Units for Seelöwe

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Grant Stephensen
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Units for Seelöwe

#1

Post by Grant Stephensen » 26 May 2002, 07:39

What units were to be used for operation Sealion

Rasputin17
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Re: Seelöwe

#2

Post by Rasputin17 » 26 May 2002, 10:24

My sources indicate, that the Germans raised 4 Tank Battaillons (Panzerabteilungen A, B, C, D) that were equipped with Tanks capable of swimming or diving. These Units were combined under Panzer Brigade 1 which was later renamed Panzer Brigade 18 and put under the command of 18. Panzer Division.

Martin
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Andy H
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#3

Post by Andy H » 26 May 2002, 12:12

I'm a bit unsure as to the full accuracy of the following list but I believe von Runstedt intended to use the following units once air superiority had been gained.

7th Airborne Division
22nd Airlanding Division
6th Mountain Division
17th Infantry Division
9th Panzer Division

:D Andy from the Shire

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Kurasier
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#4

Post by Kurasier » 26 May 2002, 13:20

I also think, that 6th Mountaindivision was supposed to take part on Sealion, because a uncle of my father was a member of this division and told me of his training for Sealion.

Christoph

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USAF1986
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#5

Post by USAF1986 » 26 May 2002, 16:49

In the big picture, the 9th Army (Generaloberst Adolf Strauß) was assigned landing zones between Bexhill and Worthing while the 16th Army (Generaloberst Ernst Busch) would carry the main assault with landing zones between Folkestone and Hastings. Additionally, Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Reichenau's 6th Army, concentrated on the Cherbourg peninsula, remained on alert and, if feasible, would land in Lyme Bay between Weymouth and Lyme Regis.

Regards,
Shawn

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Lord Gort
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#6

Post by Lord Gort » 26 May 2002, 17:37

Despite there lack of optimism in the okh the general staff presented there rather ambitious plans on the 13th of july. It envisaged ladning 13 divisions in 3 days - six form from army group A between Ramsgate and Bexhill, four more form army group A between Brighton and the isle of whight and another 3 from army group B farther west in Lyme bay. This initial body would be supplemented by 28 divisions including panzer and motorized and airborne diviisions.


I have a detailed account here and also a fragment of a conversation Hitler had when he was dwelling on creatign another Vichy in northern France.

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USAF1986
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#7

Post by USAF1986 » 14 Jun 2003, 03:15

Hi! I found the OOB for Operation “Seelöwe” as it appeared in final form. This represents how it would have looked like if the invasion took place on 24 September 1940. This is compiled from Ronald Wheatley's excellent study Operation Sea Lion: German Plans for the Invasion of England 1939-1942. I've added the names of the commanders from a variety of sources. The ranks/commands are as held in mid-September 1940.

Regards,
Shawn

Operation “Seelöwe” (Sea Lion) Order of Battle, mid-September 1940

Army Group A
Commander-in-Chief: Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt
Chief of the General Staff: General der Infanterie Georg von Sodenstern
Operations Officer (Ia): Oberstleutnant Henning von Tresckow

16th Army
Commander-in-Chief: Generaloberst Ernst Busch
Chief of the General Staff: Generalleutnant Walter Model
Operations Officer (Ia): Oberst Hans Boeckh-Behrens

FIRST WAVE

XIII Army Corps: General der Panzertruppe Heinrich-Gottfried von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel (First-wave landings on English coast between Folkestone and New Romney)
17th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Herbert Loch
35th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Hans Wolfgang Reinhard

VII Army Corps: Generaloberst Eugen Ritter von Schobert (First-wave landings on English coast between Rye and Hastings)
1st Mountain Division: Generalleutnant Ludwig Kübler
7th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz

SECOND WAVE

V Army Corps: General der Infanterie Richard Ruoff (Transferred from the first to the second wave in early September 1940 so that the second echelons of the two first-wave corps could cross simultaneously with their first echelons)
12th Infantry Division: Generalmajor Walter von Seydlitz-Kurzbach
30th Infantry Division: General der Infanterie Kurt von Briesen

