The Battle of Britain

Országok listájaHungaryPannon EgyetemBölcsészettudományi KarNemzetközi tanulmányokBrit Történelem, Kultúra és Civilizáció (gyak)JegyzetekThe Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain
For many centuries before World War II, aggressors had attempted to invade and conquer the island nation of Great Britain. The last successful invasion, however, had occurred almost 900 years earlier, when William the Conqueror conquered Britain in 1066 at the Battle of Hasting. In 1588, Spain tried to invade the island, sending the greatest naval fleet of the time against the British. But the Spanish Armada was defeated by the well-organized British Navy which, although smaller than the Spanish, was aided by a communication system of beacon fires across the country to signal fleet locations. This was a history lesson that Adolf Hitler chose to ignore when, fresh from victory in The Battle of Britain
For many centuries before World War II, aggressors had attempted to invade and conquer the island nation of Great Britain. The last successful invasion, however, had occurred almost 900 years earlier, when William the Conqueror conquered Britain in 1066 at the Battle of Hasting. In 1588, Spain tried to invade the island, sending the greatest naval fleet of the time against the British. But the Spanish Armada was defeated by the well-organized British Navy which, although smaller than the Spanish, was aided by a communication system of beacon fires across the country to signal fleet locations. This was a history lesson that Adolf Hitler chose to ignore when, fresh from victory in  HYPERLINK "http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Air_Power/WWII-intro/AP20.htm" France and the Low Countries, he targeted England as his next conquest. He prepared a mighty force but, in the end, was defeated by a small air force and another system of "beacon fires," this time composed of radios and  HYPERLINK "http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/radar/DI90.htm" radar.

Hitler assumed that with the surrender of the mainland Allies, England would be unable to continue fighting. To conquer England, he planned an invasion, which would be preceded by intensive aerial attacks by the Luftwaffe intended to destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF) and gain air superiority. The plan was named Operation Sea Lion and its launch day was termed Aldertag (Eagleýÿs Day). Until then, the Luftwaffe would attack shipping in the English Channel, hoping to draw the RAF into skirmishes and begin to deplete their strength. Although the Luftwaffe was spread thin by a large war theater and constant battles, it still possessed almost 2,000 airplanes, many more than Britainýÿs 675. The German aerial fleet included the  HYPERLINK "http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/MESSERSCHMITT/DI187.htm" Messerschmitt Bf.109, at that time the most feared airplane in the world. But the British boasted the Submarine Spitfire and the  HYPERLINK "http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Aerospace/Hawker/Aero51a.htm" Hawker Hurricane, two previously little-known airplanes that came into their own as the fighting over England got underway.

Despite appearances, the British were ready to fight. In June 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had promised the world that even though his nation now stood alone, it was ready to fight the Battle of Britain to save the world from defeat and a new Dark Age. He encouraged his country to "brace ourselves to our duties, and men will say, ýÿThis was their finest hour.ýÿ" Fighter Command, led by Air Marshall Hugh Dowding, was ready, having been preparing for such an event since 1937. They had a well-developed radar system and the Filter Room at Fighter Command--a central operations room that coordinated observer and radar reports and allowed for early warning and attack of incoming German forces. Plus, the British had home advantage, as a downed British pilot could hop on a train and be back to his unit in time for the next mission, but a downed German pilot became a prisoner of war. The RAF had also performed well covering the evacuation of Dunkirk in France, gaining confidence.

