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To: abb
Had Hitler not held up the drive and trapped and captured the BEF, would an invasion of England succeeded?

I have to think the Germans would have been more likely to try it, at least. It would still have been a dicey operation but if they could have somehow established a bridgehead there would have been less resistance.

9 posted on 05/18/2010 5:13:10 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

At the very least the Brits may have been more willing to sue for peace.


22 posted on 05/18/2010 6:47:21 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

First, if the took Dunkirk, the Germans would have had almost 300,000 British prisoners [give or take] as a bargaining chip [along with most of the British Army’s heavy equipment]. So invasion might not have been necessary.

However, the idea of a quick invasion wasn’t going to happen. One: No plan in place. Two: The commander of the German airborne was hors de combat [friendly fire] in Rotterdam. Three [and most critically] the German navy had taken a pounding in Norway. 50% losses in destroyers, The loss of three cruisers sunk, one damaged. One battlecruiser damaged. And, more importantly, no transports, or dedicated LCs in numbers needed to support a large enough force of infantry over a large enough area to gain a beach hold, and soon after a port [neeeded to move in Armor and heavy equipment].


25 posted on 05/18/2010 6:58:42 AM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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