Post by stevep on Oct 10, 2022 10:05:19 GMT
On today's WWI thread, a quick comment.
Sinai and Palestine campaign: British Arrange for Fake Battle Plans to be Captured by Turks
Throughout the summer, Allenby and his staff had been preparing for a new offensive in Palestine. The previous attempts to take Gaza had failed to break through the substantial Turkish lines there, and simultaneous efforts to outflank them failed due to a lack of available water. Allenby’s plan rested on taking the wells at Beersheba, around 30 miles southeast. The ground there was difficult, but taking the city seemed to be the only viable way of outflanking Gaza. To make sure the Turks did not counter this by heavily reinforcing Beersheba, the British conducted an extensive misinformation campaign to suggest that the British would simply be attacking Gaza a third time. A naval buildup off the coast also hinted at a possible amphibious operation just behind the Turkish lines at Gaza.
The most successful part of this intelligence campaign occurred on October 10, when a Capt. ACB Neate rode within range of a Turkish patrol, seemingly by accident. The Turks fired at him, and Neate, feigning a wound, dropped a haversack covered in (horse’s) blood before escaping. The Turks found the haversack, which contained various documents, including a fake agenda for a meeting of Allenby’s staff. The documents suggested that the upcoming attack on Beersheba would be a feint, and that the main attack would still be at Gaza, supported by an amphibious landing. Many of the Turkish staff officers were rightfully suspicious of this find, but apparently Kressenstein, in overall command in the area, was taken in, and Turkish preparations for the remainder of the month focused on Gaza and the coastline rather than the area around Beersheba
Throughout the summer, Allenby and his staff had been preparing for a new offensive in Palestine. The previous attempts to take Gaza had failed to break through the substantial Turkish lines there, and simultaneous efforts to outflank them failed due to a lack of available water. Allenby’s plan rested on taking the wells at Beersheba, around 30 miles southeast. The ground there was difficult, but taking the city seemed to be the only viable way of outflanking Gaza. To make sure the Turks did not counter this by heavily reinforcing Beersheba, the British conducted an extensive misinformation campaign to suggest that the British would simply be attacking Gaza a third time. A naval buildup off the coast also hinted at a possible amphibious operation just behind the Turkish lines at Gaza.
The most successful part of this intelligence campaign occurred on October 10, when a Capt. ACB Neate rode within range of a Turkish patrol, seemingly by accident. The Turks fired at him, and Neate, feigning a wound, dropped a haversack covered in (horse’s) blood before escaping. The Turks found the haversack, which contained various documents, including a fake agenda for a meeting of Allenby’s staff. The documents suggested that the upcoming attack on Beersheba would be a feint, and that the main attack would still be at Gaza, supported by an amphibious landing. Many of the Turkish staff officers were rightfully suspicious of this find, but apparently Kressenstein, in overall command in the area, was taken in, and Turkish preparations for the remainder of the month focused on Gaza and the coastline rather than the area around Beersheba
Sounds like an early version of Operation Mincemeat, albeit somewhat less sophisticated but fortunately as successful in misleading the chief commander.
Steve.