13. In a Calculated Gamble, Allied Intelligence Had This Spy Warn the Germans of the D-Day Invasion Hours in Advance
The moment to cash in on the Germans’ faith in Juan Pujol Garcia and his extraordinary feat of deception came during the buildup to D-Day and the subsequent Normandy campaign. The ultimate aim of the Allies’ intelligence services was to convince the Germans that the Normandy landings were just the first in a series of planned invasions. They wanted the Germans to believe that D-Day was just a diversion to draw away German forces and that the real invasion – a far bigger affair – was planned against the Pas de Calais.
To cement Pujol’s credibility with the Germans, British intelligence made a calculated gamble and had him send a message that actually alerted the Germans to the D-Day invasion a few hours before it began. They knew that by the time that Pujol’s warning had worked its way from German intelligence to commanders in the field, the invasion would have already taken place and the warning would have done the Germans no good. However, it would serve to enhance Pujol’s reputation in the eyes of his German handlers.
