Psychological Warfare Division
- Psychological Warfare Division
The Psychological Warfare Division of SHAEF ("PWD/SHAEF") was a joint Anglo-American organisation set-up in World War II tasked with conducting principally 'white' tactical psychological warfare against German troops in North-west Europe during and after D-Day. It was headed by US Brigadier-General Robert A. McClure who had previously commanded the Psychological Warfare Branch (PWB/AFHQ) of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff for Operation Torch.
PWD was formed from staff of the US Office of War Information (OWI) and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the British Political Warfare Executive (PWE).
The Division used radio and leaflet propaganda to undermine German soldiers' morale.
PWD operated the "Voice of SHAEF" radio station as well as taking over "Radio Luxembourg".
The bulk of the aerial propaganda leaflets were printed in the United Kingdom and a dedicated "Special Leaflet Squadron" of the US 8th Air Force disseminated the leaflets from their base in Cheddington in south-east England.
Tactical Combat propaganda teams were also attached to the Army Groups to produce leaflets in the field on mobile printing presses for shell firing over the frontline and to conduct loudspeaker operations to talk enemy soldiers into surrendering.
PWD/SHAEF was also responsible for consolidation propaganda in recently liberated European countries.
'Black propaganda' continued to be controlled by the Political Warfare Executive's Sefton Delmer.
The famous director Alexander Mackendrick, who later went on to enjoy considerable success at Ealing Studios, had some of his earliest experience of working in film with the division. John Huston and Eric Ambler, as a token Britisher, also made a film for the PWD about civilian Italy under its new conquerors.
Bibliography
*cite book | title=The Psychological Warfare Division Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force - An Account of its Operations in the Western European Campaign, 1944-1945 | year=1945 Modern reprint available [http://www.psywar.org/books.php here]
*cite book | title=Publicity and Psychological Warfare 12th Army Group, 1943-1945 | publisher=United States Army| year=1945
*cite book | author=Lerner, Daniel | title=Psychological Warfare Against Nazi Germany - The Sykewar Campaign, D-Day to VE-Day | publisher=M.I.T. Press| year=1971| id=ISBN 0-262-12045-3
See also
*PsyWar
*Psychological Operations / PSYOP
*Aerial Propaganda Leaflets
*Political Warfare Executive
*Office of War Information
*Office of Strategic Services
*SHAEF
*World War II
External links
* [http://www.psywar.org/ PsyWar.Org - The history of psychological warfare with a large collection of aerial propaganda leaflets]
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Psychological Warfare Division — Die Psychological Warfare Division des SHAEF (PWD/SHAEF) war eine im Zweiten Weltkrieg gegründete anglo amerikanische Einheit zur psychologischen Kriegsführung. PWD war aus der Information and Censorship Section hervorgegangen. Sie richtete sich… … Deutsch Wikipedia
Psychological warfare — Warfare Military history Eras Prehistoric Ancient Medieval Gunpowder Industrial … Wikipedia
Psychological operations — (PSYOP, PSYOPS) are techniques used by military and police forces to influence a target audience s value systems, belief systems, emotions, motives, reasoning, and behavior. Target audiences can be governments, organizations, groups, and… … Wikipedia
Psychological Operations (United States) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=United States Psychological Operations caption= dates= country=United States allegiance=Federal branch= type= role= |size=|command structure=Active Army U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Reserve Army… … Wikipedia
Division Action — The Division Action is the action service of the DGSE, responsible for planning and performing clandestine operations. It also fulfills other security related operations such as testing the security of nuclear power plants (as it was revealed in… … Wikipedia
Political Warfare Executive — During World War II, the Political Warfare Executive (PWE) was a British clandestine body created to produce and disseminate both white and black propaganda, with the aim of damaging enemy morale and sustaining the morale of the Occupied… … Wikipedia
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center — Abzeichen des John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center Das John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) ist das Ausbildungszentrum der US Army für die Sondereinsatzverbände des US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Es wurde … Deutsch Wikipedia
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School — Abzeichen des John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center Das John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) ist das Ausbildungszentrum der US Army für die Sondereinsatzverbände des US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Es wurde … Deutsch Wikipedia
United States John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School — Abzeichen des John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center Das John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) ist das Ausbildungszentrum der US Army für die Sondereinsatzverbände des US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Es wurde … Deutsch Wikipedia
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School — (USAJFKSWCS) trains United States Army personnel for the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and Army Special Operation Forces (ARSOF). According to its mission statement, its purpose is to train Special Forces through… … Wikipedia
