What Were the Starfish Decoy Sites During World War II?

• Starfish sites were fake cities built at night.
• They used fire and lights to look like a city under attack.
• The British government called these decoys 'QL' sites.
• Over 1,000 decoy sites were built across Britain.
• They helped trick German pilots into dropping bombs in empty fields.

During the early part of World War II, German planes bombed British cities every night. Many people lived in fear because their homes were being destroyed. The British army knew they needed a way to protect their people and buildings. They came up with a clever plan to trick the German pilots.

The British built fake towns in fields away from people. They used wood, metal, and light bulbs to build these decoys. When the air raid sirens sounded, workers would light small fires and flash lights on the ground. From the sky, this looked exactly like a city under attack. German pilots thought they had found their target. They would drop their heavy bombs on the empty fields instead of the real city nearby. Thousands of bombs landed in these fake sites instead of hitting homes and factories. This saved many lives and kept important buildings safe during the war.

This plan helped Britain survive the heavy bombing raids. By tricking the enemy, they saved many innocent people from getting hurt. It showed how being smart can be just as important as having big weapons. These decoys were a very successful part of British defense.

• Royal Air Force
• British Civil Defense