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Originally Posted by Falcon Jun
This is quite an interesting and vocal thread. Here's my two cents worth:
Now I respectfully disagree to the views aired that a country without any amphibious ops experience cannot learn how to do it. It's not out of the realm of possibility for Germany to learn how. The problem would be on how they would go about in learning the basics of it.
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True enough, but it would have taken the Germans years to do so. First they would have to procure proper landing craft then practice using them on a large scale along with developing loading and unloading procedures for their shipping, command and control, and a plethoria of other things before becoming proficent at amphibious assaults.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falcon Jun
The basics of the plan I think that might be workable:
Germany raises the scuttled French fleet and use it.
A sustained aerial campaign on British bases and installations in England (ignore the cities) while developing better aircraft to deal with the RAF.
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The first problem for the Germans here is that the majority of the major French fleet units are not accessable to them. Most are in North African ports. The only major fleet unit in France is the battlecruiser
Strassbourg and her crew scuttled the ship when the Germans historically tried to take her. The Germans and Italians both made half hearted attempts at salvage but made no serious attempt to raise, let alone repair, her.
Basically, the Germans got nothing bigger than a frigate from the French Navy as a prize. This is not going to change.
A sustained air campaign might work if the Luftwaffe manages to get some leadership that understands how to manage an aerial campaign of attrition along with finding sufficent fuel to sustain it. But, this will take the Germans years to accomplish and is likely never to be fully successful on its own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falcon Jun
Germany military observers study the ongoing Pacific campaign. They could learn a lot from it. That's not impossible to do.
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In 1940 there was not Pacific campaign. The Pacific war would not start for nearly a year and a half unless you are talking about things like the occasional clash between Japan and Russia or the war in China. None of these would give much useful data to build on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falcon Jun
In short, invading England is not out of the realm of possibility. I wouldn't say this would succeed but it would increase Germany's chances of succeeding.
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Basically, so long as Germany does not possess a navy, cannot achieve aerial superiority (unlikely), and cannot cut England's supply lines (almost certain to draw the US into the war) they cannot successfully manage an invasion after July 1940. Its that simple.