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    German Air Force Fighters of World War II Volume 1

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    FES German Air Force Fighters Of World War Two Volurr German Air Force Fighters Of World War Two Volume One by Martin C. Windrow illustrated by Keith Broomfield Ronald Percy Arthur Sturgess Hylton Lacy Publishers Limited, Coburg House, Sheet Street, Windsor, Berkshire, England Contents Messerschmitt Bf 108 Messerschmitt Bf 110 Messerschmitt Me 210 Messerschmitt Me 410 Messerschmitt Me 163 Messerschmitt Me 262 Luftwaffe Unit insignia Colour ilustrations Messorschmitt Bf 1098-2 ‘Messorschmitt Bf 1096-3 Messerschmitt Bf 109F-2 ‘Messerschmitt Bf 1096-6 Messerschmitt Bf 1100-2 Messerschmitt Bf 1106-4 Messerschmitt Me 410 A-3 Messerschmitt Me 2108-1 Messerschmitt Me 1638-1 Messerschmitt Me 2628-12 Luftwaffe Unit Insignia 2 28 a2 44 49 53 58 10 178 31/32 33/34 47/48 55 56/67 Author's Note For the reader who is unfamiliar withthe basic German terms used in the text. 2 short explana tory note may be helptl: “The Luftwaffe’s combat strength was organ- ized into Wings (Geschwader) each of which was identified by a number and had a ‘prefix According to its branch of service. Fighter units were known as Jagdgeschwader, abbreviated to. JG" bomber units as Kampfgeschwader (KG) heavy fighter units 2s Zerstarergeschwader (2G): ‘night fighter units as Nachtiagdge Schwader’ (NJG): dive-bomber and ground fattack units initially'as. Stukegeschwader and Subsequently as" Schlachtgeschwader (StG., 8G); and operational raining units, which under the German system flew combat missions along- Side the Teld units, as Lehrgeschwader (LG). Each Geschwader comprised twee of four Gruppen numbered with Roman charactors (©. 175G_52) and each Gruppe was made. up of three ot four Staffel, numbored with Arabic ‘numerals (eg. 9/JG 1). The strength of these formations varied widely but an average fighter Staffel comprised nine or ton alrrat, giving the Gruppe a ‘strength of about 30 machines and the Geschwader a total stngth of about 100 Breraft. The Geschwader usually operated in 8 parteviar sector with its. Gruppen dispersed Quite widely on various airfields, but it was not Uncommon’ to. encounter Gruppen or even ‘Siafein on detached service hundreds of from the patent Geschwader, according to the requirements of local circumstances or traning and replacement needs. prefixed by (F) or (H) to indicate their iong- ange-ot local reconnaissance roles respectively thus 2(F}/122 Indicates Stafe/ 2 of Fernaur- Alerungsgruppe 122. ‘Many units ware also identified by traditional tiles usually commemorating either 3 past com- ‘mander or a famous airman of the First World War: oF refering to the unit's crest; oF to some notable incident ints history. Examples of these eatogories are JG 81 “Molders” and JG 2 “Richthoten: JG 83 “Pik As” (Ace of Spades) and JG 27 “Afrika”. The German Air Foree of the 1960s sill includes units named after the First World “War aces Richthofen, Boolcke and Immelman, “Luftwaffe ranks paralleled those of the Army, and some of the most frequently quoted may be ‘wanslated as follows: Feldwebel Sergeant Oberfeidwebel Warrant Officer (1) or Master Sergeant Levtnant 2nd Lieutenant Oberleutnant Hauptmann Major Obersteutnant —_ —Lt-Colonel Oberst Colonel General-Major > General-Leutnant J ~M#i-Gen. Lt.