Why Wasn’t Hitler Able To Invade Britain? | Battlefield | War Stories DD

In early 1940, the first attempts were made by the Royal Air Force to bomb Germany. The first attacks were largely ineffective, but these early attempts eventually grew into raids involving over a thousand aircraft and were carried out almost continuously. Later in the war, the RAF would be joined by the United States Army Air Force.

The merciless air offensive saw whole cities raised to the ground and countless road and rail networks severed. This terrible aspect of the Second World War saw the death of hundreds of thousands of German civilians and tens of thousands of Allied air crew members. The air war would be crucial in the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.

Hitler’s troops crossed the Dutch border on the 10th of May 1940 to begin their western campaign. Over the next 6 weeks, the world was introduced to the concept of blitzkrieg. The armies of Holland, Belgium, France, and Britain were overrun and captured or pushed into the pocket at Dunkirk. The Royal Air Force’s presence in France during this time was limited and was no match for the Luftvafa’s strength or speed of advance.

With the Allied evacuation of Dunkirk at the start of June 1940 and the formal French surrender towards the end of June, all eyes turned to Britain. Even as the battle for France was [music] raging, the Luftvafer was turning its attention to Britain. Peacemeal attacks were launched towards the coastal areas and some allied sea convoys.

Hitler had ordered that the RAF must be defeated before the planned invasion of Britain could take place. The Luftvafa chief Herman Guring had assured Hitler that this would be guaranteed. From the start of July until the middle of September 1940, Germany’s Luftvafer and Britain’s RAF locked horns in a duel for control of the skies over England.

Losses to both sides were heavy as the battle edged in favor of one side and then the other. However, the RAF, who were fighting over home territory and had an excellent command structure and support network, eventually gained the edge and forced Hitler to postpone his invasion indefinitely and rethink his strategy.

[music] Winston Churchill was born on the 30th of November 1874. His early adult life was a mix of army service and politics. He gained fame as a hero of the Boa war and limited fortune as a political correspondent. He became an MP for the first time in 1900. 10 years later he became the first lord of the admiral where he had a checkered history.

Churchill was responsible for modernizing the navy before the first world war but he was also accountable for the ensuing disaster at Gallipoli. The inter war years saw him alternate [music] between politics and writing. The writing kept him financially afloat, but his political life was less successful and made him many enemies.

Crucially, Churchill was one of the few people who foresaw the danger that Adolf Hitler represented. [music] The outbreak of war in September 1939 saw Churchill back in his previous position as first lord of the admiral. Despite the fact that Churchill was responsible for a failed seaborn operation in Norway, this [music] second failed operation removed Chamberlain from power and Churchill was asked to step in and [music] head a new government.

Churchill became prime minister [music] on the 10th of May 1940, the same day that Hitler’s troops crossed the Dutch border to begin their western offensive. He was unprepared and powerless to prevent the lightning advances of the German army in these early decisive campaigns that culminated in the evacuation of the allies from Dunkirk.

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We’ve built up an extensive library of history programs, hundreds of hours of documentaries, exclusive original films, interviews, and adree podcasts made [music] for proper history fans. Sign up now for a free trial, and War Stories fans get 50% off their first 3 months. Just be sure to use the code war stories at checkout. Churchill was however instrumental in guiding the British public through the difficult times arising from Dunkirk and the subsequent battle of Britain.

He wasted no time in retaliating. The opportunity was seized to send the bombers of the RAF over to Germany to stem the tide of Hitler’s campaign. Churchill’s philosophy of hitting back in any way possible would prove to be a thorn in Hitler’s side, and it gained valuable time for Britain to strengthen its forces.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on the 30th of January, 1882. Roosevelt had a very different childhood from his British ally. He had a loving upbringing and a good education that ultimately led to Harvard. Having a family member Theodore Roosevelt as president of the United States was influential in his decision to follow this path.

And in his 20s, Franklin was determined to become a politician. His first attempt succeeded at the age of 28 in 1910 when he became a member of the state senate. Like Churchill, he became involved in naval affairs before the First World War and took up the position as assistant to the naval secretary. At the start of the 1920s, his political life continued a pace, but in a country that was becoming more and more isolationist.

