Hitler, the head of Nazi Germany, has always had illusions about Britain, thinking that under such a severe situation, Britain will definitely make peace with Germany, and he believes that after defeating Britain, the British colonies will fall into the hands of the United States, Japan and the Soviet Union, which will not do Germany any good. Therefore,1from May to July, 940, he never urged the German General Staff to make a battle plan to attack Britain, but devoted himself to luring and surrendering to Britain. Through the Vatican Pope and the King of Sweden, he contacted Britain and proposed to explore the possibility of making peace by dividing up the colonial advantages of France and the Netherlands. He also sent emissaries to contact the Duke of Windsor, the former king of England in Spain, who abdicated because he insisted on marrying a divorced American woman. He was prepared to support the former king who didn't like the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers to regain the throne, establish a pro-German government, and quickly reach an armistice agreement, then he could concentrate on preparing for the war against the Soviet Union.
However, Britain's tough attitude completely surprised him. Churchill, who succeeded Chamberlain, who was famous for creating Munich crisis, as prime minister on May 10, has always been a staunch supporter. In his speech at the inauguration ceremony, he clearly stated: "Our policy is to use all the power given to us by God to fight against the dark and evil forces that have never been seen in human history on land, sea and sky!" The British people have also clearly realized the brutality of Nazi Germany and its ambition to conquer the world, completely abandoned the appeasement policy and fully supported the government to carry out the war against Germany to the end! On July 16, Delmer, a famous British BBC announcer, answered on behalf of all the British people on the radio only one hour after Hitler made a speech on the peace proposal: "Mr. Fuehrer, we put the peace proposal in your stinking mouth!"
When all attempts to induce Germany to surrender went bankrupt, Hitler made up his mind to attack Britain, and in July 16, he issued theNo. 16 combat instruction against Britain, code-named "Operation Sea Lion". According to this instruction, the German high command drew up a battle plan, and prepared to invest 25 to 40 divisions of two army groups under the command of Marshal Lundstedt, commander of the A army group. Under the cover of the air force, the German high command crossed the English Channel, landed in the area between Dover and Portsmouth, and then attacked west and north, taking London directly. The preparation for the campaign was originally scheduled to be completed in mid-August, but it had to be postponed again and again because of many insurmountable difficulties in ships and logistics. Both the army and the navy complained bitterly, demanding that the Air Force destroy the British Air Force before launching the landing. Reality also determines that seizing air superiority is the key to victory in the campaign. Goering, commander-in-chief of the air force, is ambitious and thinks that only the fierce bombing of the air force can force Britain to surrender. In this way, the "Sea Lion Action" gradually evolved into a large-scale air battle with this as the forerunner. The German army's attempt to launch an air battle was to seize the air superiority and clear the obstacles in the landing operation. And do their best to destroy Britain's military and economic potential and force Britain to surrender.
As early as May 1940, Britain had foreseen that the German Air Force would carry out a large-scale bombing of the British mainland. Therefore, on May 19, 2009, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the British Army put forward a defense report when France withdrew from the war, demanding that all kinds of defense measures, especially air defense measures, be strengthened. The report was approved by the wartime cabinet on May 27th. And immediately began the necessary preparatory work: first, the wartime cabinet set up the aircraft manufacturing department, led by Beaver? As a minister, Brooke made great efforts to strengthen aircraft manufacturing, so that the monthly output of aircraft increased rapidly from 700 to 1600 in August, including 470 fighters; Secondly, adjust and deploy air defense forces nationwide, focusing on strengthening air defense in London; Third, the Air Force has set up combat training units, set up several training schools, stepped up the training of aircrew and ground crew, so that 200 new pilots can supplement the troops every month, and also mobilized Commonwealth member States to train aircrew on their behalf to form a new combat unit.
