World War II: The 13 Hours That Saved Britain | Free Documentary History

[@morenofranco9235]

As an ex-Army Flight Lieutenant, now 70, looking at all these 'old people' give their accounts - I am forced to remember that I was 14, or 18 once. I still feel 24. But age is age - and Wisdom always has It's Own Story. Thanks, Free Documentary.

[@caustic7480]

Thank you for your service to us all 🫶🫡

[@havennewbowtow8835]

My teacher last year of primary school in 1972, Mr Walker was in the thick of this battle. He flew a spitfire, he flew throughout the war. He instilled a deep appreciation in me for the sacrifice of WW2 and in particular the RAF. He was a fine human being.

[@ernestdougherty3162]

Thanks for sharing that info with us and God bless him and all all of the men and women who served in World War II to keep us free my both my grandfathers my dad's father was in the European theater and my grandfather on my mother's side was in the Pacific Theater he work for General MacArthur both great man LED great lives much appreciation even today I thank them everyday even though they're no longer with us

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Hats off to Mr Walker and his ilk. I too was educated in the 1970s by men who had fought during WW2. A tough inner city school, where NONE dare show disrespect in front of the teachers (and strangely enough no accusations of historical sexual abuse either). How we need their like back amongst us again.

[@havennewbowtow8835]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 couldn’t agree more, there is a clip on YT featuring Ian Wright and the teacher who pretty much fathered him through deep routed problems. It is so very powerful in its simplicity.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@havennewbowtow8835 Absolutely Havennew. My physics teacher in particular was a father figure to many. An ex-RAF officer from the late 1940s / early 1950s. He took no messing but also supported and directed us "clueless teenagers" in our behavior & attitudes. Sure it didn't work with everyone, but I served 30 years in the fire service, and others went on to succesful careers in the forces & other sectors, and I personally put a lot of my grounding down to him. Unfortunately the divisive globalist powers that be are putting "wimmin" into the ascendancy especially in education.... in my view its just another thread of the imbalance thats contributing to the rapid decline in society.

[@havennewbowtow8835]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 that’s exactly why many boys become emancipated men. The transition from boy to man is now directed by feminine principals. There’s a price to pay on this, when these women need masculine men they won’t be around.

[@spideywhiplash]

This is one of the BEST, if not the BEST, War documentary. So well made and with the constant subtitles telling whom each person was and their age during the bombings. Keeps one immersed in all their story's. Can't get better than that!

[@williamgrant8890]

Im so proud of that generation if it wasnt for these brave men and women I probably wouldnt be here. Thank you ❤

[@andrewnicholson4811]

and look at us now ... was it worth it ??

[@daveballin]

​@@andrewnicholson4811 Boy are you a bitter little person...

[@davidpietarila699]

It’s disappointing to know that I will never have the opportunity to buy one of these men a drink.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

You can put some flowers on their graves. Many are completely forgotten.

[@realdjoffski]

You can buy their children or famililes a drink mate

[@davidpietarila699]

@@realdjoffski their families didn’t do what they did.

[@kurtbjorn3841]

I was a U.S. Cold War fighter pilot. We knew very well the history of the BOB, and to this day, my respect for the British people is undiminished. I spent time at Mildenhall... the pubs were infamous. ;-) In my old age, I fly Boeings across the Atlantic, and I love my time spent in London, such history. U.K. airmen were/are superb aviators, always will be.

[@Bcheneir]

Thank you for you’re service in the Cold War you are appreciated

[@fangslaughter1198]

Did you ever make it to our lovely little Airforce base in Germany. CFB Baden Soellingen?

[@kurtbjorn3841]

@@fangslaughter1198 - No, CFB Lahr was our host at that time when in Germany. The Canadians were just crazy fun guys, could out-drink and out-crud everybody!

[@fangslaughter1198]

@@kurtbjorn3841 Lahr was our Big Base. Baden was tiny. 4CAG was based there. As well as an Infantry Battalion. I was a private in the infantry. I actually spent 30 days in Lahr. I was in detention. Lol. A guest of the Queen. I loved Germany. Cold War I, was hell. But someone had to go overseas and party for 4 years. Lol. But it was a stressful time. We did excellent training. NATO/Canada spared no expense. 80% live fire. Thanks for your service Sir.

[@christophercooper5843]

Thank you for your service sir

[@johnfiler6448]

Really powerful and well presented video on the Battle of Britain. We must never forget that many of these RAF pilots gave their tomorrow for our today. Well done and thank you.

[@hazeldmello5800]

The most amazing, courageous, gutsy people in the world, the Brits, the Brits, the Brits. Salute you all, men, women and children. God bless.

[@rabwil]

it was the Polish who saved little england, Brit is a term used by ignorant people,no such country as britain 'prove me wrong or admit your thick.

[@comptpublic8149]

The Channel stand alone but the french have build a tunnel.

[@alanjm1234]

​@@rabwilif the Poles were so fantastic why didn't they save Poland? The Polish squadron were excellent, but don't be ridiculous. The RAF had pilots from all over the world, and all contributed, but it's an obvious fact that the vast majority were British.

[@jacksimpson-rogers1069]

Not just the Brits, although most of the "common" people were as courageous, but the London folk took and refused to be beaten to an extent that none of the rest of us had to face. Even so, when my family moved from Scotland to Northern Ireland, in 1950, my teacher Ernest Montgomery, "Monty", of Physics and eventually Advanced Mathematics had been heroic enough to interrupt his teaching career in Northern Ireland, move to the far more dangerous SE of England, and work on the radar that in no small way brought victory to the RAF in the Battle of Britain.

[@westwonic]

​@@rabwil'Your thick' ? Pot /kettle.....

[@mickkent1826]

First class documentary, commentary by the participants of both sides really gives a clear eyed perspective of what it was like at the time. I will never get tired of listening to Bob Doe.

[@alcoholfree6381]

A remembrance of a time when a great country rose up to stand and repulse evil. Tough times reveal tough people. I’m sure that we, the USA, will some day in the future, have to stand and show our meddle. Watching this give me hope. Thanks for giving us this inspirational documentary!

[@arkadas1411]

A "great country" whose all the riches are stolen by force, murder, man slaughter, slavery and colonialism to name a few Yeah, a "GREAT COUNTRY"

[@effingandjeffing7569]

@@arkadas1411 So much hate in you. Your life must be miserable.

