In August 1940, Germany did invade Britain and some of the Germans landed at a place on the East Coast know as "Shingle Street". It appears they were looking after the new radar that had been built nearly. The British saw tem coming and set light to the sea, burning the troops when they landed, many were rescued and returned to Belgium very badly burned, it's said the hospital train was half a mile long. This was going against the Geneve Convention!
Was the codename op this operation: "Operation Seelöwe"?
The incident you describe is what is often called an "urban myth". It has passed by word of mouth in Britain since late 1940 or early 1941, yet absolutely no evidence has been found on the German side that this ever occurred. A failed invasion involving casualties on the scale you mention could not have escaped all German records.
In August 1940, Germany did invade Britain and some of the Germans landed at a place on the East Coast know as "Shingle Street". It appears they were looking after the new radar that had been built nearly. The British saw them coming and set light to the sea, burning the troops when they landed, many were rescued and returned to Belgium very badly burned, it's said the hospital train was half a mile long. This was going against the Geneve Convention!
Was the codename op this operation: "Operation Seelöwe"?
In August 1940, Germany did invade Britain and some of the Germans landed at a place on the East Coast know as "Shingle Street". It appears they were looking after the new radar that had been built nearly. The British saw them coming and set light to the sea, burning the troops when they landed, many were rescued and returned to Belgium very badly burned, it's said the hospital train was half a mile long. This was going against the Geneve Convention!
Was the codename op this operation: "Operation Seelöwe"?
It's been a while since I've read about this, but I'd say the closest that the Germans got to invading was to take over the Channel Islands - which I think garnered them one or two casualties and a handful of prisoners.
I thought that the British abandoned the Channel Islands as untenable and did not oppose the German occupation in 1940. I would guess that any German casualties would have been the result of accidents or naval or aerial action. Have you any other details?
If I remember correctly the German casualties (in the single digits) were all due to accidents and not combat action. Interestingly, when the British withdrew from the islands they failed to bring a number of their prisoners with them - a number of soldiers had been charged with minor offenses such as insubordination. I think there is mention in Adrian Weale's book of at least one of them finding his way into the British Free Korps. Perhaps Adrian could enlighten us further . . .
"7 September 1940,
(till 1 October) Begin of the "Blitzkrieg" of London, attacks from the air, marking the first air blitz of the city. More than 900 aircraft attack London. By this action the German effectively 'invade England from the air, but within another 10 days Hitler will have cancelled his plans for Operation 'Sealion', the full-scale invasion of England. Goering's Luftwaffe fails to bring Britain to her knees in month October."
From my own experience: I was told by one of my tank commanders that he was on a ship loaded with tanks equipped with snorkel-type exhaust pipes. The convoy was heading toward Great Britain when (for him) unknown reason, the convey turned around and headed back to the origination port.
Regards,
Rudi S.
An interesting anecdote. My guess is that he was recalling an exercise or mistaking one for the real thing. (In my own experience we were told during our final training exercise that it was being suspended due to a terrorist threat to infiltrate via the farm we were training on and we spent two nights in what we thought were real ambushes. It was, of course, just an extension of the exercise) There is certainly no documentary evidence that any form of invasion, or even raid, was ever launched by the Germans on British soil.
There was never a raid made by german forces on the coast of England on any scale its is as was stated by Sid, an urban myth, The loss of the battle of britain made it clear that any attempt by germany on any scale to set foot on british soil would be tantamount to suicide on germanys part
I don't mean to be picky but as far as I know Operaition seelowe is german for operation sea lion this was the plan invasion made by adolf hitler and was the invasion of england.
due to reichsmarshall Goerings failure to cow england by bombing the invasion was cancelled Sea lions cancellation was not due to any method employed directly by the british in coastal defence the truth was that in 1940 britain was on the ropes and was not capable of repelling a direct assualt the thing that detered the germans was two things the royal navy and her strength and the fact that blitzkrieg relied heavily on domination of the skies with the raf still active this was not the case
the summer of 1940 saw the luftwaffe begin a series of telling bombing raids on Britains southern and northern airfields tactically this was a consumate move on the part of the germans and very nearly rendered the Raf destroyed however seeing the end looming alarmingly near Churchill ordered a raid on Berlin knowing this would cause Hitler to retaliate in kind( in fact Goering was qouted in 1940 as saying "if ever a bomb falls on Berlin than you can call me Meyer!") it worked Hitler in a rage ordered the bombing of britains cities therefore giving the Raf the time it needed to re-arm and re-fuel unmolested the rest is as they say history. suffering heavy losses germany suspended sea-lion indefinatley
The channel islands were for the most part irrelevant the british had abondoned them in 1940 the civilian population spent the war under occupation but largly unmolested.-peace
Vergeissmeinicht
Will
"Where The German Soldier Sets Foot, There He Remains"
Adolf Hitler-27 September 1942
