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    Battle of Britain

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    Download as pdf
    345 views132 pages

    Battle of Britain

    Uploaded by

    Daniel Flores Silva
    Battle of Britain

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    SQUADRONS COLOURS PILOTS TACTICS MUSEUMS BASES SAT HO = 70th (<_, SPECIAL SOUVENIR ISSUE Pisa SO eae PRO Eee sare a Co ua inevitable thatthe next stage would be the invasion of Britain. But fist the Lutwatfe ‘would have to gain control over the English Channel by defeating the RAF Fighter Ce ee ee Ce eee ee ee a Ceo Rn Cee Fee eR oe eee Ey Pee) \ Sey err er ‘axaaou. al peo m i . Perera) Perret meet) ees 9-0 Pt Oe Ee Say Lick, 4.79 f LUFTWAFFE'S BATTLE FOR BRITAIN 6 BATTLE OF BRITAIN 1®/SUTE 18 See a i LUFTWAFFE | TACTICS AND EXPERIENCES rau Mu CHR COR Rm ae R Ce Ca RUE UCR CUNT mmm Le) Pee ub eR ee TNC ae] a CnC a I RUE Oulu OTS ISN UCR CRIA mC UCL of the enemy must very soon be turned on us.’ ch CTU TES LMR OL 6.6 pesecetse te Bae of tan abou to begin. Upon tis bate depends the survival of Christan evilzation” These were words from Winston Church, histori speech of une 18, 1940.The flowing ihe che Luftwate carried outs fst major ‘ctrl bombing raid on mainland Brn, arracking aries n Est Angi, (See the panel or ‘more of Churhis addres to the nation) By the ime Church sad those immoral words the Bato of France wa all but over The RAF had lost in the region of 1.924 areraft and 2018, peesonnel missing killed or captured beewoen May TO and june 24, 1940, For cepa. the Lufwafe Fires were 3290 and 6.047 respectively during the same period The German war machine was able to repce material loses, but personne were far harder vo recoup eventhough the majority cf ircrew captured wer released following he ‘Armistice with Fance Luwafe bomber and gher unis were now @ BATTLE OF BRITAIN eee ren) poled o sere drecty ac the UK. prompting ‘Ado Hider'Lase Appel to Reason’ speech made on July 19,1940 (see the panel for more). the RAF had been expecong an onslughe co coincide with the sare of uly 1940, they were wrong bu ten days iter the Bate of Britain offelaly began and continued unl Ocober 31, During is te the migitof the Luftwaffe was well and truly directed against the UK an ts abit to thwart German plans of mason JULY 1940 [aly 7 was te begining ofthe rst series of attacks along the length and breath of the UK. but che main fore was against a conwoy sil rom weit o east along the Channel RAF casualties were high with even fighters lost and four plo los kid whe the Lufewale seed none. The day ater was not much beter forthe RAAF with anther convoy being singled out ‘Thi pattem continued forthe next week RAF ‘ehuers sured heavy when pitted against the Messerschte B10, bu did better when up 2eainst the ewinengned 8 110. Bad weather condinved to harper operations for the next few day. and the next major asault eas on July 19 by Junkers J 87 Stulas against Poca and Dower harbours while He 115 seaplines lid mines in the Thames Esiary Again, RAF losses ourweighed those sulered by the Germans mainly due to the massacring of Boulton Paul Defans of 141 Squacron by Bf 10 off Gruppeflapdgeschader 51 GSI). Six of the turret fighters wee shox down and one badly damaged with four pots and sc gunners lle anda further dee plots wounded, 'A similar anninilion would be experienced by ron, 264 Squadron, the ony other Defanes slmosta month ater ater which the 9 ‘withdrawn from daylight fighter operations Such was the pattern of German offensive ‘operations for te remainder of ly 1940 with “If this struggle continues, it can only end in the annil Germany. | know it Caan aCe a aT CUE RE US| begging