Allied invasion of Italy two hours traveling from the transports to the landing beaches. On the German side, Albrecht von Kesselring lacked the strength to push the Salerno landing back, and was refused two panzer divisions from northern Italy to assist him. Operation Avalanche was planned under the name Top Hat and supported by a deception plan, Operation Boardman, a false threat of an Allied invasion of the Balkans. In mid-August, the Germans had activated Army Group B ("Heeresgruppe B") under Erwin Rommel with responsibility for German troops in Italy as far south as Pisa. Army Command South ("OB Süd") under Albert Kesselring continued
Operation Rayon activities was mixed. A moderate increase in German activity on Crete was detected, and the operation succeeded in drawing attention away from a convoy bound for Malta. Many of the 'A' force personnel involved in Operation Rayon were employed in Operation Zeppelin, another operation intended to mislead the Wehrmacht into believing an Allied invasion of Greece would occur. Dummy landing craft (dubbed "Drybob" and "Wetbob") used in Operation "Rayon" were later used in Operation Bodyguard. Operation Rayon Operation "Rayon" was a Allied deception operation in the Mediterranean Theatre during World War II. The operation called for Allied forces to mislead