He was Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018 and Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016. OKW Chief of Staff Jodl's 30 June report described invasion as a last resort once the British economy had been damaged and the Luftwaffe had full air superiority. 16 ordered preparations for Operation Sea Lion, and on the next day the Luftwaffe was ordered to stand by in full readiness. [230] Moreover, Overy points out that the number of RAF fighter pilots grew by one-third between June and August 1940. The Luftwaffe proved unable to sustain daylight raids, but their continued night-bombing operations on Britain became known as the Blitz. In their assessment, the RAF was losing the battle. Total British civilian losses from July to December 1940 were 23,002 dead and 32,138 wounded, with one of the largest single raids on 19 December 1940, in which almost 3,000 civilians died. The Polish pilots who served in the battle are among the names on the Polish War Memorial in west London. Again, in the environment of fast moving, three-dimensional air battles, few RAF fighter units were able to attack the bombers from head-on.[182]. This unit (which later became No. After a major raid attacking Biggin Hill on 18 August, Luftwaffe aircrew said they had been unopposed, the airfield was "completely destroyed", and asked "Is England already finished?" According to them, from 24 August to 6 September 295 fighters had been totally destroyed and 171 badly damaged, against a total output of 269 new and repaired Spitfires and Hurricanes. The German misconception, on the other hand, encouraged first complacency, then strategic misjudgement. Telephone operators would then forward only the information of interest to the Group headquarters, where the map would be re-created. [217], Göring ordered attacks on aircraft factories on 19 August 1940. By September, standard tactics for raids had become an amalgam of techniques. de Zeng, Henry L., Doug G. Stankey and Eddie J. Creek, Moyes, Philip, J. R., "The Fairey Battle.". [103][104], The Luftwaffe's primary bombers were the Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17, and Junkers Ju 88 for level bombing at medium to high altitudes, and the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka for dive bombing tactics. Hitler hoped it might result in "eight million going mad" (referring to the population of London in 1940), which would "cause a catastrophe" for the British. [99], The most successful role of the Bf 110 during the battle was as a Schnellbomber (fast bomber). By the end of August, after disastrous losses, the aircraft was withdrawn from daylight service. [299], In 2015 the RAF created an online 'Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Commemorative Mosaic' composed of pictures of "the few" – the pilots and aircrew who fought in the battle – and "the many" – 'the often unsung others whose contribution during the Battle of Britain was also vital to the RAF's victory in the skies above Britain', submitted by participants and their families. The unit was redeployed in early 1941. [119][179], Front line RAF pilots were acutely aware of the inherent deficiencies of their own tactics. Henceforth, in the face of mounting losses in men, aircraft and the lack of adequate replacements, the Luftwaffe completed their gradual shift from daylight bomber raids and continued with nighttime bombing. Göring met his air fleet commanders, and on 24 July issued "Tasks and Goals" of gaining air supremacy, protecting the army and navy if invasion went ahead, and attacking the Royal Navy's ships as well as continuing the blockade. [20][65] Even so, these early combat encounters provided both sides with experience. Although this was much less than the 80,000 sorties flown by fighters, bomber crews suffered about half the total casualties borne by their fighter colleagues. [61], Hitler's 1923 Mein Kampf mostly set out his hatreds: he only admired ordinary German World War I soldiers and Britain, which he saw as an ally against communism. Believing Fighter Command strength to be concentrated in the south, raiding forces from Denmark and Norway ran into unexpectedly strong resistance. Intelligence reports gave Göring the impression that the RAF was almost defeated, and raids would attract British fighters for the Luftwaffe to shoot down. The bombers would fly in at altitudes between 5,000 and 6,000 metres (16,000 and 20,000 ft), closely escorted by fighters. The Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Bf 109E and Bf 110C fought against the RAF's workhorse Hurricane Mk I and the less numerous Spitfire Mk I; Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires in RAF Fighter Command by about 2:1 when war broke out. By 1 November 1,800 were available. 