On the eve of the British air battle, the British Air Force established the Air Defense Command, which was founded by Edward? Admiral Bill, under the unified command of all fighters, anti-aircraft guns, radars and observation and warning forces in the country. Fighter unit * * includes 56 squadrons and 980 fighters, including 688 excellent hurricane and fire fighters; The anti-aircraft artillery force is divided into seven divisions and has more than 4,000 anti-aircraft guns, but there are less than 2,000 large-caliber anti-aircraft guns. Moreover, because the monthly output of large-caliber anti-aircraft guns is only 40, it is difficult to increase the number in a short time, so the British army adjusted its deployment and deployed about 700 large-caliber anti-aircraft guns in the aircraft factory. 5 groups of air defense blocking balloons, blocking balloons 1500. These blocking balloons are tied to the car and can be transferred quickly. 2,700 searchlights. Most importantly, the British army had a little-known radar force. Britain is the first country to put radar into actual combat. By July 1940, there were 5 1 radar stations in China, including 38 in the southeast coast, accounting for about 75% of the total, forming a strict radar warning system, which was divided into two levels. The first level is the mid-high altitude air defense radar system, which can effectively find the flight altitude. In this way, the British army can detect the approximate position and time of the German plane attack through radar, and command its own fighters to meet at a favorable position and time. Before using radar, fighter planes are usually sent to patrol in the air, and the attacking enemy planes are found by fighter planes. After using radar, every take-off of British fighter planes has a purpose, which greatly reduces the consumption of aircraft, fuel and personnel's physical strength and makes up for the shortcomings of aircraft to a great extent. Therefore, radar is undoubtedly the most important trump card for the British to win! In addition, Britain has a National Guard with a population of 500,000. They set up numerous air defense surveillance posts in coastal areas, and used binoculars and simple direction finders to undertake air surveillance, alert and rescue tasks, which was an indispensable auxiliary force of the British regular army.
At that time, the British fighter command was located in Bentley Abbey, and the commander was Admiral hugh dowding. He is an old pilot who participated in World War I. Under his auspices, he set up the intelligence room of the headquarters, and formed an air intelligence system composed of radar, air defense surveillance post, command war room and intelligence room, which can obtain information very quickly and command operations very effectively.
Admiral Dowding is cautious. He has always maintained a reserve force of 280 planes, and will never use it until the last moment when the German landing formation enters the strait. He clearly realized that large-scale air combat would be inevitable, so he always adopted the strategy of preserving his strength as much as possible, and even dared to resist the orders of Prime Minister Churchill not to send more planes to France. These efforts have laid a solid material foundation for the upcoming air combat.
The British fighter commander has four fighter brigades: the 10 brigade under the command of Major General Brand, headquartered in Boksk, is responsible for defending the western part of Britain; 1 1 brigade under the command of Major General Parker, headquartered in Axbridge, is responsible for defending the southeast of England, including London; Major General Mallory's 12 Brigade, headquartered in Watnell, is responsible for defending the central part of England from the mouth of the Thames to Yorkshire; Major General Sol's 13 brigade, headquartered in Newcastle, is responsible for defending the Scottish region. Among these four brigades, the strongest are 1 1 and 12 brigades, especially the 1 1 brigade defending London, which has 270 most advanced tornadoes and fire fighters, accounting for almost 40% of all advanced aircraft in Britain.
The British army divided the whole country into four air defense zones, and each zone was divided into several air defense zones. One fighter brigade is deployed in each air defense zone, and two or three fighter squadrons are deployed in each air defense zone. Once the German plane attacks, the air defense zone only gives the attack order, and the specific operational command is organized by the air defense zone headquarters.
The characteristics of British local air defense are: unified command, centralized use, comprehensive defense, highlighting key points and deep echelon configuration; Fighters are the mainstay, supplemented by anti-aircraft guns, blocking balloons and searchlights.