He was stricken with the disease polio, and the paralysis would confine him to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. This required him to drop out of politics for a while, but when he returned, he returned with an increased enthusiasm. The 1932 election would finally see Roosevelt elected to the position of President of the United States, winning re-election in 1936.

The end of the 1930s saw an increasing menace in the guise of Adolf Hitler. This was regarded as a European problem and the American public opposed any form of involvement. Roosevelt, however, gained approval for sending aid to Britain in her time of need. Hitler’s declaration of war against America in the wake of the Japanese attack on the American fleet at [music] Pearl Harbor on the 7th of December 1941 dragged America into the Second World War.

[music] After the initial shock of this attack, the American nation threw itself wholeheartedly into the war effort. Some of Hitler’s generals had visited America during the 1930s and had warned Hitler of the manufacturing capabilities of this huge nation, something which Hitler chose to ignore. Over the next four years, America poured vast quantities of men and materials into the Allied struggle for freedom.

As had been agreed with Churchill, the defeat of Germany was the first priority. Hitler would feel the might of America and he would have no effective way to hit back at the seemingly limitless resources that the combined allies threw against him. Unfortunately, Roosevelt died in April 1945, 3 weeks before [music] the Nazi surrender.

He could be content, however, in the knowledge that his actions had ensured an inevitable defeat. Adolf Hitler was born in April 1889. He had a difficult upbringing with a father who could be brutal and alienating. He had a stronger bond with his mother, but she died before he was 20 years old. Like his adversary Churchill, Hitler’s school years were not promising.

His real passion was painting, at which he tried in vain to make [music] a living. With the outbreak of World War I, he volunteered for service and found his sense of belonging and direction. During the next four years, he was decorated twice for bravery and also wounded and temporarily blinded. Following the Great War, he moved into the world of politics [music] and discovered his skills as an orator.

He became a member of the German Workers Party in 1919, a party that he was soon to lead and rename the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi Party. Hitler saw himself as Germany’s savior and over the next 13 years he increased his political control as well as his power and popularity among the masses.

But after a failed attempt by the growing Nazi party to overthrow the Bavarian government in 1923, Hitler was imprisoned for 9 months. He finally achieved his ambition of becoming German Chancellor in 1933 [music] and wasted no time in gaining control of all aspects of German life. The years between 1936 and 1939 saw Hitler trying the patience of Western powers [music] as he expanded the territories under his control.

The gamble finally failed [music] on the 3rd of September 1939 when Britain and France declared war on Germany over the invasion of Poland. Hitler’s next objective was the speedy defeat of his enemies. And between September 1939 and June [music] 1940, the soldiers of Poland, Holland, Belgium, France, and Britain fell under the might of the Vermachar.

These overwhelming victories left Hitler with the conviction [music] that his chosen path was the right one. With the escape of the bulk of the British expeditionary force at Dunkirk, the remaining obstacle to the completion of total victory in the west was the surrender of Britain. To accomplish this, Hitler knew that the defeat of the Royal Air Force was essential.

He entrusted this to his air force chief Herman Guring. If the Royal Air Force could be [music] defeated, Hitler sustained the hope that the invasion of Britain would not be necessary. This invasion would be a very difficult task against an experienced and [music] strong opponent. Guring Luftvafer failed to defeat the Royal Air Force and Hitler had to postpone the invasion of Britain indefinitely.

He then undertook his biggest gamble yet by invading Soviet Russia in June 1941. [singing] To proceed with this massive venture whilst Britain remained undefeated was a huge error which would cost Hitler dearly and over the next four years would contribute significantly to Germany’s eventual defeat in 1945. Five.

[music] The Royal Air Force’s defeat of the Luftvafa during the Battle of Britain was critical to the survival of Britain. But there was an even greater significance that would not become apparent for a few years yet. The victory bought time for Britain to prepare and retrain its armed forces and to manufacture munitions and equipment that had been depleted during the disaster in France.

While all of this was taking place, Churchill decided to hit back in the only way possible at this stage of the war. The need for a strike force capable of carrying war overseas was essential. Introducing Royal Air Force bombers ensured that Britain could extend its reach over mainland Europe with ease. Most nations involved in World War I had made various attempts at using planes to deliver bombs.

There were varying degrees of success as the planes of the time were flimsy and slow. But Britain had developed her bombing techniques in the inter war years. They were convinced of the importance of the bomber and held the belief that the bomber would always get through. This not only enabled them to shape their offensive strategy, but also helped deal with the threat from an enemy force.

