The Battle of Britain Episode 1 | Britain Stands Alone (WW2 Documentary) | Timeline

in the summer of 1940 a small group of young men and their aircraft were old that seemed to stand between the British people and invasion by the Nazi war machine in the months that followed the few of RAF Fighter Command would engage the Luftwaffe in savage aerial combat over southern England in the summer of 1968 some of those aircraft were in the skies again to help film the classic British feature film Battle of Britain now using unseen footage from production this series will tell the real story of the Battle of Britain after the defeat of France Britain knew she would be next that she would have to fight for her own survival the Nazi onslaught would fall first upon the outnumbered pilots of RAF Fighter Command [Music] [Music] [Music] the morning of the 10th of July 1940 a German reconnaissance aircraft is courted by any 109s approaches a convoy of British shipping about to pass through the channels six Spitfires from 74 squadron based at Hornchurch are scrambled [Music] the reconnaissance aircraft and its fighter escorts are engaged and driven off [Music] but the Germans are now aware of the convoys position they prepare to attack in force [Music] another RAF squadron scrambles to protect the convoy [Music] British radar detects a substantial buildup of enemy aircraft a further three British fighter squadrons are scrambled [Music] at 13 35 the first RAF squadron arrives over the channel and spots the enemy aircraft outnumbered ten to one they attack do a scramble our shame out of cloud for 18,000 feet company 51 unknowns and they could see me coming for the last 500 feet of my time as I came out loud they hit me from in front behind at the same time how they did that crushing each other I dunno the Battle of Britain had begun other British squadrons join the battle though outnumbered they engage the fighter escorts and break up the bomber formations my first experience seem to always be we've been jumped and pulled around a break in my innocence at the time I always tried to retain height so I was probably going around in a circle with very little speed and I was the only aircraft up there on my own it was a steep learning curve trying to pick up anime across suggests your eyesight knowing the performance of your aircraft for instance someone shout break I pulled round a steep turn and stole the aircraft instead of probably diving to get some speed it was learning on the job the whole time by the end of the day the RAF had lost six aircraft the Luftwaffe 39 no ships have been sunk in the challenge on the day that would later be described by the RAF as the start of the Battle of Britain the RAF had shown its capability this was largely thanks to the foresight of one man Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding commander-in-chief of Fighter Command dowdy and was the very austere man he used to come to visit us North Weald but he wasn't the sort of chap who doesn't have a conversation with he was unintentionally sincere man intensely patriotic and he loved us the chaps who did his fighting for him as though we were children it was doubting who two months earlier had argued with Churchill about sending RAF fighter squadrons to France as the German blitzkrieg drove all before it doubting persuaded the Prime Minister that it was more important to preserve fighter strength for the upcoming defense of Britain for to squander it on goodwill gestures to the French [Music] as it was nearly 500 fighters had already been lost in France and Belgium and over 250 pilots killed in sir Hugh Dowding we had a superb technician and and leader and who had the foresight and wisdom to tackle Churchill to challenge Churchill who who had promised France fighter hurricane squadrons and Dowding had the foresight that those hurricane squadrons had to be preserved for the defense of Britain during the time of Dunkirk fighter squadrons were busy protecting our troops trying to get out of France at Dunkirk the army who were on the beaches at the time trying to get out were slating the RAF Fighter Command somewhat because they said they never saw any fighters overhead what they didn't realize of course that if we intercepted their bombers over there would be too late they'd be dropping their bombs on them so we had to intercept them way inland over France before they got to Dunkirk and a number of destroyed of course that way they never got to the beaches and that so by the army got somewhat fraught because they couldn't see the fighters it was during the desperate evacuation from Dunkirk but many RAF pilots had their first taste of the speed and intensity [Music] we are about 15,000 feet and flying around not saying anything at all [Music] then without any warning at all suddenly the sky was full of Messerschmitt 109 50 alone no new sauce occurs and big black crosses on them and this is baymax a moment of truth because we never seen them coming and he just appeared like that unfortunately I was shot up and I managed to get away and escape [Music] but general vague on had called the Battle of bran it over the Battle of Britain is about to begin two months on from the miracle of Dunkirk the experience gleaned in those early encounters with the Luftwaffe would be sorely needed now Britain stood alone and it was for her very existence that she fought the Luftwaffe continues to harass shipping in the channel hoping to draw a large numbers of RAF fighters into the air but Fighter Command refuses debate sending only the minimum number of Fighters needed to break up and disrupt the enemy attacks [Music] hitting hard and