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
Slide 3
THE Battle of France IS OVER. I EXPECT THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN IS
ABOUT TO BEGIN. WINSTON CHURCHILL, HOUSE OF COMMONS SPEECH,
1940
Slide 4
BACKGROUND CAUSES: 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 DONT THINK BRITISH AIR
FORCE (R.A.F.ROYAL AIR FORCE) HAS THE ABILITY TO DEFEND BRITAIN
LONG-TERM. THEY ALSO BELIEVE BRITS ARE DEMORALIZED DONT 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
Slide 5
OPERATION SEA LION INVASION PLAN JUNE, 1940
Slide 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
Slide 7
PHASE I
Slide 8
PHASE 2
Slide 9
PHASE 3
Slide 10
PHASE 4
Slide 11
BRITISH PLAN FOR DEFENSE BRITISH PLAN RELIED HEAVILY ON 4
FACTORS ALL HAD TO BE WELL COORDINATED IN ORDER FOR PLAN TO
SUCCEED: RADAR: COASTAL R.D.F. SITES WOULD IDENTIFY ENEMY PLANE
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
ORDER OF BATTLE STRENGTH OF FORCES: 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:
R.A.F.: 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: R.A.F.: 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
Slide 30
BASIC TACTICS R.A.F.: 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
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
GROUP LEADER Major Werner Molders, Luftwaffe DOUGLAS BADER,
R.A.F. 30 Kills 11 Kills, 4 Shared, 6 Probable, 11 Damaged
Slide 39
SAILOR MALLANS 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. ITS BETTER TO ACT QUICKLY EVEN IF
YOUR TACTTICS ARENT 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!
Slide 40
ADOLPH GALLAND
Slide 41
GALLANDs Bf-109 FIGHTER
Slide 42
MESSERSCHMIDT Me/Bf-109 SINGLE-SEAT FIGHTER
Slide 43
BASIC DESIGN SCHEME: MESSERSCHMIDT Me/Bf-109
Slide 44
Me-109 SQUADRON ON GERMAN AIRFIELD, 1939
Slide 45
MESSERSCHMIDT Bf-109 DURING TAKEOFF
Slide 46
Slide 47
LUFTWAFFE SCHWARM (FINGER-FOUR) FORMATION
Slide 48
SCHWARM FORMATION ADVANTAGES
Slide 49
FINGER FOUR AIRCRAFT SPACING
Slide 50
Slide 51
Slide 52
R.A.F. V or VIC FORMATION
Slide 53
SPITFIRES IN STANDARD V FORMATION
Slide 54
SPITFIRES IN 2 SUPPORTING V FORMATIONS
Slide 55
Slide 56
Slide 57
HEINKEL He-111 TWIN ENGINE BOMBER
Slide 58
Slide 59
JUNKERS Ju-28 STUKA DIVE BOMBER
Slide 60
Slide 61
STUKA DIVE BOMBERS AFTER DIVE ATTACK
Slide 62
Slide 63
BRITISH and GERMAN AIRFIELD DISPERSAL, MAY OCT., 1940
Slide 64
Slide 65
Heinkel He-111 Bomber over London
Slide 66
BLITZ DAMAGE IN LONDON
Slide 67
Slide 68
Slide 69
Slide 70
St. Pauls Cathedral, London, During The Blitz
Slide 71
Slide 72
RESULTS CASUALTIES: R.A.F.: 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
Slide 73
Slide 74
1940 R.A.F. PROPAGANDA POSTER
Slide 75
BATTLE OF BRITAIN R.A.F. MEMORIAL
Slide 76
Slide 77
Slide 78
RIGHT: CHURCHILL DURING THE BLITZ BELOW: CHURCHILL AT HOME
Slide 79
NEVER IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN CONFLICT WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO
MANY TO SO FEW. WINSTON CHURCHILL, 1940
Slide 80
Slide 81
WE SHALL FIGHT THEM ON THE BEACHES, WE SHALL FIGHT THEM IN THE
FIELDS AND IN THE STEETS, WE SHALL FIGHT THEM IN THE HILLS, WE
SHALL NEVER SURRENDER. Winston Churchill
Slide 82
LET US BRACE OURSELVES TO OUR DUTIES, AND SO BEAR OURSELVES,
THAT IF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH LASTS FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, MEN
WILL STILL SAY, THIS WAS THEIR FINEST HOUR. WINSTON CHURCHILL