Guide Note:
The Battle of Britain was fought over southern England between the Royal Air Force and Germany's Luftwaffe. After invading and defeating Poland, "Belgium", Scandinavia and "France", the German's Plan, named Operation Sealion, was to bomb Great Britain, followed by a land invasion. Entirely fought by aircraft, during the summer of 1940, the British Royal Air Force fought off the German Luftwaffe with great help amassed from Britain intelligence efforts. First, they had secured from Poland, the method and means to decode Germany's Enigma machine, a cipher machine that encrypted German military transmissions. Second, they had themselves developed Radar and had it installed on the coast of the English Channel. And most importantly, they had a well defined, well led and well trained air force who were defending their own homeland.
For Germany, it was retaliation that "Adolf Hitler" planned for his enemies for WWI's "Treaty of Versailles" costs and humiliation.
Fast Facts:
- 1939 September 1 German Blitzkreig overwhelms and occupies Poland
- 1940 April 9th Germany Invades Denmark and Norway
- 1940 June 18th In a speech Winston Churchill says "the Battle of Britain is about to begin."
- 1940 August 12th Luftwaffe attacks British radar stations
- 1940 September 15th Aircraft losses Germany-60, RAF-26
- 1940 September 17th Hitler ordered the halt to preparations for the invasion of Britain
- British Losses Aircraft 1,547
- British Civilians Killed 27,450
- British Wounded 32,138
- Result British Victory