fast it is a tactic that seems to be succeeding at the end of the second day of backing German losses were more than twice that at five Kamali Hitler was perplexed irritated he had swept across Europe and now Britain stood alone surely the British would see reason recognized that the war was lost and seek a negotiated settlement but Hitler had badly misjudged the mood in Britain I think the atmosphere about that time the fall of France was rather strange in that spirit of no one's going to beat us filter through everybody every attack they'd made every every battle laid fault they had one in America and all over the world and that sort of thing there were people who felt because of what had happened so far and felt Germany Germany won't be stopped they'll they'll they'll get away with this fierce battles continue over the channel convoys Keith Park air officer commanding 11 route responsible for the air defence of South East England husband's his resources he commits his squadron sparingly but aims to intercept every raid on this Sunday the Luftwaffe lost two aircraft the RAF for germán seaplanes clearly marked with a red cross were rescuing look to offer pilots from the waters of the channel on the 14th of July concerned that these planes were also reporting the movements of convoys through the channel British pilots were ordered to shoot them down [Music] on the 16th of July 1940 Hitler issued directive 16 since England despite her militarily hopeless situation still shows no signs of willingness to come to terms I have decided to prepare a landing operation against England he made one final appeal to the British threatening unending suffering and misery unless they make peace with a Third Reich Churchill had already given the answer Britain would fight on if necessary for years if necessary alone [Music] after three days of poor weather air operations have been restricted but German preparations for the landings continue 13 infantry divisions are ordered to embarkation ports on the French coast Hitler and his generals knew that the invasion codenamed Operation Sea Lion could not proceed without air superiority of a southern England the fight against the British air force must have top priority to break the will of the people to resist and force the government to capitulate the landing will be the death blow to an England already paralyzed and no longer capable of fighting in the air look whoever attacks on channel convoys and ports continue German pilots intend to lure Fighter Command into Matt's combat over the waters of the channel we'll be happy Mazel Tov the English and yoga for common philosophy enough come for Carmen MC obsession with the England esand cloak no Grayson went if you sayin arms are sinful 13 anger in the loft than CGI family consult and so hot in via we have does connect he called a new home when they did you far from common estate the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe was confident of success Reich marshal Hermann Goering was ruthless ambitious and vain a man of innate cunning with an addiction to morphine his forceful personality had driven the expansion of the Luftwaffe in the years leading up to the outbreak of war [Music] he considered the Luftwaffe to be his airforce than he it's absolute master he also believed the Luftwaffe had proved itself invincible [Music] the simple fact seemed to support his faint glorious assumption the Luftwaffe had 2700 operational aircraft the RAF would meet this threat with a mere 750 modern fighter aircraft [Music] [Music] [Music] the raids on Britain's coastal shipping continue the Straits of Dover become known as Hellfire corner German dive bombers heavily escorted by fighters strike at an eastbound convoy [Applause] [Music] RAF fighters vectored into position by ground controllers attack out of the Sun at the day's end the RAF had lost three aircraft to the look what is nice the Luftwaffe pilots were learning to respect their owners s mark Cu by Russian army and find four Indian in the moment what they're comfortable not a vice summiting manure uncomf you know good in business over to our heart machine guitar the heart for moose - I'll hit skiing game came from King into Ghana camp will Sun safe and a moment was done she saw Rylan's Kingdom by Alex Ferguson and with the air it's me Miko the pitch swinging in North America keeps me complete but listen real England the copy on the streets as well aroma pound Liberty as associates after swingin on this weight and missus will see between the pace Egan the end of learning teeters nice with almost 3,000 combat aircraft to hurl against the RAF stretch resources Goering remained confident in his contempt for the RAF he failed to comprehend that behind the start figures of aircraft numbers Britain's shield was far stronger than he imagined although the oldest of the RAF senior commanders Hugh Dowding was well suited to plan and lead the air defence of Great Britain with his ax steer and scholarly manner Dowding seemed to merit the nicknamed stuffy given to him by his pilots however he had recognized the important part technology would play in the control of the coming battle [Music] his vision helped develop RDF radio direction-finding later to be known as radar the instructions had been given in 1936 to begin building a chain of radar stations covering the threatened coasts of Britain why to come along was a red mark the Gordon organisation the commander-in-chief started out him who was a brilliant operator and he had conceived the whole layout the whole setup and and he run it perfectly if Goering had known a little more about his opponents extraordinary