Axis invasion of Continental USA

[maltesefalcon]

I like the proposal for the Axis armies to march across the polar ice cap and rush across undefended Canada

...and I dont like the ugly emoticons available now.

For obvious reasons I dont share your enthusiasm for that lol....

[maltesefalcon]

Let us assume the overland route was a bit tongue in cheek. (Watch Top Gear and see how difficult it is to move cross country in the far north.)

So we examine the previously proposed island hopping route of Norway-Iceland-Greenland-Canada-USA.

By prior definition or wishful thinking, Russia is defeated by end 1941. The earliest a successful campaign vs UK could be mounted is May 1942. This would allow for the cross channel weather to improve. It would also allow the Wehrmacht to recover their losses from Barbarossa. (Even in victory they would suffer losses. IRL the Germans could not mount a major campaign until June 1942.)

Lets assume Sealion 2 is concluded by August. Give a month to regroup and consolidate. So we go from Norway in Sept 1942? (Why didn't the poster suggest departing from England? The army would already be there after all....)

Operation Torch used 100 ships to transport 35,000 men across the Atlantic and 650 ships all told to perform the operation. In this case many of the troops embarked from the UK.

Based on this and available shipping, I would estimate the maximum size of any invasion force to be the 20 motorized/Panzer divisions only. The horse drawn portion of the army(80%) would be useless anyway in these conditions. The force could possible occupy Iceland and Greenland before the winter made conditions in the waters too risky. But Greenland or Iceland were useless to them. They were remote and there was virtually nothing there to make use of.There were no German aircraft that could made a two way trip to Canada or the USA with a useful bombload. In fact the invasion force would have no air support at all. They would be prey to Allied submarines, VLR aircraft and surface warships.

To attack Canada you would need to at least neutralize Gander. But then you still need to go to Halifax to find a target worth taking on the mainland. At that point you might as well hit New York directly.

One wonders why Hitler would even bother. Russia and Britain defeated, all of Europe under Reich control. The Pacific is stabilized at least. Best plan would be to seek terms with the USA and be done with it.

[OpanaPointer]

If the US was completely isolationist Canada and Mexico wouldn't feel obligated to help provide for our defense. This suggests a scenario where the Axis tells Mexico that if they sit on their hands while German and Japanese forces move into position to attack the US from the south the troops won't stay in Mexico.

[maltesefalcon]

If the US was completely isolationist Canada and Mexico wouldn't feel obligated to help provide for our defense.

We are talking about mid-1942 at the earliest, per the original post i.e. post-Midway but probably later.
Granted, they were late to the party, but by now the USA has been at war with the Axis for 6 months.
How could they be completely isolationist at this juncture?

[OpanaPointer]

If the US was completely isolationist Canada and Mexico wouldn't feel obligated to help provide for our defense.

We are talking about mid-1942 at the earliest, per the original post i.e. post-Midway but probably later.
Granted, they were late to the party, but by now the USA has been at war with the Axis for 6 months.
How could they be completely isolationist at this juncture?

My bad, I didn't read the OP properly. Apologies to the forum.

But that would be a fun scenario, yes?

[flakbait]

Believe Admiral Yamamoto told a rash junior Imperial Army officer whom talked of invading the US West Coast: "There will be a rifle behind every blade of grass..." At very least Imperial Japan had a superbly trained carrier force...Germany had NONE. Which means unless they bring Zeppilins they have NO air cover what so ever...

[maltesefalcon]

The OP has not made a comment since the first post. Maybe we should see if he cares to respond?

[Kingfish]

I'm surprised no one has suggested Germany form an alliance with Sauron and invade the U.S. via middle Earth

[thaddeus_c]

I'm surprised no one has suggested Germany form an alliance with Sauron and invade the U.S. via middle Earth

they had an alliance with him and then stabbed him in the back and invaded!

to the OP, it's almost ASB to even ATTACK the continental U.S.A. other than a few u-boat sorties.

with planning (? lol) it might have been possible to attack Houston refineries circa the attacks on Caribbean refineries? thought all of them were absurdly undefended compared to the Panama Canal.

not sure if it would really pinch Great Britain while refineries were repaired? it WOULD certainly have prompted a greater naval force stationed along the U.S. coast and the Caribbean. and the U.S. would probably have adopted other procedures to inspect ships, etc that would have, at least initially slowed oil transport.

[maltesefalcon]

There was an instance of a UBoat sailing up the St. Lawrence River at one point. It lobbed. Few shells into Canada somehere around Montreal if memory serves.

What does ASB mean anyway?

[OpanaPointer]

Atlantic
Sea
Board

I think.

[RichTO90]

There was an instance of a UBoat sailing up the St. Lawrence River at one point. It lobbed. Few shells into Canada somehere around Montreal if memory serves.

No. The closest they got was the mouth of the Saint Lawrence.

What does ASB mean anyway?

Alien Space Bats

[Marcus]

Alien Space Bats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_space_bats

/Marcus

[Carl Schwamberger]

I'm surprised no one has suggested Germany form an alliance with Sauron and invade the U.S. via middle Earth

What about Oz? Closer to Kansas, and the place is dominated by crypto facists if the literature is to be believed.

[phylo_roadking]

Believe Admiral Yamamoto told a rash junior Imperial Army officer whom talked of invading the US West Coast: "There will be a rifle behind every blade of grass..."

...which three types of mismatched ammunition in its owner's pockets