Producer: Popular Science China
Author: Yue Jiangfeng
Planner: Song Yajuan
Producer: Guangming Network Science Popularization Division
In 1940, in order to counter Hitler's "Sea Lion Plan" to invade Britain, the largest air battle between Britain and Germany since the birth of the Air Force broke out - the Battle of Britain. In July and October 1940, the most intense four months of the Battle of Britain, Britain lost 915 combat aircraft and Nazi Germany lost 1,733 aircraft. Churchill commented: "Never before in the history of war have so many people (referring to the 'British people') benefiting so much from such a small number of people (referring to 'royal pilots')." ”
Hitler's abduction of the British did not turn from defensive to offensive
At the beginning of World War II, Nazi Germany quickly swept through Western Europe with blitzkrieg, and 400,000 British and French troops were forced by the German army to the small coastal city of Dunkirk in France, and after a hard fight, 330,000 of them were finally evacuated to Britain. With the enthusiastic support of the Luftwaffe, Hitler began to look at Britain and secretly formulated the "Sea Lion Project", which was essentially a battle plan for a total invasion of Britain.
In the beginning, Hitler, in order to deal with the Soviet Union and avoid a two-front war, needed to win over Britain and induce it to compromise and surrender. However, to Hitler's surprise, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill belonged to the soft and hard masters, and when Germany's "peace proposal" to Britain was repeatedly rejected by Churchill's stern words, Hitler finally made the operational decision to implement the "Sea Lion Project" against Britain.
The reason why Hitler dared not to take the Sun Never Set on the British Empire was mainly because Britain had changed from being a blockader to being a blockaded person, and the situation was precarious. Earlier, the British lost a lot of weapons and equipment in the Dunkirk evacuation, including 2450 guns, 6400 anti-tank guns, 11,000 machine guns, more than 75,000 vehicles, 500,000 tons of military supplies, sunk 224 ships, and shot down 106 aircraft, at this time the British had been seriously injured, leaving only 500 guns and 200 tanks. The Air Force was also greatly weakened, with just over 1,300 combat aircraft remaining. As for the navy, due to the blockade of the German navy and air force, the conditions for cooperation with the French fleet were lost.
Luftwaffe aircraft formations (image from the Internet)
Thousands of warplanes make the sky over Britain "clouded"
In order to carry out air offensive operations, the Luftwaffe concentrated 3 Air Force Groups, with 2669 combat aircraft and 13 divisions, 168 transport ships, 1910 barges, 419 tugboats and 1600 steamboats. At that time, Britain only had 700 anti-aircraft fighters, 200 anti-aircraft guns, and 500 bombers, which was at a significant disadvantage in terms of troop strength. In the face of the enemy's superior strength, britain did not give in, but mobilized the whole country to resist the German invasion.
In this unprecedented fierce air duel, Britain was not alone, including the air crews of New Zealand, Canada, Australia and other countries belonging to the Commonwealth also joined the British army; the exile governments of many countries occupied by Nazi Germany, including Poland, France and other air forces that had withdrawn to Britain, also joined the ranks of defending Britain.
Throughout the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe flew more than 46,000 sorties, dropped more than 70,000 tons of bombs on Britain, and lost about 1,500 aircraft. The British Air Force lost 915 aircraft, killed and injured more than 86,000 residents, destroyed more than 1 million buildings, destroyed many cities, and made great sacrifices for the British people.
At noon on 15 September 1940, 200 German bombers, under the cover of 600 fighter jets, once again crossed the English Channel on a massive scale, preparing for a fatal final blow to Britain. In the face of the incoming German fighter group, more than 300 British fighters took off in 6 waves to intercept. A decisive aerial battle has officially begun. However, after only 20 minutes, the German attack failed. German fighters were shot down one after another, and seeing no hope of victory, the Germans were forced to retreat. On September 17, 1940, Hitler reluctantly announced the postponement of the Sea Lion Project, essentially declaring the total bankruptcy of the program.
Radars were put into actual combat to make a contribution to the struggle for air supremacy
For Britain itself, the situation of the war did not necessarily take on a one-sided posture. Because they have their own secret weapon in the ascendancy - the "radar" that has not long been put into actual combat. Beginning in the 1930s, with the increasing emphasis on home air defense, the British Air Force embarked on a program to monitor home airspace 24 hours a day.
In 1935, the British "home chain" radar was successfully developed, and then the British Air Force actively carried out experiments using the radar to intercept air targets. During this period, the United Kingdom was continuously equipped with a number of air-to-air radars. By the outbreak of the British Air War, britain had established a relatively complete air-to-air detection network, as a national radar early warning system, although the technology at that time was not very perfect, but it could provide the British Air Force with the whereabouts of the Luftwaffe.
Britain's air defense radar detection network during the British Air War (image from the network)
Surprisingly, the first use of radar in combat was one of the biggest obstacles to Germany's plan to conquer Britain. Through this campaign, the British Air Force's radar and fighter combat coordination tended to be reasonable, and it could locate its own aircraft in flight and lead it into the airspace where enemy aircraft appeared. In terms of airborne early warning in World War II, the United Kingdom can be said to be the first to use radar to play a practical role.
On the whole, the main reasons why Britain won the Battle of Britain were: First, the indomitable fighting spirit displayed for victory; second, the invention of radar, which could show the routes and number of enemy aircraft in detail; and third, there was a set of well-organized and efficient ground control systems.
Source: Popular Science China - Frontiers of Military Science and Technology