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Chapter 10
Unternehmen Seelowe
Unternehmen Seelowe
Flushed with victory following the quick destruction of Poland, Scandinavia, Benelux and France, the German officer corps is supremely confident of victory in the event of an invasion of England. A study of the economics involved reinforces this belief.
German technical know-how is unparalleled, and further developments are not far off. In particular, Kriegsmarinewerft reports that they are finalizing a new design study for next-generation fleet carriers.
Overall, Germany has some of the most modern tools, weapons, and tactics in the world.
On paper, the Heer is a fearsome fighting organization, but this must be measured against the conquered territory annexed to Grossdeutschland. Strong garrisons are needed in numerous provinces, particularly in Poland and occupied France. Scandinavia's forces will also need assistance from German infantry divisions in order to defend the long northern coastline.
The Panzer arm has refined the composition of its forces, and has developed an entirely new combined arms formation, focusing on infantry riding in battle-taxis.
The Kriegsmarine is not large, but the capabilities of a small, powerful, modern fleet have already been shown in several large sea battles. The transport fleet is scarecly large enough to ship the needed forces across the English channel; protection of these vulnerable ships will be paramount.
The launching of the newest German carrier would be delayed by changes to her design partway through construction.
KMS Tirpitz would be launched on schedule, however, and will complete sea trials by the end of March.
The most dominant arm of the Wehrmacht is the airforce. Despite the lack of a long range, 4 engine heavy bomber, the Luftwaffe possesses the strength to dominate the battlefield locally, and to protect friendly airspace from the combined allied bomber force.
The first phase of a successful amphibious invasion of the British Isles is to win local control of the English Channel, and of the skies above it. Strong sweeps of the channel being in late winter. It does not take long for the hunters to find some prey; a strong French fleet, including the carrier Bearn, the fast battleships Dunkerque and Strasbourg, and the old pre-dreadnoughts Paris and Courbet.
With numerous English ships in drydock, the French obviously have orders to take over the role of keeping the Germans on continental soil. The French are being chased off with extreme prejudice by Mj. Gen. Keller's medium bombers, when suddenly there is a cataclysmic explosion. As the French carrier Bearn was launching a ragged force of aircraft, several bombs penetrated her un armored flight deck and detonated her munitions magazine. There are only 2 survivors.
The crippled hulk of the Bearn drifts, afire, in the English Channel.
Photo taken from the heavy cruiser Suffren.
Some old Belgian destroyers, pressed into anti-submarine duty, are attacked by a large force of Ju-88s and Me-210s lead by Mj. Gen. Bulowius on March 19.
Deprived of Allied air cover, the Free French government has ordered the Dunkerque and Strassbourg to sail for Africa. Bulowius is determined not to allow the French to get out of the Channel.
By March 21, numerous French ships have been struck by bombs and aerial torpedoes. Those units that do manage to flee the channel will require months in drydock.
Compared to the vigilance and bravery exhibited by the French and the Belgians, the RAF has displayed a pitiful lassitude. The only significant probe by British aircraft is easily repulsed by Mj. Gen. Loerzer.
The end of March brings a rare combination of circumstances: good weather and lax enemy air cover and reconnaissance. OKW seizes the opportunity and quickly gives the order to being operation Sealion. 1st, 2nd, and 7th parachute divisions are hustled into their transport planes and are soon floating silently above Kent under their silken canopies.
German troops are now fighting on English soil, but will they be capable of overcoming the stiff beach defenses?
Yeah, it would have been nice to have basic airborne researched, but I can't afford to wait. I agree that aerial bombardment will have to be the difference, or Mico, von Sternreiter, and the rest of the Fallschirmkorps will be wiped out. Even with offensive supply, they only have supplies for about 5 days I think.
Chapter 10
Unternehmen Seelöwe (cont)
Unternehmen Seelöwe (cont)
With the aerial invasion of Dover in full swing, II. Gebirgskorps hit the beaches at 0900 on March 30. Commando troops are now assaulting the British from sea and air.
RAF Bomber Command reacts quickly, and orders are given to immediately sink the German transports in the channel. Mj General Felmy is too vigilant for them, however, and the Luftwaffe punishes the out of date bombers, who are also lacking escort fighters.
Ju-87G dive bombers operating from the nearby airfield at Cherbourg, and Ju-88 medium bombers, flying mainly from Lille and Amsterdam, pound the British defenders. Anti-aircraft fire is beginning to take a toll.
OKW is confident enough in the progress of the fighting in Dover to order Lt General von Kleist's X and Lt General Hausser's XI Panzerkorps aboard their transports in Cherbourg. They will be quickly unloaded at captured port facilities as soon as the beachhead is secured by the commandos.
Despite the quadruple threat of savage bombing, infiltration of the rear areas by paratroops, strong amphibious landings, and offshore naval bombardment, the British are holding fast to their positions. The poorly trained and equipped garrison troops, in particular, seem to be choosing to die at their guns rather than retreat.
