Winston Churchill (August 1940)

20th August 1940

Battle of Britain (August 1940)

German Luftwaffe Junker Ju-87 Pilot

18^th August 1940

Finally, Adlerangriff has arrived! In July, the Luftwaffe monitoring service and the German Post Office established listening units along the Channel Coast, and so have come to realize that the mysterious, 350 feet tall, masts along the English coast are the source of the radio activity along the area.

Our Commander has notified us, that these radio-telephone ground stations control the RAF bombers and so they can only fly within a certain perimeter of their respective stations. This is good news, as it means that the attacks we could expect to encounter would be limited to local fighters. General Martini, Chief of Luftwaffe Signals, has ordered attacks on those Funkstationen mit Sonderanlagen (Radio Stations with special installations), and the eve of Adlertag has been dedicated to the bombing of these radio stations. The success of this operation will act as further confirmation of General Martini’s prediction.

The newly formed Erpobungsgruppe 210, flight evaluation group, has been tasked to pinpoint bombing attack on the four radio stations. This new group is highly skilled and although I’ve heard that their original task was to evaluate the Messerschmitt Me 210A-O under battle conditions, they have been tasked to head this important operation. Their aircraft, the Bf110s showcased their fighter-bomber capabilities by attacking all four radio station targets. I simply cannot imagine being in their position! Having their task changed at the last minute, thankfully they seem to be well prepared enough!

Despite our efforts, reports that the British radio stations have not ceased their signals and none of the masts have been destroyed are causing us much worry. There is confusion among us, as there seems to be no clear target that must be destroyed at all costs. Initially it was the RAF fighter command, but the way to do so was also unconfirmed if it should be done by bombing, or by bringing its fighters to battle in the air. We do not have a comprehensive understanding of the RAF’s defensive system, and I fear that this may cost us victory in this Operation.

On the 15^th, 2 Staffeln of von Brauchitsch’s Ju-87s were assigned to dive-bomb the RAF airfield at Hawkinge and more were to attack Lympne. However, in the South but the Ju-87s are too vulnerable and despite the protection provided by the Bf 109s there have been serious casualties to our squadron.

The attacks on radio stations have been futile and I hope that Goring has a better strategy up his sleeve. Right now, the British seem to be too strong and their intelligence network too superior.

Battle of Britain (August 1940)

Hugh Dowding

RAF: Commander in Chief of Fighter Command, 

18^th August 1940

The 12^th of August 1940 was the eve of Aldertag, or Eagle Day. Prior to the 12^th, there had been reports from the RAF listening service that a combination of raids on the radar stations, was to be carried out by the German Luftwaffe. Also, these attacks were to be on a larger scale than before. I presume that this is because they have sensed the importance of these stations to our defense. I am much more confident in the RAF, as there have been 3 additional squadrons with 6 others under training, including 3 ‘foreign’ squadrons, two Polish and one Czech. Our rate of aircraft production is also significantly higher than Germany’s.

Despite this, we suffered heavy losses and damages to the radar stations. Thankfully, we managed to repair most of the damage and get the radar stations up and running in a few hours, and have caught the Germans by surprise. We shot down 31 German aircraft, but 22 RAF fighter planes were destroyed and 11 pilots killed. The poor weather conditions these past days have led to the delay of full-scale attacks by the Luftwaffe. All they have managed to do so far has barely scratched the surface. They are playing games with us and I believe that something is building up. 11 Group Commander Park agrees with me on this, and he has assured me that we shall regain full operational strength in 12 hours. Park and I aim to engage the enemy as soon as possible. I hope that this proves to the Germans that British resilience and capabilities should not be underestimated.

On the 15^th, the first bombs landed on London. Our 111 Squadron Hurricanes did not manage to stop the German Bf110s before they attacked. I pray that what happened during the French campaign does not repeat itself, and to do so, ill-chosen forays over Britain with fighters flying en masse must be avoided at all costs.

The Fighter Command, especially No 11 Group is currently under a lot of strain due to heavy attacks that have been launched. I am certain that maintaining squadrons in the North will be crucial in countering any German attack there. Thankfully, only temporary and minor damage has been done to the Chain Home Link radar stations and so our operations have not been hampered. Our heavy reliance on the radar system has brought us tremendous worry over possible destruction of the stations by German Luftwaffe.

Churchill has showed much interest in the air war and visited the Fighter Command Headquarters on the 15^th. It seems that my efforts thus far have been generally received, partly due to the success of the Dowding System. I hope that support of the Air Force continues and that discontent over my leadership will be quelled.

Battle of Britain (July 1940)

German Luftwaffe Junker Ju-87 Pilot

11^th July 1940

The attack on Britain has begun! The only country in all of Europe that is still resisting the Führer, will not survive for long. To Britain’s north and west is open sea and though it is still under the control of the Royal Navy, German submarines have successfully infiltrated the waters have already sunk many warships and merchantmen. To Britain’s Northeast, East and South are the newly occupied German territories of Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and France.