The main fighter of the British army is Hurricane Hawke, and the chief designer is Sidoni Kamm. The aircraft was put into production from 1936 and equipped with troops from the end of 1937. It is the first airplane with retractable landing gear, semi-metal structure and single wing and single seat in Britain. MK 1 equipped with Merlin water-cooled piston engine, maximum output power 1938. The top speed is 5 19 km/h, the ceiling is 10424 m, the maximum transition range is 1040 km, and the climbing rate is 800 m/min. Equipped with 8 7.62 mm machine guns, it is armored and the cockpit glass is bulletproof. It is simple to manufacture, maintain and operate, and is famous for its intensive firepower, solid fuselage and flexibility. It has been used in various battlefields in war, not only in air combat, but also in anti-submarine, anti-tank and ground attack with a little modification, and has won great praise.
Another main model of the British army is Super Marin's Spitfire. The chief designer is Reginald mitchell, a famous S-series aircraft designer in 1930s (after Mitchell died, the improved model of Spitfire fighter was designed by Smith). It was put into production from 1937, and was equipped with troops in August of 1938, with all-metal structure and single wing and single seat. MK5C is equipped with Merlin water-cooled piston engine. Maximum output power 17 10 horsepower, four-blade propeller, maximum speed of 657 km/h, ceiling 13 100 m, maximum transition range 1060 km, and climbing rate of 870 m/min. The equipment is 8 7.7 mm machine guns, with armor and aerodynamic shape reaching firepower. With high speed and good maneuverability, it was the only British aircraft that completely surpassed the German Messerschmitt 109 fighter. It is recognized as the best fighter in Europe in World War II, but its manufacturing is relatively complicated, and its number is relatively less than that of "hurricane". It is easy to get out of control when landing, and unskilled pilots often have accidents. In addition, when the carburetor dives at high speed, the engine will be short of fuel supply due to negative overload, so pilots usually don't dive at high speed at a large angle to avoid the engine stopping in the air due to insufficient fuel supply. Because of its outstanding performance in the Battle of Britain, the aircraft was hailed as "the savior of Britain".
It is particularly worth mentioning that the development of "Hurricane" and "Spitfire" is purely private, and there is no government instruction or government financial support. Because both of these aircraft were developed in the mid-1930s, the British government was indulging in the dream of appeasement policy, and did not consider the upgrading of air force combat aircraft at all. Faced with the grim situation of Germany's vigorous development of the air force, some people of insight in the British aviation industry spontaneously developed new aircraft. After the successful test flight of these two types of aircraft, the British Air Force also ordered decisively, which enabled the troops to quickly equip advanced aircraft. Looking back on this past, people feel very lucky that these two planes were developed and equipped in time, breaking through the imprisonment of appeasement policy!
The "Hurricane" with slightly inferior performance and the "Spitfire" with excellent performance just formed an ideal combination of high and low, and became the most powerful weapon for the British Air Force and the German Air Force to compete for air superiority! In addition to hurricanes and fire fighters, the British army also participated in the Battle of Britain with a few old-fashioned beaufighter and intrepid fighters.
The biggest difficulty for the British army is the shortage of pilots. Due to the emphasis on the quality of pilots before the war, few schools were set up to train pilots, and the losses in the war began to cause a crisis in the number of pilots. General Dowding started a new training school and stepped up the training of aircrew and ground crew. At the same time, he recruited pilots from occupied countries such as France, Belgium, Czech Republic and Poland to join the British Air Force, and seconded 68 pilots from naval aviation to recruit aircrew and ground crew from Commonwealth countries. With his unremitting efforts, by the beginning of August of 1940, the number of pilots in the British Air Force had risen to 1434, and each plane was equipped with a ground crew consisting of a mechanic, a mechanic's assistant, a locksmith, an assembler and a radio mechanic, which could complete the attack inspection within 35 minutes.
Goering, commander of the German Air Force, was a German ace pilot in World War I and once served as the commander of the Richthofen squadron of the famous ace flying team. He was the second person in Nazi Germany after Hitler. From 65438 to 0935, he served as commander-in-chief of the German Air Force, actively developing the German Air Force and making it an important force for Nazi Germany's outward expansion. 1940, 19 was awarded the rank of Imperial Marshal in July, becoming the highest rank officer in Europe. But after the French war, he was completely immersed in victory, but he was keen on collecting rare treasures in the museums of the occupied countries and holding grand banquets. Before the Battle of Britain, he was blindly optimistic that the German Air Force alone could conquer the British Isles.
