UK stations destroyed/badly damaged in WW1 and WW2

One that has not come up, is that part of Hayling Islands station canopy was destroyed, which can be seen in various picture here, http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/hayling_island/
You might ask why was such a rural placed targeted, possibly due to the fact that there where decoy lights on the island and Langstone Harbour to the west to draw aircraft away from Portsmouth and its Naval Dockyard!

edwin_m said:

I think in the early part of WW2 something as small as a train or railway could only be targeted by dive-bombing - any hits from high-level raids were essentially accidental. I imagine the Germans did this on the Continent but they never used Stukas over Britain to any great extent - presumably too vulnerable to the RAF. ...

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I believe Stukas were used in early raids of the Battle of Britain on airfields and on channel shipping, but as you say, it was one thing dive bombing refugees on the roads in Poland and gun emplacements in Belgium when you controlled the skies - and altogether another with Hurricanes and Spitfires buzzing around eager to shoot you down. Under such onditions, Stukas, with their fixed undercarriages, were very vultnerable. Hence Stukas they withdrawn from the attacks on the western front. They were used a lot on the Soviet front into 1944 (and probably 45), IIUC. Of course, I wasn't there - this is just from reading.

Taunton said:

Almost all the damage was repaired in short order, in notable contrast to far more destruction in Germany. Tracks were restored, stations could be reduced to open platforms only. Significant long term losses were Portsmouth Harbour, breached and cut off for some years, the West London line electric service from Willesden Junction to Earls Court, and the comparable North London line service from Broad Street to Poplar, both never restarted. These last two seem to have been more of an operational convenience of less-used services where there were parallel bus services than anything else.

The only locomotives I'm aware of being actually destroyed are the A4 at York and the Hall at Plymouth. In contrast in Germany destroyed locomotives ran into many hundreds. And again unlike Europe, can anyone think of a single mainstream bridge that was destroyed?

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Wasn't there a pannier tank shot up in a Badaeker raid at somewhere like Westbury (or even Taunton!) in .. 1942 or 43? ISTR something like that - probably using an ME110. Not sure if the loco was actually destroyed, I confess. I just seem to remember thinking it was quite late in the war, considering the pressure on the German forces.

I remember reading about a loco on the New Romney branch which was straifed and blew up, taking with it the enemy aircraft. Apparently the engine driver survived to tell the tale !

Waldgrun said:

One that has not come up, is that part of Hayling Islands station canopy was destroyed, which can be seen in various picture here, http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/hayling_island/
You might ask why was such a rural placed targeted, possibly due to the fact that there where decoy lights on the island and Langstone Harbour to the west to draw aircraft away from Portsmouth and its Naval Dockyard!

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they built the mulberry harbours in chichester harbour. there is one still there.

yorksrob said:

I remember reading about a loco on the New Romney branch which was straifed and blew up, taking with it the enemy aircraft. Apparently the engine driver survived to tell the tale !

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I'd forgotten about that one. For many years, I kept a newspaper cutting from the Kent Messenger (or some such) from the 1960s telling that story, with a photograph. It sounds today like it has to be an urban myth - but it's so well documented, it's genuine!

These days, with the internet, it's not difficult to check these things. Google "Locomotive that downed Luftwaffe fighter" and I got this:

https://ryesown.co.uk/german-bomber/

Not any old fighter either - and FW 190 which is about as good as they got until the ME262. An ageing, plodding LBSC tank did better than many a Hurricane or Spit!

70014IronDuke said:

I believe Stukas were used in early raids of the Battle of Britain on airfields and on channel shipping, but as you say, it was one thing dive bombing refugees on the roads in Poland and gun emplacements in Belgium when you controlled the skies - and altogether another with Hurricanes and Spitfires buzzing around eager to shoot you down. Under such onditions, Stukas, with their fixed undercarriages, were very vultnerable. Hence Stukas they withdrawn from the attacks on the western front. They were used a lot on the Soviet front into 1944 (and probably 45), IIUC. Of course, I wasn't there - this is just from reading.

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Stuka's had horrendous casualty rates over the UK. Also, dive-bombing even with air-superiority is much more dangerous compared to high level bombing, but potentially more accurate.

I've studied the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and the German war effort at degree level. There is no doubting the skill and heroism of those who defended our country, but from a military perspective the German air campaign was poorly conducted at best, the Luftwaffe and its bombers were never designed for protracted long range bombing campaigns (it was essentially built for battlefield support to the army- it didn't have any heavy bombers) and the Luftwaffe actually took quite a mauling over Poland and France from which it never really recovered. Its aircraft availability rates were poor, it was hampered by lack of spare parts, Germany was so short of metal that it was reduced to dropping concrete bombs which were of poor quality, it was also held back by poor leadership and management. Basically, Britain got off very lightly in comparison to the rest of Europe, some of which had the misfortune to be bombed by both sides.

Edit: Having an organised air defence system and relatively modern fighter aircraft obviously played its part too.

70014IronDuke said:

I'd forgotten about that one. For many years, I kept a newspaper cutting from the Kent Messenger (or some such) from the 1960s telling that story, with a photograph. It sounds today like it has to be an urban myth - but it's so well documented, it's genuine!

These days, with the internet, it's not difficult to check these things. Google "Locomotive that downed Luftwaffe fighter" and I got this:

https://ryesown.co.uk/german-bomber/

Not any old fighter either - and FW 190 which is about as good as they got until the ME262. An ageing, plodding LBSC tank did better than many a Hurricane or Spit!

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I will look through my books when I have a moment and dig it out !

I recall a headline "How my engine got a NAZI" but will need to search further.