Churchill’s decision to hit back saw the use of the early two engine bombers of the Royal Air Force such as Whitley and Blenhams. These planes ran into difficulties against the seasoned fighters of the Luftwafer. It was only later when the larger 4ine Lancasters and Sterings were introduced that things improved in Britain’s favor.

Hitler’s declaration of war on America gave fresh weight to the bombing attacks over Germany. America had the use of advanced aircraft such as the B17 Flying Fortress, a high alitude bomber that gave the Luftwafer some real grounds for concern. Britain’s refusal to surrender to the Germans in 1940 was fundamental to the Allied victory.

If defeated, all British air bases would have been out of bounds to American aircraft. The combined efforts and tactical superiority of Britain and America would ultimately force Germany to accept defeat. Germany’s geographical position is not favorable for defensive purposes. The political situation that was prevalent during the early part of the 20th century meant [music] that potential enemies surrounded Germany and some controlled large armies.

[music] When Hitler began to rearm in the mid 1930s, he was going against the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. By limiting the size of her army and navy and forbidding her to have an air force, the aim of the Treaty of Versailles was to disable Germany’s offensive capabilities.

The reality was that these restrictions actually favored Germany as it allowed her to select the best available candidates to serve in her small armed services. Hitler had an offensive strategy. He was however acutely aware of the dangers of having so many potential enemies close by. So a defensive plan on home soil was not neglected.

A game of seessaw developed of attack and counterattack [music] between the two sides as they both fought for the decisive edge. The early British bombing raids were made in daylight with disastrous results. They quickly moved to night bombing which was in turn met by the German development of specialized night fighting units.

These squadrons had a good success rate against the British bombers and even forced the British to scale down their operations. With the entry of America into the war, there began the tactic of day and night bombing. The Germans were developing their own radar systems to improve detection methods, and increasingly powerful radar systems were introduced.

The sheer numbers of the Allied bombers, however, pushed things firmly in favor of the Allies. Before the defeat of Germany was achieved, Allied men and machines had suffered terrible losses. Many due to the German defenses, which were specifically designed to counter each attacking move the Allies made. An Allied pilot could expect many hazards on a typical bombing run over Germany.

Flagships were in position around the Dutch coast to give the attackers their first unpleasant experience. Based in Holland, Belgium, and Germany were night fighter squadrons who developed their skills to a high degree and claimed many kills before the wars end. The closer the Allied bombers got to Germany, the heavier the defenses got.

These consisted of flack guns backed up with powerful search lights. Flat guns were used in great numbers around key cities and industrial regions. Places like the Rur, Essen and Berlin were particularly unpleasant for the bomber crews. As the war progressed, so the defenses increased. More and more raids were flying deeper into German territory.

Berlin had probably the best defensive measures of all. Two massive heavily armed flack towers had been built and there were hundreds of flack batteries that guarded the capital. Eventually, even these defenses could not cope with the sheer numerical superiority of Britain and America. The Royal Air Force can trace [music] its roots back to March 1912 when the formation of the Royal Flying Corps was approved.

The force entered the First World War with the prime [music] function of providing aerial observation for the ground forces, but soon progressed to air-to-air fighting. A further development saw [music] aircraft designed to carry small bombs. The Royal Flying Corps embraced this progress along with the other nations involved in the conflict.

The early years of pioneering aerial combat were fought in flimsy aircraft that had [music] none of the comforts of later years. The pilots were daring and resilient individuals who quickly earned respect for their bravery. They were seen as gentlemen as well as pilots and an air of chivalry existed [music] even at this treacherous time.

By the end of hostilities in 1918, Britain would have the largest air force in the world with a total number of 3,300 [music] aircraft. One significant change had taken place earlier in the last year of the first war when the Royal Flying [music] Corps was renamed the Royal Air Force. The Royal Air Force would continue to develop and expand during the 1920s and 1930s despite opposition from the longer established Navy and Army.

Entry into this new service was strict and only the best applicants were chosen. This would become a trademark of the Royal Air Force. Theories on the future of aerial warfare based on the experiences of pilots during the First World War were developed during this period. The Royal Air Force felt that the bomber would be the biggest menace to an enemy during any future conflict.

