Cardboard is a very malleable material and has many utilities. This is something commonly known. What most people probably don't know is that the cardboard played a prominent role in one of the biggest deception operations and distraction from World War II: Operation Fortress.
As soon as the German army occupied France, the Allies were convinced that sooner or later they should land on the European continent with a formidable army. If this great landing was to succeed, it was imperative that the Germans did not know where it was going to take place. From this conviction Operation Fortress was launched, and in it the cardboard played a leading role.
The Allies created fake battalions. The Ghost Army was actually the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, comprising around 1,000 soldiers. Most were recruited from art schools in New York and Philadelphia, or through talent agencies. They were architects, designers, painters, actors and special effects experts who used all their ingenuity to defeat the Third Reich. They took part in more than 20 crucial battles, though not directly. Nevertheless, their contribution was essential. There were also some real soldiers among them to make everything more believable.
These battalions were stationed at various points along the coast of Great Britain. They filled their camps with tanks, guns, vehicles and aircraft all built from cardboard, wood and other materials. They even made inflatable versions. They were extraordinarily realistic, since their purpose was to deceive Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft. As the tanks weighed very little, they devised a system to leave tracks on the ground identical to those of a real tank.
To increase the deception, they periodically moved all the gadgets, and to make it look like a large convoy, they emitted sounds and special effects recorded in Fort Knox, and that simulated the noise of heavy infantry units. Using gigantic speakers, they caused the “sound” produced by the false tanks and the rest of the vehicles to be heard more than 20 kilometers away.
It goes without saying that Operation Fortaleza was a complete success and that it managed to convince the powerful German army that the landing would take place through the Pass of Calais, and not by Normandy which ended up happening.
A success to which a modest material like the cardboard.
