1. The Battle of Britain Adrian Stewart Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle 2015 - The 75 th Anniversary Remembrance John Sessions and Mike Lavelle - 21 January, 2015 Overview Events that Influenced the Outcome of the Battle of Britain

2. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle The 75 th Anniversary Remembrance

3. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle What was the Battle of Britain? When did it begin? When did it end? 1919 1945 1940 10 July 31 Oct. 1935 RAF Battle of Britain Germany Rearms German Luftwaffe Established The 75 th Anniversary Remembrance Battle Over Britain The Blitz Rocket Attacks

4. The Battle of Britain Hans Von Seeckt 1919 - 1936 1925 German officers on maneuvers with General Seeckt

5. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Hans Von Seeckt Architect of the German Luftwaffe Provided his influence through the allowed Defense Ministry Advocated a strategic air force Felt Russia provided needed resources for logistical support, i.e. oil, fuel Arranged a covert military flight training operations and testing center in Lipetsk, Russia Developed new Luftwaffe Officer Corp 1919 - 1936

6. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Covert Routes to the East - Lipetsk, Russia 1925-1933 Fokker VIII LipetskFokker VIII

7. The Battle of Britain World War I Air Combat Experience Realized the Importance of Attrition Promoted Defense vs. Offense R&D Post with Air Ministry New Aircraft Development & RDF Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding Harsh with Air Ministry Staff Freely spoke his mind Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Events that Influenced the Outcome of the Battle of Britain 1932

8. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Hawker Hurricane Prototype K5083 First Flight - November 1935 Supermarine Spitfire Prototype K5054 First Flight - March 1936 Events that Influenced the Outcome of the Battle of Britain Sydney CammReginald Mitchell

9. The Battle of Britain Daventry Experiment Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Events that Influenced the Outcome of the Battle of Britain 1935 - 1940

10. The Battle of Britain Daventry Experiment Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Events that Influenced the Outcome of the Battle of Britain 1935 - 1940

11. The Battle of Britain Daventry Experiment Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Events that Influenced the Outcome of the Battle of Britain 1935 - 1940

12. The Battle of Britain German Luftwaffe Direction and Leadership 1935 March - German Luftwaffe Revealed Hermann Goring – Aviation Ministry Erhard Milch Secretary of State for Aviation

13. The Battle of Britain German Luftwaffe Direction and Leadership Hermann Goring – Aviation Ministry Erhard Milch Secretary of State for Aviation 1933 - German Luftwaffe Established 1933 only 500 Officers had flight training Transfer general staff officers to the Air Ministry Retired WWI officers offered administrative and technical positions 1934 over 1000 new officers trained – 7 training centers inside Germany for Luftwaffe 1935 Full fledge Luftwaffe organization 1933 only 3200 employed in 8 airframe manufactures 1933 goal to produce 1000 aircraft (224 military types) 1934 had 11,0000 aircraft workers and 5700 aircraft engine workers. 1934 Rhineland Program goal 4000 aircraft for Luftwaffe 1935 to 1936 the aircraft industry work force had grown to 124, 848

14. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle !933 -1936 The General Walther Wever Years General Major Wever Chief of Air Staff - Battlefield Vision

15. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle To destroy the enemy air force by bombing its bases and aircraft factories, and defeating enemy air forces attacking German targets. To prevent the movement of large enemy ground forces to the decisive areas by destroying railways and roads, particularly bridges and tunnels, which are indispensable for the movement and supply of forces To support the operations of the army formations, independent of railways, i.e., armored forces and motorized forces, by impeding the enemy advance and participating directly in ground operations. !933 -1935 The General Walther Wever Years JU - 89Dornier DO-19

16. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle To destroy the enemy air force by bombing its bases and aircraft factories, and defeating enemy air forces attacking German targets. To prevent the movement of large enemy ground forces to the decisive areas by destroying railways and roads, particularly bridges and tunnels, which are indispensable for the movement and supply of forces To support the operations of the army formations, independent of railways, i.e., armored forces and motorized forces, by impeding the enemy advance and participating directly in ground operations. !933 -1935 The General Walther Wever Years JU - 89Dornier DO-19 Proposed ME 264

17. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle To destroy the enemy air force by bombing its bases and aircraft factories, and defeating enemy air forces attacking German targets. To prevent the movement of large enemy ground forces to the decisive areas by destroying railways and roads, particularly bridges and tunnels, which are indispensable for the movement and supply of forces To support the operations of the army formations, independent of railways, i.e., armored forces and motorized forces, by impeding the enemy advance and participating directly in ground operations. !933 -1935 The General Walther Wever Years JU - 89Dornier DO-19 Proposed ME 264 He -177

18. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle To destroy the enemy air force by bombing its bases and aircraft factories, and defeating enemy air forces attacking German targets. To prevent the movement of large enemy ground forces to the decisive areas by destroying railways and roads, particularly bridges and tunnels, which are indispensable for the movement and supply of forces To support the operations of the army formations, independent of railways, i.e., armored forces and motorized forces, by impeding the enemy advance and participating directly in ground operations. !933 -1935 The General Walther Wever Years JU - 89Dornier DO-19 Proposed ME 264 He -177 Development for a Strategic Long Range Bomber changed in 1936