advantage he might have been shaken out of his complacency for it was to dramatically retrace the Luftwaffe superior numbers radar was to me the single biggest technical advance that happen in the war until the advent of the jet engine it was very significant in that we had forewarning of the German formations their size their height their direction we had a lot of advanced information radar was absolutely vital because they put us in the right place for the right time without it I think we've been fuzzy well armed behind our back we could hear the people in the buses looking at the aerials of the window our masts and remarking on them and wondering what they were the whole world of raid I was totally and completely secret you could hear these people muttering and mumbling and saying they do say that that'll stop your watch and they do say that if you stand in front of the aerials you'll be safe for the evening with your girlfriend because it makes you it sterile a lot of my good friends have had very large families it's working on radar [Music] German bombers escorted by about 50 me-109 are engaged by Spitfires from 64 squadron and hurricanes from 111 squadron there is fierce dog fighting over the coast in Portsmouth to Dover thanks to radar no our Air Patrol is wasted doubting had overseen the creation of a control and reporting system without parallely as information flowed into Fighter Command from RDF and ground observation emerging threats were plotted on map board's controllers watched and orchestrated the defense amongst the command groups 13 group in the North 10 group to the West 12 group guarding the East Coast and the Midlands 11 group in the frontline of southeast England it was very exciting to watch a raid beginning to build up 90 miles 80 miles away a few little echoes would appear on the screen and slowly it would get a bigger and bigger mess at them all these echoes a kind of trembling they they he bummed a lot and it got bigger and bigger and you knew and it was part of your job to be able to reckon how many the raid did build up like a thunderstorm somebody would tell you but there were 200 plus a hundred plus 50 plus coming over plotting involved sitting at a large table with Whisnant was mapped you'd be given a number which would be the number of aircraft and and and where they were and you would put up number of aircraft and put it on a book and then put the block to where they actually were 19 squadron at readiness scramble a controller would say to from readiness to scramble and off they would go 310 squadron petroleum give you a size of a plot give you a a course to fly on and I hide to trim' okay which was okay gave you a great deal of competent different instructions would go on and these were coming and going the whole time so the atmosphere was quite electric starting from a few aircraft to suddenly having to put up 250 plus was very very scary and then the Tanner would still be on so we would hear them in battle controllers and plotters were expected to work through the most extreme conditions controller and the ops be they would say you know alright the rains building up I suppose they would see everybody with that in that song there was a complete marrying up of the enemy plotter and the fighters but at least it gave you an idea it it saves you twisting your neck round through 360 degrees all the time you know a rough idea where to look but the plotting was a great help his radar of course we could care we could be kept on the ground make controllers could watch it carefully and then at the right now and press the button and get us up there in the right place at the right time it soon became obvious to German pilots that something was going on or else RAF pilots have developed miraculous powers of navigation yeah Title VII submit an offer been sufficient an initiation flow as an ro1 Dominic Sena under manic sane when blood see calm the England often guns in pest opposite zone for him in this key opposite zone of once to the dog Harmons antique level the water oneself marble boost hasta England I know a stone side most the other diesel fuel smoothly cut I kept on the soft man Thomas a Arnone me so he would share the England like a cape as air combat over southern England intensified radar would prove to be a vital asset to the RAF [Music] shortly before 2 p.m. - Spitfire squadrons and one hurricane squadron are scrambled to intercept a large German rate of tow [Music] in the ensuing dogfight the south african pilot sailor Malan claims to 109s one of which is flown by German ace Verner motors as the RAF from the Luftwaffe become locked in daily dues British pilots learn to appreciate the qualities of their modern fighter aircraft [Music] one day Spitfire Langelier film text over tourer hangar and be sat in missing we walked around we stroked it I fell a bit in love with the surfer his most beautiful thing I had ever seen and it was a fighter [Music] you fell in love with Spitfire the moment you see it and the moment is fly had enjoyed you've had it that's huge Spitfire excelled under extreme conditions it responded whatever the conditions of flight whatever the conditions of load whatever the speed or angled it would give you fair warning that it was being abused and you could do things with that with a Spitfire but certainly I've never been able to do with any other area you don't fast but if I you just strap it on the fly it is the most beautiful aircraft I have ever fir in my life [Music] but be careful on the ground because you had such a narrow undercarriage and tended to be nose-heavy but once you got the aircraft into the air it was a wonderful aircraft