Post by person67 on Mar 1, 2021 17:35:52 GMT
21st July 1940:The first joint services conference on the invasion of Britain is attended by Admiral Erich Raeder, Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch and Hans Jeschonnek, chief of staff of the Luftwaffe. After initial debate on Operation Sea Lion with Raeder arguing it hadsvery little prospect of success due to the Royal Navy operating out of Portsmouth. A raid on the Isle of Wight is proposed as a prelude allowing the Germans to drive the Royal Navy out of Portsmoutn and Southampton via artillery. If the raid fails limited amounts of troops will be lost and it doesn't present a significant propaganda loss while if the Germans succeed Sea Lion becomes more realistics. Hitler orders preperations for Operation White Lion to be developed as a prelude to Sea Lion.
22nd July- 30th August: The Battle of Britain begins with the Luftwaffe attempting to gain aeriel superiorty over Kent and Sussex as a prelude to an invasion but the RAF hold firm against them and maintain air parity over the region. In preperation for White Lion the Kreisgmarine move the destroyers Z15 Erich Steinbrinck, Z5 Paul Jacobi, Z10 Hans Lody, Z14 Friedrich Ihn and Z20 Karl Galster to Cherbourg. Elements of the 141st Mountain Hunting Regiment of the 6th Mountain division requisition sturmbootes which would have originally been used for Sea Lion. Eugen Meindel and the 1st Air landing Storm Regiment moved to Cherbourg – Maupertus Airport. On the 29th August at dawn, the destroyers practice offloading their sturmbootes and troops onto the Beach of Collignon, the exercise showed that the offloading procedure could be conducted sufficiently quickly. Photographic reconnaissance adapted Messerschmitt Bf 109's overflew the island on the 29th August September getting pictures of the Sandown and Bembridge area.
31st August 1940: On an almost moonless night at 02:30 on the 29th September the Z15 Erich Steinbrinck, Z5 Paul Jacobi, Z10 Hans Lody, Z14 Friedrich Ihn and Z20 Karl Galster set off from Cherbourg- Octveille each containing a company of troops taken from the 141st, each destroyer contains twelve sturmbootes. They set off at twenty eight knots on a course twenty degrees from north. The journey is uneventful with them encountering no vessels.
At 5:30, a fighter sweep by the Jagdgeschwader 27 took off. At 5:40, Ju 52's of the Luftlandegeschwader 1 take off, forty of them carrying paratroopers while ten of them carrying DFS 230 gliders. RAF Ventor pick up the incoming Me Bf-109's at 7:05 and the Ju 52's at 7:15 but mistook the Ju-52's for Heinkel He 111's attempting to raid Portsmouth or Southampton and an air raid warning was called for much of the region. At 5:40, Ju 88's of Kampfgeschwader 51 operating out of Caen take off. Ju 87s of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 take off from Caen at 6:00. Flying at cruising speed the Ju 52's arrived at 06:15 as the sun rise, gliders are dropped along with paratroopers.
Five gliders aim for the Yaverland and the Culver Downs battery each. Some of the gliders managed to place themselves on top of the batteries. Still in their air raid shelters the batteries defenders were captured unarmed and completely by surprise. Two gliders were badly damaged on impact though leading to three dead and five wounded. The paratrooper battalion landed around Bembridge airport and after an uncoordinated but aggressive attack from all sides the airfield was captured leaving several German paratroopers dead and wounded. It is only at 6:30 does Beak receive word that German paratroopers had landed, he passed the message onto Portsmouth command who got ready to sortie out if word came of German vessels in the region. At 6:20 with the Culver Downs and Yaverland Batteries captured, the German destroyers arrived at Sandown and Shanklin beach and moved as close as their drafts would let them. The destroyers rolled cargo nets down and lowered sturmbootes down the ship via block and tackle. The first landings begin at 6:30 as the sun rises.
