Transcript The Battle of Britain & The Air force

The Battle of Britain &
The Air force
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Nazi Germany's plan to invade the United Kingdom during
World War II, beginning in 1940. To have had any chance of
success, the operation would have required air supremacy
over the English Channel. Why?
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With the German defeat in the Battle of Britain, Sea Lion was
postponed indefinitely on 17 September 1940 and never carried
out.
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Hitler's directive set four pre-conditions for the invasion to occur:
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1. Defeating the RAF
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2. Clearing the English Channel of British mines, and using German mines to
seal the Straits of Dover.
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3. Dominating the coastal zone of (now occupied) France with heavy artillery.
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4.Preventing the Royal Navy from intervening in the invasion, by engaging
the British fleet in the North Sea and Mediterranean, and by attacking the
Operation Sea Lion
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Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe was one of the most modern, powerful, and
experienced air forces in the world, dominating the skies
over Europe with aircraft much more advanced than their
foreign counterparts. The Luftwaffe was central to the
German Blitzkrieg (lightning war)
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The Luftwaffe tackled the task by bombing British radar
installations, striking air fields and attacking planes in the air.
The Germans were making progress, gaining superiority,
possibly about to win… then they changed tactics.
Royal
Air Force
• In the Battle of Britain, the RAF defended
the skies over Britain against the German
Luftwaffe, helping prevent Hitler's plans for
an invasion of the United Kingdom,
• The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air
force, the oldest independent air force in the world.
Battle of Britain
July - October 1940
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After Germany’s takeover of
France, Britain was standing
alone.
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The Germans began air attacks
in early summer 1940 designed
to seize mastery of the skies
over England in preparation for
invasion. All that stood
between the British and defeat
was a small force of RAF pilots
outnumbered in the air by four
to one.
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Day after day the Germans sent
fleets of bombers and fighters
over England hoping to lure the
RAF into battle and destroy the
Advantages and
Disadvantages
Advantages
Disadvantages
- the British had the
advantage of being closer
to their airfields. German
fighters could only stay over
England for about half an
hour before flying back to
their home bases.
- By the start of the Battle
of Britain the Luftwaffe had
2,800 aircraft stationed in
France, Belgium, Holland
and Norway.
- This force outnumbered
the RAF four to one.
--The German pilots had
more combat experience
than the British and
probably had the best
fighter plane in the
-On the 12th August, 1940, the German airforce
began its mass
bomber
Messerschmitt
Bf109.
attacks on British radar stations, aircraft factories and fighter airfields. During
these raids radar stations and airfields were badly damaged and twenty-two
RAF planes were destroyed.
- The RAF also had the
benefits of an effective
early warning radar system
.
The Blitz
-On the 7th September, 1940 the German airforce
changed its strategy and began to concentrate on
bombing London. On the first day of the Blitz killed 430
citizens and 1,600 were severely injured.
-The German bombers returned the next day and a further
412 died. Between September 1940 and May 1941, the
Luftwaffe made 127 large-scale night raids. Of these, 71 were
targeted on London. -During the Blitz some two million
houses (60 per cent of these in London) were destroyed and
60,000 civilians were killed and 87,000 were seriously injured.
Of those killed, the majority lived in London. Until half-way
through the Second World War, more women and children in
Britain had been killed than soldiers.
German defeat by “the few”
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The Few is a term used to describe the Allied airmen of the
British Royal Air Force (RAF) who fought the Battle of Britain in
the Second World War. Nearly 1/4 of “the few” were Canadians” It
comes from Winston Churchill's phrase "never was so much owed by
so many to so few".
The memorial to The Few at Capel-le-Ferne, on top of the white cliffs of Dover, UK
Canada’s
Involvement
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The 1st Canadian Division had been in “intense preparation for
a role of counter attack against the expected German assault.”
It was to be a fight in the skies – the first and last air-only
battle.
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To limit confusion, the RCAF squadrons were operated as
separate units from the RAF, generally keeping the
Canadians together. (Some Canadian pilots were spread
throughout the RAF also.)
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Canadian fighter pilots assisted in the allies victory.
Nearly one quarter of the “famous few” were Canadians
flying for the RCAF or RAF.
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Canadian ships also helped to ensure that supplies crossed
Canada’s Air force
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Development: At the beginning of the war
Canada’s air force was small. However
at the end of the war it was the fourth
largest allied force.
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Dangers: Pilots had to contend with fast
enemy fighters, anti-aircraft fire, radar, poor
weather, darkness, unreliable equipment ,
fatigue, being found in enemy searchlights.
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Destroy: The initial aim of bombing was to
destroy German industries, railways,
highways, bridges, and oil refineries.
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May 17th 1943, Canadian bombers took
part in a raid on the hydroelectric
installations in Germany to cripple their
industry.
The 3 main roles of the
RCAF During WWII
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British Commonwealth Air Training
Plan: massive contribution to training
military aviators would see the RCAF
expand to a ubiquitous presence
across the country
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Home War Establishment: fielding 37
squadrons for coastal defence,
protection of shipping, air defence and
other duties in Canada
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Overseas War Establishment:
headquartered in London, fielding 48
squadrons serving with the Royal Air
Force in Western Europe, the
Mediterranean and the Far East
Invention of Radar
• British Invention: Radar provided an early
warning system of approaching hostile aircraft
and ships. After 1943 it was mounted on allied
planes. The pilot could see the target even in
darkness or heavy clouds.
Film on Fighter Planes