[@ranchman12]

@@arkadas1411 Damn Marxist Revolutionaries. Y'all are next on our list.

[@CW-rx2js]

@@effingandjeffing7569 what she is saying is true..Britain did do many evil deeds themselves...ask the countries they colonised. But in this case, they did stand up to Nazism

[@Inappropriately-Appropriate]

Lol.... Look at you now.... With that old hairsniffer in charge, you don't stand a chance!

[@CameTo]

I remember walking over the Moors in North West England with my grandad as a kid, and he looked over and said "I used to play up here when I was your age, and when war started, I'd come up here and see Manchester over there just a big orange glow as it burned night after night. It was then I decieded I'd join the RAF and help get my own back." And like many, very shortly after that birthday, he joined the RAF as a mechanic. Many stories

[@hughwebb2834]

Weather

[@colinfrancis1337]

Liverpool too.

[@cherimolina2121]

Thanks. Great documentary! Thank You..all who served and still serve! God Bless!

[@Colin-kh6kp]

“Never was so much owed by so many to so few”- Churchill

[@bngh12ful]

Except polish pilots who were charged for every bullet, lunch, uniform in polish gold deposited in bank of england just before war started to keep it safe

[@garyseeseverything8615]

20 countries saving the RAF is few? America saved Britain but you don’t read so you have no clue!

[@garyseeseverything8615]

@@bngh12ful poles were discriminated and mistreated by the British look into it in 1940

[@CW-rx2js]

@@garyseeseverything8615 that's not true..in the early years, America did mostly nothing

[@garyseeseverything8615]

@@CW-rx2js supplying money and raw material is nothing? What kind of guy would say such a thing? Nothing new under the sun most of you on here are clueless.

[@MotionMcAnixx]

Battle of Britain holds up as a movie very well. So many visuals used here.

[@1339LARS]

Yes I agree, except for the bf109:s they are spanish! //Lars

[@MotionMcAnixx]

@@1339LARS did you ever hear this story. The 109s were ferried to UK from Spain over France. They were painted in German colours - you know to save time.

[@MotionMcAnixx]

@@1339LARS imagine some French farmer looking up and seeing Squadrons of German liveried 109s

[@jimbo43ohara51]

What a blessing it was for the British to have that stretch of water between them and the Continent. At least it gave them a fighting chance. Otherwise German tanks would have bulldozed the place and given them no chance. This really was one instance where good triumphed over evil.

[@deldelahaye3811]

@@1339LARS They were indeed Spanish Hispano Buchons ,with Merlin engines, ex Spanish Air Force , so the side profile was not very Messerschmidt..As were the Spanish He-111 Merlin engines bombers.. In 1967, when the aerial footage was shot, there were no " real " German Me 109s that were airworthy. Most of the footage was shot in Spain, but the shots with German and British aircraft dog fighting were done in UK.. Useless fact> During the making of the film, Spitfire productions owned over 100 military aircraft...and it was officially recognized as the 35th world air power. I spent 2 years of my life working on the film...

[@raychernoff1135]

I CAN WATCH THIS STUFF OVER AND OVER

[@carolempluckrose4188]

When I joined up in 1971 we had Master Pilots who were NCO pilots during The Battle of Britain. They were no longer flying but had become Air Traffic Controllers. We all said that they had forgotten more than we would ever know. They were highly regarded by each and every one of us in ATC in the '70's.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Thank God for their service, and also thank you for yours as well Carole. All the best.

[@saintlybeginnings]

This was a very interesting point of view documentary. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that utilizes the views of the children of a time of war in such a way. It was interesting the things they remembered/ felt/ experienced.

[@shanemcdowall]

Keith Park's grand-nephew , Dr Rodney Park, was my dentist up until about five years ago when he retired. He passed away in early August 2023. He told me he had visited his relative's HQ and was warmly received.

[@terryowings5667]

May God bless your family for the freedoms we all have today!

[@mazury450]

Approximately 1 in 6 German planes on that day were shot down by Polish pilots. They were remarkable pilots, largely in 2 Polish squadrons, 302 and 303.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Complete rubbish Mareczek, Polish 303 Squadron had the highest confirmed kill rate of 58.5 kills during the battle, and therefore Polish 302 Squadron had less than that figure. I cannot find the individual kill tally for 302 Polish squadron but being less than 303's 58.5 kills I suggest total Polish kills during the battle were around 100 kills, That is 100 kills from the total luftwaffe losses of +1900 aircraft, therefore the Poles accounted for approximately one luftwaffe aircraft in twenty, and NOT six. The top scoring pilots in fighter command during the battle of Britain were as follows. Eric Lock - 21 James Lacey - 18 Archie McKellar - 17.5 Josef Frantisek - 17 Colin Gray - 15.5 Seems to be a distinct lack of Polish names there to support your claim of Polish "super pilots". But this is not me demeaning the Polish fliers who we still gratefully honour to this day at EVERY remembrance day parade I've attended over the last 40 years in the UK, but merely to deflate your baseless claims which seek to demean the courage of ALL the pilots of fighter command in order to inflate the effectiveness of the Poles.

[@mazury450]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 I suggest that you read my comment properly before trying to "rubbish" it, as you will then see that I was writing about the kill rate "on that day", i.e. the key day of the Battle of Britain, that the documentary is about. The figures I have are fully documented and available to all. However, I am not quite sure where your figures are from, as again, it is quite well documented that Polish pilots shot down about 200 enemy planes during the Battle. And that is despite the fact that they came into action quite late in the Battle in August, which makes their record even more remarkable. There is much information on line, especially from the Imperial War Museum and RAF Museum at Hendon. If you are genuinely interested in the background history of the Polish pilots in the Battle and subsequently, I can suggest 2 books - "The Forgotten Few", by Adam Zamoyski and "For Your Freedom and Ours". So please, before you write any further comments accusing me of making "baseless claims", research the subject, as I have done for many years and you will find there is also a truly remarkable story behind these remarkable statistics.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@mazury450 On this occasion Mareczek, my comment is indeed off the mark. I've responded to your disingenuous posts on a few other threads, and omitted on this occasion to check the title of the particular video. Please do direct me to a reputable source which verifies the 200 kills. Unfortunately in the current "Brit hating" revisionist period we're being forced into, even the Imperial War Museum website now quotes incorrect information and passes it off as "official", vis-à-vis 303 squadron claiming 126 kills, but the IWM omits to use the ALL important word "claimed", and leaves the uninformed reader to believe it means "confirmed", when the post war RAF verification process credited 303 squadron with 58.5 CONFIRMED kills.