The Battle of Britain began on July 10,1940, when the Luftwaffe began attacking shipping in the English Channel and limited  HYPERLINK "http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/SPACEFLIGHT/solids/SP13.htm" bombing missions against RAF bases. Although Germany suffered greater losses than England in this period (248 vs. 148), the British were quickly losing experienced pilots. On August 1, Hitler issued Fuhrer Directive No.17, which read: "I intend to intensify air and sea warfare against the English homeland...The Luftwaffe is to overpower the Royal Air Force in the shortest possible time." Operation Sea Lion officially began on August 8 with orders for intensified attacks directed at airfields and radar stations. Aldertag, originally planned for August 10 but delayed because of bad weather, was August 13. On that day, the Luftwaffe flew 1,485 sorties; losing 39 airplanes while the British lost 15. The Germans also knocked out a number of radar stations, shutting off the eyes of Fighter Command. Although most of these belonged to Coastal Command and the few that did belong to Fighter Command were repaired quickly, the Luftwaffe still maintained an edge for the next several days. Commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering made several adjustments in tactics and for the remainder of the month, the RAF, although winning on paper, was losing aircraft and pilots faster than it could afford. It was three weeks away from defeat.

But the RAF was saved by a simple mistake. On August 25, the pilot of a Luftwaffe  HYPERLINK "http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Aerospace/Heinkel/Aero57.htm" Heinkel He.111 became lost and accidentally bombed central London, despite standing orders not to do so. Churchill ordered a retaliatory strike on Berlin, sending 81 RAF Hampden bombers to Berlin the next night. Although the attack was ineffectual, it struck right at Hitlerýÿs ego. He immediately gave a radio address, promising, "If the British bomb our cities, we will bury theirs" and, against the advice of his generals, issued orders to institute a merciless bombing campaign against London. On September 7, the London Blitz began. Initially, the bombing was during the day, but as Luftwaffe losses added up, it became a nighttime bombing operation.

Although difficult on the civilian population, the Blitz gave the RAF a much-needed break. Air bases and factories could be repaired and plane inventory could be replaced. With its increasing strength, the RAF continued to deal the Germans horrendous losses, until the Luftwaffe could no longer absorb the punishment. On October 12, Hitler officially canceled Operation Sea Lion and Great Britain emerged undefeated.

Germany could easily have won the Battle of Britain, but it committed too many costly errors. The German government failed to emphasize aircraft production and did not replace downed planes quickly enough. Adjustments to current production were not made to increase the airplane range, although auxiliary fuel tanks had been developed during the  HYPERLINK "http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Air_Power/Spansh_CW/AP18.htm" Spanish Civil War. A Messerschmitt Bf.109 had only enough fuel to remain over England for 20 minutes and bombers were often left unescorted. But most importantly, German military intelligence was deplorable. Its sources said radar stations were unimportant and should not be targets. It also misreported strength, weapons, and losses. At one point, Hitler complained to Goering that "you have apparently shot down more aircraft than the British ever possessed." The faulty intelligence resulted in poor strategy.

Fighting for its existence, the underdog British managed its campaign better. Under the supervision of the Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook, resupply and maintenance became a national priority. Housewives donated pots and pans to be turned into Spitfires (it is unknown if the factories actually used the donations) and whenever a squadron needed a replacement airplane, it soon appeared.

The Fighter Command communication system helped save airplanes and the country as well. As the Filter Room received reports of enemy strength and location from radar stations and the Observer Corps, it sent out only the exact number of fighters needed to the exact location, sparing unnecessary sorties. And in a controversial decision, Dowding ordered Fighter Command to concentrate on attacking bombers going to the target and ignore all other German aircraft. His goal was to prevent German bombing from occurring but not to expose his pilots to unnecessary risks. As a result of this unpopular decision, as well as political battles below him, Dowding was forced to retire two weeks after the end of the Battle of Britain.

The citizens of London became used to the nightly bombings of the Blitz until the following May. But as inconvenient and harrowing as the bombings were, they did not complain because they knew that Fighter Command had saved them from invasion and defeat. In a speech before Parliament in August, Churchill remembered the brave men of the Fighter Command:

The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. All hearts go out to the fighter pilots, whose brilliant actions we see with our own eyes day after day"

--Pamela Feltus

References:
Clayton, Tim and Craig, Phil. Finest Hour: Battle of Britain. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Collier, Richard. Eagle Day: The Battle of Britain. London: Cassell Military Publishers, 1966.
Corum, James S. The Luftwaffe: Creating the Operational Air War: 1918-1940. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press, 1997.
Gunston, Bill. History of Military Aviation. London: Hamlyn, 2000.
Lopez, Donald S. Aviation: A Smithsonian Guide. New York: MacMillan USA, 1995.