It was felt that the bomber could breach any defenses and deliver death and destruction on its enemy. As the development of the airplane gathered pace, however, it was realized that enemy bombers too would be capable of delivering a knockout blow against Britain. and the only counter measure was its ability to carry out significant offensive operations over enemy homeland.

[singing] The Royal Air Force developed its aircraft and training during the latter part of the 1930s and in 1936 the expansion of this arm of service began in earnest. In July 1936, the Royal Air Force established separate commands that would be responsible for [music] different areas of the air war strategy.

The separate commands were fighter command, bomber command, coastal command, and [music] training command. As developments on the continent unfolded, priority was given to the manufacturer of fighter planes. This move brought opposition from bomber command, but it was a decision that would actually help prepare and equip Britain with the tools [music] that would prevent her defeat during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

Once this victory was assured, the development of the bomber progressed at a fast pace. What lay ahead for Britain was unclear at this stage of the war, and this period is remembered as one of the darkest in Britain’s history. [music] The Royal Air Force, however, remained professional and focused at this uncertain time. The aim was clear.

The defeat of Germany. With this determination and the window of opportunity to develop their aircraft following their recent victory, the RAF would soon become established as the world’s leading air force. One that other nations would try to emulate but never match. [music] America’s use of aircraft for military purposes can also be traced back to the years before the First World War.

Indeed, [music] they were the first nation to purchase and evaluate aircraft for military use. The Americans were pioneers in some important fields. In 1910, they were the first to attempt dropping bombs from aircraft. In 1912, they were the first to install bomb sights on military planes. Despite this, America was unenthusiastic about the bomber, and little progress was made following its conception.

America did set up the US Army air arm, but would only have 20 planes available for use when the First World War started. The Americans entered the First World War in 1917. And although aircraft would not see action over the battlefields of Europe until the spring of 1918, they would have 740 aircraft on hand by the end of the war.

The Americans would try to follow the lead set by Britain. They would also run into similar opposition from the army and navy when expanding their air force. The period immediately following World War I would see a dramatic scaling down of the American armed services, but this did not prevent further developments being made to their military aircraft.

America would [music] lead the way in developing newer monoplanes with enclosed cockpits and radio equipment. They also manufactured twin engine planes that were [music] considered safer. By the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe, America was coming of age. Her aircraft design had moved on significantly, and she had developed some excellent aircraft, particularly the B17.

Although America had remained neutral in the early stages of the conflict, she was aware of the increasing threat from Japan [music] and helped Britain, her ally, with financial aid. Furthermore, agreements were made between the two countries detailing their possible joint involvement in the war. The US Army Air Corps disagreed with the allies on how to tackle the enemy.

They had been observing British operations and felt that daylight raids would achieve greater accuracy than at night and they were sure that their heavily armed bombers could protect themselves during these daylight operations. The Americans changed the name of their air force to the US Army Air Force in 1942. They would have a hard task ahead of them during the Second World War, but like their British counterparts, they were well led by very capable commanders.

They also had the distinct advantage of immense industrial resources that would churn out vast quantities of war materials. At the end of the conflict, America would find herself in the position of having one of the strongest air forces in the world. One man will always be associated with bomber command and the bombing campaign over Germany.

Sir Arthur Harris assuming command in 1942. He had three predecessors. Air Chief Marshall Sir Edgar Ledlau Hwitt who was in command at the start of 1940. his replacement, Marshall of the Royal Air Force, Sir Charles Portal, who remained in his post until the 5th of October, 1940, and Air Marshal Sir Richard Pierce. As soon as Pierce took over, he was given new directives for the continuation of the bombing campaign.

These included the destruction of Germany’s oil production facilities and other targets of opportunity. This was amended in January 1941 when oil producing targets were given priority. March saw yet another change when the target became the German hubot pens and ship building facilities. These changes showed not only the lack of resources available to the RAF at this stage of the war, but also the scope of the threat that Britain faced on all fronts.

It was around this time that the attacks on civilian targets were tentatively [music] introduced. Owing to the inaccuracy of the bombing raids, this was deemed a more effective use of bomber firepower. In November 41, Pierce oversaw the biggest raid on Berlin to date when 392 planes bombed the German capital.