-Gen, Foreword {A generation ago, the world suffered a six-year onvulsion which for sheer impact on the life of has probably never been paralleled ood "Tho Second World War directly or indirectly changed the national life of every country on the face of the globo; some wore engulfed for eve, some wore bom, and. some were brought Suddenly. end brutally into the mainstream of {wentioth-century evants. A whole new power Structure emerged, involving every -ciilised ‘community on earth Oneot the most dramaticaccelerationsbrought about by this unnatural stimulus was in the field of aviation, The Second World War came in the last days of the fabric-covered fighter biplane: it went out withthe et intereeptor and the nuciaar bomb. In the frst half ofthe War the battlefields of Europe, Africa and Russia wore dominated by the greatest air power then in ‘xstence—the German Luftwaffe and although annihilated in the closing months of the con fic, its toror spent for ever the Luftwaffe will always occupy a special place in the imagina- tions’ of those who interest themselves in the history of men underarms. “This volume, end 8 companion work now ‘under preparation, are not aimed at the technical Feader, but atthe goneral student of the Second World’ Wer, and the. aviation ‘enthusiast. The ‘emphasis is deliberately placed on the squadron Service ofthe major German fighter alreatt rather than on thelr mechanical detals; and itis hoped that this approach may help th Various types in perspective ag: background ofthe al war. ‘Although eare has been taken during the pro- paration of the colour illustrations to convey the {reat variety of colour schemes. and markings which characterized the Luftwaffe, there Is not oom in a book of this size to attempt a compro- hensive ‘survey of that vast and. fascinating ‘subject It is Noped to include 2 shor general chapter on Luftwaffe fighter marking styles in the forthcoming second volume, for the benefit of interested readers The author would tke to express his gratitude to several trends who made invaluable contr- butions during the preparation of this book: to Allred. Pico and Richard "Smith for th {onerous assistance with the text. paricularly those passages dealing with the 81 110 night fightors, the Mo 410 and the Me 262; to EJ Greek’ for his exper advice; 19 Hans Obert, Franz Selinger, Gerhard Joos, Gunther Heise, and Ted Hine of the Imperial War Museum, fo their help with the illustrations; and to. Major Hans-Ekeehard Bob, for making available the detals of the Me 262 which ho flow whi Serving with the remarkable JV 44. Finally, my thanks 10 S.F for patiently typing 20,000 words, the majority of which must have been totally incomprehonsibleto her der to s00 the st the whol Croydon, 1968 mow. © Manin C. Windrow, 1968 ‘© Keith Broomfield, 1968, (© Ronald Perey, 1968. arthur Sturgess, 1968 Series Editor. C. W. Cain First published in England, 1968, by Hyiton Lacy Publishers Limited. Coburg House, Shoot Street, Windsor, Berks, England ‘Second Edition 1971, SBN #5064 057 1 Available in the same series ‘American Fighters Royal Air Force Bombers German Air Force Bombers Royal AirForee Bombers Japanese Navy Bombers German Air Force Fighters Royal AirForce Fighters ‘American Fightors German Air Force Bombers Volume Volume | Volume | Volume It Volume I Volume | Volume tt Volume Printedin England by Mears Caldwell Hackor Limited, London Messerschmitt Bf 109 Willy Messerschmit’simmortal Bf 109 bas won a fame Which far transcends the narrow boundaries of the vation world, and as an almost household word for five years of war is second only to the legendary Spire If asked to name to German aircraft of the 1939-48 period, the man in the stret would un- hesitatingly nominate ether the "Stuka” or the “Me 1097." Its tremendous capacity for progressive deve lopment without major redesign guaranteed place inthe front rank of German ait power for seven Jars, including the whale period of the European war: and i holds the distinction of being the irra bil In fester numbers than any other in the history of aviation, More than 33,000 BY 109's were built be Tween 1936 and 1945; they served on every front to which the Third Reich was commited. during its xstnce, and thee story faithful reflects the chang Ing fortunes of that inglorious empire. Ther short comings have been the subject of thousands of words fof print, But the sheer scope of their reputation is