Sorry Chris, but
I heartily second the proposal to research the planned operations especially:
1. Operation Sealion (England)
2. Operation Herkules (Malta)
3. Operation Tannenbaum (Switzerland)
4. Operation Felix (Gibraltar)
Especially Operation Herkules could have changed very much the fate of Germany.
btw: Thanky for the very, very interesting document.
Regards,
Stauffenberg II
Units for Seelöwe
Christoph,
Great document, thanks! I suppose my own interest is simply that "Sea Lion" was, perhaps, the single greatest "what if" of the war!
Here's another addition to the OOB. Per a document drafted by Reinhard Heydrich, SS-Standartenführer Prof. Dr. phil. Franz Six was appointed the Representative of the Chief of the Security Police and SD in Great Britain.
Regards,
Shawn
Great document, thanks! I suppose my own interest is simply that "Sea Lion" was, perhaps, the single greatest "what if" of the war!
Here's another addition to the OOB. Per a document drafted by Reinhard Heydrich, SS-Standartenführer Prof. Dr. phil. Franz Six was appointed the Representative of the Chief of the Security Police and SD in Great Britain.
Regards,
Shawn
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Stauffenberg II
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Shawn,
there is a Luftwaffe OoB (07.09.1940) at
http://www.geocities.com/Sturmvogel_66/Aug40.html
III./KG 54 was already disbanded. Stab/JG 77 and III./JG 77 were in Döberitz (Berlin). Also see for the missing units:
http://www.ww2.dk
Comment: But I´ve read somewhere that all (serviceable) units would have taken part.
Regards
there is a Luftwaffe OoB (07.09.1940) at
http://www.geocities.com/Sturmvogel_66/Aug40.html
III./KG 54 was already disbanded. Stab/JG 77 and III./JG 77 were in Döberitz (Berlin). Also see for the missing units:
http://www.ww2.dk
Comment: But I´ve read somewhere that all (serviceable) units would have taken part.
Regards
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Bill Medland
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Seelöwe is the most interesting "battle" of WWll for me.
As a wargamer I can fight the battles that never happened, without being tied to historical reality, in the sense that I would be with Babarossa for example. So I can make my own mistakes without copying someone elses!
Another factor that makes Seelöwe interesting for me is the fact that I was born British and raised in the area where it would have happened, this must also play a role in why I am at the same time interested in the British Free CorpsAnyway I will be watching this thread close, and adding my views and comments from time to time.
Regards,Bill.
As a wargamer I can fight the battles that never happened, without being tied to historical reality, in the sense that I would be with Babarossa for example. So I can make my own mistakes without copying someone elses!
Another factor that makes Seelöwe interesting for me is the fact that I was born British and raised in the area where it would have happened, this must also play a role in why I am at the same time interested in the British Free CorpsAnyway I will be watching this thread close, and adding my views and comments from time to time.
Regards,Bill.
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Bill Medland
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Bill Medland
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Stauffenberg II
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Hello, I think this info may help regarding the targets of FJs in that operation.
There was a complete and well planned operation to drop FJs on South England. With the success of airborne forces in Belgium and Holland they would also have a key role to play in an invasion of Britain. German paratroops were expected daily. One of the major duties of the Home Guard was to defend against parachute landings and one of the early nicknames for them was "parashots".
Though the plans were changed many times, the most finalised ones involved the following forces and deployments:
1. KAMPFGRUPPE MEINDL to land at Hythe, secure the Military Canal crossings and move along the line from Hythe rail station to Saltwood to prevent any outflanking moves by the British.
2. KAMPFGRUPPE STENTZLER 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 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 Kampf. Bräuer was to take Stentzler under 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 FJ3 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.
Early in September 1940 7. Flieger Division staff got as far as selecting the airfields in France and Flanders that would be used as departure points. Hitler himself suggested FJs landings to seize Plymouth and Cornwall in later stages of the invasion. These matters were discussed in January 1941, and at that moment the whole invasion idea was little more than fantasy.
Hope this helps.
There was a complete and well planned operation to drop FJs on South England. With the success of airborne forces in Belgium and Holland they would also have a key role to play in an invasion of Britain. German paratroops were expected daily. One of the major duties of the Home Guard was to defend against parachute landings and one of the early nicknames for them was "parashots".
Though the plans were changed many times, the most finalised ones involved the following forces and deployments:
1. KAMPFGRUPPE MEINDL to land at Hythe, secure the Military Canal crossings and move along the line from Hythe rail station to Saltwood to prevent any outflanking moves by the British.
2. KAMPFGRUPPE STENTZLER 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 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 Kampf. Bräuer was to take Stentzler under 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 FJ3 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.
Early in September 1940 7. Flieger Division staff got as far as selecting the airfields in France and Flanders that would be used as departure points. Hitler himself suggested FJs landings to seize Plymouth and Cornwall in later stages of the invasion. These matters were discussed in January 1941, and at that moment the whole invasion idea was little more than fantasy.
Hope this helps.
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Stauffenberg II
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Hello, Stauffenberg II!
