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  1. Martin Antonenko A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
    Operation "Mincemeat"...


    During the night of April 30, 1943, the British submarine HMS "Seraph" appeared not far from the city of Huelva, near the coast of southern Spain ...:;

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    Sailors heave a corpse, which had previously been carefully kept "fresh" with dry ice, out of the deck hatch and throw it overboard (the next picture was placed later!) ...:

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    What looks like the secret disposal of a dead person is in fact the exact opposite, because the British want nothing more than that the corpse floating in the water is found!

    That is why another submarine, together with employees of the British secret service, had precisely measured the current conditions off Spain's coasts - and the choice had fallen on Huelva beach as the most suitable place!

    The dead man who was thrown into the sea by HMS "Seraph" is the Welsh tramp Glyndwr Michael, who had previously died of pneumonia in a British hospital and was then carefully prepared by the British for the secret operation "Mincemeat" which then began!

    Here he is brought on board the submarine in England - and the picture is not placed ...:

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    The dead vagabond was dressed in a British officer's uniform with personal papers ...

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    ... with a credible "legend" that he was "Captain William Martin", an important courier. Of course, the corpse also had real ID with it!

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    In "Captain Martins" pockets there are further papers that gave information about future military operations of the Allies, namely a landing in Southern Europe!

    Such papers ...:

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    At this time the German "Panzer Army Africa" (the former Africa Corps) is on the verge of final defeat and in Berlin the Wehrmacht staff are currently preparing the "Operation Citadel" in the Kursk front arc, which will bring back the military initiative to the Germans on the eastern front To decide the war against the Soviet Union.

    At that time, the question for the Germans was no longer whether the Allies would sooner or later land in southern Europe, but just where!

    And now the unknown dead comes into play!

    To make things even more real, the "Times" even published a loss report for the "Captain / acting major of the Royal Marines William Martin" ...:

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    As hoped by the British, the corpse is rubbed to the beach ...

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    ... and found by the "Guardia Civil" ...:

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    The fascist Spaniards who sympathize with the Nazis immediately hand over the found papers to the German espionage organization "Abwehr".

    The papers show that the British and US-Americans are already well advanced in their plans to land in the Balkans and the island of Sardinia in 1943!

    After a thorough examination of the corpse, its "legend" and the papers themselves, the German "Abwehr" comes to the conclusion:

    Everything is real!

    The Wehrmacht High Command reacts immediately:

    The Navy relocates a number of units (including the German S-Boats, feared by the Allies!) ...

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    ... from Sicily to Sardinia. This happens against the fierce resistance of the allied Italians, who repeatedly point out that for a promising allied invasion, for many reasons, only Sicily could be considered as a point of attack (what the German staffs up to the discovery of "Captain Martin" and his "secret" Papers had also seen this way)!

    But the Italians intervene for free!

    The Army High Command, in turn, is withdrawing two complete armored divisions from the German troops that are planned for "Operation Citadel" - and relocating them to Greece...:

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    ... here parts of them are just rolling along the coastal boulevard of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki ...

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    ... to have them within striking distance in the event of the landings that are now expected in the Balkans!

    To what extent these two missing tank divisions could have turned the tide at Kursk in favor of the Germans, one can only speculate!

    In any case one can say: The British secret operation "Mincemeat" was one of the most successful lists of wars of the Second World War!

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    On July 10th, 1943 the Western Allies will start their "Operation Husky" and land successfully on Sicily!

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    They will encounter little German and Italian resistance - the best German units are waiting for you in Greece and Sardinia ...
    Old Pete and valiant like this.
  2. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Interesting and certainly successful

    A unknown man who changed the war

    Nap
    Martin Rohmann likes this.
  3. tock24 Active Member

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Good post! Watch the film 'the man who never was' for a look at the operation!
    Ian
    Martin Rohmann likes this.
  4. Airkid A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Good thread! Good movie "The Man That Never Was". Mr Glyndwyr Michael should have been awarded a posthumous medal when you consider his amazing contribution to the war effort.

    Phil
    Martin Rohmann likes this.
  5. Moonraker Active Member

    Country:
    England
    He was buried with full military honours Phil. The film is excellent! Great report, by the way.
    Martin Rohmann and Airkid like this.

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