Great Air Battles: Battle of Britain:  HYPERLINK "http://wings.buffalo.edu/info-poland/britain/airbattle.html" http://wings.buffalo.edu/info-poland/britain/airbattle.html
Imperial War Museum: Battle of Britain:  HYPERLINK "http://www.iwm.org.uk/online/battle%20of%20britain/intro.htm" http://www.iwm.org.uk/online/battle%20of%20britain/intro.htm
Museum of London Blitz Web Exhibit: http:// HYPERLINK "http://www.museum-london.org.uk/MOLsite/exhibits/blitz/intro.html" http://www.museum-london.org.uk/MOLsite/exhibits/blitz/intro.html
RAF Battle of Britain History Site:  HYPERLINK "http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/bobhome.html" http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/bobhome.html
Winston Churchill Homepage:  HYPERLINK "http://www.winstonchurchill.org/" http://www.winstonchurchill.org

Additional Recommendations:
Churchill, Winston. Their Finest Hour. Volume 2 of Second World War. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1986.
Hough, Richard and Richards, Denis. The Battle of Britain: the Greatest Air Battle of World War II. London: Hodder & Stoughton: New York: Norton, 1989.
Mosley, Leonard and the editors of Time-Life Books. Battle of Britain. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books, 1977.
Overy, Richard. The Battle of Britain: The Myth and the Reality. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001.
Wood, Derek. The Narrow Margin: the Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power 1930-40, Rev. ed. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1990.

Educational Organization Standard Designationýÿ (where applicable) Content of Standard National Council for Geographic Education Standard 1 How to use maps and other geographic representations to acquire and process information. National Council for Geographic Education Standard 15 How physical systems affect human systems. National Center for History in the Schools US History
Era 8
Standard 3 The causes and course of World War II International Technology Education Association Standard 7 Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history.

