This aerial photograph of Brighton was taken from a German air force plane in the early years of WW2. It was taken as part of the preparations for a planned invasion of England.
Broken piers
This photograph was one of a series taken of the English south coast by the German military. All were marked up to identify defensive measures that would be faced by the invading troops.
Rings have been drawn around the central sections of both the West Pier and the Palace Pier. The key notes that they have been destroyed (zestört) and we can see gaps in the middle.
This was a deliberate tactic by the British. Fearing that they might be used as a landing stage by German troops, both of Brighton’s piers were partially dismantled.