While we fret over whether we can get out of the EU in two years, in 1939 events moved a lot more swiftly. Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3rd September, honouring treaty obligations to Poland that had been invaded two days earlier. On 15th November, Grand-Admiral Erich Raeder, Commander-in -Chief of the German Navy, gave an order that plans were to be made for a seaborne invasion of England.
After Dunkirk, in early June 1940, these plans could have been brought to fruition but it was not until mid-July that Hitler issued Directive No. 16, code name Operation Sea Lion. Meanwhile what preparations had been made to counter this very real threat?
All our efforts were directed at defending the country from an airborne assault. In May 1940, Churchill wrote to Roosevelt; “we expect to be attacked here ourselves, both from the air (i.e. by bombing) and by parachute and airborne troops, in the near future, and are getting ready for them”. The same month the Air Ministry sent this message to the Admiralty, War Office and Ministry of Home Security:
Information from Norway shows that German parachute troops, when descending, hold their arms above their heads as if surrendering. The parachutist, however, holds a grenade in each hand. These are thrown at anyone attempting to obstruct the landing. To counter this stratagem, parachutists, if they exceed six in number, are to be treated as hostile and if possible shot in the air. The largest crew carried in any British bomber is six persons.
Of course parachutists always hold their arms up to grip the cords of their chutes and steer. It would be unwise to try and hold grenades at the same time as they would very likely explode on impact with the ground. This sort of nonsense was repeated later the same month in the Minutes of the Invasion Warning Sub-Committee:
Indications of numerous acts of sabotage and 5th Column activity (are evident) in Dover, e.g. communications leakages, fixed defences sabotage, second-hand cars purchased at fantastic prices and left at various parking places.
The Dutch Foreign Minister did nothing to calm things when he told a Press Conference in London that the Germans had descended attired as nuns, Red Cross nurses, monks and tramcar conductors. Nobody questioned this. A Reserve Volunteer Force was formed across the country and there was a witch hunt for spies. Osbert Lancaster, at least, saw the funny side of this hysteria.
It was fortunate that Hitler did not press home his advantage after Dunkirk and when I have read a few more chapters of Invasion 1940, I may be able to tell you why he didn’t.