Of Britain, 1940-41

History's Most Exciting Drama: Battle Of Britain, 1940-41

At last we have a war-hook that, while giving us authentic history, really brings out the dramatic values of a series of events that changed the history of the world and brought “their most glorious hour” to the Anglo-Saxon people.

It is written by Drew Middleton, leading American commentator and natural historian, who personally saw much of what he describes.

THE history of Britain sparkles with highlights in which British spirit and achievement are ex tolled Trafalgar, Omdurman, Waterloo, Blenheim, Lucknow, Bala clava, come raggedly to mind but in the long focus of the future it is likely that nothing will surpass the Battle of Britain (1940-41) in showing the quality of the Anglo- Saxon race.

Drew Middleton skilfully paints in the background of his story ( The Sky Suspended ).

Germany had conquered all of Europe, except Spain, Sweden and Russia (anaesthetised then by German-Russian treaty, remem ber?) ; and in May-June, 1940. she squatted along the shores of the Channel and North Sea, and got ready to clean up Britain.

Britain had her great navy almost intact; her small army, which had left most of its modern equipment at Dunkirk; and a small, highly effi cient Air Force, which included the newly-built, incredible Spitfires and Hurricanes.

Openly, with arrogant leisureli ness, Germany made preparations for “Operation Sea Lion”—the inva sion of Britain.

The Luftwaffe was based on the western coasts, from Norway to Bay of Biscay, within minutes of Eng land. A score of divisions were brought into Northern France, and trained in invasion tactics. Thou sands of small craft, from all over Western Europe, were assembled in harbours opposite the English coast, and organised with Teutonic thoroughness to carry the invaders across the Channel.

We who used to study the war

news so anxiously, exactly 20 years ago, can well remember this terra tying phase. Neutral observers— among whom US Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, father of the new President-Elect, was most pro minent—did not give Britain la chance of survival.

Blinded By Science

But there was no panic in the Old Country. On the contrary, life seemed to go on much as usual.

Not until years afterwards did we learn of the genius and the intense industry employed behind the scenes. If ever a nation was blinded by science, it was over-confident Germany in 1940.

The enemy, quite correctly, de cided that a Channel crossing was not possible until the Royal Air Force was paralysed. He began the process of securing control of the skies in July. He got the surprise of his life.

The leaders of the RAF did three things which shaped the Battle of Britain, achieved victory and changed the course of history. They developed radar (then scorned by the Germans), through which they got early warning of the Luftwaffe attacks; they put eight guns into their super-fighters: and they divided their forces over a hidden network of scienffifically-equippeß radar posts and sector-stations* linked in a superb control-system-!

The Germans lacked neither skill| nor courage, but they gravely undernl estimated the RAF. What the latter* lacked in numbers it made up in

quality. B

From July to September, 194 Q»

redible fleets of German bombers i fighters flew into England to troy the RAF. They were agely mauled by the defenders, er a time, the surprised Ger ns recognised one source of RAF mgth—the radar and the sector tions—and, belatedly, they began search them out and destroy m.

'hey were very close to com ply crippling the RAF when, aculously, the Germans changed ir tactics from a widespread it for RAF bases to a massive ick upon London, a that Hitler-inspired decision, s Middleton, Germany lost the he London Blitz worked up into gear, with night attacks against ch there was no really effective mce, in mid-September, 1940. weeks and months, from August DUgh to November, London just c it. ondoners, according to German ;ulations, were supposed to ic, 1 and undermine administra efficiency and national morale. :ead, the more their capital was Dered, the more stubborn and ant the English became, [eanwhile, the British bombers e not idle. Every day and night, y blasted away at the “invasion t” in the ports of France, yium and Holland, and did in :ulable damage to invasion ipment and plans, inally (stage three) the baffled mans turned their bombing idrons upon England’s indus -1 cities, and blasted practically :y one, from Coventry to South- Dton to Bristol and Manchester, in attempt to dislocate the out of planes and armaments, he cities suffered horrible lage—but they kept on repair their factories and producing vital machinery of war.

"Their Most Glorious Hour" t the year’s end, the unpredict ! Hitler cancelled “Operation Lion”, abandoned the plan to ide Britain, declared that the aders would be either starved > submission by submarines (the toats then were on top in the tie of the Atlantic), or battered itually into the ground by his ibers; and he turned his plan l to the conquest of Russia ;n nominally his friend). lx months later, Germany cherously attacked Russia; six iths after that, with equal chery, Japan attacked at Hono —and brought an infuriated srica into the war. at from the surrender of ace (May, 1940) until Pearl hour (December, 1941) the ish fought alone, against stag ng odds. If they had collapsed, Axis (Germany, Japan and y) would have taken possession ;he world.

This indeed was their most elorious hour - and no writing has more effectively brought out the drama of that long, breath-taking strueele and paid a finer tribute to the British, than this book by Drew Middleton.

Drew Middleton, 47, famed as an American war correspondent and now ranking among the world’s most respected commentators, has told the Battle of Britain story in

a way that entitles it to a per manent place among the records of World War 11. It is factual, forth right and gripping. Handled by a master writer, it has the value of a documented history, high literary quality, and all the excitement of a suspense thriller.—RWß. (the sky suspended. The Battle of Britain. May, 1940-Aprii. 1941. By Drew Middleton. Seeker and Warburg Ltd. 20/- Australian.)