[2] The goal of the operation was to create a false order of battle in order to keep the Axis guessing as to the strength of the Allies in the region, by use of bogus troop formations, radio traffic and double agents.
In 1941, Advanced Headquarters 'A' Force, the British organization responsible for army deception operations in the Middle East, had already created three bogus formations to deceive the enemy in the Mediterranean Theatre: the 1st SAS Brigade,[3] the 10th Armoured Division in the Western Desert, and the 7th Division to guard Cyprus.
This fictional build-up was expanded into a systematic plan to inflate British strength throughout the Middle East.
Cascade intended to increase this strength, for the benefit of enemy intelligence, to 8 Armoured and 21 infantry divisions.
[5] Enemy documents, captured during and after the battle of El Alamein, showed that Cascade was a success.