The whole of Britain's coastline was involved in the struggle against
the Nazis. In the early days invasion was the main threat and the
Channel counties and cities such as Plymouth, Portsmouth and Brighton
suffered grievously from aerial attack. Dover and the 'Hell Fire Corner'
in the South East were shelled by German coastal batteries. In the
North, Greenock, Gourock and the Scapa Flow saw training of troops for
Norway, D Day and other campaigns and the return of rescued crews of
sunk vessels of both sides.
The East Coast was pivotal to North Sea operations against enemy mining
and E boat operations. The Western ports, particularly Liverpool, were
crucial to the vital Atlantic convoys and the defeat of the U-boat
threat.
Preparation for D-Day centred on the South Coast both in terms of
planning, training and deployment. The Slapton Sands disaster is
covered.
Inevitably the crucial role of Britain's coastal ports attracted enemy
bombing and V rocket attention and changed the character of its cities
and towns. All this and more is brilliantly described in words and
images in this superbly researched work.