Need for air superiority and "similar to large-scale river crossing" are noted.
Halder records:
von Greiffenberg: Matters discussed:
- Operational questions. Britain which must be dealt with separately, and the East are the primary problems now. The' latter must be viewed chiefly with reference to the requirements of a military intervention which will compel Russia to recognize Germany's dominant position in Europe. Special issues, such as the Baltic and Balkan countries may introduce some variants.
- Organization of OKH Staff. Greiffenberg must take over OQu I.
Wagner:
- Wolff-Metternich, art historian.
- Respective jurisdictions of Civil Administration and
Military Command in France.- Paris Military Headquarters
- Cuts in Staff
- Build-up of supply base France. Railroad difficulties! Setting-up of separate supply base for England unnecessary; is already taken care of by base set-up for southward drive of right wing.
von der Chevallerie reports on his Div. Problems of officer and Gen, Staff training.
von Greiffenberg -. Buhle: Operations against England.
- Paramount factors: Weather - Air superiority.
- Method: Similar to large-scale river crossing, on line
Ostend - Le Havre.- Potential beachheads s Cliffs at Dover, Dungeness and Beachy Head. Elsewhere many good landing spots, even if beaches rise at steep angles.
- First wave: six Divs. (picked units reinforced by
four Armd, Bns.)- Technical means: amphibious tanks, rafts, flamethrowing tanks, assault boats from the Rhine. - Six-barreled rocket rocket projectors not before October. - Use of chemical smoke. - Airborne landings. - Amphibious Engineers.
- Preparations:
- Special Staff Reinhard. (Must be replaced in his unit.
- Joint exercises and trials at Putlos or, better, on North Sea Coast.
- Selection of units; strength requirements, reinforcements for them.
- Air photographs of fortifications and defense preparations (Urgent!).
- Canaris.
- Signal communications.
- In our Hq: .planning staff under. Greiffenberg, in addition Buhle and a representative of Navy; also Thoma, Jacob, Brand, Thiele, Liss, Ziehlberg, Roehricht.
- Deception: Diversion by spreading of rumours. Mask actual width of jump-off frontage by propaganda and actual preparations.
- Training must be geared to the special tasks ahead.
- Appointed time: August. - Fog from middle of October onwards.
- Draft operational plans: At the earliest.
von Greiffenberg (on conference with Loyke): Navy preparations for coastal defence: Coastal Arty. will arrive very late (takes three months). Org. Todt should be called in to do their construction work. - Liaison necessary with Admiral France (Schuster). - Plans to be drawn up will embrace coast only as far as Le Havre!; further south everything will be improvisation.
Air build-up against England: AA precautions in area of AGps. B and C are. insufficient.
Buhle: Some of the specifications of the OKW directive on demobilization are utterly impracticable. Continued availability of discharged men assured only on furlough basis, not if demobilized.
Report of British-French naval action at Oran.
Final OKW communique on campaign does not mention Gen. Staff with a single word. Significant!