The Battle of Britain

Before Hitler could launch an invasion of Britain, he had to gain control of the skies by destroying the Royal Air Force. Any attempt to send soldiers across the Channel in vulnerable troop-carrying vessels would be impossible if the RAF still operated. The Battle of Britain was an air battle between the Luftwaffe (the German air force) and the RAF's fighter squadrons. If the RAF lost, an invasion of Britain would certainly follow.

The war in the skies

During most of August 1940, Goering, the commander of the Luftwaffe, sent his bombers to attack RAF fighter bases close to the coast and the radar stations. Radar was vital to Britain's defence since it gave the RAF warning of German attacks; it told them the direction in which the enemy were heading and the numbers of aircraft involved. With this crucial information, RAF Fighter Command could simply send up Spitfires and Hurricanes from the nearest airfield to intercept them.

The problem with bombing radar stations was that almost everything was underground. All that was visible were the radar masts and these were very difficult to hit from the air. Goering soon lost patience with this tactic and switched to bombing airfields further inland and factories making fighter planes. These tactics lasted from 24 August to 6 September and were proving very effective. Planes cannot take off from bombed runways and lost planes cannot be replaced if the factories cannot make them. All Goering needed was the patience to carry on with this tactic and the RAF would eventually have been defeated.

Neil Demarco: The era of the Second World War; Oxford University Press, 1993/2000, page 33