Allied Landings in Germany

Dalmighty

I know this is highly unlikely and risky for the Allies. But..

What is the best possible location to place an amphibious invasion of Germany within Germany territory? I suppose the time-frame would be between operation overlord and the German surrender. I know certain people debated on the other German location for a hypothetical Allied invasion but still..

It doesn't have to be a primary invasion, it could be a small secondary landing, maybe after the Normandy invasions to try and get deeper into Germany and join up with the Soviets from the North or even beat them into reaching Berlin (though that would be stretching it).

Aside from spectacularly failing, what are other possible effects?
 

MattII

Somewhere in Heligoland Bay, Probably Cuxhaven, followed by a naval-supported run down the coast to Bremerhaven.
 

carlton_bach

The problem is, almost everywhere on the German North Sea coast the 10-metre line goes out to well beyond ten kilometres. Most of it also has a maze of tiny islands and tidal mudflats. The most suitable areas for a naval landing (deep water close to a wider area of the shore, no islands off the coast) are the Lübecker and Danziger Bucht, which suffer from the obvious drawback of being in the Baltic.

You will need to go either through the Elbe, Weser or Jade estuaries, not because it is good, but because it is the only area where you can hope to survive low tide. Cuxhaven is pretty much the only place where you can set up a beachhead that doesn't vary tidally by several kilometres, and it is reachable after running a single, narrow channel between sandbars for about 20 km. Down the river lies Hamburg, where U and E boats are made.

Effects. How soon can the WAllies rebuild their invasion fleet?
 
Simon

Simon

If northern Germany is out why not split the difference and invade roughly half way between there and Normandy? Say... the Frisian Islands for example. :D
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
The other issue is the purpose of such an invasion. The strategic objective of the invasion in northern France was to secure and open up for operations the major ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. Once they were open the men and supplies necessary to invade Germany could be built up. The secondary invasion in the South of France was to open the major port of Marseilles as a backup and the British had been opposed to using more than a single division for the task, seeing it as an unnecessary diversion of resources.

Quite simply what would be the objective of a landing on the German coast? Securing a German port? Any such port had been subjected to two years of unrelenting aerial bombardment and would take weeks to make operational. Providing a bridgehead to circumvent the defences of the Rhine? Anywhere on the coast of Germany would have been too far away from the Rhine to allow for a rapid link-up, worse; it would have taken forces away from those massing to cross the Rhine and would have been vulnerable to isolation and entrapment like the Anzio landings. Perhaps somewhere on the narrow neck of Denmark to isolate the German forces in Denmark and Norway? But those forces would still be able to be withdrawn by sea to the Baltic ports if the Germans wished to do so. Securing Denmark against a Red Army advance? Easier just to send forces by land.
 
Cymraeg

Cymraeg

Simon said:
If northern Germany is out why not split the difference and invade roughly half way between there and Normandy? Say... the Frisian Islands for example. :D
Click to expand...

(MEGAPHONE VOICE) Put the Frisian option down, NOW and back away slowly! Orwe'llfillyafullalead!
 

Maniakes

Off the top of my head, plausible objectives for a secondary Allied landing on the German coast some time in mid-to-late 1944:

  1. A diversion or flanking maneuver in support of the effort to clear the Channel coast and capture usable ports, although a landing around Antwerp or behind Dunkirk or Calais would probably better serve this objective.
  2. A coup de main in the event of a sudden collapse of German forces, to quickly occupy territory before either Germany regroups or the Soviets get there first. I seem to recall seeing a reference to an Allied contingency plan to land a force around Hamburg in such a case, but I can't find a link. Perhaps if the Stauffenberg plot were somewhat more successful, leaving a medium term situation where neither Stauffenberg nor Nazi loyalists had enough control to coordinate defense of the German coast.
In early 1945, a landing in Northern Germany as a diversion or flanking maneuver to aid the crossing of the Rhine might be feasible, but given the state of German forces on the Western Front by that point and the OTL progress of the Western Allies in early 1945, I doubt such a landing would give enough benefits to be worth the risks and the diversion of supplies and air support.
 
Last edited:

lionhead

carlton_bach said:
The problem is, almost everywhere on the German North Sea coast the 10-metre line goes out to well beyond ten kilometres. Most of it also has a maze of tiny islands and tidal mudflats.
Click to expand...

you can just ignore those and go straight for the mainland.:p Or you can stay on the islands and wait a few weeks, or months and attack when the tide is just right and roll your tanks over miles of... sand.:rolleyes:
 
Simon

Simon

Cymraeg said:
(MEGAPHONE VOICE) Put the Frisian option down, NOW and back away slowly! Orwe'llfillyafullalead!
Click to expand...
You'll never take me alive, copper!


Easterling said:
In fact, I think we even had a thread about this topic... :D
Click to expand...
lionhead said:
NO!!!! don't click on it! For the love of all that is holy and mercifull!
Click to expand...
FIREdevil.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top