Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:24:09-2:24:59

Did Britain's burning-oil defences actually work?

Britain filmed successful burning-oil trials and built installations; some local defence schemes were hazardous enough for regular troops to avoid their areas.

Civil DefenceHome GuardOperation Sea Lion
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Question

Did Britain's burning-oil defences actually work?

Short answer

Yes. The British filmed successful trials and installed some burning-oil systems.

Notes

British burning-oil defences reached the stage of filmed trials and actual installations. They were among several hazardous schemes developed for local resistance to invasion. In some areas the regular Army accepted that local defenders would persist with their plans and marked those positions as places its own forces should avoid. That left the Home Guard responsible for defending the ground with the schemes it had prepared.