Operation Graffham
1944 Allied military deception operation / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Operation Graffham was a military deception employed by the Allies during the Second World War. It formed part of Operation Bodyguard, a broad strategic deception designed to disguise the imminent Allied invasion of Normandy. Graffham provided political support to the visual and wireless deception of Operation Fortitude North. The operations together created a fictional threat to Norway during the summer of 1944.
Operation Graffham | |
---|---|
Part of Operation Bodyguard | |
Operational scope | Political deception |
Location | Stockholm, Sweden |
Planned | February – March 1944 |
Planned by | London Controlling Section |
Target | Sweden, German intelligence |
Date | March – June 1944 |
Outcome | Failure to outright convince Swedish government of an impending Allied invasion in Norway |
Planning for the operation began in February 1944. In contrast to the other aspects of Bodyguard, Graffham was planned and executed by the British with no American involvement. Graffham's aim was to convince German intelligence that the Allies were actively building political ties with Sweden in preparation for an upcoming invasion of Norway. It involved meetings between several British and Swedish officials, as well as the purchase of Norwegian securities and the use of double agents to spread rumours. During the war, Sweden maintained a neutral stance, and it was hoped that if the government were convinced of an imminent Allied invasion of Norway, that would filter through to German intelligence.
The impact of Graffham was minimal. The Swedish government agreed to few of the concessions that were requested during the meetings, and few high-level officials were convinced that the Allies would invade Norway. Overall, the influence of Graffham and of Fortitude North on German strategy in Scandinavia is disputed.