S Day — 14 July 1940; the invasion of Great Britain begins. As German airborne troops cross the Kent coastline, from French and Belgian ports come forth seaborne divisions aimed directly at the beaches between Dover and Hythe. The culmination of Hitler’s conquest of the West, German arms are about to round off one of the most complete victories of all time. In a lightning ‘Blitzkrieg’ campaign, the Wehrmacht has compelled Holland, Belgium and France to surrender. Now Britain stands alone in arms against the Reich.
These events — and the ensuing land, air and sea conflict that reaches its climax at the pivotal Battle of Maidstone — form the basis of Kenneth Macksey’s gripping narrative. Carefully researched from the plans that actually existed at the time, Invasion is a startlingly convincing account of one of history’s greatest ‘ifs’.
The author of many books on the Second World War, Kenneth Macksey has investigated afresh the forces, resources and options to each side in the summer of 1940. Providing it had been launched in July, he concludes, Operation ‘Sealion’ could have been a feasible undertaking. Indeed, had Hitler accepted Kesselring’s advice to invade Britain soon after Dunkirk (during the period considered by British Intelligence to be the most dangerous) the events described in this book might well have taken place.
With 32 pages of photographs and 12 maps