fly the Spitfire had entered service in 1938 only one year before the outbreak of war his elegant lines high-speed without standing maneuverability made it an instant hit with RAF fighters it was a match for the best German aircraft but throughout the summer of 1940 it was the Hawker hurricane that comprised the greater part of RAF fighter strength I would prefer fighting a war in a hurricane that is Spitfire the herd will whatever have to fly if DOS I'll heat the handle he's a manoeuvre one more aerobatic and I'm only a baker you've had a very tight turning circle we're all work for you take an awful lot of punishment and you had faith in the aircraft the hurricane was a good solid rugged aircraft it was really responsive to one's mood and feeling and just fitted in although the Spitfire dominates the popular memory of the Battle of Britain far more hurricanes were in the skies over England nineteen squadrons were equipped with Spitfires but thirty four through hurricanes [Music] opposing them was the me-109 the Luftwaffe single-engine fighter [Applause] both the machine and a significant number of German pilots had seen combat with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War unequal then it would now meet its match in a Spitfire but although the Spitfire was faster and more maneuverable the me-109 could climb and die faster and was far superior at very high altitudes he asked me who thought no include tiger or this during the active site I was a boy in that case many Capote ultimate very question for me up in six and twenty thousand sticks on dug about on sale only me who not knowing yes Tiptonville has no relative life the machine and he is here Rhonda bag of long we are called was no space master made with Kunz flew Gonzales are empty not really go for him pillows but I have beer shown to help the England was in essence my musical reporting on the hub of machine until hurricane on Spitfire teasing Pesa us was opposites escaped Manhattan dr. carmine Amir who in valoran dispersor on conveyor Eisley machining about une seule hop so good - ah ah mo benzene we had they are new or fear hoon deliver to the fanatical on when we are on fleek see mommy's veiny cars in love Kampf when we focus fleeing Muslim love comes Hubbell there in the stranded 300 sexes little about the heist we had no it was sick sick Minuten fencing mr. Sobel for the tactics technician if you infer on this were good it's Ryan's heat acting in the roof on threatens the quality to machine the Spitfire was superior to the best in my view the heart he was not quite as good as the mystery the higher could could not cope with altitude against the measure straight but he could outmaneuver it the Spitfire I think was better than the mistress though this I brought this with the measurement pilots by the way so it isn't necessarily true all I'm saying but it is my belief the rest there is a good elephant in equal combat I've it certainly as good as American despite what people say firepower was better than ours and their pilots were experienced while some aircraft would make their reputations in the summer of 1940 others would have theirs shattered in the coming battles the yonkers 87 the infamous stupid dive bomber would prove easy prey for the Spitfires and hurricanes in the RAF [Music] [Music] the Luftwaffe continues its attacks against coastal targets for fighter squadrons from 11 group engage another raid on Dover by about 100 enemy [Music] now in constant action RAF pilots were learning valuable lessons the hard way they RAF traditionally flew a tight fig or theme formation pilots spent more effort maintaining formation than scanning the skies for the enemy but the Germans flew a far more flexible formation the finger fall or formed formation an easier formation to fly in it allowed them to concentrate on the skies around them [Music] Englanders endo in ktf log Nacirema a fluke chocolates as organs into salmon we aren't we're in what no chairman chief long sent by thousand Anza the England I hadn't named in octal so it is any flea fleeting Cody I know I know practice stuff a few then looped on the Oba the Anton was the of person doesn't least a song stores and since went via tortoises Schwalm on autumn freakin she knows Nana if long st. on doctor cause a tactician for Tyler Maziar from Sagmeister the holy F was flogged damaged after initial formation at Anna Boch a mixture of worship but that's flexible Abba the Saba a speedy Mart tobita lived on happen of the default isla de la Isla De Anza personally as the air fighting intensified factories worked round the clock to produce new aircraft and the civilian repair organization worked hard to repair damaged machines rebuilding some 160 aircraft in a week in some cases on a while you wait basis ready for flying again the same day [Music] doubting and Mark continued to nurse their fighting strength making full use of the warning command and control systems to give their squadrons every advantage when intercepting much larger enemy formations 19 squadron scramble vector but now Fighter Command itself and the weapons upon which it relied were about to become the target on the first of August Hitler issued directive 17 the German air force is to overcome the British air force with all means at its disposal and as soon as possible the attacks on channel convoys and coastal defences had been only the opening act skirmishes to test the aerial defense of Britain now the Luftwaffe had clear orders and a timetable the campaign to destroy Fighter Command and exposed Britain to bombing and invasion was about to begin in earnest in the summer of 1940 Britain possessed the