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  • OPSEC Examples

    I've been tasked to be the new writer of the OPSEC newsletter. Oh happy days. On reading past issues, the story of CSA General PGT Beauregard success at keeping information from US forces, allowing his successful retreat has been done every couple months.

    I'm sure there are more examples of this, Gen Patton's false army before Normandy comes to mind. But my Google-fu here is weak and all I get is what not to post on Facebook.

    Anyone got some more examples to help me out? The more the better.


    Thanks.
    "Bother", said Poo, chambering another round.

  • #2
    Do a little research on Washington's retreat from NY. I believe there are a couple of instances of Washington using false camps and keeping his men in the dark about where they were going that enabled him to save part of his army and it's supplies. I was looking thru Washington's Crossing by Fischer, which is where I think I read about it, but can't find the specifics at the moment. You might find something there if you dig a bit or someone else might know more.
    Specifically, (to my recollection) the Americans kept a small number of men on Brooklyn heights tending fires and making it look occupied while the rest of the army was moved in silence under the cover of darkness and weather to waiting boats manned by men from Marblehead, Ma (fishermen by trade). They were not told the intent of their move, but they were ferried across the East river and escaped. Washington, although being driven from NY had managed to save his army and eventually engaged the British in a battle of attrition throughout NJ.
    Last edited by DonBelt; 21 Apr 14,, 02:34. Reason: added a bit more

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    • #3
      Originally posted by tuna View Post
      I've been tasked to be the new writer of the OPSEC newsletter. Oh happy days. On reading past issues, the story of CSA General PGT Beauregard success at keeping information from US forces, allowing his successful retreat has been done every couple months.

      I'm sure there are more examples of this, Gen Patton's false army before Normandy comes to mind. But my Google-fu here is weak and all I get is what not to post on Facebook.

      Anyone got some more examples to help me out? The more the better.


      Thanks.
      Man, we used to use a lot of it in USS Brooke (FFG 1) at night, kind of like the scene in Master and Commander. We'd hang different running lights and odd masthead lighting, etc., when acting as the Orange Force against both our BBs and CV/CVNs in the SOCAL OPAREA. It's not very hard to do, the crew really gets into it, and it fools the hell out of anyone looking for you. All they can see is the lighting you are showing, and the commercial Foruno radar we'd radiate. Then we'd cross their sterns, unmask our batteries, and light off our fire control radars. Oops, never saw that one coming did you big guys? LOL!! We got so good at it that other COs were sending their OPS officers over to get educated.

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      • #4
        Thanks for the new directions. Even though the current articles are recycled, I'm sure they're new to those reading them due to high turnaround, but I'd like to at least leave a couple new examples for those that take my place down the line. I'll do some research on Washington's retreat. And I like the Capt's first hand story. Can you give me a decade and a translation of SOCAL. I hate to sound dumb on that, but the military is re-using acronyms because I think they've run out of letter combinations.

        Appreciate the help guys. I'm kind of time limited, so the less time I spend running down rabbit holes the better.
        "Bother", said Poo, chambering another round.

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        • #5
          The original one. The Trojan Horse, or is that too old?

          The Battle of of Kalka River when 2000 Mongols drew a force of 80,000 Rus and Kipchaks into an ambush by 18,000 Mongol archers. The entire battle lasted 9 days and 200 miles.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by tuna View Post
            Thanks for the new directions. Even though the current articles are recycled, I'm sure they're new to those reading them due to high turnaround, but I'd like to at least leave a couple new examples for those that take my place down the line. I'll do some research on Washington's retreat. And I like the Capt's first hand story. Can you give me a decade and a translation of SOCAL. I hate to sound dumb on that, but the military is re-using acronyms because I think they've run out of letter combinations.

            Appreciate the help guys. I'm kind of time limited, so the less time I spend running down rabbit holes the better.
            Sure, mid-80s, and SOCAL stands for "Southern California." So the SOCAL OPAREA is the Southern California Operations Area. There is also a NORCAL OPAREA, and a VACAPES OPAREA, and so forth.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by tuna View Post
              Thanks for the new directions. Even though the current articles are recycled, I'm sure they're new to those reading them due to high turnaround, but I'd like to at least leave a couple new examples for those that take my place down the line. I'll do some research on Washington's retreat. And I like the Capt's first hand story. Can you give me a decade and a translation of SOCAL. I hate to sound dumb on that, but the military is re-using acronyms because I think they've run out of letter combinations.

              Appreciate the help guys. I'm kind of time limited, so the less time I spend running down rabbit holes the better.
              Not that I'm big on scripture, but it does give one an idea how long this has been going on; I believe Joshua or one of those sword and sandal dudes tied torches to the horns of sheep at night to make it look like there was a whole boatload of Hebrew warriors bearing down on some town in Palestine.

