THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN.   Term Paper ID:19691 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: German preparations & delays, British preparations, phases of battle.... More...

8 Pages / 1800 Words 11 sources, 26 Citations, TURABIAN Format $32.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: German preparations & delays, British preparations, phases of battle. Paper Introduction: The Battle of Britain cost Germany and Adolf Hitler the war. Following the ouster of British forces from the continent at Dunkirk and the defeat of France by Germany, an immediate invasion of England would have made a logical and successful one-two punch for Hitler. Launching such an attack against a British Navy and Army still in disarray would have forced the Allies to negotiate for peace. Instead, poor advance planning by the Nazi high command, and Hitler's own indecision and pride about a negotiated peace with Churchill and Great Britain cost him valuable time. Ultimately, disunity among Hitler's Generals and the Feuhrer's own paranoia about Berlin being bombed, forced changes in air tactics that changed the outcome of the war and the face of Europe. German Preparations for Invasion Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. "World War II." In Wars of the 2 th Century. Snyder, The War: A Concise History 1939-1945 (New York: Dell Publishing, 196 ), 151.William L. By then, ofcourse, the crucial element of surprise was gone. The War: A Concise History 1939-1945. The Crucial Years: 1939-1941. This would have made them as blindas the Germans were. German Preparations for Invasion The mounting of an assault on England involved an effort for whichthe German army and navy had made little preparation. Lastly, the Battle of Britain subtlely changed the face of World WarII. Practically, he could not.Germany needed time to regroup its armies and supplies. Endnotes BibliographyArnold-Forster, Mark. Instead, poor advance planning bythe Nazi high command, and Hitler's own indecision and pride about anegotiated peace with Churchill and Great Britain cost him valuable time.Ultimately, disunity among Hitler's Generals and the Feuhrer's own paranoiaabout Berlin being bombed, forced changes in air tactics that changed theoutcome of the war and the face of Europe. The World at War. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1977.Shirer, William L. London: Octopus Books, 1974.-----------------------Barrie Pitt, ed., Great Battles of the 2 th Century (New York:Grosset & Dunlap, 1977), 18 -181.A.J.P. New York: Simon and Schuster, 196 .Snyder, Louis L. While the Germans succeeded in damaging two bases, theiroverwhelming numbers were counterbalanced by the early warning structureand in-plane radio communications that allowed Britain's RAF to redirectplanes to meet new threats. Though the Germanshad more bombers and dive bombers, both sides were nearly equal in numbersof fighter aircraft. Germanyredirected its energies to meet another date with historical destiny in thewinter wasteland of Russia. Despite heavy losses, two weeks of constant pounding cost the RAF 359planes and many more damaged on the ground. Yet, in combat the M1 9 was less maneuverable and containedno exterior armor protection for the pilot.[xx] The Luftwaffe sought todestroy aircraft bases in the southeast area of Great Britain thatprotected the southern approach to London and the Channel. The War 1939-1945. Again, Hitler ordered Goering to change tactics and begin bombingprovinces such as Coventry and industrial installations. The concept was supported by Goering whobelieved that modern air power alone could bring Britain to its knees.[ix]Military strategists even today continue to debate whether in fact airpoweralone can win a decisive victory. New York: Harper & Row, 1976.de Seversky, Major Alexander P. Unfortunately, the raids neither crushed theBritish spirit nor forced them to surrender. It can be argued either way that air strategy alone can windecisively. Fighter to fighter,the Germans and British were numerically well matched. Hitler observedthat attacking such a large target as London was too "vague" a target todestroy, but that provincial cities could be more effectivelydevastated.[xxvi] In addition, munitions plants would be destroyed in orderto minimize the capacity to provide replacement and new equipment of theRAF to use against additional German raids. The initial strategy ofthe Luftwaffe was to launch a series of concentrated daylight air attackson British fighter bases, radar installations, and aircraft factories.Secondary targets included ports and Channel convoys. The Battle of Britain cost Germany and Adolf Hitler the war.Following the ouster of British forces from the continent at Dunkirk andthe defeat of France by Germany, an immediate invasion of England wouldhave made a logical and successful one-two punch for Hitler. Even after France fell, there waslittle enthusiasm for such a venture since the Reich had always preparedfor continental, land-based war as inferred by Hitler's own book, MeinKampf.[iii] A second major factor which delayed an immediate push across theChannel was Hitler as politician. Once on land in Great Britain, the Army would isolate London andcripple its resistance.[vii] Despite the grand nature of the plan, evenHitler believed the operation would "be by far the most complex anddifficult ever undertaken."[viii] At the core of all invasion scenarios was the Luftwaffe, HermannGoering's vaunted air corps. Lack of coordination between forces also hurt the Germans sincethey had no working in-air radio communications systems.