In the summer of 1944, the U.S. Army gathered a select group of artists, designers and sound effects experts for a particularly unusual task: building a phantom army. Inspired by a trick originally pulled by British forces in North Africa, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops—better known as the “Ghost Army”—used inflatable rubber tanks and jeeps, sound effects and other subterfuge to deceive the Germans about the actual size and location of Allied forces. The unit took part in more than 20 missions, many of which employed artistry and illusion on a scale that rivaled a Hollywood movie. Painters and illustrators designed fake uniforms and dummy vehicles; sound engineers broadcasted phony radio traffic and blasted sound effects that mimicked the racket of an army on the move; and actors spread misinformation in the hope it would be picked up by Nazi spies. When the ruse worked, the unit was able to give the impression that U.S. forces were larger and more mobile than was actually the case. During one mission, the Ghost Army even plugged a hole in General George Patton’s lines for several days without being discovered.
The Ghost Army’s actions were kept under wraps for several decades after the end of World War II, and it wasn’t until 1996 that its unusual contribution to the war effort finally became public knowledge. By then, many of its members had gone on to distinguished careers in the art and design industries. Among others, fashion designer Bill Blass and artists Ellsworth Kelly and Arthur Singer were all veterans of the unit.
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