WI the BoB commanders were on opposite sides

[merlin]

This thread is like the one with the RAF using 109E's and the LW using Spitfires Hurricanes.
The difference is that the commanders are reversed.
Instead of Sperrle Kesselring organising the attacks, its Park Leigh-Mallory, with the former organising the defense.
Goering and Milch are also with the defense, whilst across the Channel are Dowding and Freeman.

With different commanders - does the RAF lose? Would there be a radar guided command control system for the fighter squadrons?

Conversly in attack, would it be better planned, e.g. hitting the aircraft factories early. And starting the campaign early, rather than being too complacent after the French victory.

Look forward to your opinions!?

 

[smg]

well the RAF wood have had a good chanse sens they have allways made good pilots some of the best so yea it woud be a berry interesting dogfhigs

 

[magnocain]

The Germans(?) probity would have gotten some strategic bombers.

 

[smg]

they wood need 4 engen bommers to make a big inpack and furer did not like them than again he did not like new ideas

 

[timshatz]

Not sure if the Brits had any decent 4 engine bombers in 1940. Think they came out in 41. Maybe the Stirling.

If we talk about different commanders, I assume we are talking about Dowding/Goering. Even at that level, I am not so sure there would've been that much difference. Consider that the Brits had very little luck against the Germans going into France in 1941 doing Rodeos and Circuses.

Change commanders and there might not be a big difference.

 

[smg]

well there mith be a slite diferens bout i dont thik it wood had made adiferans

 

[Njaco]

I believe Osterkamp was the Channel leader for Germany so it would probably be him against Dowding or Leigh-Mallory. Goring decided to take over in late August or about that time.

 

[USS KG5]

Of the German commanders Kesselring was a very fine leader, though not as good at running a defensive campaign as Park, not quite.

Goering was a fool and an egotist, he could easily have lost the battle for the RAFin an afternoon in his own personal quest for glory. Dowding was away and ahead an infinitely better leader.

Leigh-Mallory was overall a poor commander - certainly he had his butt handed to him by Kesselring while organising offensive sweeps over Europe (the true figures indicate a 4 to 1 loss rate), and his failure to realise the futility of wasting highly trained fighter pilots in "Rhubarbs" (a tragic oversight shared with Sholto-Douglas), both big black marks.

The Luftwaffe lost the Battle Of Britain for various reasons and poor leadership in some areas was certainly one of them. They fundamentally underestimated their opponents, believed wildly optimistic intelligence reports they would have known were not true if they paid attention to their subordinates and never really had the resources or the time to truly wipe out Fighter Command.

It can be informative to look at the battle in terms of numbers as just between single seaters - the RAF had 700 and the Luftwaffe 900 - a long way from the 3/1 advantage considered essential to guarantee victory for an attacker.

 

[Elvis]

Wir würden alle Deutsches sprechen.




elvis