The Battle of Britain August 1940 September 1940

The Battle of Britain August 1940 - September 1940

Preliminaries • Aug 9 - 12: 300 German aircraft attacked radar installations in Britain • Left majority of Britain's radar intact

The Day of the Eagle • August 13, 1940 - Launch of air campaign against Britain • Preliminary to Sea Lion - Amphibious assault on Britain • 1, 485 Aircraft attacked

The Score • First three days: • Germany lost 190 planes • Britain lost 27 planes

Tactics - Germany • Bombers with fighter protection • Search and destroy airfields and aircraft factories • Only after command of skies was secure would Sea Lion begin

Tactics - Great Britain • Use radar & military intelligence to ascertain direction of incoming attacks • Send fighter squadron to meet them before they got to target

The Odds • Germany • 4, 500 first line aircraft • Britain • 2, 900 first line aircraft • Radar • Quality aircraft

The Weapons British Spitfire

The Weapons British Hurricane

The Weapons Messerschmitt 109 E

The Weapons Dornier

The Weapons Junkers

Problems of the Luftwaffe • Slow production • Few new models • Designed as a “flying artillery” for army • Plenty of medium and small dive and level flight bombers • Too few long-range heavy bombers

Planning the Battle

The Battle • By the afternoon of Aug 15 all British fighters were in the air - no reserves • By August 18 German losses were 367 aircraft • Germans took a break on August 19

Pilots

The Battle • Aug 30, 800 German planes attacked fighter bases • Germany lost 17 planes • Britain lost 1 plane

Scramble

The Blitz • On Sept 7, Germany switched its attention to London • 300 bombers • 500 fighters • Dropped 337 tons of bombs • 448 Londoners were killed

Recovery

The Blitz • 57 consecutive nights of bombing • Allowed fighter command to recover • Sept 7 - Sept 30 • German losses = 380 planes • British losses = 178 planes

In the Tube

The Blitz • By the end of March • 28, 859 civilians killed • 40, 166 civilian wounded

Fear of Gas

The End • By October 1 German Luftwaffe was exhausted • Hitler abandoned plans for Sea Lion • Indiscriminate bombing of civilians was to continue

Damage • Coventry Cathedral

Damage • London

Damage • London