1. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Bill McCutcheon March 4 & 7, 2015

2. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle

3. The Battle of Britain The Blitz What was it? How did it begin? When did the Blitz begin? Why Germany focused on night attacks? How did Britain respond? 19191945 1940 10 July 31 Oct. 1935 RAF Battle of Britain Germany Rearms German Luftwaffe Established Battle Over Britain The Blitz Continues Rocket Attacks May 1941 Blitz on London

4. The Battle of Britain What was the Blitz? (Blitzkreig/“Lightning War”) September 1940-May 21, 1941 - Nazi Germany's sustained aerial bombing campaign against Britain

5. The Battle of Britain 1.How did it begin? Accidental bombing of London - Aug. 24, 1940 British retaliation Hitler reaction 2.When did it begin? Sept. 7, 1940 - first major bombing of London Through September – both day & night attacks London bombed for 57 consecutive days!

6. The Battle of Britain Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding Air Vice Marshal, Sir Keith Rodney Park

7. The Battle of Britain

8. Problems in Luftwaffe High Command (OKL):  Poor intelligence on Britain’s industry & capabilities  Internal disputes on target selection  No consistent strategic campaign plan  Failed to pursue bombing gains  Radar bombing beams: Introduced prematurely British jamming Unprepared for “radio warfare”  Lack of heavy, long-range bombers (Gen. Wever)

9. The Battle of Britain Why Germany switched to night attacks: Heavy aircraft losses/damage from day bombing raids Losses & damage from landing accidents Easier for bombers to reach target at night “Battle of Britain Day” - Sept. 15, 1940

10. The Battle of Britain http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_lond on The Blitz Begins

11. The Battle of Britain http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_lond on Winston Churchill inspecting bomb damage in South London The Blitz Begins

12. The Battle of Britain September 7, 1940 - the beginning of the London Blitz

13. The Battle of Britain

15. Coventry Cathedral in ruins after the raid on Nov. 14, 1940 Winston Churchill viewing the remains of Coventry Cathedral

16. The Battle of Britain Modern Day Reminder of the Bombing of Coventry

17. The Battle of Britain One of the most devastating raids on London December 29, 1940 St. Paul’s Cathedral visible through the flames 350 German bombers More than 24,000 high explosive and 100,000 incendiary bombs dropped 1,500 fires started Killed - 163 civilians & 20 firefighters

18. The Battle of Britain

19. Anderson Bomb Shelter Air Raid Shelters

20. The Battle of Britain Anderson Shelter Air Raid Shelters

21. The Battle of Britain Morrison Shelter Air Raid Shelters

22. The Battle of Britain Total Air Raid Casualties Sept. 1940 – May 21, 1941 43,000!

23. The Battle of Britain 27,486 tons of bombs fell on London and eight other cities Civilian Air raid casualties July-Dec, 1940 23,002 total killed 32,138 total injured

24. The Battle of Britain  Problems encountered by Germany in night bombing: Navigation to target Navigation to target Bomb aiming accuracy Bomb aiming accuracy Lack of trained aircrews Lack of trained aircrews Loss of experienced aircrews Loss of experienced aircrews  How problems addressed: Use of “radio bombing beams” Use of “radio bombing beams” “Pathfinder” aircraft/incendiary markers “Pathfinder” aircraft/incendiary markers

25. The Battle of Britain Dornier Do-17 (light bomber) 2,139 built FF:: 1934 Oper.: : 1937 Ret.: 1941 Top speed: 255 mph Range: 628 mi PP: 2×Bramo 323 P radial engines at 986 hp Armament: Guns: 6×7.92 mm MG: front, rear upper, rear lower and cockpit positions Bombs: 2,205 lb internally

26. The Battle of Britain Junkers Ju 88 (multirole combat aircraft) 15,183 built FF: 1936 Oper.: 1939 Top Speed: 317 mph Range: 1,553 mi. 15,183 built PP: 2 × Junkers Jumo 211J liq- cooled inverted V-12, 1,401 hp Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm MG in w/s 1 × 7.92 mm MG - lower fuselage 2 × 7.92 mm MG rear cockpit 1 × 7.92 mm MG - rear ventral (Other options using cannons) Bombs: 3,100 lbs in two bomb- bays or 6,600 lbs externally

