History - War at a Glance

The Blitz On September 7 the Germans mount a major daylight raid - 500 bombers and 600 fighters - against London. That night another 250 bombers, guided by the fires started during the day, hit the city. The British civilians refer to these attacks as “the Blitz.” The Luftwaffe loses 41 planes while the RAF loses 28. Two days later, the Luftwaffe makes another major raid on London. This time the Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons are combined into larger forces, and they succeed in breaking up most of the German formations. On September 10, Hitler postpones his decision on Operation Sealion. He does not feel the Luftwaffe has won supremacy in the air. The Germans make another major effort against London on September 15. British fighters swarm over a morning raid from the channel to London and then back to the channel. It is much the same during the afternoon raid, but more bombers reach their targets. The battle between the fighters is a draw, with both sides losing about 25 planes, but the RAF knocks 35 Luftwaffe bombers out of the sky and damages many more. The raids on September 15 mark the last major effort by the Luftwaffe to destroy the RAF. On September 17, Hitler postpones Operation Sealion indefinitely. During the last weeks of September and into October, the Germans continue their nightly bombing of British cities. While there is much damage, inconvenience, and loss of life, the effect is much less than the English government and military anticipated. During this period, the RAF tips the scales of victory back toward England. The Luftwaffe’s fighter strength wanes; they discontinue daylight raids, and the ratio of planes lost now favors the British by a two-to-one margin. See Also Winged Victory