employed a number of deception operations against the enemy, aided by the complete compromising of German agents in the UK and decryption of the enemies' communications, with some success. Once Normandy had been chosen as the site of the invasion it was decided that a major deception would be employed to mislead the Germans into thinking it a diversionary tactic.

Planning for Bodyguard was begun in 1943 under the auspices of an organisation called the London Controlling Section (LCS). A draft strategy, referred to as Plan Jael, was presented to Allied high command at the Tehran Conference in late November and approved on December 6. The major objective of this plan was to lead the Germans to believe that the invasion of northwestern Europe would come later than was actually planned, and to threaten attacks at other locations than the true objective, including the Pas de Calais, the Balkans, southern France, Norway, and Soviet attacks in Bulgaria and northern Norway.

Operation Bodyguard was a strategic success. The Normandy landings caught German defences unaware and subsequent deception led Hitler into delaying reinforcement from the Calais region for nearly 7 weeks (the original plan had specified 14 days).