1. The Air War

2. Level of warfare –Tactical = local –Strategic = whole front/whole war Role of an air force –Fighters: intercept enemy attacks (t), protect own bombers (t) –Bombers: disrupt enemy production (s), reduce civilian morale (s), disrupt enemy supply & communications (t & s), break up enemy defences & attacks (t).

3. The Air War Start of war –Germany: modern planes, tested in Spain –France, GB, USSR: rearming, many old designs, new planes starting to reach frontline units. Bomber forces –Germany: support blitzkrieg –Allies: support ground attacks AND (others to carry out) strategic bombing

4. Battle of Britain Why – scare British into surrender. Operation Sealion – German plan to invade Britain. Kriegsmarine & Royal Navy both experienced heavy losses in Scandinavian Campaign. German success depended on control of the air. Goering promised Hitler he could win control of the air. Initially, the Luftwaffe had a two stage plan. 1. Destroy coastal radar & disrupt Channel convoys. 2. Gain command of the air through attacks on airfields & by shooting down RAF planes.

5. Battle of Britain Stage 1 - had limited success. Stage 2 - became a war of attrition. - Germans had more planes Stage 3 - unplanned. - German plane bombed London by accident, RAF bombed Berlin - Hitler ordered retaliation: the Blitz, giving RAF chance to regroup - eventually turned to Russia

6. Significance of the outcome of the Battle of Britain (1) End of Operation Sealion – the debate: was it realistic? Britain’s survival – Churchill’s survival – galvanised opposition British morale International impact – the USA & Roosevelt

7. Significance of the outcome of the Battle of Britain (2) Richard Overy’s argument – revisionist, but… – a calamity avoided Strategic significance – two-front war – ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ – promoting resistance – D Day & after

8. Russia Huge initial German successes in 1941/2 – against obsolete planes New Russian designs proved more of a challenge However, by late 1942/early 1943… - RAF/USAAF bombing of Germany leads to withdrawal of Luftflotte (air fleet/air wing) for homeland defence - Russian numbers slowly gained local then front-wide superiority

9. Bombing Germany 1939 – 41: limited, mostly night attacks on Germany & occupied Europe, superficial damage. Failure to knock Britain out of war creates ‘an unsinkable aircraft carrier’ – a base for attacking Nazi-occupied Europe. Bomber Command slowly builds up its heavy (4-engine) bombers (Lancasters, Wellingtons, etc) – concentrates on massed night attacks.

10. Bombing Germany USAAF begins to be based in Britain from mid-1942. Concentrates on daylight raids in big numbers (mostly 4-engined B17s, B24s). Luftwaffe now concentrates on fighters. Germany on the defensive. German designs which began the war as modern & superior have now been surpassed (eg. Me109 fighter, He111 & Ju88 bombers). Most new designs do not live up to expectations (exceptions: Fw190 fighter & Me 262 jet fighter).

11. Bombing Germany Allied bombing – esp. ‘1000 bomber’ raids, fire-bombing seemingly destroy German cities. However, German production rises in 1943, peaks in 1944. Why? Germany doesn’t go to total war until 1943. Allied nations had done so from the start or almost so.

12. Bombing Germany However - infrastructure is heavily damaged (by late 1944), oil supplies are dramatically reduced (mid/late 1944), civilian morale begins to crumble (late 1944). Allied control of the air is crucial. Why? –Allows unhindered movement of supplies –No disruption of home front –Germans must react –Destruction of Wehrmacht