for mercy. | speak as a victor. | see no reason why this war must go on. We should like to avert the sact ‘convoys ad coastal targets being the focus However the weather interfered more often than ots the full might ofthe Lutwafe had yet co be felt The RAF had quickly realized the fectveness ofthe BF 109 butalzo the furs of ts BF 110 German fighor plots had increasingly ben called upon tower nurse bombers and reconnaissance acraf but when alowed to carry ‘ut offensive her sweeps Freie Jagd ~ they punished the RAF fghars severely Nevertheless, Fessons were sil beng learned by both sides and August 1940 woul ee these being put to 00d use. AUGUST 1 TO 10, 1940 ‘August started very much a Jay ha fried, wth ‘the weather hampering operations ~ mis low ‘loud and haze beng the pater forthe fis five cays Howevr.on the ch higs took a drama ‘urn forthe worse for the RAF during wha many regard as the fist rue day ofthe Bate of Briain CUES eM HITLER'S ‘LAST APPEAL’ TO REASON e o Convoy CW9 codenamed rw se sl from Southend the previous day. pasing through the Strats of Dover at gh. Early the next morning leas hic by boats, scattering the convoy. which then came under atac in the morning of he isle ‘of Wight by Sus RAF figcers managed to parry the onsiaughe ‘A second azack occured jus afer lunchemne anda third early inthe evening The Luff’ tim to obliterate reser almost succeeded 8 nly four ships arrived a Swanage vacated later that ferening Salas had sun seven and camaged [3 of the convoys vessels The ar tates overs were fece and the RAF chimed eo have shot down 33 German sireraft and the Lufwafe claimed 47 RAF fighters, In reali. eight Sas were lost and seven were darnged a8 well srw fighters while the RAF lose 14 igheers CCrucso ary in dhe Batt of Bain. was the cost in human term:20 German arrow ble, thre prisoners of war and seven wounded OF tose ot three were Stuka Geschwader executive officers, experienced men tose 50 Soon inthe Bate For the RAF 12 mich-needes pilots were kil, bu those who survived the day fad gained val combat experience AUGUST 11 AND 12, 1940 ‘August 11 saw targets being hie beoween Harwich to te eas and Portand to che west with 3 huge German fighter screen tat invoked a massive RAF fighter responce. ight RAF squadrons intercepted the Junkers jo 88s attacking Portand, but most ‘were drawn away bythe igters.Againclams on Both sides were wily nccurate onthe Pordand rai: the RAF claimed 38 forthe lose of 17 arrat and 15 plos.The Germans chimed 57 RAF fers and lost five bombers and 17 fie “Among these lates were fve experienced bomber and igter plots who were ako execute officers in their Gruppe or Stafel-another LUFTWAFFE | TACTICS AND PERIENCES { Barua iano mn) CormCmee (Cd Rey coiuvam LWFTFLOTTE 3 RECCEANO MISC UNITS NOT INCLUDED Heasguered at ars under Generar Hugo Spe compre IV Reger H Dra urd Generator Kut Phe \ ese HO ilar. wr Geer er eer Rober Rien Gar eerie 3. HO Cherbourg under Obert Were ck BOMBERS (KANPFGESCHWADER KG) 07 KG#06, KED6 Fe TKR? KS, KGTOO 88 KGSLLKGSa DIVE-BOMBERS (STUKAGESCHWADER STC) 875163 ooh Do 17d He (I win the HO FIGHTERS (AGOGESCHWADER (6) S110 624653, HEAVY FIGHTERS (ZERSTORER DESTROYER 26) spi 2076 SIONAL EVALUATION AND TACTICS UNIT EMEA ER UteaaLaY LeannNe LS) 86 ic! Hell Jone “Amongst these Sai ale Et) Gece ee The ol en EO Ry « ae ft @ 10 BATTLE OF BRITAIN TRISUTE TO THE FE ern bomber Gruppen Kommandeur was lost when his He II was brought down by ancharcraft fire that ight The Lufwafe could i ‘ford to loze such men, ‘August I as the lst dy that convoys and const targets were singled ou because ‘cruclyon the 2th the priority switched to rar stations and arf. Radar stations at Dover, Dunkirk Pevensey and Rye were attacked in