Unmentionable Sea mammal with lots more U boots

[FlyingDutchman]

He certainly has an imagination.

Amazing. He thinks the Germans could build an improvised bridge at least 34 kilometers long within 30 minutes every consecutive night uninterrupted.

I guess that means the third night - by sheer practice - they can do it in 15 minutes?

 

[karl2025]

If Germany had hundreds of U-boats, would they even bother with Sealion? Why not just send the boats into the Atlantic to devastate supply convoys and wait for Britain to starve into submission?

Bingo. Why invade when you don't have to?

 

[Enigmajones]

U-Boots? *Thinks of Subs with Trunks*

 

[MattII]

Hm, could you get a few more subs into play by building them in cities up the major rivers and then just floating or piloting them down later? Or would U-Boat manufacturies get noticed even there?

 

[b12ox]

The problem with german war economy was the more they build the more the allies build to destroy what Germans have just built. In the end it was just a matter of economy.

 

[eltf177]

Getting sufficient crews and training them is also going to be a problem...

 

[Bernard Woolley]

The keyword being 'try'.

Especially if they are traveling at speed.

 

[King Augeas]

Amazing. He thinks the Germans could build an improvised bridge at least 34 kilometers long within 30 minutes every consecutive night uninterrupted.

I guess that means the third night - by sheer practice - they can do it in 15 minutes?

I quite like the causeway idea there. Let's see, a causeway 31 km long, 50 m high, 50 m across at the top and 150 m across at the bottom has a volume of 170 million cubic metres and a mass around 425 Mt. The infernal Nazi conveyor belts will be able to deposit 5 tonnes of rubble per second, that's over 400,000 tonnes per day. So, under three years for Mein Causevay to be built!

Obviously some material will be lost to storms and tides, especially in the awkward last few km where the already strong tidal currents will be magnified, so add a bit more for that. Then there's the problem of shelling and bombing destroying the conveyor belts and blasting material from the causeway. Clearly the answer is some sort of 30-km long, 10-m thick mobile reinforced concrete shelter to protect the workings.

Could it really be so simple?

 

[BlondieBC]

Hm, could you get a few more subs into play by building them in cities up the major rivers and then just floating or piloting them down later? Or would U-Boat manufacturies get noticed even there?

More, yes. There is always a way to squeeze out a few more of anything in an ATL. If you can't find a way to make 1% or 2% more of something, you have found the perfect logistical/manufacturing leader.

Germany had a tendency to build to many different types of equipment, tinker constantly for improvements, and not do long production runs. These are easy to change technically, and if changed, they easily give you 10-20% more U-boats. And the Germans can put more ship workers on U-boats, fewer on surface ships.



The 4-5 times asked for in this TL is not really doable. Look at how long it took to ramp up in WW1 for the Germans. So a lot depends on what you mean by few.

Getting sufficient crews and training them is also going to be a problem...

Even in WW1 with a large professional navy, it was a challenge. In WW2, it took the USA time to find the quality captains and officers needed for a submarine.

 

[Michel Van]

I think that more U-boats had not make change on Operation Sealion

One major problem for U-boats are the relatively shallow and restricted parts of the English Channel, were the German U-boats can not reach them diving.
another problem in Operation Sealion
they needed Transport thousand of tons of equipment and move 67000 soldiers over the Channel !
they had to build hundreds special transport and landing boats for that, here would be a production downfall on U-boats and battleships...