Four soldiers lift one of the dummy tanks. The insignia of the so-called “Ghost Army.” www.wwiimemorialfriends.org The Ghost Army was a part of the U.S. Military that was tasked with creating a diversion for German troops to believe U.S troops were preparing an attack on a different beach as opposed to Omaha and Utah Beaches. They used dummy and inflatable tanks and makeshift barracks to fool the Germans. Also, they used actors, carpenters, set designers, etc. to create this elaborate ruse. They also used speakers to amplify the sound to make to seem that hundreds of tanks were moving in the area. It actually worked!
Famous lithograph depicting the attack Wikipedia Southern Congressman Preston Brooks savagely beat Northern Senator Charles Sumner in the halls of Congress over Sumner's remarks in a speech denouncing slavery. This is a testament to the volatility of U.S. Politics prior to the Civil War and the use of violence was the accepted modus operandi.
After the attack, some Southerners would mail Brooks canes as a show of solidarity for the near lethal beating. |