The Germans plan to invest 2,600 planes of three aviation teams, including 1480 bombers. The 2nd Air Force attacked the southeast of England under the command of Marshal Kesselring from the Netherlands, Belgium and the northeast of France. The third air force under the command of Marshal speyer in northern France attacked southwest England; The Fifth Air Force, commanded by Admiral Stump in the Netherlands and Norway, attacked northern England and Scotland. Among them, the 2nd and 3rd Air Corps, as the main force, will invest all the troops, while the 5th Air Corps will cooperate with the operation and only invest part of the troops.
There are two main types of German fighters: Messerschmitt-109 and Messerschmitt-1 10.
Messerschmitt-109, abbreviated as Bf- 109 or Me- 109, was produced by Bavarian Aircraft Factory (later renamed as Messerschmitt Aircraft Factory), and was put into production by chief designer Messerschmitt in 1936. 1938 was equipped with troops. All-metal structure, retractable landing gear, single seat and single wing, E4 equipped with water-cooled piston engine, maximum output power 1 150 horsepower, maximum speed of 575 km/h, ceiling1/000 m, maximum transition distance of 665 km, and climb rate of 946 m/. It is firm and reliable, and easy to operate. Due to the advanced fuel injection system, it has extremely high horizontal and vertical maneuverability. In the test flight, it made a right turn spiral of 2 1 and a left turn spiral of 17 continuously, and then dived vertically from the height of 7500 meters until it was close to the ground, which performed well. No other plane can compare with it except the British Spitfire. It is a light fighter with excellent comprehensive performance. It has been used continuously for ten years in a cruel war, which is the best praise. The only deficiency is that the cockpit design is unreasonable, the space is narrow and crowded, and pilots are prone to fatigue.
Messerschmitt-1 10, abbreviated as Bf- 1 10 or Me- 1 10, was produced by Bavarian Aircraft Factory (later renamed Messerschmitt Aircraft Factory) and its chief designer was Messerschmitt,10. All-metal structure, three single-wing heavy fighter, equipped with two water-cooled piston engines, the maximum output power of a single machine 1200 horsepower, the maximum speed of 548 km/h, the ceiling 12800 m, the maximum transition range of 2800 km, and the climbing rate of 687 m/min. Equipped with 2 20 mm machine guns and 6 7.9 mm machine guns, it is armored. Known by the Germans as the flower of fighter, but in actual combat, because it is heavy fighter, it is huge, easy to be found, clumsy, easy to be shot down, and its performance is not satisfactory. Even in the late British war, it had to be escorted by Messerschmitt-109. Only later, in the fight against Britain's strategic bombing of Germany, intercepting British bombers at night was fruitful.
Comparing the four main fighters of Britain and Germany, the British Spitfire and the German Messerschmitt-109 have the best performance, both of which have their own advantages and are inseparable. Smaller than the British "hurricane"; German Messerschmitt-1 10 is the worst, and the British army is dominant as a whole. However, British fighters are only equipped with eight machine guns. Although the firing rate is as high as 1280 rounds per minute, the firepower is intensive, but the lethality is not great. They often attack German planes frequently, but they can't shoot them down. If they are equipped with two machine guns and two machine guns like German planes, the blow to German planes will be even heavier. In terms of airborne radio equipment, German planes lag behind British planes and cannot contact the ground in the air. Therefore, after the launch, the ground command can't effectively command the aircraft in the air, and it depends entirely on the pilot's own experience to fight. The British ground command can effectively command and dispatch air planes by radio, and the radar can accurately detect German planes, so the British army has obvious advantages.
