Stopping Hitler: An Official Account of How Britain Planned to Defend Itself in the Second World War
After the unprecedented death and devastation of the First World War, few people imagined that such a conflict could ever happen again. Though the belief that it had been the ‘war to end war’ was to be shattered within a generation, in the immediate aftermath of the First World War it was expected that international disputes could be settled by arbitration through the creation of League of Nations. Consequently, the British Government concluded that there would not be another war in the foreseeable future and therefore the country’s armed forces could be correspondingly scaled back.

The rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s, however, prompted politicians and military leaders to contemplate the frightening prospect of another global conflict. The Chiefs of Staff of the three Services were instructed to bring Britain’s armed forces up to a standard where they could resist a revitalized and powerful aggressor, and to put in place plans for the defense of the country.

When that war became a reality, the Chiefs of Staff then had to devise schemes to prevent a German invasion and, as the war progressed, to counter the bombers of the Luftwaffe and the flying bombs and rockets that followed.

Reproduced here in its entirety is an official account drawn up by Captain G.C. Wynne of the Historical Section, Cabinet Office in 1948. Arranged in four parts, corresponding to the four different threats which developed with the changing situations of the war, it details the various plans made for Home Defence between 1939 and 1945.
"1124484777"
Stopping Hitler: An Official Account of How Britain Planned to Defend Itself in the Second World War
After the unprecedented death and devastation of the First World War, few people imagined that such a conflict could ever happen again. Though the belief that it had been the ‘war to end war’ was to be shattered within a generation, in the immediate aftermath of the First World War it was expected that international disputes could be settled by arbitration through the creation of League of Nations. Consequently, the British Government concluded that there would not be another war in the foreseeable future and therefore the country’s armed forces could be correspondingly scaled back.

The rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s, however, prompted politicians and military leaders to contemplate the frightening prospect of another global conflict. The Chiefs of Staff of the three Services were instructed to bring Britain’s armed forces up to a standard where they could resist a revitalized and powerful aggressor, and to put in place plans for the defense of the country.

When that war became a reality, the Chiefs of Staff then had to devise schemes to prevent a German invasion and, as the war progressed, to counter the bombers of the Luftwaffe and the flying bombs and rockets that followed.

Reproduced here in its entirety is an official account drawn up by Captain G.C. Wynne of the Historical Section, Cabinet Office in 1948. Arranged in four parts, corresponding to the four different threats which developed with the changing situations of the war, it details the various plans made for Home Defence between 1939 and 1945.
38.95 In Stock
Stopping Hitler: An Official Account of How Britain Planned to Defend Itself in the Second World War

Stopping Hitler: An Official Account of How Britain Planned to Defend Itself in the Second World War

Stopping Hitler: An Official Account of How Britain Planned to Defend Itself in the Second World War

Stopping Hitler: An Official Account of How Britain Planned to Defend Itself in the Second World War

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Overview

After the unprecedented death and devastation of the First World War, few people imagined that such a conflict could ever happen again. Though the belief that it had been the ‘war to end war’ was to be shattered within a generation, in the immediate aftermath of the First World War it was expected that international disputes could be settled by arbitration through the creation of League of Nations. Consequently, the British Government concluded that there would not be another war in the foreseeable future and therefore the country’s armed forces could be correspondingly scaled back.

The rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s, however, prompted politicians and military leaders to contemplate the frightening prospect of another global conflict. The Chiefs of Staff of the three Services were instructed to bring Britain’s armed forces up to a standard where they could resist a revitalized and powerful aggressor, and to put in place plans for the defense of the country.

When that war became a reality, the Chiefs of Staff then had to devise schemes to prevent a German invasion and, as the war progressed, to counter the bombers of the Luftwaffe and the flying bombs and rockets that followed.

Reproduced here in its entirety is an official account drawn up by Captain G.C. Wynne of the Historical Section, Cabinet Office in 1948. Arranged in four parts, corresponding to the four different threats which developed with the changing situations of the war, it details the various plans made for Home Defence between 1939 and 1945.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781399020817
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Publication date: 10/05/2022
Pages: 400
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x (d)

About the Author

JOHN GREHAN has written, edited or contributed to more than 300 books and magazine articles covering a wide span of military history from the Iron Age to the recent conflict in Afghanistan. John has also appeared on local and national radio and television to advise on military history topics. He was employed as the Assistant Editor of Britain at War Magazine from its inception until 2014. John now devotes his time to writing and editing books.

