Battle of Dunkirk what if

Discussions on alternate history, including events up to 20 years before today. Hosted by Terry Duncan.
Carl Schwamberger
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Re: Battle of Dunkirk what if

#16

Post by Carl Schwamberger » 27 Jan 2014, 03:34

Deans wrote:Interesting scenario. Can someone comment on weather 6th Panzer's proposed actions would indeed have cut off some units from evacuation. I don't know enough to make an informed comment.
There was a commercial board game that covered the western quarter of Belgium and adjacent France & the days from the Arass battle to the evacuation. We played it a few times, but not enough to really prove anything about the accuracy of the game or anything else. My main observation from that & the books is the Panzer divisions were badly under strength and may have been significantly short on artillery and tank ammunition. ie: Rommel stated in his account the 7th Pz Div reached the coast with 24 of its original 225 tanks. While many of the 'lost' tanks had been recovered and were running again they were strung out to the German border and trickling along in penny packets trying to catch up. Over all the loss of tanks in the dash across Belgium and France seems to have averaged 5% per day Weeks later when the Germany Army attacked south of the Somme river the armored strength was still less than 60% of original.

werd
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Re: Battle of Dunkirk what if

#17

Post by werd » 27 Jan 2014, 06:34

http://www.controversyofzion.info/Contr ... eng_39.htm

At that moment arms were more precious than diamonds in England. The armies rescued from France were without weapons and disorganized; Mr. Churchill records that the whole island contained barely 500 field guns and 200 tanks of any age or kind; months later he was still urgently appealing to President Roosevelt for 250,000 rifles for “trained and uniformed men” who had none. In those days I scoured the countryside to obtain, at last, a forty-year old pistol which would fire only single shots. Mr. Churchill's rousing words about fighting forever on the beaches and in the streets and never giving up did not thrill me, because I knew that, if an invasion once gained foothold, they were empty; men cannot fight tanks with bare hands. The unarmed state of the land was dire.


pugsville
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Re: Battle of Dunkirk what if

#18

Post by pugsville » 27 Jan 2014, 07:27

the British actually had a greater strength in Britain after Dunkirk than they has sent to France, a they sent 10 divisions and had 27 half equipped divisions in England June 1940. bu they had enough rifles to equip the infantry (but not the home guard) while this force was not going to beat the German army in a fair fight , the Germans had to cross the channel and invade. and the Germans were totally ill equipped for this invasion. given the Germans ability to land and supply land forces in England the British defense force was pretty formidable.

link on equipment strengths

http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php? ... &Itemid=61

werd
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Re: Battle of Dunkirk what if

#19

Post by werd » 27 Jan 2014, 09:17

I counted 17 divisions and 11 were evacuated from France.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Br ... rld_War_II

On June 6 was 281 tanks.Summer made ​​350.In light tanks was not guns,machine guns only.300-400 tanks in fights against Wehrmacht quite a bit.
Germans needed an air superiority.Air fight for Britain was for this purpose conducted.In this fight by Germans strategic mistakes were made.To land on the island, create the bridgehead wasn't difficult for Germans.The main thing to cross English Channel.

ljadw
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Re: Battle of Dunkirk what if

#20

Post by ljadw » 27 Jan 2014, 16:44

Germans needed an air superiority.

The main thing to cross English Channel.[/quote]


Thus,they would cross the channel by aircraft ?

:lol: :P

werd
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Re: Battle of Dunkirk what if

#21

Post by werd » 27 Jan 2014, 17:49


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