Figure 1.-

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Royal Air Force was its professional leadership and the willingness of Prime-minister Churchill to let the professionals run the campaign. Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding's command of the RAF effort was one of the great sucesses of World War II. The British had a substantial fighter force -- about 600. For the first time, the Luftwaffe faced Spitfire squadrons which would hit the Me-109 fighter cover while the Huricanes pounced on the vulnerable bombers. And with the Home Chain Network, the RAF was the first airforce they faced that they could not catch on the ground. The British were rapidly running their new Spitfire fighter off the production lines and training new pilots. The question was whether the RAF could hold out long enough for new fighter squandrons to come on line and for the new pilots to develop the skills of the experienced Luftwaffe pilots. The planes were there, the critical British weakness was the nunber of trained pilots. British fighter pilots were discouraged from marriage. It was believed to take some of their dash away. The British also had some advantages. Fighting the battle over Britain put the British airfields under attack, but also meant that the British squadrons could engage two or even three times during the day--as long as the pilots could hold out. This was a significant force multiplier. In addition, the British planes were easier to maintain and they could be refurbished quickly and put back in servive in a short period, another force multiplier. Fighting over Britain also meant that if a pilot bailed out, he was not lost to the War, but could conceivably be up again in a day or so if not injured. (And conversely German pilots even if uninjured were lost to the War.) In several cases, shot down RAF pilots were back in the air the same day. This was particularly important because the major British weakness was a shortage of pilots. The major technical advantages the British held were unappreciated or unknown to the Luftwaffe. Even the highly competent Luftwaffe planners did not fully appreciated the importance of radar. And with the wreckage of German planes all over Britain, British aircraft engineers were able to study every aspect of the Germn planes and quickly adopt advances like fuel injection. Totally unknown to the Luftwaffe was the fact that the British were beginning to read some of their Enigma messages. 【Davidion, p. 415. 】 The RAF also had some trained pilots from the occupied countries who with a fierce committment and who for the first time had modern fighter aircraft to fly. One of the most important groups was the Polish Kosciuszko Squadron. 【Olson and Cloud】

Leadership

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Royal Air Force was its professional leadership and the willingness of Prime-minister Churchill to let the professionals run the campaign. Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding's command of the RAF effort was one of the great sucesses of World War II.

RAF Fighter Command

The British had a substantial fighter force -- about 600. For the first time, the Luftwaffe faced Spitfire squadrons which would hit the Me-109 fighter cover while the Huricanes pounced on the vulnerable bombers.

Aircraft Production

The British were rapidly running their new Spitfire fighter off the production lines. By the time of the Battle of Britain the British were outproducing the Germans in fighters. The Battle as a result would not be decided by a any shortage of aircrft on the part of the RAF.

Training Pilots

The RAF expanded pilot training programs. But solving the pilot problem was not going to occur suring the time frame of the Battle of Britain. For the Battle Britain the RAF would have to fight it out with what they had. And many young, poorly trained pilots were thrown into battle and virtully certin death.

First Round (1939-40)

The Battle of Britain was not the RAF's first round with the Luftwaffe. And the Luftwaffe played a key role in the German victory in France. The first round was the German Western offensive and the Battle of France. Fighter Command squadrons had been posted in France, mostly Hurricane squadrons. The results were not encouraging. The Luftwaffe achieved air superiority over the battlefield. At the time it was largely believed that this was because of superior German technology. The Me109 was a fine aircraft, the premier fighter at the time. But the margin of superority over British nd French aircraft was not that significant. What made the difference was that the Lufwaffe was on the offensive. The British and French did not concentrate their fighter strength. In addition without radar, they expended much of their strength maintaining inefectual flying patrols. With the Home Chain Network, the RAF was the first airforce they faced that they could not catch on the ground. This meant the RAF was the first World war II airforce that ould have a second rojnd with the Luftwaffe.