Growing concern over the length of time needed to secure a port has persuaded the Luftwaffe to authorize some limited aerial resupply operations. The confused nature of the fighting means that much of the equipment and supplies dropped falls into the hands of the British.
Fortunately, not long after, those British infantry formations still capable of withdrawing do so. Most the garrison troops are captured by Mj Generals Mico, von Sternreiter, and the Fallschirmkorps. German troops now have undisputed control of a British port. Sadly, in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, nearly 2600 paratroopers and mountaineers have been killed or seriously wounded.
Allied bombers once again attempt to interfere with the transportation of German troops across the Channel. This time, the RAAF bombers are intercepted by Lt. General Milch over Portsmouth. One wing of Australian aircraft suffers over 90% casualties.
German bombers switch targets, and begin harassing British troops further inland. OKW learns from Luftwaffe pilots that London is strongly defended by motorized troops and towed anti-tank guns.
General von Rundstedt, who has by now landed at Dover with his headquarters staff and IX. Armeekorps (motorized), begins to develop a plan for the breakout from the beachhead.
Now that the beachhead is strongly occupied by mechanized forces, II. Gebirgskorps amd I. Fallschirmkorps re-board the transport fleet and return to Cherbourg to prepare for further operations.
By April 10, the entirety of 1. Panzer Armee has been deployed in England and is ready for offensive operations. With 2. Panzer Armee boarding transports in Cherbourg, bound for Dover, General von Rundstedt gives orders to advance along the southern bank of the Thames river towards Bristol. By seizing the city, von Rundstedt plans to cut off and destroy the strong enemy land and air forces in Plymouth and Portsmouth.
Many of the British infantry divisions possess no anti-tank weapons heavier than anti-tank rifles, and are overwhelmed by the German Panzer IIIs and IVs. In particular, the 15th Indian Division is routed by Mj. General von Dutchie's 2. SS. Panzer Division 'Das Reich'. The Sepoy troopers are slaughtered in their thousands by the Panzertruppen.
SS panzergrenadiers of panzer division 'Das Reich' march past dead British troops, April 10, 1941.
On the morning of April 12, RAF typhoons set out to intercept Luftflotte IV as it flies off from its bases around Amsterdam. Lt. Gen Milch and 8 wings of fighters bounce the British over the channel, and a sharp dogfight ensues.
Under the protective umbrella of Luftwaffe fighter and bomber cover, 2. Panzer Armee has been offloaded at Dover, and is now doing what it can, in such a disorganized state, to support 1. Panzer Armee's advance towards the north-west.
General von Rundstedt completes the destruction of British troops between himself and Bristol by the night of April 12-13. German casualties are relatively light, but the British have suffered horrendously in their efforts to stem the advance of 1. Panzer Armee's mailed fist.
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Despite their stubborn and spirited defense the British are doomed.
The 1st Panzer Armee did a great job in the Battle of Bristol.
The 1st Panzer Armee did a great job in the Battle of Bristol.
Yes, but best of all, it seems to work with AoD, so I'll get it too.
From what I understand, all graphical mods which work with HoI2 seem to work just fine with AoD. Of course, we all know SKIF is the best of these mods/packs.
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Chapter 10
Unternehmen Seelöwe (cont)
Unternehmen Seelöwe (cont)
With Bristol occupied, Devon and Cornwall have been cut off from the rest of Britain. Mj. General von Manstein's 4. Panzer Division, supported by strong froces from 1. Panzer Armee, is tasked with occupying the port and airfields of Plymouth. The British 4th Armored Division puts up a brave but futile defense.
Further east, Lt. General von Grebe Jr leads the assault on weak garrison forces in Portsmouth.
By the evening of the 14th, all British forces in the southwest portion of the country have been captured or destroyed.
With Dover now well secured by strong ground forces, engineers move in to begin repairing the numerous RAF airfields, preparing them for Luftwaffe use. They are followed soon after by the first German aircraft. The need for interceptors is great, as very large numbers of Allied aircraft are known to be operating out of Norwich.
Luftwaffe ground crews using a captured British bulldozer to repair shell holes at RAF Godersham, now home to Jagdgeschwader 26.
By capturing Birmingham and London, General von Rundstedt hopes to shatter British resistance by isolating London from the rest of the country. Mj General von Dutchie and 2nd SS Panzer Division 'Das Reich' will clear Wales of enemy forces, while the remainder of 1. Panzer Armee advances on Birmingham. 2. Panzer Armee will force a crossing of the Thames estuary and occupy the province of Norwich, supported by General Hoepner's 5. Panzer Armee, which has recently been landed. Most of Hoepner's forces will remain on the southern Bank of the Thames, in preparation for the assault on London.
Enemy forces in Cardiff are crushed swiftly by Mj General von Dutchie.
German efforts to put former RAF bases into Luftwaffe use pay swift dividends. As the Belgian air force attempts to slow down the pace of the Heer advance, Mj. General Felmy's interceptors flying from Dover send them down in flames.