11 Group had considerable success in breaking up daytime raids. Looking over their maps, Group level commanders could select squadrons to attack particular targets. The ordnance rack was not retrofitted to earlier Bf 109Es until October 1940. Malan's formation was later generally used by Fighter Command. Inadequately escorted by Bf 110s, bombers were shot down in large numbers. Göring was convinced that strategic bombing could win objectives which were beyond the army and navy, and gain political advantages in the Third Reich for the Luftwaffe and himself. [218] As a result of intercepted radio transmissions, the Germans began to realise that the RAF fighters were being controlled from ground facilities; in July and August 1939, for example, the airship Graf Zeppelin, which was packed with equipment for listening in on RAF radio and RDF transmissions, flew around the coasts of Britain. However, this was a faulty conclusion, because a fighter can only carry out this purely defensive task by taking the initiative in the offensive. Because pilots had been lost at sea during the "Channel Battle", on 22 August, control of RAF rescue launches was passed to the local naval authorities and 12 Lysanders were given to Fighter Command to help look for pilots at sea. Priority was given to producing large numbers of smaller aeroplanes, and plans for a long range four engined strategic bomber were delayed. In the report, he highlighted that during the period of 11 September – 31 October, the extensive use of the Big Wing had resulted in just 10 interceptions and one German aircraft destroyed, but his report was ignored. [55][70], In November 1939, the OKW reviewed the potential for an air- and seaborne invasion of Britain: the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) was faced with the threat the Royal Navy's larger Home Fleet posed to a crossing of the English Channel, and together with the German Army viewed control of airspace as a necessary precondition. In 1936 he promised assistance to defend the British Empire, asking only a free hand in Eastern Europe, and repeated this to Lord Halifax in 1937. Ultra, the information obtained from Enigma intercepts, gave the highest echelons of the British command a view of German intentions. This was more successful, but escort duty tied the fighters to the bombers' slow speed and made them more vulnerable. It was rarely used during the Battle of Britain. The pre-war Polish Air Force had lengthy and extensive training, and high standards; with Poland conquered and under brutal German occupation, the pilots of No. The Luftwaffe air strength given is from the Quartermaster General 6th Battalion numbers for 29 June 1940. London was on red alert over the night of 28/29 August, with bombs reported in Finchley, St Pancras, Wembley, Wood Green, Southgate, Old Kent Road, Mill Hill, Ilford, Chigwell and Hendon. "[278], Propaganda was an important element of the air war which began to develop over Britain from 18 June 1940 onwards, when the Luftwaffe began small, probing daylight raids to test RAF defences. However, widespread pacifism following the horrors of the First World War contributed to a reluctance to provide resources. [115], By mid-1940, there were about 9,000 pilots in the RAF to man about 5,000 aircraft, most of which were bombers. 91 Squadron RAF), was equipped with Hurricanes and Spitfires and sent out aircraft to search for and report Luftwaffe formations approaching England. The No. [118][nb 12], For these reasons, and the permanent loss of 435 pilots during the Battle of France alone[38] along with many more wounded, and others lost in Norway, the RAF had fewer experienced pilots at the start of the initial defence of their home. [275] This led the British to the conclusion that another fortnight of attacks on airfields might force Fighter Command to withdraw their squadrons from the south of England. [199] In what became known as 'the Battle of the Barges' RAF attacks were claimed in British propaganda to have sunk large numbers of barges, and to have created widespread chaos and disruption to German invasion preparations. de Zeng, Henry L., Doug G. Stankey and Eddie J. Creek. For Bf 110 units it was 46 per cent; and for bombers it was 59 per cent. A Freie Jagd would precede the main attack formations. [94] In general, though, as Alfred Price noted in The Spitfire Story: ... the differences between the Spitfire and the Me 109 in performance and handling were only marginal, and in a combat they were almost always surmounted by tactical considerations of which side had seen the other first, which had the advantage of sun, altitude, numbers, pilot ability, tactical situation, tactical co-ordination, amount of fuel remaining, etc. In action, the Luftwaffe believed from their pilot claims and the impression given by aerial reconnaissance that the RAF was close to defeat, and the British made strenuous efforts to overcome the perceived advantages held by their opponents.[170]. In the late 1930s, Fighter Command expected to face only bombers over Britain, not single-engined fighters. This attack will be opened by an annihilating reprisal for English attacks on the Ruhr Basin."[53]. [citation needed] Total losses, and start and end dates for recorded losses, vary for both sides. Göring did nothing to resolve this disagreement between his commanders, and only vague directives were set down during the initial stages of the battle, with Göring seemingly unable to decide upon which strategy to pursue. 