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              • #8
                Going through my memory, so this may be here and there as I recall.

                There was an Aussie munitions plant during WWII that was essentially camouflaged like these US installations:
                Camouflaging Airports and Plants During WWII » Sociological Images

                Essentially, they took a great big plant and made it look like a collection of farm houses. Pictures and illustrations of it were in the Army TM for camouflage, circulated in the late 70's.

                Viet Nam War (this was told to me): putting extra comm aerials on all the APC's so the enemy didn't know which one was the command vehicle.

                Okay, a famous OPSEC one that eventually failed. The story may actually be fiction but it shows how not to go about things.

                Old, defuncted B-52's were used to fool the satellite photos. But so they wouldn't look flat on the ground, a lowly airman was told to keep the tires pumped up. When he asked why he was doing it, he was told to be quiet and just obey orders. Well, one night at the bar, the wrong people overheard him talking, "I don't know why they want me to pump up those tires; those birds are junk, they aren't ever flying again!".

                Point is, don't let your grand illusion fall apart at the weakest link.

                In WWII, there were many situations where landmarks that bombers might use for positioning their bombing runs were "moved". The landmarks might still have been there, but their appearance was changed or something else was created to throw off the enemy navigators. There was one situation, for example, where the harbor was covered with netting so the water they might look for to sight in on would be a different body. Afraid I can't illustrate this, however. I found out about it while doing a term paper for commercial art back in the 90's and found it, I believe, in some 50s and maybe 40s camouflage books.

                Would it work? One has to remember that for the attacking aircrews, they are flying fast, dodging AA and fighters, and are trying to get the job done and get out of there......to say nothing how we like to crucify pilots these days for bombing the wrong things. So one only has to produce a few moments of confused thoughts to prevent them from locking on the right target.

                Ie, one wouldn't think basically that angle irons set out in the pattern of a building would work, but in the confused world of the attack, where one is bombing by radar, it just might.

                Of course, there was always Operation Mincemeat.

                The thing about modern ops such as from the Cold War is that if we know of some, how much can we really say about them?

                BUT, one potential ploy. Running Navy Police, we did gate searches but we didn't have our own dog team (we borrowed them here and there). I had come to the job from the operational deception, as an EWO, world, so my thinking was like that then. Still is, probably. Anyhow, I got the idea of using a stray dog we had in the holding pen as an illusion that we had a dog team on site. Would it be okay, legal, to have a patrol man out at the search point with that dog on the leash to give the impression to motorists that we actually had a drug dog on stand by?

                Checked with base lawyer and sure thing, provided we don't say that we do have a dog team. What the motorist thinks is entirely their business.

                We never actually did that, perhaps because the stray was picked up or we did get a real dog team......but it does show how things might go.
                Last edited by Tamara; 21 Apr 14,, 07:13.

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                • #9
                  Actually, not our side but the Serbs. The Kosovo War where black paint created the illusion of bomb damage when there was none. Classic case of General W Clark claiming 80% successful sorties while we only found about a dozen armoured vehicles destroyed.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by desertswo View Post
                    SOCAL stands for "Southern California." So the SOCAL OPAREA is the Southern California Operations Area. There is also a NORCAL OPAREA, and a VACAPES OPAREA, and so forth.
                    Sigh....sometimes the obvious is just that. But you know what they say about assuming....

                    Thanks for the help everyone. Working on a slow net is bad enough, having a little direction to make some new articles makes my life a little easier.
                    "Bother", said Poo, chambering another round.

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                    • #11
                      The Japanese navy using radio silence in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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                      • #12
                        Prince John Magruder's Confederates at Yorktown

                        Grant sent Grierson's Brigade deep into Mississippi to draw Pemberton's and Johnston's attention away from the Vicksburg area and to concentrate on the interior when he was attempting to cross the river.

                        COL John Wilder's Brigade of Mounted RIfles during the Chickamauga Campaign which deceived Bragg.

                        Japanese air forces used dummy aircraft as bullet magnets on many airfields in the Pacific.

                        OPERATION FORTITUDE in the run up to the Normandy Invasion. Operation Fortitude - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                        OPERATION MINCEMEAT....the Man Who Never Was Operation Mincemeat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                        Here is a bibliography:

                        http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/car...bs/bjorge2.pdf
                        Last edited by Albany Rifles; 22 Apr 14,, 19:36.
                        “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                        Mark Twain

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                        • #13
                          Midway had some deception on the US side, determining that Midway was the actual target.

                          The Japanese deceived Admiral Halsey good in the Battle of Leyte Gulf/Battle off Samar
                          Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                          Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

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