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BACKGROUND:
After the unexpected and unthinkably rapid falls, first of Poland, then France, Britain stood alone against the apparently unstoppable German war machine. Invasion seemed imminent.
In fact, plans for a German invasion, named Operation Sea Lion, were in the works. The key to this plan was the establishment of German air superiority over southern England and the English Channel. That task fell to Goering and his Luftwaffe. What ensued would be the world's first strategic bombing campaign and the world's first battle entirely decided in the air, the Battle of Britain.
While the Luftwaffe had in excess of 2,000 combat ready aircraft (as opposed to the 675 in British inventory) from France to Norway that could strike England, this would be the first time they would be used in a non support manner. In other words, up to this point the German Air Forces had played a support role to the German Ground forces. German planes were designed for short distance tactical strikes and local air superiority. They lacked strategic heavy bombers. More importantly, they lacked quality fighters with the fuel endurance to act as escorts to the bombers they did have (NOTE: the yellow area in the maps is the area that could be reached by German fighters).
In regards to the British, they were out numbered and were facing a much more experienced, better equipped fighting force. They did, however, have a few important factors on their side. First, and most importantly, Britain had a very well developed Radar system and coordination method that allowed for early warning and attack of incoming German forces. Secondly, they were fighting over friendly territory. If a German was shot down, if he survived, he was captured and lost to his side. In the case of the British, a downed pilot could be up the next day and in some cases later even that same day. Third, the British were joined by a group of over 140 excellently trained Polish Air Force veterans of the September 1939 campaign. Initially, on account of their scanty English and because they represented an unknown quantity, the British command was reluctant to use their skills. In time, however, that changed and the Polish pilots contributed significantly to the British victory, downing over 200 of the 1100 planes the Luftwaffe lost during the battle.
THE BATTLE:
The Opening Phase: Kanalkampf
The German plan to gain air superiority called for an all-out attack by the Luftwaffe on the RAF fighter airfields, called Adlertag, or Eagle Day. The exact date for Adlertag was to be called by Hitler. Until that date, it was decided that the Luftwaffe would attack British domestic shipping in the English Channel in the hopes of drawing out the RAF and depleting there fighter strength.
Beginning July 10, and lasting until early August, the Germans made daily strikes against ship convoys. By the end of this period, the RAF was winning, at least in terms of pure numbers. The Luftwaffe had lost 248 fighters and bombers to the RAF's 148 fighters lost. While these numbers were encouraging to the RAF, it became clear that sustaining such a battle of attrition was impossible. This was not so much because of the loss of fighter craft, as the British fighter production was doing a relatively good job in maintaining fighter numbers. More importantly, the loss in qualified pilots was slowly crippling the RAF. The situation was looking grim, and the real onslaught had yet to materialize.
Aldertag: Eagle Day
On August 1, Fuhrer Directive No.17 was issued from Hitler's headquarters. It read, in part, "I intend to intensify air and sea warfare against the English homeland...The Luftwaffe is to overpower the Royal Air Force...in the shortest possible time...The intensification of the air war may begin on or after 5 August. The exact time is to be decided by the Air Force after the completion of preparations and in light of the weather". The Nazi war machine was again gearing up for battle, Operation Sea Lion.
The plan developed by Luftwaffe command called for a concerted strike against British radar installations (even though most of the Luftwaffe commanders erroneously felt the British Radar Defense System (RDS) was of little consequence). This was to be followed by the actual Aldertag mission the next day against RAF Fighter Command bases. August 10th was set as Eagle Day.
Due to bad weather, the radar strike did not occur until the 12th and this mission was successful. Even though the Germans lost more aircraft than the RAF, they did succeed in downing a significant portion of the RDS. Eagle day itself saw concerted strikes against airfields all over Southern England. These strikes were deemed a great success by the Luftwaffe, who announced they had destroyed 84 fighters and 8 air bases. In truth, it was a failure. The British were able to get all but one of there RDS stations back up which allowed some warning of the oncoming onslaught and allowed them to shot down 46 German aircraft with the loss of only 13 of their own. Also, the bases that were hit belonged to Coastal Command, not Fighter Command. The Eagle had been shot down. The 14th, and 15th saw similar action with 75 German craft downed to only 35 British.
 INCLUDEPICTURE "http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/britain/urbanowicz.jpg" \* MERGEFORMATINET 

Witold Urbanowicz, Commander of the Polish No. 303 Kosciuszko Squadron which recorded the highest number of victories (125) during the Battle of Britain. Urbanowicz himself recorded 17 victories, the second highest of any pilot in the battle

