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#BattleOfBritain

2 posts2 participants1 post today
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Orde Saunders 🔟

Summary of the turning point of the #BattleOfBritain in primary, contemporary, sources:

The first RAF bombing of Berlin on 26 August 1940 was intended to target factories and airfields but there was 10/10 cloud and only 35 of 86 aircraft report bombing a target in Berlin - and many of those record in the squadron record books that the effect on target could not be observed.

The German assessment of the raid was that it was targeting residential areas and explicitly state that this was the reason Hitler ordered the bombing of London on 7 September.

On 7 September, and unaware of the switch to targeting London, Fighter Command's leadership assessed that if the present rate of attrition carried on for four more weeks it would be difficult to maintain more than a front line defence.

On 12 September Keith Park, commander of the RAF's front line defence, assesses that the change in the Luftwaffe's attack strategy since 5 September means that he is confident in maintaining air superiority over British territory.

Full list of sources:

* battle-of-britain-diary.org.uk
* battle-of-britain-diary.org.uk
* battle-of-britain-diary.org.uk

Operations Record Book of 50 Squadron (AIR 27/485/20) recording aircraft L.4062 having bombed Berlin. "This aircraft was one of 5 that took off to bomb one of the electricity power stations of BERLIN. The target was attacked from 18,000' and 8 x 250 lb. bombs were released. No results could be observed on account of extensive cloud over the area."
Extract from "A Study of British Air Defences" - AHB Translation VII/59 "When on August 26, 1940 Berlin had had its first British air-raid, in which residential areas of the capital had borne the main brunt of the attack, the Fuehrer in his speech of September 4, announced imminent reprisals. A few days later, on September 7, the large-scale attacks on London began."
Extract from Minutes of a Conference held at Headquarters, Fighter Command, on Saturday 7th September 1940 (AIR 16/330) "24. A.V.M. Douglas stated that there were one or two things which could be done; one was the introduction of a further O.T.U.; that was one of the things which would have to be done if casualties continued at the present rate. He submitted that, according to the figures in his possession, the numbers would about break even; that was if the figures for the whole of August were considered. The C-in-C. pointed out that 25.it was necessary to consider the figures subsequent to about the 8th August if a true picture was to be obtained. A.V.M. Evill stated that if the present wastage continued for 4 weeks we should be definitely down in numbers. 25. The C-in-C. stated that he was working on the assumption that the present enemy scale of attack would persist."
Extract from German Air Attacks on England. - 8th Aug. - 10th Sept. (AIR 16/737) There's more text in the image than will fit here but this is the important bit: "41. There was a critical period between 26th August and 5th September when the damage to Sector Stations and our ground organisations was having a serious effect on the fighting efficiency of the fighter squadrons, who could not be given the same good technical and administrative service as previously. As a result of an immense amount of hard work day and night on the part of Group Staff and personnel at Sector Stations and satellite aerodromes, the critical period was tided over, without any interruption in the operations of our fighter squadrons. The absence of many essential telephone lines, the use of scratch equipment in emergency Operations Rooms, and the general dislocation of ground organization, was seriously felt for about a week in the handling of squadrons by day to meet the enemy's massed attacks, which were continued without the former occasional break of a day. Conclusion 42. At the time of writing, confidence is felt in our ability to hold the enemy by day and to prevent his obtaining superiority in the air over our territory, unless he greatly increases the scale or intensity of his attacks. Every endeavour is now being made to improve our fighter defences by night. To achieve this aim will require not only better equipment, but greater specialisation of pilots on night flying and fighting."
Replied in thread
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Orde Saunders 🔟

Today's field trip 4/4: St Mary in the Marsh. A Bf 100 force landed in a field near here.

The only contemporary photo of the site I have shows a plane in a large flat field with a hedge in the background, which is hardly distinguishing as this part of the marsh is characterised by lots of large flat fields bounded by hedges...

#BattleOfBritain

* battle-of-britain-diary.org.uk

St Mary in the Marsh village surrounded by large flat fields.
Public *
Orde Saunders 🔟

Today's field trip 4/5: Dover harbour viewed from the Fire Command Post at Dover castle. The ferry terminal is now over the former location of the submarine basin where HMS Codrington and HMS Sandhurst were sunk in aerial attacks at the end of July 1940.

#BattleOfBritain

* battle-of-britain-diary.org.uk
* battle-of-britain-diary.org.uk

Dover harbour ferry terminal viewed from the Fire Command Post at Dover Castle
Aerial photo of Dover harbour showing HMS Codringon and HMS Sandhurst in the submarine basin with a large oil slick extending westwards out of the entrance across the main harbour parallel with the beach
Public
Orde Saunders 🔟

Today's field trip 3/5: Swingfield radar sites above Dover. These were targeted as part of a coordinated precision attack by EprGr 210 on the British radar network on 12 August 1940 as the opening of Adlerangriff - the planned five day offensive that would eliminate the RAF as an effective force with the intention of bringing Britain to negotiate peace terms with the Third Reich.

#BattleOfBritain

* battle-of-britain-diary.org.uk

Two radio masts on the site of the western towers at Swingfield.
Concrete bases of the eastern towers of the radar masts at Swingfield.
Luftwaffe reconnaissance photo of the bomb damage to Swingfield radar installations.
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