the battle of britain copyrighted presentation mike lavelle bill mccutcheon march 4 & 7, 2015

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of Britain

Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle

Bill McCutcheonMarch 4 & 7, 2015


Copyrighted Presentation Mike Lavelle

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainThe Blitz The Blitz

What was it?

How did it begin?

When did the Blitz begin?

Why Germany focused on night attacks?

How did Britain respond?

1919 19451940 1940

10 July 31 Oct.

1935

RAF Battle of Britain

Germany Rearms

German Luftwaffe

Established

Battle Over Britain The Blitz Continues

Rocket Attacks

May 1941

Blitz on London


What was the Blitz? (Blitzkreig/“Lightning War”)

September 1940-May 21, 1941 - Nazi Germany's sustained aerial bombing campaign against Britain


1. How did it begin?• Accidental bombing of London - Aug. 24, 1940• British retaliation• Hitler reaction

2. When did it begin?

• Sept. 7, 1940 - first major bombing of London• Through September – both day & night attacks• London bombed for 57 consecutive days!


Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding Air Vice Marshal, Sir Keith Rodney Park


Problems in Luftwaffe High Command (OKL):Problems in Luftwaffe High Command (OKL):

Poor intelligence on Britain’s industry & capabilities Internal disputes on target selection No consistent strategic campaign plan Failed to pursue bombing gains Radar bombing beams:

• Introduced prematurely• British jamming• Unprepared for “radio warfare”

Lack of heavy, long-range bombers (Gen. Wever)


Why Germany switched to night attacks:

• Heavy aircraft losses/damage from day bombing raids

•Losses & damage from landing accidents

•Easier for bombers to reach target at night

•“Battle of Britain Day” - Sept. 15, 1940


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london

The Blitz Begins


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_bombs_london

Winston Churchill inspecting bomb damage in South London

The Blitz Begins

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainSeptember 7, 1940 - the beginning of the London Blitz


Coventry Cathedral in ruinsafter the raid on Nov. 14, 1940

Winston Churchill viewing the remains of Coventry Cathedral

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainModern Day Reminder of the Bombing of Coventry


One of the most devastating raids on

London

December 29, 1940

St. Paul’s Cathedral visible through the flames

• 350 German bombers

• More than 24,000 high explosive and 100,000

incendiary bombs dropped

• 1,500 fires started

• Killed - 163 civilians & 20 firefighters


Anderson Bomb ShelterAir Raid Shelters

Air Raid Shelters


Anderson Shelter

Air Raid Shelters


Morrison Shelter

Air Raid Shelters


Total Air Raid CasualtiesSept. 1940 – May 21, 1941

43,000!


0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

July/ Aug Sep/Oct Nov/Dec

KilledInjured

27,486 tons of bombs fell on London and eight other cities

Civilian Air raid casualties July-Dec, 1940

23,002 total killed

32,138 total injured


Problems encountered by Germany in night bombing:Problems encountered by Germany in night bombing:

• Navigation to targetNavigation to target• Bomb aiming accuracyBomb aiming accuracy• Lack of trained aircrewsLack of trained aircrews• Loss of experienced aircrewsLoss of experienced aircrews

How problems addressed:How problems addressed:• Use of “radio bombing beams” Use of “radio bombing beams” • ““Pathfinder” aircraft/incendiary markersPathfinder” aircraft/incendiary markers


Dornier Do-17(light bomber)

2,139 built

•FF:: 1934•Oper.: : 1937•Ret.: 1941•Top speed: 255 mph•Range: 628 mi•PP: 2×Bramo 323 P radial engines at 986 hp•Armament: Guns: 6×7.92 mm MG: front, rear upper, rear lower and cockpit positions Bombs: 2,205 lb internally


Junkers Ju 88(multirole combat aircraft)

15,183 built

•FF: 1936•Oper.: 1939•Top Speed: 317 mph•Range: 1,553 mi.•15,183 built•PP: 2 × Junkers Jumo 211J liq-cooled inverted V-12, 1,401 hp •Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm MG in w/s

1 × 7.92 mm MG - lower fuselage 2 × 7.92 mm MG rear cockpit1 × 7.92 mm MG - rear ventral(Other options using cannons)

•Bombs: 3,100 lbs in two bomb-bays or 6,600 lbs externally

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainHeinkel HE-111 Light Bomber

6,508 produced

• FF: February 24, 1935• Oper: 1936• Top speed: 249 mph • Range: 1435 mi.• PP: 2 × Jumo 211 F-1 or 211F-2 liquid-cooled inverted V-12 1,300

hp or 1,340 hp each• Armament:

