Psychological Warfare and PSYOP
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An archive of wartime aerial propaganda leaflets and research site for the history and techniques of psychological warfare, PSYOPs and military information support.

WWI: Balloon distribution of propaganda leaflets.

Men of the Hampshire Regiment checking wind direction before releasing balloons to drop propaganda leaflets over the German frontline.

Iraq: Leaflet drop from helicopter.

U.S. Army Soldiers from 350th Tactical Psychological Operations, 10th Mountain Division, conduct a leaflet drop in several villages surrounding Hawijah, to reinforce the need for self government in Kirkuk Province.

Afghanistan: Static line box drop of PSYOP leaflets.

A C-130 Hercules loadmaster drops a box of 10,000 warning leaflets over the southeastern mountains of Afghanistan. The leaflets were used to communicate with Taliban extremists, warning them not to interfere with coalition activities.

Iraq: British soldiers handing out information leaflets.

British soldiers from the Civil and Military Liason group of The Black Watch Regiment hand out leaflets to locals explaining why the soldiers are in the area and where they come from.

Iraq: boxes of PSYOP leaflets ready for dropping.

A U.S. Air Force MC-130E Combat Talon loadmaster discusses with the crew the aircraft's cargo of boxes containing 120,000 leaflets that will be dropped over Basra, Iraq, sending a message to Iraqis that they should not get in the way of coalition forces.

WWII: Interrogation of enemy prisoners.

U.S. 5th Army in Italy. Interrogation of prisoners of war to ascertain level of morale in the German Army. By securing such vital information, propaganda pamphlets are composed to bring better results.

Iraq: Posters cover insurgent graffiti.

A Sergeant of the 9th Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Battalion places anti terrorist flyers over graffiti in Mosul. PSYOPS is patrolling this area of Mosul to battle false propaganda put out by Anti-Iraqi forces.

Monroe leaflet bomb.

Captain James Monroe, U.S.A.A.F. adjusts the fuse on a bomb he designed so that it will release psychological warfare leaflets at the desired height above the ground.

WWII: Reinvention of the propaganda artillery shell.

British soldiers fill artillery shells with propaganda leaflets for firing over the frontlines. The idea to use artillery shells to disseminate leaflets was first experimented with by the French and British in the First World War. The technique was re-invented in North Africa in the Second.

Commando Solo: Airborne broadcasting platform.

The EC-130E Commando Solo aircraft of the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, can broadcast both radio and television transmissions.

WWII: T3 Leaflet Bomb.

Adapted from the M.26 flare container, the T-3 leaflet bomb was utilised by fighter-bombers to drop propaganda leaflets over enemy-controlled territory.

Afghanistan leaflet dropping.

Combined/Joint Task Force 76 (CJTF76) prepares to drop leaflets near Forward Operating Base (FOB) Salerno, Afghanistan.

Rolls of anti-communist propaganda leaflets are loaded into an M.29 cluster bomb for dropping over northern Korea.

Rolls of anti-communist propaganda leaflets are loaded into an M.29 cluster bomb for dropping over northern Korea.

British PSYOPS soldier using a loudspeaker to communicate with the Taliban.

British PSYOPS soldier using a loudspeaker to communicate with the Taliban.

Young Iraqi boys hold a voting flyer.

Young Iraqi boys hold a voting flyer. 350th PSYOP Company is responsible for getting the word out to the surrounding communities of the upcoming January 30th, 2005 Iraqi elections.

Operation Enduring Freedom: U.S. Army Sergeant sits atop his Humvee equipped with a loudspeaker system.

U.S. Army Sergeant, of the 345th Tactical Psychological Operations Company, sits atop his Humvee equipped with a loudspeaker system. He enjoys the shade of a olive tree with local Afghani residents from the village of Old Orgun, located in the in Paktia Province of Afghanistan. Residents are gathering to celebrate the opening of the first school building to be built in the Province in over 700-years.

Malayan Emergency: Leaflets over the jungle.

Royal Army Service Corps Air Despatchers throw out surrender appeal leaflets to Chinese Communists hiding in the Malay jungle, 1958.

Sky-shouting: Loudspeaker 'Voice' aircraft.

The C-47 "Speaker" voice aircraft in Indochina being used by the French army in December 1952.

Libya 2011: Libyan civilians show off a leaflet that was released from NATO assets.

Two Libyan civilians show off a leaflet that was released from NATO assets during Operation Unified Protector.