the morning aswell as the arfieds of Lympne and Hawking n Ken. ‘Ac unchime, che Naval dockyard at Portsmouth ‘as hit as wel asthe rar station at Ventnor fn the Ile of Wight In he later ral he fey was put of in for three days but wo Ju BBs were lst including one carrying the Geschwaer Kommadare of KGSI, Oberst Or Hans Fiser ‘Although Portsmouth had been badly hit the RAF tactic of targeting the bombers worked even ifthey dd so afer they had dropped the ood. “Together withthe antiaircraft delences, ight bombers were shot down over Portsmouth “leper cent ofthe attacking force was lst Five Bf 110s and a singe BE 109 faled to return: to execute oficersin the ewn-engned fighters wer killed while the 109 was flown bythe experienced Haupemann Haro Harder, Gruppen. Kommandevr of INJGS3 and ‘a veteran ofthe Legion ‘Condor, AUGUST 13, 1940 “The folowing day was designated Aderangrif ~ Eagle Atack—a systematic atack of afield across the south of England Later chat days at Boscombe Down Warmwell Yeowl, Worthy DownAndover and MigdleWallop were the ‘targets fora mire of 87s and Ju BBsanther ateackby more than 100 Sukas was recalled due toweather ‘Stulas of Luff 2 carried out a devastating _arke.on Deng afield Ken. Ths was not nt ‘ser the defence ofthe UK. ‘As Adlerangif drew toa closet was dear that from the Luftwafe’s point of ew iad ‘been a day riled with erors,miscaleultion, ‘misinformation, poor intlgence and bad luck Fortune had beenin che main an the side of the RAF desice the eareratacks on radar stations and the size and depth ofthe rads they had AUGUST 15, 1940 So far Luftfiome Shad onl carried out sporadic tacks in sal frmasons However on August 15,as Luftlcte 2s Salas were hitting Hawinge (unsuccessfully and Lympne (success), He IMs of and INIKG26 escorted by BF 10s of Zerstorergeschwader 76 were hexding towards the arfelds of DisMorth and Linton-on-Ouse (both bomber.noe Rite sacons) while J 88 of KG30 headed towards Dif onadher bomber base) Geiting nowhere near thelr targets and forced 10 dump ther bombs along the coast, IKG26 lost ‘one aera ts crew all aken prisoner! Gruppe los five to RAF fighters ada further two had ‘the miforune o be incrcepted by the Bristol) Blenheim from Coastal Command, The escorting Aer lose seve, “The RAF chimed an amazing 44 aircraft and just lost one Hurricanes ple surviveg. Meanwie, G30 suceeded in dropping 169 bombs of ‘arouscalbre on Dried but lost elgh js 885 to two RAF fighter squadrons a further three retumed home damaged Never again would Lufton 5 atempt such major attack either by day or by night as i proved ‘hac there was no deecrable wenknes inthe RAF defences and, contrary t propaganda there were more than 40 RAF fighters. “The pendulum now swing back to Lutte 2 (fighter-bomber tack on Marelesham Heath Airfield in Suffok and a rai by Dornier Do 175 pint Rochester and Eastchurch al) then {o Luft 3 (865 aginst Worthy Down and “Andover aii and 2 dversionary strike by Silas agains Poreand), “The Luft 3atack failed again Worthy C EM Ca Down and Andover were not Fighter Command airfields ad, dese the diversion was incercepted by four RAF fghtr squadrons Five Ju 88 crews fale to return while four Stlas were lost of Poreand Fall for what became known as Schwarzer Donnersag (Blak Thursday), Lufton 2 had the iniive with Do 7s attacking Kenley. bu got Confused and bombed what cey thoughe was Biggin Hil. chough ic was the unopened afield of ‘West Malin while ghcer-bombers ofthe elte Exprobungsgruppe 210 bombed Croydon instead of Kenley This ater rad has become one ofthe most well known # nat cantrversl ofthe Bale of Briain, with bombs dropping on both the id and Cikan housing and then being intercepted by at lease three Hurricane squadrons