The Battle of Britain

July – November 1940

 

  • After France was taken, Hitler looks towards Britain as the next target
  • The attack will begin in July 1940 with the German air force using everything that they have in an attempt to get Britain to surrender
  • The air attack on Britain will open up in three stages:
    • Bombed trade and warships at sea
    • Bombed air fields, radar and radio towers
    • Bombed major manufacturing centers – London, Manchester, Burmingham, Leeds and Coventry

 

  • German bombers will be attacked by British fighter planes and Triple A – anti air craft artillery
  • The British citizens will have to prepare themselves for these air raids
  • Women and children are moved out of major cities to the North of England or to Canada
  • Those who stayed in England will build homemade bomb shelters
  • Many were setup in basements, and relief areas were set up in schools or churches
  • Everyone in Britain contributed something to the war effort, such as metals, aluminum, iron, steel, gold and silver
  • The United States is not in the war yet, but is cooperating with England
  • The city of London will be attacked at night with approximately 60,000 Londoners being killed
  • Many people in London hide in the subway systems, which were called the “Tube”
  • German pilots used three types of aircrafts:
    • Heinkelhein Bomber
    • Stuka Bomber/fighter
    • Messersmit Fighter

 

 

            The British flew:  Lancaster Bomber

                                         Spitfire Fighter

                                         Hurricane Fighter

  • The British pilots have four advantages over the Germans:
    • Better aircrafts and excellent pilots
    • The British are closer to their supplies, the pilot can land and refuel to fly again
    • Britain has good radar detection along the South coast
    •  British pilots that are shot down can parachute out and get picked up by their own people and get back into the war

 

  • German bombing raids on England have limited success, however the London Blitz was quite effective
  • The Amphibious invasion of England by German forces is called off – Britain will not surrender and Winston Churchill will praise the courage of the British soldiers