- 12 Sep 08, 14:48#64734
Having seen the thread about the anniversary of 9/11, I thought it worth pointing out that Monday is Battle of Britain day.
A short history lesson: After Hitler took power in Germany in 1933 he was virtually all-conquering for several years. Germany rearmed in defiance of the Treaty of Vesailles, remilitarised the Rhineland, took back the Ruhr valley, assumed control of Austria, took much and then all of Czechoslovakia first by treaty and then by annexation, then invaded Poland. Only in the final stage was Germany challenged, but by the summer of 1940 Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and France had fallen to the Germans.
The Second World War was one of the first wars where air supremacy was the deciding factor. At the start of the battle Britain's air forces totalled less than 2,000, while Germany had over 4,000 aircraft. The 15th of September is viewed as the significant turning point as Germany went all out sending two giant waves of attacks to crush the RAF, who launched every plane at their disposal and successfully repulsed both waves shooting down 60 aircraft and losing only 26. Two days later the German invasion of Britain was cancelled - Virtually the first setback suffered by Hitler.
It is worth remembering when we mourn the loss of 2,999 people on 9/11 that over the course of the Battle of Britain some 27,450 civilians were killed.
A short history lesson: After Hitler took power in Germany in 1933 he was virtually all-conquering for several years. Germany rearmed in defiance of the Treaty of Vesailles, remilitarised the Rhineland, took back the Ruhr valley, assumed control of Austria, took much and then all of Czechoslovakia first by treaty and then by annexation, then invaded Poland. Only in the final stage was Germany challenged, but by the summer of 1940 Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and France had fallen to the Germans.
The Second World War was one of the first wars where air supremacy was the deciding factor. At the start of the battle Britain's air forces totalled less than 2,000, while Germany had over 4,000 aircraft. The 15th of September is viewed as the significant turning point as Germany went all out sending two giant waves of attacks to crush the RAF, who launched every plane at their disposal and successfully repulsed both waves shooting down 60 aircraft and losing only 26. Two days later the German invasion of Britain was cancelled - Virtually the first setback suffered by Hitler.
It is worth remembering when we mourn the loss of 2,999 people on 9/11 that over the course of the Battle of Britain some 27,450 civilians were killed.
Jim Clark, Monza, one lap down...