XXXXI Army Corps: General der Panzertruppe Georg-Hans Reinhardt
8th Panzer Division: Generalleutnant Adolf Kuntzen
10th Panzer Division: Generalleutnant Ferdinand Schaal
29th Infantry Division (Motorized): Generalmajor Walter von Boltenstern
Infantry Regiment “Großdeutschland”: Oberst Wilhelm-Hunold von Stockhausen
Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment: SS-Obergruppenführer Josef “Sepp” Dietrich

THIRD WAVE

IV Army Corps: General der Infanterie Viktor von Schwedler
24th Infantry Division: Generalmajor Hans von Tettau
58th Infantry Division: Generalmajor Iwan Heunert

XXXXII Army Corps: General der Pionere Walter Kuntze
45th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Friedrich Materna
164th Infantry Division: Generalmajor Josef Folttmann

9th Army (General der Artillerie Christian Hansen’s X Army Corps headquarters staff was in addition allocated to the 9th Army for use with the first-wave troops)
Commander-in-Chief: Generaloberst Adolf Strauß
Chief of the General Staff: Generalleutnant Karl Adolf Hollidt
Operations Officer (Ia): Oberstleutnant Heinz von Gyldenfeldt

FIRST WAVE

XXXVIII Army Corps: General der Infanterie Erich von Lewinski genannt von Manstein (First-wave landings on English coast between Bexhill and Eastbourne)
26th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Sigismund von Förster
34th Infantry Division: Generalmajor Werner Sanne

VIII Army Corps: General der Artillerie Walter Heitz (First-wave landings on English coast between Beachy Head and Brighton)
6th Mountain Division: Generalmajor Ferdinand Schörner
8th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Rudolf Koch-Erpach
28th Infantry Division: Generalmajor Johann Sinnhuber

SECOND WAVE

XV Army Corps: Generaloberst Hermann Hoth
4th Panzer Division: Generalmajor Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp
7th Panzer Division: Generalmajor Erwin Rommel
20th Infantry Division (Motorized): Generalleutnant Mauritz von Wiktorin

THIRD WAVE

XXIV Army Corps: General der Panzertruppe Leo Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg
15th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Ernst-Eberhard Hell
78th Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Curt Gallenkamp

Airborne Formations
7th Flieger-Division (Parachute): Generalmajor Richard Putzier (under Generalfeldmarschall Albert Keßelring’s Luftflotte 2). 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.

22nd Air Landing Infantry Division: Generalleutnant Hans Graf von Sponeck (under command of OKH for probable support of the 16th Army in the early stages of the operation)

6th Army
Commander-in-Chief: Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Reichenau
Chief of the General Staff: Oberst Ferdinand Heim
Operations Officer (Ia): Oberst Anton-Reichard Freiherr von Mauchenheim genannt Bechtolsheim

The 6th Army held the II Army Corps (General der Infanterie Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt) with the 6th Infantry Division and the 256th Infantry Division, commanded by Generalleutnant Arnold Freiherr von Biegeleben and Generalmajor Gerhard Kauffmann respectively, in readiness for potential landings in Lyme Bay between Weymouth and Lyme Regis. The 6th Army was under the command of Army Group C (Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb), which had taken over this function from Army Group B (Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock) on 11 September 1940.

OKH Reserves
These divisions, comprising the Fourth Wave, were to be designated on S-10 Day.

Amphibious Tanks
Three battalions were allocated to the 16th Army and one battalion to the 9th Army (250 total amphibious tanks).

