Operation Sea Lion, the Luftwaffe, the Kanalkampf and the Battle of Britain - the Defence of Britain in 1940 and Air Power in World War 2

Abstract

Historians usually consider that if the Germans had carried out Operation Sea Lion and invaded Britain in 1940, the invasion would have been defeated by the Royal Navy. This belief is supported by a wargame conducted by the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1974. However, if the Germans had carried out the invasion correctly it could have been successful as bombing and landings on the south coast of England would have meant the British would lose the benefits of radar. RAF Fighter Command operating without radar would not be able to provide adequate air cover for Royal Navy ships in the English Channel. Without adequate air cover the Royal Navy will be forced out of the English Channel by attacks from the Luftwaffe as warships in World War 2 cannot survive under constant air attack.