[xxi] Poor intelligence operations by Germany and under-reporting ofBritish strengths also contributed to poor decisions by Goering during theinitial stages of the Battle of Britain.[xxii] Goering, in fact, suspendedattacks on British radar sites on grounds that "too few aircraft were leftto the RAF to benefit such installations" in the belief that concentratingon the airfields would hasten the end of England's aerial defense.[xxiii]He was wrong on both counts. Victory Through Air Power. Liddell Hart, History of the Second World War (New York:G.P. What RAF forceslacked in numbers was more than compensated for by their military readinessand information already received from flight headquarters as to Germanattack positions.[xv] Supporting these human and electronic eyes was thetop secret ULTRA intelligence code breaking system which Britain used togreat lengths in assessing changing German strategies. Hong Kong: Octopus Books, 1975.Lewin, Ronald. Mobilization was in part fueled by Churchill's own patrioticoratory in Parliament as he vowed that the British "shall go on to the end[and]...shall never surrender"[xii] The civil Defense Service, firefighters, repair units, and demolition squads were organized. Not believing Churchill's intransigence, Hitler waited for morethan a month before ordering full scale plans for the invasion. Manufacturing facilities were relocated to remote countrylocations. After several more months, the bombings ceased altogether. While it did notalone win the Battle of Britain, it did assist Chief Marshall Sir HughDowding in making critical tactical changes during the air battles. Eye witnesses in the RAF admit that Sea Lion could havesucceeded if the Germans had concentrated their airpower against southeastEngland. Specialefforts were made to protect essential water, sewage, and other utilityservices. . New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978.Pitt, Barrie, ed. In Germany's case, most agree that Goering underestimated his ownairforce invasion levels despite his 2:1 to 3:1 numerical superiority overthe RAF. A more unified command may haveinterpreted the signals coming from Great Britain's wounded airfields asshowing greater success of Goering's raids. The sheer speed of the assault westward and its successsurprised even German generals.[i] To capitalize on Britain's disarray,Hitler would have needed to strike quickly. German fighters also operated at a rangelimitation because of the distance and flying time involved in reaching thecoast. From an historical viewpoint, the Battle of Britain shows us howHitler's own ego may have cost him a continent by 1) wanting to negotiatewith Churchill; and 2) changing tactics in midstream in anger over theBerlin bombings. Launching suchan attack against a British Navy and Army still in disarray would haveforced the Allies to negotiate for peace. It is estimated that had Germany equipped its planeswith turrets instead of machine guns, it would not have suffered as high aloss ratio and have inflicted higher British losses that alone may haveturned the tide of battle.[xi] British Readiness In the weeks between France's fall and Hitler's delayed invasionschemes, all of Britain mobilized in preparing a defensive curtain aboutthe island. Only once during the Battle of Britain did the Germans carry outstrategic strikes--when they attempted to knock out the radiocommunications links for RAF fighters. All he wanted from London, he said, was "a free handon the Continent."[v] We can better understand his motivation in the lightof moves made by Hitler's then allies, the Russians, who in July, 194 , hadadjusted their western frontier forward in two places. Yet a fluke of history broughtan abrupt end to this initial strategy. On August 24, a German aircraftlost in the dark had lobbed a few stray bombs into London by accident.Night bombers of the RAF retaliated the next evening by raiding Berlin.Hitler would have not of it: "The British drop their bombsindiscriminately. Great Battles of the 2 th Century. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (NewYork: Simon and Schuster, 196 ), 747.Mark Arnold-Forster, The World at War (New York: Stein and Day,1973), 59.Shirer, 753.Ibid., 758.Major Alexander P. Hitler wanted to have Britain sue forpeace. Ultra Goes to War. This new twist added incendiarybombs to the package of death and destruction falling from the skies. Its top-speed of 35 mphand high rate of climb gave the Messerschmitt a speed advantage even overthe Spitfire. The lack of support as previously indicated among theGerman high command also hurt his ultimate strategy by placing the burdenof the attack on Goering's Luftwaffe. History of the Secondary World War. Hitler had not requested it nor envisioned thepossibility before the fall of France. Hadtraining schools been producing more pilots, or had there been a largerreservoir of trained men available at the beginning of the battle, thesituation wold have been far less critical for the British. The German plan,"Operation Sea Lion," was commissioned on July 16, 194 but wasn't readyfor consideration until the end of the month. Subsequent raidson August 13th through 16th saw upwards of 18 German aircraft above GreatBritain. We began ourfirst overtures of involvement in 194 with Great Britain: ties that wouldbecome like cement in later years. Baldwin, The Crucial Years: 1939-1941 (New York:Harper & Row, 1976), 145-146.Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes to War (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978),83.Hart, 92-93.Heiferman, 283.Baldwin, 146.de Seversky, 54.Hart, 94-95.Ibid., 95.Heiferman, 285.Baldwin, 15 .Hart, 96.Baldwin, 147.