WI Operation Sledgehammer went ahead?

Operation Sledgehammer was an Allied plan for a limited cross-channel invasion of Europe to take place in 1943. The prime objective was to capture the port of either Cherbourg or Brest to establish a defensible foothold and staging area for an invasion force in northern France. The US favoured this option over Operation Husky (the Allied invasion of Sicily), but the British opposed it since Churchill favoured the soft underbelly strategy into Italy which was the weakest and most vulnerable of the European Axis powers and because there weren't enough landing craft. It was abandoned in favour of Operation Torch and later the Dieppe raid showed the difficulties in capturing a port with determined enemy resistance.

Suppose Roosevelt had pressed through what they wanted and Operation Sledgehammer had taken place somewhere in late 1942 or early 1943 instead of OTL's Operation Torch. What would have happened? I see some immediate problems. First, the balance in air power will be less favourable to the Allies. This way, German panzers in northern France could be able to launch a big counteroffensive and push the Allies back into the sea. Second, this invasion force would be smaller due to less landing craft being available. Third, it relies on capturing a port which Dieppe later showed to be very difficult.

The operation is likely to fail IMHO which could postpone any invasion of north Africa and later Italy for many months. With the balance in the air more equal, the Allies will lose more landing craft, ships and troops. This has potential to be a catastrophe for the Allies (although not an insurmountable one). I'm not sure whether the Allies would try again after such a debacle.

What do you think?
 
It fails badly, Chruchill will likely have to go through another vote of no confidence which he may very well lose and in Ameria there will be strong reviews of whether the war is being conducted correctly. Stalin screams bloody murder.

It will take at least a year for another invasion of Europe to be ready.

However if you want to read a TL where Sledgehammer succeeds click the link in my sig ;)
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
IIRC, Sledgehammer was the proposed plan to invade France in 1942, not 1943, and that it was cancelled in favor of the landings in North Africa.
 
It was supposed to happen when OTL's Torch happened so late 1942 is about correct. I assume they would take more prep for an invasion of France so early 1943 is also plausible IMO.
 

terence

Banned
It was supposed to happen when OTL's Torch happened so late 1942 is about correct. I assume they would take more prep for an invasion of France so early 1943 is also plausible IMO.

Operation Roundup was the cross-channel invasion plan set for March 1943.
Sledgehammer was never more than contingency plan, sub-set of Roundup, to be implemented in 1942 if there was a sudden collapse the Russians.
It has been rumoured that the Dieppe Raid that included 50 American Rangers taken along for the US's first taste of European combat was purposely allowed to go ahead to prove to the Americans just how much work still had to be done.
 

Markus

Banned
Sledgehammer 1942 is DOA. The USA has waaaaaay too few troops and the UK waaaaaay too much brains to try this.

Roundup 1943 will end very similar as the majority of the ground troops is still British. If it´s launched somehow anyway, I´m unsure how it will end. On the one hand the ports are fortified, on the other hand: "Who would expect this?"

I guess it all comes down to control of the air. In case the allied margin of superiority is slim, the advance will be stopped and an orderly withdrawal might be required. No idea how the situation in the air might be with no "Torch".
 
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