1. Fall of France & Battle of Britain
Lesson 13
WW II – 1940:
Fall of France & Battle of Britain

2. Lesson Objectives
•  Describe the sequence and implications of events from the invasion of Poland to the fall of France.
•  Be able to describe and analyze the German strategy in the Battle of Britain.
•  Describe the impact of new technology on the Battle of Britain.
•  Begin to understand the implications of strategic air warfare in World War II.

3. Events September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland September 3, 1939
Britain, France declare war on Germany
“Phony war” begins
April 9, 1940
Germany invades Denmark & Norway
May 10, 1940
Germany invades Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Chamberlain resigns *
Churchill becomes PM *
Britain occupies Iceland *
* Not related to invasion

4. Battle of France French Plan Schlieffen Plan 1914 Dyle Plan 1939
Manstein Plan
Schlieffen Plan 1914
Dyle Plan 1939

5. Events September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland September 3, 1939
Britain, France declare war on Germany
“Phony war” begins
April 9, 1940
Germany invades Denmark & Norway
May 10, 1940
Germany invades Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
May 27-29, 1940
Evacuation of Dunkirk 5

6. Dunkirk
May 26-31, 1940

7. Dunkirk
Trapped on the beach

8. German Halt at Dunkirk German army had little amphibious experience
• Looked at the Channel as a barrier
• Didn’t believe British could possibly get away
Panzer units arrived well ahead of the infantry
• Were exhausted, out of supply
• Called halt to rest, resupply, allow infantry to catch up
Luftwaffe hadn’t gotten much credit in battle
• Asked for and received permission to destroy BEF
British saw Channel as a highway - organized evacuation 8

9. Withdraw to Dunkirk (1:32:09 – 1:35:35)
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10. Miracle of Dunkirk
“The Small Ships”

11. Miracle of Dunkirk
300,000+ rescued
Equipment abandoned

12. Evacuation at Dunkirk

13. .. but their equipment was left behind
Evacuation at Dunkirk
The troops were saved to fight another day
.. but their equipment was left behind 13

14. Evacuation From Dunkirk
May 26-31, 1940
(1:35:40 - 1:44:45)
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15. Mechanized Juggernaut
Myth
Mechanized Juggernaut 15

16. 3/4 of German infantry moved by foot or horse
Reality
3/4 of German infantry moved by foot or horse 16

17. Battle of France
First Phase June 1940

18. Battle of France
4-22 June 1940

19. Events September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland September 3, 1939
Britain, France declare war on Germany
“Phony war” begins
April 9, 1940
Germany invades Denmark & Norway
May 10, 1940
Germany invades Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
May 27-29, 1940
Evacuation of Dunkirk
June 4-22, 1940
Battle of France
June 22, 1940
France Surrenders 19

20. French surrendered at Compiègne – June 20, 1940
France Surrenders
French surrendered at Compiègne – June 20, 1940

21. Fall & Occupation of France
(one opinion)
(0 – 4:10 & 4:11-10:00)
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22. Britain Stands Alone
“Very well, Alone!”

23. Led Great Britain during
Winston S. Churchill
Sandhurst (1894)
Served in Sudan (1898),
the Second Boer War ( ),
the Western Front ( )
First elected to Parliament (1900)
First Lord of the Admiralty
( and )
Prime Minister
May 10, July 27, 1945 *
Led Great Britain during
its darkest hour.
* Also October 26, April 17, 1955

24. Britain At Bay

25. Battle of Britain
"What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin."
Winston Churchill
June 18, 1940
Excerpt-LoC
Excerpt (internal, 1:35)
Full Speech (external, 6:08)

26. Operation Seelöwe (Sea Lion)
Battle of Britain
Background
Operation Seelöwe (Sea Lion)

27. Operation Seelöwe (Sealion)
Battle of Britain
Background
Operation Seelöwe (Sealion)

28. Invasion barges in Channel ports
Operation Seelöwe
Invasion barges in Channel ports
July 1940

29. Operation Sealion Germans began planning for invasion in November 1939
Initial criteria for success:
* The Royal Navy had to be eliminated.
* The Royal Air Force (RAF) air strength had to be eliminated.
* British coastal defenses had to be destroyed.
* British submarine action against landing forces had to be prevented.

30. The air battle must be won if the war is to be won.
First Law of Modern War
The air battle must be won if the war is to be won.
General of the Army Omar Bradley
November 1951

31. USAF Doctrine (modern) Priorities for tactical (theater) airpower:
1. Air Superiority
2. Interdiction
3. Close Air Support

32. Operation Sealion Hitler’s conditions for Sealion:
Defeat of the Royal Navy in the invasion area required control of the air
Hitler’s conditions for Sealion:
The RAF is to be "beaten down in its morale and in fact, that it can no longer display any appreciable aggressive force in opposition to the German crossing".
Warning Order for Seelöwe, 16 July 1940

33. Operation Sea Lion German Plan Take control of the air
1940
German Plan
Take control of the air
 Defeat the RAF
Isolate the invasion area
 Neutralize Royal Navy, destroy communications & defenses
Invade England
 Land Panzers to employ Blitzkrieg tactics
Source: Royal Air Force

