Drake's Drum: The Reckoning by Sumner Nicholas

Author:Sumner, Nicholas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sea Lion Press
Published: 2019-10-27T16:00:00+00:00

Operation Schausteller – the landings, 10th June.

Transport Fleet A had gone unmolested during the crossing. Sixteen British MTBs had tried to intercept them but been beaten off by the Eastern Covering Force. Eight MTBs had been lost, the rest damaged though the Germans lost a torpedo boat and three E-boats. II SS Panzer Corps had landed practically unopposed around Dungeness and pushed quickly inland. Their objective was to cross the Royal Military Canal before it could be organised as a defensive line. They were then to wheel right to capture the ports at Folkestone and Dover and then press on to Canterbury.

The Royal Military Canal was built during the Napoleonic Wars and ran for 28 miles (45 kilometres) between Cliff End near Hastings and Seabrook, near Folkestone. It was between 62 and 31 feet (19 and 9.5 metres) wide and made an effective anti-tank obstacle, though it was crossed by several bridges. It had gun positions every 500 yards at kinks in the shape of the canal that permitted artillery to fire down its length. A fire step and mound on the north side shielded defending troops from enemy fire and ensured movement on that side would not be seen. In 1940, pill boxes had been added in many places. The Germans were well aware of its existence and the attack on Lympne airfield was designed to outflank it.

As the Germans advanced across Romney Marsh towards the Royal Military Canal, they came under heavy artillery fire from batteries dug in north of the canal. The terrain was flat and the advancing Germans could find little cover apart from low sand dunes. There were also intact Naploeonic forts in the marshes which proved to be excellent defensive positions. The Germans did not yet have any artillery ashore and gunfire support from the warships off the coast was erratic and inaccurate. The bridges were demolished and the trees and undergrowth near the canal that might have given the attackers cover had been cut down. Despite the unexpected resistance, the Germans pressed forward, overwhelming the Napoleonic forts, but the well dug-in defenders at the canal took a heavy toll before the attack was ordered to fall back.

The attacks by 1st and 7th Fleiger Divisions on the airfields ended in complete failure. At Gatwick, Marden and Bekesbourne, German spies had been ordered to mark suitable fields as landing grounds for the airborne assault, but the spies were controlled by UK intelligence, so the British knew exactly where the German paratroops were going to be delivered. Landing grounds for the attack on Lympne were to be marked by a squad of soldiers from the Brandenberg Regiment inserted covertly on the coast by submarine. They came ashore at Sandgate at 01:00 with the intention of traversing the three miles (five kilometres) to their targets on foot, but again, the defenders knew they were coming and ambushed them shortly after they got to the beach. The force was wiped out. The British then set their own markers

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.