Captain Graeme Chamley Wynne was born in 1889. He was commissioned into the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in 1907. Climbing through the ranks, he was serving in the 2nd Battalion at the outbreak of war in 1914. As part of the British Expeditionary Force he was captured by the Germans at Le Cateau on 26 August 1914. Wynne was employed by the Historical Section, Committee of Imperial defense (later the Historical Section, Cabinet Office) between 1918 and 1956. It was in this role that he completed the report published in this book on 19 May 1948.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Publisher's Note viii

Glossary ix

Part I Home Defence Plans 1933-39

Chapter 1 The Attempt to Prevent German Aggression 1933-36 1

Chapter 2 Britain on the Defensive 7

Chapter 3 Defence Against Air Attack 14

Chapter 4 The Julius Caesar Plan: 27 October 1939 20

Part II 1940: The Threat of Air Attack Preparatory to Invasion

Chapter 5 The German Offensive Against the Western Powers 27

Chapter 6 Defence Against a Large Scale Raid 31

Chapter 7 Defence Against Air Attack 40

Chapter 8 Defence Against Invasion 45

Chapter 9 The Control Organization 57

Chapter 10 The Battle of Britain 60

Part III Home Defence Plans 1941-42

Chapter 11 Effect of the Battle of the Atlantic on Home Defence 69

Chapter 12 Defence Preparations for 1941 73

Chapter 13 The War Situation Transformed by the Battle of Russia 76

Chapter 14 Assumptions for the Home Forces Plan for the Spring of 1942 78

Chapter 15 Defence against Seaborne Attack 82

Chapter 16 Defence against Air Attack 90

Chapter 17 Defence against Airborne Attack 96

Chapter 18 The Estimated Requirement for Home Forces Considered Excessive 99

Chapter 19 Civil Defence Measures 104

Chapter 20 The German Plan for Invasion Fades Out 108

Part IV 1942-45: The Threat of Raids and of Rocket Bombs

Chapter 21 The United Kingdom as a Base for the Counter-Offensive 111

Chapter 22 Defence Against Sea and Airborne Raids 112

Chapter 23 Defence Against Air Raids 116

Chapter 24 Defence Against the Flying and Rocket Bombs 120

Appendices

I Air Staff Appreciation of the possible scale of Air Attack on Great Britain: April 1939 131

II Appreciation by the Chiefs of Staff of the prospects of Invasion: 1937 and 1939 151

III List of Defended Ports and Dockyards, and their Armament 162

IV The Julius Caesar Plan: 27 October 1939 169

V State of Home Forces: 31 May 1940 179

VI Home Farces Operation Instructions Nos. 1 and 3: 5 and 15 June 1940 183

VII Chiefs of Staff Review of the Prospects of Invasion after the fall of France 200

VIII Air Staff Memorandum on Invasion 30 July 1940 224

IX Re-distribution of the Anti-aircraft Defences: August 1940 229

X Relative Vulnerability of the Coastal Sectors 243

XI Admiralty Appreciation of Invasion: 29 May 1940 246

XII Home Fleet Dispositions: June 1940 252

XIII Operation J.F.: October 1940 254

XIV VII Corps Operation Instruction No. 3: 3 August 1940 268

XV The German plan for Invasion: Operation Sealion 271

XVI Directive for the German 9th and 16th Armies 274

XVII Time Table for Operation Sealion 278

XVIII Air Raid Warning organization 281

XIX States of Readiness for the three Defence Services 286

XX Note on the "Invasion Imminent" signal on the evening of the 7th September 1940 290

XXI Chiefs of Staff Review of the Dispositions to meet Invasion in 1941 292

XXII Appreciation by C.-in-C. Home Forces for the Spring of 1942 301

XXIII Admiralty Anti-Invasion Programme: Spring 1942 327

XXIV Instructions for the Coast Defence Artillery 329

XXV XII Corps Plan to Defeat Invasion: 26 March 1942 347

XXVI Moves of Reserve Formations: South-Eastern Command, 19 January 1942 354

XXVII South-Eastern Command Appreciation for the Spring of 1942 362

XXVIII Air Defence Plan for the Spring of 1942 371

XXIX Role, Organization and Disposition of the Royal Air Force to meet Invasion: 4 February 1942 384

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