tae shoe down, se BF 110s and alone Bf 108 (One of those who lost their ves was Hauponana Walter Rubensdfer the Gruppen Kommandeur who was awarded the Knights ‘Cross posthumously fr his work and leadership prior to his death AUGUST 16 TO 22, 1940 one squadron of Hurricanes towards where they thought UEC Cn emu) Raum ET ef DS Se TT welcoming committee no} Fea been adres dy for the Lefewaffe and te folowing one ‘would be no bear with series ‘of rolng attacks between the ‘wo Lufltten aginst numerous ails in Kene and Sussex. ver Poresmouth Stas simutaneousy atracked afelds at Tangmere, Lee- Se PCO RUC MULL wah orSolencand Gosport a walls « Citas “gun wen ou Tngvre vas hicairfeds were atacked which 12 BATTLE OF BRITAIN TRIGUTE TO THE FEW ‘nad no pare to pla inthe ar defence of Great Britaincrne Stukas were shot down anda number returned damaged with dead or wounded crews. “Tha afternoon and evening the Luftwale cried ‘out smal scale raids against airfields all ver the south of rand. ‘Alter a day of reative rest August 18 has recenty been calle by historians the Hardest Day Inline wih the contoues Lufewae am of detroying RAF airfields three major ar assaules ‘were hunched that Sunday. “These maids and the other minor actions resuked inthe destruction or damage of 100 German and 136 RAF ara the vast majority of which ‘occurred after lunch and immedinly before the hours of darkness. The later two strikes were by Sauls against fils and radar facies inthe © os @ 2 ‘Obs Ha Selegals Kel Barmer Do ITZ nl retin ple ot Barham Kone hapa 1 Al four ew saved Suftflotte - air fleet - ttt 1 = Best fighters =) 2 = Larion hea fatto = 26) 3 = Dion 6) 4= Sls “ure we +e ao ss = FFE | TACTICS AND Pow on would no longer Paya part inthe Bale ofBricin. = Were as lost wih three pits klled. tes Drsoners of war and one wounded Fighter ‘Commands losses were ust five with ewo poss | led and three wounded, Diappointngy for the [Germans te atacks on Hornchurch and Nordh ‘Weald were aborced as che targecs were found to be obscured by coud. However was the frst malor assault ofthe dy Thich was the most spectacular Almed aginst the airfields of Biggin Hil West Malling and Kenley in Ken the two uns ordered to cary ths ou ths were KGI with ts He Il ithe Do 17s of and WKG76 and the a 885 of IIKGT6 The escort fo both attacks was masive provided by the Bt 1093 (fG3,25,51,52 and $4 and the BF 1105 of 226. sThe rest was tht bythe time land Il Gruppen Erosod che coat, they wore running just over five minutes lace, Even worse was the jv 88s of Gruppe were running nary 10 minutes ate and because oft, the fst wave was now running fire minutes behind what should have been the Second wave, By This massive formation didnot go unnoticed Fighter Command as radar had detected the German bull up for jst under an hour (Controllers directed one squadron of Hurricanes towards where they thought de attack would pssthen a further eight squadrons of fignters got tirbore.The welcoming committe now awated ther unwelcome guez First bloed wene othe Lfewafe when the advance guard of German fers pounced on 17 and 50| Squadron, the Iter csng four Hurricanes to Oberleutnant Gerhard Schoptel Who for this mision wa leading MJG26 AS this was taking lice the German bomber formation had by luck steered clear ofthe main eoncentraton of RAF fihter nthe Marzate- ‘Canterbury area but sl had to face four squadrons of fighters just about to ge airborne The raid on Kenley was both ambitious and Wags from Biggin Hal and Kenley. For the low-level 9/ ‘complex and carried cut by KG76 alone-The ist ware ws by the ju 85 of I Gropp. approaching from high altiude ad then eryng outa precision dive attack on arid buldngs Five minutes ater, Do 17s of land Ill Gruppen leo hie from high eve! with te intention of rendering the arfeld unusable ad silencing any ant-sirrafe defences. ive minutes afer they eparted the Do 175 of KGS streaked In at lowe level withthe aim of destroying arying (se left standing “The assaul was cxigaly scheduled to take pce in the morning but due o unfevourble ‘weather condiions was postponed 22 hours. GI chen potatoe formed up over the French coast an, linked up with is escort headed fer Biggin HL KG76 had problems in chat its forming up point, Calas, was obscured by cloud. 