In the air combat tactics of fighters from both sides, the British army usually adopts a three-aircraft V-shaped formation, which is very inconvenient to turn during the voyage, and the single-aircraft operation in the formation is greatly restricted. The plane at the end is vulnerable to attack because of lack of protection, and the formation is also easy to get separated in the melee.
However, the two-plane formation adopted by the Germans has advanced long-wingman tactics. Usually, 12 planes form an evacuation formation, with staggered height and speed, which is flexible and free to advance and retreat.
There are four main types of German bombers: Junk -87, Junk -88, Henkel-11and Dornier-17.
The Yongke -87 dive bomber, or Ju-87 for short, should actually be called an attack plane. It was produced by Yongke Aircraft Factory and improved from the Eagle aircraft of Curtis Company of the United States. It was put into production from 1936 and equipped with troops from 1937. All-metal structure, fixed landing gear, fairing outside, two-seat single wing, D 1 equipped with jade ink cold piston engine, maximum output power 14 10 horsepower, maximum speed 4 10 km, ceiling 7285 m, transition range10. The aircraft is nicknamed "Stuka" (Stuka is a transliteration of German dive bombing), and the Jericho horn is installed on the wing, which makes a creepy scream when diving to shock the enemy. Yongke -87 has extremely accurate accuracy in attacking point targets, is an excellent model to cooperate with armored forces, and is the most effective deep-water bomb in the German Blitzkrieg arsenal. However, in the strategic bombing, it was a little overwhelmed, with short range and small bomb load. It was unable to maneuver when diving, and it became an ideal prey for British fighters. Moreover, it suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Britain, forcing the Germans to use it only in areas with weak air threats in the future.
Junk -88 medium bomber, referred to as Ju-88 for short, is produced by Junk Aircraft Factory, with chief designer Ebas, 1937 put into production and 1939 equipped with troops. All-metal structure, four single wings, A4 is equipped with two jade ink cold piston engines. The maximum output power of a single engine is 1400 horsepower, the maximum speed is 470 kilometers per hour, the ceiling is 8200 meters, the transition range is 1790 kilometers, the climbing rate is 900 meters per minute, the bomb load is 2500 kilograms, and the armament is two stands/kloc-. It is the main bomber type of the German army. It's a pity that we have just started to equip our troops, and the number is still small. It is precisely because of the excellent performance of the Junk -88 that the Germans decided to fully produce the Junk -88 instead of developing a long-range strategic heavy bomber with four engines, which made it impossible for the Germans to own heavy bombers in the war. This defect was undoubtedly exposed in the Battle of Britain.
Henkel-1 1 1, abbreviated as he-11,was produced by Henkel Aircraft Factory, and the chief designer was Jack Fried valta. 1936 was put into production./ All-metal structure, five single wings and excellent aerodynamic shape. The H 16 is equipped with two jade ink cold piston engines, each with a maximum output of 1350 horsepower, a top speed of 434 kilometers per hour, a ceiling of 8,500 meters, a cruising range of 2,000 kilometers, a bomb load of 2,500 kilograms, and a armament 1 door 20 mm gun with 6,500 guns. Because the Germans ignored the development of heavy bombers, Henkel-11was eliminated at the beginning of the war, but because the successor did not form mass production, it was still used as the main bomber of the Germans.
Dornier-17, abbreviated as Do- 17, is produced by Dornier Aircraft Factory. The prototype was developed under the cover of passenger and cargo transport aircraft, 1935 was put into production, and 1937 was equipped with troops. All-metal structure, four wings, aerodynamic shape resembling a pencil, 2 17E2 equipped with two BMW 139 air-cooled piston engines, the maximum output power of a single engine 1580 horsepower, the maximum speed of 5 16 km/h, the ceiling of 9000m, the transition distance of 2800km. It is the fastest bomber in Germany, with good maneuverability and can carry out low-altitude raids.
