1. THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
JULY – OCTOBER, 1940

2. WE SHALL GO ON TO THE END. WE SHALL FIGHT IN FRANCE.
WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE SEAS AND OCEANS.
WE SHALL FIGHT WITH GROWING CONFIDENCE AND GROWING STRENGTH IN THE AIR,
WE SHALL DEFEND OUR ISLAND, WHATEVER THE COST MAY BE.
WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE BEACHES,
WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE LANDING GROUNDS,
WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE FIELDS AND IN THE STREETS.
WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE HILLS.
WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER.
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL,
JUNE 4, 1940

3. WINSTON CHURCHILL, HOUSE OF COMMONS SPEECH, 1940
“THE ‘Battle of France’ IS OVER. I EXPECT THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.”
WINSTON CHURCHILL, HOUSE OF COMMONS SPEECH, 1940

4. BACKGROUND CAUSES: PROBLEM? RESULT?
WERMACHT SUCCESSES IN SPRING, 1940 LEAD HITLER TO HOPE / BELIEVE…
THE WAR IS BASICALLY OVER (AT LEAST IN WESTERN EUROPE)
THE U.K. WILL SETTLE FOR PEACE
POSSIBLE EFFECT?
IF SO, GERMANY WOULD BE FREE TO CONTROL EUROPE WITHOUT INTERFERENCE
GERMANS COULD SHIFT MILITARY FOCUS (AGAIN) TOWARDS EAST TO PREPARE FOR RUSSIAN INVASION
HITLER & GOERING DON’T THINK BRITISH AIR FORCE (R.A.F.–ROYAL AIR FORCE) HAS THE ABILITY TO DEFEND BRITAIN LONG-TERM. THEY ALSO…
BELIEVE BRITS ARE DEMORALIZED
DON’T BELIEVE U.S. WILL BE DRAWN INTO THE WAR
THEREFORE, THEY THINK THE BRITS ARE “PLAYING FOR TIME”
WERMACHT, AND ESPECIALLY LUFTWAFFE, MORALE IS VERY HIGH – DEFEAT IS NOT GENERALLY REGARDED AS A POSSIBILITY BY TROOPS, PILOTS, ETC.
PROBLEM?
CHAMBERLAIN IS GONE; CHURCHILL IS NEW PRIME MINISTER
CHURCHILL WILL NOT NEGOTIATE WITH / APPEASE GERMANS
RESULT?
HITLER ORDERS PLANS FOR AMPHIBIOUS / AIRBORNE INVASION OF BRITIAN
INVASION MUST BE PRECEDED BY AERIAL ATTACK TO NEUTRALIZE…
R.A.F
ROYAL NAVY
WHY? SO THAT THE ENGLISH CHANNEL WILL BE OPEN FOR INVASION FLEET

5. OPERATION SEA LION INVASION PLAN, JUNE, 1940

6. LUFTWAFFE OPERATION PLANS
GERMAN PLAN FOR AERIAL ASSAULT WAS NOT WELL PLANNED
RESULT?
A CONSTANTLY ADJUSTING STRATEGY & TACTICS
LACKED ORGANIZATION & COORDINATED ATTACK
BATTLE OF BRITAIN BECAME BROKE INTO 4 “PHASES”, EACH W/ A DIFFERENT GOAL
PHASES OF THE BATTLE:
PHASE 1:
ATTACK NAVY CONVOYS IN ENGLISH CHANNEL
ATTACK RADAR STATIONS ON COAST
ATTACK COASTAL CITIES TARGETED FOR INVASION SITES
PHASE 2:
DESTROY R.A.F. FIGHTERS IN LARGE NUMBERS (ON GROUND OR IN AIR COMBAT)
ARIFIELDS IN S.E. ENGLAND WERE HIT HARDEST
PHASE 3:
LONDON & MAJOR CITIES BOMBED
FACTORIES & STRATEGIC SITES ALSO TARGETED
PHASE 4:
CITIES BOMBED IN NIGHT RAIDS
AIRFIELDS & MILITARY TARGETS ALSO ATTACKED
BEGINNING OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS “THE BLITZ”
***THE BLITZ WAS A PERIOD OF INTENSE BOMBING ON CITIES, ESPECIALLY LONDON THAT BEGAN AS THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN WAS COMING TO A CLOSE

