Decoy sites were used in WWII to lure enemy bombers away from their intended target and to a purpose-built fake target a safe distance away. Decoys were used to protect towns and cities as well as factories, industrial areas, airfields and military targets.
Decoys used fire, electric lighting or a mixture of both to trick bomber crews as they looked down into believing they were attacking their intended target. Decoys played an important role in protecting vital infrastructure and saving many lives. When walking in the area of a decoy site today you can see large numbers of suspected bomb craters. This shows just how effective they were.
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