Operation Sealion

[Commander Waffle]

Originally Posted by Freightshaker

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.

Unfortuately my knowledge of the landscape of the UK is..poor to say the best. Those beacheads I choose might aswell be drop-off cliffs. I really don't know.

I did choose the land craft idea over the bargdes because the idea of attaching a barge to the target would have been one of those "Hey, lets try this right, quick!". A sub coming up on the wrong spot might aswell cause the plan go into the toilet.

The main idea of my plan was to basicaly turn the UK into a puzzle. Each section of the island would be cut off from another and their supplies would slow strangle the resistance into a defeat. But this would almost definitly turn the British situation into a "do or die" phase, and those that coose to fight would be extremely motivated and have pretty high levels of aggression. If the coastline was under my control it would prevent other countries or allies to smuggle in supplies or evacuatation via the RN. Going into the phase would basically be a matter of time. Obvisouly heavy casualties will result due to the Britians morale, but if you can keep pumping in men, supplies and support, it should do the job. Also if the German troops would have to serve for a limited time until being replaced with fresh troops... obviously not at once, but at a slow graduated rate. When Whales and the UK aredone with, do the same with Scotland and Ireland...if they give up first (which isn't too likely).

[salinator]

Originally Posted by Wüstenfuchs

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.

But it was the Kriegsmarine air arm that had those torpedos, not the Luftwaffe. The Kriegsmarine had maybe at the most 2 dozen floatplanes, mostly He-115s, and going against Spitfires and Hurricanes is sheer madness.

It was not until December 1941 that the Luftwaffe was finally given go ahead in air-to-surface torpedo research and development.

[MAGNA]

The puzzle idea sounds good. Did you envisage large use of paratroops to help with the disjointing of British command?

One other thing worries me about an invasion of England. The cities. How big is London in comparison with say, Stalingrad ? Manchester, Liverpool and so on. How many troops would be chewed up in fighting for these large built up areas? German Wermacht resources only went so far in that part of the war.

[Commander Waffle]

Paratroopers of course would be used. Where is another story though. Another thing guys...you acting like you can't do anything. If tiem is a factor, say so. This is supposed a thread where you take the seat of an advisor, if you tihnk someone needs sometihng, say it! Like Sal said with the torepedos and the Luftwaffe. If you need tiem just say so. You guys are making this harder than it should be. Relax a little.

[Freightshaker]

Originally Posted by 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 ?

AFAIK there were to be towed.

Originally Posted by Commander Waffle

Paratroopers of course would be used.

If you can replace the losses from the Netherlands campaign. Germany's airborne arm took heavy casualties during the invasion, not to mention the loss of numerous transports. Aug or Sept would be the latest you could invade due to weather so they have 4 months to make up for losses.

[Panzermacher]

What if we built a giant wooden Badger? ( srry couldnt help it! this thread gives me the willies!)

[Commander Waffle]

Originally Posted by Panzermacher

What if we built a giant wooden Badger? ( srry couldnt help it! this thread gives me the willies!)

I'm tryign to turn it into a "What would you do" instead of a "Could they/Duke" thread. I learn from his mistakes.

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Commander Waffle

I'm tryign to turn it into a "What would you do" instead of a "Could they/Duke" thread. I learn from his mistakes.

What I would have done if I were Hitler was to have offered Churchill to restore all pre-war French and Polish lands after dealing with Stalin's USSR. In fact I would have promised him anything to get him out of the war, even free elections in the Baltics, the Ukraine, etc. We know today that would have been all lies but what could Britain have done when they figured it out? US public opinion likely would have stayed strongly against getting involved in another European war.

With Britain out of the war there would have been no reason for Hitler to declare war on the US after Pearl Harbor. With Britain and the US busy in the Asian/Pacific theatre Germany might have had a chance of succeeding at beating the Soviet Union.

[cyberia]

In that case Trev, I would have scraped the whole plan right from the start. They didn't have what they needed where they needed it. It would have been a worse mess than Stalingrad, only over a lot quicker.

[MAGNA]

Originally Posted by Commander Waffle

Paratroopers of course would be used. Where is another story though. Another thing guys...you acting like you can't do anything. If tiem is a factor, say so. This is supposed a thread where you take the seat of an advisor, if you tihnk someone needs sometihng, say it! Like Sal said with the torepedos and the Luftwaffe. If you need tiem just say so. You guys are making this harder than it should be. Relax a little.

OK Trev, assuming I have no choice in the matter and the invasion is going ahead anyway......

1. Use whichever air assets available - perhaps from Norway - to bolster a concerted campaign against the Royal Navy - Particularly mine drops and bombing missions against not only shipping but against the major ports to slow traffic and disrupt operations.

2. Use other air assets to constantly harass troops and guns around the projected landing areas, while also destroying as much of the transport system to these areas as possible.

3. Use U-Boats to land and recce projected landing areas. Also to access approaches (mines etc.).

4. Ensure production factories - particularly aircraft - are kept disrupted if necessary (lots of recon).

5. Use paratroops to link up with armoured units so there is no waiting for infantry to catch up before getting inland. This will ensure a quick deepening of invasion salients.

6. Place usable airfields as a priority to get more troops in quickly without having to run a sea gauntlet.

7. Harbour facilities may not be taken quickly so motorised units must be landed first with enough supplies for two weeks action (no I don't know how much this would be in tonnage but I suspect a fair bit).

8. Cities and large built up towns are to be cut off from the outside where possible without getting involved in house to house fighting. This is an absolute must as being drawn in to this kind of operation will take to many resources. Cities can be taken by cutting off supplies and access rather than brute force.

Other than that, I don't have any more at the moment.