The Battle of Britain ended Hitler’s hopes of invading mainland Britain, but one military historian believes it turned the Isle of Wight into Germany’s next potential target.
On 15th September each year Britain commemorates Battle of Britain Day, marking the RAF’s victory over the Luftwaffe during the summer and autumn of 1940. The campaign denied Adolf Hitler the air superiority he regarded as essential for invading Britain and forced the postponement of Operation Sea Lion, the largest amphibious assault ever planned.
According to military historian Dr Robert Forczyk, that did not end German invasion planning altogether. Instead, Hitler began examining whether the Isle of Wight could become Germany’s next objective.
A former US Army lieutenant colonel with a doctorate in International Relations and National Security, Dr Forczyk reached that conclusion after examining surviving German military records for his book We March Against England.
Among the documents he examined was Hitler’s Directive No. 16, issued on 16th July 1940 after the fall of France. As well as ordering preparations for Operation Sea Lion, it instructed German planners:
“Preparations should also be made for the occupation of the Isle of Wight.”
According to Dr Forczyk, the proposal originated with Hitler himself, who repeatedly returned to the idea throughout the planning process before incorporating it into Directive No. 16.
The Isle of Wight’s strategic importance was obvious. Guarding the entrance to the Solent, it overlooked Portsmouth, home to one of the Royal Navy’s principal dockyards. Dr Forczyk argues artillery on the Island could have threatened Portsmouth, while civilian airfields would have provided the Luftwaffe with valuable forward operating bases. The Chain Home radar station at Ventnor added further military value.
Dr Forczyk argues Hitler’s naval commanders opposed a full-scale invasion of southern England. Concerned by the strength of the Royal Navy and believing Britain had more troops available than was actually the case, they persuaded him that Operation Sea Lion carried unacceptable risks.
After Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion on 17th September 1940, Dr Forczyk believes planners turned their attention to a much smaller assault on the Isle of Wight. He argues German forces could have landed around 4,000 troops within two days, giving Germany a base from which artillery could threaten Portsmouth and the Luftwaffe could operate much closer to southern England.
The Isle of Wight was far from defenceless. During 1940 it became one of Britain’s most heavily fortified areas. Regular Army units were reinforced by thousands of Home Guard volunteers, beaches were lined with barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles, pillboxes guarded likely landing places and coastal batteries protected the shoreline.
Dr Forczyk argues those defences may not have been enough. He points to the wartime diary of Field Marshal Alan Brooke, who expressed concern about the possibility of a German landing and doubts about whether British forces could prevent it. His conclusion is that German forces had the capability to seize at least the eastern half of the Isle of Wight in 1940.
Dr Forczyk further argues Hitler later regarded it as a mistake to have accepted his naval commanders’ objections to a full-scale invasion.
Whether the plan could ever have succeeded will never be known. Hitler nevertheless considered the Isle of Wight important enough to order preparations for its occupation.
Great article, wouldn’t be an issue thesedays
they couldn’t afford the extortionate ferry fares.
Are Labour planning to initiate a new invasion.
Labour did they failed got voted out
I wonder if the life boat service would have gone out to help a dangerous Nazi boat if in peril? Or didn’t German lives matter, as they all were someone’s sons and have feeling too, and we share a common Royal blood line.
I believe that during WW1 and WW2 both sides did indeed rescue the other side’s sailors from drowning after vessels were sunk. An act of respect for each other as ‘soldiers’ and human beings and for the reasons you mention, as well as due to the Geneva Convention Agreement I assume.
What about boats that weren’t sunk, or weren’t even in distress, like we see now?
I think there is a new secret plan to invade the island. I can very confidently say that we have illegal immigrants in ryde. Surely I’m not the only person that has noticed this. over the last few months I’m seeing more and more groups of them, and not just around the high street, on some of the quieter nicer roads. Just you wait until the new housing estate is built, I bet we get an influx of illegals in them. It’s happening people. See the invasion for what it actually is. AN INVASION!!!
Oh good grief. Very confident eh?
How would you know they’re here illegally?
You wouldn’t know Sunshine with your leftie views.
It’s neither leftie nor righty to see a group of brown faces and NOT jump to the conclusion that they are somehow illegally without any proof whatsoever. It’s INTELLIGENCE. The same intelligence that tells me if I was remotely suspicious I’d inform the police rather than a comments section.
Here’s a starter for 10; If illegal immigrants live in some of the ‘quieter, nice roads’, how did they manage to do that without visas, documentation, bank accounts and proof of earnings? Just happened to rock up on a small boat with several hundred thousand quid in STERLING? Maybe in their own currency and then what, got it exchanged also without documentation? Or renting…the agent turned a blind eye to no proof of identity because they paid 6 months upfront? Or might they, like anybody else, have to prove regular, employed and checkable income in order to rent? Is this a massive conspiracy by the government, lettings agents, border control, the police, the council (council taxes??) and anyone else who must clearly interact with them on a daily basis to ignore the fact that they are (very confidently) here illegally just to piss off the wilfully thick-as-mince inhabitants of the IOW?
Doesn’t take voting left to make intelligence, but it certainly seems to help, clearly.
For the love of God can you just not read an interesting historical article without turning it round to the same boring old drivel.
another idiotic and irrelevant comment. Bravo…
At least back then we were proud enough of this country, to stand together & want to protect it from invasion. Can you imagine the terror on our shores if everyone sat back & did sweet FA to stop the German onslaught. Troops of men walking our streets, killing & raping as they settled themselves in. Taking over Town & Villages by swarm mentality. Just loitering, starring, scaring people away from the place they called home. Oh it would have been awful. We must Remain THANKFUL for the efforts of those who ordered, built & manned our defences, whom without, the last 80 years could have been terrible. Our country as we knew it would been gone. Our beaches laid open for any aided invasion. Our Tax’s taken & frittered away to provide for these unwanted anti socials & the most used babies name, certainly would not have been Marion or John.
Ah the good old days when we actually defended our borders