Battle of Britain day 09/15/2013

[TBird1958]

Today's the day. 73 years age the Luftwaffe launched it's largest day raid on London- considered the climax of the summer's actions over England.
I admire the courage of the men that flew the planes, the many women that served in the radar installations and of course the civilians that endured.

[godofthunder]

 As do I Mark. My grandfather was over there after the battle as a quartermaster with the US Army and brought back many stories. I read about it as a youth, Bader's Reach for the Sky plus so many other books. The movie released in '69 and countless models built glorifying the battle in youthful ignorance. So many lives lost, so many families shattered. Still to this day it makes one stand in awe of the bravery of those who served in the R.A.F. Let us not forget Bomber Command. Night after night with appalling odds of returning men hoisted themselves in to their aircraft.

[uwe]

Haphazard idea, ramshackle execution.

All those Luftwaffe bomber crews and fighter pilots shot down over or emergency landed in England at least had the luck of spending the war in British or Canadian POW camps - the five star version of POW camps. And it was the first time in WW II the Third Reich was dealt a bloody nose, the first of many to follow. The Blitzkrieg showed its inherent limits.

[TBird1958]

Yes, and as we've discussed there really was no way the Luftwaffe could have performed the task required ( it was a tactical air force, not strategic) of it. My thoughts were based in today, maybe it's just me, but I admire the stoicism and courage of the civilians - imagine U.S. cities being bombed by aircraft. I hardly think we'd  hold up as the English (and Europeans) did.   

[Highlander]

A lot of brave people involved, regardless of who's perspective... worthy of being recalled...