Editing Operation Sea Lion (section)

===Escort===
As a consequence of employing all of their available cruisers in the North Sea deception operation, there would have been only light forces available to protect the vulnerable transport fleets. The plan revised on 14 September 1940 by Admiral [[Günther Lütjens]] called for three groups of five U-boats, all seven destroyers, and seventeen [[torpedo boat]]s to operate to the west of the mine barrier in the Channel, while two groups of three U-boats and all the available [[E-boat]]s to operate north of it.<ref>Schenk, pp. 335–37</ref> Lütjens suggested the inclusion of the old battleships {{SMS|Schlesien}} and {{SMS|Schleswig-Holstein}} which were used for training. They were considered too vulnerable to send into action without improvement, especially considering the fate of their sister ship, {{SMS|Pommern}}, which had blown up at the [[Battle of Jutland]]. The [[Blohm und Voss]] shipyard considered that it would take six weeks for a minimal upgrade of armour and armament and the idea was dropped, as was a suggestion that they be used as troopships.<ref>Schenk, pp. 340–41</ref> Four [[Coastal trading vessel|coaster]]s were converted to auxiliary [[gunboat]]s by the addition of a single [[15 cm SK L/45|15 cm naval gun]] and another was fitted with two [[10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun|10.5 cm gun]]s, while a further twenty-seven smaller vessels were converted into light gunboats by attaching a single [[Canon de 75 modèle 1897|ex-French 75 mm field gun]] to an improvised platform; these were expected to provide [[naval gunfire support]] as well as fleet defence against modern British cruisers and destroyers.<ref>Schenk, pp. 129–30</ref>