Scramble!
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Although the Luftwaffe possessed greater numbers of aircraft and experienced pilots than the RAF, they soon found themselves at a disadvantage. The German planes were generally designed for short to medium range missions, with limited fuel capacity. The amount consumed simply to fly to England and safely return to France left little reserve for combat over English soil. On the other hand, RAF planes expended relatively little fuel flying to intercept, allowing the English pilots more time in the air to fight.
Another advantage for the RAF, their planes could quickly return to the airfield, refuel, rearm and scramble back into the sky in minutes.
The fight for air superiority over England, originally planned as the first step to invasion, would become the battle itself. In the summer months of 1940, during what would later be known as the Battle of Britain, RAF pilots took to their Hurricane and Spitfire fighter planes hour after hour, day after day. Between missions, pilots tried their best to relax, but the tension of waiting for the next “scramble” could be almost as exhausting as combat. The routine of an RAF fighter pilot caught in this five month battle is vividly retold:
“Fighter pilots were typically being called upon to fly at least three sorties a day, and this figure would only rise as Luftwaffe raids grew both in size and intensity.An indication of just how hectic the daily schedule was... can be gauged by the following quote from No. 501 Squadron ace, Flight Lieutenant Eustace "Gus" Holden;
‘At dawn one day, the squadron went to 30,000 feet and, on landing, I started to walk to the mess for some breakfast when I was recalled for standby. Relieved ten minutes later, I again made for the mess, but just as I got to the door, I was called back and I had to go to 30,000 feet again. Back at the aerodome in due course, I tried to get another meal. I was half way through it when I was wanted for another standby. When that came to nothing, I made for my quarters to have a shave. I'd just lathered myself when the loud speaker called, "501 Squadron-readiness". So up to 30,000 feet again. Later I finished shaving and actually had time for lunch before being called for another standby. Then about five o'clock, at 30,000 feet again for the fourth time that day.’”
Hawker Hurricanes scrambling from their airfield.
Ferociously fighting the attacking Luftwaffe, by the end of October 1940, the courageous RAF pilots and their support crews, had so successfully defended their homeland, that Germany was forced to scrap their plans for an invasion of Britain that year. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill expressed the gratitude of the English people for the heroic efforts of the Royal Air Force when he said, "Never was so much, owed by so many, to so few."
Although the Battle of Britain had been won, the war was still far from over. The powerful German air force continued to regularly launch attacks against England's airfields, supply lines, and coastal cities in attempts to disrupt the British, and allied, military machine. RAF pilots continued to "scramble" to protect their homeland for the remaining years of World War 2.
GLOSSARY
Barracks: Buildings used by military personnel.
Captain: A military officer ranking below colonel and above lieutenant.
Colonel: A military officer ranking below general and above captain.
Fuselage: The central body of an airplane.
Hardstand: A hard surface area next to an airstrip used for parking planes and ground vehicles.
Hawker Hurricane: A type of British fighter plane.
Hedgerow: A row of bushes or small trees that form a fence.
Heinkel 111: A type of German bomber (also He 111).
Intercept: To stop or interrupt the progress of enemy aircraft.
Lieutenant: A military officer ranking below captain.
Messerschmitt 109: A type of German fighter plane (also Me 109).
Operations Building: The airfield's central administration building.
Quarters: Housing for officers.
Radar: Radio Detecting And Ranging. An electronic method of detecting distant objects and determining their position.
Stick or Yoke: The control lever of an airplane used for steering.