Operation Sealion

[Uzzy]

I remember one documentary I watched on the subject that argued that if the Germans had managed to gain air supremacy and launch an invasion, the Royal Navy based in Scapa Flow would cut off supplies in the channel, even at the cost of it's entire fleet. Which seems likely. I'm sure in that time the British Army would have beaten off what German forces landed in Dover.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Two things here.
1. In 1937 the PM on his own authority practiced "appeasement" on Hitler. So he had at least some support from the government. Against that it was the same PM who declared war on Hitler or was it the King? If the later then Marduk is probably right.

2. Hitler wanted to invade Russia not France. Hence he went into Poland and Czechoslovakia rather than France first.

Small point. Hitler got the Sudetenland before WW2 started. He needed to secure his flank before moving on Poland. And he was stair-stepping his demands.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I remember one documentary I watched on the subject that argued that if the Germans had managed to gain air supremacy and launch an invasion, the Royal Navy based in Scapa Flow would cut off supplies in the channel, even at the cost of it's entire fleet. Which seems likely. I'm sure in that time the British Army would have beaten off what German forces landed in Dover.

The Allies used 5,000+ ships in the D-Day armada, mostly landing craft. That was to put 5 divisions of troops on the beaches. (Airborne landing put more inland, of course.) Say a round 4,000 landing craft. If the Germans wanted to do a similar landing they wouldn't have needed as many, because they'd have most likely chosen the narrowest part, so transit time would be less and each craft could have made more trips during daylight hours. But, even then, with losses from causes ranging from battleships to the kitchen sink, they'd have had a tough time getting five divisions across. SHEAF demanded, and got total control of the sea off Normandy, and the air above it, so the invaders only had to deal with the ground troops. That was tough enough.

 

[Tolls]

right on,

This statement was made by Edward VIII uring the war, after his abdication, make no mistake, if he hadn't met Wallis Simpson, Germany and England would have been allies. English media right up til around 1938 was still describing the Fuhrer as "That nice Mr Hitler"
who knew ?

That would have been the Daily Mail, and can therefore be rightly ignored as the witterings of a loon. You just need to look at the enormous success gained by Mosely and his blackshirts to see what the majority of the British public felt about such absurd posturing.

Two things here.
1. In 1937 the PM on his own authority practiced "appeasement" on Hitler. So he had at least some support from the government. Against that it was the same PM who declared war on Hitler or was it the King? If the later then Marduk is probably right.

The monarch had (and has) little power. Edward could not have prevented a declaration of war...not without being forced out.

2. Hitler wanted to invade Russia not France. Hence he went into Poland and Czechoslovakia rather than France first.

He wanted a war with the west over his expansion in order to defeat Britain and France and secure his back for the planned invasion of Russia. The war with France was always part of his plan.

The Government would have followed the King, Neville Chamberlain was a very weak prime minister. They could have easily ignored that previous pact with Poland

Wrong. The monarch does not have that sort of sway. Had Edward started interfering in politics like that he would have been out. Chamberlain was not weak, in the way you seem to think. Especially over war with Germany. Parliament would have supported him...

There is a big difference there and its about blood not politics. The bloodline of the rulers of Royal Family is not allowed to be sullied. Politics as you know is changeable.

We aren't taught this today, for instance that the Duke of Windsor was an ardent Nazi and gave those salutes is very well known, but despite it being heavily publicised by the German media you go try and find a picture of him doing it

Don't know where you learnt your stuff, but Marr just did a sizeable chunk of one of his episodes on Edwards Nazi leanings. And it's a common documentary theme. I remember learning about it nigh on 30 years ago in History.

 

[gumboot]

There's a legend that Sandhurst, who regularly wargame Sealion, tried a scenario where the forces available to the defence were the Walmington-on-Sea platoon of the Home Guard, Captain Pugwash in the Black Pig, and Snoopy in a Sopwith Camel. The Germans still lost.

The Sandhurst wargame, which assumes the Germans do not have air superiority, results in the Germans establishing a beachhead, but their advance is slowed when they reach the GHQ lines. By D+3 the Royal Navy reach the channel from Scarpa Flow, cutting off supply lines and forcing the invasion force to surrender.

 

[gumboot]

The Allies used 5,000+ ships in the D-Day armada, mostly landing craft. That was to put 5 divisions of troops on the beaches. (Airborne landing put more inland, of course.) Say a round 4,000 landing craft. If the Germans wanted to do a similar landing they wouldn't have needed as many, because they'd have most likely chosen the narrowest part, so transit time would be less and each craft could have made more trips during daylight hours. But, even then, with losses from causes ranging from battleships to the kitchen sink, they'd have had a tough time getting five divisions across. SHEAF demanded, and got total control of the sea off Normandy, and the air above it, so the invaders only had to deal with the ground troops. That was tough enough.

On the other hand the Allies were invading a continent. The Germans were only invading one relatively small country. I don't think making comparisons between Overlord and Sealion is particularly helpful as the circumstances of each is enormously different.

Looking at some of the US landings in the Pacific is probably a better comparison.

 

[Travis]

On the other hand the Allies were invading a continent. The Germans were only invading one relatively small country. I don't think making comparisons between Overlord and Sealion is particularly helpful as the circumstances of each is enormously different.

Looking at some of the US landings in the Pacific is probably a better comparison.

Of course some of the landings in the Pacific were pretty epic too.