Up to 7 × 7.92 mm MG: 2 nose, 1 dorsal, 2 side, 2 in ventralreplaced or augmented by:1 × 20 mm cannon (central nose mount or forward ventral)1 × 13 mm MG (dorsal and/or ventral rear)

• Bomb load:4,400 lbs in main bomb-bay or 7,900 lbs externally

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainHeinkel HE-111 Light Bomber

6,508 produced

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainReview of British Defensive Measures

•RAF aircraft patrolling and attacking German airbases•Coastal areas: • Early warning & detection system• Curtains of “Long aerial mines”

•Coast to target - radar-directed “Cats-eye” night fighters•Area of target:• Searchlights & AA guns• Barrage balloons (5,000’ & below)• Jamming of German radar guidance beams• “Starfish” decoys (dummy airfields, fires set away from target)


X

Dowding’s RAF Integrated Defensive System

Night FightersX

Defenses Against Night Attacks


http://www.richardgilbert.ca/achart/public_html/articles/york/radar.htm

Chain Home Radar1938 - 39

• Fixed antenna (t/m & rec.) on 360’ tower• Range of 120 miles above altitude of 1,000’• 21 Stations by September 1939


Chain Home “Low” (Ames Type 2)

1939-40

Radar coverage:

•Altitude: 50’ to 1,000’ • Range: 15 – 35 miles


Chain Home radar coverage: •1939 (dotted line)

o 21 stations

•1940 (solid line)o July: 54 stationso Sept: 76 stations


Handley Page H.P. 54 Harrow

FF: 1936Oper. 1937Top speed: 200 mphNo. built: 100

Long Aerial Mines

Long Aerial Mine System


Long Aerial Mine

Dr. Alfred Price, “Blitz’

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainRAF Night Fighter Aircraft

•Blenheims – low performance

•Hurricanes - decent night fighter

•Defiants - good night fighter but vulnerable – slower and no forward firing guns

•New Night fighter: Beaufighter!

•Fall 1940 – improved airborne radar units (AI-Mk IV)


GCI (Ground Controlled Radar Intercept) Station

Operations Hut

Introduced late 1940 Range of 50 miles Directed interception to airborne AI


Bristol Blenheim

(Light bomber) 4,422 built

•FF: 1935•Oper.: 1937•Top Speed: 266 mph •PP: Bristol XV radial engines – 920hp• Guns: 1 × .303 in MG in port wing

• 1 or 2 × .303 in MG in rear-firing under-nose blister or

• 2 × .303 in MG in dorsal turret


Boulton Paul Defiant (2 seat fighter/night-fighter)

1,064 built

• Crew: two: pilot, gunner• FF: Aug. 1937• Oper: Dec. 1939• Top speed: 304 mph• PP: 1 × Rolls-Royce III liquid- cooled V-12 engine, 1,030 hp • Armament: 4 x .303 Browning MG in hydraulically powered dorsal turret


Hawker Hurricane(single seat fighter/night fighter)

14,583 built

•FF: 1935•Oper: 1937•Top Speed: 340 mph•PP: 1 × RR Merlin XX liquid-cooled V-12, 1,185 hp •Armament:

• 4 × 20 mm Hispoano MkII cannon or

• 8 x .303 in. MG


Radar-equipped Hurricane


Type 156 Beaufighter

Long-range heavy fighter derived from Bristol Beaufort

5,928 built

•FF: 1939•Oper: August 1940•Top Speed: 320 mph •Range: 1,520 nm•PP: 2 x Bristol Hercules 14 cyl. Radial •Armament: Variation of:•4 x 20 mm cannon (nose) 4 × .303 in MG 2 × .303 in MG 8 × RP-3 “60 lb” rockets or 2× 1,000 lb bombs

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainBeaufighter with AI Mark IV Radar (operational late 1940)

Flt. Lt. John “Cat’s Eyes” Cunningham•First to achieve “kill” using Beaufighter with Mark IV radar. •Became most successful home defense fighter pilot in RAF: 13 victories by June 1941; 20 in his career


“Thimble-nose” Variant


This sequence shows a Ju 88 being shot down by a Mk. IV Radar-equipped Beaufighter

Beaufighter


General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile

Commander, Anti-Aircraft Command

Problems with Anti-Aircraft Defenses:•Shortage of guns - 25% of required•Lack of experienced manpower•Still using some WWI guns•Aircraft production - higher priority


Sound Locator(Fixed Azimuth System)

Guides the searchlight to target by sending information electrically to a control station, which, in turn, points the light

http://www.skylighters.org/howalightworks/


3.7” AA Gun

Three Primary AA Guns Used•3.7” (94mm)

o 28# shell; 25,000’ rangeo 20 rpm


3.7” AA Gun

4.5” AA Gun Three Primary AA Guns Used•3.7” (94mm)


