1. Battle of Britain & The London Blitz

2. Background: The Battle of Britain
Britain was a puzzle to Hitler since
Hitler did not want to go to war with Britain
Hitler expected Britain to make peace, however, Britain, led by a new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, refused to surrender.
Hitler wanted to control the skies before he would attack the seas.

3. The German Plan The German air force (The Luftwaffe) was to
destroy the British RAF
This would mean that
German soldiers could
land safely in Britain
France had already been defeated, so Britain stood alone.

4. What was the Battle of Britain?
The Battle of Britain was a series of air battles throughout the summer of 1940
German bomber planes would attack a series of British targets

5. Phase1: Recon Mission July 10th to August 12th, 1940.
The Luftwaffe conducted recon missions for larger attacks
Attacked the southern ports, shipping, and radar stations around the English Channel.
Prevented the British from using all Channel convoys.

6. Phase 2: Attacking RAF Planes
August 13th to September 6th, 1940.
Luftwaffe would try to destroy RAF planes both in the air and on the ground with the airfields belonging to RAF Group 11 being heavily targeted.

7. Phase 3: The London Blitz
September 7th to October 5th, 1940:.
Turned from day light attacks to nighttime attacks
First attack on civilians in war
Large scale bombing against major cities (to include London) , manufacturing and strategic targets.
London Blitz Video Clip

8. Phase 4: Final Phase October 6th to October 31st 1940.
Heavy raids against London and other cities but less frequently due to poor weather.
The Battle of Britain officially concluded on 31 October 1940.

9. Outcomes: How Did Britain Do?
The RAF consistently shoot the Luftwaffe
Britain builds more planes than they lose unlike Germany
Radar is now fully developed giving Britain the advantage
Germans begin the Blitz-heavy bombing of British cities

10. Significance
Germany failed to achieve its objective of destroying the RAF
Now German soldiers could not attack the sea
Failed to force the British government to negotiate.
First major defeat for Adolf Hitler and German government.

11. Significance
If Germany had won the Battle of Britain, it is possible that the Nazis could have launched an invasion of the British Isles, which was prevented.

12. WWll in Colour-The Battle of Britain and the Blitz Over London
Video Clip Link

13. YOUR TASK
Imagine that you are a German pilot. You had to bale out of your plane when you got hit by the enemy. You get to the ground safely you are taken prisoner by the local Brits.
Write an imaginary conversation between yourself and your captors.
In it you must tell them why Hitler thought it was important to launch an air attack on Britain
What was the Battle of Britain
What made the RAF so strong. Why the Luftwaffe was weak.
Finally how the defeat of the Luftwaffe will affect the war plans of Germany