Glenn,glenn239 wrote: ↑25 Mar 2020, 22:27There is no need to list the number of times you’ve stated your opinion. My conclusion remains the same – without the war with the Soviet Union, which was the defining feature to Germany’s Vichy policy, there was no political reason to suppose that the exigencies of a war pursued against Britain alone would have hindered Germany.Rob Stuart And the Germans found it best not to undermine Vichy in any major way.
It is not my position that Vichy would defy a German demand that they be permitted to station forces at Dakar. My position is that the Germans would not make such a demand. (I think this the third time I've stated this.)
.No, I did not assume the US was already in the war. You seem not to understand what it would take to establish and maintain a Luftwaffe base at Dakar
Dakar represents something at about the limit to an Axis advance - via Morocco.
I see. Your thinking that the Germans would sail around Vichy Morocco rather than advance through it, establishing a string of air bases down the coast first. Wouldn’t be my guess.The initial convoy (more likely convoys) would of course have to be followed up with regular re-supply convoys.
All very true – once the US was in the war. But before that I think you may be overestimating the capacity of the British to field sufficient ground and air forces to face so many threats on so many divergent fronts.The Germans would have understood how challenging it would have been to maintain an operational air base at Dakar. Since it would have been difficult to support, potentially vulnerable to invasion from Gambia and unlikely to accomplish much (other than forcing Allied convoys to be routed well away from Dakar), it would not have been worth it to them to establish any such base.
Okay, that's enough for me. I'm tired of discussing this. Have a nice fantasy.