1. The Battle of Britain & Operation Sea Lion
By: Laura Huang, Stephanie Xu, Aishwarya Nair, Jessica Li and Pranita Rao
Jessica

2. Thesis
Soon after successfully occupying France, Germany turned its forces to prepare the Luftwaffe (German air force) to attack Great Britain in hopes of ousting the British from their naval and aerial superiority, to increase Germany’s chances of winning the war. However during the air bombings of Britain, the Luftwaffe’s failure to damage British airpower and morale sufficiently allowed Great Britain to preserve its independence from Nazi Germany, and forced Hitler to postpone Operation Sea Lion indefinitely.
Jessica

3. Background
England: Royal Air Force, formed towards the end of WWI (with many foreign pilots).
Germany: Luftwaffe, established in 1935.
After France was defeated by Germany in 1940, they signed an armistice and surrendered, leaving Britain to face the powerful Germans without backup.
Hitler hoped to negotiate peaceful relations with Britain, but after the evident determination of Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches” speech, Hitler resorted to force Britain to cooperate.
Germans believed they had almost won the war in the West, so Hitler ordered the preparation of a plan to invade Britain. It was decided the Luftwaffe would attack in the air first, followed by the German army in Operation Sea Lion.
Laura

4. Overview
The Battle of Britain was the first major air battle fought between Germany and Britain to knock Britain out of the war after the invasion of France
Started in July 1940 and ended in October 1940
Operation Sea Lion was the campaign to cross the English Channel to invade England
However, the operation was postponed indefinitely due to the Luftwaffe's failure to overpower the Royal Air Force, and Hitler’s diverted attention to plans for invading Russia
Pranita

5. Key Leaders
Hermann Göering was a military general of the Nazi Party, who was with Hitler during the Beer Hall Putsch and who became an Air Marshal during the Battle of Britain..
Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Britain who refused to surrender in the Battle of Britain and raised morale through his inspirational speeches.
Air Marshal Hugh Dowding was the greatest air marshal during the Battle of Britain. He created an effective defense system, and groomed first-class fighter pilots.
Pranita

6. Battle of Britain Map
First fully-integrated use of radar by the British Royal Air Force (RAF)
Did not allow Germans the element of surprise
German bombers, at first, were commanded to refrain from bombing London because Hitler thought the British could join his side
Required the Germans to bomb closer to fighter bases instead of the command headquarters
Stephanie
British radar was most advanced and operationally adapted in world at time
RAdio Detection And Ranging

7. Timeline
Reasons/Motives: Germany’s wish to destroy British morale and win the war in the west by gaining air supremacy followed by an invasion fleet.
June :
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring orders the Luftwaffe to draw the RAF into battle, and Britain starts to mobilize both war front and home front (total war).
July :
The Luftwaffe starts to attack shipping convoys in the ports and lay mines around the English coast.
Hitler calls for preparations to be made for Operation Sea Lion (the naval attack), that would commence after the British had been depleted to the point where they would not be able to fight back invading troops successfully.
August :
The Luftwaffe intensified raids with a systematic assault on RAF airfields and radar stations, progressing further inland with heavy losses on both sides.
Laura

8. Timeline P.2
August :
German air raids begin to target cities and towns in addition to the airfields to destroy infrastructure, and the RAF retaliates by bombing Berlin.
September :
Mass bombing of London (heaviest attack - Sep 15th - “Battle of Britain Day”). The raids were often during night-time to avoid the RAF and reduce German casualties, and came to be known as the “Blitz”.
September 17th 1940: Hitler called off Operation Sea Lion
Never came to fruition due to the Luftwaffe's failure during the Battle of Britain, and postponed indefinitely
October 1940: The Battle of Britain officially ends, with a British victory.
Ash

9. Operation Sea Lion
Operation Sea Lion was the planned campaign to sail over the English Channel to invade Britain
The plan: Bombing major cities be devastating to British economy + morale, causing Britain to leave the war
During the Battle of Britain, Hitler wanted a naval invasion if the Luftwaffe was able to gain aerial supremacy (two forms of military)
Hitler ordered the invasion on September 3, 1940
Eventually, the campaign became just a series of blockades, enforced by submarines due to the Luftwaffe and the German navy not being able to effectively bomb Britain
Postponed indefinitely on September 17, 1940
Jessica

10. Operation Sea Lion Map Stephanie
Took around an hour to travel from mainland Europe to Britain through Doven Strait

11. REMEMBER: Operation Sea Lion was NEVER put into action
Stephanie

12. Impact
The Battle of Britain was the first battle in history conducted entirely by air power.
It was also the first defeat experienced by the Germans during the Second World War (after the successes of the initial blitzkrieg).
Britain’s defensive victory boosted morale and British national unity to continue with the war effort against the Axis.
Ash

13. Fun Facts The Battle of Britain ended on Halloween.
The name Battle of Britain actually received its name from one of Winston Churchill’s speeches in which he said, “The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin.”
The Queen first created the “Keep Calm and Carry On” sign in 1939 to appease the British people, who were faced with the impending air attacks.
Ash

14. Ash

15. Works Cited
Barrow, Mandy. “Britain since the 1930s.” The Battle of Britain, 2013,
“Battle of Britain.” Battle of Britain,
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Battle of Britain.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Apr. 2019,
Editors, History.com. “Battle of Britain.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009,
Laurie, Clayton D. “Battle of Britain.” The Great Depression and World War II, Third Edition, Facts On File, History Research Center, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=150531&itemid=WEHRC&articleId=
Museum, RoyalAirForce. “Operation Sealion.” Operation Sealion | History of the Battle of Britain | Exhibitions & Displays | Research | RAF Museum, britain/operation-sealion.aspx.
“Operation Sealion.” Operation Sealion | History of the Battle of Britain | Exhibitions & Displays | Research | RAF Museum, sealion.aspx.
“Operation Sealion: The Planned German Invasion of Britain A Primer and List of Sources.” Operation Sealion: The Planned German Invasion of Britain,
The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline,

16. Here u go to the old town road what can i say except ur 🅱️elcome
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