Land connection between the UK and mainland Europe

[PMN1]

What if there had been a land connection between Dunkirk and Dover varying between 10km – 20km wide and the BEF retreat had allowed it to bring all its equipment along with it.

History has put the Britain/France border May 1940 say half way down the land connection.

[Hermanubis]

What if there had been a land connection between Dunkirk and Dover varying between 10km – 20km wide and the BEF retreat had allowed it to bring all its equipment along with it.

History has put the Britain/France border May 1940 say half way down the land connection.
Nazi invasion of England anyone?

[Thande]

Nazi invasion of England anyone?

On ASB says to the other, drunkenly, "Shee? Shee? I toldya I could' get Shealion to work!"

[Straha]

Actually, the bottleneck of the thin ithmus of dover would STILL prevent sealion from working due to the ithmus being a PERFECT defensive place for the brits to lbock any nazi invasions.

[Chris]

Actually, the bottleneck of the thin ithmus of dover would STILL prevent sealion from working due to the ithmus being a PERFECT defensive place for the brits to lbock any nazi invasions.

Once the germans had gotten over the shock of the bridge appearing from nowhere, they would have followed the british. It wouldn;t be perfect at all.

Chris

[PoorBoy]

Actually, the bottleneck of the thin ithmus of dover would STILL prevent sealion from working due to the ithmus being a PERFECT defensive place for the brits to lbock any nazi invasions.
I agree. Instead of spreading their forces throughout the coast, the German will simply jam their forces through the isthmus, while the British artillery can simply bombard the incoming forces. And if communication is not co-ordinated by the Germans, they can't retreat since there will be more Panzers will be trying to push in from behind them. Think of the traffic jam!!! And if worse comes to worst, the Brits can simply blow a canal through the isthmus.

And one more thing: the German Navy won't have access to the English Channel...unless they blow a canal themselves from their own end of the isthmus. So unless the Germans can build a ten-kilometre-wide bridge, that would defeat the whole purpose of invading through the isthmus.

[Leej]

I'd imagine the royal navy would just blast this land bridge out of existance...

[Tielhard]

"I agree. Instead of spreading their forces throughout the coast, the German will simply jam their forces through the isthmus, while the British artillery can simply bombard the incoming forces. And if communication is not co-ordinated by the Germans, they can't retreat since there will be more Panzers will be trying to push in from behind them. Think of the traffic jam!!! And if worse comes to worst, the Brits can simply blow a canal through the isthmus."

So not only do the ASBs fairy godmother a land bridge into the middle of the English Channel they give every German officer above the rank of Colonel a stupidity trasplant. Paratroopers. Envelopment by coastal barge. Disengagement denial. No sea room for the RN. Just because you cannot see a way through to Blighty does not mean no one else will. Even if the Germans decide they can't break the British line they don't need to perform a suicide attack the geography of the defence works both ways.

Incidentally notice that the bridge splits the Royal Navy into two if the Germans can get all of thier forces on one side of the bridge with air superiority they may well be able to meet the RN in a shallow water battle and win.

[Tielhard]

"I'd imagine the royal navy would just blast this land bridge out of existance..."

How?

[PMN1]

Incidentally notice that the bridge splits the Royal Navy into two if the Germans can get all of thier forces on one side of the bridge with air superiority they may well be able to meet the RN in a shallow water battle and win.

It would also put a crimp in the plans to get Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen back to Germany in 1942 (should this still happen).

:)