Units for Seelöwe

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Four transport fleets (foreseen):

Transport fleet B (17. ID and 35. ID)
Boarding: Dunkirk, Ostend, Rotterdam
Destination: Hythe-New romney
Composition: 64 Transport, 300 barges, 100 tugs, 200 fishing boats

Transport fleet C (7. ID and 1. Geb.D)
Boarding: Antwerp, Calais, Gravelines
Destination: Rye - Hastings
Composition: 50 transports, 250 barges, 120 tugs, 240 fishing boats

Transport fleet D (26. ID and 34. ID)
Boarding: Boulogne, Etaples and estuary of the Canche
Destination: Bexhill-Eastbourne
Composition: 330 barges, 165 tugs, 330 pusher boats

Transport fleet E (8: ID; 28. ID and 6. Geb.D)
Boarding: Le Havre, Trouville, Rouen, Caen, Fécamp, Cherbourg
Destination: Eastdean-Brighton
Composition: 50 transports, 175 barges, fishing boats 200, 100 coasters.

Sources: http://www.39-45.org/viewtopic.php?f=17 ... &start=320

Cheers. Raul M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Beachhead:

Eastern Sector (16th Army)

1) First wave

XIII AK (17. ID and 35. ID)
VII AK (7. ID and 1. GD)

2) Second Wave (S + 3, once the beachhead was secured)

V AK (30. ID and 12. ID)
XXXXI AK (Mot) (8. Pz D; 10. Pz D; 29. ID Mot; IR GD Mot and IR LAH Mot)

3) Third Wave (S + 10 / + 15)

XXXXII AK (45. ID and 164. ID)
IV AK (24. ID and 58. ID)

Further:

7. Fliegerdivision (Air Division - Paratroopers)
22. ID (Luftlande)

With a total of 12 infantry divisions, two armored divisions, one motorized division + 2 motorized regiments

Sources: http://www.39-45.org/viewtopic.php?f=17 ... &start=320
http://www.niehorster.org/011_germany/4 ... armee.html

Cheers. Raul M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Beachhead:

Western Sector (9th Army)

1) First wave

XXXVIII AK (26. ID and 34. ID)
VIII AK (8. ID; 28. ID and 6. GD)

2) Second Wave (S + 3, once the beachhead was secured)

XV AK (Mot) (4. Pz D; 7. Pz D; 20. ID Mot)

3) Third Wave (S + 10 / + 15)

XXIV AK (15. ID and 78. ID)

With a total of 7 infantry divisions, 2 armored divisions, 1 motorized division.

Sources: http://www.39-45.org/viewtopic.php?f=17 ... &start=320
http://www.niehorster.org/011_germany/4 ... armee.html

Cheers. Raul M .

[Knouterer]

2) Second Wave (S + 3, once the beachhead was secured)

I don't think so - even in the most optimistic German calculations (no losses, no interference by the Royal Navy ...), it would take 9 days before the first elements of the second wave of the 16th Army would begin to land. In the western sector (9th Army) even longer, 14 days minimum.

The turnaround time of the transports, carrying about 80% of the vehicles and artillery of the first wave, would be at least a week. On S-Day, they would come up behind the barge fleets and drop anchor, in a double line parallel to the coast, at S-hour plus 2 and start unloading into lighters/barges which would then be pushed or towed to the beach. This would take an estimated 48 hours, assuming of course the weather stayed calm and the British coast artillery, the RAF and the RN did nothing to disrupt the proceedings.

Since the French/Belgian Channel ports were too small to handle all the traffic, a good part of those freighters would then have to return to Rotterdam and Antwerp to pick up the remainder of the divisions and corps of the first wave and the first bits of the second wave. This would take several days: movement on the Scheldt was not possible by night because navigation lights were extinguished because of the danger of aerial attack, and at Rotterdam the ships had to be brought in - and out - one by one by tugs through the Nieuwe Waterweg, also a time consuming procedure.

To be able to land Panzer divisions, the Germans would have to capture a port (Dover and/or Folkestone) and frankly I don't see it happening. By the end of September, the defenders of eastern Kent seriously outnumbered the 17th ID plus the limited number of Fallschirmjäger the Germans would be able to drop, even before the first of the designated counterattacking forces (VII and IV Corps) arrived on the scene.

