Udet- Germany really did not intend to Invade UK ever.

Soren said:

Hunter remember that Hitler's health steadily decreased as the war went on, which is part of why he made so many blunders later on. Early on he was more willing to listen and didn't live as much in a fantasy world as later.

I'm with Twitch 100%.

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Totally agree with you about Hitler and his health.

Don't agree with either of you as far as Germany being able to produce entire navy capable of invading UK successfully.

B/c France (depending on when you are talking) and UK would not allow it. UK alone had a huge huge huge advantage in its navy over Germany. UK would build ship per ship to match and keep its domience in naval power over Germany. UK knew she would not want to fight Germany toe to toe, she didn't have to, she had the channel to make sure that would not happen. The UK navy made sure no one and I mean no one would get threw the channel to mount an invasion of her island. It wouldn't happen. For Germany to be able to get a navy that even compared (never mind exceeded UK's) she would have to out produce UK at a 2-1 ratio for many years.

We have not even mentioned UK AF which stopped any invasion all by itself with out help from the navy. Germany would of have to of beaten it also, which it did not do either in BoB. No invasion of UK was going to happen whether Hitler wanted it or not in 1939-40.

But this is little off subject with the thread.....so who cares right?

If Hitler really wanted Britain he could've had it, however Russia posed a bigger threat and therefore an actual attempt of an invasion of Britain never occured - and if it had occured I'm sure it would've in 1941.

But you're right that in terms of Navy strength the the KM couldn't compete with the RN.

Just a thought, but if the RAF stopped the Germans having control of the air and the KM couldn't compete with the RN. How could Hitler have had Britain if he really wanted it?

Soren, we went through many posts showing how ill prepared the Germans were in invading Britain even under the best of scenario's.

In 1941, the RAF, RN and BA had recovered to the point where any German invasion would have been a disaster. They simply didnt have the shipping, specialized amphib units and logistical support to make it happen.

Hitler didn't want Britain, hence why no invasion occured. Had Hitler wanted Britain a preperation long before would've been made - it wasn't however as he had his eyes on Russia.

That Sea Lion wouldn't have been succesful is another matter.

Soren said:

Hitler didn't want Britain, hence why no invasion occured. Had Hitler wanted Britain a preperation long before would've been made - it wasn't however as he had his eyes on Russia.

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In your wildest dreams.

Nope. Had Hitler thought about invading Britain as early 1939, instead of concentrating on the bolshevik's in the east, a preperation would've been initiated - And you can be more than sure that Germany could've and would've build the necessary equipment for a successful amphibious airborne invasion of Britain. However an invasion of Britain at the time would seem abit illogical as Hitlers prime enemy lay right beside him and was on the way to re-arm itself, and so therefore also posed a far greater threat than Britain ever would.

Fact is Hitler had the manpower, he just choose to disperse it too widely.

Soren said:

If Hitler really wanted Britain he could've had it, however Russia posed a bigger threat and therefore an actual attempt of an invasion of Britain never occured - and if it had occured I'm sure it would've in 1941.

But you're right that in terms of Navy strength the the KM couldn't compete with the RN.

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I partially agree with you on this...

syscom3 said:

Soren, we went through many posts showing how ill prepared the Germans were in invading Britain even under the best of scenario's.

In 1941, the RAF, RN and BA had recovered to the point where any German invasion would have been a disaster. They simply didnt have the shipping, specialized amphib units and logistical support to make it happen.

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Yes - The general consensus of the board was that, but that doesn't mean it's certified fact. I never read anything particularly convincing to "prove" that a German invasion was absolutely doomed to failure - especially the part regarding lack of amphibs. Autumn 1940 would've been the time to strike, not 1941. I wouldn't go as far as to say that Germany definitely could've taken Britain, but it was a possibility... and chances of success of such an operation continued to decrease as time went on. It is a good debate...

The fact though was that Hitler could never have occupied the whole of Europe and left Britain intact. That was ultimately why he was defeated, that and going up against Russia. If Hitler had capitalized and followed up on the damage he had caused to English Air Defenses, he could have created a breach to base forces and then squeezed the British back, sector by sector. In this case the Bf109s would be at their most effective because with a British Airfield secured not all of them would have to fly so far and thus they would have an effective amount of fuel. Therefore a bomber escort could be made up of German fighters from British Airfields and German fighters from German Airfields in France... That would have been how I would have taken England. Secure an airfield and then do relentless sweeps over the channel near it. Preferably from the Pas de Calais so that the transport ships would have the shortest distance to go. Oh and this targets all air and ground resources available on defending and increasing the German area. But Britain would have had to have been dealt with to get rid of a potential US Base and to also deny the resistance funding and equipment. Also this would have an impact on the British units fighting the Japanese...

In a way the US saw this as a danger as the B-36 Peacemaker was originally intended to be able to target Europe and the UK from bases in the US. Britain was nicknamed the floating aircraft carrier and played a massive role in enabling D-Day...