The German troops would fall from the barges into the cold waters of the Channel...
I think the first thing to fall would be the German lodgement in Kent. If the Germans did wrong-foot the RN and RAF on day one and get ashore I doubt they'd be able to sustain the lodgement logistically. Fighter Command would contest the skies over the lodgement allowing Bomber Command and the Home Fleet to cut the German transport across the Chanel. This battle would only take a couple of days to sort out, then the Germans would be stranded in Britain.
i think the idea of this thread is to ignore the impossibility of Sealion and discuss what directions it could go in IF it were successful, or what the German war aims would be upon invasion (where they'd hit first and then the following objectives, etc.)As Riain has pointed out the problem is logistics. There are no big ports in the south eastern coast of England, (just lots of small ones) where the invasion was planed. This was a major reason for the allied invasion of Normandy instead of the Pas de Calais in 1944. Therefore even if the small ports could be captured intact in the initial assault, (which would be a big if as these where the points which where the most heavily defended and prepared for demolition in OTL) the Germans wouldn't be able to sustain an army in Britain large enough and for long enough to defeat the British. Forget the barges over open beaches even without enemy action the wear and tear on these non sea going vessels will soon reduce a German fleet that wasn't really big enough to begin with.
i think the idea of this thread is to ignore the impossibility of Sealion and discuss what directions it could go in IF it were successful, or what the German war aims would be upon invasion (where they'd hit first and then the following objectives, etc.)
i think the idea of this thread is to ignore the impossibility of Sealion and discuss what directions it could go in IF it were successful, or what the German war aims would be upon invasion (where they'd hit first and then the following objectives, etc.)
Yes there was small groups of Home Guard who would have acted as for all intense and purposes as terrorists
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=103866
A Better Show does a good job of a plausible effort at Sealion I think,
Hey thanks, it's always pleasant to read comments like this.