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Battle Of Britain Day: 76 years on from World war II turning point.
Sep 15, 2016
German troops were unsuccessful in their aerial assault of the British mainland on 15 September 1940
Getty
Today marks the 76th anniversary of Battle of Britain Day, seen as a major turning point in the Second World War.
To mark the occasion there will be a series of spitfire flypasts across the south coast of the UK, as well as ceremonies in Devon and Cornwall, home to a number of RAF bases at the time.
Battle of Britain Day occurred on Sunday 15 September 1940 when the German Luftwaffe launched its largest and most concentrated attack against London in the hope of drawing out the RAF into a battle of annihilation. Around 1,500 aircraft took part in the air battles that lasted until dusk.
The day is seen as a major turning point in the Second World War as Hitler, having lost the battle, decided to postpone Operation Sea Lion – the amphibious assault by German armed forces intended to prelude an invasion onto the British mainland.
HMS WOOD, World's largest warship when launched from 1920s to 1930s. Some Historian argue that it was the might of the Navy that stood between Britain and Nazi occupation
Having been defeated in daylight, the German Luftwaffe turned its attention to The Blitz night campaign that lasted until May 1941.
"In essence Battle of Britain Day ensured that the Western Allies had a base from which to launch the campaign offensive which would bring about the end of the war," says historian Paul Addison, and consequently it ensured "that there would be a Western Allied presence on the battlefield to meet the Soviet Red Army in central Europe at the end of the war in May 1945."
It wasn't just the British and the Germans who saw action. The RAF was made up of military men from all over the world, among them Poles, New Zealanders, Canadians and Czechs. All fought for the Allied cause during the Battle of Britain.
What happened in the Battle of Britain?
On 18 June 1940, following the Nazis' successful occupation of France, newly elected Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a speech pronouncing: "The Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin."
The German strategy was designed to ensure air superiority over Britain as a precursor to Operation Sea Lion, a full-scale invasion of the UK. On 10 July the Luftwaffe began bombing shipping centres on the south coast before switching its targets to RAF airfields and infrastructure. Over the course of the next 12 weeks, both sides also conducted "terror bombing" of civilian populations, inflicting huge damage on London and Berlin.
Although the Luftwaffe heavily outnumbered the RAF, the UK's defence systems were more sophisticated and the British use of radar detection was key to its effective resistance. On 15 September the Germans sustained their heaviest losses as the RAF successfully repulsed two massive waves of bombers by deploying every aircraft available to them. Two days later, Hitler postponed the invasion of the UK in the face of mounting losses of men and infrastructure.
Why was it so important?
Historians widely agree that the importance of the Battle of Britain was first and foremost psychological. As the first defeat of Hitler's military forces in the war, it was an important factor in boosting the morale of the British public and the military themselves. In 2010, one veteran RAF pilot, Tony Iveson, told the BBC: "As far as we were concerned we saved the world."
Pictured: Churchill also took a role in military issues. It was he who was the political force behind the creation of commando units that would be sent in to disrupt the German military.
Churchill considered the RAF's role in the war effort as vital, declaring: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." The postponement of Hitler's invasion plans due to the defeat of the battle of Britain also meant that Britain could become a stronghold for the Allied forces as World War II continued and would eventually become the base from which the liberation of Western Europe was launched in 1944.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/64324/battle-of-britain-day-76-years-on-from-world-war-ii-turning-point
@waz, @Blue Marlin , @Arefin007 , @Steve781 , @Kaptaan, @Hamartia Antidote et Al. Time to honor our heroes who fought bravely for the nation and mankind.
Sep 15, 2016
German troops were unsuccessful in their aerial assault of the British mainland on 15 September 1940
Getty
Today marks the 76th anniversary of Battle of Britain Day, seen as a major turning point in the Second World War.
To mark the occasion there will be a series of spitfire flypasts across the south coast of the UK, as well as ceremonies in Devon and Cornwall, home to a number of RAF bases at the time.
Battle of Britain Day occurred on Sunday 15 September 1940 when the German Luftwaffe launched its largest and most concentrated attack against London in the hope of drawing out the RAF into a battle of annihilation. Around 1,500 aircraft took part in the air battles that lasted until dusk.
The day is seen as a major turning point in the Second World War as Hitler, having lost the battle, decided to postpone Operation Sea Lion – the amphibious assault by German armed forces intended to prelude an invasion onto the British mainland.
HMS WOOD, World's largest warship when launched from 1920s to 1930s. Some Historian argue that it was the might of the Navy that stood between Britain and Nazi occupation
Having been defeated in daylight, the German Luftwaffe turned its attention to The Blitz night campaign that lasted until May 1941.
"In essence Battle of Britain Day ensured that the Western Allies had a base from which to launch the campaign offensive which would bring about the end of the war," says historian Paul Addison, and consequently it ensured "that there would be a Western Allied presence on the battlefield to meet the Soviet Red Army in central Europe at the end of the war in May 1945."
It wasn't just the British and the Germans who saw action. The RAF was made up of military men from all over the world, among them Poles, New Zealanders, Canadians and Czechs. All fought for the Allied cause during the Battle of Britain.
What happened in the Battle of Britain?
On 18 June 1940, following the Nazis' successful occupation of France, newly elected Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a speech pronouncing: "The Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin."
The German strategy was designed to ensure air superiority over Britain as a precursor to Operation Sea Lion, a full-scale invasion of the UK. On 10 July the Luftwaffe began bombing shipping centres on the south coast before switching its targets to RAF airfields and infrastructure. Over the course of the next 12 weeks, both sides also conducted "terror bombing" of civilian populations, inflicting huge damage on London and Berlin.
Although the Luftwaffe heavily outnumbered the RAF, the UK's defence systems were more sophisticated and the British use of radar detection was key to its effective resistance. On 15 September the Germans sustained their heaviest losses as the RAF successfully repulsed two massive waves of bombers by deploying every aircraft available to them. Two days later, Hitler postponed the invasion of the UK in the face of mounting losses of men and infrastructure.
Why was it so important?
Historians widely agree that the importance of the Battle of Britain was first and foremost psychological. As the first defeat of Hitler's military forces in the war, it was an important factor in boosting the morale of the British public and the military themselves. In 2010, one veteran RAF pilot, Tony Iveson, told the BBC: "As far as we were concerned we saved the world."
Pictured: Churchill also took a role in military issues. It was he who was the political force behind the creation of commando units that would be sent in to disrupt the German military.
Churchill considered the RAF's role in the war effort as vital, declaring: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." The postponement of Hitler's invasion plans due to the defeat of the battle of Britain also meant that Britain could become a stronghold for the Allied forces as World War II continued and would eventually become the base from which the liberation of Western Europe was launched in 1944.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/64324/battle-of-britain-day-76-years-on-from-world-war-ii-turning-point
@waz, @Blue Marlin , @Arefin007 , @Steve781 , @Kaptaan, @Hamartia Antidote et Al. Time to honor our heroes who fought bravely for the nation and mankind.
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