Leaflet Archive

Random PSYOP leaflet - Questions, No. 2

Propaganda Shop

Recent Forum Posts

Information Operations Global 2012

Psychological Warfare, PSYOPS and Military Information Support

16 May 2012
News, Comment and Updates
Vietnam War: Dai Doan Ket National Reconciliation Program

Posted on 05 May 2012 at 08:08 am

Vietnam War Dai Doan Ket National Reconciliation propaganda leaflet

During the early years of the Vietnam War the term 'Dai Doan Ket' was used in the south as 'The National Reconciliation Program'. Republic of Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky instituted Dai Doan Ket by proclamation on the 19 April 1967. It was meant to reinvigorate the Chieu Hoi (Open Arms) defector program in place since 1963. While Chieu Hoi targeted foot soldiers, the new initiative promised government aid in finding careers for top-level defectors. Further, it offered full participation in political activities to all who agreed to renounce force, abandon communism, lay down their weapons, and abide by the constitution of Vietnam. Unfortunately, the concept was really American and not Vietnamese and as a result had little backing and was destined for failure.

Counter-Propaganda: A Basic Analysis

Posted on 30 April 2012 at 09:09 am


A new item added to PsyWar.Org taken from the recent release of Colonial Office files to the National Archives. Interesting reading on how the head of the British Government's Information Research Department viewed the threat from the Soviet Union to not only the West but its affect on the hegemony of the whole world. The document is an extract from a secret series of lectures on Communism made in September 1952.
Information Operations Global 2012

Posted on 25 April 2012 at 08:08 am

PsyWar.Org is happy to be partnering again with DefenceIQ for this year's Information Operations Global conference.

Information Operations Global 2012 is the must-attend global IO event of the year, consistently attracting a truly international audience to discuss a diverse range of PsyOps, StratComs and influence issues.

It will be held at Charing Cross Hotel, London, UK between 26th to 29th June 2012.

The 2012 event is arranged around four specific themes - each of these themes will feature presentations from military and non-military subject matter experts, providing a fantastic opportunity for the cross-pollination of ideas between sectors. This will be reinforced by the introduction of dedicated discussion sessions at the end of each theme which will help to summarise the learning outcomes. The four themes are:

 * What role should the information operations community play in combatting the influence of extremist groups?
 * How has the growth of social media and technology influenced Information Operations?
 * How can we create a cohesive, overarching strategic narrative that can be used to derive positive "stories" for multiple audiences?
 * What role should Information Operations play in contingency planning and conflict prevention?

Download the full conference programme at www.InformationOperationsEvent.com

And to receive a 15% discount quote reference IGC_IOS_PSY when registering for the event.

 

Information Operations Global 2012

 

The Poppy Salute

Posted on 29 March 2012 at 18:06 pm

The Poppy Salute - Supporting the sacrifice of the men of RAF Bomber Command in WWII

Appreciation of the Situation, 17 June 1940

Posted on 05 March 2012 at 11:11 am

This is a draft report written in June 1940 by a member of the British Government's 'Department for Publicity in Enemy Countries', also known as 'Department EH'. The report is an appreciation of the situation Great Britain finds itself in following the defeat of France and looks at ways to successfully continue the fight against Nazi Germany, particularly from the point of view of the propaganda war.
Video: Black trash bag leaflet drop over Afghanistan

Posted on 31 January 2012 at 12:12 pm

VIDEO: U.S. Marines of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (VMM-162), perform a leaflet drop, undisclosed location, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. VMM-162 performs this action to provide information to local populace who can receive it in no other manner.
Commando Solo PSYOP/MISO Radio Broadcasting in Libya 2011

Posted on 27 January 2012 at 19:07 pm

Throughout Operation Unified Protector, the NATO intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war, the U.S. Air Force Commando Solo airborne broadcasting platform provided military information support to the operation. Following a rather protracted Freedom of Information Act request by PsyWar.Org the following 47 transcripts of radio broadcasts transmitted across Libya by Commando Solo have now been released to the public.
30% off The Black Art - Today Only!

Posted on 20 December 2011 at 11:11 am

The Black Art by Lee RichardsToday only, 30% off list price of "The Black Art" hardback, full colour edition, use coupon code 20DEC at checkout. That's a saving of about $46.00.

The Black Art is a profusely illustrated history and catalogue of British "black" propaganda literature produced by the Political Warfare Executive during the Second World War by Lee Richards. 450 pages and over 350 illustrations.

Psychological Warfare in the Mediterranean Theater

Posted on 06 November 2011 at 12:12 pm

Allied Forces HeadquartersA report to the U.S. War Department on the part played by the United States Army in the development of Psychological Warfare organization, policy and operational technique in the North African, Sicilian, Italian and Southern France campaigns by Colonel Donald F Hall, August 1945.

White Bombs booklet

Posted on 05 November 2011 at 21:09 pm

White Bombs booklet

"There are two ways of winning the war - breaking the enemy's will to fight, and removing his means. If you succeed in doing either you win the war. If you work on both you do it all the better."

A quote from "White Bombs", a restricted WWII U.S. Office of War Information illustrated booklet which highlighted the value of airdropped propaganda leaflets.

 

 

 
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