Luftwaffe

Luftflotte 2 (cooperating with the 16th Army)
Commander-in-Chief: Generalfeldmarschall Albert Keßelring
Chief of the General Staff: Generalleutnant Wilhelm Speidel
Operations Officer (Ia): Oberstleutnant Walter Loebel

VIII. Fliegerkorps (dive-bomber aircraft): General der Flieger Dipl. Ing. Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen
II. Fliegerkorps (bomber aircraft): General der Flieger Bruno Loerzer
9. Fliegerdivision (bomber and mine laying aircraft): Generalleutnant Joachim Coeler
Jagdfliegerführer 1 (fighter aircraft): Generalmajor Theodor “Theo” Osterkamp
Jagdfliegerführer 2 (fighter aircraft): Generalmajor Kurt-Bertram von Döring

Luftflotte 3 (cooperating with the 9th Army)
Commander-in-Chief: Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle
Chief of the General Staff: Generalmajor Günther Korten
Operations Officer (Ia): Oberstleutnant Karl Koller

I. Fliegerkorps (bomber and dive-bomber aircraft): Generaloberst Ulrich Grauert
IV. Fliegerkorps (bomber aircraft): Generalleutnant Kurt Pflugbeil
V. Fliegerkorps (bomber aircraft): General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim
Jagdfliegerführer 3 (fighter aircraft): Oberst Werner Junck

Kriegsmarine

Commander-in-Chief of Navy Group Command West: Generaladmiral Alfred Saalwächter (Responsible for operational direction of the “Sea Lion” light naval forces based in France and the Low Countries.)

Naval Commander West for Operation “Sea Lion”: Vizedamiral Günther Lütjens (Responsible for the tactical control and protection of the four transport fleets. The Kriegsmarine began assembling the following formations for protection of the convoy routes: two destroyer flotillas at Le Havre and four torpedo boat flotillas at Cherbourg to protect the western flank and three motor torpedo boat flotillas at Zeebrügge, Flushing and Rotterdam to protect the eastern flank. Also, 27 U-boats under the direction of Vizeadmiral Karl Dönitz were arranged to reinforce the convoy protection formations. Finally, nine patrol flotillas, 10 minesweeping flotillas and five motor minesweeping flotillas would accompany the transport convoys during the actual Channel crossing. An additional three minesweeping flotillas, two anti-submarine flotillas and 14 minelayers were allocated to Navy Group Command West for supplementary support.)

Transport Fleet “B”: (Dunkirk): Vizeadmiral Hermann von Fischel
Transport Fleet “C” (Calais): Kapitän zur See Gustav Kleikamp
Transport Fleet “D” (Boulogne): Kapitän zur See Werner Lindenau
Transport Fleet “E” (Le Havre): Kapitän zur See Ernst Scheurlen

Heavy Naval Units
The Kriegsmarine did not plan to employ its few remaining heavy surface units in the coastal waters of the main invasion area. Instead, they would be used for diversions to draw British naval forces away from the English Channel and tie down British troops away from the landing zones.

• Two days prior to the actual landings, the light cruisers Emden, Nürnberg and Köln, the gunnery training ship Bremse and other light naval forces would escort the liners Europa, Bremen, Gneisenau and Potsdam, with 10 transports, on Operation “Herbstreise” (Autumn Journey), a feint simulating a landing against the English east coast between Aberdeen and Newcastle. After turning about, the force would attempt the diversion again on the next day if necessary. (The troops allocated to the diversion would actually board the ships, but disembark before the naval force sortied.)
• Shortly before the commencement of “Sea Lion,” the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, on standby at Kiel from 13 September 1940, would carry out a diversionary sortie in the vicinity of Iceland and the Faroes.
• The heavy cruiser (“pocket battleship”) Admiral Scheer would carry out another diversionary mission by raiding merchant shipping in the Atlantic. (It is highly doubtful this ship would have been available in time for the operation as she was undergoing extensive trials in the Baltic Sea following a major shipyard refit.)
• The remaining German heavy surface units, the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, the heavy cruiser (“pocket battleship”) Lützow and the light cruiser Leipzig were all undergoing repairs for varying degrees of battle damage and were thus not available for Operation “Sea Lion.”
• In August 1940, the Kriegsmarine considered employing the pre-dreadnought battleships Schleswig-Holstein and Schlesien to provide artillery support for the landings, but ultimately rejected the idea.