The Germans misjudged the strength of the British army and greatly underestimated the combat effectiveness of the British Air Force, especially the radar situation of the British army. Although the British army began to study radar from 1936, the towering radar antenna standing on the coast can never be hidden. 1938, the German Intelligence Agency once got information about the use of radar by the British army, but the German high command ignored it. 1940 in may, the Germans also seized a British mobile radar in France, but all this did not attract the attention of the Germans. The German high command only subjectively inferred the development level of British radar according to its own level in the radar field, and as a result, the German army suffered a lot in the Battle of Britain.
In the three months from April to June of 1940, the German Air Force lost 2784 aircraft, but with the rapid recovery of the aviation industry's production capacity.
In July, the Germans began preparations before the war. It takes time for aviation units to move from the mainland to France, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries, expand front-line airports, mobilize assembled troops and replenish personnel and materials. However, the German Air Force did not want to wait, so a small number of troops started exploratory attacks while preparing for the war.
On July 10, the Germans launched an attack on ships sailing in the English Channel and ports in southern England. The Germans have two goals: one is to understand the British air defense capability and find out the deployment of the British air force; The second is to lure British planes into battle and consume British forces in air combat.
Because of the large consumption in the European continent, the British army needs to rest and replenish, so it adopts the strategy of avoiding war and fighting in small groups, and tests the radar guidance interception tactics in air combat.
From July 10 to August 12, the Germans * * * dispatched 5376 sorties, dropped 1473 tons of bombs, sank four British destroyers and 18 transport ships, and shot down 186 German planes,/kloc-0. The British lost 148 planes. Generally speaking, the battle at this stage is completely tentative and limited in scale.
At the same time, the command organs of the German Air Force began to make operational plans. In late July, the second and third air teams, the main forces participating in the war, jointly drafted the plan. On July 29th, the Air Force Operations Bureau studied the plan. On August 1 day, the second and third air forces submitted the revised plan according to the opinions of the operational bureau. 1 In August, Hitler and Jodl, Chief of General Staff, jointly issued OrderNo. 17 to carry out all-round air strikes against Britain. On August 2, Air Force Commander Goering issued the Air Force operational instructions. Goering is scheduled to launch the first large-scale air raid on August 10, and the operation code is "Eagle Day".
At the beginning of August, the German Air Force assembled 2,669 planes to fight against Britain, including 933 Messerschmitt-109 fighters, 375 Messerschmitt-10 fighters, 346 Junk -87 dive bombers, Junk -88 and Henkel-1KL.
On August 10, the weather in southern England was so bad that the "Eagle Day" attack was forced to be postponed.
On August 1 1 day and August 12, the weather still hasn't improved much. The Germans dispatched some planes and attacked the British radar station. Five of them were seriously damaged and one was completely destroyed. Because the Germans mainly bombed the antenna of the radar station instead of the core control room, the British army was able to repair it quickly, and the German radio detection department quickly discovered the radar signal and thought it was useless to attack the radar station.
The much-watched "Eagle Day" attack finally began in August 13, and the first stage of the British campaign was from August 13 to August 23 in the history of war. The main purpose of the German army at this stage is to destroy the main force of the British Air Force. Due to the limited range of German aircraft, the attack was mainly concentrated in the south of England, in an attempt to consume British forces as much as possible in the southern campaign and create conditions for attacking the central region in the future. In addition to fighter jets to cover bombers attacking British airports, the Germans also formed hunting teams with fighter jets, specifically looking for British fighters for air combat.
On August 13, due to the unsatisfactory weather, some fighters did not take off as planned, and the start seemed a bit confusing. Throughout the day, the Germans made 1485 sorties, attacking seven airports in southern England during the day and attacking the British aircraft factory at night. British troops made 727 sorties, especially in Portland and Southampton, where 47 German planes were shot down and more than 80 were injured. The British only lost 12 hurricanes and 1 spitfire, and the losses suffered by the airport were negligible.
On August 14, the weather was still overcast, and the Germans only carried out sporadic attacks in small formations.
