A Fake Paris Was Secretly Built To Fool German Bombers During World War I

When German bombers targeted Paris during the First World War, officials quickly began developing strategies to prevent future air raids. They focused on advancing anti-aircraft technology, but the enemy soon adjusted their tactics. During nighttime raids, pilots navigated using the landscape to identify targets, and the city was relatively easy to find. In response, a plan was conceived to construct a "fake Paris," though the project was only partially finished by the time the war came to a close.

Faux Paris was the brainchild of an electrical engineer

Germany first bombed Paris on August 30, 1914, and the attack impacted the way the City of Lights defended itself. Residents were no longer safe from the war, and while improvements were made to French anti-aircraft technology, German bombers switched to night raids to avoid daytime opposition.

Italian-born electrical engineer Fernand Jacopozzi was living in Paris during the First World War . In 1917, he joined the Défense Contre Avions (DCA), where he came up with a plan to create a faux Paris along the Seine, to trick the German bombers.

The Seine curves in on itself multiple times. As such, the fake city could be erected along the curve that mirrored where the real Paris is located. This was far enough away that no harm would come to residents. However, the replica would have to be executed with enough accuracy to truly fool the Germans.

"It's an extraordinary story and one which even Parisians knew very little about," French historian Professor Jean-Claude Delarue told The Telegraph . "The plan was kept secret for obvious reasons, but it shows how seriously military planners were already taking the new threat of aerial bombardment."

Zone A: Train station

The first area of faux Paris was named "Zone A." It consisted of fake train stations surrounded by suburban housing. It would be set to the northeast of the real city. The area itself was surrounded by forests and was far enough away to prevent damage from any bombings.

The fake train was the real marvel of Zone A. Using wood, plastic and other inexpensive materials, it was built along a set of false tracks. Jacopozzi ensured it was outfitted with an intricate lighting system that, from above, actually made the stationary object look like it was moving.

Zone B: Faux Paris

Zone B was designed to be a replica of Paris, situated to the northwest. This was one of the project's most serious challenges, as Jacopozzi wanted to recreate the city's most iconic structures, including the Gare du Nord, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs-Élysées. However, there is no evidence to suggest that a replica Eiffel Tower was part of the plan.

Another challenge for Jacopozzi was replicating the City of Lights at night. Pilots used landmarks for navigation, and they would certainly recognize Paris by its distinctive illumination. If the engineer couldn't accurately recreate the city's lighting system, the faux Paris would be ineffective. Additionally, the expectation was that the real Paris, along with its residents, would turn off their lights to cloak the city in darkness and divert attention to the replica.

Zone C: Industrial district

Zone C would be located directly east of Paris and serve as an industrial area, where massive factories and chimneys would be set up. These structures were to be constructed from sheets of wood, as well as canvases painted in various colors.

In addition to the structures themselves, working furnaces would also be placed within to produce smoke from the chimneys and give the impression that work was going on inside. Using different colored lamps, Jacopozzi created the illusion of fire to truly simulate the look of a working factory.

The faux Paris disappeared

When it came time to build the faux Paris, only work on Zone A truly got underway. The train and its railway were completed and looked remarkably realistic. Small portions of Zones B and C were also done, likely to test their effectiveness before going ahead with the rest of the work.

The plan was cut short when World War I came to an end. As it was no longer necessary to construct or maintain the zones, they were dismantled. "Camouflaged streets, factories, dwelling houses, railways, with stations and trains complete, and in fact a camouflaged capital, was the gigantic task on which French engineers were engaged when the Armistice put an end to military operations," read a report published by The Globe on October 4, 1920 .

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As the entire project itself was a secret, many Parisians were unaware of the construction of a second, faux Paris happening just outside the city limits. Many feel it's a shame the structures were taken down, as they would have not only served as historic monuments of the war, but also as popular tourist attractions.