[@mazury450]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 Firstly, please stick to the discussion points rather than trying character assassination of someone you know absolutely nothing about. Trying to "rubbish" my remarks or call them "disingenuous" has no place on these discussion boards. Secondly, I have no idea why you are bringing up the subject of "Brit hating" here, many of the Poles we are writing about sacrificed their lives for this country and for our freedom. Thirdly, to the matter in point, here is the information from the RAF Museum, "Once committed to action, the Poles flew and fought superbly, shooting down 203 enemy aircraft for the loss of 29 pilots killed. No. 303 Squadron became the most successful Fighter Command unit in the Battle, shooting down 126 German machines in only 42 days". I'm sure they have had plenty of time in the last 81 years to verify these figures. If you still don't agree with them, I would suggest you get in touch with the RAF, I am sure they will be delighted to hear from you. And if I may make a final point, it would be to suggest that you also look beyond the statistics and into the background of these pilots, I suggested earlier a couple of books, you might find the subject quite a revelation.

[@PacoOtis]

Excellent reminder!!!

[@seventhson27]

Churchill: How many reserves do we have left. Parks: None. That had to have been a very chilling moment.

[@rmdgly]

That would've been terrifying, just the fact alone knowing that the Germans could've succeeded at that moment. Its a miracle we were able to drive them back.

[@simonhunter8338]

In poker its called...ALL IN

[@needley]

Thank you. The footage is amazing.

[@eastlothian98]

clips from The Battle of Britain movie, you're welcome

[@alexdahn5329]

I never tire of WWII stories. It fills me with horror. We had a very lucky , no miraculous, escape.

[@craigwilcox4403]

The stories of WW II fill me with admiration for the many men and women who had the temerity, the guts, to fight Evil on so many varied fronts.

[@davidstegne2044]

Truly their finest hour

[@abhishekgaur761]

It's worth watching Thank you

[@petermalloy5360]

Commonwealth pilot's from Poland,SthAfrica,Australia,NewZealand and French fought alongside The British pilots to win this Huge Cause.

[@patryan1375]

@petermalloy5360 According to public records, there were very few French pilots in the battle. You missed out a very important group both in Fighter and Bomber command - the Canadians. They also flew reconnaissance flights on difficult and dangerous missions to photograph the Normandy beaches before D-day. They also sent us food when we were starving. My mother started every meal with a prayer "God bless Canada for sending us this food." it's one of my most vivid memories of the war and i was only two when it started. 🇨🇦💕

[@WilliamEvans-xy5og]

Poland is a good friend Australia New Zealand and Canada and south Africa are common wealth Many respects

[@kensimdall705]

547 Pilots from other nations to be exact, who flew alongside over 2500 british pilots. Heroes every one !

[@Chainyanker007]

In those days the Spitfire pilots had a life expectancy of 4 weeks, yet there was no end to the no. of men who volunteered to become fighter pilots. They might not have known the life expectancy but surely they knew the great danger they faced. Very brave men.

[@MilitaryTalkGuy]

excellent documentary. I know the USA and Uk were once at war but that was many generations ago. Now, I feel like they are our closest allies in the world. What those fighter pilots did for the UK that day was awe inspiring. The spitfire and hurricane both played such an important role in stopping the German advance.

[@WilliamEvans-xy5og]

USA and UK was a brother dispute

[@thomasnewton8997]

Thank you to those brave men in the RAF in WW2

[@chuckselvage3157]

Outstanding. Thanks for this.Britain we salute you.

[@brothersofthetrident2647]

Oh boy this is amazing

[@marvwatkins7029]

Great production in every way: reenacting, first hand accounts, and if any of those planes etc. were CGI, amazing indeed. Well done.

[@seanmalloy7249]

At least the two Bf109s in the thumbnail are replicas or built outside of Germany;the shape of the nose indicates that they're fitted with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, not the Daimler-Benz engines mounted in the planes produced by Messerschmitt.

[@garnetgourlay3988]

From the land down under.There will always be an England .

[@bonkerslez91]

You fine folks down under stood with us from the very beginning

[@keinenbockmehr1749]

There is one thing to be learned about the Brits from all of this: Their Island may be rainy, grey and way too polite... But they can become the most dangerous dogs of war you will ever see, if their home is threatened! Good sport, old chap! I salute you!

[@normalizedinsanity4873]

BS nastionalism

[@arthurrytis6010]

@keinenbockmehr. Sorry to say , our home is now threatened by a much more insidious enemy. But I don’t see many English men putting up any sign of a struggle.

[@keinenbockmehr1749]

Yeah... times are changing. I think that these days many people just hope that it will all work out in the end. The will to fight for things seems to slowly die out... Here in Germany for example a pretty-right-wing-party gets more and more votes... It really pisses me of, that all I can do against that is to keep voting a different party. But I have a few friends who are content with just letting things figure themselves out... I am 100% convinced, when things go downhill THEY will be the first to complain that no one did anything. A similar thing, I am sure, will happen on your side of the channel!@@arthurrytis6010

[@manuelaguirre1062]

​@@keinenbockmehr1749good luck to all freedom loving people, but most dont realize that we've been told the b.s version of ww1 and ww2. Keep digging.

[@davidhull3652]

Dont watch it then, 🤡​@@normalizedinsanity4873

[@wellsgb1957]

It’s sad to see all this effort and carnage the British people went through, and then see today’s London.😢

[@officialJoebiden]

yes exactly

[@FlgOff044038]

@@officialJoebiden Multi culturalism is the cause of all this deconstruction of our culture. This evil philosophy is destroying the commonwealth as well.

[@officialJoebiden]

@@FlgOff044038 yep they keep black washing us on the tv putting mixed Race families on adds and Muslims

[@NicholasWarnertheFirst]

What are you whingeing on about? London is one of the few places in England that hasn't disappeared up its own drainpipe over Brexshit, unlike the easily led plebs in the provinces.

[@hmalik5232]

@@NicholasWarnertheFirst Brexit was a bad idea and has been a disaster. The EU had some bad policies but we’re better off in the EU overall.

[@elizabethnicoll]

im such proud Brit of all of those brave young men who sacrificed their lives so we have lived ours In relative freedom. To anyone who lost a grandfather or father at the time they deserved every medal they earned! my dad was born in 1940 mum 1946 Sadly neither is her anymore.

