"I saw my first burst go in and, just as I was on top of him and turning away, I noticed a red glow inside the bomber. I turned tightly into position again and now saw several short tongues of flame lick out along the fuselage. Then he went down in a spin, blanketed with smoke and with pieces flying off."
The Battle of Britain
"tHE bATTLE OF fRANCE IS OVER. i EXPECT THAT THE bATTLE OF Britain IS ABOUT TO BEGIN." -Churchill
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On June 18, 1940, Germany defeated France. Hitler then made plans to invade Britain, an operation he code-named “Sea Lion”. The same day of France’s defeat, Winston Churchill delivered a speech saying, “...the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.” Churchill’s speech gave this famous battle its name - The Battle of Britain.
But in order to invade Britain, the Germans had to be in control of the English channel so they could safely land their invasion barges without attack from the British navy. On July 10, 1940, The Luftwaffe (German air force) started attacking ships in the English channel, aiming at military, convoy, and shipping units. In August they started destroying British aircraft, and by the end of October they were bombing London at night, which became known as the “Blitz”. |
Although the Luftwaffe had more planes than the Allies, the Germans were unable to defeat them. The Allies used a sophisticated radar system that could detect German planes, giving them early warnings of upcoming raids. Allied pilots flew Spitfires and Hurricanes, both incredibly effective planes, and met the German bomber formations in the air and engaged in battle.
One Allied pilot recalls, "I saw my first burst go in and, just as I was on top of him and turning away, I noticed a red glow inside the bomber. I turned tightly into position again and now saw several short tongues of flame lick out along the fuselage. Then he went down in a spin, blanketed with smoke and with pieces flying off."
One Allied pilot recalls, "I saw my first burst go in and, just as I was on top of him and turning away, I noticed a red glow inside the bomber. I turned tightly into position again and now saw several short tongues of flame lick out along the fuselage. Then he went down in a spin, blanketed with smoke and with pieces flying off."
The Battle of Britain lasted for over three months, and finally ended on October 31, 1940. The Allies’ strong air force had vanquished the inefficient German aircraft. The Luftwaffe suffered the loss of 1,100 planes while the Royal Air Force (RAF) alone only lost 650. However, Britain suffered over 23,000 casualties in the Blitz. After the defeat, Hitler postponed “Operation Sea Lion”, but later called it off completely in May 1941.
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Canadian involvement
The Battle of Britain couldn’t have been such a success if it were not for heavy Canadian involvement. Because the United States had not yet entered the war and France had been defeated, Canada was Britain’s major ally. Some Canadian pilots flew with the RAF although the majority flew as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
On August 26, 1940, the No. 1 Fighter Squadron, later called the No. 401 Fighter Squadron, became the first RCAF unit to participate in the Battle of Britain. The squadron engaged in many more air battles, including one famous battle taking place on September 27th. This was the day of the Luftwaffe’s last major daylight attack. The No. 1 Fighter Squadron fought along side the RAF’s 303 Squadron and attacked the first wave of enemy bombers, destroying eight planes and damaging seven more.
By mid-October, the No. 1 Fighter Squadron had destroyed over 74 enemy aircraft and suffered the loss of only 16 planes and 3 pilots. Altogether over 100 Canadians took part in the Battle of Britain and 23 lost their lives. Canadian pilots were awarded the Battle of Britain clasp, and three members of the No. 1 Fighter Squadron received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Through the Battle of Britain, Canadian pilots received their “baptism of fire”. This was the first time the RCAF had shown great commitment to combat. By the end of the war, Canada was home to the fourth largest airforce in the world.
On August 26, 1940, the No. 1 Fighter Squadron, later called the No. 401 Fighter Squadron, became the first RCAF unit to participate in the Battle of Britain. The squadron engaged in many more air battles, including one famous battle taking place on September 27th. This was the day of the Luftwaffe’s last major daylight attack. The No. 1 Fighter Squadron fought along side the RAF’s 303 Squadron and attacked the first wave of enemy bombers, destroying eight planes and damaging seven more.
By mid-October, the No. 1 Fighter Squadron had destroyed over 74 enemy aircraft and suffered the loss of only 16 planes and 3 pilots. Altogether over 100 Canadians took part in the Battle of Britain and 23 lost their lives. Canadian pilots were awarded the Battle of Britain clasp, and three members of the No. 1 Fighter Squadron received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Through the Battle of Britain, Canadian pilots received their “baptism of fire”. This was the first time the RCAF had shown great commitment to combat. By the end of the war, Canada was home to the fourth largest airforce in the world.
Dal Russel, A Canadian Hero
Dec 9, 1916 - Nov 20, 2007
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Blair Dalzell “Dal” Russel was born in Toronto, Canada but grew up in Montreal. It was there that he learned to fly at the Montreal Flying Club.
When World War II began, Russel enlisted in the RCAF and was one of the youngest officers to go overseas with the No. 1 Squadron. He arrived in England in June 1940, just in time for the Battle of Britain. It was during this battle that Russel shot down a Dornier bomber over Gravesend, one of his greatest accomplishments during the war. Russel came out of the battle alive and as an ace, having shot down over five enemy planes. After the loss of a squadron commander, Russel became the new wing commander of the No. 442 Squadron and later took command of four others. He was awarded several medals such as the DFC and DSO for his leadership and fighting qualities. |
By the end of the war, Russel was one of the few Canadians who had flown over 250 operational sorties. After the war, he returned to Canada and enjoyed fishing in his retirement. But when his friends invited him to go hunting, he refused saying that he would never again shoot anything.
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