Uinseulble. The BF 109 remains one of the classi rlitary aircraft fal tine. In 1934 the Laftwaf’s fighter units were equipped withthe Heinkel He St and. Arado Ar 68 biplane The fighter biplane sil had five years of useful ie 10 serve, but the day of the amctal monoplane was ‘ning; and in 193 the German Air Minty eld ‘design competition fora fighter replacement, contacts teing avarded to the firms of Heinkel, Arado, Focke Wall, and Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (B-F-W). AS is frequently the case, there was more to the BFW. Contract than was generally known. Willy Mesier- Schmit of BLEW. had been Waging a feud against te Secretary of State for Air, Gen. Eehard Mich, for some years; andasa result BFW. wer na presatious business postion, Bankruptcy was a very real danger sien, in 1933, Meserachmitt and hit comanager Kokothaki obtained scontract froma large Rumanian soup forthe development of a new wansport arral ‘Al that time the German Relehslifabiministerim was dedicated to a policy of expanding the country's air power as quickly as posible, to catch up the lead In miltary aviation which other nations had estab- lished while German aviation was virwally inert, duc {0 the provision ofthe Treaty of Versailles. For one fof the eountey’s aircraft pants to commit self an ‘exclusively export programme a such a ime was litle beter than reason, and Ministry oils lost no time in voicing this opinion to Messerschmit. He not un naturally retorted thatthe company had been forced to accept foreign business by a total lack of home Support andi was then that the fighter development contract was produced, as. Nobody hathoured any’ very sanguine hopes for BREW. ‘sicce inthe competitive trials scheduled to be hed fat Traveminde inthe suturnn of 1935; the company Tacked experince in high-speed combat design Throughout the summer of 1934 Messerschmit’s team worked on thet design, into which they incor porated many of the features which had proved cessful inthe BT 108 Tun Tour sea outer, such leading edge st, sloted fap, anda completly en ‘lowed cockpit; it should be remembered that this fatter was something of a novelty in the mi-1930 The guiding principle was the mayrage of the smallest, practikable airframe withthe most poverful avalable {gine Of al the four competitors, only Focke- Wl ‘managed to obtain one ofthe new Junkers Jumo 2108 engines; Arado, Heinkel and B.P-W. all powered tit Dototypes with the best available foreign engine, the Rolls-Royce Kestrel V. “The prototype BI I09V1 (ll German prototypes were identified by & V-numeral sufi) was regeered DHABI, and bore the factory Werke-Nammner 758 Rolled Gut in September 1935, i was rhe through & hurried series of Might tests by the company pllot Kooetsch, and was then flown tthe Lafwage’s main {est establishment at Rechlin, where the undercarriage ‘ollapsed on landing. Repairs were qucky carried ‘out, and the VI few to Travemdnde in Ine October ‘Realy for tobe Lata ofc n the cocky ofan ‘ES dre the Brea ran Thechearmarkogon Ihe fag ofr poo he aan of as Grape for the all-important competition. The results were a Considerable surprise to German aviation eile: the ‘Ar 8D and Fw 159 were completely outclassed, the Fe 112 was awarded a contract for imited production ‘which later proved a dead end, and. Willy Messer hm’ rank outsider was subsequently selected for Serie production as the Lafwafl's standard sine Seat fighter. “The second prototype flew in January 1936, powered bya Jumo engine: and the similarly powered V3 followed in June. Both had provision for two rilecalibre machine-guns, this being the proposed frmamen fr the production BY 109A fighter; but # ‘vasa period of change in international standards of Slreraft armament, and. the RLM. revised thei equrements after heating rumours of Brain's plans for fouragun Spires and Hurricanes. The BT 109A fever appeared, and the BY 109V4 mounted three MG 17 