They were British, they were handy to exploit, they could be used as bases for their E-Boats and they certainly didn't want the British operating from them.
The Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey. In the Mediterranean the Germans also pounded Malta from the air, but did not invade. The British and Germans had a vicious battle on the Greek island of Crete, which the Germans won, ejecting the British.
The Germans used the Channel Islands mainly as a military hospital and recuperation camp. I don't believe the Italians were there at all.
Austria, Czecoslovakia, Poland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Danzig, Memel Territory, Yugoslavia, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, USSR, Channel Islands and Italy
The Germans were fooled into believing that the Allies would invade France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, to land in or near calais. The landing in Normandy, was initially viewed by the Germans as a diversion.
The Channel Islands, south of England were occupied in WW2 and the Germans used them as R&R bases and military hospitals. The Germans built many huge and strong gunposts around the islands to repel British warships.
Guernsey was one of the channel islands that are possessions of the British Crown, was invaded on 30th June 1940 by a single German reconnaissance pilot to whom the island surrendered. The British government decided that the Channel Islands could not be defended and were of no strategic importance. The German army took possession of the islands between 30th June and 4th July and retained possession until 9th May 1945. The Channel Islands were the only British territories to be held by German forces during the war.
They didn't, although they did occupy the channel islands from June 30th 1940 until 9th May 1945.
Yes, they invaded and occupied the channel islands. ----- Actually, no. They did invade the channel islands, but the channel islands are not part of England or even of the UK. They are a crown dependency. They are remnants of the old Duchy of Normandy, which never reverted to France, and are separate. It is for this reason that one of the titles of Queen Elizabeth II is Duke of Normandy (note: properly "duke," not "duchess," in this case).
To fool the Germans that the Allies intended to invade France at Dunkirk, rather than at Normandy.
The Channel Islands (Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy.The islands were the only part of the British Commonwealth occupied by Germany during the Second World War.Source: Wikipedia
400 a.D.
2001