A Change in Strategy:
At this point, Goering changed the Luftwaffe Strategy. First, he ruled against any further strikes on the RDS deeming them ineffective. Second, it was decided that Stukas would be phased out of the battle, as it had become obvious they were entirely too vulnerable to attack. Third, Bf 110s were moved from there fighter role to a strictly dive bomber role. Additionally, it was decided that they would now have Bf 109 fighter escorts (fighters escorting fighters, an odd use of resources that functionally made the 110s range equal to that of the 109). Lastly, a top priority of destroying RAF fighters was adopted. Toward this end, most 109's were transferred to the German Airbase at Pas de Calais, the closest geographical point to Britain. Also toward that end, smaller bomber groups would be used with heavier fighter escort in the hopes of drawing the RAF into a loaded fight. This would be the strategy that would almost win the Battle of Britain for Germany
This strategy was followed for the next few weeks, and even though the British were shooting down more German planes than they were losing, the Luftwaffe was slowly gaining the advantage. The Germans could afford to loose the planes and pilots, the RAF could not. Fate would then step in in favor of the British. In the very early morning hours of August 25, a lone He 111, who had veared off course, would accidently bomb central London against Hitler's standing orders not to do so. Little did this lost pilot know his actions would alter the course of the battle, and maybe even the war itself.
The British Response
Outraged by such an attack on a completely civilian target, Churchill order a retaliatory strike on Berlin for that night. Goering himself had boasted that such a raid would never happen. He had once stated jokingly that "you can call me Meyer" if it ever occurs. Much to the amazement of stunned Berliners, on the night of August 25th, 81 British Hampden bombers appeared over Berlin and delivered a blow to the hart of the Nazi regime. It was ineffective as a military strike, but people were indeed calling Goering "Meyer", a deep insult to the anti-Semetic leader. Goering promised it would never happen again, but additional strike did repeatedly come.
As stated above, these missions were useless in terms of military value, but they hit the Nazi's in probably their most vulnerable spot, Hitler's Ego. He could not allow such an intrusion into the Fatherland go unanswered. He immediately gave a radio address in which he stated "if the British bomb our cities, we will bury theirs", and, against the advise of his generals, issued orders to Goering to institute a merciless bombing campaign against London.
The End of The Battle
While the bombing of London was painful for the British, it did give a much needed break to the RAF forces. Bases and factories could be repaired, plane inventory could be replaced. With their increasing strength, the RAF continued to deal the Germans horrendous losses, finally to the point that the Luftwaffe could no longer afford to absorb the punishment.
Eventually, all daylight bombing missions were cancelled, and Operation Sea Lion was indefinitely postponed. Night bombing raids would continue (The Blitz), but the Battle of Britain was over, the British had won. Thanks to one lone bomber, a successful "impossible" mission, and Hitler's ego, the last bastion of freedom in Europe had been saved.
Contributed by Rob Wyatt M.D.
Questions, Comments, Suggestions  HYPERLINK "mailto:rwyatt@satx.rr.com" Email the Author















Background to the Battle of Britain
The Second World War began on 1 September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, and Britain and France delcared war as a result. A new type of combined operations tactics which the Germans called Blitzkrieg were used where tanks, troops and aeroplanes attacked together and smashed through any traditional defences. Using this method, Poland was captured in just 28 days, despite heroic, often sucicidal defence of their homeland by the Polish armed forces. After this, the British and French Governments, among others, tried a number of political solutions to prevent the spread of war, all the while reinforcing positions in Northern France with land and air forces from Britain. Known as the Allied Expeditionary Force and Advanced Air Striking Force respectively, these forces moved into position, and waited. This period was know as the 'Sitzkrieg' or 'Phoney War' as the armies stared at one another across the German / French border, and the air forces flew standing patrols and reconnaissance missions, probing for weaknesses. On 9 April 1940, the peace was shattered as the same 'Blitzkrieg' tactics were used against Denmark and Norway. A British Force was sent to help the Norwegians, but the Allied Forces were outnumbered and quickly overwhelmed. Worse was to come.
On 10 May 1940, Germany attacked Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and France. Twelve fighter squadrons of Royal Air Force were based in France, the only truly modern fighter forces available to the Allies. These Hurricane Squadrons were to support the army, and the Fairey Battle and Bristol Blenheim bomber units which were based in France and operating from Britain. The bomber Squadrons, particularly the Battles, were slaughtered by the German anti-aircraft and fighter units in their attempts to slow the German advance by attacking transport focii, such as bridges. The Hurricanes did their best to protect the bombers and fly their quota of patrols and reconnaissances. However, it was not enough, and when it became clear that the Allies could not stop the Germans, all but three of the Squadrons were called back across the Channel.
The German advance pushed the Allied armies to the sea to a French port called Dunkirk. During what some people called a miracle, 800 small boats managed to lift most of the men off the beaches and back to England. The RAF were successful in keeping the majority of German bombers and fighters away, shooting down 150 aircraft. However, they lost 100 precious fighters and 80 irreplaceable pilots.
By 18 June, all British forces had withdrawn from France. Both the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and the RAF had lost many aircraft and trained crews during this campaign. Several weeks passed while the Luftwaffe replaced their losses and took over airfields in the countries they had captured. In Britain the time was spent putting as many new fighters and trained pilots into service as possible, to guard against the attack everyone knew was coming. The lull as the German forces consolidated their position was vital to the British armed forces, as it allowed them to prepare. By the beginning of July 1940, the RAF had built up its strength to 640 fighters, but the Luftwaffe had 2600 bombers and fighters. The stage was set. In the skies above South East England, the future of Britain was about to be decided. As the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill put it; "What General Weygrand called the Battle of France is over, the Battle of Britain is about to begin".






