Preview: Operation Sealion - 14th July 1940 - 1st August 1940 Hypothetical

Soon to be released scenarios for CM:AK by "DER KESSEL"


Hypothetical Timeline:

21 May 1940 - Order is given to carry out "Operation Sealion"

14 July 1940 - 'S'-Day, landing by two regiments of 17.ID between Hythe and Sandgate, and by Schoerner's 6.Gebirgsdivision near Lydden Spout, and Aycliff, with one of its regiments being repulsed trying to scale the cliffs under the Citadel. 20th Fallschirmjaegerregiment lands behind 17.ID, and 19. FJR behind the landing area of 6.Gebirgsdivision. Only localised counterattacks by 135th, as well as 1st and 2nd (London) Brigades are undertaken, and fail to make an impression. The Germans manage to establish a bridgehead. 22.ID (Airlanding) begins to fly in.

15 July 1940 - Dover falls, but is pretty much unuseable. 1st Armoured Division is assembled for a counterattack, but this attack suffers the same fate as the one at Arras. Hastily assembled, ill-co-ordinated. German 88 guns decide the issue. This is a crucial victory, because it destroys the only available counter-strike force.

16/17 July 1940 - The Germans break out and take Canterbury, Deal, Sandwich and Manston airfield, isolating the Isle of Thanet.

21/22 July 1940 - Battle of Maidstone. Maidstone lies on the only major N/S running river (Medway) in the area, which is bending from an E/W to the N/S directon at Maidstone. The western bank rises sharply north of Maidstone, and overlooks the eastern bank. A broad valley runs west from Maidstone, carrying roads, and a railway line. If you don't stop the invader there, you are in deep trouble. The British fail, despite a spirited counterattack by the Australians. An armoured counter-attack near Sevenoaks fails desastrously, again for the old reasons. The following days 7.Panzerdivision breaks through to the west. The infantry formations SW of London (43rd and 3rd) can do no more then delay the inevitable.

24th July 1940 - Ironside resigns, after admitting that the battle for the GHQ line had failed.

25/26 July 1940 - 9.PD makes good headway towards Maidenhead and the Thames, while 7.PD reaches Newbury, far to the west of London. 31st - Churchill and the King leave the country. Major-General Fuller (ret) takes over government administration.

1st August 1940 - an Armistice is signed to come into force on the 2nd.

Sources:

  • [1] Kenneth Macksey 'Invasion - The Alternate History of the German Invasion of Britain, July 1940' 

  • [2] Richard Cox 'Sealion'

  • [3] Westfront ´Operation Sealion` scenarios

 

 

 

 
     
     
     
     
     









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