Further Revelations About Britain’s Remarkably Multilayered Defenses Against Hitler’s Invasion

In his newest book, independent scholar Chatterton follows his earlier work, Britain’s Secret Defences: Civilian Saboteurs, Spies and Assassins, to further explore the extent of British preparations for resistance in the event of German invasion and occupation.

After the fall of France, Britain never really “stood alone,” given it had the world’s greatest empire. Chatterton reminds us, however, that time was needed to marshal the resources of the empire, and perhaps also to gain American support, so invasion was a serious threat, did seem imminent, and desperate preparations were needed to meet it.

Building on his work in the earlier book, in this volume, Chatterton digs further to reveal still more layers of secret preparations, from guerrilla bands trained by Tom Wintrinhgam, probably the ablest “International Brigades” commander in the Spanish Civil War, deep cover buried “stay-behind” intelligence, assassination, and infiltration cadres, secret communications networks, plus well-hidden munitions caches and hide outs (some still being discovered), and more. He also touches on the role of the R.A.F. beyond Fighter Command, and reminds us that the Royal Navy posed the single most important obstacle to a German invasion.

Essential reading for those interested in Operation Sealion, the proposed German invasion of Britain, or in the history of special operations forces.

---///--

Note: Fortress Britain, 1940is also available in e-editions.

StrategyPage reviews are published in cooperation with The New York Military Affairs Symposium

www.nymas.org