19. The Battle of Britain Wolfram von Richthofen Hugo Sperrle Albert Kesselring 1936 – 1945 High Ranking Luftwaffe Leadership

20. The Battle of Britain HE-51 B-1 ME -109 B-1 1936 – 1939 Legion Condor 3 years of operational experience gained JU -52/3m Operation Magic Fire

21. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle A D C B A B C D Basic German Schwarm Formation

22. The Battle of Britain RAF “Vic” Fighter Formation

23. The Battle of Britain RAF “Vic” Fighter Formation

24. The Battle of Britain Example of type and number of Legion Condor Aircraft Operational Summary 28 July 1936 to 29 March 1939 19,000 Germany Luftwaffe served 226 Killed in action 139 wounded 232 operational a ir craft losses 72 to enemy action Confirmed value of Dive Bombing Confirmed value of high performance bomber

25. The Battle of Britain Luftwaffe Lessons ignored “ The fact that we suffered only slight looses despite being outnumbered is due to the inadequate training and erratic leadership of the enemy airmen, and to the greater speed of our own fighters…..” “ It proved impossible to inflict lasting damage on, or to put out of action completely, any enemy air force ground installation. It also proved impossible to knock out enemy air forces on the ground because of the high degree of flexibility of enemy formations.”

26. The Battle of Britain “ Peace in our time” Neville Chamberlain returns from Munich 1938 Munich Agreement – September 30

27. The Battle of Britain 1938 Prime Minister Chamberlain Munich Agreement Benefits 1938 First operational RDF station Additional fighter airfields established Additional year to train personnel Pilots Mechanics (Fitters and armament) Observer Corp RDF Station operations Shadow aircraft factories begin 1938 Hurricanes & Spitfires to RAF Sq.

28. The Battle of Britain 11 months after the Munich agreement Poland is invaded September 1, 1939

29. The Battle of Britain Germany had 11 tank divisions compared to Poland’s 1 Germany had 40 infantry divisions compared to Poland’s 30 Germany four motorized divisions compared to none in Poland Germany had one cavalry brigade compared to Poland’s eleven 1939 Poland facing the overwhelming odds Poland best offered defense

30. The Battle of Britain Germany had 11 tank divisions compared to Poland’s 1 Germany had 40 infantry divisions compared to Poland’s 30 Germany four motorized divisions compared to none in Poland Germany had one cavalry brigade compared to Poland’s eleven 1939 Poland facing the overwhelming odds Poland best offered defense Ernst UdetStuka, JU-87

31. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Polish Fighter PZL 7 German Luftwaffe Losses 285 Aircraft destroyed 279 Severely damaged 189 Crew killed In action 224 Missing 126 Wounded When comparing the combat potential of both sides, this was by no means a bad result for the Polish Air Force. Many Polish pilots would escape to the UK and make major contributions during the Battle of Britain and the rest of the war. The Polish Airmen stood up to the German Luftwaffe

32. The Battle of Britain

33. May 10, 1940, was one of the most dramatic days in British history. Churchill became Prime Minister of England. Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Churchill’s willingness to fight on based on three mistaken assumptions Germany’s economy stretch to the limit United States soon to enter war New Operations Executive Order would set Europe ablaze.

34. The Battle of Britain May 10, 1940, was one of the most dramatic days in British history. Churchill became Prime Minister of England. Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Churchill’s willingness to fight on based on three mistaken assumptions Germany’s economy stretch to the limit United States soon to enter war New Operations Executive Order would set Europe ablaze. “What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I except that the Battle of Britain is about to begin” Churchill, June 18, 1940 - House of Commons-

35. The Battle of Britain May 10 – June 4, 1940 Battle of France Losses 386 Hurricanes 67 Spitfires Dowding biggest loss – Pilots Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle

36. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle 1940 The Fall of France RAF Lessons Learned Gun Harmonization at 250 yds. Vs. 400 yds Change to flexible pair combat formation Leadership at Squadron level proven sound France was not a good rehearsal for The Battle of Britain Outclassed aircraft make no Contribution

37. The Battle of Britain The RAF would now fight a battle they had planned 1940 July

38. The Battle of Britain 1940 July – October, Phases of the Battle of Britain Phase 1: Beginning July 1940 German attacks on Channel shipping Phase 3: September 7 th Attacks centered on London by day and night Phase 2: From 7 August the eve of Adlertag (Eagle Day) to September 7 th the RAF called the critical period when airfield were under heavy attack until first week September Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle

39. The Battle of Britain 27,486 tons of bombs fell on London and eight other cities Air raid casualties 1940 23,002 total killed 32,138 total injured 60,595 British civilians had been killed by bombs, v-weapons &long range guns war’s by end 1940 - 1941 The Battle of Britain Continued

40. The Battle of Britain Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle Questions and Discussion Thank you for Attending 2015 - The 75 th Anniversary Remembrance