Quote:
Originally Posted by Broncazonk
Six Months to Oblivion describes the incredible secrecy and compartmentalized planning that the Bodenplatte operation received. Was this because Hitler and the Luftwaffe/German high command finally began to suspect that the Allies were reading their mail (on a minute by minute basis?) Bronc
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No, because deciphered German signals had been giving clear indications since November that fighter units were being massed on Western airfields in preparation for some major operation. For example: SG 4 was brought in; III./JG 26 carried out four flights to practice low-level attacks; courses for National Socialist Leadership Officers were cancelled because of an "impending special operation"; all Kommodores and Gruppenkommandeurs (except JG 300 and 301) were called to a special conference at Jagdkorps II HQ on 5 December; nightfighters were assigned to fighter units "to assure assembly of strong day fighter forces in bad weather; and so on.
Source: National Archives HW 13/45 "Report on indications of German December 1944 counter-offensive in Ardennes, derived from ULTRA material, submitted to DMI by C".