Each destroyer disembarked seventy two men in their first wave scrambling down cargo nets. The Luftwaffe initially dropped smoke to obscure the movement of the boats to the beaches. From there the Germans moved off the beaches rapidly and engaged the single company of the Black Watch's sixth battalion defending it. Ju 88's and the destroyers attacked British bases of fire and the sole company fell back from the beach after half an hour of fighting leaving around a hundred Germans dead. Bey's destroyers don't bother to recover the sturmbootes and leave the beach at full speed as soon as the second wave are clear by 7:00 rapidly heading back to Cherbough- Octeville. Portsmouth command's destroyers set out at 7:15 and chase Bey's destroyers for around an hour before turning back as Bey's destroyers are faster than the destroyers of Portsmouth command. Leaving two companies to defend Sandown and Shanklin the rest of the mountain troops moved to link up with the paratroopers at Bembridge. They continue to engage elements of the Black Watch's sixth battalion and the Home Guard.
17th September- 28th September 1940:
29th September 1940:
Landings
At 04:30 on the 29th September the Z15 Erich Steinbrinck, Z5 Paul Jacobi, Z6 Theodor Riedel, Z10 Hans Lody, Z14 Friedrich Ihn, Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt and Z20 Karl Galster set off from Cherbourg- Octveille each containing a company of troops taken from the 141st, each destroyer contains twelve sturmbootes. They set off at twenty eight knots on a course twenty degrees from north. The journey is uneventful with them encountering no vessels.
At 6:10, a fighter sweep by the Jagdgeschwader 27 took off. At 06:20, Ju 52's of the Luftlandegeschwader 1 took off, forty of them carrying paratroopers while ten of them carrying DFS 230 gliders. RAF Ventor picked up the incoming Me Bf-109's at 7:05 and the Ju 52's at 7:15 but mistook the Ju-52's for Heinkel He 111's attempting to raid Portsmouth or Southampton and an air raid warning was called for much of the region. At 6:30, Ju 88's of Kampfgeschwader 51 operating out of Caen take off. Ju 87s of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 take off from Caen at 7:00. Flying at cruising speed the Ju 52's arrived at 07:05 as the sun rose, gliders were dropped along with paratroopers.
Five gliders aim for the Yaverland and the Culver Downs battery each. Some of the gliders managed to place themselves on top of the batteries. Still in their air raid shelters the batteries defenders were captured unarmed and completely by surprise. Two gliders were badly damaged on impact though leading to three dead and five wounded. The paratrooper battalion landed around Bembridge airport and after an uncoordinated but aggressive attack from all sides the airfield was captured leaving several German paratroopers dead and wounded. It was only at 7:20 did Beak receive word that German paratroopers had landed, he passed the message onto Portsmouth command who got ready to sortie out if word came of German vessels in the region. At 7:20 with the Culver Downs and Yaverland Batteries captured, the German destroyers arrived at Sandown and Shanklin beach and moved as close as their drafts would let them. The destroyers rolled cargo nets down and lowered sturmbootes down the ship via block and tackle. The first landings begin at 7:30 as the sun rises.
Each destroyer disembarked seventy two men in their first wave scrambling down cargo nets. The Luftwaffe initially dropped smoke to obscure the movement of the boats to the beaches. From there the Germans moved off the beaches rapidly and engaged the single company of the Black Watch's sixth battalion defending it. Ju 88's and the destroyers attacked British bases of fire and the sole company fell back from the beach after half an hour of fighting leaving around a hundred Germans dead. The second wave was down by 8:00. Bey's destroyers don't bother to recover the sturmbootes and leave the beach at full speed as soon as the second wave are clear by 8:30 rapidly heading back to Cherbough- Octeville. Portsmouth command's destroyers set out at 8:45 and chase Bey's destroyers for around an hour before turning back as Bey's destroyers were faster than the destroyers of Portsmouth command. Leaving two companies to defend Sandown and Shanklin the rest of the mountain troops moved to link up with the paratroopers at Bembridge. They continue to engage elements of the Black Watch's sixth battalion and the Home Guard.
