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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1011.PDF
DIVERSION Windsoe f ATTACKS REACHING / LONDON ( .MAINLY > X AT NIGHT 4 , , v\INDIVIDUAL COMBATS "ALL OVER THIS AREA i3#l8fle« ;er Mass fighter formations were sent over at a great height in almost continuous waves to attack London, still the principal target. It was doubtless hoped by this means to wear out our fighter defence by forcing it to engage, at much higher altitudes, aircraft which were making the best use possible of high cloud cover. In the early stages he reduced the size of his formations, and used flights of from two to nine aircraft. Evidently, however, this new plan did not achieve the success for which he hoped, for in the third week of October he reverted once more to large formations flying at 30,000ft. or higher. To enable them to break through, the Germans continued to use the tactics of diversion. Whenever the weather was good enough waves of fighters appeared almost continuously over the South-East of England. Using the cover.these provided, very high-flying fighter-bombers made frequent and rapid attacks on the London area. On sighting our fighters, however, they often jettisoned their bombs and made off. • :--^;.»:.. -,-•'.',,\;..•-.•.:';./;: Finale •' * : : : Our own tactics were immediately altered so successfully that No. 11 Group accounted for one hundred and sixty- seven enemy aircraft in three and a half weeks. The cost to the Group was forty-five pilots. In this phase the number of enemy probably destroyed rose considerably, because the fighting took place so high up that our pilots were unable to see the ultimate fate of many of the German aircraft which fell away after the encounter towards thesea. The physical strain of fighting at heights of 30,000ft. or more proved very severe. Occasionally an odd Me 109 of a small formation brokethrough and reached London, but the weight of the bombs which they succeeded in dropping was only a fraction ofwhat had been dropped in August and September. More- over, there was little attempt at precision bombing. There can be no better proof of the enemy's failure thanthat furnished by the citizens of London. During the early stages, many of them took cover when the sirenssounded. Very soon, however, it was noticed that most of the noise, at no time to be compared with the nightlybarrage which soon became the background of their slum- bers, was due to gunfire and not to the explosion of bombs.Trails of white vapour forming fantastic and beautiful pat- terns in the summer sky were often the only indicationthat the Luftwaffe was over the capital. These pleased the eye and provided a subject for speculation in thestreets and public resorts. During the whole battle the Germans killed 1,700 peopleand wounded 3,360. They are known to have lost 2,375 aircraft at least. The Royal Air Force in its glorious fightlost 375 pilots killed and 358 wounded. The Illustrated Account of the Battle of Britain was published on April 23rd, 1941, price 6d. It may be had from His Majesty's Stationery Office or any bookseller. COMMONPLACE : For three months this was a sight frequently seen in the countrysitte of Britain.
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