Battle Of Britain (Luftschlacht um England): Facts vs Propaganda

Waffen SS

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Battle of Britain or Luftschlacht um England was first major air engagement in history of warfare.

After Germany's amazing victory in Poland, North Europe and West Europe.Germany then turned it's Luftwaffe against Britain, Luftwaffe was supported by a section Italian air force.

When Britain was supported by Polish, French, Dutch, Czechoslovakian pilots who managed to evade Germans and went to Britain to continue fight. More ever Britain was also supported by Commonwealth Canadian, Australian and New Zealander volunteers and some American volunteers known as Eagle Squadron.

In the start of battle Britain and their allied had 1963 serviceable air craft when Germany and Italy had about 2550.

British Propaganda

Winston Churchill said " Never was so much owed by so many to so few". Indicating How Germans outnumbers British, and still British air force managed to hold Germans off. Thus indicating again Superiority of British pilots. British exaggerated German losses so heavily, such an one incident they claimed to shoot down 187 German planes while losing only 30 of them. British this way continued to exaggerate German losses.

In short British wanted to say due to British pilots expertness Germany lost.

Facts

The main reasons of Germany's failure were

1) German fighter planes although very good was of short range, Bf 109 was no doubt a very good plane but was of short range, this plane had only 10 minutes flying time over London before they ran out of Fuel, so German fighter planes could not escort their He 111 and Do 17 bombers.

2) German bombers were medium bombers. Their pay load was low, even He 111 the main German bomber was a meduim bomber, meaning it was good but still was not enough for Strategic bombing.

3) British and other volunteer pilots flew and fought over Britain, and if they were shot down and survived that it meant they can again fly with another plane, where if any German planes were shot down and if they survived they would be prisoner.

4) British anti-air craft system was also active, they managed to shoot down some planes and damaged, damaged planes many times became easy pray for British planes or crashed in English channel when they were returning.

5) Radar certainly helped, Germans could over come this if their Bf 109's were of long range.

I took some information from Wikipedia.
 

pmaitra

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I agree with most of what @Waffen SS says, and I would request him to add references whenever possible.
 
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