- In 1940, France has fallen and Hitler orders Operation Sealion: the invasion of Great Britain. Rare, expertly-restored footage tells the story in a new light.
- Nazi bombers head for London. Hitler thought Britain was down to their last 200 fighters and on its knees. Only the RAF stands between an invasion of Britain.
On 10th May 1940, Hitler attacks Beligum, Holland and France. Blitzkrieg had German panzer divisions advancing fast into enemy territory and closely supported by the Luftwaffe. Stukas ruled the skies. Despite a miraculous evacuation at Dunkirk, Germans are unstoppable. Britain stands alone. Hitler never expected to take France so soon. So, what to do next? His long term plan was to invade the Soviet Union. He was happy to have peace with Britain and offers immunity against an invasion. But Churchill refuses to negotiate. He stands firm. He convinces the British people to fight.. He instructs the British fleet to sink the French main fleet on the coast on Alegeria, lest it falls into German hands and used for an invasion. 1300 French sailors are killed. Britain sunk the ships and men of its former ally and sends a clear signal that its ready to fight.
Luftwaffe starts attacking British supply lines by attacking their Navy, bringing out the RAF. Germans attack with bombers protected by fighters such as the Messerschmitt 109. This is the best fighter in the world in 1940. climbs faster, 55 seconds of machine gun fire, cannons and a big punch. Goering orders the Luftwaffe to close the English channel to British Navy. Goering promises Hitler to destroy RAF in 4 weeks. Battle of Britain begins on 10th July 1940 with an attack on a convoy of 60 ships in the channel. But as German approach the convoy, they find the British Spitfire already there and protecting the convoy. Germans sink 1 ship and lose 10 aircraft. Spitfire was equal to the Messerschmitt 109.
But Germans believed that their plane was superior and could be produced in higher numbers. On 16th July, Hitler issues orders to prepare for invasion. On 19th July, Hitler tells Britain to sue for peace, but Churchill again rejects the offer. In response steps the intensity of Luftwaffe raids over Britain to gain sir superiority. Hitler orders Eagle Day, on Aug 13th 1940, to attack all RAF bases in the South of England, where majority of their planes were situated. The idea was to push RAF inland, and thus control the channel. But due to bad weather, Goering orders postponement, after the planes took off. Most planes never got the order. The RAF response is swift and deadly. 47 German planes are shot down, against 13 of the RAF.
At this point, Hitler was holidaying in the alps. Germans were super arrogant about their victories. Germans didn't know that the British had developed Radar detection under the command of Stuffy Dowding. The radar could detect aircraft from 120 miles away and were deployed all over the British coast. The innovation was using radar tech in a coordinated air defense system with advanced warning capabilities. Britain also had 30,000 volunteers manning the coast relaying info on the size and type of the raid. They were manned with binoculars and a panto-graph, which gave them rough bearing, distance, height. Reports came to fighter command HQ, Bently Priori, within 40 seconds of being sighted. The control room gets info from radars as well as the observer groups. RAF knows the planes are coming the moment they take off from Nothern France. Air Vice Marshall Keith Park is in charge of defending the south east of Britain. On Eagle Day some German bombers get through and strike airfields, but on the whole the Luftwaffe was drubbed.
Goering's head of intelligence Beppo Schmid reports that RAF lost 70 planes. Beppo was only telling what Goering wanted to hear. and hence Goering was getting wrong data. Plus most RAF bases are fully operational within 24 hrs. In July 1940, Britain produces 496 spitfires and hurricanes. Germany only produces 240 Messerschmitt 109. Plus British pilots on planes shot down, were on British soil and got into a new plane the next day. While German planes shot down, lost both plane and crew. Through captured crew, Britain learns of a German navigation system to help crews navigate at night. At night, the fighters cant do anything, and British cities will be defenseless
So, Goering changes strategy and attacks the North of Britain from Norway. 2000 sorties are launched on 15th Aug 1940. This time he loses 75 planes, against 32 of the RAF. Goering assigns Messerschmitt 109 to protect his Stuka dive bombers. So, Messerschmitt 109, loses its 300 mph speed and is forced to tie down at 200-250 mph, next to the bombers. In Aug 1940, RAF pilots were flying 5-6 times in a day. On 16th Aug, Germany launches 84 Stukas, protected by 214 Messerschmitt 109 and 43 Messerschmitt 110, head for south Hampton. 8 British squadrons intercept the attack. But Goering's new tactics work. The fighters engage the RAF and the Stukas wreck havoc. A radar installation is knocked out and 1 RAF base destroyed. 18th Aug was the hardest day for the RAF in terms of losses. Invasion of Britain is planned for mid-September. But Goering doesn't realize his tactics were working. He orders night raids on Britain. Hitler had forbidden an attack on London, but one raid misses its path and drops the bombs on the East end. Churchill takes the opportunity to plan a raid on Berlin. Days later 8 German civilians are killed.
Hitler starts bombing British cities. On Sep 7th, 700 German aircraft head to London. 21 RAf squadrons are in the air. The raids had continued for 57 nights straight. The London docks, with goods from all over the world, was destroyed. but the RAF catches a break and rebuilds it capabilities. The public is even more firmly behind Churchill. Goering believes RAF must be down to their last 200 fighters, and the weather will soon be bad and an invasion wont be possible till the following yr. Sep 15th, Battle of Britain Day, Luftwaffe launches 145 aircraft, met by 275 British fighters. The 2nd raid had 475 aircraft. 56 German aircraft are downed, against 28 from RAF. Goering finally realizes that the opposition is not weakening at all. Hitler calls off the invasion. He focuses on the Soviets
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