Eriksson, Patrick G. Adlertag

The Battle of Britain Intensifies 11-13 August 1940

From 11 to 13 August 1940, the first major air raids on Great Britain took place as part of the Battle of Britain. Following preparations in July, Eagle Day was supposed to herald the start of the major offensive. The weather disrupted the complex planning and the operation ended in fiasco. Characteristic of the period from 11 to 13 August is the contrast in strategy and tactics between the two most important German units, Air Fleet 2 under Field Marshal Kesselring and Air Fleet 3 under Field Marshal Sperrle. With one exception, Kesselring deployed only one of his bomber squadrons, supported by his two Ju 87 dive bomber groups and his only fighter-bomber group, which was covered by all his fighter aircraft. Sperrle, on the other hand, deployed several conventional bomber squadrons, most of which were equipped with modern Ju 88 aircraft, as well as a few Stukas from three air corps, which were covered by his fighter aircraft. These three days marked the beginning of the intense phase of the Battle of Britain, in which they employed their chosen methods but failed to recognise the errors in their decisions, enabling the RAF to win the battle. As for the witnesses to the battle, these pages contain fascinating details: a twelve-year-old Jewish schoolboy, for example, who was brought out of Germany on the Kindertransport shortly before the outbreak of war, finds himself in a conflict between patriotic feelings for his Luftwaffe compatriots flying over his refugee boarding school and the knowledge that their defeat by the RAF would save his own life.