machine-guns, one of which was later Te placed by a 20 mm cannon mounted inside the engine Cowling and firing through the spinner. The V5, V6 nd V7, intended as production prototypes for the Bf 1098, carried thee machine-guns. In December 1936 the V4 wat sent 10 Spain to make use of the tnigue opportunity offered by the Spanish Civil War for combat asessment of new equipment; the VS and V6 soon followed it south. They began operational testing from Tabada (Seville) early in 1937 ‘By this time preparations for quantity production of the BY 109B at BF-W"'s Augsburg plant were well ‘advanced, and before long a batch of pre-production BB 1098-0's were delivered for service evaluation. The ‘main weaknesses of the design, which were to plague I throughout its career, were already apparent. The Weak, marrow tack undereariage was not robust ‘rough for field condition, and, together with an fncurably “heavy” port wing which caused swerving fn takeoff and landing, was to cause realy five pet ent ofthe total BC 109 prodetion to be writen off in Tn the spring of 1997, the BF 109 entered La/twafe squadron service forthe fist time: two Gruppen of ‘Taedeschwoder 2 "Richthoen” at Bobet Eagrund received the Binal production model, powered by {Jamo 210D engine. Col von Massow’'s JG 2 was the Lifrwafe’s premier ght unt, with direct associa the Fist World War, and had previously Been eaUi ped with He SI biplanes the noses of which were painted red in memory ofthe fighting colours ofthe Tesendary "Circus" of 20 years before. The conversion Usual number of mishaps, mainly due to pilots for. fetting t0 lower the novel retractable undercarriage before touching down’ but after these understandable teething problems had been overcome the men of the Richthoten wing expressed peat satisfaction with their new mounts The Bf 10382 soon followed the B-1 Into service: thi version was powered by a 640 hp. ‘amo I0E driving cence-buit Hamilton two-blade ‘The B-2 won considerable acclaim atthe 1937 Inter national Flying. Meeting. at Zurich, capturing two records, while the BEIQNVI3 prototype won the im ‘While te BE 107 was earning enthusiastic praise for its performance in the peaefUl skis of Switeriand ‘combat plots in a harsher arena fa to the south-west. Ttallan and’ German suppor for General Francisco Bf 1098-7 of the Conder Lesion fer ui 188 phot the ab whe rong Sat ot af Fr ia at Scans’ ack Franco's Nationalist forces inthe Spanish Civil War had been an open secret since the previous year; and logistic assistance soon exalated nt fullscale combat participation. The German expeditionary air force Bote a dramatic name that was soon to rng round the wrod the Condor Legion, Commanded by Genera: Major Sper, with Wolfram von. Rihthofen (a Cousin of Manfted and Lothar, who had served with Overhead se of Bf 0963 daring the Bl of Bra ete the tek comcaane f teo takes of ret ‘Stay emp dingo The heron ar ear ‘icra ofa Grsehwader Kommodore. them in 1918) as the Chie f Sta the Legion nce a Tully integrated airforce wih bomber, ier, Feconnaissance and ground-attack elements aswell ‘arous transport and liaison echelons. The fekter cuipped with He Sts organised into four Stafeln of {Wel ateraft each, Operating around Madrid unt January 1937, the Henkel were quite socesfl atainst the riber motley collection of obsolete air- tral Helded by the Republicans. In February 1937 5188 moved tothe Northern Fron, where they opera ted until June, and it wasin this period thatthe elderly {ypes Soviet Polkarpoy 1-15, and the famous 1-16, Rata” monoplane In March 1937 the fint Bf 109B-1's and. B2 arivedin Spain, andJ 88 was immediately reorganised The fourth Siafel was disbanded, 2.188 took the BT 108s on charge, and the other ewo Siaflen con tinued to fy the He Sl. After the capture of the Republican stronghold a Bilbao in June 1937 the Condor Legion, together with alan ir Force unt began o prepare for a