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
- Slides: 28