[@elizabethnicoll]

And now the Scottish fishy minister wants to leave the union for personal goals, I already voted NO.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@elizabethnicoll The most important thing to do Elizabeth is to attempt to "deprogram" young people from the globalist BS that they're now brainwashed with in UK schools.

[@marksheridan4421]

Thank god for Stuffy Dowding and Keith Park

[@Mr55Blue]

Thanks!

[@clareshaughnessy2745]

I’ve watched this whole thing with a huge lump in my throat. Truly the greatest generation. Oh, and The guy who said ‘we’re going to have chicken tonight, dave’ was David Jason’s brother

[@2centsworth766]

I had an uncle, my dad's brother who fought most of the war in the infantry. Was on the front lines most of the time. Never wounded but almost died from a bottle of poisoned wine left by the Germans.

[@flparkermdpc]

Yours is the second account of such a poisoning I'm aware of. The other was Canadian,who did not survive.

[@WilliamEvans-xy5og]

Sorry to hear Many respects from 🇬🇧

[@antblair4079]

God bless those brave men and women who defended my homeland. Respect, total respect for all of them, thank you AU

[@WilliamEvans-xy5og]

Or 🇦🇺 Many respects brother from 🇬🇧

[@jondenmark9577]

Alot of braves boys died on that day RIP lads no HEROES

[@andrewbrimner8823]

Sometimes being underestimated becomes the turning point of a war courage honour anger uncontrallable desire to reak vengence

[@farzadsaremi66]

I love it thanks 👍👍🙏🙏

[@musashidanmcgrath]

Even more remarkable was that that, prior to this, the Luftwaffe had destroyed the entire French air force and 1,000 - mostly fighters - RAF aircraft in the battle for main land Europe. My grandfather was in the RAF for the whole war. He barely escaped Dunkirk on the very last convoy.

[@theylietoyouall.5051]

If this happened today we wouldn't stand a chance. "the fighter pilot called me a mean word, I'm going home"

[@BenState]

huh?

[@comptonghost9013]

What are you talking about??

[@kaptainkaos1202]

Did you serve?

[@stephenmichalski2643]

Darn.....almost watched on the very day.....oh well......have to watch again in 2 days.....always an amazing story.

[@craigwilcox4403]

Dad was a USN officer, and we relocated to the south of London in September, 1951. Had my 6th birthday on the ship going over. There were still huge piles of brick rubble here and there, gaping holes where houses or businesses had been. We had gas masks hanfing in the garage, and air raid drills about once a month - there was a concrete shelter across the street where we would all go. Usually, several women would serve tea. Many things were still on ration, and I remember the day that sugar went off ration, and one could buy candy without your little booklet of ration tickets. Guess what I spent me weekly 6 p on??!!

[@ghandimauler]

Sadly, in the sad days of the present, we may yet find a reason to be worried about missile attacks from a dictator... I know the Allies were tired at the end of 1945, but Churchill maybe had the right idea to take the Russians on after Germany fell. He recognized the Soviet system as a threat to world security. Of course, the Allies may well not have won, but it wasn't something anyone had the stomach for by 1945. Now this generations kids, and the Ukrainians, may yet see war in Europe again (or still for the Ukrainians already fighting).

[@craigwilcox4403]

@@ghandimauler Totally agree. Patton was another who wanted to proceed East. Six or seven years of war, however, had worn many down to a nub. Stalin had the manpower, but lacked logistics, and without help from the USA, probably would have succumbed to the western allies. The world had had enough of war, and many thought Stalin was a good leader. Wasn't for a few years that his totality of evil became known.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

I was born in 1949 and grew up in Coventry, a very heavily bombed city. In the 1950s there were 'bomb sites' everywhere. Rows of houses with one or two missing. There were bomb craters everywhere, as kids we used to play in them, some were 20 feet deep.

[@pmullins1495]

"Allies" murdered Gen Patton BECAUSE of his advocacy to push Russia out of Western Europe back across Russian borders. Patton understood the Soviet menace . Appeasers prevailed (& became overnight wealthy?)

[@enkilm]

And the guns of Spitfires were peashooters instead of the later cannons that they were equipped and they were also given armour behind the pilot due to a speech by Churchill.

[@XNY_Music]

You can fly a Spitfire if you get Microsoft Flight Simulator and an XBOX Series X to play it on. It's the only way you can experience the speed and agility of that incredible machine, not to mention revel in the awesome sound of its Rolls Royce Merlin engine.

[@westoneuler4065]

War Thunder my man. It’s a fun game🤙🏼

[@mitchellhawkes22]

13 hours that saved Britain. Not to mention the 13,000 hours that preceded it. Or the 130,000 hours that followed it. Don't forget about those other hours.

[@WilliamEvans-xy5og]

Who can forget the other 12hours no one Many respects from 🇬🇧

[@robertglennon657]

We couldn't have done it without the check and polish flyers God bless them all

[@garyseeseverything8615]

No even with Polish RAF could not win without ability to build massive amounts of planes. America saved Britain with lend lease and American high octanes for slow spitfires man up take 2 min to google what I’m saying. Over 20 countries came to the help of RAF

[@robertglennon657]

@@garyseeseverything8615 Yes witch the ukstopped paying back America 10 years ago.

[@garyseeseverything8615]

@@robertglennon657 I love the ww2 Polish however the British constantly lied about war events that never happened. To say the spitfire in 1940 war equal to a me109e4 is joke darn plane didn’t even have fuel injection and was pumped American 100 octanes because the Brits were doomed from the start.

[@robertglennon657]

Is that why when gouring asked his airforce whst they needed to best the raf he said give me a squadron of spitfires.?

[@garyseeseverything8615]

@@robertglennon657 you don’t read because if you did your laugh too! They all were a upset with Goering for tying up the fighters to fly along side bombers. Obviously puts the me109 at a huge disadvantage so they said since we’re all gonna get shot down anyways might as well be sitting in cheaply made British made spitfires so we don’t throw away quality German planes.

[@michaelwilliams8297]

Excellent documentary.

[@wolveneyeswolveneyes9099]

Yanks would have you believe it was their entry into the war which saved Britain, but in truth we collectively as a nation owe our salvation to those courageous , valiant and heroic boy's of the royal air force who stood against the entire Luftwaffe. We owe so much to so few.

