Why did Hitler refuse to land in England?
A German Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4B fighter-bomber in flight over the English Channel. 1940.
General situation
After the defeat of France, the "Hitlerite European Union" grew significantly stronger. The Nazis captured nine states: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and the free city of Klaipėda (Memel). They controlled over 100 million people.
The Third Reich gained significant military and economic resources. In particular, the defeat of Czechoslovakia made it possible to arm nine divisions. The developed military-industrial complex of Bohemia now served the German Reich. Czech workers labored faithfully for the Nazis until the very end of the war.
France provided the Germans with even more resources. The trophies were colossal and allowed them to arm 30 to 40 divisions, hundreds of artillery units, tank, security, reserve, and garrison units. Thousands of French vehicles compensated for the critical equipment shortage in German formations.
Berlin was given the opportunity to form entire divisions from volunteers, collaborators, and local nationalists. Although the Führer was in no hurry to do so, believing he could quickly defeat the Russians. Hitler also refrained from turning Germany and all of Europe into a military camp or carrying out a total mobilization of industry and people, believing that the available forces and resources would be sufficient for a blitzkrieg in the East.Why did Germany start World War II?).
On July 31, 1940, at a meeting of the highest military leadership in Berlin, Hitler tasked the development of a plan to "destroy Russia's vital force." He scheduled the operation for the spring of 1941. The Führer returned to his old plans for "expanding Lebensraum in the East." As early as August 1940, the transfer of units from France to the East began.
Preparations for war with Russia were carried out in complete secrecy. Even their allies—Fascist Italy and the Japanese Empire—were not fully informed of their plans.
A flight of Messerschmitt Bf.109E fighters from the 26th Fighter Squadron "Schlageter" in flight over the English Channel. August 1940.
German Heinkel He-111 bombers take off from an airfield on the English Channel coast. Battle of Britain.
England's "peace proposal"
True, there was still Britain. Hitler believed that after the defeat of France, he would easily make peace with the British. He offered Britain easy terms: London would retain its colonial empire, the most powerful fleet in Europe, that is, control over sea communications. And the British had to recognize the German conquests in Europe.
In the summer of 1940, Britain's situation was dire. The Germans controlled the coasts of Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, and northern France, allowing them to build up their surface and submarine fleets and air force, threatening Britain itself and disrupting its sea lanes. Without raw materials and provisions from the colonies and dominions, and under blockade, Britain was doomed to defeat.
There was also a real threat of invasion and occupation of Britain itself. In accordance with the Operation Sea Lion plan, the Nazis concentrated up to 4 ships in the ports of occupied countries, capable of transporting a 500-strong force. According to German General Karl Tippelskirch, two armies—25 divisions—were concentrated in Belgium and Northern France. With their second-line forces and reserves, the Germans could field 39 divisions, plus significant air and naval forces.
The moment for a strike was extremely favorable. In August 1940, London had only five combat-ready divisions to defend the metropolis. The units rescued from Dunkirk were demoralized mobs, having lost their heavy weapons and equipment, all supplies and equipment. Time was needed to restore them to order. The forces needed to defend the vast coastline were very limited. Patrols with hunting rifles had to be deployed. But time passed, the shattered troops were rebuilt, and new units were formed. By mid-September, the number of combat-ready divisions had grown to 16. The window of opportunity was closing.
In 1942, Churchill acknowledged that German elite forces could wreak "lethal devastation in our ranks." However, he had no intention of surrendering, even if England itself were lost, and proposed continuing the war by relying on the vast colonial empire and the dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland). The authorities of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand also insisted on continuing the war.
At the same time, Britain itself had a strong pro-German wing that wanted to officially make peace with the German Reich. They said, "Let them fight the Russians, and then we'll see." Hitler and Ribbentrop established contacts with this party. Peace proposals were voiced personally by the Führer and were sent through neutral countries.
In particular, negotiations were conducted through the American envoy Heath. The Germans stated that they did not wish to see the British Empire dissolved. They proposed that Roosevelt initiate Anglo-German peace negotiations. On Hitler's behalf, the German envoy, G. Wohlthat, proposed an alliance of the three northern nations—Germany, Britain, and the United States. In this case, the British would have to renounce their interests in Europe.
On the other hand, Hitler exerted military pressure to force Britain into peace. Thus, until October 1940, the German Luftwaffe actively waged an air war against England.
The British requested military assistance from the United States. The Americans were more than happy to begin selling off their pre-produced mountains. weaponsIn the summer of 1940, they transferred a large quantity of small arms, approximately 200 cannons. They also agreed to supply England with some of the production of their military aircraft factories, which was intended for the American armed forces.
Pilots of No. 85 Squadron RAF scramble to their Hurricane fighters at Debden Airfield, a satellite of RAF Castle Camps, July 1940.
Gunners of the coastal battery "A" of the 527th (Hampshire) coastal regiment artillery Taking up combat positions during a training alert. A 9,2-inch gun is shown in the frame. August 1940.
