Did RAF Prevent Operation Sealion?

[Klaus]

@ Jim: That's what I was trying to say. This Operation was never taken seriously. By then Hitler should have known the Italians fighting skills were not to be counted on.

[Jim O]

Interesting follow-up to this article was posted today at Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | It was both the RAF and the Navy who halted the German invasion. The author is Sergeant Mark Bristow, who says, in part:

As station historian at RAF Northolt - the last-remaining operational RAF airfield to have played a major role during the Battle of Britain - I believe that, in one sense, the question of who "won" the battle misses the point. The fact is that the Germans, through a mixture of strategic and operational misjudgments, did not win. Had they maintained their bombing raids upon the radar sites or Fighter Command airfields they may - perhaps would - have gained decisive air superiority.

The Royal Navy had earlier suffered grievously at the hands of the Germans during the Dunkirk evacuation, with six destroyers sunk and at least eight more damaged by aerial bombing attacks. It was hit again during the Battle of Crete.

If the RAF had been destroyed in 1940, the Luftwaffe may well have turned its attention to the Royal Navy fleet. It is apparent, though, that the Germans simply could not risk an invasion when both RAF Fighter Command and the Royal Navy fleet remained in existence. Probably the question is simply one of emphasis: did Germany not invade because the fleet was in existence, or because they could not destroy the RAF in order to then get at that fleet? Air supremacy remains, conceivably, the vital determinant factor in military operations, particularly when considering seaborne invasion operations such as the D-Day assault of June 1944.

[Rommel]

The Navy did help get the troops off Dunkirk but it Was the RAF that the Germans at bay and made Hitler call Operation Sealion

[Egorka]

Hello,

It is undoubtably interesting to discuss all these technical details about RAF and Navy. And i am sure they played great role.

But On grand scale do you guys understand that Hitler never really wanted to invade UK?
His plan was not to take the land but to force UK on the knees and take Germany as equal (or rather more than equal) partner.

Hitler did not want to capture UK asland because this would force the colaps of the British Empier and the only beneficiary of this would be USA and maybe USSR, but definately not Germany.

In the Dunkurk Hitler let they allies to escape. There was an order given in the open radio channel so that aliies were "warned" by Germans plus they Germans did not press to hard. Hitler hoped for agreement with UK so he did not want to go to far bitting them.


Happy new year, by the way! :-)
Igor Korenev

[Aussie Dave]

IMO it was the Royal Navy that was the crucial element that forced Operation Sealion to be cancelled.

Even with RAF Fighter Command still operational, the Luftwaffe could have tied them up and kept them busy enough during the invasion.

The Germans were going to use unsuitable flat-bottomed river barges, towed along on heavy cables by ships as transports for their invasion troops and equipment.

All the Royal Navy would have to do was use its Battleships and Cruisers to bombard the german fleet at range and sent some of its destroyers into the midst of the barges at flank speed, travel on a parrallel course close to the barges and let the destroyers wake do the rest.

The Royal Navy could also have used its fast moving destroyers to steam up behind the slower moving german tow vessels cut across the german's wake, thus severing the tow lines to the un-powered barges, leaving the barges to just float around helplessly.

This would result in losses for the British Destroyers doing this but would mean a greater loss in regards to men and equipment for the germans

Germany simply did not have a large enough Navy and suitable landing vessels to pull Operation Sealion off IMO.


Cheers,
Dave

[lufttiger]

That makes total sence to me AD,
I think even had they suceded in an invasion, it would of been just too
hard to keep. Shhhhh Duke might be lurking

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by Aussie Dave

Germany simply did not have a large enough Navy and suitable landing vessels to pull Operation Sealion off IMO.

That point, your last, would've been first on my list.

The RAF and the RN were capable of interfering with any invasion attempt on the UK, but Germany simply did not have the transport capacity of such an invasion. Well, they sort of did, but it'd require all the river barges they had, and most of them were barely seaworthy at best. If they were able to establish a beachhead, then what? RAF and RN could very easily intercept at least half of their reinforcement and supply runs, isolating the beachhead.

It's a big what-if about if Germany actually conduct Operation Sealion, but I think Germany's lack of a real transport fleet was the main reason why the plan would be impossible to succeed.

[Aussie Dave]

Originally Posted by lufttiger

Shhhhh Duke might be lurking

Oh god no, don't even joke about that.

(I wonder if his ears are burning.)

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by lufttiger

Shhhhh Duke might be lurking

Careful there LT. If you say that name three times fast he will appear.

[lufttiger]