At the end of 1941, the bombing campaign was scaled back when the butt report confirmed what high command had feared, that bombers were not as effective as first thought, and the cost to the RAF was unsustainably high. Top level talks soon took place, which would determine the future of the Allied bombing [music] campaign.

And in January 1942, Pierce was removed and given command in the Indian theater of operations. Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Harris took [music] command of the bombing force in midFebruary 1942 and held the post until the end of the war in Europe. Just before he assumed command, [music] a new strategy had been decided.

Area bombing, as it was named, would see direct attacks upon densely populated areas rather than specific military targets. The aim was the collapse of the enemy home front and morale. This controversial decision was the brainchild of Sir Charles Portal and the Air Ministry. But Arthur Harris set about enforcing the new policy with enthusiasm.

He had worked in the higher echelons of the air ministry in the early part of the war and his move to the command of the bomber force seemed a natural progression. He introduced the concept of repeated heavy bombing of specific targets as opposed to the scattered bombing that had taken place previously. The targets he chose were also older towns that were known to consist mainly of wooden buildings that would easily catch fire.

He set about destroying these with incendurary bombs. Harris became known as Butcher Harris among his air crews, a title that was appropriate for the man who would play a large part in the deaths of over half a million German civilians. But before he reached his objective, there were some hard months ahead. In the period after he assumed command, the results from the bombing campaign actually worsened.

It would take some time for the odds to shift in the allies favor. [music] Since December 7th, 1941, the world has decreased in size and its shape has been considerably ordered. This phenomena which has brought disaster to our enemies [music] will remain as a lasting tribute to the skill of American aviation, its workers and the personnel of the army air forces.

In less than General Harry H. Arnold was born on the 25th of June 1886 and he became an officer in the American army in 197. He joined the signal corps in 1911 and soon after qualified as an army pilot. The signal corps had an aviation school and Arnold became one of the instructors. He remained in administrative posts during World War I but during the 1920s and30s gained steady promotion until in 1938 he was appointed chief of the air corps.

Towards the end of 1940, he was the chief of staff for air and later rose to overall command of the army’s airarm in 1941. Early in this year, Americans began to arrive in Britain in the role of observers. With America’s entry into the Second World War, this changed to an all-out effort to establish air bases in Britain for which Arnold was responsible.

He also saw the establishment of the eighth air force and chose its commanders. The army air forces played an important part in winning the war. It is equally important to ensure are winning the peace that America remain what is today the leading air power in the world. General Arnold would remain a prominent figure throughout the war and would finish with the rank of five-star general.

You and every American can play your part in maintaining the freedom and security for which we have all fought by buying and holding bonds. General Carl A. Spartz was born [music] on the 28th of June 1891. His first commission was as an infantry officer in 1914. He held various posts throughout the first world war and by 1918 he was a pilot with the second pursuit group where he shot down three enemy aircraft.

Spart continued his military career during the next two decades and by the mid 1930s he was training as a general staff officer. By early 1939 he was the executive officer to the chief of the air corps. posted to Britain as an observer in 1940. By 1941, he was General Arnold’s assistant and held the rank of Brigadier General.

Spart returned to Britain in 1942 [music] as first commander of the 8th Air Force and later the same year moved to the Mediterranean theater. 1944 saw him return to Britain as the commander of the United States Strategic Air Force. He achieved promotion to the rank of general before the end of the war and was present at all the enemy surrenders.

Lieutenant General Ira C. Eeker was born on the 13th of April 1896 and was commissioned late in 1917 as an infantry officer. As the war progressed, he trained as a pilot and after the war held various staff appointments connected to the air arm. His real forte was the technical and experimental aspect of flying.

Towards the end of the 1930s, [music] Ekka was working with General Arnold in writing new theories on air warfare. By 1940, he was the executive officer to the chief of the air. He was then sent to Britain as an observer in the autumn of 1941 and returned in early 1942 as the commander of the [music] US 8th bombardment group which took part in the heavy bombing mission of August 1942.

Lieutenant General James Doolittle was born on the 14th of December 1896 and saw flying service during World War I. He placed himself in the reserves during the inter war years, but was recalled in 1940. Doolittle’s first command during the Second World War was in the Pacific theater in the early part of 1942.

