July 11th marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain, which lasted until October 31st. This was undoubtedly the most important battle for Britain of the 20th Century.
German forces had quickly overwhelmed resistance in France and defeated the British in air battles over Europe. They next aimed to take air control of the English Channel to weaken Britain’s defenses and protect a sea assault.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared at that time:
What General Weygrand called the Battle of France is over, the Battle of Britain is about to begin
A day-by-day recount and calendar is available on the Royal Air Force site. Here are some statistics as they were recorded on July 11th, 1940.
Casualties:
* Enemy: Fighters – 10 confirmed, 2 unconfirmed; Bombers – 13 confirmed, 12 unconfirmed; Type unspecified – 1
o Of the above totals, AA at Portland claims 2 confirmed and 1 unconfirmed.
* Ours: 3 Hurricanes (1 pilot safe), 2 Spitfires.
Patrols:
* 119 patrols involving 447 aircraft were flown.
Balloons:
* Deployed 1077, casualties 24.
Balloons? The British really knew how to celebrate, even in 1940. But seriously, the British military industry was only just beginning to shake off the moth balls at a time when a highly trained and well-equipped German offensive was right outside their door.
Barrage balloons emerged at the end of World War I to prevent German bombers from flying close to targets such as cities and industrial centers. They were used until the end of WWII as they continued to prove effective. German efforts to destroy the balloons usually ended in heavy German casualties, or as British Air Marshal Gossage put it: “the enemy having realized that the game is not worth the candle.”