17 – For the conduct of air and sea warfare against England" issued on 1 August attempted to keep all the options open. A week later the figures had dropped to 64 per cent, 52% and 52 per cent. [59] Following severe Luftwaffe losses, Hitler agreed at a 14 September OKW conference that the air campaign was to intensify regardless of invasion plans. We fighter pilots certainly preferred the free chase during the approach and over the target area. Out of 115 bombers and 35 fighters sent, 75 planes were destroyed and many others damaged beyond repair. [53], After the defeat of France the OKW felt they had won the war, and some more pressure would persuade Britain. Luftflotte 5, led by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff from his headquarters in Norway, targeted the north of England and Scotland. [117] Another factor was that only about 30% of the 9,000 pilots were assigned to operational squadrons; 20% of the pilots were involved in conducting pilot training, and a further 20% were undergoing further instruction, like those offered in Canada and in Southern Rhodesia to the Commonwealth trainees, although already qualified. [148], The biggest disadvantage faced by Bf 109 pilots was that without the benefit of long-range drop tanks (which were introduced in limited numbers in the late stages of the battle), usually of 300-litre (66 imp gal; 79 US gal) capacity, the 109s had an endurance of just over an hour and, for the 109E, a 600-kilometre (370 mi) range. A revised edition was issued in 1940, and the continuing central principle of Luftwaffe doctrine was that destruction of enemy armed forces was of primary importance. Reprisal attacks of terror bombing had the potential to cause quicker capitulation, but the effect on morale was uncertain. He then told von Brauchitsch and Halder that he would decide on the landing operation eight to fourteen days after the air attack began. On 1 March 1935, the Luftwaffe was formally announced, with Walther Wever as Chief of Staff. [30][31] The list excluded bombing civilians to destroy homes or undermine morale, as that was considered a waste of strategic effort, but the doctrine allowed revenge attacks if German civilians were bombed. Some historians believe that these bombs were dropped accidentally by a group of Heinkel He 111s which had failed to find their target; this account has been contested. 9 – Instructions For Warfare Against The Economy Of The Enemy" stated that once this coastline had been secured, the Luftwaffe together with the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) was to blockade UK ports with sea mines. Availability of aircraft was also a serious issue. Writes Alfred Price: The truth of the matter, borne out by the events of 18 August is more prosaic: neither by attacking the airfields, nor by attacking London, was the Luftwaffe likely to destroy Fighter Command. It was launched partly because Kesselring and Sperrle were not sure about what else to do, and partly because it gave German aircrews some training and a chance to probe the British defences. Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding on the Battle of Britain (despatch to the Secretary of State, August 1941), Royal Engineers Museum: Royal Engineers during the Second World War (airfield repair), ADLG Visits RAF Uxbridge Battle of Britain Operations Room, The Falco and Regia Aeronautica in the Battle of Britain, New Zealanders in the Battle of Britain (NZHistory.net.nz), New Zealanders in the Battle of Britain (official history), Battle for Britain, short film starring Julian Glover, Interactive map showing Battle of Britain airfields and squadrons by date, https://web.archive.org/web/20161220201254/http://garry-campion.com/, Air Raid Precautions in the United Kingdom, British Empire battles of the Second World War, Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands, Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, Rape during the Soviet occupation of Poland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Britain&oldid=1009900048, World War II aerial operations and battles of the Western European Theatre, United Kingdom home front during World War II, Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom, Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving Germany, Battles and operations of World War II involving the United Kingdom, Military history of Canada during World War II, World War II operations and battles of the Western European Theatre, Articles with dead external links from December 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from March 2015, Articles with dead external links from November 2017, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from July 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2016, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2003, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2020, Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 3–31 October: large scale night bombing raids, mostly on London; daylight attacks now confined to small scale fighter-bomber, The battle was the subject of the 1969 film, An Italian film around the same time entitled, The battle is also depicted in the 1956 film, It was included in an episode of 2004 BBC, In 2019 it was also included in an episode of the docuseries.