With France defeated and occupied, Hitler
turned toward Britain. He wanted the Luftwaffe to clear the skies
over southern England, by destroying the Royal Air Force (RAF)
and so smashing any British resistance to the Nazi invasion, which
was set for the Autumn of 1940. From newly acquired positions
in France the Luftwaffe could launch its attack on Britain. Goering
believed that his Luftwaffe could eliminate the RAF within four
days and win superiority in the air over southern England. But
after a month of attacking British fighters still resisted the
Nazis' plan.
Is This The Shape? Part 1 portrays
the dog fights in The
Battle Of Britain from the point of view of the RAF, and
the huge task that Fighter Command had to face against overwhelming
odds and finally clipping the wings of the Nazi Eagle. The defeat
of the Luftwaffe by the RAF convinced Hitler that Goering could
not gain air superiority over southern England. This defeat led
Hitler to cancel his plans to invade Britain and following the
defeat Hitler turned his focus toward the east, and the Soviet
Union. Britain had been saved, and although Nazi expansion and
success would continue, this event was definitely a turning point.
Churchill said of the
pilots and crews of Fighter Command: "Never has so much been owed
by so many to so few." (The
complete speech).
