Figure 1.--These British girls with their beach sand pails and shovels wistfully survey the blocked of beaches that they once played. The photograph is undated, but we would guess was taken in July 1940. The British beach defenses were no Atlantic Wall but unlike the Germans in 1944, the RAF retaied air superority over the invasion beaches which detered the triumphant Germans. The barbed wire here was not a real deterent to the Germans, but kept safely civilans off the beaches which had been mined. What the girls could not have appreciated at their age is that they were now standing on the front line of the greatest military conflict in world history or the evil that threatened them across the Channel. Source: Imperial War Museum.

After the fall of France, the situation on British beaches changed dramtically (June 1940). The British Channel beaches became the front line of the War rather than the rear areas they had been in World War I. Hitler after defeating France expected the British toi sue for peace. He was prepared to offer what he saw as generous terms. When the British refused, it became apparent that an invasion would be necessary to defeat the British. The Wehrmact services were discussuing the shape of tghe invasion--Operation Sea Lion. OKW before the Battle of France had not prepared a plan for invading Britain. The dimnsions of the victory in the West came as a much of a surprise to senior German commanders as it did to the French. With control of France, the Germans rushed to cobbel together invasion plans to complete their victory and end the War. No one unified plan emerged, but two different concepts for Sea Lion. Both OKM and OKH produced their own plans which were radically different. And of course both were predicated on OKL quickly achieving air superiority over southeastern England. The plan eventually hammered out for Operation Sea Lion pleased no one. After the Luftwaffe had destroyed the RAF, the Germans would land 160,000 German soldiers along a 40-mile coastal stretch of southeast England. Paratropp drops could be part of the invasion. but as in D-Day, a beach landing was needed to bring in large number of troops and heavy equipment including tanks and artillery. Thus the British had to fortify the beaches against the expected German invasion--Operation Sea Lion. The British set about building concrete landing traps, barbed wire barriers, scaffolding all along the coast, but especially the southeast coast where the Germans were expected to land. The Army also began laying mines in large numbers. Artillery was at first very limited as most had been left behind at Dunkirk. Large areas of the sea front was sealed off for about 3 years. Piers were an important part of British beach resorts. The Army even demolished parts of the piers at Hastings, St. Leonards, Eastbourne and Brighton to ensure that the Germans could not make use of them when the landings began. Plane spotters were positioned at or nearby the beaches. People along the southeastern beaches saw the Luftwaffe German air armadas crossing the Channel and then RAF pursuit of the raiders trying to reach their French air bases.

Fall of France (June 1940)

The Germans launched their long anticipated Western offensive (May 10). Within days, Germn Panzers broke through in thecArdennes and raced to thec Channel, cutting off the BEF and strongest formations of the cFrench Army in Belgium. Somehow the BEF and French forces were evacuated at Dunkirk. While most of the BEF was saved, they left almost all of their heavy equipment behind. This left the Canadian First Division as the only fully equipped division in the country. After Dunkirk thec Germans turned south toward France abd the Seine. The French chose to make a separate peace with the Germans rather than continue the War as a government in exile like the other occupied countries. Marshall Pétain accepted Hitler's assurances. Thge terms could have been worst, but what Pétain failed to appreciate was tht Hitler coukd at abny time scrap thecterms of the Armistice justvas he did the Munich Agreemnt. The resulting Armistice left part of France unoccupied, but gave the Germans commabnd of the French Channel coast and ports facing Britain. Thus after the fall of France, the situation across the Channel on British beaches changed dramtically. The Gernmans were now only a few miles away. The British Channel beaches became the front line of the War rather than the rear areas they had been in World War I.

German Peace Offer (July 1940)

Hitler after defeating France expected the British to sue for peace. He was prepared to offer what he saw as generous terms. Peace at thec time was in Germany's interest. His real goals were in the East, but he wanted oeace in the West so he could carve out a new German Empire in the East. He did not want to fight a two-front war which Germand had to fight in Wotkd War I. He was thu prepared to allow the British to retain control of the Royal Navy and Empire in exchange for a free hand in Europe. The British had already seen just what the value of Hitler's guarantees were. And of course a triumphnt Germany with the resources of continental Europe could mount an invasion or blockade whenever it wanted. Thus there would be no more British primeministers returning from Germn waving papers with Herr Hitler's signature and climing 'peace in our time'. When the British refused, it became apparent that it might take an actual invasion to defeat the British.

Operation Sea Lion (August-September 1940)

The Wehrmact services were discussuing the shape of the invasion--Operation Sea Lion. OKW before the Battle of France had not prepared a plan for invading Britain. The dimnsions of the victory in the West came as a much of a surprise to senior German commanders as it did to the French. With control of France, the Germans rushed to cobbel together invasiion plans to complete their victory and end the War. No one unified plan emerged, but two different concepts for Sea Lion. Both OKM and OKH produced their own plans which were radically different. And of course both were predicated on OKL quickly achieving air superiority over southeastern England. The plan eventually hammered out for Operation Sea Lion pleased no one. After the Luftwaffe had destroyed the RAF, the Germans would land 160,000 German soldiers along a 40-mile coastal stretch of southeast England. Paratropp drops could be part of the invasion. but as in D-Day, a beach landing was needed to bring in large number of troops and heavy equipment including tanks and artillery.

Beach Defenses

Thus the British had to fortify the beaches against the expected German invasion--Operation Sea Lion. The British set about building concrete landing traps, barbed wire barriers, scaffolding all along the coast, but especially the southeast coast where the Germans were expected to land. Beaches obstacled commonly consisted of barbed wire entanglemets, often coils of concertina wire fixed by metal posts. The barbed wire barriers commonly demarcated extensive minefields which were lid. The British laid both anti-tank and anti-personnel mines on and behind the beaches. Away from the key southeastern beaches and ports, this combination of wire and mines was the only passive defences. These defenses had to installed in a rush manner because the German invasion after the fall of France was seen as iminent. The British had an advantage the Germans didn't 4 years later. The Brritish had a very good idea just where the Germans were coming--the southeastern coast. The Army also began laying mines in large numbers. Artillery was at first very limited as most had been left behind at Dunkirk. Emergency Coastal Batteries were put in place to protect the most likely landing places and especially ports which were needed to bring in supplie and needed equipment. Beach defenses were fitted with whatever guns were available, In those firstr months most of the artillery had been left behinf in France. There were guns availble from decommisioined naval ship. Large areas of the sea front was sealed off for about 3 years. Piers were an important part of British beach resorts, but they could be used to land men and equioment. The Army demolished parts of the piers at Hastings, St. Leonards, Eastbourne and Brighton to ensure that the Germans could not make use of them when the landings began. Plane spotters were positioned at or nearby the beaches. People along the southeastern beaches saw the Luftwaffe German air armadas crossing the Channel and then RAF pursuit of the raiders trying to reach their French air bases.

Created: 2:58 AM 12/27/2011
Last updated: 6:11 PM 12/16/2014