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Kugelblitz
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#8

Post by Kugelblitz » 14 Jun 2003, 05:04

The anphibious tanks to be used was the Tauchpanzer III, it had an snorkel and they had to be released in the adecuate deep, then they go to the cost underwater.

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#9

Post by daveh » 15 Jun 2003, 11:00

I would strongly recommend P Schenk's Invasion of England 1940 ISBN 0 85177 548 9

This gives a lot of details on the vessels to be used, the mine barriers to be laid, planned sailing formations, troop organisations and so on. A very interesting read.

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#10

Post by Stauffenberg II » 15 Jun 2003, 16:33

Thank you Shawn, very interesting.

There is another interesting source:
Klee, Karl: Unternehmen Seelöwe

btw: The 4 T-Panzer batallions (A, B, C, D) later formed PR 18 (I. & II. Abt.) and PR 28 (I. & II.) under 1. Pz. Brig., which was renamed 18. Pz. Brig. and went from 1. Pz. Div. to 18. Pz. Div. Before Barbarossa started Staff/PR 28 was disbanded. I./PR 28 became III./PR 6 (3. Pz. Div.) and II./PR 28 became III./PR 18 (18. Pz. Div.). Source: Jentz, Thomas L.: Die deutsche Panzertruppe, Vol. 1

Here is one of the T-Panzer which just cross the Bug-River:
Image

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Kugelblitz
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#11

Post by Kugelblitz » 15 Jun 2003, 18:45

Nice photo of a Tauchpanzer III.

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USAF1986
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#12

Post by USAF1986 » 15 Jun 2003, 19:48

Thanks for the book recommendation (Schenk) – I’ve ordered it for my reference library!

One minor correction to the OOB: Oberst Günther Blumentritt remained the Operations Officer (Ia) of Army Group A until late-October 1940 and played a leading role in developing the army group’s plan for Operation “Sea Lion.” Indeed, in The Last Prussian, author Charles Messenger notes that GFM von Rundstedt never bothered to attend any of the amphibious landing exercises, including the one viewed by GFM Walther von Brauchitsch and Generaloberst Franz Halder on August 16th at Le Touquet (Blumentritt represented Army Group A).

Here’s a thought: perhaps we might all collaborate to “build” the mid-September 1940 Operation “Sea Lion” OOB even further. For instance, the addition of the subordinate units of the Luftwaffe air fleets (at least to the Gruppe and Geschwader-level) and a further breakdown on the Kriegsmarine transport fleets/escort units would be a valuable research tool. Just a thought!

Regards,
Shawn

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USAF1986
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#13

Post by USAF1986 » 15 Jun 2003, 20:00

Stauffenberg II,

Thanks for the detailed info on the four T-Panzer battalions - I've added as a footnote to my OOB. BTW, I've seen that photo of the tank crossing the river many times, but it never occurred to me that was one of the original "Sea Lion" T-Panzers! Thanks!

Regards,
Shawn

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Marcus
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#14

Post by Marcus » 15 Jun 2003, 20:15

USAF1986 wrote:Here’s a thought: perhaps we might all collaborate to “build” the mid-September 1940 Operation “Sea Lion” OOB even further. For instance, the addition of the subordinate units of the Luftwaffe air fleets (at least to the Gruppe and Geschwader-level) and a further breakdown on the Kriegsmarine transport fleets/escort units would be a valuable research tool. Just a thought!
Sounds like an excellent idea, I've made this thread a sticky.

/Marcus

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Christoph Awender
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#15

Post by Christoph Awender » 15 Jun 2003, 20:30

Hello!

please don´t understand me wrong but why that interest in a operation which never took place? :?

Here the original document for the OoB.

http://chrito.users1.50megs.com/dokumente/seeloewe.jpg

\Christoph

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