At 8:00, Alan Brooke head of the home forces is informed of the German landings and ordered all forces to move to a general alert. He sees this as a potentially diversionary attack and is initially unwilling to move any reserves to the Isle of Wight. Beak ordered his brigade to regroup at Newport while leaving elements of the Blackwatch to engage the Germans. At 11:30, Luftlandegeschwader 1 having refuelled and taken on new troops sets off for the Isle of Wight with another battalion escorted by I and II Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 2. The mountain troops link up with the paratrooper's by 12:00 and started to march towards St Helens and to clear Bembridge town.
At 12:15 picked up by RAF Ventor Luftlandegeschwader 1 is attacked by the RAF and loses five aircraft and almost one hundred troops before jumping onto the Nodes Point battery and capturing it after fighting with dozens of German soldiers killed in fighting at Nodes Point. At 13:30 a company of paratroopers occupied Bembridge town proper defended only by the Home Guard. At 14:30, the battle for St Helens started with a company of the Home Guard and the Blackwatch defending St Helens. Lasting for some three hours the Germans captured St Helens and have Bembridge Harbour under full control. German troops begin digging in as the night falls.
In the air, Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 begin attacks at 7:30 on Cowes and Fishbourne aiming for ferries which could be used to move troops across the Solent. The ferries lacking armour or anti- aircraft armament are easy targets and a number are sunk. After a first sortie they set out again at 12:00 but this time encounter RAF fighters and lose nine of the forty five aircraft involved in the attacks and no ferries are hit.
At 20:30, Bey's destroyers set out with another battalion from Cherbourg while torpedo boats escort fast cargo ships Moltkefels and Niedenfels. With the Moon almost new the Kreigsmarine avoid Royal Navy destroyer patrols and Bey's destroyers offload another battalion of mountain troops via Sturmboote at Shanklin and Sandown beach during the night while Moltkefels and Niedenfels make it into Bembridge Harbour where they each offload a Panzer Company, an artillery battery, a flak battery, engineers, vehicles and supplies. All ships make it away from the Isle of Wight before dawn.
1st September 1940: Outnumbered and with the Germans having moved tanks in over night Beak finds himself outnumbered. He moves the 2nd battalion of the Fusiliers to Ryde to defend it against German attack and keeps the 1st Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment at Newport while the Blackwatch skirmish.
With four battalions, armour and artillery on scene Schorner moves to start occupying the rest of the island. In the south, concerned that RAF Ventor is giving the RAF to much warning a company from the 141st regiment march at dawn to take the Shanklin downs and make an approach on RAF Ventor. Although they make it onto the Shanklin downs once they come within five hundred meters of RAF Ventor they are pinned down by fire from the bunker before noon. One of the artillery guns is brought to Church Road and starts firing on RAF Ventor and knocks several transmitters out of alignment. Unable to fix them while under fire from the Germans, the RAF personnel remain in the bunker.
In the north, German paratroopers move westward and form a line along Monktonmead brook after coming under fire from the defending Ryde. Auchinleck decides to move the 11th Infantry brigade to the Isle of Wight but most ferries can only carry infantry and so some of their artillery is left behind as they start the move but not being able to complete it for a number of days. The RAF start attacks on Bembidge airport and harbour but with minimal accuracy as they encounter Luftwaffe patrols.
2nd September: Another destroyer and fast cargo ship convoys are run overnight with a minor clash resulting in two Torpedo boats sunk in the darkness and shrapnel damage to British and German destroyers. Another battalion and more combined arms arrived. In the south mountain troops march from Shanklin to Godshill, Beak has to move the Queen's Own Royal West Kent from Newport to block their advance. Another battalion from the Luftlande Storm Regiment is landed at Bemrbidge airport. Paratroopers outflank Ryde and the British are forced to retreat to Fishbourne. The guns at Yaverland and Culverdown and Nodes Point are brought back into working order and are crewed.
3rd September 1940: The arriving 11th Infantry brigade join the battle attempting to hold a line from Havenstreet to Newport. In fierce fighting Panzers manage to force a hole through forcing the 11th Infantry Brigade to fall back. With German troops pushing to Blackwater north of the Fusiliers and Queen's Own Royal West Kent they are forced to fall back and form a line from Cowes to Newport to Blackwater and then down to Chale. The Germans halt their advance with their guns now in range of Southampton and Portsmouth. The first 15cm gun battery arrives.
