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The only service pushing Sea Lion [on a much smaller scale] was the Kriegsmarine. The German Army had no stomach for it, which was one of the reasons they devised a plan of such large scope [troops and area] that the Navy would be unable to support [the losses in Norway, particularly German destroyers and cruisers].

In theory, they could have done it IF the Luftwaffe had gotten control of the skies over southern England. As Crete showed, the Luftwaffe had the potential to make mincemeat of the Royal Navy in the confined area of the Channel. If the Germans had scaled back the invasion force to something more manageable, there was little in Britain to stop them [most of the British Army's heavy equipment was on the beaches of Dunkirk].

In one of the alternate history books written on the subject, the Germans used minefields on both flanks of the landing zone to slow down the Royal Navy, and Fallschirmjaeger and Mountain troops to make the initial assault, followed up by a couple of Panzer Divisions [one with Rommel as GC], and some mechanized infantry. "Leg infantry was brought in by boat and aircraft. The Luftwaffe flew from captured airfields in southern England against the Channel and the FEBA. In that scenario, the Germans won.

re :In one of the alternate history books written on the subject, the Germans used minefields on both flanks of the landing zone to slow down the Royal Navy.

I read that book, it was called Invasion.

The Problem with that book was that the Germans had all the luck everything they planned went right, everything the British did went wrong.

If you look at Dunkirk the same time frame, the Luftwaffe had total control of the air, and yet they only sank six British warships, warships that were stationary.

In an invasion, its not only important to get the initial assault ashore but the follow up waves as well as supplies.

The German Navy did not have enough mine laying capacity and the Royal Navy would not of sat back and watched then lay those mines, they would off attacked sinking those mine laying ships therefore reducing the line laying capability of the Germans further.

Also although the British Army had been decimated they were not fully out of the equation, they did have some reserve troops in place the Canadian Division, and Indian brigade as well as a assortment of British units.

That is why the army wanted a broader front to be able to land more troops in the initial assault, a small beach head as the German Navy would of wanted would of been easier to contain, it would also of meant a concentration of the German supply line a better target for the RAF Bombers

The initial assault would of been mainly infantry as the German s did not have any LTC, although some of the panzer's were equipped to go through water how many would of made it to the beach would of been questionable.

Also the British plan was if need be, to withdraw air strength from the south, build up in the north and use the RAF when the invasion started.

Every German ship sunk would be one less to carry more troops and supply's.

As for the Fallschirmjaeger there numbers had been decimated in the battle for Norway and the lowlands and were understrength.

The German Navy would of lost control of the channel by the second day third at least , leaving there troops confined to a small bridgehead with no chance of supply.

Goering would of promised to supply them by air, but as in Stalingrad would of been a failed effort.

In one of the alternate history books written on the subject, the Germans used minefields on both flanks of the landing zone to slow down the Royal Navy, and Fallschirmjaeger and Mountain troops to make the initial assault, followed up by a couple of Panzer Divisions [one with Rommel as GC], and some mechanized infantry.

Where did you see that order of battle? Everything I've seen indicates that the Plan only allowed for a single panzer division (with light tanks), plus one panzer grenadier division. Perhaps there was a muscled-up plan that I haven't seen, but any such plan would presume even more sea-lift and would therefore have been less likely.

The Royal Navy would have made a max effort against the landing beaches. A fleet does you little good if you are facing defeat on land -- ask the French. I'm sure that the RN would have run any minefield sown by the Kriegsmarine and risked the damage. Heavy fleet units would probably have sailed around Ireland & approached the landing beaches from beyond the range of Luftwaffe fighters. Running the channel would have exposed the fleet to air, mine & torpedo attack.