Overview of WWII Part 1 1939-1941
Sept 1, 1939 Germany attacked Poland with- 63 divisions (b/w 10-20 000 men in a division) Poland had 20 division and 12 cavalry brigades Germany had 2000 aircraft vs. Poland s 600
Sept 3 - Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand declared war on Germany (Canada waited til the 10th). Sept 17th - USSR invaded Poland & soon after, the Baltic states.
Blitzkrieg effective German attack strategy - translates Lightning War Used fast moving Panzer tanks, Stuka dive bombers, paratroopers dropped in behind enemy lines... England and France initially only use defense tactics France assumed their Maginot Line coupled with Ardennes forest and mountains will keep German troops out
Poland surrendered by end of September, 1939 Phoney War - from the surrender of Poland until... the German attack on & on April 8, 1940 Denmark Hitler s Western Offensive... Netherlands Belgium Germany on May 10, 1940, and France was attacked on May 12. The and - were invaded by The Netherlands surrendered - May 14th Belgium - surrendered on May 28th Norway
Rotterdam 1940 after German bombing
German troops punched through French line of defence at city of Sedan on May 12 This French soft spot was between the Maginot line and the Ardennes Mountains
There was an amazing rescue/evacuation of 340 000 French and British troops from Dunkirk... This was code named - Operation Dynamo May 27 - June 4, 1940 90 000 rifles/475 tanks/1000 heavy guns/ 400 antitank guns/7000 tons of ammo left behind for Nazis Paris was overtaken on June 14th, 1940 June 22 - France surrendered Marshal Pétain French pronunciation: petɛ collaborated with Nazis and governed a small section of France from Vichy - agreeing not to resist.
Occupied France
Messerschmitt 109 - lighter - for dogfighting
Messerschmitt 110 (larger-heavier - for bombing)
By 1943 - Messerschmitt 262-150 kms/hour faster than any allied plane. Hitler wanted these as attacking planes (bombers) not fighter planes. They would have been very effective as interceptors (of US bombers). But...German pilots were not allowed to disagree.
Un-manned - German V1 and V2 rockets - used to terrorized British civilians (precursor to cruise missiles)
RAF Spitfire (small/fast and maneuverable - for dogfighting -- Rolls Royce Griffon Engine -2035 h/pwer - reached 606 mph in flight testing -One flight test reached 51550 ft in altitude
RAF Hurricane - lion s share of fighting in B.o.B (first British combat plane that could exceed 300 mph
RAF Lancaster - heavier/stronger - for bombing missions - could carry 22 000 lb (10 ton) Earthquake bombs Fell @ 320 meters/second
Hitler had an invasion of Britain planned. It was coded. Operation Sealion Air raids would have to come first - Germany had numerical but not technical advantage ( 2500 Luftwaffe aircraft vs 800 in the RAF) The British Spitfire was most effective fighter plane of the time Britain s gave early warning Battle of Britain July 10 - November 1940 radar
Evacuation of British children...
Pevensie children go to Narnia...
There were several stages to the B of B: 1. English Channelshipping and ports Radar 2. stations 3. Inland fighter bases and aircraft factories 4. Sept 7-30 Blitz on London - part 1 5. October - Nov Blitz Part 2 - pilots - experience limited/ tired! Never in the history of armed combat... 20 000 Londoners killed - one man s story
Total War: is conflict of unlimited scope in which a nation engages in a total mobilization of all available resources at their disposal, whether human, industrial, agricultural, military, natural, technological. Civilians have to pitch in. Most the adult population of England were given a job Home guard Munitions factories and farms Land girls Role of women changed
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