On August 15, because of the bad weather for several days in a row, Goering called the commanders of various air teams to the official residence of Karin Hall for a military meeting. Unexpectedly, the weather suddenly cleared up, and Colonel Paul Deitchman, the highest-ranking chief of staff of the 2nd Air Force, who stayed at the Air Force Command, decisively ordered the attack as a soldier. Who would have thought that this day would be the biggest day of German attack in the Battle of Britain!
The 2 nd and 3 rd air teams were almost trapped by them, and the 5 th air team also sent planes to the war for the first time, allowing the Germans to attack from the north and the south at the same time. The 5th Air Force in the North thinks that the British defense in the northeast of China is relatively empty. Due to the voyage limitation, only 34 Messerschmitt-111and 50 Yongke-88s were sent for cover, but they were attacked by 7 squadrons of the British 13 brigade. Messerschmitt-1 10 fighter is a prestigious elite unit in the German Air Force, which suffered heavy losses under the attack of British aircraft. Seven Messerschmitt-1 16 Henkel-165438 were shot down.
In the fierce fighting in the south of England, the Germans invested 975 fighter planes and 622 bombers, launched four waves of air strikes, and violently bombed five British airports and four aircraft factories. The British army has put 22 fighter squadrons into full combat. The fighting continued until dark. Throughout the day, the Germans dispatched about 2,000 sorties, shot down 75 planes, the British dispatched 974 sorties, lost 34 planes in air combat, and destroyed 2 1 plane of bombers on the ground, causing great damage to Siam and Lini airports in martel. This day is the fiercest day since the start of the Battle of Britain, and it is called "Black Thursday". According to the proportion of losses between the two sides, it is difficult for the Germans to destroy the British Air Force with their existing numerical advantages.
On August 16, the Germans launched again on a large scale, but with little effect.
On August 17, only sporadic small German aircraft groups carried out harassing air strikes.
On August 18, the German army launched a powerful offensive, which met with strong resistance from the British army. Seven planes were shot down, while the British army lost only 27.
19 August, Goering held a meeting of chiefs of staff at Karin Hall Manor, summed up the previous stage of operations, and decided to concentrate on attacking the base of the main force of the British Air Force 1 1 brigade, and stop dispatching the Juncker -87 dive bomber which suffered heavy losses in the battle.
From August 19 to 23, air combat was suspended for five days due to weather. This is the end of the first stage of the Battle of Britain. At this stage, the Germans paid a huge price for shooting down 367 planes, which damaged the British 12 airport and seven aircraft factories to varying degrees. Six radar stations once failed, 1 command center was bombed, 1 ammunition depot and 10 oil depot were destroyed, but the targets chosen by the Germans were not concentrated. Loss of British troops at this stage 183.
From August 24th to September 6th, the Battle of Britain entered a critical second stage. According to Goering's decision, the Germans carried out a large-scale air raid on the main base of the British 1 1 brigade and the aircraft factory in southern England. During these two weeks, the Germans flew 1000 planes every day, including August 30 and August 30. Bombing wave after wave, air combat connected with air combat. At this decisive stage, British pilots have been in a state of high tension for more than a month, and sometimes they have to go out several times a day, which is already very tired. Since the beginning of air combat, 103 British pilots have been killed and 128 have been seriously injured, accounting for a quarter of all pilots! The British Air Force began to face the dilemma of personnel shortage, especially the experienced flight backbone suffered a large number of casualties, and even some young people who were only about 20 years old were veterans. In such a grim situation, the far-sighted General Dowding still did not use the reserve force of 280 aircraft reserved in the northern deep area. His strategy was condemned by the hard-working soldiers at the front and complained by the soldiers on standby at the rear. Despite this, the British army is still fighting tenaciously. Some pilots go out several times a day to maintain high morale. Even on September 6th, British troops dispatched more sorties than Germans! The ground crew maintained and repaired the injured plane day and night, and their physical strength and energy reached the limit. Many people fainted at work. In the two weeks from August 24th to September 6th, 295 British planes were shot down.