----------------------- 12 German planes used three single machineguns compared with British dual rapid fire gun turrets that housed fourmachine guns each. Liddell. Instead, abandoning daylightraids prevented the Luftwaffe from hitting those military and naval targetswhose destruction was absolutely necessary for success of Operation SeaLion IF it was to ever launch.[xxv] After a month of London raids failed to generate results exceptstrengthening British resolve, Goering threw in one final salvo of planes.A massive all-day raid of 1 planes over London was repulsed by the RAF.With this failure of Goering to crush the RAF and British resolve, Hitlerwas forced to scuttle plans for the overseas invasion until 1941. New York: Stein and Day, 1973.Baldwin, Hanson W. Taylor, ed., History of World War II (London: OctopusBooks, 1974), 72.B.H. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. By the time German task forces would arrive over theChannel coasts, British units were already in the air. All citizens were required to serve as fire watchers forincendiary bombs. Additionally, hisArmy and Navy had few troops trained for seaborne landing operations.[ii] Neither the General Staff nor the Admiralty had seriously consideredplans for such an operation. During the whole year, Britain in factproduced 4,2 fighters compared with just over 3, single-and twin-engine fighters in Germany.[xvii] Of particular concern for British forces, however, was the numericalamount of fighter pilots. not the vanquished seeking favors, but the victorspeaking in the name of reason."[iv] His terms, from the German point ofview, seemed most generous considering the beating he had given Britain inNorway and in France. If the Battle of Britain is where Hitler couldhave won the war, certainly Russia is something he could have avoided toprevent losing the war. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1942.Flower, Desmond, and James Reeves, eds. Putnam's Sons, 197 ), 87.Louis L. The strategy was asound one and came within about two weeks of subduing Britain's airforcedefenses, according to witnesses.[xix] German sorties began on August 1 , 194 with about 93 fightersconsisting of single-engine Messerschmitt 1 9s. History of World War II. As it was, none of the Generalsreally wanted Goering to succeed. Men, notplanes, would be Britain's main defensive weakness.[xviii] Battle of Britain There were distinct phases of the Battle of Britain: the initialmission bombings on airfields, massive blanket bombing of London,provincial raids, withdrawal and attack on Russia. London: Cassell & Co., 196 .Hart, B.H. Putnam's Sons, 197 .Heiferman, Ronald. [xvi] British RAF fighter strength had been rebuilt to about 7 by mid-July, 194 , made up of mostly Hurricanes and Spitfires. de Seversky, Victory Through Air Power (NewYork: Simon and Schuster, 1942), 51.Ronald Heiferman, "World War II" in Wars of the 2 th Century(Hong Kong: Octopus Books, 1975), 285.Ibid., 72.Desmond Flower, and James Reeves, eds., The War 1939-1945(London: Cassell & Co., 196 ), 123.Snyder, 153.Ibid.Hanson W. .If they attack our cities, we will rub out theircities from the map."[xxiv] In a rash and costly move, Hitler ordered Goering to cease bombingmilitary targets and concentrate on bombings over London which was helplessto defend itself initially. He was "... In fact, the numbers are somewhat misleading. However the Spitfirewas easily the more maneuverable plan than the more sluggish German Mc 11 .A policy of manufacturing fighters allowed Britain to increase productionof fighters 2-1/2 times that summer. Ultimately, "he didnot want to take on the Russians without first subduing Britain ornegotiating her out of the way."[vi] Wisely, Churchill ignored Hitler and spent his time making eloquentspeeches. Hitler's lost opportunity to seizecontrol of his own destiny would ultimately cost him and Germany far morethan a few planes. The Home Guard, consistingof older men, eventually totaled more than one million men.[xiv] This humanand technological "early warning" system continued to baffle Goeringthroughout the Battle. New York: G.P. While the German offensives had caused more damagethan was publicly admitted at the time in Great Britain, by 1941 theLuftwaffe had failed to achieve any of its main objects: the destruction ofthe RAF and the breaking of British morale. They would first need to cripple Britain'sfamed RAF, their airfields, and Britain's manufacturing centers before anyship set sail across Channel. Most, if not all, oftheir long range resources had been employed in the Blitzkrieg push acrossWestern Europe. RAF flying training schools were slow inexpanding and their shortcomings almost cost Britain the battle. The threat that Hitler posed to the security of Great Britain helpedwitnesses in the United States wake up to the economic and politicalchanges being ravished upon the continent by a crazy man. It called for massive shiptransports carrying thousands of infantry from multiple ports on thecontinent. [xiii] Possibly the most important passive defensive system put into placeduring that time was a web of aircraft spotters and a network of radarinstallations that dotted the British coastline. New York: Dell Publishing, 196 .Taylor, A.J.P., ed. And this edge was more than compensated for by thesuperior output of Britain's aircraft plants.[x] In addition, actualdefensive firepower aboard both German bomber and fighter was too weak tocompete against the RAF fighters. And RAF forces stood on alert and spread their own planes outover many bases. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.