I have flown in the first raids on Britain and the Junker Ju-87’s ability to attack in a near-vertical dive will terrorize Britain, just as it had in Rotterdam and Warsaw. The British possess no bomber of this caliber.

Furthermore, our pilots we much more experienced and we have no difficulty in attracting a steady stream of well-trained pilots. Göring has ensured this by intentionally arranging excellent salaries, uniforms and conditions for the Luftwaffe.

We are now awaiting the Führer’s command for the Luftwaffe to launch its major offensive. The coordination of the army, navy and Luftwaffe, must be underway. The Supreme Commander will orchestrate this so that the British will find themselves paralysed, unable to defend themselves against the combined prowess of German might.

The tactics that we are employing have been honed through years of experience and training and its unlikely that the RAF will be able to merely replicate them. The loose Schwarmen that is being used has destroyed RAF squadrons. It comprises of 2 pairs of pilots, with each pair comprising of a leader and his wingman. The wingmen are responsible for guarding the tail, while the leaders are better marksmen and more experienced pilots. Also, the ingenuity of the formation, that each aircraft is at a slightly different altitude, helps to reduce the risk of collision. The British will come to realize that German might and experience are not to be trifled with.

Battle of Britain (July 1940)

Hugh Dowding

RAF: Commander in Chief of Fighter Command

11^th July 1940

The Air Ministry is hounding me to retire and has proposed five different dates for my retirement. Instead of letting me concentrate on bringing my squadrons to battle readiness, the Chief of Air Staff prefers to focus on the specific date of my retirement. They claim that I have been too blunt and disrespectful. But why should I have to sugarcoat my critique to those lower in rank than me?

Sir Cyril Newall, Chief of Air Staff, reasons that he has no other choice, as he needs to provide a path of promotion for others. The correspondence over this issue has dragged on for far too long, and proves the Air Ministry’s determination in appointing a new leader for Fighter Command.

My reluctance to retire at this crucial point is because there does not seem to be anyone who shares my determination to retain the current level and even increase the Defense Forces of Britain. I do not wish to have to continue diverting my attention from the defense of Britain, as this will compromise both my future and Britain’s.

Shipping has been disrupted due to attacks on British coastal convoys and air battles over the Channels. The Germans, led by Oberst Fink, have been presumably ordered to try to cut off our supplies. However, I am now in a dilemma. On one hand, if the RAF were to send fighters up to protect the shipping, then they would be involved in a battle of attrition and be worn out before the Germans launch Adlerangriff. Conversely, if RAF does not send any fighters up, then numerous British ships will be sunk. On 8^th July, the Fighter Command had a total of 58 squadrons, but 8 are still non-operational. My main priority is to ensure that Fighter Command is not destroyed or paralysed as this would grant German planes unobstructed access. Also, the majority of the German Air Force, more than 1000 bombers and 400 fighters, are a direct threat to the No 11 Group, comprising of 12 Hurricanes, 6 Spitfires and 4 Blenheims squadrons; and 553 fighter pilots. If I were to engage squadrons from other groups, the security of other areas will be compromised. At this point, it is almost impossible to determine German objectives.

Radar is not advantageous to us at this point in time, as the German fleet is able to fly out of range. The German fleet had been expected to arrive from the coast and as such, most of the Chain Home stations are facing the sea, rendering them useless once the planes have crossed the coastline. Furthermore, it requires only 5 minutes for planes to cross the channel but takes 15 minutes for a Spitfire to climb high enough to fight them.

Thankfully, there has been an endless stream of solo German aircraft today, and we were able to send lone aircraft up to meet them.

Hopkins (June 1940)

Harry Lloyd Hopkins

25th June, 1940

France has fallen into the hands of Germany. The people here in the United States are appalled... The American government has been adopting a largely isolationist stance through Germany's march of conquest. However, I doubt this will last for long. As much as the citizens of the United States do not want to get involved in this war, we cannot possibly just sit back and watch as potentially more Western countries get engulfed by the power-hungry Hitler. We do not need to be actively or directly involved in the war at this stage... especially because we do not want to upset our citizens. This does not mean that we will do nothing at all about the situation. Need be, there will be an implementation of new financial programs to help the affected countries in the Western Hemisphere pick themselves up to fight well in the war.

The fall of France has witnessed the sheer humiliation of the French. Germany's success in military strategy and tactic that enabled the swift progress through the low countries in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg is indeed remarkable, albeit stunningly threatening, especially due to the ideological threat that it holds against the West. France has undeniably performed poorly in its defense against Germany's invasion. From the outside, it looks to me like it was a huge problem in the leadership and commands given in the internal dynamics of French military coordination... this is quite apparent from Gamelin's dismissal in the French military. There was indeed plenty of indecisiveness in commands that led to what seemed to be confusion when Germany unexpectedly used Ardennes as a passage way to France.

The biggest fear that has been derived from the fall of France is that Britain now stands alone against Germany. The United States will have to intervene to some extent to help Britain should the situation get worse.

Winston Churchill (June 1940)

18th June 1940