27. The Battle of Britain Heinkel HE-111 Light Bomber 6,508 produced FF: February 24, 1935 Oper: 1936 Top speed: 249 mph Range: 1435 mi. PP: 2 × Jumo 211 F-1 or 211F-2 liquid-cooled inverted V-12 1,300 hp or 1,340 hp each Armament: Up to 7 × 7.92 mm MG: 2 nose, 1 dorsal, 2 side, 2 in ventral replaced or augmented by: 1 × 20 mm cannon (central nose mount or forward ventral) 1 × 13 mm MG (dorsal and/or ventral rear) Bomb load:4,400 lbs in main bomb-bay or 7,900 lbs externally

28. The Battle of Britain Heinkel HE-111 Light Bomber 6,508 produced

29. The Battle of Britain Heinkel HE-111 Light Bomber 6,508 produced

30. The Battle of Britain Review of British Defensive Measures RAF aircraft patrolling and attacking German airbases Coastal areas: Early warning & detection system Curtains of “Long aerial mines” Coast to target - radar-directed “Cats-eye” night fighters Area of target: Searchlights & AA guns Barrage balloons (5,000’ & below) Jamming of German radar guidance beams “Starfish” decoys (dummy airfields, fires set away from target)

31. The Battle of Britain X Dowding’s RAF Integrated Defensive System Night Fighters X Defenses Against Night Attacks

32. The Battle of Britain http://www.richardgilbert.ca/achart/public_html/articles/york/radar.htm Chain Home Radar 1938 - 39 Fixed antenna (t/m & rec.) on 360’ tower Range of 120 miles above altitude of 1,000’ 21 Stations by September 1939

33. The Battle of Britain Chain Home “Low” (Ames Type 2) 1939-40 Radar coverage: Altitude: 50’ to 1,000’ Range: 15 – 35 miles

34. The Battle of Britain Chain Home radar coverage: 1939 (dotted line) o 21 stations 1940 (solid line) o July: 54 stations o Sept: 76 stations

35. The Battle of Britain Handley Page H.P. 54 Harrow FF: 1936 Oper. 1937 Top speed: 200 mph No. built: 100 Long Aerial Mines L ong Aerial Mine System

36. The Battle of Britain Long Aerial Mine Dr. Alfred Price, “Blitz’

37. The Battle of Britain RAF Night Fighter Aircraft Blenheims – low performance Hurricanes - decent night fighter Defiants - good night fighter but vulnerable – slower and no forward firing guns New Night fighter: Beaufighter! Fall 1940 – improved airborne radar units (AI-Mk IV)

38. The Battle of Britain GCI (Ground Controlled Radar Intercept) Station Operations Hut  Introduced late 1940  Range of 50 miles  Directed interception to airborne AI

39. The Battle of Britain Bristol Blenheim (Light bomber) 4,422 built FF: 1935 Oper.: 1937 Top Speed: 266 mph PP: Bristol XV radial engines – 920hp Guns: 1 ×.303 in MG in port wing 1 or 2 ×.303 in MG in rear-firing under- nose blister or 2 ×.303 in MG in dorsal turret

40. The Battle of Britain Boulton Paul Defiant ( 2 seat fighter/night-fighter) 1,064 built Crew: two: pilot, gunner FF: Aug. 1937 Oper: Dec. 1939 Top speed: 304 mph PP: 1 × Rolls-Royce III liquid- cooled V-12 engine, 1,030 hp Armament: 4 x.303 Browning MG in hydraulically powered dorsal turret

41. The Battle of Britain Boulton Paul Defiant ( 2 seat fighter/night-fighter) 1,064 built Crew: two: pilot, gunner FF: Aug. 1937 Oper: Dec. 1939 Top speed: 304 mph PP: 1 × Rolls-Royce III liquid- cooled V-12 engine, 1,030 hp Armament: 4 x.303 Browning MG in hydraulically powered dorsal turret

42. The Battle of Britain Hawker Hurricane (single seat fighter/night fighter) 14,583 built FF: 1935 Oper: 1937 Top Speed: 340 mph PP: 1 × RR Merlin XX liquid-cooled V-12, 1,185 hp Armament: 4 × 20 mm Hispoano MkII cannon or 8 x.303 in. MG

