August 23-24 1940 Britain

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Saxondog
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August 23-24 1940 Britain

Post by Saxondog »

Today marks 70 years ago for the first German Bombing of London, this was viewed by many as a terrible event. But the bombing of civilian targets was not a new or a German creation. And unknown to the Germans this was exactly the break the Royal Air Force needed to reorganize and recover from the daily assault by the Luftwaffe.

It is also the reason the Battle of Britain was lost by the Germans, the battle started July 10,1940 with military and Industrial targets being the main focus. After 45 days of constant battle the RAF. was in a bad way. They were out numbered and even the higher Kill ratio would leave the R.A.F without aircraft or pilots unless the focus could be shifted.

Churchill new how to manipulate his adversaries,Herman Goering and Adolf Hitler. By launching raids against German cities, almost a one way mission at the time. Goering had to retaliate as he had claimed that no British bombs would ever strike a German city(Even though the British did attack Wilhelmshaven in Oct/1939) so by this strategy the emotionally unstable Goering over reacted and the Fuhrer gave his blessing to break the British will to fight

As Churchill would later say, And the end of the beginning had begun.

Cheers Saxondog
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littletankman
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Re: August 23-26 1940 Britain

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Hi there , nice someone from over the other side of the pond posted this . Were I live we often get the Battle of Britian flight go overhead at this time and its a an excelent site . Just wish I had a better camera. Were I live was attacked but no were near as bad as the main citys . One German raider dropped a bomb close to were I live now and it hit our Lido out door pool ! Think he was dummping it on his return home.It was repaired and is still in use today . Our house is very old and we still have an underground air raid shelter in our back garden . Its not huge but Ive been told it was used by people other than the ones who lived in our house . And ironically the guy who sold us the house was a German . His father came here after the war and I beleive he started his own buisness and was well liked . Unfournutally he passed away and his son then went on to sell us the house.

Andy
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Saxondog
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Re: August 23-26 1940 Britain

Post by Saxondog »

Very interesting Andy, so you really have a piece of history. I can relate to the bomb shelter, here in the south they are used in case of tornadoes. cheers Sax
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littletankman
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Re: August 23-26 1940 Britain

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Hi Sax, I never thought about that . When I go into our one , you can imagine the fear people at the time felt .There was a documentry on UK tv a while ago were the built a row of houses and simulated the various German bombs against it by detonating explosives equel to the german bombs . they also did a fire bomb raid and the effects of a V1 and V2 . There wasnt much left at the end . I think it was called , Blitz street.

Andy
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Saxondog
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Re: August 23-26 1940 Britain

Post by Saxondog »

That is something most can not even begin to imagine, and the fire bombing the allies used against Germany and Japan was terrible.So many died in WWII bombings truly it must have been unnerving to of lived through it. Still I would like to see that UK Show, but most people in the USA have never experienced bombing, once that generation is gone so is the knowledge of that type of warfare.

Hopefully we as a people will end wars, I like my tanks but I could not begin to understand that type of warfare either, knowing death could come at any moment. Truly the men fighting in the tanks in WWII had to be well motivated and the degree of courage not often seen. Sax
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Re: August 23-26 1940 Britain

Post by bowlman »

I have the VHS Tape of Battle of Britain and watch it every year it was made in 1969 It has a lot of good actors in it Michael Caine ,Trevor Howard , Curt Jugens , Robert Shaw and Christopher Plummer and a lot more and have been wondering how true to what it was like is the Movie .

Jimmy
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Re: August 23-26 1940 Britain

Post by Saxondog »

I have that one also, hard to say. The Germans can't stand Goering's blaming them. I recall they ask for a squadron of Spitfires. Still excellent movie with some great flying and the whole pace of the movie from leaving France to the cancellation of the SEA LION Invasion. Then the scene where the dead women are laid out after the bombing raid, for the time that was pretty graphic.And Susannah York was pretty alarmed DURING THE BOMBING when her husband was reacting to the bombing, he was scared and that shocked her.

I'm lucky to have it on DVD with all the extra footage of the aircraft behind the scenes. Blake
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Re: August 23-24 1940 Britain

Post by bowlman »

Darn I need to get it in DVD I have Patton in DVD .

Jimmy
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Re: August 23-24 1940 Britain

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Hi Sax if you Google Blitz street you probally will get some clips of it It was on Channel 4 . Its was on TV , I did video some but taped over it now . Im not sure if you can get it on DVD yet but Im sure it will come out . If you do get to see it look out for the milk bottle.

Andy :thumbup:
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Re: August 23-24 1940 Britain

Post by tankmad »

London got it bad and to a lesser extent Sheffield and Glasgow I live in Glasgow and it was once the bigest ship building city in the world Clydebank in Glasgow was badly hit even today when you drive down the main road you can see the old buildings then they stop for about a mile thats was the main bit that got bombed. The Germans thought if we miss the shipyards and hit the civilian houses we will get the workers.
Stevie
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