Battle of Britain & Operation Sea Lion Paige McLeod

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Background info The Battle of Britain beings in 1940 when Adolf Hitler turns his attention to Great Britain after defeating France, it was considered an air battle because it took place in the sky. The war takes place between July 10th and October 31st 1940. Operation Sea Lion was Nazi Germany’s code name for their plan to invade the United Kingdom. .

Timeline 1940’s June- German aircraft began bombing southern England Their strategy was for the German Air Force to defeat the British Royal Force and the British Royal Navy. August- The British retaliated by staging a bomb attack Berlin September- The Germans changed their strategy Waves of German bombers flew over the city, causing high casualty rates October- Hitler called off Operation Sea Lion but the battle was not officially over November- German air force renewed its attacks in the form of a blitzkrieg (lightning attack)

About the Battle After defeating France, Hitler looked towards Great Britain next. The plan was to bomb Britain and defeat the British Royal Air Force and the British Royal Navy. The battle ended when Germany’s Luftwaffe failed to gain superiority over the Royal Air Force After Hitler called the war off, the new purpose was not to gain air control but to inflict damage. The town of Coventry was nearly demolished by 500 German bombers. In the end, The Royal Air Force won.

Importance and Connecting to WWII The Battle of the Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces Was the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign Was marked the first defeat of Hitler’s military forces

Q & A Q: What did Germany go into the battle wanting to to accomplish? A: To defeat the British Royal Air Force and Navy. Q:What does blitzkrieg mean? A: Lightning attack After Hitler called the war off, what was the new purpose for the Germans? A: To damage Britain

Works Cited "Battle of Britain." N.p., n.d. Web. "Battle of Britain." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. "The Battle of Britain: A Brief Guide." Military History Monthly. N.p., 09 Feb. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017 "THE WORLD AT WAR, 1914-1945." N.p., n.d. Web