He followed this by taking command of the 12th Air Force in November 1942 and then the 8th Air Force by November 1943, a post he held until the end of the war. General Nathan Twining, born on the 11th of October 1897, became an infantry officer in 1918 and did not take up flying training until 1923. He would serve in various posts during the inter war years.

Twining spent much of the war in the Pacific theater and by 1943 he was a [music] brigadier general and the commander of the 13th Air Force. This capable [music] commander was given the control of the 15th Air Force at the end of 1943 and he held this post until the end of the war in Europe. The Armstrong Witworth Whitley Mark 5 was a twin engine bomber that first saw service in 1937.

[music] It was powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin 10 engines and crewed by five men. The engines could take the plane to a top speed of 230 mph, which was over 100 mph slower than its main adversary, the Meshaches 109. It could fly up to a height of 26,000 ft and had a range of 1,650 mi. The protective armament was provided by six 0.303 in machine guns.

Two were positioned in the nose of the aircraft [music] and the remaining four were positioned in a purpose-built gun turret at the back of the plane. The first plane to have such a feature. The offensive armorament was a bomb load of up to £7,000. A total of 1,466 Mark Fives were made during the war. The Whitley was one of Britain’s mainstay bombers at the outbreak of the Second World War.

It was designed as a night bomber, and although various versions were made throughout its history, the Mark 5 was the most widely used version. This was a slow aircraft in comparison [music] to the later 4eng engine bombers of the Royal Air Force and it was easy prey for the much faster German fighters of the Luftvafa. In the early raids over Germany, many of these planes were simply blasted out of the sky.

In the first two or three years of the Second World War, however, the Mark 5 and its stablemates helped to buy time for Britain, allowing her to develop larger, faster, and more effective bombers. The Vicar’s Wellington came into service in 1938 and was another of the early two engine bombers. It was powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and [music] could achieve speeds of up to 270 mph.

It had a six-man crew. The operational height of the Wellington was up to 23,500 ft with a range of 2,200 mi. It was protected by four 0.303 303in machine guns, two positioned in the front and two in the rear. The aircraft’s maximum bomb load was 4,500 lb. Affectionately nicknamed the Wimpy by its crews, the Wellington was probably the best twoine bomber that the Royal Air Force possessed at the start of World War II.

It was used extensively in all of the early bombing raids over Germany, including the first Thousand Bomber raid. It was known for its ability to sustain huge damage yet remain in the air. The Wellington underwent various design modifications during the war and a total of nearly 11,500 had been built by 1945.

The Sterling was the first 4engine bomber to enter combat service with the Royal Air Force. It made its debut in August 1940, but was never used with much effect until the start of 1942. Four Bristol Hercules 16s provided the power which gave a top speed of 270 mph and its operational range was 2,300 mi. The Sterling’s 8-man crew could fly the plane to a height of 17,000 ft.

Protection was provided by a total of eight 0.303 in machine guns. two positioned in the nose turret, four in the rear turret, and two in a small turret in the roof of the plane near the rear. The bomb carrying capacity was £14,000. The Sterling plane was a purpose-built heavy bomber that had few flaws, although the relatively low operational height of the plane left it susceptible to flack batteries and roving night fighters.

In addition, the Bombay had a design fault and was restricted to carrying smaller bombs. There were a total of 1,630 bomber versions of the Sterling Maid before the war’s end. The Avro Lancaster was the mainstay heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It first saw service at the start of 1942. Four Rolls-Royce Merlin 20 engines could propel the aircraft to a top speed of 285 [music] mph.

The ceiling height was 19,000 ft with a range of 1,730 mi and it was under the control of a seven-man crew. The armament was provided by [music] eight 0.303 in machine guns. The gun layout was the same as the Sterling with two guns in the nose, four in the tail, and the remaining two in the roof to the rear.

The bomb load was up to 18,000. The Lancaster is without doubt one of the most famous aircraft that has ever flown. Its design [music] had its roots in the earlier two engine bombers, but these needed modifications to allow a heavier bomb load and longer operational range. It was loved by its crews for its sturdiness, good handling, excellent gun layout, and large bomb load.

There were over 7,300 examples of Lancasters built during the war. From its introduction in 1942 until the end of the war, the plane would [music] be responsible for dropping over half of the total RAF bombs that fell on Germany. [music] The Boeing B7 GF flying fortress was first used during the mid1 1930s in a coastal defense role.

