Why did Hitler not invade Britain?

Call Me Bwana

A successful invasion of Britain was predicated on gaining air superiority. Air superiority was considered necessary because without it, any gathering of troop transports or other naval flotillas would be threatened by air attack. Not just on the invasion day, but every day they were in port being readied for action and filled with material.

The Battle of Britain in 1940 was all about Hitler trying to gain air superiority, but the British valiantly fought them off.

Losing the Battle of Britain, with massive loss of aircraft and aircrews, caused the invasion plan, Operation Sealion, to be abandoned.

Ravin

It wasn't for lack of trying. He tried many times, mostly by way of the Luftwaffe. He caused a lot of damage and death, but was still fought off by the brave efforts of the RAF and the vigilance of the British in general.

The Landlord

Some silly answers on this!

After the fall of France, The RAF prevented the Lutwaffe from gaining air supremacy over Southern England, and the Royal Navy would have slaughtered any invasion fleet.
The Germans were planning an invasion (Operation Sealion), but Hitler wasn't all that serious about it. He was already in 1940 thinking ahead to having a go at the Soviet Union, which he did the following year. He expected Britain to pack it in and talk our way our of the war, and maybe even one day come and join in fighting the Sovs.
There, in a nutshell, the truth.

Or, if you like; he did try, but had got the right paperwork and could't get past Passport Control at Dover

rotorhead

He couldn't gain control of the air. That is what the Battle of Britain was about. Without it, he had no hope of launching an assault across the English Channel.

Mike W

He failed to gain air superiority over Britain. Without that, the invasion would have faltered.

booman17

Because they used Blitzkrieg, or " lightning war ". The English Channel was in the way of moving their troops and tanks and did not have the necessary time and ships to organize an amphibious invasion. Look at how long it took for the D-Day operation to be planned and executed. If there were a land bridge connection to Great Britain, he would have been there as soon as he swept through France.

blissman

He tried to but was pushed back.
If my history is correct, i think the Germans did actually take over Jersey and Guernsey in 1940. They built most of the coast roads and sea defences that you see there today.
They also built an underground hospital.
This is the only part of Britain that the Germans actually occupied.

darrell m

2 problems
1) he never gained air supremacy.
2) he lacked the naval support to get across the English Channel.

halsca

Germany couldn't defeat the British Air Force to the degree where they could have air supremacy. Invading a country without it is suicide.

Originally Hitler targeted only British airbases. Things were going well, at one point the English air force was down to only 200 planes.

Then a flight of German bombers accidentally bombed London. In retaliation Churchill ordered Berlin bombed. Hitler wigged it and ordered the destruction of London which gave the beleaguered RAF time to rebuild and change strategy.

After suffering heavy losses and causing little strategic damage to the British war machine the Germans finally gave up on the idea of invading England and turned their attention to the Soviet Union.

Nice Guy

He chose instead to invade Russia.The mistake that lost the war for Germany.If he had honored the non aggression treaty with Russia.He would have tried.He did invade the channel Islands.

Andrew W

The invasion of Britain was called Operation Sealion, the Nazi's prepared barges and various transports with which to get their army to the UK.

Unfortunately the Royal Navy stood in their way, if they entered the channel the RN could rip them to shreds.

In order to defeat the Navy, they first had to defeat the RAF, so that they could bomb the Navy.

The Area defense system of the RAF, along side radar, the aircraft, and their crews (The Few), meant that the Luftwaffe, despite having a 4 to 1 advantage lost.

The codeword for Nazi invasion "Cromwell" was never issued, and in 1941 Hitler cancelled Operation Sealion and decided Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of Russia) was a better prospect.

He was wrong.

sosgez

Fighting on too many fronts at once.
He didnt get air supremacy.

PaddyRanger

As mentioned Sealion was cancelled when a) Adolf knew he did not have air superiority b) invaded russia instead

Korky

Because the RAF backed by the royal navy firstly stopped him getting air or sea supremacy over the English channel, in the battle of Britain, I might be wrong but the Germain invasion plan was called operation Sea Lion I think.

LedZeppelinBen - AM

Read 'Mein Kampf' the book he wrote while he was in prison.

One of his main desires was to become an ally of Great Britain, even after Britain had declared war he still held out hope of an alliance.

