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At the western end of the Fleet Lagoon, Abbotsbury, just before the point where Chesil Beach joins the mainland, a double row of anti-tank blocks was built.  This obstacle ran south-west from the lagoon up over the beach and down into the sea, cutting off vehicular access from the east.  (The map reference below was taken at the southernmost standing block).

[Map ref. SY 56825 83955]

Looking north-east, down toward the lagoon.  The obstacle was built to prevent any enemy armoured vehicles that may have landed to the east on Chesil Beach from gaining access to the land west of the lagoon from where the vehicles could have headed inland.  The lagoon itself is 13km long and varies in width from 65m to 900m making it a very effective anti-tank obstacle, the defences on the far side would have added to the enemy's problems.

From the north-east, the blocks climb up over the beach toward the sea.

On the seaward side of the beach the blocks have been uprooted and some still remain, strewn along their original route to the sea's edge.

Looking eastward from the obstacle, the Fleet Lagoon to the left.  The Germans had, unknown to the British, chosen the stretch of coast from Lyme Regis to Weymouth as suitable for invasion as part of Operation Sealion, dependent on whether the planned German landings on the south-east coast of England were successful.

 

                                                                                 

 

 

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                                                         ALL PHOTOGRAPHS ON THIS WEBSITE WERE, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, TAKEN BY DAVID TACCHI