campaign inthe north aimed at the annifiation of the Republican forces: but the Plan misired, The “Rojos™ got their blow in fst With a counterofensve west of Madrid, which drove the’ Nationalists back eleven. miles to Brunete and threatened to smash the whole Fasit ine, Faced with disaster the Nationalist High Command tvew the To ofthe Bf 1090s peated fra shart tne i 193839 Priatdpsctwade 1 nporl Wr Meum whole Condor Legion into the threatened sector. Flying sore afer sori, the He SI's of 1188 and 3/188 bombed and strafed the Republican troops toa Standstil, whe the Messerschmitsof 2.88 escorted Heinkel He 111 bombers of K.88 on high-level raids. ‘The Condor Legions large contribution to the success ofthe Nationalist defence didnot go unnoticed abroad the part played by about biplane in haltingan army ‘vaso glve many foregnattachés food for thought. Tn July and August 88 operated in the north once more and took pat in the capture of Santander and {he campaign ia Asturia, In the ul following these ‘stones the Gruppe was once apnin eoreaited. More BI10¥s had arsved and were issued to 1388: the fourth Stafel was reactivated, and operated He SI's in the ground-attack role alongside 3/188, At that time 188 was commanded by the former OSmpc Gold Medal winner Major Gouthard Handrick, later to command the ete JG 25 "Schigerer" Two ofS Stafel commanders were alzo to become famous aces Opereutnants Latzow and Callan “The unt wa next active in the ferce fighting at Tervel and on the Fro. By the spring of 1938 i was obvious thatthe remaining He SI's were long overdue for replacement. They were concentrated ia 3/188 ‘ead for retirement, te fourth Stafel was once more Aisbanded, andthe Grappe moved to La Cena onthe Mediterranean coast. During the sping a young plot of 146 32 on the Chame! Cor daring te ofthe Bat of Pras, cra Jos, 4 BF IDEAIN of logegerce& obling dip BN et, el aro peer rived from Germany on is fst tou in Spaing his mime was Werner Molders, ad on May 2th be took ‘over command of 388 from Adolf Galland. The Tongawaited Mesterchmits for 3:88 didnot arrive tnt July Galland reluctantly returned home before betting the chance to led a BF 109 squadron, He had Sieady stretched is tour of Spanish sevice far teyond the normal period; usually plots srved in Sine rotation, so that se many as posible could make tie of this unigue opportunity for combat training ‘uring “peacetime ‘The weve fighters for which 31.88 gratefully for ook’ their elderly Heinkel in July 1938 were BY 1O9C-1s: they brought the tua BE 19 strength ofthe Condor Legion to 48. (Originally 48 BY 1098's had teen delivered, but nine were lst in action) The (Cimode dere from ts predecessors in both power- Plant and armament the engine was the ume 210G Of 685 hp, and four 7:92 mm. MG 17's were earied, two inthe wings and two in the cowling. was at aout ths time that the Lesion pilots began to employ new fying facie which were to ve them an edge” {ver Allie airmen in the opening sages of the Second World War, As a result of combat experience in Spain, the men of 184 “threw the book away", abandoned the lage and unwck’y formations thea Staller and move Nexible soups organised around the rotte~a pair of fighters covering each other. TWO rotten ae ups schvar, loose finger-four grouping information fying. Development work on the Bf 109 continued un- sited, and by December 1938 1/388 had new Iachine to tes in ation, The BY 109D stemmed from the VIS prototype, and was powered by 2 960 hp. Daimler-Benz DB 600 engine which gave the prod tion Det version a top speed of 821 mph. The Armament consisted of two MG 17's inthe wings ad ‘one engine-mounted MG FF cannon. "The latter had proved unsatisfactory when fist este inthe Br 109V', brut had now reached an acceptable level of relab ly, The long-range firepower of the Bt 109D was exploited by the Condor Legion with considerable fuccese over Catalonia atthe close