Beach Jumpers were U.S. Navy special warfare units organized during World War II by Lieutenant Douglas Fairbanks Jr. They specialized in deception and psychological warfare. The units were active from 1943 to 1946 and 1951 to 1972. Inspired by British tactics Lieutenant Douglas Fairbanks Jr., the Hollywood actor and naval officer, was assigned as a United States liaison officer to British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was British Chief of Combined Operations, which included British Commando operations. This included undertaking training at HMS Tormentor, a Commando training facility in Southern England. Fairbanks not only observed the training, planning, and execution of the Commando's raiding parties, diversions, and deception operations, but he trained with the unit and participated in several cross channel harassment raids. During these raids he developed a deep appreciation for the military art of deception. When he returned to the U.S., Fairbanks presented his idea for a unit of men trained to conduct tactical cover, diversionary and deception missions to Admiral Ernest J. King, Commander-in-Chief, U. S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations. Inspired by the success of the British Commando in using sonic deception on raids against the Nazis and Fairbanks' concept of operations, King issued a secret letter on 5 March 1943 charging the Vice Chief of Naval Operations with the responsibility to recruit 180 officers and 300 enlisted men for the Beach Jumper program. Admiral H. Kent Hewitt Commander of Amphibious Forces and all U.S. Naval Forces in Northwest African waters and the Western Mediterranean, was put in charge. Volunteer requirements Beach Jumper volunteers had to meet four general requirements: no seasickness, experience with small boat handling, enough electrical knowledge to fix a home radio, and basic knowledge of celestial navigation. The announcement further stated that, "The Navy is requesting volunteers for prolonged, hazardous, distant duty for a secret project." Their identities and activities were very highly classified, since the slightest leak of information could ruin even brilliant deceptions. Their early basic mission was "To assist and support the operating forces in the conduct of Tactical Cover and Deception in Naval Warfare." To accomplish it, they learned to simulate very large amphibious landings with very limited forces. Using specialized deception equipment, a few dozen Beach Jumpers could make the enemy believe they were a 70,000-man amphibious landing force, when in fact that force would be elsewhere, usually a great distance away. Unit organization On 16