World War II - What if Germany invaded Ireland
- Thread starter SeanF1989
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- 1940 ireland war world war ii
Whichever German soldiers ever get on a boat die. Germany does less well somewhere else to compensate. Dublin doesn't get bombed because no Axis forces get near it.
The Unmentionable Sea Mammal doesn't work for reasons discussed in hundreds of threads before. That was to attack something 30 km away from German controlled territory. Ireland is several hundred km, and the Royal Navy hasn't gone away.
- BNC
The Unmentionable Sea Mammal doesn't work for reasons discussed in hundreds of threads before. That was to attack something 30 km away from German controlled territory. Ireland is several hundred km, and the Royal Navy hasn't gone away.
- BNC
Ireland may not be very happy about being saved from a Nazi occupation by Britain, of all countries.
Ireland won't really have a choice about it and >90% of the population would probably realise that a neighbour you have a lot of disagreements with but generally lives in peace with you and is willing to trade is quite a bit better than one who's going to murder anyone with a vaguely Jewish name and send the rest to enjoy the Eastern Front experience.
If the Germans couldn't invade Great Britain, and they couldn't, they certainly couldn't invade Ireland.
It is a highly unlikely scenario, in 1940 Germany's largest surface ships had been either sunk or were undergoing repairs following the invasion of Norway rendering Operation Sea Lion as being highly risky invading Ireland involved a greater distance with the Royal Navy which was still the most powerful navy in the world in the way and air support would be limited owing to the distance. Germany paid a high price in capturing the airfield at Crete with an airborne invasion whilst a minority of the population might have regarded the Germans as liberators they are likely to have found that German occupation would have been worse than British rule. Best to wait for De Valera to request assistance if some paratroopers manage to land. The Sharpe episode Sharpe's Sword Wellington's Spy El Mirador an Irish priest when queried about his support for the British remarks "John Bull may be a bad neighbour but Bonaparte is a bully" Mike D is effectively correct
Ireland is a great strategic naval base and unsinkable aircraft carrier for blockading and attacking Britain, the British have always feared Ireland being allied with or controlled by a continental power, and Hitler and Goering both saw Irish bases as having the potential to end the war in Germany's favour.
As said by others in the thread Nazi Germany didn't have the navy or air capabilities for an invasion of Ireland, but if they were somehow able to do so they would likely set up a collaboration government under the IRA and present themselves as liberating Ireland from the British Empire (which Ireland was still a part of in 1940). In the Irish Free State there probably would be resistance to a German occupation but if Germany supported a united Ireland then many Catholics in the North would greet them as liberators. As David Gray said when discussing with de Valera the possibility of a German invasion of Northern Ireland "If I were the Germans, I would land at these points and proclaim myself a liberator. If they should do that, what I could do, I do not know."
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Himmler and his cult friends strike a secret deal with the leprechauns and other fey creatures of Ireland and they assist using magical means to transport German forces to Ireland, while simultaneously sending fairies with leprechaun gold in front of the troops to ensure loyalty of the populace. The Death Coach is dispatched to any Irish military or political leaders who would urge resistance to the Nazis. All of the invading German soldiers are given four leaf clovers to ensure luck in battle.
The above is the only practical plan for a German invasion of Ireland in WWII.
The above is the only practical plan for a German invasion of Ireland in WWII.
ASB if I ever heard of one they never had the naval power or amphibious lift capacity to even think about landing on Ireland
Ah, no, Great Britain suddenly forming an alliance with Nazi Germany would also do the trick (and would solve the issue of transport capacities), although to be honest your approach with leprechauns and faeries is far more realistic.
thaddeus
Donor
OK ...
Plan Kathleen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_Kathleen called for airborne invasion of Northern Ireland, part of planning was chaos and part somewhat detailed planning by Germans.
what if they staged an invasion, attacked RAF bases, they marched south to surrender to Ireland. would this farce be enough to cause UK to occupy entirety of Ireland?
would it be costly enough for British to offset use of Irish ports? (leaning towards "of course not" but have no detailed knowledge of Irish politics, maybe even a "friendly" occupation would create problems?)
Plan Kathleen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_Kathleen called for airborne invasion of Northern Ireland, part of planning was chaos and part somewhat detailed planning by Germans.
what if they staged an invasion, attacked RAF bases, they marched south to surrender to Ireland. would this farce be enough to cause UK to occupy entirety of Ireland?
would it be costly enough for British to offset use of Irish ports? (leaning towards "of course not" but have no detailed knowledge of Irish politics, maybe even a "friendly" occupation would create problems?)
IIRC, and I'd welcome any Irish posters to confirm, but during the war the Irish government sent messages to both Britain and Germany to the effect that they would resist with all they had the first country to move troops into their territory but would actively help and assist the second. I don't have any reason to doubt they meant it.