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Axis initiative and Allied reaction > The war in Europe, 1939–41 > The Battle of Britain
 HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=79855&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9016507" The Battle of Britain
 HYPERLINK "javascript:openRelativeAssembly('18888','A','352','240')"  INCLUDEPICTURE "http://cache.eb.com/eb/thumb?id=22972" \* MERGEFORMATINET 
Beginning in June 1940 and continuing into the next year, the Battle of Britain is fought in the …
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.  HYPERLINK "javascript:openRelativeAssembly('18888','A','352','240')" With France conquered, Hitler could now turn his forces on Germany's sole remaining enemy: Great Britain, which was protected from the formidable German Army by the waters of the  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=187921&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9109731" English Channel. On July 16, 1940, Hitler issued a directive ordering the preparation and, if necessary, the execution of a plan for the invasion of Great Britain. But an amphibious invasion of Britain would only be possible, given Britain's large navy, if Germany could establish control of the air in the battle zone. To this end, the Luftwaffe chief, Göring, on August 2 issued the “ HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=175552&typeId=13" Eagle Day” directive, laying down a plan of attack in which a few massive blows from the air were to destroy British air power and so open the way for the amphibious invasion, termed Operation “ HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=530637&typeId=13" Sea Lion.” Victory in the air battle for the Luftwaffe would indeed have exposed Great Britain to invasion and occupation. The victory by the  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=511222&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9064270" Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command blocked this possibility and, in fact, created the conditions for Great Britain's survival, for the extension of the war, and for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.
The forces engaged in the battle were relatively small. The British disposed some 600 frontline fighters to defend the country. The Germans made available about 1,300 bombers and dive bombers, and about 900 single-engined and 300 twin-engined fighters. These were based in an arc around England from Norway to the Cherbourg Peninsula in northern coastal France. The preliminaries of the Battle of Britain occupied June and July 1940, the climax August and September, and the aftermath—the so-called  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=69462&typeId=13" Blitz—the winter of 1940–41. In the campaign, the Luftwaffe had no systematic or consistent plan of action: sometimes it tried to establish a blockade by the destruction of British shipping and ports; sometimes, to destroy Britain's Fighter Command by combat and by the bombing of ground installations; and sometimes, to seek direct strategic results by attacks on London and other populous centres of industrial or political significance. The British, on the other hand, had prepared themselves for the kind of battle that in fact took place. Their radar early warning, the most advanced and the most operationally adapted system in the world, gave Fighter Command adequate notice of where and when to direct their fighter forces to repel German bombing raids. The  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=560558&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9069175" Spitfire, moreover, though still in short supply, was unsurpassed as an interceptor by any fighter in any other air force.
The British fought not only with the advantage—unusual for them—of superior equipment and undivided aim but also against an enemy divided in object and condemned by circumstance and by lack of forethought to fight at a tactical disadvantage. The German bombers lacked the bomb-load capacity to strike permanently devastating blows and also proved, in daylight, to be easily vulnerable to the Spitfires and  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=277350&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9041612" Hurricanes. Britain's radar, moreover, largely prevented them from exploiting the element of surprise. The German dive bombers were even more vulnerable to being shot down by British fighters, and long-range fighter cover was only partially available from German fighter aircraft, since the latter were operating at the limit of their flying range.
The German air attacks began on ports and airfields along the English Channel, where convoys were bombed and the air battle was joined. In June and July 1940, as the Germans gradually redeployed their forces, the air battle moved inland over the interior of Britain. On August 8 the intensive phase began, when the Germans launched bombing raids involving up to nearly 1,500 aircraft a day and directed them against the British fighter airfields and radar stations. In four actions, on August 8, 11, 12, and 13, the Germans lost 145 aircraft as against the British loss of 88. By late August the Germans had lost more than 600 aircraft, the RAF only 260, but the RAF was losing badly needed fighters and experienced pilots at too great a rate, and its effectiveness was further hampered by bombing damage done to the radar stations. At the beginning of September the British retaliated by unexpectedly launching a bombing raid on Berlin, which so infuriated Hitler that he ordered the Luftwaffe to shift its attacks from Fighter Command installations to  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=346821&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9108472" London and other cities. (For contemporary descriptions of the devastation of London, see  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9118194" \l "108882.ref" BTW: London Classics: London in World War II.) These assaults on London,  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=141138&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9026653" Coventry,  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/topic?idxStructId=344655&typeId=13"  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/eb/article-9048582" Liverpool, and other cities went on unabated for several months. But already, by September 15, on which day the British believed, albeit incorrectly, that they had scored their greatest success by destroying 185 German aircraft, Fighter Command had demonstrated to the Luftwaffe that it could not gain air ascendancy over Britain. This was because British fighters were simply shooting down German bombers faster than German industry could produce them. The Battle of Britain was thus won, and the invasion of England was postponed indefinitely by Hitler. The British had lost more than 900 fighters but had shot down about 1,700 German aircraft.
During the following winter, the Luftwaffe maintained a bombing offensive, carrying out night-bombing attacks on Britain's larger cities. By February 1941 the offensive had declined, but in March and April there was a revival, and nearly 10,000 sorties were flown, with heavy attacks made on London. Thereafter German strategic air operations over England withered.

