Hitler wanted to invade seaside town and run UK from £35 ‘sh**thole’ hotel
Hitler running Britain from a "sh**hole" hotel in Scarborough sounds like a fanciful theory.
But an unearthed board game suggests the dictator really did have his eyes on the North Yorkshire seaside town – and the now-notorious Grand Hotel could have been the Third Reich's UK headquarters after all.
Hitler Youth-produced game Wir Kämpfen Gegen den Feind, translated as We Fight Against The Enemy, saw German children battle to seize control of Britain.
READ MORE: Our slug-infested night at the 'sh**hole' hotel hated by locals and TripAdvisor
And the bull’s-eye on the game’s campaign map was Scarborough.
It gives credence to rumours that the Fuhrer wanted to make the £35-a-night Grand Hotel his base for running Britain.
Scarborough’s famous spa waters were to be piped to Hitler’s bathroom and he planned to waltz his lover Eva Braun around the ballroom, according to a theory that had – until now – been dismissed as being without any real foundation.
In Hitler’s day, The Grand Hotel was the biggest hotel and the largest brick structure in Europe, with 12 floors and 365 rooms.
It was a long-time favourite with ruling classes and royalty, including King Edward VIII.
Today it still commands a reputation – but for all the wrong reasons.
Run by the Britannia chain, it has 4,000 terrible reviews on TripAdvisor – and locals have branded it a "sh**hole sh**pad".
"Disgusted and saddened" Daily Star reporter John James pledged never to willingly return to the hotel after a one-night stay there in June was plagued by slugs.
"The Grand might have been grand in its day, but in the piercing light of 21st century standards, it pains me to say it is at best a grotesque, sad abomination and at worst a stain on the proud seaside town it bears the name of," he wrote.
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Yorkshire-based historian Mike Covell theorised that Hitler had planned a victory parade along Scarborough's seafront and earmarked the Grand as his HQ because of its (former) luxury and strategic location.
Mr Covell admitted that he was unable to uncover hard evidence to confirm the theory – but suggested that the building's survival from the Blitz was the result of Hitler giving strict orders to Hermann Goring to ensure the hotel was not touched.
Now, the unearthed Hitler Youth board game, referenced in new book Scarborough At War by Stewart MacDonald, has given fresh credibility to claims the Nazis wanted to invade the town.
“Two reasons were suggested for an attack on the area," he said. "One was to draw British forces away from the main invasion area in the South East.
“The other was to establish a bridgehead that would allow for a breakout towards the ports of Hull or Middlesbrough, towards Yorkshire’s industrial centre.
"It was also noted that attacking a holiday resort would damage British morale.’’
In the children's board game players moved small U-boats, battleships, bombers and fighters towards the resort.
The Grand Hotel has plenty of availability if you fancy braving a stay, with rooms starting from just £35 a night.
And if you choose one of the rooms without a window, you might get the ultimate Hitler bunker experience.
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