Then there's also the whole 'Battle of Britain' thing, they wouldn't have done anything without having control of the sky, they didn't manage this so couldn't invade.

brian L

Hitler didn't have a navy capable of destroying or driving off the royal navy thus he would need his air force to drive off the royal navy unfortunately for Hitler the royal air force prevented the Luftwaffe from doing this. so any attempt to cross the channel would have been slaughtered by the royal navy and air forces. This is the only real reason why Hitler didn't invade Britain.

kisser

Lost the battle of Britain and then got stuck into the Russians!

nosdda

The German Army occupied France in 1940. D-Day did not occur until 1944 (june 6th.). Hitler had planned to invade Britain long before the fall of France. By 1941 an invasion By the german army was possible and all ports on the french coast were ready to cross the channel. However he needed Air superiority to succeed. It was left then, to Herman Goering who was in charge of the German Air force to clear the skies before the invasion.and to bomb the british into surrender. It was only the courage of the RAF fighter pilots that won what is known as the Battle Of britain. The German Air force suffere such heavy losses in aircraft that the invasion of Britain was Cancelled. It was then that Hitler turned his attention to the invasion of Russia which was the beggining of the end for his Third Reich.

Cimon

They could and they would(someone said they didn't have time...why? did they have other pressing engagements?)
In reality Hitler didn't want war with England,and,once the Germans arrived at the sea(Abeville) there was no plan as to what was the next step;(strange,in June 1940 General Paulus was instructed in absolute secrecy to prepare plans for the invasion of USSR,one whole year before it took place,but no plan for the invasion of England existed!).The plan for the operation "Sea Lion"was a plan drawn in a hurry,and the OKW wanted as an Indispensable condition the obtaining by the Luftwaffe air-superiority over England,not really a requirement since what was needed was air-superiority against the beaches where the landings would be made.That would have forced the RAF to fight over the beaches wich were in range for the German fighters taking off from French airports and the Luftwaffe would have achieved local superiority.
It is obvious that Hitler didn't have the will for reasons he only new.

johnblock

He probably waited till he could buy us out.
This is what is happening today.

Carlos

He tried to invade Britain many times but since the sea was in between both forces he couldn't successfully land. Hitler bombed the hell out of England though. A lot of historians I've talked to about WWII have told me that if Hitler wouldn't have attacked the Soviet Union then he would've conquered Britain and the rest of Western Europe.

NackNicks

He got as far as the channel islands- if that partially counts as invasion of Britain..
The only way he could get troops into Britain was by wiping out as many servicemen at Dunkirk then to gain air superiority over the channel and Britain.
Defeated in the Battle of Britain he could not gain this power over the air and could not gain the chance to send in airborne soldiers, as coastal landings would be too much of a risk!
Also as his armies were stretched at different fronts, the risk was not worth taking.
Companies of captured soviet soldiers were formed, i could have understood if he made an effort in invading with those, although they were poorly trained. His only alternative while Britain was forced back onto its own land was to bomb the main industrial cities to reduce manufacturing.

frankturk50

Because he could'nt?

news hound

First and foremost because then we were still an island,Plus, air supremacy. Plus excellent propaganda, Use.
The barrier of the English channel
, Plus, he made a terrible mistake in invading Russia,
Plus he was insane not listening to his generals,
Plus the main one of course we did not let him

Vince M

DIDN'T? He tried. Thanks to the Valor of the RAF (Royal Air Force) Pilots and the legendary Spitfire they couldn't get a Nazi foot solider to the shores of Britain. The only thing Hitler landed on British soil is a few good numbers of V1 Flying Bombs.

Dr Longenstrong

as they didn't have enough time and we beat them back they only got to the channel islands, technically they did invade with spies trying to destroy the economy buy having fake money into the banks etc

Zimbamexoleda

I heard hitler had an admiration for the brits and considered them and germans one in the same.

not sure though, maybe he had no time.

The One

Because how brave boys wouldn't let him they are the only true heroes we have

Lenny

Well, they tried in 1940, during the Battle of Britain and they were beaten off. Also, they were overstretched on the Russian front.
If the US hadn't entered the war when it did, things may have been different (see D-Day)
Perhaps there were other factors I don't know. Hitler had some affinity to Britain which he didn't to France or Poland for example and was bowled over by royalty - not his special relationship with Edward V11. Perhaps he thought there was a chance we would be on his side??
Thank God he was wrong.

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