[Knouterer]

In that context, the Preliminary Orders (Vorläufige Weisung) of 16th Army HQ (A.O.K. 16) concerning Operation Sealion of 9 September 1940 said (Klee, Dokumente, p. 380, my translation):

“The Army Corps (i.e. VII. A.K. with 1st Mountain and 7th Inf Div and XIII A.K. with the 17th and 35th ID) will establish a bridgehead Canterbury – Great Stour to Ashford (north side) – road Ashford, High Halden, Biddenden – south of Sissinghurst – Cranbrook – Flimwell – west of Burwash, and immediately prepare to defend it with every means available. (…) The Corps must be prepared to defend these positions for a minimum of eight days, without further support and without further supplies of ammunition, rations and fuel, against the expected counterattacks of the enemy’s operative reserves (including armoured forces). All possible preparations to be made in advance. The engineer battalions of the first wave divisions must carry a generous supply of AT mines …”

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks for that interesting complement Knouterer . Certainly you've a point here.....I guess maybe that S+3 would involve the advanced elements of the second wave (ie vorausabteilungen). Anyway is a good amount of info for me. Cheers. Raúl M .

[Knouterer]

Nobody would be arriving on S+3, because as I explained by that time the transports would only just have started on their way back, except maybe some staff officers, specialists (signals) and such in small vessels. But no combat units; that would take until S+9.

Assuming as always that everything went exactly as planned for the Germans, of course, and that the Royal Navy stayed discreetly in the background all that time.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks again Knouterer . A little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Support weapons (assault guns):

AFAIK it was foreseen that about 48 StuG III Ausf B armed with a gun 7.5cm StuK 37 L/24 protected by an armor of 50 mm and an improved suspension would take part in the operation. The units planned for landing in the First Wave were:

16. AOK. 1st Wave. VII. AK with ?/ Stug Abt 184 (1. GD) and Stug Bat 659 under Oblt. Paul Schaupensteiner (7. ID).
XIII. AK with Stug Bat 666 under Oberleutnant Alfred Müller (17. ID).

9. AOK 1st Wave. AK VIII with Stug Bat 665 under Oblt. Speyerer (8. ID) and ?/ Stug Abt 184 (28 ID)
XXXVIII AK with Stug Bat 667 under Oblt. Joachim Lützow (26 ID) and ?/ Stug Abt 184 (34 ID)

Also in Second Wave:

16. With AOK. 2nd Wave. V AK with Stug Bat 660 under Oblt. Ottheinrich Tolckmitt (30 ID)
XXXXI AK with Stug Bat 640 under Oblt. Freiherr von Egloffstein (16./ IR GD) and Stug Bat of SS LAH.

Sources: http://www.hl-barbara.de/index.php/die- ... -batterien
http://www.niehorster.org/011_germany/4 ... hgr_a.html

What about the StuG Ausf. A? Cheers. Raul M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Support weapons (Panzerjäger I).

The 4.7 cm Pak Sfl were assigned to independent Panzerjäger Detachments. After the landing operation would be split into separate companies and platoons (in the first wave each division was assigned a company and each Panzerjäger detachment was assigned a Platoon).

With the 16. AOK. 1st Wave. VII. AK 3. / Pz Jäg Abt 521 (1. GD) and 2. / Pz Jäg Abt 616 (7. ID)
XIII. AK Pz Jäg Abt 616 (-); 1. / Pz Jäg Abt 616 (17. ID) and 3. / Pz Jäg Abt 616 (35. ID)

With the 9. AOK 1st Wave. AK VIII Pz Jäg Abt 643 (-) + Pz Jäg Abt 169 (-) (6. GD); 1. / Pz Jäg Abt 643 (8. ID) and 3. / Pz Jäg Abt 643 (28. ID)
XXXVIII AK Pz Jäg Abt 521 (-); 2. / Pz Jäg Abt 521 (26. ID) and 1. / Pz Jäg Abt 521 (34. ID)

2nd wave. 16. AOK. V. AK 1. / Pz Jäg Abt 670 (12. ID) and 2. / Pz Jäg Abt 169 (30. ID)

Sources: http://www.stiwotforum.nl/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15541
[Url] http://www.niehorster.org/011_germany/4 ... hgr_a.html [/ url]

Cheers. Raul M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Tauchpanzer y Schwimmpanzer.

After the collapse of the allied armies in France, the Wehrmacht started planning for the invasion of Great Britain. It was thought was that no amphibious landing would succeed without tank that could support the beach assault, so a number of amphibious and submersible conversions were tried. Tests were carried out with the Pz Kpfw II and 38(t) as amphibious tanks and the Pz Kpfw III and IV as submersible tanks.

