The Battle of Britain

Question 1

When did the Battle of Britain take place?

Answer 1

The Battle of Britain started and ended from 10 July 1940 – 31 October 1940.

Question 2

What was the name of the German air force?

Answer 2

The Luftwaffe.

Question 3

What was the name of the British air force?

Answer 3

The RAF.

Question 4

Why were the odds stacked up for the British?

Answer 4

• The Germans had 842 fighter planes and 1017 bomber planes and the British only had 600 fighter planes.
• It took five minutes for German planes to cross the Channel from France. However, it took 15 minutes for British planes to take off and reach the invading planes after they were spotted.
• Many of the British pilots were part-timers and had not received the same level of training or experience as the Germans. Germany trained 800 new pilots a month, while the British trained just 200.

Question 5

What were the planes of the RAF and what were the planes of the Luftwaffe?

Answer 5

RAF - the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire.
Luftwaffe - Messerschmitt BF 109, Messerschmitt BF 110 and Heinkel HE 111.

Question 6

What were the statistics at the end of the Battle of Britain?

Answer 6

Germany lost 60 aircraft to Britain’s 25.