•4.5” (114mm)o 55# shell; 25,000’ rangeo 12 rpm


3.7” AA Gun40mm Bofors AA Gun

4.5” AA Gun Three Primary AA Guns Used•3.7” (94mm)


•4.5” (114mm)o 55# shell; 25,000’ rangeo 12 rpm

•40mm Boforso 6,000’ rangeo > 120 rpm


“Z” Battery AA Rockets


Searchlight radar system (“Elsie” – late 1940)

http://www.skylighters.org/howalightworks

Gun-laying Radar – Mk II(Late 1940)


Sept.1940

20,000

AA Gun Rounds Fired Per “Raider” Shot Down

Jan. 1941 Feb. 1941

3,0004,000


Barrage Balloons


Parachute & Cable System

Dr. Alfred Price, “Blitz’

Double Parachute System


Battle of the Beams


Johannes "Hans" Plendl

Radio and beam engineer at Telefunken 1933 - Developed use of radar beams to

guide bombers to their target Based on existing “Lorenz” blind

(instrument) landing system 1939 – set up “Knickebein” beam system Later in disfavor – arranged others’

release from Dachau (Hans Mayer – author of “Oslo Report”)

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainGerman “Knickebein” Beam German “Knickebein” Beam **

* British code name for Knickebein was “Headache”


• First beam guided bomber to target

• Second beam crossed the “guidance beam” at point where bombs were to be dropped


“Knickebein” * Antenna1939-40

Mounted on circular track100’ tall300’ wide

*Code name meaning “crooked leg” - referring to plan view of rotatable antenna


http://www.duxford-update.info/beams/beammain.htm

He 111 of KGr 100 with “X Gerate Antennae

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainX Gerate Beam System

Weser (Director Beam)

Rhine

OderElbe

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainY-Gerat Beam

• Code named “Wotan” (one-eyed god)• Included distance measuring system• Single narrow “Director” beam• Beam transmitted to aircraft by ground station• Sent back to station to calculate position of aircraft

and time/distance to target• Ground station - instructed pilot on course to

target & when to release bombs


British physicist September 1939 - appointed to the

Intelligence section of the Air Ministry Became Assistant Director Involved in development of offensive

and counter-measures technology Known as a “practical joker”


Dr. Reginald V. Jones


Avro Anson

Search for the “Knickebein” Beam(Discovered on June 21, 1940)


Rolls-Royce Factory


British Countermeasures


Dr. Robert CockburnResearch Scientist

1940 - assigned to the Telecommunications Research Establishment

Headed team developing equipment to jam German navigation beams

Also developed devices to fool or jam enemy radar (i.e.. “Window” – foil chaff)


Jamming the Knickebein Beam Code name: “Aspirin”

•Sent radio transmission on same frequency as Germans •Superimposed on signal•Result:• German aircrew heard either dots or dashes• Couldn’t find steady beam to target• Often dropped bombs in open fields• Confused navigation back to base• Some landed at British airbases


Jamming the “X Gerat” Beam (“Bromide”)

•Initial attempts unsuccessful – wrong frequency

•Germans used more sophisticated equipment

•Modified jamming equipment – successful

•Not in time for Coventry


http://www.duxford-update.info/beams/beammain.htm

British Countermeasures for “Y Gerat Beam”

Receiver

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainBBC TV Tower

Alexandra Palace


Final Large Scale Attack on London – May 10, 1941:

541 bombers Highest # casualties during Blitz:

1,436 killed 1,800 injured 12,000 homeless

In excess of 2,000 fires 14 German bombers destroyed!


Why did Germany fail to succeed in the Blitz?

Failure of Luftwaffe High Command (OKL) to develop consistent strategy to destroy Britain’s war industry:

Poor intelligence on British industry and capabilities Switched from one target to another No sustained pressure on any industry

No long-term strategic air campaign

Improved British defenses

The Battle of BritainThe Battle of BritainEPILOGUE…

The main air offensive against British cities diminished after May 1941, with the change of direction of the German war machine towards Russia.

However, sporadic and lethal raids, using increasingly larger bombs, continued for several more years. The 'Baedeker' raids in 1942 targeted historic cities including Canterbury, York and Exeter, and the V1 and supersonic V2 rockets deployed between 1944 and 1945 killed nearly 9,000 civilians…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/the_blitz


Thanks For Coming!

Questions?

the battle of britain copyrighted presentation mike lavelle bill mccutcheon march 4 & 7, 2015

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