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VANGUARD: True Stories of D-Day Intelligence Operations

Delve into the covert missions and intelligence strategies that paved the way for the historic D-Day invasion, uncovering the intricate planning and daring actions behind the scenes. Learn about the ingenious tactics and remarkable individuals who shaped the course of World War II.

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VANGUARD: True Stories of D-Day Intelligence Operations

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  1. ‘..much the greatest thing we have ever attempted..’ British PM Winston Churchill VANGUARDThe true stories of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance missions behind D-Day

  2. Plans afoot... • May 1943 TRIDENT conference in Washington DC discussed opening a second front in Europe • Coordinated from April 1943 by COSSAC (Chief of Staff of Supreme Allied Commander) Lt. Gen Sir Frederick Morgan – objective being beaches of Normandy • January 1944 Gen Eisenhower took over command with SHAEF as command structure • JIC power hub of the Allied intelligence machine. By March 1944 strategic JIC Assessments of OVERLORD produced every day • BIGOT classification

  3. FestungEuropa– Hitler’s Atlantic Wall • Labour provided by foreign workers (Belgians, Dutch deportees, free Russians and forced labour (Zwangsarbeiter) who were typically captured partisans). Reich introduced a scheme in occupied France drafting in over 600,000 workers. • Germans created a zone interdite– exclusion zone 12 miles inland • September 1941 Generalfeldmarschall von Witzleben tasked to build defensive positions along 300 miles of coastline from North Cape (Nordkapp) in Norway to the Brittany port of Brest • 23rd March 1942 Hitler issued Coastal Defence Directive No. 40 – work began by Todt organisation under command of Field Marshall Karl von Rundstedt Atlantic Wall saw construction of 15,000 concrete fortifications to be defended by force of over 300,000. Utilised 1.2 million tonnes of steel and 17.6 million tonnes of concrete

  4. Commando Raids • Raids traced back to June 1940 – originally tasked by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes • 57 commando raids between 1940-1944 against Atlantic wall – 36 were undertaken against defences in France (followed a request from CCO Adm Lord Louis Mountbatten for probes of German defences) • Op ASTRAKAN 12/13th November 1941 first significant beach reconnaissance in Normandy (Houlgate) by No.101 (Folbot) Troop No. 6 Commando – gathered information on the beach and its suitability for use by Allied landing craft • Op TARBRUSH 10 17/18 May 1944 Lt George Lane and Capt Roy Wooldridge RE MC at Onival to investigate new German Tellermine and take measurements of Element C beach obstacles • Wooldridge from 11 Field Company, RE and specialist in mine disposal. Given advice from Professor Bernal (Scientific Advisor of Combined Operations HQ) on testing magnetism of mine…

  5. POW Intelligence – CSDIC...the cages ‘Since its inception in September 1939, CSDIC has proved one of our most valuable sources of intelligence.’ JIC Subcommittee Report – CAB81/93 JIC 15 February 1943 • 9 ‘cages’ or interrogation facilities established from southern England to Scotland came under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Military Intelligence • No 8 Kensington Palace Gardens – the London Cage – 3573 POW passed through. Use of SP. Even coaches for transferring prisoners were bugged • MI5 ran a separate facility, Camp 020, for high profile German prisoners at Latchmere House • London Reception Centre (LRC) at Royal Patriotic School (RPS) in Wandsworth Over 10,000 POWs had their conversations monitored at network of covert facilities in Britain – yielded over 100,000 intelligence transcripts which led to MI19 producing over 2000 formal interrogation reports 49 SPs employed into CSDIC (UK). 30,000 immigrants interviewed at LRC in 4 years

  6. Special Operations Executive (SOE) SOE organised 3733 parachute drops and 81 pick up operations into France. Over 5 million kg of equipment including nearly 105,000 Sten machineguns. 410,000 grenades and over 300,000 kg of explosives Over 480 SOE agents were sent into France by aircraft, submarine or fishing vessels. SOE formally created July 1940 by Hugh Dalton, Minister of Economic Warfare. Tasked with sabotage, espionage and reconnaissance the organisation grew to over 13,000. BBC communicated with SOE agents via their ‘Messages personnels’ 15th Flotilla responsible for Shelburn escape line and delivering/pick up of SOE/MI8 or MI6 agents. 15-16 April 1942 Op SCARF – MTB502 Suzanne Warenghem & Valentine Blanches Charlet carried 2 microfilms carrying over 50 pages of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall defence details

  7. The Century Network – Rene Duchez ‘Securing the blueprint of the German Atlantic Wall was an incredible feat – so valuable that the landing operation succeeded with a minimum loss of men and material.’ General Omar Bradley – talking of the Rene Duchez heist Early 1944 100,000 French resistance fighters in France. 60 intelligence cells operating whose sole mission was intelligence gathering As early as May 1942 the French resistant became dominant in Caen with a group called Le Reseau Centurie. French Resistance groups played a hugely significant role in intelligence gathering – passed over 1000 telegrams a day to BCRA HQ in St Stephen’s House, London – alleged to have contributed 80% of intelligence for D-Day

  8. The Persuaders • JEDBURGH teams – 70 highly trained SF soldiers. Operated as 3 man teams, 2 officers (one from France/BCRA) and a W/T operator • SUSSEX Plan – 56 teams deployed involving 120 volunteers. Received specialist training by OSS and MI6. Mission to ‘secure strategic and tactical intelligence from rear areas.’ Deployed out of RAF Tempsford and Harrington airfields. SUSSEX secret communications hub at Hurley (Station VICTOR) • SUSSEX Team VITRAIL – deployed Chartres on 10 April 1944 discovered location on Lehr Panzer Division in the town. SHAEF HQ commented this message alone was worth the whole SUSSEX plan

  9. ISTD – Inter Services Topographical Department • Topographical Intelligence started in NID6 at Admiralty in May 1940. • October 1940 moved from London to Oxford with new name of ISTD….launched at Admiralty on 12 December 1940. • DNI (Admiral John Godfrey) wanted Oxford and Cambridge Universities to draw up plans for collaborative approach to establishing the ISTD, under leadership of Colonel Sam Bassett RM • Manchester College/School of Geography in Oxford and the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) in Lensfield Road in Cambridge • 700 staff from as far afield as Norway, USA and the Netherlands Contacts Register was to have over 70,000 entries provided detailed topographical intelligence for Northern France. Collated through interview by NID21 at Wilberforce Hotel in Oxford alongside ISTD and RPS. 4000 names on register The ISTD worked very closely with the Ministry of Economic Warfare (MEW) and the Allied Central Interpretation Unit (ACIU) in the preparation of a product that became known as the Inter-Services Intelligence Study (ISIS) reports.

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