43. The Battle of Britain Radar-equipped Hurricane

44. The Battle of Britain Type 156 Beaufighter Long-range heavy fighter derived from Bristol Beaufort 5,928 built FF: 1939 Oper: August 1940 Top Speed: 320 mph Range: 1,520 nm PP: 2 x Bristol Hercules 14 cyl. Radial Armament: Variation of: 4 x 20 mm cannon (nose) 4 ×.303 in MG 2 ×.303 in MG 8 × RP-3 “60 lb” rockets or 2× 1,000 lb bombs

45. The Battle of Britain Type 156 Beaufighter Long-range heavy fighter derived from Bristol Beaufort 5,928 built FF: 1939 Oper: August 1940 Top Speed: 320 mph Range: 1,520 nm PP: 2 x Bristol Hercules 14 cyl. Radial Armament: Variation of: 4 x 20 mm cannon (nose) 4 ×.303 in MG 2 ×.303 in MG 8 × RP-3 “60 lb” rockets or 2× 1,000 lb bombs

46. The Battle of Britain Beaufighter with AI Mark IV Radar (operational late 1940) Flt. Lt. John “Cat’s Eyes” Cunningham First to achieve “kill” using Beaufighter with Mark IV radar. Became most successful home defense fighter pilot in RAF: 13 victories by June 1941; 20 in his career

47. The Battle of Britain “Thimble-nose” Variant

48. The Battle of Britain This sequence shows a Ju 88 being shot down by a Mk. IV Radar-equipped Beaufighter Beaufighter

49. The Battle of Britain General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile Commander, Anti-Aircraft Command Problems with Anti-Aircraft Defenses: Shortage of guns - 25% of required Lack of experienced manpower Still using some WWI guns Aircraft production - higher priority

50. The Battle of Britain Sound Locator (Fixed Azimuth System) Guides the searchlight to target by sending information electrically to a control station, which, in turn, points the light http://www.skylighters.org/howalightworks/

51. The Battle of Britain 3.7” AA Gun Three Primary AA Guns Used 3.7” (94mm) o 28# shell; 25,000’ range o 20 rpm

52. The Battle of Britain 3.7” AA Gun 4.5” AA Gun Three Primary AA Guns Used 3.7” (94mm) o 28# shell; 25,000’ range o 20 rpm 4.5” (114mm) o 55# shell; 25,000’ range o 12 rpm

53. The Battle of Britain 3.7” AA Gun 40mm Bofors AA Gun 4.5” AA Gun Three Primary AA Guns Used 3.7” (94mm) o 28# shell; 25,000’ range o 20 rpm 4.5” (114mm) o 55# shell; 25,000’ range o 12 rpm 40mm Bofors o 6,000’ range o > 120 rpm

54. The Battle of Britain “Z” Battery AA Rockets

55. The Battle of Britain Searchlight radar system (“Elsie” – late 1940) http://www.skylighters.org/howalightworks Gun-laying Radar – Mk II (Late 1940)

56. The Battle of Britain Sept.1940 20,000 AA Gun Rounds Fired Per “Raider” Shot Down Jan. 1941 Feb. 1941 3,000 4,000

57. The Battle of Britain Barrage Balloons

58. The Battle of Britain Parachute & Cable System Dr. Alfred Price, “Blitz’ Double Parachute System

59. The Battle of Britain Parachute & Cable System Dr. Alfred Price, “Blitz’ Double Parachute System

60. The Battle of Britain Battle of the Beams

61. The Battle of Britain Johannes "Hans" Plendl  Radio and beam engineer at Telefunken  1933 - Developed use of radar beams to guide bombers to their target  Based on existing “Lorenz” blind (instrument) landing system  1939 – set up “Knickebein” beam system  Later in disfavor – arranged others’ release from Dachau (Hans Mayer – author of “Oslo Report”)

62. The Battle of Britain German “Knickebein” Beam * * British code name for Knickebein was “Headache”

63. The Battle of Britain First beam guided bomber to target Second beam crossed the “guidance beam” at point where bombs were to be dropped

