Could the RN have done much to stop a German invasion in 1942?

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It's an interesting intellectual exercise. Of course, any invasion by it's very nature would be noticed by the build up of barges and ships. Lets assume the Germans get their ships back from France, joining Tirpitz to make 3BB, 2 PB and 2 CA's as a squadron.

Home Fleet in February 1942:

BB King George V, Duke of York, Malaya
BC Renown
CV Victorious, Argus
CA Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, London, Berwick, Cumberland

This does not include large numbers of ships transferred East in February 1942, or ships under refit or repair.

The Twins are BB???

Surely BC
 
The RN called them battlecruisers. But the RN also, at various points, called the G3s, KGVs and Vanguard battlecruisers, so I think they just liked the name. ;)
 
Could the Royal Navy have done much to stop a German invasion of the UK in 1942?
The RN still had substantial light forces available, and given the threat of invasion could pull additional forces back from either the Med or the Atlantic Convoys.

Of cause, the big issue is, unlike the Channel Dash, an invasion cannot happen out of the blue. The Germans need to make detailed plans; move troops and transports; go through exercises to make sure the troops and transports are prepared. Quite simply the British are likely to months of warning... you plan on moving in Feb, the British have likely know you're up to something since November 1941, with resulting changes to their own deployments.
 
February.

Barges. In the English Channel. in February...

But on the other hand, lot's less of air support. Oh, wait...

But fog will certainly help them to avoid the RN... And the British Isles too... so...

Shorter days and longer nights wo... Oh, wait...

Yap, they are sc*ewed in 1942 even more than in 1940. Not taking into account there are a lot more and better armed troops in UK at that point.

One funny thing to try would be to have the Germans attempt invasion on or about November 5th... :D
 
February.

Barges. In the English Channel. in February...
I don't suspect the RN would need to do much at all in such circumstances, but I reckon a half flotilla of destroyers from Pompey, and another half from Chatham could do plenty of damage. No need to even fire guns really, just plough through the area the barges are in at top speed, and the wash from the DDs would probably get rid of a lot of barges. Using anything like torpedoes or shells would be cheating a bit.
 
They wouldn't be using barges at this point, or not many, so some actual gunfire would be necessary. Fortunately, this would be fairly easy since the targets would be so big and slow.
 
The twins annoy me to no ends when it comes to classifying capital ships. Battleships have big guns and thick armor, but not speed. Battlecruisers have big guns and speed, but not thick armor. The twins have speed and armor, so what does that make them? :confused:
 
Not to mention all the artillery on the coast with everything from mortars up to 15 and even an 18 inch guns/howitzers with known targeting. You don't have to hit the barges/landing craft just have to get close enough.

IIRC the British developed shrapnel shells for guns up to 15 inches in WWI, imagine these being fired overhead of the troops in the barges.

And don't forget the US Navy does have some ships in the local waters by this time. If the Tirpitz doesn't come down from Norway they could cover it.
 

CalBear

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The twins annoy me to no ends when it comes to classifying capital ships. Battleships have big guns and thick armor, but not speed. Battlecruisers have big guns and speed, but not thick armor. The twins have speed and armor, so what does that make them? :confused:

With 11" guns?

A waste of steel.
 
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