ofthe yer. the event, only 250 Bf 109-1 ere built; not because of any shortcomings but simply because they swore overtaken by the next signicant step in the ‘development ofthe Messrechit ite. By the time Jagigeschnader Thad re-equpped with the D-model ‘hich was alo sold to Switzeriand and Hungary in ‘small numbers) the BU 10SE was the entre of aten- tion. The new DB. 60 direct inetion supercharged engine offered 1,100 hp and two prototypes were ‘duicky prepared with the new powerplant stale. ‘The BE [09V14 and VIS difered only in armament sind when the Vi4 was shown to be the more promis {ng configuration, a preprodvetion order for ten BE 10pE-s was awarded, the aicraft to mount (60 MG 17'sin thecowiing and an MG FF cannon in each ‘ving. The st production Bt 109E-1s appeared in the participate in the closing stages of the Civil Wat. ‘When the Candor Lepion came home they left many slreraf forthe Spanish Air Force, including some Bt TO9E-'s. These were to soe on in Spanish colours for an amazingly long time—one, originally coded (6106, Werke Nv. 790, Was not grounded for use as an Instructional aime until 988! "The Bf 109E-1 was a formidable fighter by any igeratioal standards, Hs top speed of 353 mp. twas rather lower than that” of the Supermarine Spitfire: but it wae unrivalled at altitudes above 20000 feet. It mmst also be borne in mind. that Germany was to have many more Messeschmitts fvallable when the moment of decision came, thin Briain was to have Spitfires, Massive production Programmes were iited, and. the" Aussburs ‘sembly Tne had to be moved to Regensburg through Silt 9. came, HOE 1961 ‘eget hangars are typi ofthe period. (Hans Obert. lack of space; the Augsburg facilities were now as more the required forthe B10, Sub-contacting plants incu ded Abo, 1 WINE. OF the 13a BI 109s de 1939, es than 150 were ‘actually built by the parent company ters of Poland on ent September It 1939, no less than 1,085 BF 10s were ‘on strength: ofthese, 850 were E- or E-1/B versions, e E-/B was a fighe-bombe. conve The “Eni” stared on in vray of second edt ‘Tr blag phased oo of serie nh he Sagar ints maki wich male dite heay acing om ‘rapt ald te nthe way, bears he “Wasp be ad EST Cb\ ep the Seah Fleke Ine f lunder these nightmare conditions won for their Country the admiration ofthe world but, inevitably. Poland went dow into the darkness, Tih case with which the BI 109 gained its fist battle honour, both in Spain and in Poland, gave rise 10 4 rong but fate sense of nvinibly among many highly placed German offers. In either campaign ‘nad theEmil” been faced with anything approaching fan equal adversary; the enemy was outnumbered ‘eelng from ferce pressure on the ground, ad ying ‘uldated aircraft. The fst ae battle withthe ALE, ‘id nothing to dpe this overconfidence, On Deven ter 18th, 1939, a famous action took place over the German’ Bight, when 24 Wellingion bombers from Nou, 37, and 109 Sqns. RAF. made a daylight ‘aid on the shipping lanes off Wilbelmshaven. They ‘were intercepted; after some nial confusion on the round, by BY 109s of JG 1 and the newly formed 3G'77, togeter with a force of BF 110", Twehe ‘etlingions were detoyed for the Tost of 0 Messerschmits: hardly a suprising result when one ‘onsiers that the Wellingtons had no fighter escort {One ofthe 156 77 plots who claimed two bombers, wae Lt. Johannes Steinhof.later to become famous {the Kommodore of JG 77" Hers and as an Me262 Jetpilot At the ime of writing General Steinhot sone ‘ofthe most senior offers in the Federal German Air The machines which took part inthis action were 53 subtypes of batch newly delivered to the Jagdgeschwader: With an armament of fout machine js and an engine mounted cannon, the BI 109E-3 tras one ofthe most wily used version of he sere, twa the standard Latwafe day fighter fom the late futuma of 1939 unit late autumn 1949; during the Inter year some 11870 machiges of the