The 'real' Shadow Factory - Southampton from 1940 to D-Day

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Kip, Jul 29, 2019.

  1. Kip

    Kip YouTUBE Channel - Southampton on D-Day

    Osborne2, Briefly Southampton was clobbered early in the war so much so that the docks were closed for 2 years. The government were so concerned they sent a Wing Commander to investigate. The Hodsoll Report blamed the lack of local leadership. This was highly contentious and the report was only made public in 1973 to much criticism. This is in contrast to the comments made above re;northern ports. I believe because of the ambivalence there is an inability to deal with the period objectively, if this makes sense. To gave an example I attach my video of The Shadow Factory a play about 1940 which is proving very popular down here (the play not my video);



    PS Although the popular theory is that the Germans did not discover the preps for D-Day because of double agents and the fake army, in Southampton children are still told the army was hiding in the New Forest, I believe the reason is that the Germans believed their own propaganda and that Southampton was finished in 1940 and it was the US that transformed the fortunes of the town.

    PPS The days after D-Day the captured Germans still believed that when the Wehrmacht was ready they would roll the allies into the sea, and they were only waiting in the POW Cage at Southampton for the counter-attack to begin.

    PPPS I was reading the other day of an account of German prisoners taken in a boat around the port. Apparently they kept repeating but this is only supposed to be marshland!

    PPPPS I will repost as a separate thread not to hijack the original.
     
    redtop likes this.
  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    As I recall Southampton was badly bombed and this local historian refers to the city being:
    See: Southampton In World War Two > Jake Simpkin - Local Historian & Guide

    Long ago I read that the heaviest bombing in November-December 1940 caused so much damage and civilian anguish the authorities moved troops to the outskirts in case Martial Law was needed to restore order.
     
  3. Kip

    Kip YouTUBE Channel - Southampton on D-Day

    All, It is interesting to read about the achievement of the northern ports in the build up to D-Day. However I believe Southampton was the springboard for D-Day but I don't think the town gets the credit for the reason I have outlined. Kip
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2019

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