Battle of Britain
15th September, Battle of Britain Day, marks the anniversary the German Luftwaffe launched their most intense bombing campaign against the English south coast.
Commemorated officially on 15 September each year, the Battle of Britain stretched across the summer and early autumn of 1940, and saw the RAF and British ground services come together to repel an air invasion of Britain.
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Battle of Britain: Three Days that Saved the Nation
1 season
July 10th 1940 is officially the start of the Battle of Britain. To mark that summer of aerial warfare, History Hit is showing this special documentary series.
With Hitler determined to bring Britain to its knees, Nazi bombers unleashed a campaign of terror. From north to south, the skies were...
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The Hurricane
Hawker Hurricanes accounted for 60% of German losses in the battle of Britain. They were the most numerous fighter aircraft which the RAF deployed, partly owing to their rapid turn-around time (it took them only 9 minutes to be refuelled and re-armed). Dan Snow provides an overview of the 'workho...
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The RAFs Forgotten Few: Bomber Command's Battle of Britain
James Jefferies talks to us about Bomber Command in the Battle of Britain. The narrative of the Battle of Britain has frequently been one of Britain under siege which is often defined by a handful of fighter pilots of the RAF, known as ‘the few’, defending the skies over Britain. However, the Ba...
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The Battle for Britain: The People Vs The Government
Chris Walklett will examine events between ’84 and ’94, during which time the government seemingly pitted itself against the British people, particularly the youth. It will cover events including: Orgreave, the Greenham Women, the free festivals, acid house & the so-called Summer of Love and othe...
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The Battle of Britain
In June 1940 Nazi Germany overran France and forced the British army to evacuate at Dunkirk. Severely lacking in military equipment, Britain and her empire now stood alone against Adolf Hitler's forces. Nevertheless Winston Churchill, Britain's new prime minister, refused to come to peace terms, ...
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Battle of Britain
Why We Fight is a series of seven propaganda films, produced by the US Army Signals Corps, under the direction of Frank Capra, between 1942 and 1945. The films were intended to be shown to US troops before they departed overseas. The mission of the films was two-fold: to provide an informative ov...
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How The Battle of Britain Was Won
It’s 1940. And the world’s first real air battle is being fought in the skies of the UK. This is the Battle of Britain, in which the Royal Air Force would triumphantly fight off the threat of the German Luftwaffe. Behind the brave pilots and pioneering technology lies an often-forgotten secret we...
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Real Fake History: The Alternate Battle of Britain
On this episode of Real Fake History, Dan Snow is joined by historians Dr Victoria Taylor, Luke Pepera and actor & history buff Joe Thomas to discuss the hypothetical scenario: what if the Germans had won the Battle of Britain?
In September 1940 the Nazi march over Europe was halted when the bra...
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The Battle for New Britain
Documentary film depicting the attack by Allied forces on the Japanese strong-holds of Arawe Beach and Cape Gloucester, New Britain, in the South Pacific theatre of the Second World War in 1943.
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The Polish Pilots Who Fought for Britain
In the summer of 1940 Britain fought a battle for survival against the might of Hitler’s Luftwaffe. This Battle of Britain would see German air attacks on British airfields, cities, factories and docks. Brave RAF pilots intercepted these raids, but Britain was not alone. Among the RAF and Allied ...
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The Luftwaffe Ace and the Spitfire
He is a German Luftwaffe ace with 81 confirmed victories on the Eastern front. Now a 95-year-old veteran, his talent and courage remain legendary throughout the world. It is the most iconic British fighter ever built. The hum of its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the wonderful elliptical wing, and th...
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Remembering the Few with Wing Commander Tom Neil
Last summer, we were lucky enough to interview Wing Commander Tom Neil, one of the last of 'the Few' who fought in the Battle of Britain. During the Battle he shot down at least 13 enemy aircraft; he saw over half his squadron shot down within 5 minutes; he is also credited with the longest fligh...
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The Spirit of France
Having been defeated by Nazi Germany in the Battle for France of April and May 1940, French resistance fighters carried on the underground struggle, causing difficulty for the German occupiers, and supplying the Allies in Britain with much needed intelligence in the build up to D-Day. An archive ...
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The Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was the most numerous bomber which the Luftwaffe deployed during the Battle of Britain. It was capable of storing and delivering large bombs (250kg) and had state-of-the-art gyroscopic sights to improve its accuracy. The He 111 was protected armour plating and self-sealing fuel...
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The Stuka
More famously known as the ‘Stuka’, the Ju 87 is perhaps the most recognisable dive bomber of the Second World War, made famous by its infamous Jericho trumpet. During the Battle of Britain, squadrons of Stukas gained some success destroying ground targets. On 13 August 1940 – Eagle Day – Stukas ...
