Battle of Britain German defeat...

[LizardKing]

Hello all!

Many times i've tried to find a logical explanation about the German defeat in invading Britain's mainland but the existing theories just don't fit me right.

Just think about it.
The Luftwaffe fought the RAF over the Channel and lost due to the heavy casualties suffered by the RAF (about 25% of the entire Luftwaffe strength).
Yet the RAF came to it's limits due to the ongoing battle (July- October 1940). Despite that loss, Germany managed to gather over 4 mil. troops and 4 Air Fleets (Luftlotte 1, Luftlotte 2, Luftflotte 4, Luftflotte 5) with around 4.500 aircrafts (but only about 68% of them combat ready) to invade USSR and advance rapidly deep in Soviet land.

What i don't understand is how the Germans lost the Battle of Britain and yet had enough strength to bring the USSR down to it's knees. Although the Soviets at this stage of the war were of very poor quality, the major arithmetical supremacy of the Red Army was a tough enemy to beat.
Many sources state that after the Battle of Britain the German aircraft factories didn't show much production rise maintaining the same production line levels.

So where did the conclusion came that the Battle of Britain was lost and yet the German strength was enough for invading a vast country such as the USSR?

[Gary J]

Limited fighter time over England .....

.. In saying that, I never have understood why the Germans did not develop drop tanks to combat this limitation.

[LizardKing]

I know about the difficulties that the germans had to overpass (such as the radars, the forced landings on british land and the following road to captivity, the limited time they could fly over enemy territory) but despite these circumstances they maintained enough forces to invade the USSR.

[Spitace41]

The number of German aircraft available for the invasion of the Soviet union in 1941 can be explained by the fact that Hitler never really trusted the Soviet Union (he was already talking about an invasion in August 1940) and thus kept an appropriate amount of material aside for Barbarossa.

The Luftwaffe's inability to subdue Britain in 1940, I would argue was a combination of this distrust of the Soviet Union and the fact that German bombing was largely concentrated on British cities and not RAF airfields as it arguably should have been. Furthermore the Luftwaffe doctrine was predominantly tactical in nature and thus at this time it did not possess the heavy bombers (and never would in any quantity) that were necessary for the destruction of British infrastructure on the scale that had been envisaged. Of course there are numerous other factors that can be considered, These are just the main points as I see them. Cheers.

[AMTG]

Well I think Hitler never trusted the Russians....keeping forces in Poland and having a force that could respond to a Soviet attack seemed a priority to him, being the paranoid bugger he was....so he was reluctant to release aircraft from the east...also Goerings over confidence and his repeated promises to hitler that he could smash the RAF, probably kept him from releasing more aircraft

[LizardKing]

So Hitler although having the power to defeat Britain decided to split his forces in the assaulting on England one and the defending against a possible Soviet attack one... This is a fact i have missed. And following this decision the ongoing aerial defeat forced Hitler to withdraw his planes and postpone the invasion fearing that if he engaged more aircraft he would be vulnerable to the Soviet assault he was waiting.
Am i right?

[Spitace41]

I think that is basically the consensus, yes. The Soviet Union took the priority due to its size, resources and the fact that there was no physical barrier between it and Germany. Also, contrary to popular belief, and although the fighter pilots of the BOB were incredibly brave there is strong evidence to suggest that a German invasion of Britain would not have been successful anyway due to the Royal Navy. Although whether or not Hitler had this in mind I do not know.

[big ned]

"The Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization… The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war… Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'."

That's why they lost Michael, you need look no further. Against a people like us, with a mindset like that, they stood not a chance!

Rule Britannia!!

[LizardKing]

I think that one of the reasons Hitler called the invasion off was the threat of the Royal Navy as you mentioned. I remember reading about it somewhere. He feared the presence of the large British battleships that accompanied by the RAF could cause severe damages to the invading force.

[LizardKing]

"The Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization… The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war… Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'."

That's why they lost Michael, you need look no further. Against a people like us, with a mindset like that, they stood not a chance!

Rule Britannia!!

I have to give you that... You fought Germans from almost the first day of the war to it's last and on every theater of war. We, Greeks and especially Cretans, never forget about the bonds our countries had !