A closer look
When conventional warfare fails, just hire a literal illusionist. Jasper Maskelyne was a stage magician who joined the Royal Engineers during WWII and convinced the military that his parlor tricks could defeat the Nazis. Tasked with protecting the Suez Canal from German bombers, Maskelyne built a massive array of spinning mirrors and anti-aircraft lights designed to create a dazzling, blinding spiral of light over the water. The optical illusion successfully blinded enemy pilots, preventing them from finding their targets.