The power came from four right cyclone R1820 engines that could give a speed of between 287 and 323 mph. It was operated by a 9 or 10man crew, could fly at 37,000 ft with a range of between 2 to 3,000 mi. The armament specification began with eight machine guns of either the 0.3 in or 0.

5 in type, but this increased to 11 machine guns on later versions. The bomb load was up to 17,600. The Flying Fortress was the main American bomber used during the Second World War. The early versions were used in daylight raids and quickly ran into difficulties against the fighters of the Luftvafer, but later models increased the amount of weaponry on board to give good all round protection.

The B7G is the most well-known version, and a total of 8,680 B7s were made by the war’s end. The consolidated B-24 Liberator was a widely used American bomber that first entered service in 1939. It was powered by four Prattton Whitney R1830 engines which produced a top speed of 300 mph. It could fly up to 32,000 ft with a range of 2,850 mi. It required a 10-man crew.

The armorament was provided by 10 0.5 in machine guns and the bomb load was up to 12,800 lb. The Liberator saw extensive service in a number of roles including coastal defense bomber and trainer. There were almost 18,500 models made, more than any other bomber in history. [music] Early bombing campaigns were haphazard and highly inaccurate.

When Bomber Harris took control of bomber command at the start of 1942, he inherited and continued the policy of area bombing that would cause controversy and excite debate long after the war ended. To maximize the use of the growing bomber force, it was decided that the deliberate targeting of German civilians would seriously damage morale and inflict death and carnage on the industrial workers who were key to the German war effort.

Harris strongly believed in this new concept and set about enforcing it with all his power. This type of bombing had not been carried out before on such a scale and the moral implications were high. The plan was known only to key highranking personnel with the air crews being told that the targets were of military importance.

Area bombing would spell death for more than 600,000 German civilians. With the entry of America into the Second World War, the odds against Germany began to stack up. A policy of roundthe-c clock bombing [music] was agreed whereby the British would continue with nighttime attacks while the Americans would bomb during the day.

Initially, the British had pushed for combined night attacks, but the Americans remained convinced that night bombings were not the way forward. They believed that better accuracy could be achieved with daylight raids and that their heavily armed planes could cope with the German fighters. They would soon learn that their trust was misplaced.

One of the main operational changes introduced by Bomber Harris was the continuous bombing of a set number of key targets. This was in place of the previous wide dispersal of bombing raids that had proved so ineffective. Once the targets were agreed, combined Allied forces would bomb cities in rotation, often over a period of a few days.

The phenomenon of firestorms would add a new and terrifying aspect to the horrors of modern warfare. Although cities would not be completely destroyed, the amount of death and destruction caused by the raging fires would be unprecedented. The first phase in this new tactic involved the dropping of larger high explosive 4,000 and 8,000lb bombs which were designed to create large craters.

These would hamper the efforts of the emergency services when fighting the fires. These bombs would be followed up with smaller blast bombs that were designed to smash the windows of the buildings and punch holes in the roofs. The final phase was the dropping of the deadly incendurary bombs.

These would start fires that would be assisted by the flow of air through the broken windows and damaged [music] roofs. The spread of the fires would be rapid as the targets chosen [music] for this new tactic were the older cities with high numbers of wooden buildings. The result was a fire storm which would spread rapidly and gain in intensity.

Many people were killed by asphixxiation. As a final misery, time delay mines would then explode as the firefighting crews tried to contain the fires. This new terror would claim the lives of at least a third of all civilians killed in bombing raids over Germany. [music] At the start of the Second World War, it was Britain who stood alone against Germany.

Britain’s course of action was determined by necessity, and an element of fate would bring about America’s involvement. The situation facing the Allies was a grim one indeed. The forces of Hitler’s Germany had encompassed vast areas of Europe. And by the time America entered the war, the Germans had advanced to the outskirts of Moscow. The Allies would face an uphill struggle in their attempts [music] to gain the upper hand, and they entered the aerial war with no idea of how things would progress.

The only common goal was their firm conviction to remain in the war and to fight the enemy in every way possible. They had very little idea of what the enemy possessed [music] or what the enemy was capable of. But they would not have to wait long to discover the true potential of Hitler’s forces. Forces that would exact a terrible price from Allied airmen.