A Different Dunkirk

Our POD is when the Halt Order is being discussed on May 24, 1940 by Adolf and his flunkies.

Adolf is adamant that the Halt Order on the Panzers stands because he want to show his Generals that he and only he calls the shots. As it stands, the Panzers have several bridgeheads over the Aa Canal.

Here is a map showing the situation:

dunkirk.jpg


Fatso Goering has a conversation with him and tries to convince him that the Luftwaffe can handle things from here and wipe out the Dunkirk Beachhead and prevent the BEF and French Army elements from escaping. Adolf asks for a weather report, which does not look good. He asks Herman about the effectiveness of bombing sandy beaches and how much anti-shipping experience his pilots have. Not liking the answers he gets, he ponders his options. The LW can not prevent an evacuation on its own, and he does not want to send in the Panzers. What options are left? He comes to his decision......

He assembles his staff and tells them to send in every Motorized Infantry asset available. This includes, but is not limited to:

2nd Motorized Infantry Division
13th Motorized Infantry Division
20th Motorized Infantry Division
29th Motorized Infantry Division
All SS Motorized Assets (3 Divisions?)
(What am I missing here?)

The goals of this force is as follows:

A. Capture Dunkirk post haste.
B. Destroy or drive all Allied Forces out of the area north and east of the Yser river including Nieuport.
C. Hold this ground against any and all Allied counterattacks.

There is to be no let up on the pocket. The Panzers will basically hold the west end of the pocket and chase the allies as required while doing the required maintenance on their Tanks and other vehicles for Fall Rot. The Motorized Infantry will clear out everything North and West of the Yser and prevent an evacuation. Hitler keeps his Generals under his thumb and shows them that he and only he is the GFHAZ.

Effectively there is no Halt Order on May 24. 1st and 2nd Panzer will continue the push until the Motorized Infantry shows up to carry the ball, and then the Panzers will halt and do Maintainence.

My questions are:

1. Is this force sufficient to accomplish the stated goals?
2. What other "non-panzer" assets would be required, if any?
3. Could such a plan prevent the evacuation of the BEF and the Frenchies that got away in OTL?

Right now, I am just looking for input if this is possible. If someone wants to run with this and create a story, feel free.

Thoughts?
 
If those divisions were available on the 24th and they attacked, they would be more than enough to accomplish the task. British had nothing to stop them. Not until late on the 25th did the British have anything like what they needed to put a brake on the German advance. Once the German divisions cut across the rear of the British, it brings the whole house down. The Belgians would probably surrender quicker. The British wouldn't have the troops to cover their backs near the coast AND the hole left by the Belgians. It would take them even longer to form up anything for a breakout attempt. IN that time, their supplies would be shrinking and the Germans would be digging in even deeper.
Results, whole BEF and French force is lost. German's suffer fewer losses and are able to turn south a few days quicker. French in south have less time to prepare, they have fewer troops (since some of the troops captured at Dunkirk would have been dropped off in south). Southern France falls more quickly. Additional British troops in southern France have less time to get to coast and they are also lost. France falls quicker. A number of French, Polish and Czech pilots aren't able to get out, making the Battle of Britain a more close run thing. As many Polish troops aren't able to get out as well. Weaker Britain, kicks Winnie because of loss of BEF.
Lord Halifax asks for cease fire. End of WWII. Germany now doesn't need to use resources for U Boat fleet, America supplies Germany with food, supplies and oil.
Russia is now a bigger nut to crack but its now one on one.
 

Deleted member 1487

Also IIRC historically the halt order only applied to Panzer divisions, not to motorized infantry.
 
Results, whole BEF and French force is lost. German's suffer fewer losses and are able to turn south a few days quicker. French in south have less time to prepare, they have fewer troops (since some of the troops captured at Dunkirk would have been dropped off in south). Southern France falls more quickly. Additional British troops in southern France have less time to get to coast and they are also lost. France falls quicker. A number of French, Polish and Czech pilots aren't able to get out, making the Battle of Britain a more close run thing. As many Polish troops aren't able to get out as well. Weaker Britain, kicks Winnie because of loss of BEF.
Lord Halifax asks for cease fire. End of WWII. Germany now doesn't need to use resources for U Boat fleet, America supplies Germany with food, supplies and oil.
Russia is now a bigger nut to crack but its now one on one.

This won't work, at least not as you've written it. Victory in the BoB, even if more marginal, secures Churchill's position and we go straight to OTL with US entry inevitable. You need to stop Churchill getting in and avoid the BoB, as Germany isn't really capable of winning it with her understanding of British air defences and aircraft industrial capacity.

It's possible that losing the BEF could allow Halifax to gain power instead. It's very difficult to say how likely this is because it's a political issue at a time of crisis, but it's certainly possible. Now comes the hard bit - you need Halifax and Hitler to agree terms. Good luck with that! The British trump card is still the blockade, even if leaky, and it will not be a case of "accepting German gains in exchange for peace and the return of the BEF". Hitler will probably have to offer to retreat from threatening territories - the Channel coast and Norway, for example. This may or may not be acceptable to him. If it isn't, then we stay at war with the blockade up and Germany cut off from overseas markets, which is a situation that suits Britain better than Germany. Most likely is that negotiations drag on for months.

If a deal can be made, then great. US imports will be very valuable. But, politically, Britain and the US will remain hostile and the invasion of the USSR - if it happens - will demonstrate the untrustworthiness of Hitler yet again. Britain will certainly supply Russia and may even re-enter the war, in which case the blockade returns and we're back to OTL. Mostly, anyway - in this case the few months of imports and lack of losses in the BoB will certainly help Germany, but OTOH Stalin's suspicions might be directed towards Hitler...
 
I may be mistaken but, IIRC, the Blitzkrieg was supposed to seize fuel from the French towns and villages that it over-ran.

Didn't happen. Refugees 'filled their tanks' before fleeing, locals sabotaged the pumps and/or pipes.

Uh, not in same league, but I remember a 'village' 'filling station' in what-was Yugoslavia whose electric pump had failed. The garage guy had the front off the unit, a crank handle on the shaft, was manually dispensing five (5) litres to each customer. Hand-pulling beer speed. IIRC, we drove very, very frugally for the next hour or so...

Remember the 'Inter-War' joke about a 'Roadster' stopping to refill in a small village ? 'Would you turn off your engine, Sir ? You're gaining on me !'
 
Top