7. PHASE I

8. PHASE 2

9. PHASE 3

10. PHASE 4

11. BRITISH PLAN FOR DEFENSE
BRITISH PLAN RELIED HEAVILY ON 4 FACTORS
ALL HAD TO BE WELL COORDINATED IN ORDER FOR PLAN TRO SUCCEED:
RADAR: COASTAL R.D.F. SITES WOULD IDENTIFY ENEMY PLAN FORMATIONS
ALARM THEN SENT TO R.A.F. COMMUNICATION CENTERS
INFORMATION (# OF PLANES, DIRECTION, etc.) SENT TO AIR GROUPS
IDIVIDUAL SQUADRONS ALERTED & “SCRAMBLED” TO INTERCEPT GERMANS
BRITISH HAD ALSO MADE BACKUP PLANS IF THIS RADAR WAS KNOCKED OUT
EXAMPLE: BRITISH CIVILIAN “OBSERVER CORPS” ON COAST ALSO WATCHED FOR LUFTWAFFE
THEY COULD ALSO ALERT R.A.F. BY PHONE
ANTI-AIRCRAFT SITES PLACED…
ON COAST
AROUND ALL AIRFIELDS
AROUND ALL MAJOR CITIES

15. R.A.F. PILOTS BEING “SCRAMBLED” DURING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

18. LONDON HERALD AUGUST, 1940

19. R.A.F. SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

20. HAWKER HURRICANE

21. HURRICANE & SPITFIRE

23. DOGFIGHT: Me-109 and Spitfire

24. ORDER OF BATTLE STRENGTH OF FORCES: COMMANDERS: PRIMARY AIRCRAFT:
R.A.F.: 1,963 AIRCRAFT
LUFTWAFFE: 4,074 AIRCRAFT
COMMANDERS:
R.A.F.:
AIR MARSHALL SIR HUGH DOWDING – C/O, FIGHTER COMMAND
AIR VICE MARSHALL SIR KEITH PARK – X/O, FIGHTER COOMAND
LUTFWAFFE: HERMANN GOERING
PRIMARY AIRCRAFT:
SUPERMARINE “SPITFIRE” – SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTER
HAWKER “HURRICANE” – SINGLE ENGINE FIGHTER
LUFTWAFFE:
MESSERSCHMIDT Me-109 – SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTER
MESSERSCHMIDT Bf-109 – SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTER
MESSERSCHMIDT Bf-110 – TWIN-ENGINE FIGHTER/BOMBER
JUNKERS Ju-87 “STUKA” – SINGLE ENGINE DIVE BOMBER
HEINKEL He-111 – TWIN-ENGINE, MULTIPLE CREW BOMBER
AIR UNITS:
4 PRIMARY AIR GROUPS, COVERING ENGLAND, SCOTLAND & WALES
13 GROUP: SCOTLAND
12 GROUP: CENTRAL ENGLAND
11 GROUP: LONDON & S.E. ENGLAND
10 GROUP: WALES & W. ENGLAND
LUFTWAFFE: 3 AIR GROUPS, CALLED “LUFTFLOTTE”
LUFTFLOTTE 2 – TARGETED LONDON & S.E. ENGLAND
LUFTFLOTTE 3 – TARGETED WALES & W. ENGLAND
LUFTFOLTTE 5 (unit based in Norway) – TARGETED N. ENGLAND & SCOTLAND

25. BASIC TACTICS R.A.F.: LUTFWAFFE:
USE RADAR SYSTEM TO DETECT GERMAN AIR MOVEMENT EARLY (while forming over France or over the English Channel)
RADAR POSTS ALERT SQUADRONS
SQUADRONS “SCRAMBLE” (2-3 min) TO GET AIRBORNE
RADAR POSTS GUIDE SQUADRONS TO INTERCEPT POINTS (altitude, direction, etc.)
SQUADRONS ATTEMPT TO SHOOT DOWN AS MANY BOMBERS AS POSSIBLE
LUTFWAFFE:
AIR GROUPS ALL HAVE DESIGNATED TARGETS (airfields, factories, etc.)
FIGHTERS CONCENTRATE ON STRAFING R.A.F. AIRFIELDS OR SHOOTING DOWN FIGHTERS
BOMBERS HEAD TO TARGETS AND CONCENTRATE ON KNOCKING THEM OUT

26. HERMANN GOERING SIR HUGH DOWDING. SIR KEITH PARK Commanding Officer
HERMANN GOERING SIR HUGH DOWDING SIR KEITH PARK Commanding Officer Commanding Officer Executive Officer German Luftwaffe Fighter Command Fighter Command Royal Air Force Royal Air Force