[@tellyonthewall8751]

AND the members of the empire .. Canada, Australian, New Zeeland and India delivered more to the fighting than the yanks, but you only hear "the bloody yank tribute" .. not to forget the 2 Polish squadrons (best score of sqdr's in RAF) the Norwegian, the French and so on ... Look at the ending .. the rolling text in the '69 film, there you see the mix

[@nickdanger3802]

@@tellyonthewall8751 "The Second Battle of El Alamein was a turning point in the North African campaign. It ended the long fight for the Western Desert, and was the only great land battle won by the British and Commonwealth forces without direct American participation." BBC Fact File : Second Battle of El Alamein on line

[@nickdanger3802]

Where did the RAF's avgas come from? What machine guns were in Hurries and Spits?

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@nickdanger3802 Where did the Luftwaffe's fuel come from? How bout the Aluminium for its airframes, and the steel in its weapons?

[@nickdanger3802]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 1938 "Let the House remember that we buy our aviation spirit mostly from the United States or South America, or the Dutch East Indies. Supplies from the Dutch East Indies would have to run the gauntlet of the Mediterranean and, as to the supplies from the United States, under the Neutrality Act of 1937, the export from the United States of what can be clearly defined as munitions, is prohibited in case of war, to either of the combatants, whether the combatant is a victim or an aggressor. The President has also power to prohibit the export of things which are in his judgment ancillary to the conduct of war. It is clear that under these conditions the export of aviation spirit to this country from the United States might well be prohibited, if we were involved in a war, even though we were the victims and not the aggressors." below 1444 Hansard FINANCE BILL. HC Deb 26 May 1938, on line

[@hannahdavies7388]

This really is good

[@jhoncho4x4]

I have heard before in another doc, that a fresh shipment of higher octane aviation fuel from America, gave the Spitfire's the ability to use full engine power and an edge over the German fighters, during this crucial day of the battle.

[@bryanduncan1640]

@jhonocho4x4 - probably more to do with the two-stage supercharger fitted to the Spitfires!

[@jhoncho4x4]

@@bryanduncan1640 Agree the supercharging helps; from my understanding, the boost amount was adjustable and more was available due to the higher octane fuel. Without enough octane to compensate for the additional boost, engine detonates (pre-ignition). The charts I have seen showed that the octane the Luftwathe was using, was much lower; around 80 vs 120+. In todays world, one would be the lowest, standard grade automotive fuel and the other would be racing fuel that you only buy at the track or special purchase. When the Wehrmarcht got into the Soviet Union, the fuel octane was so low that they sometimes had trouble running their engines with it. The Soviets domestic engines used lower compression engines. I always wondered how this affected lend lease equipment. I know they was sold converted diesel engined tanks. I think that had more to do with their Tanks being diesel powered and supply lines. The Studebaker supply trucks? Low compression engines? Lend-lease fuel to power them?

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

Thats a myth. England was still using its own supply of fuel during the Battle of Britain. My grandfather was there that day and helped defend our homeland from the Nazi’s. I am deeply proud of both my countries, U.K. and America. I am a dual national since birth.

[@CameTo]

Hi, this isn't accurate. The Germans aircraft were faster and had more power in bursts, as they used MW50 when they required extra power for a limited time. The spitfires 2nd stage supercharger was to help the engine fly higher in the thinner air. The initial "boost" was perhaps a misleading word. The spitfire can barely achieve level flight without using this "boost" and to cruise with boost 4-8 would be normal. They didn't measure manifold pressure, just boost and RPM, so in my mind at least, it equates to power setting. Where the spitfire excelled, is in flight handling characteristics, hence the Germans adopted the tactics best for energy and the Brits preferred getting tangled up and manvouvering

[@thewrongbike7709]

@@bryanduncan1640 Your technical history is incorrect. High octane fuel doesn't make more power, it allows the engine to run at higher boost pressure and allowed engineers to adjust the MK1 Spitfires to run more boost and gain 10-20 MPH advantage at the height of the battle. without it the engine with too much boost develops pre-ignition or "knock". The fuel was made in the UK but the technology and some of the ingredients was from the US. The 2 stage supercharger wasn't introduced until the Mk IX. It enabled high boost across a wider range of altitudes. You would enjoy a channel called "Greg's airplanes and automobiles"

[@PartTimeBritishGuy]

This is awesome!

[@slehar]

Awesome!

[@Yohann67]

Amazing history, great video. The Merlin powered 109E at 26:39 made me smile though.

[@kennethhamilton5633]

The planes on the cover are BUCHON, ME 109s built in Italy at the end of WW2

[@Yohann67]

@@kennethhamilton5633 Yup, no offense to the movie, but I prefer the 605 powered 109's ;-)

[@tobiasfreitag2182]

​@kennethhamilton5633 built by Spain after the war. They also produced the He-111. The Czech also build a version of the 109 after the war, powers by a jumo engine. These where famously used by Israel. Italy never build any 109s, though the fascist italian state that existed between Italy surrender in 1943 and the end of the war, used german build examples.

[@romanclay1913]

Thank you R. J. Mitchell, Hugh Dowding and the women & men the RAF.

[@peterdemkiw3280]

And the Polish pilots, probably wouldn't have Survived without them, don't forget the 303, highest scoring squadron of the battle.

[@ashleelmb]

'the pickle factory got hit and there were pickles flying everywhere...' 🤣

[@sheanpickstock5435]

there were also commonwealt pilots from all around the Caribbean that's assisted in efforts but it's sad to say not much is known even from the Bahamas

[@philiphawley2915]

Years ago I met Mr. Eubanks from Jamaica who flew in Coastal Command from the Isle of Man. He won the Distinguished Flying Medal for sinking U boats, but he would never speak about it. A silent hero and so quiet and modest.

[@stanzanossi]

Without the brave Polish and Czech airmen, helping the British, Germany would have likely won the Battle.of Britain! A lot of English people like to think they did it themselves!!!😮 And you are right, Shean, not much credit was given to the fliers from the Caribbean, either!!!

[@lisacz6607]

Typical anti English comment but if the pole hadn’t been in the Battle of Britain we would still have won and my surname is polish as fought in ww2 then settled in England after the war and met my gran

[@patryan1375]

​@@stanzanossiyou are wrong. BRITISH PEOPLE (NOT JUST ENGLISH) praised the Poles and Czech pilots, many of whom stayed on in Britain after the war.

