Darkest hour

[Oldddudders]

I've finally got my hands on the DVD and it does look like the 1940 Beck map.

 

map.jpg

 

Cheers

David

 

It appears to show Bushey Heath, itself a victim of the war and Green Belt. 

[rockershovel]

Winston Churchill knew war was inevitable as did a few other people in positions of power and in the armed forces. Including leaders within the RAF who began churning out hurricanes and spitfires plus pushing forward with radar. Hitler wanted to take us out of the war first before attacking Russia and operation sea lion was a very real possibility. But the Germans couldn’t accomplish the two main objectives was to take the RAF and then use the Luftwaffe to tak the the Royal Navy in preparation for invasion. But they couldn’t accomplish it so Hitler switched to terror tactics by trying to bomb us into submission while he invaded Russia.

Big James

Quite so. Rearmament began in earnest in 1938.

 

The Battle of Britain demonstrated the limits of air power at the time. The German divebombers were highly effective in support of dominant, fast-moving infantry and armour in open warfare but much less so in Russia. Had the Germans developed the technique of close support bombing (used by the Allies in Normandy) then a conclusive defeat of the BEF and French armies might have been achieved in 1940; or a conclusive defeat of the British in the later phases of Sea Lion.

 

The German bombing of Britain following the cancellation, or at least postponement of Sea Lion was a low-risk gamble, a campaign which according to the prevailing thought of the time (particularly the then-influential Douhet) might well have succeeded, without compromising resources required for the forthcoming Barbarossa, or the not-yet-formed Afrika Korps (the Italians were at that time, earning the reputation for military excellence which would follow them for many years to come, against the British Western Desert Force)

[DavidB-AU]

It appears to show Bushey Heath, itself a victim of the war and Green Belt.

I was going to mention it showed the dotted Northern Heights extension.

 

Cheers

David

[BernardTPM]

My late father was no admirer of much of Churchill’s policies, but a huge admirer of the man. He stood by the kerb, through a bitterly cold night, despite his war injuries, to be sure to see the passing into history of a man who in is younger days, he would happily have seen hanged; and he was surrounded by a great crowd assembled for the same reason.

 

They knew it was a time when normal rules didn’t apply.

 

It was the same for my father, so we were there (albeit in the warm) that day in January 1965.

 

[DavidB]

We were there (albeit in the warm) that day in January 1965.

 

As was I - but in a slightly different sense, as I was still 2 months off being born, but my Mum and Dad went down to Tilehurst station to pay their respects as 34051 passed through on the way to Handborough.  With one side of the family having lived through the bombing of Coventry and the other having seen the glow of the city burning from as far away as Oxford, I spent my early childhood in no doubt whatsoever about the importance of Churchill's role in WW2 (and that of the Americans for sending so many men to fight alongside us).  It was 20+ years after the war had ended, but their memories were very powerful and made a huge impression on me at the time.

[durham light infantry]

Winston Churchill knew war was inevitable as did a few other people in positions of power and in the armed forces. Including leaders within the RAF who began churning out hurricanes and spitfires plus pushing forward with radar. Hitler wanted to take us out of the war first before attacking Russia and operation sea lion was a very real possibility. But the Germans couldn’t accomplish the two main objectives was to take the RAF and then use the Luftwaffe to tak the the Royal Navy in preparation for invasion. But they couldn’t accomplish it so Hitler switched to terror tactics by trying to bomb us into submission while he invaded Russia.

Big James

Actually the first production batch of Hurricanes was built in faith by Hawkers, before the Air Ministry placed it's order. Hawkers having realised the future need for the aircraft, and that the lead time in producing them would put Fighter Command's re-armament plans back by about 18 months.

[rockershovel]

Actually the first production batch of Hurricanes was built in faith by Hawkers, before the Air Ministry placed it's order. Hawkers having realised the future need for the aircraft, and that the lead time in producing them would put Fighter Command's re-armament plans back by about 18 months.

Just as well then, that the defence of the nation wasn’t in the hands of Carillion, Serco or G4S....