With Prime minister, Neville Chamberlain's declaration of War against Hitler's Germany, many people lived in fear of the British Isles being over run by German troops. But no one knew how, when or if the attack would come, so eventually life went back to relative normality. In fact it was the British who struck first when, on Monday 4th September 1939, the Royal Air Force bombed German navel bases at the entrance of Kiev canal.
Hitler and His Generals Plan Their Attack
Back in Germany, Hitler and his military advisors were planning their course of action. If a sea invasion was to be mounted the German navy would have to cross the channel encountering strong, sometimes unpredictable currents, inclement weather and attack from the RAF. So, in order to facilitate a sea crossing and amphibious landing of German troops on British beaches, the Luftwaffe would need to eliminate the threat posed by the RAF. The most effective way to do this would be by bombing grounded aircraft, aerodromes and landing strips rather than one to one aerial dog fights.
The first aerial attack on British territory occurred on 16th October 1939. At 1100 hours, 15 Junkers JU -88 of 1/KG 30 led by Hauptman Helmuth Pohle took off from Westerland. They were on route to bomb their intended target, HMS Hood, which had been sighted off the Scottish coast. The airman had instructions from Hitler not to attack the Hood if she had reached dry dock. The war was still in its early stages and at that moment civilian casualties were still hoped to be kept to a minimum.
HMS Hood, the Intended Target of the Luftwaffe
By the time the aircraft flew over the Forth Bridge, HMS Hood had reached the 'safety' of the dock, but there were other targets in view. However, the German aircraft had been spotted. Tribal Class HMS Mohawk opened fire on the Junkers. Unfortunately the aircraft had time to release 2 bombs which exploded close to the ships, killing 15 men and injuring 30 others. HMS Southampton and HMS Edinburgh also sustained minor damage.
By now the RAF, with Spitfires from 602 and 603 Squadrons, had engaged 9 of the Junkers. Pohle's aircraft sustained several hits before it crashed into the sea killing most of the crew. Pohle was the only survivor from his aircraft and spent the duration of the war as a prisoner. 602 Squadron was based at Drem airbase, their motto: Cave leonem cruciatum – Beware the tormented lion. 603 Squadron was based at Turnhouse, their motto: Gin ye daur – if you dare.
By flying to Scotland, the Junkers were at the limit of their flying range, leaving them no margin for error, so they had to be accurate. Coupled with this, and the fact that so little damage had been sustained by the British, Goering temporarily suspended raids of this nature. The Germans needed to develop heavier bombs before the raids could continue as the SC 550lb bombs used in this raid proved relatively ineffective against battleship deck armour.
The Junker, JU 88
The JU 88 was a twin engine monoplane which was constructed around a thin pencil shaped fuselage with a single vertical tail surface. It proved to be one of the fastest planes available to the Luftwaffe Command and remained in various forms throughout the war with a total of 15,000 being manufactured during that time. In March 1939 the 5th prototype set a 621 mile closed and circuit record of 517 mph, carrying a payload of 4,409lb.
The Spitfire
Arguably the Spitfire is one of the most famous aircraft ever built. It was a graceful design which proved to be fast and easy to handle. The 'Spit' as it was often affectionately called by those who flew her was powered by a 1,030 hp Rolls Royce Merlin III, 12 cylinder liquid cooled engine. The Spitfire had a wingspan of 36ft 11in and was 29ft 11in in length and had an armament of 8 .303in Browning Machine guns with 300 rounds of ammunition.
The 'Spit' was instantly recognisable as she flew overhead. Her sleek fuselage was noticeably thinner than the Hurricane. She had a domed canopy with an angular fin, and when viewed from below, the wings had a pointed shape housing the main under carriage.
Later, Goering was to say, 'Not only do the RAF not have enough aircraft to win an air battle, their pilots are untrained in air combat and to clear the skies ready for our invasion should take no more than two...three weeks.' As the War unfolded, this proved to be a grave miscalculation.
Sources:
- Battle of Britain Historical Society
- Imperial War Museum
- Military Factory.com
- Pilot Friend- Aviation, the first 100 years.com
 |