27. CHURCHILL ON TIME

28. SPITFIRE ATTACK ON He-111 BOMBER SQUADRON

30. ADOLPH GALLAND, LUFTWAFE. “SAILOR” MALLAN, R. A. F. 58 KILLS
ADOLPH GALLAND, LUFTWAFE “SAILOR” MALLAN, R.A.F KILLS KILLS, 7 SHARED, 3 PROBABLES, 16 DAMAGED

31. SAILOR MALLAN’S RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
WAIT TO SHOOT UNTIL YOU SEE THE WHITES OF HIS EYES. FIRE SHORT BURSTS OF 1-2 SECONDS ONLY WHEN YOUR SIGHTS ARE DEFINITELY “ON” THE TARGET.
BRACE YOUR WHOLE BODY WHEN SHOOTING. KEPP BOTH HANDS ON THE CONTROL STICK AND CONCENTRATE ON YOUR GUN SIGHT.
ALWAYS KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT FOR THE ENEMY.
HEIGHT GIVES YOU THE INITIATIVE.
ALWAYS TURN AND FACE THE ATTCK.
MAKE YOUR DECISIONS PROMPTLY. IT’S BETTER TO ACT QUICKLY EVEN IF YOUR TACTTICS AREN’T THE BEST.
NEVER FLY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL IN THE COMBAT AREA FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS.
WHEN DIVING TO ATTACK, ALWAYS LEAVE A PART OF YOUR SQUADRON ABOVE TO ACT AS A TOP GUARD AGAINST ATTACK.
INITIATIVE, AGGRESSION, AIR DISCIPLINE AND TEAM WORK ARE WORDS THAT MEAN SOMEHTING IN AIR COMBAT.
GO IN QUICKLY – PUNCH HARD – GET OUT!

32. ADOLPH GALLAND

33. GALLAND’s Bf-109 FIGHTER

35. Heinkel He-111 Bomber over London

36. “BLITZ” DAMAGE IN LONDON

38. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, During The Blitz

39. DEVELOPMENTS PROBLEMS DEVELOP FOR BOTH SIDES R.A.F: LUTFWAFFE:
NUMBERS OF PLANES PRODUCED BY BRIT. FACTORIES IS HIGHER THAN # OF TRAINED PILOTS
R.A.F. HAS TO RELY ON HASTILY TRAINED or FOREIGN PILOTS TO KEEP FIGHTERS IN AIR
INITIAL R.A.F. TACTICS DIDN’T WORK WELL
RESULTS: NUMEROUS CASUALTIES AMONG YOUNG, UNTRAINED PILOTS
LUTFWAFFE:
PLANES HAVE LIMITED FUEL CAPACITY (have further to go to land, refuel)
PLANES ARE OVER ENEMY TERRITORY IF TROUBLE HAPPENS
BOMBERS ARE SLOW AND VULNERABLE TO FIGHTER ATTACK
FIGHTERS HAVE TO BE USED INCREASINGLY TO COVER BOMBERS
RESULTS:
HEAVY LOSSES FOR BOMBER CREWS
R.A.F. FIGHTERS ARE NOT NEUTRALIZED ON GROUND

40. RAF SQUADRON WITH MASCOTS

41. RESULTS CASUALTIES: LONG-TERM RESULTS: R.A.F.: LUFTWAFFE:
544 KIA
1,547 AIRCRAFT DESTROYED
LUFTWAFFE:
2,500 KIA
1,887 AIRCRAFT DESTROYED
LOSSES ARE HIGHEST AMONGST BOMBER / DIVE BOMBER CREWS
LONG-TERM RESULTS:
ENGLISH CHANNEL REMAINS OPEN TO BRIT./ALLIED NAVAL FORCES
OPERATION SEA LION IS CANCELLED
R.A.F. FIGHTER COMMAND GAINS VALUABLE EXPERIENCE
GERMANS SUFFER FIRST LOSS OF THE WAR
HITLER ORDERS PREPARATIONS FOR INVASION OF RUSSIA
GERMANS WILL SOON BE INVOLVED IN A TWO-FRONT WAR

42. R.A.F. MEMORIAL

43. CHURCHILL DURING THE BLITZ

44. “NEVER IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN CONFLICT WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW.”
WINSTON CHURCHILL, 1940