Lesson 2: Battle of Britain

Question 1

Operation Sealion

Answer 1

-Aim= knock Britain out of war so they wouldn’t be in a location to resist G.
-Hitler = need maj of forces by sea -> needed Air superiority to protect ships

Question 2

Battle of Britain
(Phases of Battle)

Answer 2

• Phase 1: 10th July – 12th August 1940
  -attack shipping convoys in the English channel and British ports as well as coastal radar stations
• Phase 2: 13th – 18th August 1940
  -Luftwaffe begins to target the RAF’s Fighter Command, either by attacks on British airfields or in dogfights in the skies over Britain.
• Phase 3: 19th August – 6th September 1940
  -bomb towns, cities and airfields across the south coast, Midlands and north east of England.
  -Churchill acknowledged the efforts of the RAF: ‘Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.’
  -On the 31st August, the RAF suffers it highest losses with 39 aircraft destroyed and 14 pilots killed.
• Phase 4: 7th September – 31st October 1940
  -Hitler shifts his tactics to launching mass bombing raids against London
  -15th September, the Luftwaffe launched its heaviest bombing raids on London of the entire battle. However, RAF Fighter Command was able to successfully fight off the Luftwaffe destroying 61 German aircraft.
  -17th September, Hitler officially postpones Operation Sealion and the Germans shift their strategy to focus on bombing British cities at night in an attempt to reduce causalities

Question 3

Battle of Britain
(Significance of Victory)

Answer 3

-Brit RAF= confident going into war + resilient of not letting g invade/ most = increase confident b/c so many advantages compared to G
* Nazi Germany had been stopped for the first time!
-Hitler shifts focus to Russia = time is running out for him