5th September 1940: A German artillery battery at Ryde starts shelling Portsmouth protected by heavy earth walls. Portsmouth command attempts to launch counter battery fire but fails to score any hits with plunging fire.
8th September 1940: At East Cowes, German artillery opens up
22nd July- 30th August: The Battle of Britain begins with the Luftwaffe attempting to gain aeriel superiorty over Kent and Sussex as a prelude to an invasion but the RAF hold firm against them and maintain air parity over the region. In preperation for White Lion the Kreisgmarine move the destroyers Z15 Erich Steinbrinck, Z5 Paul Jacobi, Z10 Hans Lody, Z14 Friedrich Ihn and Z20 Karl Galster to Cherbourg. Elements of the 141st Mountain Hunting Regiment of the 6th Mountain division requisition sturmbootes which would have originally been used for Sea Lion. Eugen Meindel and the 1st Air landing Storm Regiment moved to Cherbourg – Maupertus Airport. On the 29th August at dawn, the destroyers practice offloading their sturmbootes and troops onto the Beach of Collignon, the exercise showed that the offloading procedure could be conducted sufficiently quickly. Photographic reconnaissance adapted Messerschmitt Bf 109's overflew the island on the 29th August September getting pictures of the Sandown and Bembridge area.
31st August 1940: On an almost moonless night at 02:30 on the 29th September the Z15 Erich Steinbrinck, Z5 Paul Jacobi, Z10 Hans Lody, Z14 Friedrich Ihn and Z20 Karl Galster set off from Cherbourg- Octveille each containing a company of troops taken from the 141st, each destroyer contains twelve sturmbootes. They set off at twenty eight knots on a course twenty degrees from north. The journey is uneventful with them encountering no vessels.
At 5:30, a fighter sweep by the Jagdgeschwader 27 took off. At 5:40, Ju 52's of the Luftlandegeschwader 1 take off, forty of them carrying paratroopers while ten of them carrying DFS 230 gliders. RAF Ventor pick up the incoming Me Bf-109's at 7:05 and the Ju 52's at 7:15 but mistook the Ju-52's for Heinkel He 111's attempting to raid Portsmouth or Southampton and an air raid warning was called for much of the region. At 5:40, Ju 88's of Kampfgeschwader 51 operating out of Caen take off. Ju 87s of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 take off from Caen at 6:00. Flying at cruising speed the Ju 52's arrived at 06:15 as the sun rise, gliders are dropped along with paratroopers.
Five gliders aim for the Yaverland and the Culver Downs battery each. Some of the gliders managed to place themselves on top of the batteries. Still in their air raid shelters the batteries defenders were captured unarmed and completely by surprise. Two gliders were badly damaged on impact though leading to three dead and five wounded. The paratrooper battalion landed around Bembridge airport and after an uncoordinated but aggressive attack from all sides the airfield was captured leaving several German paratroopers dead and wounded. It is only at 6:30 does Beak receive word that German paratroopers had landed, he passed the message onto Portsmouth command who got ready to sortie out if word came of German vessels in the region. At 6:20 with the Culver Downs and Yaverland Batteries captured, the German destroyers arrived at Sandown and Shanklin beach and moved as close as their drafts would let them. The destroyers rolled cargo nets down and lowered sturmbootes down the ship via block and tackle. The first landings begin at 6:30 as the sun rises.
Each destroyer disembarked seventy two men in their first wave scrambling down cargo nets. The Luftwaffe initially dropped smoke to obscure the movement of the boats to the beaches. From there the Germans moved off the beaches rapidly and engaged the single company of the Black Watch's sixth battalion defending it. Ju 88's and the destroyers attacked British bases of fire and the sole company fell back from the beach after half an hour of fighting leaving around a hundred Germans dead. Bey's destroyers don't bother to recover the sturmbootes and leave the beach at full speed as soon as the second wave are clear by 7:00 rapidly heading back to Cherbough- Octeville. Portsmouth command's destroyers set out at 7:15 and chase Bey's destroyers for around an hour before turning back as Bey's destroyers are faster than the destroyers of Portsmouth command. Leaving two companies to defend Sandown and Shanklin the rest of the mountain troops moved to link up with the paratroopers at Bembridge. They continue to engage elements of the Black Watch's sixth battalion and the Home Guard.
