The Corpse That Won World War II: The Astonishing Story of Operation Mincemeat

Deception has always played a crucial role in warfare. From ancient times to modern conflicts, misleading the enemy has proven to be as effective as brute force. World War II was no exception, as both the Allies and the Axis powers relied heavily on espionage, misinformation, and psychological tactics to outmaneuver one another. Among these deceptions, one of the most remarkable and audacious was Operation Mincemeat—a plan so bizarre and daring that it seemed like something out of a spy novel.

By 1943, the tides of the war were turning, but victory was far from certain. The Allies needed a way to gain the upper hand against Hitler’s forces, particularly in the Mediterranean. Their goal was to launch a massive invasion of Sicily, a strategic island controlled by the Axis. However, they knew the Germans would expect such an attack, and without an element of surprise, the operation could turn into a disastrous bloodbath. British intelligence had to find a way to convince Hitler that the invasion was happening elsewhere, leading the Germans to divert their troops and resources away from Sicily.

This was the challenge that led to the creation of Operation Mincemeat, a plan conceived by British intelligence officers Charles Cholmondeley and Ewen Montagu. Their idea was simple in theory but incredibly complex in execution: they would take a dead body, dress it up as a fictitious British officer, plant fake documents on it, and drop it off the coast of Spain, where German agents were known to operate. The goal was to make the Germans believe they had stumbled upon top-secret Allied plans revealing an invasion of Greece and Sardinia instead of Sicily. If the ruse worked, it could save countless lives and change the course of the war.

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Audioraamat: 22. märts 2025