Amphib Ops, Brit Best Options 1914-18

Glenn239

matzeskatze said:
China was at that moment the whipping boy of the world. A big "Chance" waiting for the bold "white" man. Never mind the "Japs", they are our "pets".
(Sorry very snarky)
Click to expand...

Respecting neutral territory was a yes/no thing - if the Entente would invade China, then the Entente would invade anywhere it felt it must. If so, Moltke was right about Belgium.

And Greece was bullied by bot sides. In the end the Entente used force first. And invaded. But never doubt the big bad Hun would have done the same, just read the report that my propaganda.
Click to expand...

Not to get too diverted from the topic, but the curious thing about the Central Powers was that they had clear shots at pre-emptive invasions of both Greece and Rumania after the fall of Serbia, but elected in both cases to await their aggression.
 

Tallil2long

Glenn239 said:
Unless France had been forced to invade it, then presumably it would have counted for about as much as the invasion of Greece....
Click to expand...

I really do suspect Britain would've interpreted its commitment toward Belgium differently if France had been the aggressor.
 

matzeskatze

Glenn239 said:
Not to get too diverted from the topic, but the curious thing about the Central Powers was that they had clear shots at pre-emptive invasions of both Greece and Rumania after the fall of Serbia, but elected in both cases to await their aggression.
Click to expand...
See, see the bad, unconstitutional, monarchistic, socialistic, ..., mumble, mumble Germans. They had plans to militariely use everything. The Entente knew it and just was faster and better :cool:.
So what are the bad bullies of the Mittelmächte complaining. Our "inteligence" departments have shown clearly how they would have done it. They stopped our Glorious Empire from our great Inter African Railway and trounced our long time friends the French in 71. They had clearly ambitions above their station... like ... the good Englishman of Auld.
 

Glenn239

matzeskatze said:
See, see the bad, unconstitutional, monarchistic, socialistic, ..., mumble, mumble Germans. They had plans to militariely use everything. The Entente knew it and just was faster and better :cool:.
So what are the bad bullies of the Mittelmächte complaining. Our "inteligence" departments have shown clearly how they would have done it. They stopped our Glorious Empire from our great Inter African Railway and trounced our long time friends the French in 71. They had clearly ambitions above their station... like ... the good Englishman of Auld.
Click to expand...

I think a case can be made that if the CP had kept up with the pre-emptive invasion thing - looking at you Italy, Rumania and Greece - that it could have considerably improved its material position by blitzing these powers before they had properly mobilized.
 

Kevin C. Smith

Carl Schwamberger said:
At risk of topic drift, it would be nasty trick to 'fake' a amphib op vs the N Sea islands off Frisia, just to draw out the HSF into a ambush.
Click to expand...

No, no...I believe that the butterflies have declared them to be an offshore marine sanctuary for unmentionable sea mammals. Ships that sail into there are abducted by alien space bats and never heard from again.
 

Deleted member 9338

What of the reverse, the Germans launching a battalion sized raid on the English coast in late 1914 early 1915. The British held back two Divisions from the BEF because of this concern.
 

Glenn239

jony663 said:
What of the reverse, the Germans launching a battalion sized raid on the English coast in late 1914 early 1915. The British held back two Divisions from the BEF because of this concern.
Click to expand...

Geography works against the British - the German coast is narrow and was heavily fortified. The British coast is long and unfortified.
 

Saphroneth

Banned
Glenn239 said:
Geography works against the British - the German coast is narrow and was heavily fortified. The British coast is long and unfortified.
Click to expand...
And the British have a rather larger navy which would be very interested in a grand fleet battle. (There was a lot of upset that Jutland wasn't another Trafalgar.)
Could be interesting...
 

Deleted member 9338

As a raid you do not need the entire HSF close to the coast. Just the Battlecruisers or cruisers. If the GF gets interested the HSF may have the opportunity to engage a position of the Royal Navy.
 

cpip

Saphroneth said:
And the British have a rather larger navy which would be very interested in a grand fleet battle. (There was a lot of upset that Jutland wasn't another Trafalgar.)
Could be interesting...
Click to expand...

It depends on exactly when in the war; the Royal Navy frequently sought a large fleet engagement, but, of course, only on its terms, as did the German fleet... which is why it took until Jutland until there was anything close to a grand fleet engagement: neither side was able to get the fight they wanted.

In that context, an attempted landing on the British coastline might just be seen as something in the style of the "tip and run" bombardments that had been attempted. A limited amount of the fleet would be escorting the landing, while the rest of the German fleet remained just out of sight, hoping that if the British sent a force down to engage, they could win an immediate fight and then get away before the whole Grand Fleet showed up.

It does have the disadvantage of being slower than the other raids, though, which were just "lay mines, lob shells, get out".
 

Glenn239

Saphroneth said:
And the British have a rather larger navy which would be very interested in a grand fleet battle. (There was a lot of upset that Jutland wasn't another Trafalgar.)
Could be interesting...
Click to expand...

Raids could presumably take the form of destroyers and light cruisers landing parties at night and embarking them again by daylight. No real place in that for dreadnought battle fleets.
 

Deleted member 9338

I see the raids as being a little longer in duration. Land at night and do the pick up the same way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top