SubscribetoPewdsToday
Banned
It was a strategic base for the Allies in the Atlantic. Would the Axis navy be able to invade it?
Would a Nazi invasion of Iceland be feasible?
- Thread starter SubscribetoPewdsToday
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What Axis navy? An airborne invasion is probably the only way this would work and that would require a neutral US and Britain. Maybe a neutral Canada as well.
Invade? Yes, just as they were able to invade Spitzbergen. Hold? No. It's not as bad as Sealion, but that doesn't make it feasible.
Could a relatively small number of Nazi soldiers land by submarine, yes. Could any paratroopers make it there, possibly. Once there, enjoy the thermal springs - even assuming there are no Us or British troops there, they can't be reinforced or re-supplied and once the USA or Uk decides they want it back...
thaddeus
Donor
along the same lines, Adm. Raeder schemed a u-boat base on Faroe Islands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_occupation_of_the_Faroe_Islands
if they had a more robust navy that might have been seized along with Norway. at about half the distance of Iceland from Bergen, Norway, it might at least be feasible to re-supply by air and u-boat? (but the British built the first proper airport)
if they had a more robust navy that might have been seized along with Norway. at about half the distance of Iceland from Bergen, Norway, it might at least be feasible to re-supply by air and u-boat? (but the British built the first proper airport)
Yep, they just cross Bifrost bridge on their magical horses and land on Reyjavik in just a couple of hours
But seriously though: no Navy big enough, no way of supplying, no aerial support = Sea Lion all over again
Also, very likely that the Americans get in the war early
But seriously though: no Navy big enough, no way of supplying, no aerial support = Sea Lion all over again
Also, very likely that the Americans get in the war early
Philip
Donor
The UK must be neutral/non-belligerent or defeated for this to have any chance.
I think the best chance is an early to-be-determined POD that places a collaborating government in Denmark prior to the invasion of Poland. Germany could 'encourage' Denmark to 'invite' German forces to help maintain the peace in Iceland. Still, this encirclement of the British Isles may be too much to ignore and provoke war.
I think the best chance is an early to-be-determined POD that places a collaborating government in Denmark prior to the invasion of Poland. Germany could 'encourage' Denmark to 'invite' German forces to help maintain the peace in Iceland. Still, this encirclement of the British Isles may be too much to ignore and provoke war.
The Germans do not have the naval assets to do an invasion of Great Britain.
Imagine trying to invade Iceland which is further away with insufficient escort ships and no aircraft carriers.
Imagine trying to invade Iceland which is further away with insufficient escort ships and no aircraft carriers.
Even if the ASBs put a few battalions of Germans on Iceland, how do they keep them supplied? Long range FWs could reach there, but their capacity is pretty minimal, and how do you refuel them? How do the Germans on Iceland keep the British or Americans from landing troops elsewhere on the island - too many places to do this, the US/UK has absolute maritime superiority and aircraft carriers, and trying to giuard all the potential landing areas with any force the Germans might put on Iceland is impossible.
I'd say Iceland was much more lightly defended than Britain - at least by land. The British Isles have the benefit of the Home Fleet, which could crush anything the Germans threw at it, but even Iceland had a couple of British squadrons in the area, so making the landing would have been incredibly difficult.
So an invasion would be possible, but not feasible, and it would certainly be unsustainable, especially in the face of a British blockade. Holding Iceland was the key for blocking the GIUK Gap to the Germans, and they'll be damned if they let a few goosesteppers take it from them.
So an invasion would be possible, but not feasible, and it would certainly be unsustainable, especially in the face of a British blockade. Holding Iceland was the key for blocking the GIUK Gap to the Germans, and they'll be damned if they let a few goosesteppers take it from them.
thaddeus
Donor
that was my consideration about the Faroes, it would be a more feasible project due to proximity, size, and population. (not likely but at least feasible)
not sure what caliber guns would be required to stall its recapture? seems as though they would have to sacrifice (maybe WWI-era) ships to cannibalize to fortify themselves in? (and lose other ships defending their conquest)
Iceland could be stormed in the opening phase of any Scandinavian invasion with a regiment or two ...in fact such an operation was indeed planned, Icarus I think it was.
RN was pretty useless back then and could not prevent such a move . They couldn't find anything in the heavy seas around the UK, which is why most blockade runners got back to Germany in the first year of the war. Likewise most single merchant vessels could sortie to Iceland and get through , since they were relatively invisible on the open seas full of other merchant vessels -neutral or otherwise. The degree to which they could return would depend on RN/KM efforts to interdict them or KM counter moves.
Type II U-Boat could be valuable in isolating Iceland from RN intervention, but dispatching anything more would be a loss to the commerce war. RN/RM could raid Iceland at a cost to both sides, but USA would never get involved - due to Roosevelt refusal to budge , until Gallop poll results shifted dramatically...which didn't happen until weeks/months after Pearl Harbour.
RN was pretty useless back then and could not prevent such a move . They couldn't find anything in the heavy seas around the UK, which is why most blockade runners got back to Germany in the first year of the war. Likewise most single merchant vessels could sortie to Iceland and get through , since they were relatively invisible on the open seas full of other merchant vessels -neutral or otherwise. The degree to which they could return would depend on RN/KM efforts to interdict them or KM counter moves.
Type II U-Boat could be valuable in isolating Iceland from RN intervention, but dispatching anything more would be a loss to the commerce war. RN/RM could raid Iceland at a cost to both sides, but USA would never get involved - due to Roosevelt refusal to budge , until Gallop poll results shifted dramatically...which didn't happen until weeks/months after Pearl Harbour.
@ PSL : Really?? The Germans manage to send enough transports with men and materiel and supplies from Germany through the North Sea to Iceland without being spotted (sending one ship won't do it). These ships manage to send one or two to tie up at the port and unload - no amphibious landing capability at all for the Germans you know - and now occupy at least around the port and capital. BTW are you sending these merchants unescorted or with some warships. If you only send one ship btw how do a couple of hundred soldiers with no heavy equipment manage to keep Iceland? Once the UK twigs to this, how do you keep whatever troops you have there supplied - and don't forget you'll not have any air support to help repel any invasion. The Germans can't pull off a "Red Storm Rising" scenario. Once the first German troops land, they are isolated.
nbcman
Donor
RN was useless? Even when the RN was at disadvantage, they inflicted more casualties on the KM such as the 1st Battle of Narvik. Even the boneheaded loss of HMS Glorious had the RN inflicting sufficient damage on one of the Twins and a subsequent sub attack to put both of them out of action for months.