Ghosts of the ETO: American Tactical Deception Units in the European Theater, 1944 - 1945 by Jonathan Gawne

Author:Jonathan Gawne [Gawne, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Bisac Code 1: HIS027100
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2007-08-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Operation CASANOVA

4–9 November 1944

Operation CASANOVA was an attempt to help the 90th Infantry Division cross the Moselle River by drawing off enemy troops to a dummy crossing site.1 Initial reports called the operation UKANGE, after the town where the notional crossing was to take place (just north of Metz). Officially, in the after-action reports, it is named CASANOVA after the code name for the 377th Infantry Regiment (95th Division) that took part in the operation. The deception troops assigned to CASANOVA were given the code name CHEESE to avoid confusion with two 23rd detachments involved with other operations during the same period. Lieutenant Colonel Simenson was put in command of CHEESE, which consisted of fifteen officers, two hundred and sixty-five enlisted men, and sixty-four vehicles (forty-two of which were from the sonic company). The Ukange area was under enemy observation, and whenever a reconnaissance party from CHEESE went down to inspect the riverbank, they drew German mortar fire.

This was to be a classic deception operation. The special effects men of the 23rd were to help a standard infantry battalion appear to be a full regiment from another division, while the sonic troops were to fool the Germans into thinking a major crossing was taking place. If all went according to plan, the Germans would be surprised to find the regiment they thought was crossing at Ukange actually making their river crossing miles to the north. With luck, German reinforcements would be diverted to the deception site and thus make the crossing easier for the real assault.

At a 3 November staff meeting in Ukange, the decision was made that the entire operation was to be under command of the 1/377th Infantry Regiment. This battalion was the one that would be impersonating the 359th Infantry Regiment and making the minor river crossing. The genuine 359th (90th Infantry Division) was roughly eleven miles away, preparing to cross the Moselle in conjunction with the 10th Armored Division. The orders for the diversion had apparently come from the XX Corps, to which both divisions were assigned.

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