If the RAF had lost the Battle of Britain, could the Royal Navy stop any German invasion?

With out air power the Royal Navy would have been badly hit by the Stuka's.

Probably not, assuming the state of the German navy remained similar to that after the invasion of Norway. In fact we can look to Norway and Crete to some extent to examine what it would have been like without air-power. Half decent planning and preparation in any of these cases should have gave the Germans a much Bloodier nose than they actually got, both were Pyhrric victories. They couldn't afford another one.

However, if Germany would have concentrated their resources against Britain rather than attacking the Soviet Union perhaps they could have cut off the convoys, bomb the commercial shipping ports and quickly build Eboats to protect their supplies for a cross channel invasion around 1942. Judging by the complications during D-day, and the stubbornness of the Royal Navy, a landing would have been no easy feat though.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

If the RAF had lost the Battle of Britain, could the Royal Navy stop any German invasion?

I doubt they could have stopped any determined landings by the Germans but they would have caused absolute havoc amongst the landing and resupply vessels which would have been a great leveler on land.

I also believe that when we talk of the RAF being defeated in the Battle of Britain we are really only talking about the Luftwaffe gaining air superiority over the potential invasion areas of southern Britain as they simply did not have the long range fighter available to gain total air superiority, because of this I believe that any landings would have still been contested by the RAF from bases further north.

Would it have been possible for the Germans to assemble a flotilla basically equal to what the allies used on D day. Then, with the Navy that they had at the time, screen it and supply landing support to the invasion?

I think the British Navy would have played hell with the flotila. I would think the burning ships and constantly shifting of vessels would make it hard for the Luftwaffe to distinguish targets. Especially if destroyers were laying smoke and maneuvering threw the flotilla against lightly protected barges, troop carriers, and supply ships.
I also think the RAF while hurting badly could do a lot of damage to the flotilla while ignoring German war ships.

I think the D Day invasion was infinitely more successful because it was unopposed. There was no significant German Navy or Air Force to do much damage.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

If the RAF had lost the Battle of Britain, could the Royal Navy stop any German invasion?

The Germans could've attempted it, but look at Operation Sea Lion realistically. It was basically a one way trip, gamble thrust, with limited re-supply, aiming to take London (& therefore all of England?)

Given the situation at the time, the invasion would have established a beach head and porbably got to London - after that who knows? By the way has anyone read SS-GB by Len Deighton, nice take on the possibility.

A lot of interesting points have been raised.

I think the tenacity of the RN would have made such an impact on invading forces, that such an attack would in all probability fail even if the Luftwaffe had command of the air. But then Monty raised a good point regarding the other groups in fighter command to the north, but also 10 group in the west of England.

However, had the German forces actually managed to get boots on the ground in England, they would have faced tremendous opposistion not only from what ground troops that were left, but from the civil population. Also lets not forget the thousands of WW1 vets who were more then capable of giving a good account of themselves.

I recall a situation during the German invasion of Norway, members of a Norwegian rifle club caused so many casualties among the invading forces, they were forced to pull back and regroup.

Dont think so.

Though the British Navy has always been pushing the envelope, it can only go so far.

Without strong, sturdy air support, i dont think the Navy would have been able to stop a large invasion. Though a small-medium one might be a struggle, they could have pulled it off.

They certainly could not have done much about an airborne invasion, a la Crete.

I guess that this is the staunch British supporter in me coming out, with a touch of reality.

Yes the Germans could and would've got boots on the ground.

Could it have been sustained - I think not. I am proud of my nation but do have our down side - stubborn and obdurate amongst them; for this reason I feel that the UK (& I mean all of it) would have been a counter insurgency nightmare to the Germans.