by Mark Hopkins

Created on: January 25, 2008

The Battle of Britain was a turning point of great importance. The Germans had taken just a month to defeat Poland in September 1939. On April 9th 1940 Denmark and Norway had been attacked. British and French efforts to help Norway failed. On May 10th 1940 the Germans launched their forces upon Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and France. By-passing the French defensive Maginot line and thrusting through the wooded Ardennes hills, the Germans achieved more in three weeks in 1940 than in the whole of World War One. Their new 'Blitzkrieg' tactics, marrying massed tank forces with air support and mechanized infantry, seemed unstoppable. British infantry forces were cut off in Belgium as the German armour reached the Channel coast and the demoralized French forces were confused and in retreat. When France surrendered on June 22nd 1940 Hitler had mastery of the European continent. The potential economic and manpower resources at his disposal would be tremendous.

Up to this point no nation had been able to stand up to the Germans. They seemed invincible, every bit the 'master race' about which Hitler liked to brag. After a pause to allow Britain to sue for peace, which she did not, Hitler realized that to finish his conquests he must assault the British in their island home. A French general offered the opinion that Britain would 'have its neck wrung like a chicken'. The American Ambassador, Mr Kennedy, reported to Washington that Britain was finished. Hitler certainly expected to invade successfully and the British fully expected him to come. All over southern and eastern England, June and July saw the frantic erection of hundreds of pill boxes to defend river and road crossings and other strategic points. (Many of these can still be seen, overgrown, in the countryside).

The German Air force, the Luftwaffe, was the most powerful air force in the world in summer 1940. Organized into three Luftflottes, in total it had 898 operational bombers, 708 single engine fighters, mainly the formidable Messerschmidt 109s and 202 less formidable twin engine Messerschmidt 110s. Their task was not to invade Britain but to defeat the British Royal Air Force and achieve air superiority over the English Channel and southern England. This was essential before a German invasion force could sail from France. Its barges and the soldiers to man them were gathered and waiting in ports along the north French coast. With British fighter cover, the Royal Navy would make short work of any invasion

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