Port Talbot is covered in Chapter 8 of Eye of the Eagle: Luftwaffe Intelligence and the South Wales ports, 1939-1941.
Port Talbot (Aberafan) has a long history as a port, although much of the town’s historic identity is swallowed up by the dominant steelworks . Coal was moved down the Afan Valley to a site originally known as Llewellyn’s Quay, probably from the 1600s or earlier. By the 1750s, a tram line had replaced the pack horse route, and by 1811, iron was also being moved through the valley. Copper ore was imported for the copper works at Cwmafan by the 1830s, and a wharf near Llewellyn’s Quay was built to handle ore (the original Copper Works Wharf).
Port Talbot was identified as a port of interest because of the two large integrated steelworks. The dock was also considered vulnerable because it could be destroyed by bombs on the lock gate and entrance.
Nigel Robins 