To transform a terrestrial one in a submersible tank, the following technical measures were adopted:

- All external slots and openings were sealed with a waterproof compound.

- Access hatches of the turret were bolted from the inside.

- Openings for air intake to the engine were to be fully waterproofed.

- A tight rubber caps were adhered to the mantlet, the commander's cupola and the hull machine gun.

- Some explosive bolts allow rapid removal of the seals to quickly place the tank in a position to fight.

- The space between the turret and the hull was made tight using an inflatable rubber loop.

- The supply of fresh air was provided by a flexible with a diameter of about 20 cm and 18 meters long. At the end of this tube, there was a snorkel equipped with a buoy radio antenna.

- The exhaust pipes were equipped with high-pressure non-return valves.

- A bilge pump was installed to fight against possible infiltrations of seawater.

The maximum dive depth was 15 meters, an additional 3 meter hose provided a margin of safety.

The Tauchpanzer would be unloaded from the barge via a mobile ramp and then guided to the beach by a command ship. Once on land, the seals were expelled so that the tanks could immediately join the fight. If problems occurred during the underwater driving, the crew was equipped with evacuation means (respirators, life jackets, etc ...).

An experimental tank company was formed on 13th July 1940 and by the end of the month four tank batallions were formed. These were named Tauch-Panzer-Abteilung A through D. These batallions were organised according to K.St.N.1107b and K.St.N.1171b dated 16th July 1940 and consisted of:

Battalion HQ (stab):

1 Tauchpanzer III

2 Tauchpanzerbefehlswagen III

Three light panzer companies, each containing:

Company HQ: 2 Tauchpanzer III

Light Tank Detachement: 4 Schwimmpanzer II

1st Platoon: 5 Tauchpanzer III

2nd Platoon: 5 Tauchpanzer III

3rd Platoon: 4 Tauchpanzer IV

Tauchpanzer III

Between July and October 1940, 168 Pz Kpfw III tanks were converted to Tauchpanzer III. Of the 160 were fighting tanks of Ausf F, G and H. The other 8 tanks were Panzerbefehlswagen Ausf. E command tanks. At least some of these tanks were armed with the 5cm KwK 38 L/42 gun which had not been issued in time to see service in France, but could have made a noticeable difference when faced by British armour.

Tauchpanzer IV

Starting in July 1940, 48 Panzer IV Ausf D tanks were converted to Tauchpanzer IV.

Schwimmpanzer II

The Schwimmpanzer II or Panzerkampfwagen II mit Schwimmkörper was a conversion of the Pz Kpfw II with floatation tanks which permitted travel on the water surface. It was planned that they would swim ashore from their parent vessel lying offshore.

The flotation tanks were attached on extensions to the track return rollers, with propulsion being provided by a propeller taking power from the drive sprocket. The inside of the tank was divided into three watertight compartments. It had a top speed of 10 km/h afloat.

One advantage possessed by the Schwimmpanzer over Tauchpanzer versions was that it could use its guns during the landing.

It was even planned for some schwimmpanzers to retain their floats after the landing to facilitate crossing of the Royal Military Canal; a 28 mile canal stretching from Hythe to Cliffend in East Sussex.

With the 16. AOK. 1st Wave. VII. AK Pz Abt 100 (Fl) y Pz Abt A (U)
XIII. AK Pz Abt B (U), Pz Abt D (U) (-)

With the 9. AOK 1st Wave. AK VIII ¿/ Pz Abt D (U)
XXXVIII AK Pz Abt C (U)

Sources: http://www.forum-rc-panzer.com/t7827-Unterseepanzer.htm
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... wASI543QBQ
http://www.historyfacts.biz/downloads/
http://www.niehorster.org/011_germany/4 ... hgr_a.html

Cheers. Raul M .

[Knouterer]

Regarding the Schwimmpanzer, it seems a bit unlikely that they would drag those floats all the way across Romney Marsh over relatively narrow roads without losing or damaging them; but even if they did, and got into the Royal Military Canal, I don't see how they were to get out, given that the floats projected forward of the hull and would prevent the tank's tracks from getting a grip on the steep bank.

Some authors believe the Tauchpanzer might also be used to cross the RMC, but I have my doubts; re-waterproofing would probably be beyond the capabilities of the tank crew, especially under fire. In particular, if the seal between turret and hull (the rubber tube) could not be re-installed perfectly, the fording capacity of the tank would be reduced to the height of the hull (or less).

