German Military Geology and Fortification of the British Channel Islands during World War II (Advances in Military Geosciences)

This volume discusses how the German armed forces made effective use of military geologists to assist their fortification of the Channel Islands after their capture from the British in 1940. The book presents a unique case history of German geologist expertise applied to British terrain, intended to make the Islands into an impregnable fortress that postwar would remain a permanent outpost of the German state. In doing so, the book explains why the Channel Islands constitute a ‘classic’ location for British geology; how German armed forces made far greater military use of geologists than either their British or American opponents; and the legacy of fortifications that may conveniently be seen by tourists today – fortifications bypassed by Allied forces that liberated nearby Normandy after D-Day in June 1944, and surrendered intact at the end of the War in Europe in May 1945. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiv Introduction (Edward P. F. Rose, John T. Renouf)....Pages 1-24 Geology (John T. Renouf, Edward P. F. Rose)....Pages 25-80 Geologists and the German Armed Forces (Edward P. F. Rose, Dierk Willig)....Pages 81-105 Jersey and the German Army (Edward P. F. Rose)....Pages 107-161 Jersey and the German Air Force (Edward P. F. Rose)....Pages 163-197 Guernsey and the German Army (Edward P. F. Rose)....Pages 199-254 Guernsey and the German Air Force (Edward P. F. Rose)....Pages 255-288 Alderney (Edward P. F. Rose)....Pages 289-334 Groundwater Investigations: German and British (Nicholas S. Robins)....Pages 335-356 Conclusion: Contemporary Context and Postwar Legacy (Edward P. F. Rose)....Pages 357-393 Back Matter ....Pages 395-406