| Sussex in the early 1940s stood ready to repel an air and sea-borne invasion by a successful German army. John Goodwin, who was there at the time, describes what happened when the military took over the beaches and countryside and set about making the county impregnable, despite huge logistical problems. He explains what forces were available, their shortcomings, and how tactics changed under different army commanders. Regiments, artillery, tanks, weapons, coast batteries, armoured trains, plus naval and army communications, are covered in detail. Chapters on army radar, harbour booms, nets, also land and sea minefields, deal with little known aspects of the Sussex defences. This book is illustrated with over 120 contemporary maps and photographs. Contents:
- Acknowledgements
- 1 – Invasion Threatens and Plans Change
- 2 – German Intelligence about the Sussex Coast Defences
- 3 – The Infantry behind the beaches
- 4 – Armoured Divisions and Tank Brigades
- 5 – Artillery, Rail Guns and Armoured Trains
- 6 – Deployment of an Infantry Division: Selsey Bill to Newhaven
- 7 – The Rush to Build Obstacles
- 8 – Fortification of a Sussex Sea Front
- 9 – The Emergency Coast Defence Batteries: Selsey Bill to Dungeness
- 10 – Old Newhaven Fort and its Role in the 1940s
- 11 – HMS Forward. An Underground Headquarters
- 12 – Military Signals between London and the South Coast
- 13 – Nets, Fire Booms and Minefields
- 14 – The Army Coast Watching Radar and the Beachy Head Rotor Bunker
- Index
- Further Reading
- Principal Sources Consulted
Continent: Europe
Country: UK |