34. Battle of Britain Orders of Battle 1940 RAF Luftwaffe
Single-seat fighters
Twin-seat fighter
Bombers
Maritime patrol
754
159
560
500
1,107
357
1,300 / 428*
233
* Dive-bombers
Source

35. German Fighters
Messerschmitt Bf 110 "Zerstörer"

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

37. British Fighter
Supermarine Spitfire

38. British Fighter
Hawker Hurricane

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

40. German Bombers
Heinkle He 111
Dornier Do 17
Junkers Ju 88

41. Battle of Britain Orders of Battle 1940 RAF Luftwaffe
Single-seat fighters
Twin-seat fighter
Bombers
Maritime patrol
754
159
560
500
1,107
357
1,300 / 428*
233
* Dive-bombers
Source

42. Battle of Britain How to overcome a numerical disadvantage
British Challenge:
How to overcome a numerical disadvantage

43. Principles of War • Objective • Offensive • Mass • Economy of Force
• Maneuver
• Unity of Command
• Security
• Surprise
• Simplicity

44. Principles of War • Mass • Unity of Command • Objective • Offensive
• Economy of Force
• Maneuver
• Unity of Command
• Security
• Surprise
• Simplicity

45. Early Warning System
Ground Observers
Source: Royal Air Force

46. Source: Royal Air Force
Battle Management
Source: Royal Air Force

47. Chain Home Radar Site - Dover
Battle of Britain
Chain Home Radar Site - Dover

48. Battle of Britain
Chain Home Radar Towers

49. Source: Royal Air Force
Chain Home RDF
Source: Royal Air Force

50. Alignment of Forces
Source

51. Alignment of Forces
Source

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

53. Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Problem: They were vulnerable to fighters

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

55. The Fog of War Significance: Gave the RAF a critically needed breather
August 24, 1940
Luftwaffe bomber crews mistakenly bombed London
• Residential area
August 25
RAF bombers hit Berlin industrial area in retaliation
August 26
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

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

57. Battle of Britain: Phase III
London’s East End Burning - September 7, 1940

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

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

60. RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Climax
September 15, 1940
September 15th is celebrated as
Battle of Britain Day
RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

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

63. Battle of Britain September 17, 1940
Operation Sealion
September 17, 1940
Operation Sealion postponed indefinitely
October 31, 1940
Battle of Britain declared over by Air Ministry
Night bombings of cities continued through winter

64. Bad Weather Operations Knickebein (Crocked Leg) Navigation System
Source

65. Coventry Myth: Churchill knew about raid but could not act to defend
Industrial city in the midlands
Subjected to a massive air raid (400+) on November 14, 1940
Center city and cathedral wiped out
1,400 killed or injured
Myth:
Churchill knew about raid but could not act to defend

66. Cathedral of Saint Michael
Coventry
c 1880
Cathedral of Saint Michael

67. X-Gerät Navigation Aid
Coventry
X-Gerät Navigation Aid

68. Battle of Britain
Summary
Source

69. Battle of Britain Orders of Battle 1940 RAF Luftwaffe
Single-seat fighters
Twin-seat fighter
Bombers
Maritime patrol
754
159
560
500
1,107
357
1,300 / 428*
233
* Dive-bombers
Source

70. Battle of Britain } Losses 1940 RAF Luftwaffe Single-seat fighters
Twin-seat fighter
Bombers
Maritime patrol }
1,023
376
148
520
1,107
357
1,014
2,600+
Pilots Lost
Source

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

72. Did the British Win or the Germans Lose?
Battle of Britain
Did the British Win or
the Germans Lose?

73. Principles of War • Objective • Offensive • Mass • Economy of Force
• Maneuver
• Unity of Command
• Security
• Surprise
• Simplicity

74. Principles of War • Objective • Offensive • Mass • Economy of Force
• Maneuver
• Unity of Command
• Security
• Surprise
• Simplicity

75. Factors Battle of Britain British use of radar (command & control)
• Allowed RAF to concentrate scarce resources where needed
• Allowed RAF to hold aircraft on ground until last moment

76. Factors Battle of Britain British use of radar (command & control)
German underestimation of RAF strength
• Initial fighter strength
• Fighter production capabilities

77. Factors Battle of Britain British use of radar (command & control)
German underestimation of RAF strength
British “home field” advantage
• Fighting close to home airfields
• Closer to the fight, more combat time
• RAF pilots shot down had a good chance of returning to the fight

78. Factors Battle of Britain German loss of focus
British use of radar (command & control)
German underestimation of RAF strength
British “home field” advantage
German loss of focus
(Change of Objective)

79. Did the British Win or the Germans Lose?
Battle of Britain
Did the British Win or
the Germans Lose?

80. First Law of Modern War
First of all, you must win the battle of the air. That must come before you start a single land or sea engagement.
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1943

81. WW II -- Second Battle of the Atlantic
Lesson 14
WW II -- Second Battle of the Atlantic

82. Lesson Objectives
•  Understand the magnitude and significance of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. •  Understand the degree of British dependence on maritime lines of communication. •  Describe U.S. participation in the Battle of the Atlantic prior to December •  Describe and analyze the tactics and technology used by both sides in the Battle of the Atlantic. •  Understand the importance of code breaking in the Atlantic war.

83. End

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