[@kidcreole9421]

You will find most of that generation often didn't talk openly about what they did during the war. My Polish grandfather didn't talk much about the war or his time in the army in Britain or what happened to him back home in Poland when the Germans invaded. You had to try to get him to open up a bit. They were the silent generation and didn't brag about it and didn't see themselves as heroes. All I got from ex-servicemen from that time was it was their duty to defend their homeland and to do the right thing and most of them didn't think twice about volunteering and joining up. Everyone including civilians saw it as their duty to do something to help within their capabilities. The only time my grandad really talked about his time in the polish army in Britain is when he was interviewed at great lengths by a journalist about it for the Lancashire Evening Post with fellow ex polish servicemen back in the 1990s.

[@TheKyvin]

46:55 Dame Vera Lynn who is interview here in this lovely documentary, was a singer in the war!! And used to sing: "We Will Meet Again... Some Sunny Day" And is the very same Vera, cited by Roger Waters in the most famous Pink Floyd's album: The Wall!! Roger Water in the track Vera, dedicated to this Dame says: Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? Remember how she use to sing; We would meet again, some sunny day. Vera, Vera, what has become of you? Does anybody here, feels the way I do? Vera Lynn passed away, aged 103, in 2020. Vera Lynn wrote "We'll Meet Again" during the War. The song was a promise, that those fighting on the front lines will be home when the war was over.

[@ursus9104]

Britains peak in history was the Second World War which began in earnest that year in 1940. Young lads with a crash course in fighter flying were immediately thrown into the air combat and all too many of them unfortunately had to sacrifice their lives on their first missions. As their numbers began to dwindle, an appeal was issued to the entire World and Commonwealth for help and pilots poured in from occupied countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand before the fighting moved to other theaters of war. Undeniably must have led to thoughts that "Now the world is ending".….

[@Hokay01]

The “Pickle Factory” chap should have his own show 🤣… quite charming…

[@chipsawdust5816]

That was pretty funny, despite the horror.

[@Skyelily]

I know im late to this comment but he was my grandad 🥰

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Thank you! A brilliant documentary!

[@jaybee9269]

The Messerschmitt 109s in the thumbnail are historically inaccurate. They’re Spanish post-war aircraft (with Merlin engines) painted in Luftwaffe colors, perhaps for the movie “Battle of Britain”. You can tell with the air scopes in the front instead of on the left side and the cylinder stacks are higher than on Daimler-Benz powered 109s.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

There were no airworthy DB601 powered Bf109s in existence, so what do you do? Not make the film?

[@philiphawley2915]

The 109s were built under license in Spain and later sold to the Israeli Air Force.How ironic Jewish pilots flying planes designed by the Aryan Master Race. But it is good to know they also had ex RAF Spitfires

[@MichaelGeoghegan]

My mother lived in London and was 13 years old when this happened.

[@dixiefallas7799]

Yes and look at the bedwetters we have now! Thanks RAF.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@4OHz]

no more, no less - all you need is the cause, plenty of bed wetters then too

[@nixbronowski5822]

To think..Certain Families, groups and organisations sat back, watched this carnage..and profited.Makes me sick to my stomach..because it still happens even today.

[@andrewlambert7246]

I wonder how much drag would have been negated on the 109 if the germans had created round stream like front windscreens instead of quare ones.

[@anthonyfrost2530]

there is a very accurate account of how the battle was won in the book' HURRICANE, victor of the battle of Britain' by Leo MCinstry....who also wrote' Spitfire,' the Hurricane shot down most of the german aircraft simply because there were far more of them , they could take damage better than a Spitfire and had a tighter turning circle ...very handy in a dogfight. The Hurricane was built by a company run by Tommy Sopwith (of Camel fame ) and Sydney Camm , best aircraft designer of his time , plus the wonderful Rolls Royce engines...Get the real facts ...and yes all the pilots were heros .

[@ColleenMulrey-yv6eq]

Hi there, awesome awesome awesome, thank you

[@nasilemak868]

13:04 Nice squardon code there

[@douglassauvageau7262]

Command, Control, Communications, Computations, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Recognizance (C4ISR) superiority. An immutable principle which multiplies available kinetics for the defense or the offense.

[@andyspry3030]

The most erudite comment from Churchill as always makes me cry.. "Never before in history has so much been owed by so many, to so few."

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

So teary that you misquoted. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".

[@davidpearn5925]

Who did the narration ? He did the voiceover for the Black Box series eg the DC10 centre engine catastrophic failure/thrust control only. It was a brilliant series.

[@spideywhiplash]

Struan Rodger is the narrator. He is excellent! Never hear of the Black Box Series. Will see if I can find it.

[@davidpearn5925]

@@spideywhiplash it was probably BBC’s Panorama…..definitely British…….way back and grainy by today’s standards but hauntingly impressive .

[@72jonz]

Be aware, that the Messerschmidt BF-109 aircraft shown in this documentary are not German built aircraft with authentic Daimler-Benz DB601 engines . . . . They are Spanish built BF-109s under license from Germany and they have Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, yes, the same engines used in British Spitfires, Hurricanes and American Mustangs ! . . . . Just for 'full disclosure' F Y I . . . . .

[@balladeerbuzz3688]

good war documentary, bad break-in ads of inestimable evil

[@adamnowakowski837]

Good documentary but it's sad that there is no mention about Polish pilots who were most efficient in shooting down Germans scoring 20% of all shot down planes and also had the highest rate per person. I think the quote of sir Hugh Dowding sums it pretty well - 'Had it not been for the magnificent work of the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of battle would have been the same'.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Its also a pity that Polish pride prevents them from passing due credit to the individual pilot who scored a full 30% of 303 Sqd's total kill tally.... The CZECHOSLOVAKIAN pilot Josef František.

[@adamnowakowski837]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 yes he was certainly one of the best but numbers says that he shot down 17 planes, whilst all Polish pilots combined (not only 303) scored 203 shot down planes so not exactly 30% as you can see.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@adamnowakowski837 Re-read my post... I clearly say František scored 30% of 303 Sqd's kill tally. 303's CLAIMED kill tally was 126 aircraft, this was reduced (along with that of ALL RAF fighter squadrons "claimed" tallies after post war research) to 57.5 CONFIRMED kills, making them the top scoring squadron in Fighter command, pipping 603 sqd's 56.5 kills. That means that František's 17 confirmed kills during the battle (all scored in Sept 1940) comprised 29.57% of 303's total confirmed kill tally.

