ST. LOUIS – The invasion of Poland escalated into one of the biggest and deadliest fights, World War II.
While many tactics and strategies were shared on how the war was won, the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum unveils the story of a group whose tricky, top secret tactics were entirely uncovered.
More than 16 million Americans fought in World War II. Among them was a group of 82 officers and a thousand men, known as the Ghost Army, who used battle techniques of deception and illusion—something rarely spoken about.
“These guys were there on the frontline, very lightly armed; they had 50-caliber machine guns; they set up defense perimeters around themselves but had no heavy weapons; they had no heavy tanks.” Mark Sundlov, Managing Director of the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, said.
The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka the Combat Con-Artists of World War II, first activated on January 20, 1944. Perfectly calculated, elaborate distractions were used to mislead Nazi Germany forces about the location and size of allied forces.
“They had speakers that played sonic deception, they had rubber, inflatable tanks right, and basically tried to draw attention to themselves, making sure the Germans knew they were there.” Sundlov said. “Meanwhile, they did not really have the ability to fight back.”
Mark Sundlov is a U.S. Air Force veteran who is now spending his time as director at the museum. Sundlov says the unit of artists and engineers documented a lot, showing how their eyes for details went beyond the blue horizon and battleground line.
The top secret soldiers saved between 15,000 and 30,000 officers through 22 large-scale deceptions in Europe, from Normandy to the Rhine River.
“Guys had watercolor kits. One artifact in the exhibit is a former German hand grenade case. One of these guys had taken the case and basically built a traveling watercolor kit.”
Used to depict feelings, faces, and other facades, hidden artifacts are now showcased inside a 4,000-square-foot exhibit at the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in downtown St. Louis.
To learn more about the Ghost Army and its local ties, the artifacts and archives are on display at the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, located on Chestnut Street. The special exhibition is open now until January 12.
