Germanys Battle of Britain Claim Fact-Checked

The Battle of Britain was the first serious setback experienced by the Germans during the Second World War. This in itself was significant at a time when the German military forces seemed to be unstoppable, and it gave hope to conquered Europeans. But the long-term significance was even greater: ...

Germany's failure to destroy Britain's air defences and force it out of the conflict was the first major German defeat in the Second World War.

The postponement coincided with rumours that there had been an attempt to land on British shores on or about 7 September, which had been repulsed with large German casualties. The story was later expanded to include false reports that the British had set the sea on fire using flaming oil. Both versions were widely reported in the American press and in William L. Shirer's Berlin Diary, but both were officially denied by Britain and Germany. Author James Hayward has suggested that the whispering campaign around the "failed invasion" was a successful example of British black propaganda to bolster morale at home and in occupied Europe, and convince America that Britain was not a lost cause.

CD Mk II systems were then modified to detect low-flying aircraft, creating Chain Home Low (CHL). By 1939, CH stations provided radar coverage from Aberdeen to Southampton. During the Battle of Britain, CH and CHL alerted Ground-controlled interception stations.

British victory in the Battle of Britain was decisive, but ultimately defensive in nature – in avoiding defeat, Britain secured one of its most significant victories of the Second World War.

Fought between 22 June and 19 August, the attack resulted in huge casualties for German troops and destroyed their front line on the Eastern Front. This pushed the remaining German troops back into Poland. The Germans were now fighting a war on both the Eastern Front, against the Soviet Union, ...

17 September: Hitler postponed the invasion of Britain (Operation Sealion) 26 September: The Spitfire factory at Southampton was attacked and destroyed. October: The German Luftwaffe focused their bombing raids on British cities at night, to reduce Luftwaffe casualties.

Initially German bombers targeted radar and sector stations but by August 1940 Göring, believing these attacks ineffective, decided to concentrate on the bombing of British cities. Göring’s inability to grasp the vital role radar played in British air defence enabled the RAF to retain the advantage in the air.

The RAF was outnumbered about five to one by the Germans. The cost of the Battle was high for pilots and aircraft. In the end, the British won the Battle of Britain due to the advance warning that radar gave them, working with the Dowding system. It can also be suggested that, for many of those ...