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Air Campaign Waged by Germany in The Battle of Britain Essay

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The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The Luftwaffe or German Air Force was trying to pave the way for a sea and airborne invasion of Britain as an extension of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg campaign in Western Europe. The Battle of Britain is significant because it was the only battle throughout World War II which was fought only in the air. The Battle of Britain also marked the turning point in the war. The Luftwaffe was overconfident in their ability to gain complete air superiority over the British Channel and the invasion area. The Luftwaffe intended to prevent both the RAF from striking against their attack but …show more content…

The Germans would make small advancements throughout the length of the battle, but they could never make a large enough dent in the RAF to change the outcome of the battle. Britain had its hand in every major component of the battle which what caused them to win the Battle of Britain and defeat the Germans in the first major campaign fought entirely by air forces. The courageous pilots of the RAF were the heroes that helped safeguard Britain which gave way to Churchill’s speech about the few men who risked their lives for so many others. The popular saying is, “Never…was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Leadership
Goering and Hitler The commander in chief Reichsmarschall Hermann W. Goering was an unstable leader for the Luftwaffe. Although Goering was a pilot in WWI he had not kept up with the changes in air power since his time in WWI and had little knowledge of strategy. Goering was prone to make impulsive and erratic decisions which made it difficult for the Luftwaffe to get a jump on the RAF. Because of Goering’s erratic decision making, Hitler would intervene when he thought necessary which would make the results even worse. Hitler had no clue about aerial strategies or tactics which Churchill picked up on and realized that it would give the RAF a great advantage. Goering and Hitler were never on the same page with one another and Goering would only tell Hitler what he wanted to hear. As Hitler was preparing to move along with Operation Sea

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