64. The Battle of Britain “Knickebein” * Antenna 1939-40  Mounted on circular track  100’ tall  300’ wide * Code name meaning “crooked leg” - referring to plan view of rotatable antenna

65. The Battle of Britain http://www.duxford-update.info/beams/beammain.htm He 111 of KGr 100 with “X Gerate Antennae

66. The Battle of Britain X Gerate Beam System Weser (Director Beam) Rhine Oder Elbe

67. The Battle of Britain Y-Gerat Beam Code named “Wotan” (one-eyed god) Included distance measuring system Single narrow “Director” beam Beam transmitted to aircraft by ground station Sent back to station to calculate position of aircraft and time/distance to target Ground station - instructed pilot on course to target & when to release bombs

68. The Battle of Britain  British physicist  September 1939 - appointed to the Intelligence section of the Air Ministry  Became Assistant Director  Involved in development of offensive and counter-measures technology  Known as a “practical joker ”

69. The Battle of Britain Dr. Reginald V. Jones

70. The Battle of Britain Avro Anson Search for the “Knickebein” Beam (Discovered on June 21, 1940)

71. The Battle of Britain Rolls-Royce Factory

72. The Battle of Britain British Countermeasures

73. The Battle of Britain Dr. Robert Cockburn Research Scientist  1940 - assigned to the Telecommunications Research Establishment  Headed team developing equipment to jam German navigation beams  Also developed devices to fool or jam enemy radar (i.e.. “Window” – foil chaff)

74. The Battle of Britain Jamming the Knickebein Beam Code name: “Aspirin” Sent radio transmission on same frequency as Germans Superimposed on signal Result: German aircrew heard either dots or dashes Couldn’t find steady beam to target Often dropped bombs in open fields Confused navigation back to base Some landed at British airbases

75. The Battle of Britain Jamming the “X Gerat” Beam (“Bromide”) Initial attempts unsuccessful – wrong frequency Germans used more sophisticated equipment Modified jamming equipment – successful Not in time for Coventry

76. The Battle of Britain http://www.duxford-update.info/beams/beammain.htm British Countermeasures for “Y Gerat Beam” Receiver

77. The Battle of Britain BBC TV Tower Alexandra Palace

78. The Battle of Britain Final Large Scale Attack on London – May 10, 1941:  541 bombers  Highest # casualties during Blitz:  1,436 killed  1,800 injured  12,000 homeless  In excess of 2,000 fires  14 German bombers destroyed!

79. The Battle of Britain Why did Germany fail to succeed in the Blitz?  Failure of Luftwaffe High Command (OKL) to develop consistent strategy to destroy Britain’s war industry:  Poor intelligence on British industry and capabilities  Switched from one target to another  No sustained pressure on any industry  No long-term strategic air campaign  Improved British defenses

80. The Battle of Britain EPILOGUE… The main air offensive against British cities diminished after May 1941, with the change of direction of the German war machine towards Russia. However, sporadic and lethal raids, using increasingly larger bombs, continued for several more years. The 'Baedeker' raids in 1942 targeted historic cities including Canterbury, York and Exeter, and the V1 and supersonic V2 rockets deployed between 1944 and 1945 killed nearly 9,000 civilians… http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/the_blitz

81. The Battle of Britain Thanks For Coming! Questions?

82. The Battle of Britain Thanks For Coming! Questions?

83. The Battle of Britain Publications on “The Blitz”: Britain’s Shield Radar and the Defeat of the Luftwaffe by David Zimmerman Instrument of Darkness- The History of Electronic Warfare by Alfred Price Blitz on Britain 1939-1945 by Alfred Price The Luftwaffe’s Blitz by Chris Gross The Luftwaffe 1933-1945 by Williamson Murray

84. The Battle of Britain Would the German Invasion of Britain been successful? Royal Navy larger than German Navy (due to earlier losses & damage in Norwegian campaign) Germans lacked means of attacking Royal Navy ships No effective force of torpedo bombers Low performance of torpedo-equipped aircraft Aerial torpedoes unreliable Dive bombing of ships - inaccurate & unable to penetrate decks Coastal areas would have been heavily mined RAF would have devastated invasion forces Blitz, Alfred Price