[@lisacz6607]

Dowsing means we still would have won without the gallant poles.

[@KonstantyZablocki]

❤​@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684

[@mazury450]

Gloria, I'm not so old, but I do like to consider myself a gentleman. What you say is of course very true, each one of those pilots was a hero as soon as they stepped into the cockpit of their planes. As indeed were the groundcrews and support staff. My comments were merely intended to add some further historical facts to those given and to make sure that the contribution of the Polish contingent are not forgotten. Historical events of huge significance are often turned by a mere few individuals, the more information we have on that, the better our understanding.

[@nickdanger3802]

“Three factors contributed to British aerial victory,” declared Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder of the Royal Air Force shortly after the battle ended. “The skill and bravery of the pilots, the Rolls‐Royce Merlin engine and the availability of suitable fuel.” The American contributions to fuel production were irreplaceable, Palucka asserted, because as war clouds formed over Europe during the 1930s, American companies were extracting about 60 per cent of the world’s petroleum, with the Soviet Union accounting for 17 per cent and Britain and the Netherlands most of the rest. gassed-up-the-juice-that-fuelled-victory-in-the-battle-of-britain page

[@DaveAtherton]

I believe it had an octane rating of 100. Unleaded in Britain today is 95, America 87.

[@nickdanger3802]

@@DaveAtherton "American suppliers delivered sufficient quantities of performance-enhancing 100 octane fuel to England in time for use by Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain" page 84 The Burning Blue Addison and Crang Octane is measured differently now.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

@@DaveAtherton USA has 89, 91 and 93.

[@johnbrewer8954]

@@nickdanger3802 How did American RADAR work at Pearl Harbor over a year later? Useless or what?

[@chipsawdust5816]

@@DaveAtherton I believe wartime fuel was 120 octane. General aviation today uses 100 octane fuel. The 120 octane fuel was dyed red, while 100 is dyed blue.

[@ronaldbrouhard1247]

Real good Documentary. One thing though: the Me 109s you show are actually Post-War Spanish made & were powered with Merlin Engines.

[@timeresrch]

Emphasize the importance of radar, and it's invention, and don't worry too much about picking hops okay!

[@loftiefleet8104]

go the aussie pilots.i personaly new 2 of them.plus i lost 2 uncles in belgiam

[@saltburner2]

I was born during the Battle of Britain. My father said the sky was black with our aircraft heading for the channel ports.

[@bryanduncan1640]

The Me109’s in the thumbnail were produced after the war and fitted with RollsRoyce engines.

[@lordgarion514]

Are they complete reproductions, or did they use some existing parts?

[@bryanduncan1640]

@@lordgarion514 - They’re not reproductions, merely ME109’s produced with a Merlin/Griffin engine and sold (mainly to Spain) after the war. In fact the “German” fighters seen in the film The Battle of Britain were all from Spain and at the time the Air Force assembled for the film made the film company the sixth biggest airforce at the time.

[@ejnarhenryandreasschmidt4391]

@@bryanduncan1640 All wrong!!! It is Spanish license built Hispano Aviación HA-1112 with a RR engine if build after '54 .... before '54 it would prob. be a Hispano-Suiza HS 89 12Z-17 engine fitted. Spain got a deal with Messerschmitt in 1942 about building the Me109G-2 in license in Spain. 25 frames with DB605A engines, propellers, weapons and instrumentation delivered from Germany was planned. Germany could not fulfil the delivery due to shortage on the home theater, so the "Espanias" chose the HS 89-12Z engine, VDM propeller, etc. and the HA-1109 flew first time March 1945. The 24 left-over airframes were finish between '45 to about '50 and flew as test, development and preproduction planes. In '51 the HA-1112 was designed and at the start with HS 89-12Z engine and of 1954 with RR engines due to liability problems with the HS89 engines. The history of the CASA2.111 (German Heinkel He 111 bomber) is very similar in process and time schedule Due to only 239 HA 1109 and HA 1112 build, less than 140 getting operative status and taken out of service in '64 ... and 236 CASA 2.111 build, less than 200 operative and retired in mid '60 .. there was not that many left to use for film jobs, so your "6 biggest airforce" is BS There were about 100 aircraft in all in "The battle of Britain" incl. a couple of photo aircrafts (2 double seated Spits and a B25) and additional 10 flying Spit's of all variants, 3 Hurricanes, 32 CASA 2.111, 27 HA 1112 "Buchon", .... making it / earning the name "the 35. biggest air force" ....

[@bryanduncan1640]

@@ejnarhenryandreasschmidt4391 - you’re totally wrong! If you look at the exhaust outlets, you will see that they are far too high to be the original German engine - which were upside down with the exhaust outlets far lower than on a conventional engine. Any “conventional” engine would have the exhaust outlets higher up the fuselage. Another point to watch is the bulbous engine cowling at the top to allow for the camshaft casings.

[@ejnarhenryandreasschmidt4391]

@@bryanduncan1640 Where do I write, that the HA1109 & HA1112 are fitted with the inverted 12 cyl. german engine??? The PLAN was .... but instead they used the HS 89-12Z engine (which is much like the RR) until '54 where they started using the RR ... You should read (and understand) the whole comment, before answering ....

[@KliwonSuprapto-x7o]

Marilah kita jangan meremehkan sejarah dunia dan sejarah Indonesia agar hidup kita di dunia tenang lho..

[@victorhodgson8767]

Typical 303 Squadron , who’s pilots were Polish + One Czech, were the most successful of ALL RAF Squadrons, they dad a different mode of engagement, they flew directly head on into the oncoming bombers , and closed within 100yds or less before opening fire, don’t forget these Polish airmen had been fighting the Germans over their own country, ( and knew the best way to attack,)before joining the RAF , The real kick in the teeth, as after the war, there was a victory parade thought London , with every conceivable unit from all over the world who had joined the fight to win the war ,EXCEPT 303 Squadron, seem that Winston Churchill & probably Whitehall, did not want to offend Stalin & The Soviet Union, who now had Poland within the Soviet Union. ( history reveals some uncomfortable truths).

[@CB-fz3li]

If you bothered to pick up a book you would know Churchill was voted out in 1945.

[@cgrscott]

My in-law is 90 now but, when she was a little girl growing up in Liverpool, in 1940, her parent's sent her to her grandmothers house, in the rural north, to stay away from the German bombing.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

My family lived just outside of Liverpool city centre during WW2. My mother (aged 14 in 1939) remained in the city. By 1941 she was making tea for firewatchers on the roof of Lewis's dept store during the blitz, and by 1943 was working in a small engineering factory in the city centre assembling 3" rockets for the RAF ground attack aircraft. What a generation they were.

