leridano wrote:I find these things very amusing but don´t forget about that some WWII military strategic analysts have asserted that Sea Lion was only a nazi´s army dream very difficult to come true...
Reference:
http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc ... tTRDoc.pdf
A very interesting read. Here's one major take away, "
All the evidence suggests that, had Germany won the air battle, Hitler’s armies would have embarked and sailed according to plan.". Also, I've quoted below subsection D of the Conclusions section, which concludes that Germany could have pulled it off if they had conducted their pre Sea Lion military operations differently. In CEaW the Axis player isn't burdened by the political infighting and varying priorities of different military and civilian organizations. They are free to focus the German military and "government" and apply the necessary resources, tactics and strategy to launching Sea Lion (if they so desire).
OPERATION SEA LION: A JOINT CRITICAL ANALYSIS wrote:
VI. Conclusions D. A Winning Concept of Operations
In summary, one must respond directly to the question of whether Germany could have succeeded
in Operation SEA LION. The answer is yes, although a few key outcomes within the capabilities
of the Wehrmacht and Hitler had to be performed differently to guarantee the greatest
possibility of success.
First, once Hitler had redefined the end-state, then OKW and the service CINCs should have
proceeded to plan SEA LION from a tactical, operational, and strategic perspective. The evidence
discussed previously indicates that thorough strategic planning was not conducted for SEA
LION. The Germans conducted their military operations oblivious to the possibility of including
other friendly nations such as Italy in their war plans. They should have supported and coordi25
nated operations with the Italians to encourage the possibility of stretching British military resources
by engaging in a simultaneous offensive in the Mediterranean to support Operation EAGLE
and later Operation SEA LION. The British were able through the summer of 1940 to concentrate
the bulk of their armed forces in homeland defense without fearing a threat to their economic
resources across the Suez Canal and beyond.
Furthermore, the Germans started World War II with an insignificant Navy, and it became
even more so following their losses in the conquest of Norway. However, the strategic outlines
of SEA LION never included possibilities of other countries providing naval forces. For example,
an operation through Fascist Spain to seize Gibraltar, thus opening the Atlantic to the significant
Italian Navy, was well within the realm of possibilities. Also, opportunities were missed
to capture French warships following their surrender and certainly after the British attack on the
French fleet. These warships would have been available to defend against the Royal Navy and
for vital sea escort missions of supplies and troops to the beachheads.
If the end-state had initially been to occupy England, then an operational objective of the
Wehrmacht would have been to capture the BEF. Instead, these troops escaped to fight another
day. The existence of the under-equipped BEF defending the British beaches was enough to
complicate planning. Without the BEF, German landings could have safely occurred on a narrow
front. The Kriegsmarine could then adequately defend and support it against the Royal
Navy.
Ultimately, Operation SEA LION was lost over the skies of England. The British center of
gravity was clearly the RAF, and a sustained air campaign against aircraft factories, radar and
sector stations, airfields, and other support facilities could have led to the defeat of Fighter
Command and paved the way for a German invasion from the sea. As it was, German numerical
26
superiority was such that by mid-September 1940 command of the air was within grasp. Had
Hitler and the Luftwaffe remained focused on these targets instead of redirecting the effort to a
militarily insignificant terror bombing of London, the outcome of the Battle of Britain, and consequently
also Operation SEA LION, might well have been very different.
. I really appreciate your thoughts, comments, and compliments! Thanks for taking your time to write this detailed report!
