h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Operation Mincemeat - The Man Who Never Was - A2955242
Author: Farlander - the one with misplaced priorities - U206300

Hello there again,

I've always loved World War II history, and I was rather surprised that there isn't an article here about the greatest counterintelligence operation in the history of modern warfare. So I took it upon myself to write one.

I'm fairly certain I've eliminated all the smart quotes, and I've corrected as many typos as could - though I have no doubt there are plenty more that I've missed.

Cheers,
Farlander.

PS: I'm sorry if your eyeballs fall out!!!

You're not the only one who's surprised... I went for a look around as well - just to check there wasn't one...

Only one suggestion on a quick read-through...

"the relocation of an entire group of German R-boats"
(Mincemeat Swallowed Whole - Paragraph N°4)

What on earth was an 'R-boat' - I've heard of E-boats and obviously U-boats but not the R prefix


Excellently written by the way!

Ok, found them with a quick google...

R-Boats - aka Räumboote or Minesweeper

Could be worth an extra footnote or put the explanation in brackets for us ignoramuses (ignorami?)

I wish some h2g2 historian would someday recognize that you have written the most footnotes in EG entries

Not that it's a bad thing. When you have an entry with this many details and interesting asides, one can hardly be blamed. I like the entry, very much.

"it was know that"

Known, perhaps?

"would drain the Allies of all its resources"

I usually hear they used when the antecedent is Allies, rather than it.

"Ultimately they had too settle"

To.

"the tides of war. . A red "

One dot

Fan-bleeding-tastic. Although I have to say my interest is perhaps more than the average 'Joe' as my grandfather took part in Operation Husky I enjoyed readng this Entry. It's long, granted, but is entertaining and not bogged down with boring numbers and jargon (and is there is jargon there's a wonderful amount of footnotes to find. Perhaps even a glossary! ) I liked it an awful lot and the only thing I can think to recommend is some more links to various h2g2 entries ( A930232 ), some BBC History pages ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/ )and even the dna hub WW2 Peoples War site ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/ ).
PGHF

Shoot my bloody fox, would you, you swine? I've just been writing an entry on the same subject myself! But I hand't got very far and yours is much better . This is an excellent and through treatement. The only thing I would add is that there is a film about this story, starring Ronald Neame, which is well worth watching.

All in all, absolutely superb. You must have been reading my mind.

Nice one Farlander. I seem to recall some detail of him having some scotch in his pocket, to encourage the idea of his being slightly irresponsible.

Hello everybody, and thanks for taking the time to read!

Whisky: Didn't I say somewhere that R-Boats were German Motor Torpedo Boats? I did... one paragraph ahead of the unaccompanied one you read! Thanks for looking up the German name for me though.

Jodan: I knew I could count on you to find my typos!

Hoopy Frood: Argh! Links! I knew I'd forgotten something!

Monk: You know, all the time I was writing this, I was driven by this pressing urgency to complete it. Hey, if you can find any additional information regarding this operation, I wouldn't mind making this a collab.

Hi Farlander,

This is a terrific piece! What a story! Well done!

Two minor typos:

found drifting off coast of Huelva --> drifting off the coast
The island of Sicily lay in the middle of the Mediterranean --> and apparently it still does - you should use the present tense.

Great work!

Woodpigeon

Well, Woodpigeon, I haven't been to Sicily recently, so for all I know it could have drifted south to Africa..... I'm kidding!!! Thanks for spotting both typos! I've corrected both.

Thanks!

Far.

PS: Yeah, this is my favourite WWII story. It just had to be told.

There's only one comment I'd wish to make, and that is that I've never heard of 'vigor mortis'. It's quite a frightening prospect.

You've never heard of corpses who move after death?



Oh dear! How did I ever manage to make that mistake?!! Thanks, Monk!

Hi guys,

It's great to see you all working together. A scout has recommended this now, did you and Monk want to collaborate on the piece or are you happy for it to go through?

Hi,
I think that the glory should be all Farlander's, personally. I have two pieces waiting in the wings, and anyway, he's done a much better job of it than I was going to.

Actually, now I come to think of it, wasn't it Marlowe's body they used: A2577206?

Can I suggest the word "worthless" be removed? It seems unnecessarily harsh as well as speculative.

Other than that, brilliant and gripping.

H.

I agree. He obviously mattered to someone at some point, like most alcoholic vagrants do.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Congrats!
PGHF

Thanks to everybody! And sorry I wasn't around to reply to your posts earlier, or to make that small correction. I'll let my sub-ed know. Thanks again!