The War Year by Year > The War During 1940 > The battle of Britain
The battle of Britain
Hitler expected that the fall of France would cause Britain to surrender. In July he urged Britain to make peace with Germany. Churchill refused.
At the start of the war Hitler had threatened mass air attacks against England. His threat was finally carried out in August 1940. Almost daily hundreds of German planes swarmed across the English Channel from bases in occupied France to bomb England.
The German air attack was to be followed by an invasion of EnglandÆ
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hMQ%0JjhMQ%0JUG. Hermann Goering, World War I air ace and commander of the German Luftwaffe, had told Hitler his planes could drive the Royal Air Force (RAF) out of the skies. The Luftwaffe failed. The greatly outnumbered RAF destroyed the German bombers at a crippling rate. The battle of Britain, as the RAF defense of the country was called, was one of the most important battles in the history of the world. Never after October 1940 did Hitler seriously consider invading Britain.
The battle of Britain
Hitler next wanted to invade the island of Great Britain. He first attacked the British Air Force in order to control the skies over Great Britain. The air war for that control became known as the battle of Britain. It was history's first major battle fought in the air.
Starting in June 1940, the German Luftwaffe (air force) began bombing airfields and other targets in southern England. The German warplanes crossed the English Channel from airfields in France. With land-based radar stations guiding them to their targets, British fighter pilots attacked the German bombers and fighters. The British defeated the German Luftwaffe by shooting down many of its warplanes. By the battle's end, Germany had lost about 1,700 planes to Britain's 900.
Unable to gain control of the sky, Germany cancelled its invasion of Britain. Later, the Luftwaffe switched to bombing cities and towns at night. These raids were especially damaging in  HYPERLINK "http://0-www.search.eb.com.library.uor.edu/ebk/article-9345951" London.
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