Battle of Britain Target London : 7 September 1940 17 September 1940
352 p.
to 17 September 1940. It was on 7 September that the Luftwaffe changed tack, and instead of continuing its successful strikes on 11 Group and its airfields, switched its focus to the round-the-clock bombing of London. According to popular narrative, this move lost the Germans the Battle of Britain, providing Fighter Command an opportunity to recover. This, however, is not necessarily the opinion of certain German scholars all of which is explored by the author.The events of 7 September also saw the 12 Group Duxford Wing go into action for the first time, the effects of which are analysed. This review confirms that the formation massively over claimed and was not, therefore, as successful as believed at the time by certain senior commanders and politicians. Likewise, the events of 15 September 1940, long accepted as Battle of Britain Day , are often stated to represent a great turning point in the aerial fighting of the summer of 1940 but is this correct? Two days later, Hitler postponed Operation Sealion,
the invasion of the United Kingdom, indefinitely. Could, therefore, this day be considered the date the Battle of Britain really ended?Through diligent research, combined with crucial official primary sources and personal papers, Dilip unravels many myths, often challenging the accepted narrative. This is not simply another dull record of combat losses and claims far from it. Drawing upon unique first-hand accounts from a wide-range of combatants and eyewitnesses, along with Daily Home Intelligence Reports and numerous other primary sources, this book forms part of what is likely to be the first and last such comprehensively woven account of this epic air battle. [Publisher's Text]
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ISBN: 9781399058056
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