Type, were delivered. Numbers were also sold abroad —40 10 Hungary, five to Russia, two to Japan, 73 to Jugo slavia, 15 0 Bulgaria, 16 to Slovalia, and no less than, ‘010 Switzerland, where they were operated by Fler Komparnien 8.15 and 21 ofthe Suis Air Force. Tm Apel 1940, 30 Bf 1Q9E-¥ of the fist Gruppe of JG'7T provided fier cover forthe invasion of 'Norway’and Denmark; thy eacountered litle oppos ‘dom, the brief But bitter revstance ty the hand of NNorwepian and Britsh Gladiator plots being mainly directed at the bombers. So it was with rowing onfdence thatthe ightr Safes of Laffoten 2 and 3 mustered on the westemn borders of Germany in April and May 1940, to await the start of their most Important conquest. Some 850 BY 109E% were aval able (0JG'S 3,26 Schlageter", 2,81 82,83" Peds And S4-"Grinhers when, om Ma TOR, the “phoney war’ came toa sudden and bloody end. "The French. drmce de I'ir mustered some 530 fighters, the majority of them obsolescen, organised {nto_23 Groupes de Chasse, The Morane-Saulie 405 eauipped eleven Growpes; four Rew the American (Carts Have 75A; the emtinder operated ether the (ied Jor grounbattck missions the Geer camp ira Selinger To famous twat fhe pis: Ma Gimer m tom an hfe 363 misson we fing with 66 disappointing Bloch MB. and 152 fighters, or the excellent litle Dewoitine 520. The Belgian Aero Inrigue Militaire had only elven Hawker Hurrane Mk. 's, based at Diest with the 2nd. Bical Ist Groupe 27 lalian Fiat CR.A2byplanes ofthe 2nd Groupe at Niels; and 15 Gloster Gladiators with the Ist Eradrile, Ist Groupe at Dest. Many French and Belgian machines wee destroyed on the ground by the VR -AB,foeraner of th 1 1008 series pulersing bombing raids which ushered inthe dawn was brushed aside without difleulty by the clouds of| BB 108% which covered both the bombers and the Aavancing Panzer divisions. Holland's tiny force of Fotker DXXts and G-l's put_up gallant and ‘etermined resistance, but the specd of the German ound advance was so. great that aircraft woul find thatthe aield had. been capured in tei absence: They were soon engulfed by the tide of fighters, bombers, and dive-ombers which blazed Holland was forced to capitulate on May 18th, and Belgium less than a fortnight later. During the est of May and June, the Freach and Brish squadrons were cootinuoutly inaction, but they 100 were ford to accept defeat—for atime The combined weight of the airand ground offensves proved foo much for ‘ven the most spirited defences the squadrons were the ground, constantly being forced to retreat from ield to afi, leaving their ground organisations {ar behind: after destroying some'80 German array, they were finally decimated. The survivors of the RAF, squadrons fetumed to England, and France finaly signed an ignominious armistice on June 22nd French loses had been enoemous, and the Beith force alone had lost move than 450 sireaft. “The fst encounters with Spitfires took place over the beaches of Dunkirk few, and carefully husbanded, the sleok new fighters had not ben committed tothe Battle of France. They soon showed themschis the cauals of the Meserchmitts: but the numbers en faved were foo smal to make any major German receatary. Geran intligence ourees consistently and dsatrouly underestimated he numbers of fighiers and pilots availabe to the RA. and the fighting spirit ofthe English popula lick Hp, Rolf Piel Gruppenkommanisut of 4G 36 ar foe to So neg Dot fe a ‘af aps wih exelent arts: Ungerial War tion. Allin all, the Lftwafe could Took forward tothe ‘Confidence; their optimism semed solidly founded on SSmunbroken record of victory i the past “The air operations rendering. Great Blain spe for invasion by sa and ai opened with a Series of attacks on shipping and coastal targets. Many writers have insisted on dividing the Bale of Beitain into varying numbers of phases, each

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