"Strange War" - continuation
As World War II scholars note, the plan for the invasion of the British Isles, unlike the attacks on Poland, France, and later Russia, was very strange and "uncertain." The objectives and instructions were accompanied by caveats—"if necessary..." and "if the need for this remains..." Hitler himself wavered, alternately offering peace, both officially and unofficially, and making threats.
Representatives of the army, navy and aviation They couldn't find common ground. The admirals remembered the British naval superiority in World War I, and now the situation was even worse. The navy was being rebuilt almost from scratch, and land and air programs were the priority. Germany simply didn't have the resources to quickly build a powerful navy. The pilots, led by Göring, on the other hand, greatly overestimated their capabilities. They believed the Luftwaffe alone could bring Britain to its knees. The army command was skeptical; such large-scale amphibious operations had never been undertaken. What if the British were able to defeat the amphibious assault? The specific nature of war with a maritime power frightened the generals.
Even after the plan was approved, debate continued. The naval command, led by Admiral Raeder, believed that time had already been lost. Autumn storms were approaching, which would disrupt the landing. Even if the landings were successful, the subsequent weather would hinder the delivery of reinforcements and reserves, disrupting supplies to the forward forces. Complete air supremacy was also required, which had not been achieved.
On August 15, 1940, Göring launched Operation Eagle. He launched three air fleets against Britain: Field Marshal Kesselring's 2nd Fleet, Field Marshal Sperrle's 3rd Fleet, and General Stumpf's 5th Fleet. A total of 1300 bombers and 950 fighters. The initial strikes targeted airfields and other military installations, which was wise. But the Luftwaffe command made a mistake—it underestimated the relatively new weapons, the system. Defense, radars, and pilot alert stations. The radar station was subjected to one serious attack and then left alone.
As a result, the British detected the enemy in a timely manner and managed to dispatch aircraft to intercept them. This allowed them to engage the enemy with a smaller force, maneuver, and transfer aircraft from one area to another. The British pilots fought desperately. The Germans suffered heavy losses. Thus, the 5th Air Fleet, based in Scandinavia, was withdrawn from the battle.
But the British were also struggling. Pilots flew several sorties a day, becoming exhausted. Over the course of a month of fighting, British fighter aircraft lost over 450 aircraft and a quarter of their pilots. German losses were somewhat lower. This means that Germany could have crushed the British Air Force and gained air superiority.
British Spitfire fighters in the skies of England, 1940.
However, both sides soon changed priorities – they began bombing cities. The Germans had already destroyed a significant portion of the enemy's airfields, and then the Führer's order was to bomb the cities. Terrorism had no effect; it only served to unite the nation. The British air defense and the Royal Air Force gained a respite and were able to restore damaged airfields and radar stations.
The Nazi bombing of London. Bombs fall near the famous St. Paul's Cathedral.
The British also managed to steal a German cipher machine and create a decryption device. They gained the unique ability to read encrypted German radiograms, orders, reports, and other documents. This system, dubbed "Ultra," was kept top secret. Decrypted data was passed only to Churchill and the high command of the armed forces. The British prime minister personally decided how to use this information. The obtained data was always concealed, disguised as having been obtained by conventional intelligence, agents, and so on.
German sailors complained that they lacked the necessary landing resources. The British air force and navy were indeed ravaging ports in the English Channel and France. As a result, Hitler first postponed the start of the amphibious operation to late September, and then to early October. And when he began receiving reports of destruction in England and panic in London, the Führer decided there was no need to risk it. Why amphibious forces if air strikes would crush the British anyway?
A flight of German Dornier Do.17Z bombers en route to Great Britain, 1940.
Hitler's circle included plenty of Anglophiles who considered Britain a role model—an ideal "Eternal Reich" with an ideology of racism, the "white man's burden," and concentration camps for "subhumans." An empire that, on its path to world domination, exterminated millions of indigenous peoples of America, Africa, India, Australia, etc. It unleashed dozens of wars, “dividing and pitting” peoples and countries against each other.
There were also plenty of agents of the "global backstage" working for London and Washington. Arguments against the landing operation were supplied to the Führer by Abwehr chief Canaris (who worked for the British), the pro-Western wing of the generals, who were reluctant to fight Britain (and even earlier, France), diplomats, and senior figures of the Third Reich, such as Hess and Bormann. They believed that the Anglo-Saxons were a Germanic, kindred nation that had previously helped the Nazis seize power in Germany and Europe. The war with Britain was declared a tragic mistake, a misunderstanding.
At the same time, Canaris fed Hitler disinformation about the Soviet Union and its defensive strength. Russia's defensive potential was greatly underestimated! Russian railway capacity, military production, and mobilization resources were halved or even tripled. The Red Army was considered weak, supposedly unable to defeat even the Finns outright. Clearly, the Führer was still being pushed eastward.
As a result, the opportunity to take England with one bold and swift strike was lost. On October 12, Operation Sea Lion was cancelled, at least for 1940.
Adolf Hitler on his 52nd birthday. From left to right: Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, and Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. April 20, 1941.
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