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Deep Dive: The Ghost Army (2013)

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The Ghost Army
The Ghost Army is a documentary about the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a secret U.S. Army unit that operated during the final stages of World War II from 1944 to 1945. This unit, consisting of 1,100 troops, employed visual, sonic, and radio deception to mislead German forces about the location and strength of American units. The film features interviews with several members of the unit, including Private Ed Biow and Sergeant Victor Dowd, who share their experiences and the unique tactics they used, such as inflatable decoys and loudspeaker trucks. The documentary also includes archival footage and artistic documentation from the unit's visual artists. It premiered at the Salem Film Festival on March 7, 2013, and was later shown on PBS. The film received positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 79 out of 100, and it won several awards, including the Audience Award at the Salem Film Festival.

Why Watch

  • •Meet the artists behind military deception tactics.
  • •See how inflatable tanks fooled the enemy.
  • •Follow the unique stories of Ghost Army veterans.

Did You Know

•The Ghost Army operated from 1944 to 1945 during World War II.
•The unit consisted of 1,100 troops who used deception tactics.
•The film premiered at the Salem Film Festival on March 7, 2013.
•It was shown on PBS on May 21, 2013.
•The documentary won the Audience Award at the Salem Film Festival.

Perfect For

World War II historyMilitary deception tacticsArt and warfare