most advanced and sophisticated air defense system in the world radar assisted by the 30,000 volunteers of the observer Corps and the command and control system which relayed this information would give the pilots of Fighter Command a crucial advantage on the ground experience was being gained in the coal German pattern it was vital that every link in the command and control chain worked ground staff and actor who both learned quickly ground control was pretty good but it wasn't perfect and although you were saya told to vector zero a zero fifteen bandits ahead it didn't always work out that way he was spending most of your time trying to find these damn things I was number two to the leaver two we went up and we caught up and down the same hearts to be told the enemy were which again was stupid you want the above them we've taught up and down some even more stupid we hadn't worked that one out in fact after one occasion returned from down son to UPS on the funds only nine of us left solves over twelve later we found that one of the poet's bins chopped down killed Luftwaffe crews prepared their aircraft for an intensive period of operations expected to begin on the 13th of August code name Eagle day to pave the way Goering had ordered an attack on the radar masts finally realizing the role of these tall towers and the buildings clustered around them but maybe not their crucial importance it was decided to destroy them denying the RF whatever information that had been provided Stuka dive-bombers would be assigned the task of knocking out these modern watchtowers there's stupid there were never any biggest menace in the Second World War they not only dive-bombing but also the noise which was oh it was demoralizing German aircraft head for the English coast the British respond with the same limited numbers that look while for now expect Spitfires from Biggin Hill for the first into action some of the Bombers get through and make their attacks [Music] [Music] five radar stations are badly damaged in the attacks for nearly six hours there is a massive blind spot in the country's defenses [Music] next three of the RAF forward airfields come under attack lymph Hawkings and monster I look down on the behalf field it disappeared because 30 tornadoes had land 300 bombs all over it you see and all you could see was an enormous splurge of black smoke and gray smoke and brown smoke and I remember thinking the silly blighters what they've done to our rapid well I'm gonna land now our three ton lawyers said don't clap doesn't take it off the mr. Borland you know half help the mess there if it was raided the hangars were bombed they were flattened not this is quite an exciting old times then some Spitfires refuelling and rearming are destroyed on the ground those that are still air worthy are rushed back into the air in time to catch some of the Raiders as they head for home [Music] [Music] the RAF airfields at Manston and Hawkins have been particularly hard-hit and eventually we landed and I remember racing between the bomb holes so reading like a dirt track rider between the bomb host nobody was the least bit upset I supposed to 100 holes on the airfield itself kind of par from all the buildings that had been destroyed include a lot of twenty five squadrons lenin's all the bomb holes were filled in and the unexploded bombs exploded the thing that I remember particularly around that they cut off all the water so nobody was able to wash for a couple of days goering had decreed that the following day the 13th of August would be adlet ugh Eagle Day the all-out aerial onslaught on the British Isles would finally commenced but Eagle day depended on good weather for maximum impact the English summer now intervened cloud and drizzling rain arrived reducing the scope of air operations RAF personnel meanwhile worked around the clock repairing damaged aircraft and filling in cratered runways perhaps most importantly the radar stations were quickly back in service despite poor weather Goering still hope to deploy all his forces for the great assault of Eagle Day the British were ready but the attacks on the radar stations and airfields had proved just how vulnerable their defenses were too concentrated German attacks [Music] now the German pilots received their instructions strong fighter escorts were briefed to sweep the skies clear of defending fighters bomber crews were allocated their targets RAF airfields in the South of England and aircraft factories are at the top of the list several hundred German aircraft are expected to be involved in this the beginning of the air campaign to knock Britain out of the wall from Brittany to Norway look what the arrow drones are a hive of activity [Music] [Music] [Music] the first wave of bombers takes to the air Bombay's loaded with high explosives and incendiaries once airborne they join their masked fighter escorts and together head for Britain as the defenders rose up to meet the aerial Armada RAF Fighter Command was entering a desperate fight for survival the head [Music] you

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Keywords: Full length Documentaries, the battle of britain, real, TV Shows - Topic, documentary history, Full Documentary, BBC documentary, ww2 documentary, Channel 4 documentary, History, stories, Documentary, adolf hitler, world war ii, Documentaries, Documentary Movies - Topic, history documentary, royal air force documentary, world war 2 documentary, battle of britain, royal air force ww2, 2017 documentary, history channel documentary

Id: t52mAcB-CLQ

Length: 47min 17sec (2837 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 31 2019