raf fighter command

Video Title :	raf fighter command
Description :	Origins On 20 May 1926, Fighter Command's precursor organization was established as a group within Inland Area. On 1 June 1926, Fighting Area (as it was then called) was transferred to the Air Defence of Great Britain. Fighting Area was raised to Command status in 1932 and renamed Fighter Command on 1 May 1936. Battle of Britain Over the next few years the Command expanded greatly and replaced its obsolescent biplane squadrons with two of the most famous aircraft ever to fly with the RAF, the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire. The supreme test of Fighter Command came during the summer of 1940 when the German Luftwaffe launched an offensive aimed at attaining air superiority over the Channel and UK as a perequisite to the launch of a sea-borne invasion force (code named Operation Sea Lion). Fighter Command was divided into a number of Groups, each controlling a different part of the UK. No. 11 Group took the brunt of the German attack, as it controlled southeast England and London. It was reinforced by No. 10 Group, which covered southwest England and No. 12 Group, which covered the Midlands and the North. In the end, the Germans failed to attain air superiotity, although the RAF had been eating into its reserves during the middle of the battle. A shortage of aircraft was never a problem. The problem was a shortage of pilots. Pilots were getting shot down and killed faster than they could be trained. It took Fighter Command some months to recover from those losses and to go over to the offensive. Winning air superiority over the Luftwaffe As 1941 began, Fighter Command began the onerous task of winning air superiority over North Western France from the Germans. By May 1941 the Squadrons based at all the main fighter airfields were now to operate together as integral Fighter Wings, under the tactical control of the newly created post of 'Wing Leader', invariably an experienced 1940 veteran of Wing Commander rank. Various types of short-penetration fighter operations were tried out in a bid to draw the Luftwaffe into a war of attrition, and keep inordinate numbers of fighters tied down in France, particularly after the German attack on the Soviets in June 1941. Large numbers of Spitfires were sent out with small groups of medium bombers in often vain attempts to lure the German fighters into combat. Results of these operations through 1941 were decidedly mixed, as the short range of the Spitfire precluded an overly aggressive stance, and with just two experienced Jagdgeschwader units left in Western Europe (JG 2 & JG 26; comprising 180 fighters at most) targets were often few but dangerous. Most of the factors that had allowed Fighter Command to win the Battle of Britain were now reversed. For example, British pilots shot down in 1940 and surviving would be patched up and sent back to their units as quickly as possible. In 1941, over France, a shot down pilot would, likely as not, end up a prisoner of war. The year saw RAF Fighter Command claim some 731 Luftwaffe fighters shot down (although only 236 were lost from all causes) for losses of approximately 530 RAF fighters lost. As 1941 ended, the appearance of the new Focke Wulf FW-190, with its obvious technical superiority over the current Spitfire Mark V, would make Fighter Command's job that much harder in 1942. By August 1941 AOC Air Vice Marshal Sholto Douglas himself expressed doubts over the wisdom of continuing such European fighter operations,. However, the Western Allies needed to emphasis their continuing support for the Soviet war effort by pressing on with high profile offensive operations such as the fighter sweeps, irrespective of their material effect on the minimal Luftwaffe presence in North Western Europe. Parallel to the day offensive in 1941 was the ongoing night bomber attacks against the UK. By this time, until May 1941, the Luftwaffe effort was aimed against both civilians and industrial targets. Fighter Command's defences, however improved almost daily during the first six months of 1941.The Bristol Beaufighter became the prime nightfighter, and equipped with airborne radar proved ever more effective against the bombers, with the ground-based organisation that proved so efficient in 1940 now guiding the night fighters to their targets. An increasing number of anti-aircraft guns and searchlights were also radar-controlled, improving accuracy. From the start of 1941 the Luftwaffe's losses mounted ( from 28 in January to 124 in May). With the impending invasion of Russia requiring the movement of air power to the East, the Blitz ended in May 1941 with Fighter Command in complete control of the night sky over the UK. This was to remain so until the end of the war.
Views :	26824
Rating :	4.81
Keywords, Tags :	ww2 raf fighter command spitfire bf109
Video Length :	1 : 34

Comments :

Hurricanes were the slower of the 2 british fighters but were able to turn in a tighter climbing turn and could be kept on the edge of stall ( side slip ) more efficiently than the spit or 109. They were also able to absorb lots of battle damage due to the rear fuselage construction which was of wood and not stressed metal covering a metal prestressed frame. Tha guns on the brit fighters were rifle caliber which was a downside. One report said it could take upto 700 hits to down an enemy.

wahhh where the rest....

Spits are good in fights but the downpart of Hurricanes is that they fly too slow, however their turning is very good.

Spitfire was a wonderful aeroplane...But the Hurricane did most of the work

spitfire what an awesome name

Woo! Spitfires rock!

also those millions of troops in ww1 were uniformed in Bright blue and red lol so that might have been a big facter lol :| but to be fair WW1 nobody new what they were doing

Yeah, trench warfare came out of nowhere, and I guess, everyone was pleased to see it go out of fashion just as quickly!

yeah i agree .. :( interesting thow i can't spell the name of the line sounds like Agencor or something like that .. they cemented there machiene guns and artillery in place so the germans couldn't use them if the line was ever taken however as germany went through Belguim again the defences never really saw action except against the italians a lil bit

Maginot line? Not the best defence considering Germany went round the top TWICE, you think they'd have learned by WWII.