Operations MAGIC and MAGIC CARPET

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This blog takes a quick look at two military operations with magical names, Operation MAGIC and Operation MAGIC CARPET:

Operation MAGIC

As the British worked to crack German military codes, the Americans had a similar programme to intercept and read coded Japanese messages. In a nod to the world of magicians, it was called ‘Operation MAGIC’.

On 25th September, 1940, an intelligence team led by Colonel William Friedman cracked the 'Purple' code the Japanese were then using for their top-secret diplomatic messages. The MAGIC programme, devoted to decoding Japanese radio traffic, was under way not long afterwards. But, American cryptologists had not broken all the Japanese codes by late 1941. This explains why the State Department and wider U.S. Government did not have a complete picture of Japanese plans to attack Pearl Harbor.

Despite the failure of Operation MAGIC to adequately predict Japan’s opening more, its value was undisputed and it remained in use to the end of the war. 

MAGIC’s most striking success occurred in 1942, when it revealed Japanese plans and dispositions before the Battle of Midway – a feat which ensured American victory in the turning-point battle of the Pacific War.

Operation 'Magic' (1940-1945) information card, showing the machine which broke the 'Purple' code
(Source: Author's collection)

Operation MAGIC CARPET

At the end of World War Two, eight million American servicemen and women were scattered across 55 theatres of was spanning four continents. Bringing them home tour almost a year and involved the largest combined air and sealift ever organised.

Codenamed Operation MAGIC CARPET, the recovery started on 1 September 1945, four days after V.J. Day; ending on 1 September, 1946. On average, the operation transported 22,222 Americans home every day.

Hangar filled with U.S. service personnel on the U.S.S. Enterprise, on a Magic Carpet voyage in September 1945
(Source: Public domain)


Operation MAGIC CARPET souvenir booklet
(Source: Public domain)

Related article: Leslie Lambert: enigmatic Bletchley Park Code Breaker, tells the story of a magician working as a code breaker in British intelligence. Blog link.

Related article: Magic Marine awarded U.S. Medal of Honor, a blog about 1st Lieutenant George H. Cannon. Blog link.

Related article: H.M.S. Wizard, a blog about a British warship used to evacuate Allied prisoners-of-war after Japan's surrender. Blog link.

Related article: Fred Kolb: First Allied magician in occupied Japan?, a blog about the Japanese surrender, the occupation of Japan, and magician Fred Kolb. Blog link.

*** AVAILABLE NOW ***


The Colditz Conjurer tells the amazing true story of Flight Lieutenant Vincent ‘Bush’ Parker, Battle of Britain pilot and prisoner-of-war magician.

Written by the Magic at War team, The Colditz Conjurer is a remarkable tale of perseverance, courage and cunning in the face of adversity. It features over 55 original photographs and maps. 126 pages.



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