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The Royal Air Force
The British Royal Air Force was formally established in 1918 after the First World War. Under the new air ministry, the air forces were consolidated and mainly relegated to policing the skies of distant colonial holdings in the Middle East and India. Thus before the Second World War, the RAF saw little to no combat action. Nevertheless, the interest in aviation that boomed after the Great War increased the public’s fascination with air planes and many young men joined the RAF for the adventure and prestige. The changing tide in Europe during the 1930’s and Germany’s advanced aviation industry caused the British government to devote more funds to improve the fighting capability of the RAF. Both bombers and fighter planes were developed and pilots recruited for the frantic rearmament of the air force.
The RAF finally saw combat action on May 10, 1940 when the Germans invaded France. RAF fighters and bombers were sent to provide air support for the British Expeditionary Force in France but the 400 obsolete air planes were no match for the 1400 superior Luftwaffe aircraft. At the battle of Dunkirk, the RAF was unable to protect the stranded soldiers on the beaches and casualties were high. The RAF fighters were actually crossing the channel continuously to try to break up the German air attacks on the beaches, but the range of the planes and limited fuel reserves allowed RAF fighters only 15 minutes to wage battle against the Luftwaffe before being forced back to base. As a result of their inability to defend the troops successfully, the RAF suffered through a low point in its prestige.
In the wake of Dunkirk and the fall of France, the RAF was given a new test of its endurance and combat capability. Churchill predicted that the fall of France spelled the beginning of the battle for Britain. His prediction came true when the Luftwaffe began attacking the British coast in the summer of 1940 in an effort to destroy the RAF in preparation for the impending German invasion. The RAF was dangerously low on aircraft but the system of production was in full swing and was able to supply a continuous stream of air craft to the RAF throughout the months of the battle. Fortunately for the RAF, it was much better organized than the Luftwaffe with regards to ground to air communication, and it had the indispensable radar warning system. The squadrons were separated into fighter group areas and commanded separately to maximize the efficiency of their limited air power. It took incredible timing and judgment on the part of air command to maintain the defensive against the massive German attacks on coastal towns, ports, communication and fighter bases. The RAF was very close to defeat in the fall of 1940 as the German bomber planes were reaching inland targets vital to British fighter command. But the tactical blunder of the Germans to bomb British cities inevitably saved the RAF and allowed it to gain strength for the final push against the Germans. The secret to the RAF’s success in the Battle of Britain despite the great odds it faced was simply the drive maintain the RAF’s existence. By doing this they prevented the German invasion of Britain.
Source: http://www.mplib.org/wpdb/index.asp?exact=MPW00384
Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/online/battle-of-britain/overview.htm