THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN AND THE BLITZ

A TURNING POINT BATTLE

The battle received its name from a speech Winston Churchill delivered to the British House of Commons on June 18, 1940, in which he stated "The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin.“ The Battle of Britain was a major air campaign fought over southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940.

Basic German Invasion Plan… Operation Sea Lion create a cordon in the shortest straight line between France and Britain… line it with minefields and subs, and ferry the German army across…

The Battle of Britain was ultimately a test of strength between the Luftwaffe and the RAF. In July 1936, RAF Fighter Command was established under the leadership of Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding. The Luftwaffe was re-established by the Nazi government and by 1940 it was the largest and most formidable air force in the world. It had suffered heavy losses in the Battle of France, but by August the three air fleets (Luftflotten) that would carry out the assault on Britain were at full readiness. The RAF met this challenge with some of the best fighter aircraft in the world – the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire.

British Fighter Supermarine Spitfire

British Fighter Hawker Hurricane

German Fighters Messerschmitt Bf 110 "Zerstörer“/Bomber

German Fighters Messerschmitt Bf 109 Most widely produced aircraft in WW II (33,000+ units)

German Bombers Junkers Ju 88—(siren) Dornier Do 17 Heinkle He 111

Spitfire vs. Bf 109 Generally felt to be evenly matched More rugged Better handling characteristics Better visibility Higher maximum dive speed Heavier armament (cannon) Heavy on controls at high speed Source

Battle of Britain 1940 RAFLuftwaffe Single-seat fighters Twin-seat fighter Bombers Maritime patrol , ,300 / 428* 233 * Dive-bombers

Why was Britain better off than most people thought? Brits. effective air defense system, first-rate fighter pilots, and a great military leader in Air Marshal Hugh Dowding. Germany’s major problems: no navy left after the costly conquest of Norway, their army was unprepared for any form of amphibious operations, and the Luftwaffe had suffered heavy losses in the west (the first two factors made a seaborne attack on the British Isles impossible from the first).

Group Headquarters, Uxbridge: radiolocation plotters, by Roland Vivian Pitchforth. Art.IWM ART LD 2320

The British developed an air defence network that would give them a critical advantage in the Battle of Britain. The Dowding System – named for Fighter Command’s Commander-in- Chief Sir Hugh Dowding – brought together technology, ground defences and fighter aircraft into a unified system of defence. The RAF organised the defence of Britain into four geographical areas, called ‘Groups’, which were further divided into sectors. The main fighter airfield in each sector – the ‘Sector Station’ – was equipped with an operations room from which the fighters were directed into combat

Radar gave early warning of Luftwaffe raids, which were also tracked by the Observer Corps. Information on incoming raids was passed to the Filter Room at Fighter Command Once the direction of the raid was clearly established, the information was sent to the relevant Group’s headquarters. From there it was sent to the Sector Stations, which would ‘scramble’ fighters into action. The Sector Stations received updated information as it became available and further directed airborne fighters by radio. The operations rooms also directed other elements of the defence network, including anti-aircraft guns, searchlights and barrage balloons. The Dowding System could process huge amounts of information in a short period of time. It allowed Fighter Command to manage its valuable – and relatively limited – resources, making sure they were not wasted.

Early Warning System Source: Royal Air Force Ground Observers

Battle Management Source: Royal Air Force

Chain Home Radar Site - Dover

Chain Home Radar Towers

Chain Home RDF Source: Royal Air Force

Contrails left by British and German aircraft after a dogfight during the Battle of Britain, September 1940.

July and October 1940 The Germans began by attacking coastal targets and British shipping operating in the English Channel. They launched their main offensive on 13 August. Attacks moved inland, concentrating on airfields and communications centres. Fighter Command offered stiff resistance, despite coming under enormous pressure. During the last week of August and the first week of September, in what would be the critical phase of the battle, the Germans intensified their efforts to destroy Fighter Command. Airfields, particularly those in the south-east, were significantly damaged but most remained operational. On 31 August, Fighter Command suffered its worst day of the entire battle. But the Luftwaffe was overestimating the damage it was inflicting and wrongly came to the conclusion that the RAF was on its last legs. Fighter Command was bruised but not broken.

On 7 September, the Germans shifted the weight of their attacks away from RAF targets and onto London. This would be an error of critical importance. The raids had devastating effects on London’s residents, but they also gave Britain’s defences time to recover. On 15 September Fighter Command repelled another massive Luftwaffe assault, inflicting severe losses that were becoming increasingly unsustainable for the Germans. Although fighting would continue for several more weeks, it had become clear that the Luftwaffe had failed to secure the air superiority needed for invasion. Hitler indefinitely postponed Operation ‘Sealion’.

The Fog of War August 24, 1940 Luftwaffe bomber crews mistakenly bombed London Residential area RAF bombers hit Berlin industrial area in retaliation Enraged, Hitler orders massive attacks against London and other British cities Attacks on cities continue into the fall, switching to night raids after September 15th Significance: Gave the RAF a critically needed breather August 25 August 26

Battle of Britain: Phase I Source: Royal Air Force Attacks on Channel Ports and Shipping 10 July –12 August

Battle of Britain: Phase II Source: Royal Air Force Attacks on RAF: Fighter Bases, Radar 12 August – 6 September

Battle of Britain: Phase III Source: Royal Air Force Daylight Attacks on Cities & Industrial Areas 7 September- 5 October

London’s East End Burning - September 7, 1940

Attacks on British Cities September 7, May 10, 1941 “The Blitz” London experienced 57 consecutive nights of bombing September - November 1940 Over 41,000 civilians killed, 137,000 injured throughout Britain Source St. Paul’s Cathedral, 26 December 1940

Climax September 15, 1940 Massive daylight raid on London Largest to date 56 German aircraft lost versus 28 RAF fighters Germans switched to night raids on cities Considered the turning point of the battle RAF used every fighter in 11 Group (no reserves)

Battle of Britain: Phase IV Source: Royal Air Force Night Attacks on Cities & Industrial Areas 6 October May 1941 (unofficially)

Total War “… the whole population … committed to total victory” Princess Elizabeth- Age 17

Operation Pied Piper

Final Thoughts Each RAF fighter plane had a two man ground-crew, responsible for repairing, rearming and refueling it The chain of cutting edge radar stations along the south and east coast gave the Air Defence Network up to an hour's warning of an enemy approach In the summer of 1940 monthly production increased by 60%. 1,743 new fighter aircraft were produced. Germans had no systematic or consistent plan of action Germans had difficulty finding the British Planes Pilots from the Empire Messerschmitt Bf 109 was notoriously short legged Hermann Goering