17th September- 28th September 1940:
29th September 1940:
Landings
At 04:30 on the 29th September the Z15 Erich Steinbrinck, Z5 Paul Jacobi, Z6 Theodor Riedel, Z10 Hans Lody, Z14 Friedrich Ihn, Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt and Z20 Karl Galster set off from Cherbourg- Octveille each containing a company of troops taken from the 141st, each destroyer contains twelve sturmbootes. They set off at twenty eight knots on a course twenty degrees from north. The journey is uneventful with them encountering no vessels.
At 6:10, a fighter sweep by the Jagdgeschwader 27 took off. At 06:20, Ju 52's of the Luftlandegeschwader 1 took off, forty of them carrying paratroopers while ten of them carrying DFS 230 gliders. RAF Ventor picked up the incoming Me Bf-109's at 7:05 and the Ju 52's at 7:15 but mistook the Ju-52's for Heinkel He 111's attempting to raid Portsmouth or Southampton and an air raid warning was called for much of the region. At 6:30, Ju 88's of Kampfgeschwader 51 operating out of Caen take off. Ju 87s of the Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 take off from Caen at 7:00. Flying at cruising speed the Ju 52's arrived at 07:05 as the sun rose, gliders were dropped along with paratroopers.
Five gliders aim for the Yaverland and the Culver Downs battery each. Some of the gliders managed to place themselves on top of the batteries. Still in their air raid shelters the batteries defenders were captured unarmed and completely by surprise. Two gliders were badly damaged on impact though leading to three dead and five wounded. The paratrooper battalion landed around Bembridge airport and after an uncoordinated but aggressive attack from all sides the airfield was captured leaving several German paratroopers dead and wounded. It was only at 7:20 did Beak receive word that German paratroopers had landed, he passed the message onto Portsmouth command who got ready to sortie out if word came of German vessels in the region. At 7:20 with the Culver Downs and Yaverland Batteries captured, the German destroyers arrived at Sandown and Shanklin beach and moved as close as their drafts would let them. The destroyers rolled cargo nets down and lowered sturmbootes down the ship via block and tackle. The first landings begin at 7:30 as the sun rises.
Each destroyer disembarked seventy two men in their first wave scrambling down cargo nets. The Luftwaffe initially dropped smoke to obscure the movement of the boats to the beaches. From there the Germans moved off the beaches rapidly and engaged the single company of the Black Watch's sixth battalion defending it. Ju 88's and the destroyers attacked British bases of fire and the sole company fell back from the beach after half an hour of fighting leaving around a hundred Germans dead. The second wave was down by 8:00. Bey's destroyers don't bother to recover the sturmbootes and leave the beach at full speed as soon as the second wave are clear by 8:30 rapidly heading back to Cherbough- Octeville. Portsmouth command's destroyers set out at 8:45 and chase Bey's destroyers for around an hour before turning back as Bey's destroyers were faster than the destroyers of Portsmouth command. Leaving two companies to defend Sandown and Shanklin the rest of the mountain troops moved to link up with the paratroopers at Bembridge. They continue to engage elements of the Black Watch's sixth battalion and the Home Guard.
At 8:00, Alan Brooke head of the home forces is informed of the German landings and ordered all forces to move to a general alert. He sees this as a potentially diversionary attack and is initially unwilling to move any reserves to the Isle of Wight. Beak ordered his brigade to regroup at Newport while leaving elements of the Blackwatch to engage the Germans. At 11:30, Luftlandegeschwader 1 having refuelled and taken on new troops sets off for the Isle of Wight with another battalion escorted by I and II Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 2. The mountain troops link up with the paratrooper's by 12:00 and started to march towards St Helens and to clear Bembridge town.
