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Fair enough. Here's something a bit closer to the topic: given the RAFs response to the accidental bombing of London during the BoB was almost instant, do you think Churchill's go-ahead to bomb Berlin was a considered effort to move the Luftwaffe's focus from the beleaguered airfields to the British civilian population?
Fair enough. Here's something a bit closer to the topic: given the RAFs response to the accidental bombing of London during the BoB was almost instant, do you think Churchill's go-ahead to bomb Berlin was a considered effort to move the Luftwaffe's focus from the beleaguered airfields to the British civilian population?
only one that can answer that with any certainty is Mr. Churchill himself.....we know how it play out and may speculate...but may never know the true motives or strategy
both the RAF and Luftwaffe were bombing each others cities from the first days of the battle. The RAF had been attacking targets in the Ruhr by night since May, and the luftwaffe had been launching night attacks on British towns and cities from the start of the battle, with the single exception of London.Churchills speeches made his intentions very clear, whether he deliberately wanted a slug fest of bombing cities I dont know. At the time German cities were considerably further away from RAF airfields than British cities were from the LW.
If I had to guess the Berlin raid was similar to the Doolittle raid, mainly a morale builder.
both the RAF and Luftwaffe were bombing each others cities from the first days of the battle. The RAF had been attacking targets in the Ruhr by night since May, and the luftwaffe had been launching night attacks on British towns and cities from the start of the battle, with the single exception of London.
Horse has the system set up to give bacon once every 24 hourswhy cant I give bacon?
Horse has the system set up to give bacon once every 24 hours
In fact 11 Group had 39% of the FC's serviceable fighters on 1 Sept 40 at 09.00hrsRAF FC wasn't barely hanging on it was 11 Group. 11 group had ~2/3 of the RAF fighters.
The Luftwaffe attacked targets in civilian areas during its invasions of Poland, Norway, Holland, Belguim, and France, while Britain only relaxed it's ban on attacking targets in civilian areas after the Luftwaffe attack on Rotterdam.True if you talk about the battle of Britain but the "rules of engagement" in the early days of the war were very strange for nations at war, a lot of leaflet dropping and specifically forbidden to bomb civilian targets, predicatably all sides were dragged into open unrestricted warfare.
Going by memory, these areas weren't London proper AT THAT TIME as they might be now. I'm not very good on locales in and around London. But there were some areas hit that are now a part of London.
Fair enough. Here's something a bit closer to the topic: given the RAFs response to the accidental bombing of London during the BoB was almost instant, do you think Churchill's go-ahead to bomb Berlin was a considered effort to move the Luftwaffe's focus from the beleaguered airfields to the British civilian population?
The raids on Berlin were in reality retaliation for the
persistent bombing of British conurbations and the high level of British civilian casualties that resulted. In July 258 civilians had been killed, in August 1,075; the figures included 136 children and 392 women. During the last half of August, as German bombers moved progressively further inland, bombs began to fall on the outskirts of London. On the night of 18/19 August bombs fell on Croydon, Wimbledon and the Maldens. On the night of 22/23 August the first bombs fell on central London in attacks described by observers as 'extensive' and for which no warning was given; on the night of 24/25 August bombs fell in Slough, Richmond Park and Dulwich. On the night the RAF first raided Berlin, bombs fell on Banstead, Croydon, Lewisham, Uxbridge, Harrow and Hayes. On the night of the next raid on Berlin, on 28/29 August, German aircraft bombed the following London areas: Finchley, St Pancras, Wembley, Wood Green, Southgate, Crayford, Old Kent Road, Mill Hill, Ilford, Hendon, Chigwell. London was under 'red' warning for seven hours and five minutes. The bombing of London began almost two weeks before Hitler's speech on 4 September, and well before the first raid on Berlin.
During daylight hours on the 15th, 16th and 18th the German Air
Force attacked this country on a heavy scale, the enemy operating in waves
consisting in some cases of as many as 150 aircraft. On the 15th August it is
estimated that 1,200
enemy aircraft were engaged and on each of the other two
days about 700. On the remaining days of the week the scale of attack by
comparison was relatively inconsiderable, although there was a slight increase
on the 21st, when a large number of raids by one or two enemy aircraft was
made over a wide area.
