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Yet another "Operation Sealion" what if?

Discussion in 'What If - European Theater - Western Front & Atlan' started by John Dudek, Feb 24, 2006.

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  1. John Dudek

    John Dudek Member

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    If the Royal Navy didn't intend to use "heavy units" to interdict and destroy the incoming German Invasion ships, then why did they send a large portion of the fleet to more southerly ports like Rosyth, instead of keeping them safe and away from harm at Scapa Flow?
     
  2. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    Didn't the 'Royal Oak' and Prien have something to do with the decision ?
     
  3. John Dudek

    John Dudek Member

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    The sinking of the Royal Oak was much earlier. By 9/40 the blockships and defenses at Scapa flow had been added-to and markedly increased. Moving the Fleet South was as a result of the Germans preparing to make Sealion a reality.
     
  4. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    I guess it was up to the RN then (?)

    From " The last ditch" by David Lampe:

    "So few military vehicles had been brought home from France that the few mobile defence units that could be raised in the summer of 1940 had to rely on hired civilian motor coaches for their mobility. Eight hours´ notice was needed just to get these units on the road- more time than the first wave of Hitler´s invasion armada would have taken to cross the English Channel and unload its troops. The defence units would then have crept across the country very slowly, impeded by the absence of signposts."
     
  5. redcoat

    redcoat Ace

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    By September the date of the planned invasion, the equipment situation for the British army units defending Britain had improved quite considerably, as this post from the American poster RichT090 on the Axis History forum shows
     
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