At 12:15 picked up by RAF Ventor Luftlandegeschwader 1 is attacked by the RAF and loses five aircraft and almost one hundred troops before jumping onto the Nodes Point battery and capturing it after fighting with dozens of German soldiers killed in fighting at Nodes Point. At 13:30 a company of paratroopers occupied Bembridge town proper defended only by the Home Guard. At 14:30, the battle for St Helens started with a company of the Home Guard and the Blackwatch defending St Helens. Lasting for some three hours the Germans captured St Helens and have Bembridge Harbour under full control. German troops begin digging in as the night falls.
In the air, Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 begin attacks at 7:30 on Cowes and Fishbourne aiming for ferries which could be used to move troops across the Solent. The ferries lacking armour or anti- aircraft armament are easy targets and a number are sunk. After a first sortie they set out again at 12:00 but this time encounter RAF fighters and lose nine of the forty five aircraft involved in the attacks and no ferries are hit.
At 20:30, Bey's destroyers set out with another battalion from Cherbourg while torpedo boats escort fast cargo ships Moltkefels and Niedenfels. With the Moon almost new the Kreigsmarine avoid Royal Navy destroyer patrols and Bey's destroyers offload another battalion of mountain troops via Sturmboote at Shanklin and Sandown beach during the night while Moltkefels and Niedenfels make it into Bembridge Harbour where they each offload a Panzer Company, an artillery battery, a flak battery, engineers, vehicles and supplies. All ships make it away from the Isle of Wight before dawn.
1st September 1940: Outnumbered and with the Germans having moved tanks in over night Beak finds himself outnumbered. He moves the 2nd battalion of the Fusiliers to Ryde to defend it against German attack and keeps the 1st Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment at Newport while the Blackwatch skirmish.
With four battalions, armour and artillery on scene Schorner moves to start occupying the rest of the island. In the south, concerned that RAF Ventor is giving the RAF to much warning a company from the 141st regiment march at dawn to take the Shanklin downs and make an approach on RAF Ventor. Although they make it onto the Shanklin downs once they come within five hundred meters of RAF Ventor they are pinned down by fire from the bunker before noon. One of the artillery guns is brought to Church Road and starts firing on RAF Ventor and knocks several transmitters out of alignment. Unable to fix them while under fire from the Germans, the RAF personnel remain in the bunker.
In the north, German paratroopers move westward and form a line along Monktonmead brook after coming under fire from the defending Ryde. Auchinleck decides to move the 11th Infantry brigade to the Isle of Wight but most ferries can only carry infantry and so some of their artillery is left behind as they start the move but not being able to complete it for a number of days. The RAF start attacks on Bembidge airport and harbour but with minimal accuracy as they encounter Luftwaffe patrols.
2nd September: Another destroyer and fast cargo ship convoys are run overnight with a minor clash resulting in two Torpedo boats sunk in the darkness and shrapnel damage to British and German destroyers. Another battalion and more combined arms arrived. In the south mountain troops march from Shanklin to Godshill, Beak has to move the Queen's Own Royal West Kent from Newport to block their advance. Another battalion from the Luftlande Storm Regiment is landed at Bemrbidge airport. Paratroopers outflank Ryde and the British are forced to retreat to Fishbourne. The guns at Yaverland and Culverdown and Nodes Point are brought back into working order and are crewed.
3rd September 1940: The arriving 11th Infantry brigade join the battle attempting to hold a line from Havenstreet to Newport. In fierce fighting Panzers manage to force a hole through forcing the 11th Infantry Brigade to fall back. With German troops pushing to Blackwater north of the Fusiliers and Queen's Own Royal West Kent they are forced to fall back and form a line from Cowes to Newport to Blackwater and then down to Chale. The Germans halt their advance with their guns now in range of Southampton and Portsmouth. The first 15cm gun battery arrives.
5th September 1940: A German artillery battery at Ryde starts shelling Portsmouth protected by heavy earth walls. Portsmouth command attempts to launch counter battery fire but fails to score any hits with plunging fire.
8th September 1940: At East Cowes, German artillery opens up