La Batalla De Inglaterra (Inglés)

Air warfare was a decisive factor in determining the outcome of World War II but, certainly, it would be going to far to say that it alone determined the result of the European War. The most important clash in the air war was the Battle of Britain. Its result was a long-term turning point in World War II; on it depended Hitler’s plans to continue his plan to invade Britain (Operation Sea Lion)and, ultimately, the fate of continental Europe. Had Germany’s Luftwaffe been able to extinguish the British Royal Air Force in the crucial Battle of Britain, the power of air force would have been primarily responsible possible German victory later on, but it was the failure of Hitler’s flying corps to gain superiority of the sky and to crush the morale of the British people that allowed multipleother turning points in the European War, such as the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk and the invasion of Normandy.
Early on in the war, the use of air force was critical to the success of German advances. In what was called the Blitzkrieg tactic, the Germans would use the Luftwaffe and their offensive weapons to drive a wedge in the enemy’s defenses and get behind enemy lines, using air powerto prevent the enemy from reorganizing and reinforcing and resupplying. The effectiveness of the Blitzkrieg technique was soon made clear with the quick surrender of Poland, Norway and Denmark. After the fall of France in June 1940, Hitler was sure that a cornered Britain would be eager to make a peace pact, but when Churchill declared Britain would seek “victory at all costs,” Hitler was‘forced’ to attack.
Gaining control of the air and sea was of the utmost importance in order to be able to carry out the invasion of Britain (Operation Sea Lion). After knocking out the Royal Air Force, Germany would destroy all lines of communication and transport. With the RAF out of the way, the Luftwaffe could them bomb the coastline defenses and detach parachute troops to take over the airfieldsand establish beachheads. Finally, under the protective umbrella of the Luftwaffe, Panzer divisions would cross the channel without interference and carry out the actual invasion, divide, surround and destroy the enemy. So, it is clear that the first and foremost priority for Germany was to gain and retain control of the air, something Hitler had faith his air fleet could achieve. Air MarshallGoering promised little opposition form the RAF, which was outnumbered 10:1 and said it could be quickly taken out; he grossly underestimated the RAF, a mistake that would prove to be costly.
The inability of the Luftwaffe to decisively knock out the Royal Air Force was paramount. The early days of August 1940 were absolutely critical for both Germany and Britain. Even though Goering senthundreds of aircrafts of all types (bombers, dive bombers and fighters), the German air force could not exterminate the RAF, thus allowing Britain desperately needed time to build up her defenses and hindering Nazi plans of occupation. When it was apparent, the RAF could not be brought down in the air, Goering opted for smashing it on the ground, attacking airfields, factories, munitions plants andother means of production. Then, angered by a minor attack on Berlin by the RAF, Hitler ordered a change of tactics; all-out attacks were to be carried out on cities, to crush the people’s morale and finally bring the British empire to its knees. This was a major error on Hitler’s part, as the deviation of the Blitz on the civilian population meant relieving the pressure on airfields. What is more,the aggressive bombing failed in draining the British of their will to fight. Despite the onslaught, the loss of 40,000 lives and the destruction of their home, the morale of the British people remained at a remarkable level; the hardships of 109 consecutive nights of bombing seemed to have steeled the people’s resolution to attain victory. The people did not rebel against their government as...