[@ambulanza]

anyway, a raid of 200-250 bombers was nothing compared to the HUGE 1.000 bombers raids of the late war period over germany (february 3rd, 1945, 1000+ US b17 bombed berlin). If the emotions of the testimony were this for that kind of "small" raid, imagine what happened in the psyche of the german population after 3 years of intense bombing culminating in those 1k airplane raids...

[@ambulanza]

but 2 raids, 1 after the other, and the second of 400+ it's really different. Also, what would have happened if they, all 650, would have crossed all together ?

[@MilitaryTalkGuy]

Considering what WWII Germany did to the world, no pity from me. The 1000 bomber raid on the fighter facilities actually was a decisive victory and shortened the war considerably. BTW, that raid was a joint effort with US supplying the bombers and the UK supplying the fighter escorts. As for what crimes WWII Germany committed, it would be nice to think it would never happen again but alas it continues. Greed of mankind is such a sad statement. Like we are doomed to repeat the same nightmares over and over again.

[@richy69ify]

@@MilitaryTalkGuy yep Humans never learn

[@AlfredWellein]

Frieden, Glückseligkeit, Freude und Wohlstand für alle Menschen

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Liebe und Freundschaft von den einfachen Menschen auf der ganzen Welt zu den einfachen Menschen auf der ganzen Welt... lasst uns die globalistischen Tyrannen, die Tod und Zerstörung verbreiten, loswerden und stattdessen in Frieden leben.

[@patriot8554]

Now the enemy is within England.

[@mikehurley5052]

And they come by the boatload every day.

[@patriot8554]

@@mikehurley5052 Western civilization hates itself

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

And we invited them in.

[@veritasvincit2745]

People do insist on voting for them whatever colour rosette they wear.

[@stephenwhorton4942]

Yes, the enemy is indeed within England. They allowed their culture to become a victim of multiculturalism

[@markshields6954]

Proud to be British

[@22grena]

There is only one Battle of Britain pilot left alive and he has been conspicuously ignored: I wonder why? Could it be because he is Irish.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

No, it is because the pseudo-democratic globalist directed body that now passes for the "UK Govt" despises and disowns anything that shows the United Kingdom in an honourable light.

[@TOFKAS01]

Dont worry, the englishmen ignored every foreign pilot after the war...mostly czech and poles...

[@ghandimauler]

My dad knew a Canadian vet who flew in the heavy bombers. One night, they went out to bomb Germany (I believe) and they lifted off, took a bearing, and headed out. They crossed over water at about the right time, then made some more changes, and then eventually crossed over land and flew over land for a while and they were lining up on their target, having noted no sign of other bombers or any fighter cover. The bomb aimer called to the Captain and said 'Sir, something's bothering me...' 'Yes?' 'Well, the Germans aren't sloppy... they know we're coming, so why is the target area lit up light Christmas?' The decision was made to pull out of the run. Something wasn't right. The Nav went back over his notes and found the error. An early bearing upon leaving the airfield was 180 degrees out of whack. The subsequent land and water borders were roughly when they should have been, but nobody had GPS back then. Turns out they were over DUBLIN. They just about did a full bomb load onto the city.... So they turned back home, dropped their ordinance over the sea, and managed to arrive back as the last planes in the sortie were coming back from Germany and they just blended in and never reported this to any RAF command. Your mention of Ireland brought that up.

[@richy69ify]

@@TOFKAS01 Canadians, Belgians. All with British made equipment though.

[@TOFKAS01]

@@richy69ify Yes, typical british. Let other people fight english wars....

[@casario2808]

"Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?"

[@luthientinuviel2823]

"If the Germans come, you'll do what you're told." Just about sums it up 😂

[@Emz_Jhaye]

Some footage from the "Battle of Britain" movie???

[@eb4apl]

Yes, the shown Me109's are Spanish license built ("Bouchons") with Merlins engines and the bombers were Heinkels also Spanish built using the same engines. They were still active with the Spanish Air Force when the movie was filmed. Spain bought some quantity of Bf109 airframes from Germany during WW II and also bought a license to build them by Hispano Aviación in Seville. The airframes were ordered without engines and vertical stabilizers because the idea was to use Hispano Suiza engines which rotated in the opposite sense of the DB-601. This engine transformation resulted in a fiasco, the engines overheated and there were no posibility of buying German engines then. After the war ended they procured Merlins in the underground market not without some fiascos.

[@jeanmeslier9491]

Most of the British pilots, including bomber pilots weren't old ennough to get driving licenses

[@TOFKAS01]

Thats the right age for such stuff.

[@seanmalloy7249]

In the Pacific war, two Marine pilots were returning from a flight, having shot down five and three Japanese aircraft. The lead plane did a victory roll over the field to cheers on the ground, which died away as he kept making rolls until he'd made five, then landed; his wingman flew straight in and landed. The ground crew rushed out to the field to find out who was making a mockery of the victory roll tradition, and queried the wingman. "Yep, he got five, for sure, and I got three myself," he replied. They asked him why he didn't make any victory rolls; he answered "Well, I just checked out in this plane, and I ain't sure I know how." It was the dedication of the brave men who threw themselves into the sky, regardless of their training or lack of it, that made the difference, and they should be remembered and honored for everything they sacrificed, over Britain, Europe, or the islands of the Pacific.

[@stephenr6913]

I cannot recommend highly enough the book "Fighter" by Len Deighton. Its forward was written by no less an authority than the great historian A.J.P. Taylor. It's a damned good read, and one of the author's few works of non fiction. My favourite quote from the book was Adolf Galland's answer when Goering asked him what he could do Galland. Galland's answer: "Get me a squadron of Spitfires for my outfit."

[@adamdfish5840]

We can thank the Russians for supplying the aviation fuel the Germans needed for these attacks.

[@flyhi2773]

No. Most of the aviation fuel used by the Germans in the battle of Britain was French stocks captured in the battle for France!

[@NicholasWarnertheFirst]

Back to the drawing board.

[@ghandimauler]

@@flyhi2773 That tracks. The logistic train from Russia would be long and burn a lot of fuel to get fuel to France. Capturing French assets like fuel would be a big priority and really cut the logistical tail in attacking the UK.