That info was posted by me in "feldgrau" forum, based on the following source:
Chris Ellis: Spearhead Volume 3: 7th Flieger Division - Student's Fallschirmjäger Elite. Ian Allen Publishing
ISBN: 0-7110-2855-9
The book follows 7. Flieger-Division from its creation and first operations in Poland (as regular motorized infantry), to the first parachute operations as part of the invasion of Norway in April 1940, the Western Front in May - June 1940, Crete in 1941, through operations in North Africa and finally Italy, France, etc. Includes coverage of the Fallschirmjäger arm in general, including orders of battle for all Fallschirmjäger divisions and a list of all Knight's Cross winners of the Fallschirmjäger (all units).
It´s not the best book focusing on this issue, but it makes a general approach. In short, a basic framework of their tasks and operations.
Regards. Óscar
That info was posted by me in "feldgrau" forum, based on the following source:
Chris Ellis: Spearhead Volume 3: 7th Flieger Division - Student's Fallschirmjäger Elite. Ian Allen Publishing
ISBN: 0-7110-2855-9
The book follows 7. Flieger-Division from its creation and first operations in Poland (as regular motorized infantry), to the first parachute operations as part of the invasion of Norway in April 1940, the Western Front in May - June 1940, Crete in 1941, through operations in North Africa and finally Italy, France, etc. Includes coverage of the Fallschirmjäger arm in general, including orders of battle for all Fallschirmjäger divisions and a list of all Knight's Cross winners of the Fallschirmjäger (all units).
It´s not the best book focusing on this issue, but it makes a general approach. In short, a basic framework of their tasks and operations.
Regards. Óscar
Last edited by Óscar G on 17 Jun 2003, 17:03, edited 1 time in total.
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Stauffenberg II
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A few other "Sea Lion" related odds and ends:
Representative of the Chief of the Security Police and SD in Great Britain: In a document dated 17 September 1940, SS-Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, the Chief of the SD Main Office, appointed SS-Standartenführer Prof. Dr. phil. Franz Alfred Six to this post and dictated his mission: “Your task is to combat, with the requisite means, all anti-German organizations, institutions, opposition, and opposition groups which can be seized in England, to prevent the removal of all available material, and to centralize and safeguard it for future exploitation. I designate the capital, London, as the location of your headquarters as Representative of the Chief of the Security Police and SD; and I authorize you to set up small action groups [Einsatzgruppen] in other parts of Great Britain as well as the situation dictates and the necessity arises.”
Commanders of the Kriegsmarine heavy surface units in mid-September 1940:
Emden - Kapitän zur See Hans Mirow
Nürnberg - Kapitän zur See Leo Kreisch
Köln - Kapitän zur See Ernst Kratzenberg
Admiral Hipper - Kapitän zur See Wilhelm Meisel
Admiral Scheer - Kapitän zur See Theodor Krancke
Scharnhorst - Kapitän zur See Kurt Caesar Hoffmann
Gneisenau - Kapitän zur See Otto Fein
Lützow - (presumably) Kapitänleutnant Heller – caretaker commander
Leipzig - decommissioned
Representative of the Chief of the Security Police and SD in Great Britain: In a document dated 17 September 1940, SS-Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, the Chief of the SD Main Office, appointed SS-Standartenführer Prof. Dr. phil. Franz Alfred Six to this post and dictated his mission: “Your task is to combat, with the requisite means, all anti-German organizations, institutions, opposition, and opposition groups which can be seized in England, to prevent the removal of all available material, and to centralize and safeguard it for future exploitation. I designate the capital, London, as the location of your headquarters as Representative of the Chief of the Security Police and SD; and I authorize you to set up small action groups [Einsatzgruppen] in other parts of Great Britain as well as the situation dictates and the necessity arises.”
Commanders of the Kriegsmarine heavy surface units in mid-September 1940:
Emden - Kapitän zur See Hans Mirow
Nürnberg - Kapitän zur See Leo Kreisch
Köln - Kapitän zur See Ernst Kratzenberg
Admiral Hipper - Kapitän zur See Wilhelm Meisel
Admiral Scheer - Kapitän zur See Theodor Krancke
Scharnhorst - Kapitän zur See Kurt Caesar Hoffmann
Gneisenau - Kapitän zur See Otto Fein
Lützow - (presumably) Kapitänleutnant Heller – caretaker commander
Leipzig - decommissioned
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Stauffenberg II
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Some additional data on Naval Group West:
Chief of Staff: Ciliax Otto, KAdm.
Chief Operations Officer (Ia): Meyer Hans-Karl, Freg. Kpt.
for Fleet actions, if any:
Fleet Command: Lütjens Günter, Adm. (RDA: 01.09.1940)
Chief of Staff: Netzbandt Harald, Kpt. z. See
BdK: Schmundt Hubert, VAdm. (RDA: 01.09.1940)
FdZ: Bey Erich, Kpt. z. See
FdT: Bütow Hans, Kpt. z. See
... and of course the submarines:
BdU: Dönitz Karl, VAdm. (RDA: 01.09.1940)
Chief of Staff: Ciliax Otto, KAdm.
Chief Operations Officer (Ia): Meyer Hans-Karl, Freg. Kpt.
for Fleet actions, if any:
Fleet Command: Lütjens Günter, Adm. (RDA: 01.09.1940)
Chief of Staff: Netzbandt Harald, Kpt. z. See
BdK: Schmundt Hubert, VAdm. (RDA: 01.09.1940)
FdZ: Bey Erich, Kpt. z. See
FdT: Bütow Hans, Kpt. z. See
... and of course the submarines:
BdU: Dönitz Karl, VAdm. (RDA: 01.09.1940)