Battle of Britain

Overview of Battle of Britain

Overview of Battle of Britain

• Battle between air forces of BR and GER, with aim of achieving/maintaining control of skies over S England

• Lasted from July to Oct 1940 and includes Blitz, which marked second phase of campaign

• First ever battle fought entirely by air forces

• Conflict characterised by ‘dogfights’ between planes in sky - combat at close quarters

• Initial target was radar stations in SE England and fighter plane bases before switching to urban areas

• Airmen from 15 countries fought in battle

Causes of BoB

• After fall of FR, H expected BR to make agreement with GER - would involve BR standing by and allowing H to rule Europe and invade USSR (priority) unopposed
  H had no desire to invade + occupy Britain

• However, Churchill wouldn’t make terms and would fight on alone

• H considered diff options on how to deal with this - Operation Sealion was one

• Two possibilities of how air campaign attacking RAF fit into wider plans:

  • H still planning to implement Operation Sealion - this was the first stage
    He aimed to wear down RAF so it was incapable of protecting Royal Navy vessels defending BR from Channel or interfering with transport of GER troops + equipment across Channel

  • More likely: H already abandoned idea of invading BR (Operation Sealion), or never had serious intention to do so - however, still wanted to pressure BR to make agreement by allowing BR to think GER invasion was still possible

How were the sides balanced in BoB?

BoB often presented as ‘few’ pilots of BR RAF taking on giant of Nazism alone and defeating it - sides were actually more equally matched

GER advantages in BoB

• More bombers, dive bombers

• More fighter aircraft

• More fighting experience

BR advantages in BoB

• Spitfire

• Dowding system - tight network of comms to enable interception of GER aircraft

• Superior aircraft production capacity

• Faster training programme

• Geography: if GER pilots were shot down + survived, they’d be taken as POWs - BR pilots shot down could return to base and fight again

BoB - 10 July

Luftwaffe began sending bombers to destroy BR defence and force them into submission

At first, bombed convoys of BR ships in Channel

BoB - 12 Aug

Switched to full-scale attacks on SE England, targeting airfields and radar stations

First major attack on Fighter Command’s ground organisation

Airfields + radar stations suffered damage but most were back in action by following morning

BoB - 13 Aug

‘Eagle Day’ marked start of battle for Germans

Waves of strong attacks over 10hr period against Essex, Sussex and Hampshire

1485 missions by Luftwaffe, with Fighter Command flying 727

Germans were testing RAF to see how well they could redistribute resources across broad area but attacks only moderately successful

BoB - 18 Aug

After pausing attacks on 15th and 16th, GER switched to attacking fighter bases

Flew 750 missions, destroying hangers + aircraft at several locations

Also bombed Isle of Wight - important radar location

Position began to look grim for BR

BoB - 30 Aug

Fighter Command flew 1054 missions - largest daily number yet, with 22 squadrons seeing action, most at least twice and some 4x

GER flew 1345

BoB - 31 Aug

Even larger attack mounted by GER

Fighter Command losses were heaviest of whole battle, with 39 aircraft shot down + 14 pilots killed

BoB - Early Sept

BR used up all reserves of fighter planes + close to defeat

BoB - 7 Sept

Crucial turning point

GER turned from successful attacks on fighter bases in Kent and began bombing London

They believed RAF was on verge of collapse and attacking morale of BR people would be final act required to push BR out of war

This gave RAF vital breathing space

BoB - 15 Sept

Luftwaffe made supreme effort with all-out assault on London in daylight

However, BR defences had time to recover and fighter plane production continued

Attack came in two waves, allowing RAF time to recover

GER lost 56 planes

BR press claimed 185 planes had been shot down

GER failed to gain control of air and couldn’t continue with that number of losses

BoB - 17 Sept

H postponed invasion - BR saved

What was Dowding system?

• First wide area ground based interception network in the world

• Mainly used RADAR, but system was very complex

• Covered whole of BR air space

• Used landline telephone network to rapidly collect info from radar stations and Royal Observation Corps (ROC) and direct aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery to intercept enemy aircraft

• Developed by RAF under leadership of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding shortly before war begun

Why was Dowding system important?

• Crucial impact was maximising efficiency of RAF, targeting crucial resources where they were needed most + conserving fuel, planes and energy of pilots

• Average rates of interception (i.e. encountering enemy) in BoB was 90% (100% during certain raids)

  In contrast, Luftwaffe had little info on location of RAF, often returning to base without seeing them

• Dowding system acted as force multiplier - concept in military science, meaning it enabled RAF to accomplish what would be expected of an air force many times larger

How BR advantages led to BR win in BoB

• Two BR fighter planes, Hurricane and Spitfire, were good match for GER counterpart, Messerschmitt Me109

  • Other main GER fighter, Messerschmitt Me110 was unsuitable for dogfights with BR fighter planes

  • Me109 was good fighter but lacked fuel capacity to stay very long over SE BR

• BR fighting over own territory - BR pilots shot down could go back to combat

• BR factories produced additional 1836 fighter planes in 4 months

• Possession of ‘Ultra’ (key to GER radio codes) meant BR had advance warning of plans

• In mid-1930s, BR developed sophisticated defence system against enemy bombing - system based around radar

How GER weaknesses led to BR win in BoB

• Goering was commander of Luftwaffe

  • Despite being WWI fighter ace, had little understanding of tactics

  • Underestimated strength of RAF, esp fighter planes

• H and Goering made mistake of switching attacks on 7 Sept, just when RAF was running out of fighter planes

• GER had to fight over BR

  • GER lost far more pilots - if GER plane was shot down, pilot was killed / taken prisoner

  • GER fighter planes could only carry limited fuel + couldn’t fly over BR long enough to protect GER bombers - they flew unescorted to bomb London on 15 Sept

• GER air force didn’t have heavy bombers (aeroplanes which could carry large bombs)

  • Medium bomber forces were no match for BR fighters

Consequences of BoB

• Hitler called off invasion of BR

• Both sides suffered enormous loss of life + aircraft

• BR weakened Luftwaffe + prevented GER achieving air superiority

• BR preserved as base for offensive action against GER

• Vital to eventual liberation of W Europe, as it was springboard for deployment of USA power