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the German take on things and also is there anything out there about the lessons learnt and put into practice from the battle or was there not enough time to digest the information and act on it.
The German take was...do not attack Britain unless you want a bloody nose
John
"... The battle had a definite impact on Spain."
It sure did - Franco was shrewd. But there was lots of Spanish 'volunteer' activity on the communist eastern front.
And Portugal stayed truly neutral, and got rich ....
MM
Many foreign air forces had observers in England and no doubt in Europe also and they learned a lot about modern air war. There is another thread here about the AAF's theory of self defending bombers. I don't believe that the US or any other air force believed that a bomber could necessarily defend itself with guns against a determined fighter force but rather the idea became in vogue in the early thirties that bombers were faster or as fast as the fighters and they were at that time so fighters would be hard pressed to intercept them. By the late thirties modern monoplane retractable gear fighters had a substantial speed edge over the bomber and the BOB showed that the unescorted bomber was quite vulnerable. Obviously radar directed fighters were an innovation, as well as SS fuel tanks, armor and heavy fighter armament and the need to be able to fight at relatively high altitudes.
After a lifetime's interest in the second world war this is the first time I've ever heard anyone claim that Franco had any interest in joining the second world war.The battle had a definite impact on Spain. In July Franco was receptive to joining the Axis, by late october he was convinced of British survivavl, and was resistant to german overtures. Despite being a strong sympathizer of German positions, Franco no longer believed they could defeat the british.
Except they continued to attack (and defeat) Britain until El-Alamein?The German take was...do not attack Britain unless you want a bloody nose
John
After a lifetime's interest in the second world war this is the first time I've ever heard anyone claim that Franco had any interest in joining the second world war.
Except they continued to attack (and defeat) Britain until El-Alamein?
Just like they'd been booting Britain all over Norway and France previously?
Other than using it as a useful opportunity to grab Gibraltar...which would, of course, have greatly helped the Axis.
Errr...and France had no part in its own downfall? France had the largest army in early 1940 while the BEF's contribution was, in relative terms, miniscule. And yet it was Britain being kicked all over France? The Norwegian Campaign was a multi-national effort involving France and Denmark, not forgetting Norwegian forces. Again, why is it Britain's responsibility to defend the rest of Europe?
As for your comment about El Alamein, aren't you forgetting Tobruk? Hardly a defeat. Oh, and we were fighting Germany and Italy at that time. Alone.
Maybe your studies of WWII need to be broadened?
So no other country was assiting the UK , that alone crap is a peice of period propaganda .As for your comment about El Alamein, aren't you forgetting Tobruk? Hardly a defeat. Oh, and we were fighting Germany and Italy at that time. Alone.