On the three days on which the principal attacks were made a large
number of enemy fighters escorted their bombers; the primary object of these
attacks was to gain air superiority by destroying our fighter defences, both in
the air and on the ground. Throughout the week the main weight of attack was
directed against our aerodromes, which were attacked throughout the country,
some as many as three times. Aerodromes of every description were attacked,
though the emphasis was on fighter stations. No significant success was
achieved and, although 47 aerodromes were damaged, eleven considerably, the
air situation was not materially affected : 41 operational aircraft were destroyed
on the ground and hangars containing 47 twin-engined trainers were
burnt out. Naval and industrial targets were also attacked and in some cases
considerable damage was inflicted, though the aircraft industry did not suffer
seriously. By night the customary offensive reconnaissances have continued
except for the night of the 20th/21st, when enemy activity was negligible.
Our fighters engaged the enemy on all possible occasions, with the
result that at least 400 of his aircraft were destroyed. Our own fighter losses
are not serious, nor are they very heavy in view of the intensity of operations.
Fighter Command flew 1,122 patrols, involving 4,932 sorties during the week.
Details of casualties are given in Appendix V. In spite of the heavy losses
incurred, the enemy has failed in his primary object and has gained no strategic
advantage.
Enemy tactics have undergone a considerable change. No short-range
dive-bombers were seen, while last week 83 were destroyed; even the Ju. 88 has
not been used for dive-bombing. The long-range bomber force is being
increasingly employed and night attacks have been intensified. The raids were
mainly directed against aerodromes and ports, while industrial plants and the
aircraft industry also received considerable attention. Other raids were carried
out against aerodromes and oil storage, and a considerable amount of indis*
criminate bombing was included in the operations. The heaviest daylight attacks
of the week were made on Portsmouth and Ramsgate. At night industrial areas
in the Midlands were the principal objectives, though aircraft have flown over
London on several nights and bombs were dropped in the City and suburbs.
32. Enemry aircraft engaged in daylight operations have varied between
200 and 500 each day, except on the 23rd and 27th August, when activity
was limited to reconnaissance flights and to a few individual attacks,
involving not more than seventy-five aircraft. The heaviest attacks have
developed from the south-east, and large formations of bombers escorted by
fighters have been intercepted and dispersed by our fighters. Our fighter aero*
dromes seem to have been the principal objectives, but damage was relatively
small in view of the threatened weight of the attacks.
33. Portsmouth was heavily attacked on the 24th August. During an
attack aimed at Warmwell Aerodrome, in Dorset, on the following day, little
damage was caused and forty of the aircraft involved were destroyed by our
fighters. Machine-gun and bombing attacks have been made by single
reconnaissance aircraft on wireless stations at Daventry, Leafield, and in the
Scilly Isles, and on a number of inland aerodromes and coastal towns, but no
damage of importance has resulted.
34. Night attacks have been mainly concentrated on industrial targets in
the Bristol, Birmingham, Coventry and Middlesbrough areas, though high*
explosive and incendiary bombs have been dropped, often apparently at random,
in all districts of England and Wales. The London district was raided during
several nights of the current week, but the attacks appear to have been aimless
and only on the night of the 24th-25th August was any serious damage caused.
On most nights between two and three hundred aircraft were involved.
35. Fighter Command flew 1,196 patrols involving 4,433 sorties during the
week and not only inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemy but frequently
dispersed or turned back his formations and rendered most of his daylight
attacks abortive. Details of casualties are given in Appendix V.
The Luftwaffe attacked targets in civilian areas during its invasions of Poland, Norway, Holland, Belguim, and France, while Britain only relaxed it's ban on attacking targets in civilian areas after the Luftwaffe attack on Rotterdam.
RAF FC wasn't barely hanging on it was 11 Group. 11 group had ~2/3 of the RAF fighters.