Bungay

1. TITLE (AND BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFO): 
The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain
2. AUTHOR: 
Stephen Bungay 
3. AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND : 
http://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/Content.nsf/WebContent?ReadForm&Zone=FARBIO&SpecialTemplate=LongBioNote&Name=Stephen Bungay 
4. BRIEF OUTLINE ILLUSTRATING SCOPE AND RANGE :
Covers Build up to Battle of Britain (WWII), the battle and aftermath 
5. AUTHOR’S ARGUMENT/THESIS/CONCLUSIONS: 
Jul- Nov 1940, Britain won due to better leadership, strategy, and economic factors, not the perpetuated myth of heroics
MAIN IDEAS: 
Brits 
Churchill
· Despite his background, Bungay considers him militarily incompetent
· Rhetoric spun Britain into fighting to the last man 12
· Felt there is a fine line between policy disagreements with him and treason 13
· Considered this Battle the end of democracy if it failed
· Felt a shift in balance of power was a struggle for the fate of the world 26
· Engaged in deliberate myth-making
o “The Few” was not a few spitfires against hordes of bombers; it was that the only ones to save Britain were the pilots and their job is so technical no one understands it but them 21
o Stated EVERYONE was in favor of the war (lie) 21
o The PAST is threatened 24
Dowding
· Held to an odd cult faith
o Dowding was a member of the Fairy Investigation Society[16] and of the Ghost Club. Although he knew that people considered him a crank for his belief in fairies, Dowding believed that fairies "are essential to the growth of plants and the welfare of the vegetable kingdom".[17]
· Sends a consistent message to Churchill not to send fighters to France
· Inskip bought him more fighters, but for defense, not bomber escort 59
· Opposed to Douhet, believed in the deterrence of the fighter
· In charge of Chain Home and Chain Home Low defensive IADS
o Simple structure with clear roles 65
o Enables fighter management 67
o Considered only pilots engaging the enemy were useful
o Weaknesses: unarmored sites and lack of sea-rescue
o Because of his efforts, the Luftwaffe rarely achieved surprise 235
Park
· Not making mistakes is not easy, but easier than coming up with a brilliant masterstroke 117
o Core of Brit strategy
§ Continuous combat until the numbers games plays out 118
§ Took several years, attrition based
§ Carefully chose intercepts and avoid dangerous fighter sweeps 236
§ Use the range and persistence as advantage
§ Opposite of Mallory who wanted big wing-big battle
· Get out there and destroy them
· Puts his faith in the aircraft instead of defense
Bombers
· Unable to accomplish their role 90
o Able to strike targets across the channel, but at high cost
German populace
· Widespread belief that civilians would panic 56
· Not the Brits though, only the enemy 56
· Italians dropped gas bombs on Abyssinia so Brits should consider it 57
· Believed AAA was more dangerous to you b/c of shells falling on your head 56
Germans 
Goring 120
· Nazi = did not like competent people around him 38
· Air service had to be loyal to him for promotion etc. 8
· Avoided reality 38
· Just expected Air to be decisive without comprehensive planning 114
· Luftwaffe not run by a team, but individuals for their own glory
o Operation Eagle
§ Fly over England, drop bombs to annoy people, take out fighters on the way 125
§ Failed to agree on targets and tactics
· Failure as a leader
o Felt attacking radio stations was futile
o Felt attacking an airfield one day is all you need 219
o Withdrew Stukas (one of 2 precision bombing instruments as Luftwaffe disposal)
§ Changed bombing strategy]
· Germans miss and hit a church, Brits cry for vengeance and bomb Berlin, Hitler authorizes bombing of London
o Wanted to let each fighter unit fight how he saw fit 233
o Promoted Aces with very little rank 234
§ Scared to lose more old heads as many were dying due to his poor strategy 234
Kesselring
· Based strategy on better pilots and better tactics 125
o But had to get a 5:1 kill ratio to win
§ Needed large daily air battles 126
§ Instead Brits achieved 5:1 rations in their favor
o Some believed Brits would be neutralized in 2 to 4 weeks 152
Hitler
· Admired British soldiers, statesman, institutions and Empire 27
o Wanted British ally or at least neutrality 30
o Believed in the next war Britain and Germany would fight against Communism 30
o Know that the Brits make friends and influence people to get their way 32
o Could have done a long siege, but opted for the quick decision 32
o Wanted Air Superiority with threat of invasion 32
· Op Sealion 112
o German Navy thought high command were out of their minds. Navy could not execute
§ Recent bombings saw nations capitulate, why not England? 32
· Like a Khong (601), bad analogy
· Didn't want to bomb London populace, but kept it as a Wildcard 217
· Interesting: Ghandi liked Hitler and thought he was a genius
· Wanted France and Russia with the Brits staying out of it 28
· Real goal: kill all Jews and gain Russian living space 29
· IRONIC: Hitler even believed Stalin’s anti-Semite regime was a Jewish plot 29
· 1935 announced the Luftwaffe as split from the Wermacht 37
· Sold lots of Mein Kampf copies, most people never read 29
What the Germans failed to consider
· Overestimation of light flak in England
o Drove the Luftwaffe bombers higher than required 188
· Repair and maintenance
o Factories easily replacing losses 201
· Radar
o Failed to exploit inability to detect low flying A/C 189
o Should have attacked the 10 detection stations on the Isle of Wight 236
· Fighter commands pilot losses relative to replacement rates 192
· Guernica lessons Germans should have learned
o Can't bomb bridges accurately 39
o Actual civil death toll ~300...reported ~2500
§ Useful for Hitler propaganda
o The fact that Germans lacked:
§ In aircraft production to match attrition rates
§ Leadership lacked skills to have industry do better
§ Industry did as they pleased (failure to communicate) 40
§ Industry short on raw materials and no prioritization plan
§ Large # of scientist left Germany for political reasons 41
§ Failed to exploit rockets and jet propulsion 44
§ Hitler cared about #s not size of bombers 45
· FOOLED BY HIS OWN PROPAGANDA 54
o Crew training
§ Hitler didn't care, too impatient 40
§ Bomber pilots needed 2 yrs training 41
o C2 was lacking 42
§ Lacked VHF radios
· Tried to steal them from downed Brits 41
· Night flying based on radio comm advocate scoffed
o Caused alienation of the populace, but not a suitable means of breaking an opponent’s resistance
----- Some in-class notes ------
o Churchill balancing fighting with capitulation
o Why did he send fighter to France?
o As a political move to make it look like they have skin in the game
o Offense is based on who has the choice
o Air power is inherently offensive but can be used defensively
8. SUMMARY: 
There are considerable limitations of a continental force
- Germany went against their nature and threw down with a weak, indecisive plan
-- Should have taken full advantage of technological advaces
Strategies should be analyzed in comparison with it's enemies strategy