'It was the strength and efficiency of the RAF which frustrated the German attempts to defeat Britain in 1940'. How far do you agree with the statement?

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Sarah Lister 13KW

‘It was the strength and efficiency of the RAF which frustrated the German attempts to defeat Britain in 1940’. How far do you agree with the statement?

The question suggests that the RAF was strong and efficient and this is the reason why the Germans were defeated in the Battle of Britain. However, it is clear to see that the RAF and the British military were actually very close to defeat at some stages throughout the Battle of Britain. The victory of the island in the Battle of Britain cannot be reduced to one common factor but involves emphasis on other ideas such as the role of the Navy in comparison with the Kriegsmarine, the events of Dunkirk and the role of certain personalities throughout 1940. Germany had many options in the Summer of 1940 and it is questionable as to whether a ‘Strategic Air War’ was the route that should have been taken. Similarly, it is debatable as to whether the success of Britain was due to the faults of the enemy or the strength of the RAF. However, overall it is important to realise that one of the reasons why the German attempts to defeat Britain were ‘frustrated’ was because Germany made several mistakes during 1940.

The strength and efficiency of the RAF during the Battle of Britain is an important factor when considering Germany’s inability to defeat Britain by the end of 1940. After Dunkirk in May 1940, both the German Luftwaffe and the British RAF had lost many aircraft and trained crews. Several weeks passed whilst the Luftwaffe replaced their losses and took over airfields in the countries that they had captured. In Britain, time was spent putting as many new fighters and trained pilots into service as possible. This lull of the German forces was absolutely vital to the British Royal Air Force as it allowed them to prepare and by the beginning of July 1940, the RAF had built up its strength to six hundred and forty fighters. This preparation in order to defend Britain suggests that German attack, for the British at least, was eminent. The only truly modern fighters available to the Allies, the Hurricane Squadrons were based in France during what Weyguard called the Battle of France. When it had become clear to Britain that they were losing in France, they called back over all but two of the twelve squadrons to Britain. This is an important decision made by Britain as during the Dunkirk evacuations, despite shooting down 150 Nazi aircraft, they lost 100 precious fighters and 80 irreplaceable pilots and therefore, it was very significant that they had called back their ‘only truly modern fighters’ in order to defend the country. The contribution of these squadrons was vital for increasing the strength of the RAF.

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The British RAF was strong in terms of model and design and the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters were formidable weapon The Spitfire was an all-metal cantilever monoplane. The shape of the wing, which became its most distinguishing characteristic, was elliptical, reducing drag and increasing speed. The British had the benefit of fighting on their own territory, which is important in a strategic air war as fuel consumption is crucial and German fighters like the Messchersmitt 109E were only sufficient to give them a few minutes of combat over British targets. Therefore, even though Germany was numerically superior, with 1200 bombers ...

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