A good beach for a German Invasion?

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Drew5233, Dec 28, 2008.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    What do you think?
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  2. Passchendaele_Baby

    Passchendaele_Baby Grandads Little Girl

  3. Ferahgo

    Ferahgo Senior Member

    I must say drew...those groynes, the seagull and the passer by look like very dangerous and capable anti-tank weapons!
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    A good beach for a German Invasion?

    But there is no sun - and no sunbeds either!
    D
     
    James S likes this.
  5. Ferahgo

    Ferahgo Senior Member

    therefore the germans would not be attracted to it
     
  6. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    Did you realize these poles in the water? Looks like marked parking slots for German landing craft!!!
     
    dbf likes this.
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    :huh: Its the beach where my parents live and I thought this would create a serious discussion ...<Humpf>








    :lol:
     
  8. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    I understand Andy. It maybe a good beach for a German invasion but as I don't have any tactical knowledge of such things, although I wanted to comment, i couldn't. I think the remark about the lack of sunbeds may true. :D

    Looking at the pictures, I don't see any hills or dunes from where we could have set up a defensive position like on Omaha, so perhaps the square heads might have been lucky had they decided to launch an invasion there.

    Who knows. Hopefully someone with more defensive knowledge can add some input.

    cheers,
    marcus
     
  9. WotNoChad?

    WotNoChad? Senior Member

    There's a list of good invasion beaches drawn up by the War Department, I think the main features were sand rather than shingle, and a long shallow tide. Both of those shown would fit that by the looks of it.
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Its St Marys Bay looking towards Dymchurch with Dover in the distance.

    It is indeed mainly firm sand with a shallow tide although some places can be muddy. Obviously the sea wall etc wouldn't be there.

    My Dad seems to think that the canals and irrigation ditches would have prevented a successful invasion though.

    Cheers
     
  11. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    The Germans had "MilGeo" manuals for all eventual country to be invaded. Have that of France - it includes whatever a tank commander may want to know for example, if he wants to drive through a particular small city, then he would find the best way in this documentation. I am sure that something similar existed for UK as well.
     
  12. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Obviously the sea wall etc wouldn't be there.




    Ah! Ye have me there then, Drew. I'd been thinking; Those 'Steps' would be perfect for tanks and such to rumble up. But that wall at the top might have proven a bugger.

    Saying that; The Steps would surely have made them chew their lips? Such ideal places to set out their own Sun Beds! :lol:

    All this has actually brought it home to me why Portsmouth never seems to have been considered any good. Southsea beach is quite deep and the shingle would have made it like troops advancing through treacle. The Eastney end may have been better ~ more sandy and possibly more shallow? But it's a rather limited area.

    Either way, if they'd managed it at either? Few miles in and they'd have hit the most awful bottle neck at Hilsea. And, as it just so happens, that bottle neck was well enough covered by Pill Boxes and so forth. So much easier to 'come back to' a cut off Pompey then. Come streaming down off the hill and, once the Battle of Cosham was over, having overcome the old Forts, it'd all be done and dusted in hours.

    Blimey! This place really is getting to me, look! I fancy myself as trying to think like a General now! :lol:
     
  13. WotNoChad?

    WotNoChad? Senior Member

    Its St Marys Bay looking towards Dymchurch with Dover in the distance.

    It is indeed mainly firm sand with a shallow tide although some places can be muddy. Obviously the sea wall etc wouldn't be there.

    My Dad seems to think that the canals and irrigation ditches would have prevented a successful invasion though.


    I thought it looked vaguely familiar, I'm just a few miles up the coast. The one around here I'd mark down as a good invasion spot would be Pegwell Bay, SW of Ramsgate.

    I've done a google for the invasion beach list but can't find the bugger, I know they prepared it to make sure they put the defences in the most needed places first, I know Pegwell is on it, as well as the main sands at both Ramsgate and Margate. I don't think anything between Pegwell and St Marys was as it typically steep shingle, with cliffs in a lot of it as well.
     
  14. ozjohn39

    ozjohn39 Senior Member

    Those pics can't be British beaches!

    British beaches have rocks and pebbles, 6' breakers, 60mph winds and freezing cold temperatures.

    And THAT is a nice summers day!

    ;-)

    John
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    No its winter....and the water was freezing (I'm in the top picture with my shoes off- even the dog wasn't going in)
     
  16. Donibristle

    Donibristle Junior Member

    Good Beach to enfilade, any fortified positions left over.
     
  17. Passchendaele_Baby

    Passchendaele_Baby Grandads Little Girl

    hey, hey...
    Lets not give them any ideas now...
    :lol:
     
  18. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    :huh: Its the beach where my parents live and I thought this would create a serious discussion ...<Humpf>

    :lol:


    Drew, if you would entertain a guess, is this Bridlington?
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Its St Marys Bay looking towards Dymchurch with Dover in the distance.
    They'd never get further than the railway line.
    This would have stopped them.
    [​IMG]

    A Brief History of the RH&DR
     
  20. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Owen.....You're dragging the tone down :) ps I've been on that railway :D


    Donbristle
    I think natural fortifications may have been more of a problem. There's a bit of marsh land in the area, drainage ditches and a few canals.

    Man made defences consist of a few pill boxes Some pictures.


    There is the minature railway that Owen posted for moving troops around thats about 500 metres from the beach. There are two old RAF airfields resonably close and Lydd and Hawkinge and a Battery emplacement at Dover.

    Oh and there are these things still along the coast.
    [​IMG]

    Cheers
     

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