During World War II, British magician Jasper Maskelyne used his “magic” to successfully conceal the port of Alexandria and even make the Suez Canal disappear from enemy sight in order to protect Allied warships and international shipping safety.
Maskelyne, a renowned magician in 1930s Britain, was skilled in card tricks and sleight of hand magic performances.
After the outbreak of WWII in 1939, he joined the British Royal Engineers and went through training at a camouflage development center. Initially not highly utilized due to his lackluster performance in camouflage missions, it wasn’t until 1941 that intelligence units recognized the value of his expertise. He was then dispatched to Cairo to develop devices to help soldiers evade capture and escape from traps, showcasing his magical skills.
In May 1941, British intelligence received information that the German army was planning a large-scale bombing of the port of Alexandria in Egypt. The primary task for the British military was to protect the warships docked in the port. Since the port was too large to effectively camouflage or hide during the day, Maskelyne could only conduct protective operations at night.
Several kilometers away from Alexandria, at a place called Maryut Bay, Maskelyne built a realistic fake port using mud, cardboard, and lighting to simulate the appearance of the port and ships. Every night, he illuminated Maryut Bay brightly and required Alexandria to enforce light restrictions.
Maskelyne explained his trick to his “magic team”: “We just need to set up a ground lighting system in Maryut Bay that resembles the port of Alexandria. Once we know the Germans are on their way, we turn off the lights at Alexandria, turn on the lights at Maryut Bay, then detonate the explosives we buried in advance. The fire will attract them like bees to honey.”
To further deceive German reconnaissance aircraft that arrived after the air raids, once the bombing ended, Maskelyne’s team quickly arranged the port of Alexandria by uncovering canvas-covered fake debris, scattering paper mache wreckage, and using damaged scenery to disguise buildings, creating a post-air raid scene.
This operation successfully lured the Germans into bombing the fake port for eight consecutive nights, while Alexandria remained untouched. Subsequently, the German interest in Alexandria gradually dwindled.
After the success at Alexandria, Maskelyne was promptly ordered to make the Suez Canal “completely disappear” using magic.
Maskelyne first modified modern lighting into “high-powered strobe lights” to disrupt German pilots’ judgment and added giant wind fans made of mirrored blades on searchlights along the canal banks to create visual chaos, making the Suez Canal “disappear” in the eyes of the enemy.
He then used 21 searchlights arranged along the Suez Canal to create a light curtain, forming a rotating light wall stretching over 100 miles in the night sky. This device later became known as the “Whirling Spray.” Additionally, he used mirror devices to prevent the Germans from pinpointing the canal’s location.
These tactics not only disoriented German aircraft, rendering them directionless and unable to effectively attack but also led to some aircraft mishaps, helping to keep the canal open during WWII.
In the Battle of El-Alamein, Maskelyne used his magic to dismantle the fierce German offensive. When German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel tightly controlled strategic positions, Maskelyne created a “fake army” in the far south, gradually expanding in size, successfully tricking Rommel to send troops south to engage in battle.
As the Germans moved south to destroy the fake army, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery launched a successful attack from the north, repelling the Germans. The ambushed German units were defeated and forced to retreat.
Although Maskelyne remained tight-lipped about the details of his deception methods, he revealed that it involved a comprehensive tactical approach combining large-scale visual illusions, light and shadow barriers, and diversionary tactics; utilizing the desert environment and natural materials such as camel dung as effective camouflage paint, and using gravel to create mirror-like visual effects.
Following the Battle of El-Alamein, he was deployed overseas to perform magic shows for troops during WWII.
The military records of Maskelyne’s actions in WWII have not been fully declassified to this day and detailed information remains protected by the UK Official Secrets Act, with full disclosure expected in 2046.
This article drew references from the military news websites “We Are The Mighty” and “Magic in the Desert.”