Sea/Air development if Germany wins the 'Race to the Sea' 1914.

[Rule of cool]

Inspired by this thread https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...nt-holds-1940-consequences-for-the-raf.44388/

In WW1 the Sea war and associated air and coastal aspects were pretty stale, at best the Germans could 'assault their jailer, but remained in jail'.

What If the Germans 'won' the so-called Race to the Sea; hit the coast at Etaples-Le Tourque and the front line of trenches was established along the Canche river and stretched inland to about where the front lines were in our history?

What impact would this have on Naval, Air and Coastal forces development?

 

[Rule of cool]

Rather than let this die I'll add a few bits of info that might stimulate discussion.

This report on Belgian and French ports was compiled in October 1914 as the Siege of Antwerp ended and the Race to the Sea was in progress. The lines in purple were the ones that the Germans actually held.

• Antwerp: major port and shipbuilding facilities, Scheldt pass through (neutral?) Dutch waters, linked by inland canal to Bruges:
• Zebrugge: shallow approaches and drifting sand requiring dredging, undefended apart from sea mole requiring major defensive gun emplacement, canal big enough for small cruisers inland to Bruges, minimal repair facilities: in general not considered a desirable base
• Bruges: linked by canal to Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ostend, no repair facilities: useful as safe harbour and supply station
• Ostend: defenceless without guns, linked by small canal to Bruges, some repair facilities including 2 small drydocks
• Dunkirk: shallow and navigational hazards on approach meant bad for Uboats but easily defended, good repair facilities: Good base for Torpedo boats
• Calais: Deep approaches mean uboats could dive as soon as leaving port, well equipped with repair facilities, very vulnerable to attack and would need major defensive gun emplacements: useable by uboats but overall worse than Dunkirk.
• Boulogne: approaches and defensibility similar to Calais but with added disadvantage that the supporting rail line ran along the coast and was vulnerable to naval gunfire leaving the port isolated, limited repair facilities: barely passable for Uboats and Torpedo boats
• Le Havre: navigation hazards so bad as to require French pilots, excellent defensive works with artillery, exceptional repair facilities, canal access from port to inland, Seine navigable deep inland for shelter against naval gunfire: very promising.
• Cherbourg: deep approaches, excellent defences, very well equipped repair facilities, very well placed for a commerce war against Britain: First class, more promising that Le Havre.

In the event the Germans stationed 1/4 of their u-boat fleet in the little Belgian ports and sank 1/4 of the total tonnage sank during the war. They also emplaced a huge number of coastal guns, making the coast a 'dead-zone' for the RN for much of the war. I found the attached diagram of German guns on the internet years ago, I don't know who owns it, and it shows the coverage of the German guns emplaced on the 50km of Belgian coast the Germans did occupy. I imagine such guns emplaced at Cap Griz Nez near Calaias would have a significant impact on the war.