The Dowding System

Britain's was the first countrty to develop an integrated air defence system. Most countries at the time of World War II. Most countries at the time had air forces focused on bombing. It was thought at the time that 'the bomber will always get through'. So the best strategy was deterence rather than defense. Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding was appointed to lead Figher Command (1936). Dowding brilliant leadership stands in sharp contrast to Göring's bombast and lack of undrrstanding of the modern technology. The bomber-oriented RAF command structure saw Fighter Command as a way of getting Dowding out of their hair. He was not seen as part of the RAF First Eleven. Dowding saw a defense system as a real possibility which was fortunate because when war came, the RAF's bombrer force proved to have no actual deterence capability. It would be up to Fighter Command to stop the Luftwaffe. Fortunatrly for Dowding and Fighter Command, while the Luftwaffe at the time was an extremely powerful force with emense capabilities it demostrated at the outset of the war. There was one action, however, it was not capable of--destroying London. It was capable of damaging London, but the limited range of its Me-109 fighter escorts and the realtively small load capacity of its basically tactical bombers meant that it could not destroy London. And destroying London was the task assigned by Hitler and Göring. Dowding upon arriving at Fighter Command began building an integrated air degense that no other country even envisioned--what became known as the Dowding System because it was so unique. This may seem as obvious today, but because of thev fixation on bombing, no other country or no other RAF commannder even thought of it. The Dowding System included the Chain Home radar network, the ground Observer Corps, search lights, barrage balloons, anti-aircraft guns, and modern fighter aircraft with radio connections. And the central idea that made it wok was all of this was integrated--tied togethr by a central operatiins center. Dowdung played a key role in developing both the Chain Home Network and modern fightetrs before given control of Fighter Command. This was also assisted by Bechly Park which by the time of the Battle of Britain was beginning to crack Luftwaffe Enigma coded messages. What Dowding created meant that the Luftwaffe could be tracked and fighters vectored to intrcept them. Early Luftaffe victories were achieved against air forces using ineffective flying patrols. Often much of the enemy air force was destroyed on the ground. There were two crucial steps in developing the Dowding system, both of which Dowding played a key role in developing before arriving in Fighter Command. First was reaserach on radar and building the Chain Home Network. Second was a design competition for new modern fighters. Without this, the RAF would have enteed the War with biplane fighters. The winners were the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire. The Hurricane was a rejigging of a biplane, but good enough to play the major role in the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire was a revolutionary design. As a result, the RAF was able to detect and intercept Luftwaffe bomber squadorns attacking Britain and inflict signifuiant damage. Unlike the First Round in France, Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain would have both Spitfies and the Dowding system for the second round with the Luftwaffe.

Central Question

The question was whether the RAF could hold out long enough for new fighter squandrons to come on line and for the new pilots to develop the skills of the experienced Luftwaffe pilots. The planes were there, the critical British weakness was the nunber of trained pilots. British fighter pilots were discouraged from marriage. It was believed to take some of their dash away.

Advantages

The British also had some advantages. Fighting the battle over Britain put the British airfields under attack, but also meant that the British squadrons could engage two or even three times during the day--as long as the pilots could hold out. This was a significant force multiplier. In addition, the British planes were easier to maintain and they could be refurbished quickly and put back in servive in a short period, another force multiplier. Fighting over Britain also meant that if a pilot bailed out, he was not lost to the War, but could conceivably be up again in a day or so if not injured. (And conversely German pilots even if uninjured were lost to the War.) In several cases, shot down RAF pilots were back in the air the same day. This was particularly important because the major British weakness was a shortage of pilots. The major technical advantages the British held were unappreciated or unknown to the Luftwaffe. Even the highly competent Luftwaffe planners did not fully appreciated the importance of radar. And the wreckage of German planes all over Britain, allowed British aircraft engineers were able to study every aspect of the Germn planes and quickly adopt advances like fuel injection. Totally unknown to the Luftwaffe was the fact that the British were beginning to read some of their Enigma messages. 【Davidion, p. 415. 】 The RAF also had some trained pilots from the occupied countries who with a fierce committment and who for the first time had modern fighter aircraft to fly. One of the most important groups was the Polish Kosciuszko Squadron. 【Olson and Cloud】

The Pilots: Social Class and Ethos

A coomonly ignored issue is just who were the young RAF pilots. Wellington is famous for his statement that 'The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.' This was not the case of the Battle of Britain. Churchill actually looked into this. And he found that very few of the pilots were from the upper class and had attended the elite public schools like Eton and Churchill's school, Harrow. The pilots were actuakly from more modest middle-class origins, often the lower-middleclass. They mostly came from families with fathers who were government clerks or shopkeepers. 【Ricks】 This in fact eflected the fact that much pf the upper class were prepared to strike a deal with Hitler. Had it not been for Churchill there probbly would have been a British Vichy. What many of the RAF pilots had in common was Biggles. Young men of that generation grew up reading Biggles--a popular youth book. 【Korda, p. 35.】 The stoy was first published (1930). The series began (1932). Many 0f the RAF fighter pilots would have been about 8 years old when Biggles was introduced (1930). For many of the RAF pilots, Buggles would have been the first book or one of the first books they read beyond picture story books. Biggles may have gotten them interested in aviation or they turned to Biggles because of their interest in aviation. Biggles was not, hoever, the normal English school story. In fact, it was an aviation adventure story. In many ways, however, Biggles was a school story set in the RAF. He is perhaps better known as an aviation hero. So many yonng had their images of flight and fighter pilots based on the romanticised World War I era of aviation. Biggles was essentially alone wolf--daring, and extrodinarily brave. As a result, there had to be serious readjustment of attitude. The fighter Command that Dowding was building was anything but a lone-wolf operation. The pilots were very young. Fullm of testoterone anf given the most advanced aicraft in the world with pwerful engines--you can imagime waht they thouhtn of theselves. And these hot-shot young men defending Britain soon found thast their lives depended on the dirctions given them by very young WAAF women, basically school girls. Dowding's air fefense system was a closely guarded secret. Neither the British public or the Luftwaffe knew it existed. Neither did the pilots until their posting in Fighter Command. And while the pilots were taking on the Luftwaffe in the sky. Those young WAAF women were being heavily bombed, but stuck to their posts, fervently attached to the young pilots in the air.

Sources

Created: 2:45 PM 6/12/2017
Last updated: 12:55 PM 10/3/2024