The aviation historian presents a provocative analysis of WWII airborne operations to investigate what happened to Hitler’s planned invasion of England. Did a German invasion or invasions take place along the shores of East Anglia in 1940? Though Operation Sealion, the intended invasion of southern England, never materialized, Hitler asked his forces to mount one, two or even three small invasions in 1940. This raises some provocative questions: Were the mass raids on London merely a diversion? Why have all the files on this most dramatic period in British history been kept hidden? Why have the instances involving setting fire to the sea and skirmishes around our coasts been covered up? Martin W. Bowman tells the full story of these remarkable events involving British defenders in the Army, Home Guard and Auxiliary Units and the invading Nazi military forces. This revealing history examines Allied and German airborne operations during the Second World War to piece together a truly riveting narrative. It is complimented by an extensive Appendix section and scores of previously unpublished photos.

In the summer of 1941 when the likelihood of an invasion was a daily threat to the people of England, one of the most intriguing and persistent legends of the Second World War was born--that German troops landed on the coast of East Anglia in a prelude to the invasion that was then only weeks, perhaps even days away. It is a legend that has inspired writers such as Graham Greene, the filmmaker Alberto Cavalcanti, and of course, Jack Higgins, whose 1975 novel The Eagle Had Landed was an international bestseller and became a hugely popular film. But all of these stories are fiction. Using recently declassified documents, eyewitness accounts, contemporary reports, and newspaper and magazines features, Peter Haining's investigates the story and ultimately provides the solution to an enduring mystery, while at the same time illuminating a particularly fraught period of Britain's wartime history.

The WWII historian’s bracingly accurate analysis of what might have happened if Hitler ordered Operation Sea Lion to breech the shores of England. In June 1940, German troops gathered just across the English Channel, poised for the invasion of Britain. With France defeated and Britain cowed, Hitler seemed ready for his greatest gamble. In this compelling alternative history, the Germans launch the invasion that, in reality, was never more than a plan. Landing between Dover and Hythe, German troops push inland supported by the Luftwaffe and the impregnable panzers, and strike out towards London. The British, desperate to defeat the invaders, rally and prepare for a crucial confrontation at Maidstone. Realistic, carefully researched and superbly written, Invasion is a classic of alternate history and a thought-provoking look at how Britain’s war might have been. “Macksey’s blend of what actually happened and what might have been makes for a piece of writing comparable to Frederick Forsyth at his best.” —Jack Higgins “Convincingly described and excellently illustrated.” —The Daily Telegraph, UK

Dette er den detaljerede gennemgang af den tyske invasionsplan for erobringen af England. Værket behandler opstillingen af invasionsflåden selve invasionsplanen, herunder troppeplanen, transportplanen men ikke meget om flådens opgaver og inddeling. Luftwaffes rolle fremgår også ligesom den amfibiske plan og opfølgeplanen er udarbejdet. Der er ligeledes en fremrykkeplan for angrebet gennem Sydengland og en plan for imødegåelse af den forventede britiske civile modstandskamp.

In compliance with the Fuhrer's directive on the imminent invasion of Britain in 1940, the Gestapo prepared a secret handbook for the occupation forces. The first part, edited by senior Nazi Walter Schellenberg who had been educated in England, is a detailed analysis of how the Germans thought the country worked. The second, equally intriguing section is a list of the men and women the Gestapo had earmarked for immediate arrest. Written in August 1940, the handbook sheds extraordinary light on the British political system, the establishment, the church, industry, the police, trade unions and even the Boy Scouts. The chapter on the British Secret Service was considered so embarrassingly accurate that the few copies captured at the end of the war were retained by the authorities, and it is only now, more than half a century later, that a translation has been made to reveal the full remarkable truth.