Operation Sealion

[MAGNA]

I think I'll go and find Chicken Little. At least I'll have an idea of when it's going to hit....

[TRDG]

Best short term solution, take the least defended port around, with all the air, land and sea forces available to the Germans. I would think multiple strikes of bombs, even if not armour piercing, would do some damage to the British navy Around the clock bombing of ships and the port, (very selectivly) would get some results one would think.

Cheers, I was never into that other site's battles with this subject, so bear that in mind here please....

Tom

[MAGNA]

Malta comes to mind here. Bombing and blockade had an effect but still didn't finish Malta off. Britain would be a harder ask as resources were on hand.

A concentrated effort on one or two ports would be the only chance given the available resources.

[Wustenfuchs]

Originally Posted by salinator

The Luftwaffe was not able to control the skies.

The Luftwaffe did not have an armor piercing bomb to take on the RN, or an air to surface torpedo for that matter.

River barges were not easy to manuever and protect enroute across the channel.

The Kriegsmarine did not have any heavy units available except for the Admiral Hipper available to support said invasion.

The Kriegsmarine did not have many U-boats available and operating in the confines of the channel would have been a death sentence for them.

The German destroyers were decimated in Norway.

The RAF is not gonna sit it out against the channel crossing.

Even if the Germans managed to land, there were no viable means of resupply.

The Germans did have aerial torpedos at that point (not that it would have mattered much) the He 115 and the Fi 167 (an excellent aircraft) were both torpedo bombers produced in the late 1930's. There were probably others. I agree with all your other points though. Sealion would never have gotten past the RN/RAF. Even if they did manage to land, the tenacity of the British fighting on their own turf, defending their own island, would have been insurmountable.

[MAGNA]

Sorry Trev - couldn't resist.


sealionm.jpg

[McCoy]

Please keep this thread serious so that it won't get out of hand so it has to be closed.

[MAGNA]

Sorry.

I am trying to think in the meantime of a way that the invasion as per Trev's map may actually succeed. Some of the landing places look like they may be on treacherous parts of the coast but I am not sure. Also, were there enough landing craft etc. to handle the volume in each area ?

[Freightshaker]

Originally Posted by MAGNA

Sorry.

I am trying to think in the meantime of a way that the invasion as per Trev's map may actually succeed. Some of the landing places look like they may be on treacherous parts of the coast but I am not sure. Also, were there enough landing craft etc. to handle the volume in each area ?

Actually, there weren't any landing craft at all. barges were suppose to transport troops across the channel. Ducks in a row once the Luftwaffe air cover has been taken care of. Being flat bottomed, even a near miss from a large bomb could have bad consequences.

[McCoy]

It would have been enough for the RN to let destroyers pass 'em full speed ahead n' the wake would do the trick without even wasting shells on the barges.

[MAGNA]

I have read somewhere most were converted river barges. I am assuming you mean they would have trouble in anything other than flat conditions? Were they all motorised or would many have been in tow ?