A copy of the Nazi leader’s secret plan to invade Ireland during World War Two has fetched €1,100 at auction.
A copy of Adolf Hitler’s secret plan to invade Ireland during World World Two sells at auction for €1,100.
The intelligence handbook outlined the Nazi offensive planned against Ireland, including a military study of the west of Ireland’s geographical landscape.
The book includes remarkable detail about Ireland’s transport links, industrial centres, climate, and more.
A fascinating artefact – a piece of lesser-known history
During an auction hosted by Purcell Auctioneers, a copy of Hitler’s secret plan to invade Ireland sold for €1,100.
The auctioneers noted that the historic secret documents were “of the utmost rarity”.
Ireland was a neutral territory during World War Two. Thus, attacks on the state were forbidden, although German submarines and U-boats had been allowed to sail freely in Irish waters.
So, this secret Nazi plan to invade Ireland is a highly fascinating artefact from the war.
A secret plan – Operation Green
Hitler’s secret plan to invade Ireland was known as Operation Green, or Unternehmen Grün. It was completed in 1941 by an unknown German officer known only by the codename ‘Hadel’.
The plan was devised to support Operation Sea Lion, a planned Nazi invasion of the United Kingdom that was never completed.
Speculation around the plan includes some saying that Germany never actually planned to invade Ireland. Rather, many believe that Operation Green was devised as a diversion tactic to draw British troops to Northern Ireland, thus reducing the defence on the British mainland.
Meanwhile, others believe it to be a genuine plan to give the Luftwaffe direct access to Britain and the Atlantic Ocean. Here, the German army could intercept and destroy American ships bringing supplies to Britain.
Ireland during the war – a neutral state
Although Ireland was a neutral state during the war, many Irish soldiers fought alongside the Allies on the western front.
Thus, Hitler’s secret plan to invade Ireland would have faced massive resistance from local forces. Operation Green details plans to attach forward-facing guns to German ships to fight off Irish ships and assume a defensive position upon landing at the estuary of the River Shannon.
The handbook only details plans for an invasion and does not include any information concerning any eventual conquest of the island.
There is meticulous detail of Ireland’s transport links and bridges, landmarks and industrial centres. The plan includes thousands of pictures, illustrations, and maps, and even details of the island’s climate, vegetation, and weather.
Due to the lack of detail on post-invasion plans, many believe the plan was simply devised to divert Allied armies.