Picture is a fragment of a map from the 1920s, to give some idea of the terrain; a short stretch of the RMC is visible top left. according to the War Diaries of the units stationed there in 1940, the many ditches (or "sewers" as they were called) crisscrossing the Marsh held about three feet (0.9 m) of water on average by September.

[tigre]

Hello Knouterer ; thanks for shedding lights on the features of the ground in that area and the problems for the attackers there, very clear . Cheers. Raúl M .

[Knouterer]

My pleasure - a few aerial photos of the Marsh from the 1930s and 1940s, from the "Britain from Above" website:

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks for those aerial photos . Now a little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Airborne Formations.

7th Flieger-Division (Generalmajor Richard Putzier). The division was assigned drop zones in the area of Lyminge—Sellinge—Hythe on the right wing of the 16th Army and tasked with the immediate capture of the high ground north and northwest of Folkestone. The division consisted of Fallschirmjäger Regiments 1, 2 and 3 commanded by Oberst Bruno Bräuer, Oberst Alfred Sturm and Oberst Richard Heidrich respectively, and the Air Landing Assault Regiment commanded by Oberst Eugen Meindl. All four regiments were to be employed in the operation.

1. Kampfgruppe “Meindl” was to land at Hythe, secure crossings over the Royal Military Canal at and west of Hythe and advance along the line from Hythe rail station to Saltwood to prevent any flanking moves by the British.

2. Kampfgruppe “Stentzler” led by Major Edgar Stentzler, the commander of the II. Battalion of the Air Landing Assault Regiment was to drop and seize the heights at Paddlesworth and hold off any counter-attacks.

These two groups would be timed to drop as the landing craft carrying 17th Infantry Division hit the beach near Folkestone.

3. Kampfgruppe “Bräuer” was to drop an hour later south of Postling. This enlarged group would consist of a complete parachute battalion, a parachute engineer battalion, the antitank company of FJR1, all of FJR2 and FJR3, and an extra battalion as divisional reserve.

Once landed, Kampfgruppe “Bräuer” was to take Stentzler’s group under its command and the combined force was to take Sandgate and the high ground west of Paddlesworth.

FJR2 was to move north of Postling and guard against attack from the north while FJR3 was to secure the western flank with one battalion detached to capture and hold Lympe airfield for a later fly-in by 22nd Air Landing Division, possibly as late as S plus 5.

Sources: Alkmar von Hove: Achtung Fallschirmjäger!
http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/world- ... attach=545.

Cheers. Raul M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more............................

Preparations for Operation "Seelöwe" (Sealion). Bau-Lehr-Regiment z.b.V. 800 “Brandenburg”.

Area of Operations of 16. AOK.

A team of commandos of 131 men with 50 light motorcycles 1st Company of the I. Battalion would cross the channel with the 35th Infantry Division (a platoon with the advanced detachment of the division and another with the Panzer Abt. D). Another commando team of the I. Battalion with three reconnaissance tasks also would be landed with the 17th Infantry Division. After landing, the company "Brandenburg" would connect with a combat group commanded by Oberst Hoffmeister, commander of IR 21 (17th ID). Elements of the 17th ID, the 7th Flieger-Division, troops support at army corps level, the Panzer Abt. B, the Hoffmeister battle group would push along the coast to Dover. The company "Brandenburg" would support the action by conquering the British positions on the coast and along the Royal Military Canal and suspected artillery positions in the north.

Another commando team formed by members of the intelligence unit of the regiment and most of the 4th Company of the I. Battalion would land with the first wave and was to attack straight to Dover to avoid the sinking of ships that could block the harbor entrance and to neutralize the coastal batteries on the heights of Dover. (An alternative to this landing of the team with the troops of the 1st wave could have been using about 25 speedboats, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Strempel).

Area of Operations of 9. AOK.

The 11th Company of the III. Battalion was assigned to the Army to be used with the first wave as follows: two teams of commandos of 72 and 38 men were assigned to the 26th Infantry Division and a commando team of 48 men to the 34th Infantry Division. Mounted on light motorcycles, the first two commando teams were given the mission of destroying the gun battery at Beachy Head and the radio station in the north of it; the mission of the team of 48 men is not recorded, but it was probably a similar task.

Sources: Ian Allan [Spearhead 13] Brandenburgers - The Third Reich's Special Forces
http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/world- ... attach=545.

Cheers. Raul M .