Norwich is heavily defended, and the attack across the Thames estuary is progressing slowly. Still, the efforts of 2. Panzer Armee are not in vain, as General von Rundstedt is able to order an attack upon London, which is relatively lightly defended.
Attacked on 3 sides, and with little hope for reinforcement, the defenders of London struggle against their attackers for only a short time. In the small hours of the morning of April 19, all resistance ceases.
The British continue their dogged defense of Norwich. German intelligence is now unsure whether or not the concentration of Allied air power in Norwich has been dispersed to the north.
In a stunning display of energetic command, the British have staged a re-invasion of their own captured territory. Plymouth is captured by a force 10,000 strong. Luftwaffe bombers bombard the area heavily in order to prevent the British from making an advance towards the bases at Dover.
Orders are quickly passed down to the Fallschirmkorps, which has returned to its bases in France and reorganized. Soon, silken canopies are opening in the skies above Plymouth. The British have been unable to prepare defensive positions, and the paratroops quickly return the province to German control.
With London secured, victory in Norwich is not long in following. Allied casualties have been horrendous, with the Germans also suffering some losses in attempting to cross the broad Thames estuary.
Allied troops have been driven from southern England, but in order to prevent a strong defensive position being created in the provinces of Sheffield and Liverpool, a rapid northern advance is necessary.
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I hope you'll soon breach this new line of defense, or Northern England and Scotland are surely going to be heavily reinforced.
Could you please change the update to "Unternehmen Seelöwe"? It sounds 10x cooler with the 'ö'. In case you need any scandinavic letters later, here are some: öÖ äÄ åÅ.
By the way, that is one successful invasion you have there. I wish it went better in my AAR (actually it's reversed: USA liberating England from Germany).
By the way, that is one successful invasion you have there. I wish it went better in my AAR (actually it's reversed: USA liberating England from Germany).
Done. Thanks for the characters! That has been bothering me too.
Too bad about your defeat...Reverse sealion is tough to defend against, since you can't easily deploy troops there.
Chapter 10
Unternehmen Seelöwe (cont)
Unternehmen Seelöwe (cont)
On April 21st, the Allies try once again to use their airpower to slow the advance of our panzer generals. This time, the Dutch face the combined wrath of 8 wings of fighters under Mj. General Klepke. With hopelessly out of date aircraft, the Dutch are doomed. As an example in the discrepancy of the quality of aircraft involved, the 3 Wright J-5 Whirlwind engines of the Fokker F7 have a combined horsepower less than 1/2 that of the Daimler-Benz DB 605A, which powers the BF-109G.
General von Rundstedt has given his orders for the advance. 1. Panzer Armee will make an assault on Liverpool from Cardiff and Birmingham, and without pausing will drive onwards for Blackpool and Edinburgh.
5. Panzer Armee and 2. Panzer Armee, both in Norwich, will advance to the east of von Rundstedt. The race is now on to reach Sheffield ahead of the British troops retreating from Norwich, and capture Sunderland, which is where the government of the UK is now located.
British troops, fighting on their sacred soil, stand and die rather than retreat from Liverpool. German casualties are light in comparison to the horrendous suffering of the enemy.
Canadian bombers are intercepted over Sheffield, but the Luftwaffe is unable to inflict critical damage, mainly due to the presence of a strong cadre of escort fighters. Still, no Canadian air general is willing to admit that he led this pointless raid.
No sooner has 1. Panzer Armee occupied Liverpool than German transport planes begin touching down. Parachute troops are also enroute from Plymouth in case further commando operations become necessary.
A huge swarm of antiquated aircraft attempts to bomb the Germans advancing in Sheffield. Machines which were out of date in 1936 are testing their mettle in battle with the Luftwaffe's finest. Their mettle is found wanting.
More old bombers, this time Australian, appear over Sheffield on the morning of the 24th. OKW intelligence officers are beginning to wonder whether the RAF has any bombers left, as it seems to be mostly commonwealth aircraft on the offensive lately.
Later that morning, despite the fact that other forces are still holding strong in Sheffield, the British defenders of Edinburgh surrender with scarcely a fight. The pounding of assembly areas and communications centers by Luftwaffe bombers has sapped them of their will to fight.
10 hours later, the defenders of Sheffield retreat towards the new capital of Sunderland. With German troops occupying Edinburgh, there can be no escape for those British forces fighting on in defense of Churchill's government. In the end, Sunderland falls virtually without a fight.
By the morning of April 28th, 1, 2, and 5 Panzer Armee have concentrated at Edinburgh for the final assault to drive the British into the sea. Nothing can withstand the armored fury of the 27 divisions under von Rundstedt's command.
At the same time, the German fleet positions itself at the only escape route from Allied controlled territory in the British Isles. KMS Graf Zeppelin, Tirpitz and Bismarck, supported by the three Panzerschiffe, 5 light cruisers, and 4 destroyer flotillas, stand ready to fall upon the Royal Navy as soon as it should appear.
