Battle of Britain
Andrew Dudik
Background
In 1940, Britain was in an awful position. Just on the other side of the channel a new enemy had risen up as quickly as an old one had been put down. The amazing thing is that the new and old enemy were the same country. After the crushing defeats of France, Belgium and Poland, the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, and the annexations of Austria and Czechoslovakia by the Nazis, Britain stood totally alone against a seemingly irresistible tide. Twenty-one miles of water was all that separated the old guard of Europe from Nazi hegemony. The Britain armies had been run off the continent and had only been saved by a mix up of orders as the Nazi sought to run them into the sea and Dunkirk. There were talks of conditional surrender to Hitler and his war machine. Only one layer of defense was left, the RAF and the most sophisticated air defense system yet created.
Turning Point
One month after running for their lives at Dunkirk, the British were once again under attack. German Fighters and Bombers began to pummel the RAF in an attempt to achieve air superiority. The attacks against the RAF meant one thing. The Germans were preparing an invasion of Britain (Macksey, p. 58). The stakes for the world’s current way of life could not have been higher. The RAF fought brilliantly, in a vicious war of attrition in the skies over Britain, the inexperienced pilots of the RAF went toe to toe with the vaunted Luftwaffe. After weeks of battle, the numbers of both fighter forces were being decimated. The unthinkable was happening, the British could not keep up with the losses of some many fighter and pilots on a continuous basis (Wood, Derek, and Derek D. Dempster, p. 344). The RAF was beginning to lose, and they needed a break. Just then they got it. Hermman Goring called for a change in tactics to the air campaign. As it turned out, the Nazi’s could not keep up with the large loss rates impose on their fighter command. Without the benefit of a heavy bomber, the Luftwaffe began to bomb cities and infrastructure. British fighter strength recovered quickly as the pressure relieved just the slightest amount (Macksey, p. 64). The Germans lost the gains they had made in air superiority. The invasion of Britain was pushed back, and then cancelled, never to be rescheduled. Meanwhile, while the Luftwaffe pounded the British cities in what became known as the Blitz, the RAF pounded the Luftwaffe. Frustrated, the Nazi war machine turned it’s attention to a seemingly more ripe target, the Soviet Union. Britain stood to fight another day.
Soon, Japan would bring the United States into the war, and be dealt a devastating blow at the Battle of Midway. The British, still unvanquished, would turn back the Nazi tide in North Africa at El Alamein. The Germans would fight the Russians through the Russian winter, never able to push through to Moscow. By 1944, the British and Americans were flooding into Fortress Europe through the beaches of Normandy. Germany would be decimated by the air superiority and heavy bombers of the allies. Within five years of the British victory in the Battle of Britain the war in Europe would be over. The Nazi’s dreams of global supremacy forever snuffed out.
Effect
If Britain would have lost the Battle of Britain, The world would likely be vastly different place. The invasion of Britain would’ve gone ahead and with no air force to oppose the Luftwaffe, the blitzkrieg could have swept across Britain like a plague of locusts. Germany and Japan would have gained the upper hand in their attempt at global domination. The North African troops from Britain would have never been able to keep up the fight as long as they did. The Nazi’s would’ve had all the resources in Europe to throw at the Russians. The Japanese would’ve only had no other colonial power to face them in the Pacific aside from the United States. It is not farfetched to say the Nazism may have become a global political force.
Bibliography
Macksey, Kenneth. Military Errors of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour, 1987. Print.
Wood, Derek, and Derek D. Dempster. The Narrow Margin; the Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power 1930-40. New York: McGraw-Hill, 961.
Print.
Andrew Dudik
Background
In 1940, Britain was in an awful position. Just on the other side of the channel a new enemy had risen up as quickly as an old one had been put down. The amazing thing is that the new and old enemy were the same country. After the crushing defeats of France, Belgium and Poland, the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, and the annexations of Austria and Czechoslovakia by the Nazis, Britain stood totally alone against a seemingly irresistible tide. Twenty-one miles of water was all that separated the old guard of Europe from Nazi hegemony. The Britain armies had been run off the continent and had only been saved by a mix up of orders as the Nazi sought to run them into the sea and Dunkirk. There were talks of conditional surrender to Hitler and his war machine. Only one layer of defense was left, the RAF and the most sophisticated air defense system yet created.
Turning Point
One month after running for their lives at Dunkirk, the British were once again under attack. German Fighters and Bombers began to pummel the RAF in an attempt to achieve air superiority. The attacks against the RAF meant one thing. The Germans were preparing an invasion of Britain (Macksey, p. 58). The stakes for the world’s current way of life could not have been higher. The RAF fought brilliantly, in a vicious war of attrition in the skies over Britain, the inexperienced pilots of the RAF went toe to toe with the vaunted Luftwaffe. After weeks of battle, the numbers of both fighter forces were being decimated. The unthinkable was happening, the British could not keep up with the losses of some many fighter and pilots on a continuous basis (Wood, Derek, and Derek D. Dempster, p. 344). The RAF was beginning to lose, and they needed a break. Just then they got it. Hermman Goring called for a change in tactics to the air campaign. As it turned out, the Nazi’s could not keep up with the large loss rates impose on their fighter command. Without the benefit of a heavy bomber, the Luftwaffe began to bomb cities and infrastructure. British fighter strength recovered quickly as the pressure relieved just the slightest amount (Macksey, p. 64). The Germans lost the gains they had made in air superiority. The invasion of Britain was pushed back, and then cancelled, never to be rescheduled. Meanwhile, while the Luftwaffe pounded the British cities in what became known as the Blitz, the RAF pounded the Luftwaffe. Frustrated, the Nazi war machine turned it’s attention to a seemingly more ripe target, the Soviet Union. Britain stood to fight another day.
Soon, Japan would bring the United States into the war, and be dealt a devastating blow at the Battle of Midway. The British, still unvanquished, would turn back the Nazi tide in North Africa at El Alamein. The Germans would fight the Russians through the Russian winter, never able to push through to Moscow. By 1944, the British and Americans were flooding into Fortress Europe through the beaches of Normandy. Germany would be decimated by the air superiority and heavy bombers of the allies. Within five years of the British victory in the Battle of Britain the war in Europe would be over. The Nazi’s dreams of global supremacy forever snuffed out.
Effect
If Britain would have lost the Battle of Britain, The world would likely be vastly different place. The invasion of Britain would’ve gone ahead and with no air force to oppose the Luftwaffe, the blitzkrieg could have swept across Britain like a plague of locusts. Germany and Japan would have gained the upper hand in their attempt at global domination. The North African troops from Britain would have never been able to keep up the fight as long as they did. The Nazi’s would’ve had all the resources in Europe to throw at the Russians. The Japanese would’ve only had no other colonial power to face them in the Pacific aside from the United States. It is not farfetched to say the Nazism may have become a global political force.
Bibliography
Macksey, Kenneth. Military Errors of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour, 1987. Print.
Wood, Derek, and Derek D. Dempster. The Narrow Margin; the Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power 1930-40. New York: McGraw-Hill, 961.
Print.