48] JE OF BRITAIN TRIEU KG76.this was bad news. 1A the main force passed AsMor. their nine Domes were spprosching Beachy Head fying very low and fas Sel the filed to prevent beng detected by both radar andthe Observer Corps post along thei rack and they continued fying fie north ie was obvious that ehey would fy over Kenley. Kenley’ Station Comerander ordered all his fighters co obi the afield especialy ashe was now informed that the other larger and earter formation appeared tobe headed towards his aireld Then at 13:22 the low-ievel formation streaked over the ouer perimeter of Kenley ahead of KG76' other two waves ~ witha section fof Hurianes of 111 Squadron hurting ater them. ‘The fist casuley was thought tobe the Hurricane of Fle Le Stanley Connors. Quickly Home Guord defending ou B84 of KGS, sho down tear Portland on gu Il. Note that the Bocgound hot Seon endl atranhed ot forth released moge =n the bckground wor cement works and ther bangs {hot imay help Grmon liga achieving the destruction ofhis [th confirmed “kl ofthe war his ghar was appari hicby the hal of trend) antaircrae fe. Puling up nd away from the maeztom,he ered to make for Croydon but was kil when his Hurcane crashed en route. Tes beleved that his vicom was the Dornier flown by Feldwebst Johannes Petersen as his ‘bomber was observed to pull up only eo be singled ‘ut by antiaircraft fire. Ablaze, then ran into a round unched parachuce ad cable device.the ‘abe daggng the Dorner and Is fexman crew ‘down to ther deaths. "Meanwhile, the high-level wave had been PU SE a a ee streaked in at low- CR eo laren: ET! \@ncs iett Berti " Honoree ® Order ‘Fgura 1 Ss F200 — KAO uaa KeauKar? ive: epi 262.2626 incercepted by Hurricanes of 32 Squadron, hich had disrupted many crews on their approach run, ‘using them to seater ther bombs everywhere agart from Kenley Then, the delayed fist wave fu 88s ofl Gruppe arrived only ro in Kenley bianketedin smoke and dist They therefore turned their attention eastwards towards West Maing but despice the efforts of thei score, they stl ost wo of thelr 12 bombers to fighters Hal ofthis was not bd enough all the German bombers sl ad to run the gaurd the RAF defences al the way buck tothe Chanel Kenley tad been hit hard Three of four hangars were ged: damaged bulls were Luftwaffe Battle, September 1940 LUFTFLOTTE 2. RECCEAND MISC UNITS NOT INCLUDED [Ree HO Beave nde Gere Ulich Gauet ris HO het under Gee deri {Wl eget HO Drove under Geo der Fge elfen ESE Higher Command Brio acer der Gener och Cor steerer 2H Wien nde Ober art Berea vn OS BOMBERS (CAMPFGESCHWADER KG) Dol? KG2AGIKG76 ue m usp) Fr 200 KGAO (HQ figeonyy Fe 11K i nt upp RA Qo BBs pp) REDE KES RTI MBERS (STUKAGESCHWADER. STG) Js87 S61, 562-ecchhad Do 17s hi te HO ight FIGHTERS (AGOGESCHIVADER 6) fo? {6163626 627, HEAVY FIGHTERS (ZERSTOERER DESTROYER. 26) 52 653656 OPERATIONAL EVALUATION AND TACTICS LEHRGESCHWADER, TRL CEARNING-LOAND EROROBUNGSGAUPPE ERPHO) 109 12, oO fo Bf 110) (v8? 161 GF 110nVGappe) countess. Ten RAF personnel.including the Sation Media! Officer were lle anda least seven ‘wounded. Four Hurricanes and a Blenheim were

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