Lt Kije Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 Thats more or less what I said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 So in 1940 we won the battle of Britain. Do you really think we would have won a Battle of Britain in 1941 or 1942 if Hitler had not decided to concentrate on conquering Russia? Imagine the millions of German troops that were on the Eastern Front massing at Calais ready to attack the UK..... Air supremacy would not have lasted if Hitler had not changed tact and if the Germans had summoned a fleet of U Boats into the channel, it wouldn't have been long before they would have reached Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 Wrong Baz  Sea lion was abandoned because he could not get control of the skys, and because is navy was not big enough to defend the invasion fleet such as it was  He had split his forces and thus weakend his chances. Remember in 1940 we had no defence against Enigma or the U Boats so naval supremacy would have also been questionable with 40 U Boats crawling under the Channel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 Too many "ifs" in Baz J's comments. As with the hand-ball last week, it's the result that counts. (although we might have lost the war had Hitler played his cards differently). I might add that the RAF served us splendidly during the war, unprepared as we were as against someone who had been planning for yonks. Â Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 Harry, you are perfectly correct. I was merely pointing out what could have happened if indeed Hitler had listened to his generals a little more!! Â Thankfully he didn't..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 Actually, the exploitation of the German break through at Sedan, was due to Hitler NOT listening to his Generals; they (principaly Gen Halder) had concerns about the Panzers operating too far ahead of the Infantry, but Hitler ignored them and thus allowed the Panzers to swing north, cutting the allied northern Army Group off in the Dunkirk pocket. Unfortunately for the Germans, this gave him the idea, that he was a superior strategist/tactician than his Generals. As for the "what ifs"; IF he hadn't invaded Russia he wouldn't have had to deploy 75% of the Wehrmacht to the Eastern Front for the rest of the War; but he still had the problem of getting them across the channel without assured air/sea superiority. The Germans did have success at invading "an Island", when they captured Crete; but their losses were so great, that they never used their airborne forces again in major operations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 31st October 1940 start date for the Battle of Britain  21st September 1940 was supposed to be the start date for operation sea lion if all went right in the air  June 22nd 1941 operation Barbarossa the German invasion of Russia, Germany did not mass troops near Russia till the last minute for obvious reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 Your point being? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 Imagine the millions of German troops that were on the Eastern Front massing at Calais ready to attack the UK  There were millions of German troops in France in 1940 Baz they had just invaded it, Alot had gone by 1941 as they were needed else where ie Poland so they could invade Russia  Obs thats why I posted the dates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 Haven't you lot already had the same irrelevant arguement on another thread some time ago  Hijackers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 It's an hardy annual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 What can I say Dismayed, I keep winning and they keep coming back for more, you have to admire there perseverance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Perhaps such self delusion is caused by being punch drunk?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Even you have to agree Obs Germany were not spitting there troops to go to the East when they were trying to imperment Sea Lion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2009 Operation Sealion envisaged an assault on the s/e coast by 13 divisions, backed up by another 28 divisions, with the intial objective of securing a line from Southampton to Gravesend. It's success depended on Air and Naval superiority being established during the initial phase - Operational Eagle: the defeat of the RAF by the Lufwaffe - which failed. For the rest of the War, the Wehrmacht had around 50 divs in France and the Low Countries. So the issue wasn't troop numbers (Army), but victory in the air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted November 27, 2009 Report Share Posted November 27, 2009 Then why was Baz going on about spitting troops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted November 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2009 Ask him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted November 27, 2009 Report Share Posted November 27, 2009 Then why was Baz going on about spitting troops  Did any of these spitting troops have a dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted November 27, 2009 Report Share Posted November 27, 2009 was it a finnish spitz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.