Jabberwocky
Staff Sergeant
Soren,
I am a little confused by your insistence that the shore defenses would be smashed by the LuftWaffe. Afterall, German shore defences seem to have survived well enough in June, 1944 to provide stiff opposition to the Allied landings, despite the Allies having over 2400 fighter bombers and 700 medium bombers at their disposal in two tactical airforces as well as massive naval artillery fire. This is ignoring the D-Day saturation bombing by approximately 1500 4 engined bombers as well.
Are you attempting to suggest that Germany, with 960 bombers available to them, and almost zero naval artillery for landing support, could do significantly better?
Secondly, it has been shown that it was logistically impossible for Germany to attempt a succesful landing in force. The first phase of Operation Sealion required 9 divisions to be moved across the English channel. Contrary to popular belief German targets were not Dover, but further South at Folkstone. The German landing flotilla would have to cross nearly 40 miles of Channel, maintain formation at sea, and then make a landing against a prepared and entrenched opponent.
To land just 9 foward divisions and their supplies, the orders for Operation Sealion give 11 days. Thereafter the plane calls to land two extra divisions every 4 days. To land the whole of the proposed German invasion force of 40 divisions would therefore take around 2 1/2 months!
The transoprt for the landing forces was also inadequate. With just a 9 division landing force the German High Command estimated shipping requirements of;
155 transports
1,722 barges
471 tugs
1,161 motor-boats
In reality only 1004 barges were assembled and most of those were unpowered. Only 386 tugs were available to tow them. Germany couldn't assemble the necessary transport for its least ambitious variant of Sealion.
The barges were flat bottomed with a loading capacity of between 600-800 tons and a draught of 6 feet. They were adapted as landing craft by removing the bows and replacing them with collapsible ramps. They were also given concrete floors so that they could transport tanks and vehicles, something which wouldn't of helped their already dubious seaworthiness.
In defence, the British army had 29 divisions either partially or fully equipped by September 21, 1940, the planned date for operation Sealion. They also had 6 independent armoured brigades and 2 independent infantry brigades.
So against this opposition, the German army is going to land 6,700 men from the sea and 9,000 from the air on the first day, 9 divisions in 11 days and up to an additional 30 divisions in the next 60 days. The other option for Germany was 'Sealion lite' with 13 divisions landing in a total of approximately 20 days..
Against this the Royal Navy had in the Home Fleet; 95 destroyers, 25 submarines, 9 battleships, 35 cruisers and 4 aircraft carriers plus more than 100 Motor Gun Boats and escort (light) destroyers. Even with complete German aerial superiority, it is difficult to imagine the situation where the LuftWaffe could render a force this large impotent. Ships are hardened, mobile, heavily defended targets. The Royal Navy is in home waters with friendly defended harbours in close proximity.
The Kriegsmarine had 3 battleships, 2 pocket battleships, 7 cruisers, 22 destroyers and 57 U-boats as well as approximately 80 E-boats to pitt against the Royal Navy. In otherwords, the only area it has superiority is in U-boats. The RN outnumbers it 2:1 in battleships, 5:1 in cruisers, 8:1 in destroyers and has far larger coastal forces (MGBs, MTBs, and the first of the D class boats).
Royal Navy policy was to bottle the German fleet up in the North Sea. For the Kriegsmarine to support Sealion they would have to run the gauntlet of Royal Navy destroyers, fast cruisers and submarines then assemble and maintain a sea corridor over 100 miles wide and over 60 miles deep for at least two weeks. Dring which the Royal Navy would be making fast runs through the Channel and night strikes on German naval bases with light forces, with overwhelming numerical superiority, interrupting the German landing and supply efforts.
I am a little confused by your insistence that the shore defenses would be smashed by the LuftWaffe. Afterall, German shore defences seem to have survived well enough in June, 1944 to provide stiff opposition to the Allied landings, despite the Allies having over 2400 fighter bombers and 700 medium bombers at their disposal in two tactical airforces as well as massive naval artillery fire. This is ignoring the D-Day saturation bombing by approximately 1500 4 engined bombers as well.
Are you attempting to suggest that Germany, with 960 bombers available to them, and almost zero naval artillery for landing support, could do significantly better?
Secondly, it has been shown that it was logistically impossible for Germany to attempt a succesful landing in force. The first phase of Operation Sealion required 9 divisions to be moved across the English channel. Contrary to popular belief German targets were not Dover, but further South at Folkstone. The German landing flotilla would have to cross nearly 40 miles of Channel, maintain formation at sea, and then make a landing against a prepared and entrenched opponent.
To land just 9 foward divisions and their supplies, the orders for Operation Sealion give 11 days. Thereafter the plane calls to land two extra divisions every 4 days. To land the whole of the proposed German invasion force of 40 divisions would therefore take around 2 1/2 months!
The transoprt for the landing forces was also inadequate. With just a 9 division landing force the German High Command estimated shipping requirements of;
155 transports
1,722 barges
471 tugs
1,161 motor-boats
In reality only 1004 barges were assembled and most of those were unpowered. Only 386 tugs were available to tow them. Germany couldn't assemble the necessary transport for its least ambitious variant of Sealion.
The barges were flat bottomed with a loading capacity of between 600-800 tons and a draught of 6 feet. They were adapted as landing craft by removing the bows and replacing them with collapsible ramps. They were also given concrete floors so that they could transport tanks and vehicles, something which wouldn't of helped their already dubious seaworthiness.
In defence, the British army had 29 divisions either partially or fully equipped by September 21, 1940, the planned date for operation Sealion. They also had 6 independent armoured brigades and 2 independent infantry brigades.
So against this opposition, the German army is going to land 6,700 men from the sea and 9,000 from the air on the first day, 9 divisions in 11 days and up to an additional 30 divisions in the next 60 days. The other option for Germany was 'Sealion lite' with 13 divisions landing in a total of approximately 20 days..
Against this the Royal Navy had in the Home Fleet; 95 destroyers, 25 submarines, 9 battleships, 35 cruisers and 4 aircraft carriers plus more than 100 Motor Gun Boats and escort (light) destroyers. Even with complete German aerial superiority, it is difficult to imagine the situation where the LuftWaffe could render a force this large impotent. Ships are hardened, mobile, heavily defended targets. The Royal Navy is in home waters with friendly defended harbours in close proximity.
The Kriegsmarine had 3 battleships, 2 pocket battleships, 7 cruisers, 22 destroyers and 57 U-boats as well as approximately 80 E-boats to pitt against the Royal Navy. In otherwords, the only area it has superiority is in U-boats. The RN outnumbers it 2:1 in battleships, 5:1 in cruisers, 8:1 in destroyers and has far larger coastal forces (MGBs, MTBs, and the first of the D class boats).
Royal Navy policy was to bottle the German fleet up in the North Sea. For the Kriegsmarine to support Sealion they would have to run the gauntlet of Royal Navy destroyers, fast cruisers and submarines then assemble and maintain a sea corridor over 100 miles wide and over 60 miles deep for at least two weeks. Dring which the Royal Navy would be making fast runs through the Channel and night strikes on German naval bases with light forces, with overwhelming numerical superiority, interrupting the German landing and supply efforts.