With Wings Like Eagles: A History of the Battle of Britain Page 31

  and No. 10 Group, 228, 251

  and No. 11 Group, 79, 93, 129, 132, 144, 148, 169, 175, 177–78, 196, 200, 213, 221, 227, 236, 242, 252, 254, 255, 259, 265, 280

  objections to big wing, 179, 182, 236, 242, 252, 290

  and October meeting, 290, 291–92

  operations room of, 213

  as pilot, 243

  political enemies of, 266, 290, 294, 296

  and rescue, 128

  strategies of, 221, 222, 227, 228, 236, 266, 276, 289

  Pearl Harbor, 282

  Percy, Hugh, 194

  Philip II, king of Spain, 163–64

  Phillipart, J., 196–97

  Piece of Cake (BBC-TV), 6–7

  Pile, Sir Frederick, 143

  Poland:

  air war over, 76

  German bombing of Warsaw, 166, 246, 247

  German invasion of, 5, 13

  Holocaust in, 121

  Portal, Sir Charles, 297

  Portes, Hélène de, 98

  Queensberry, marquess of, 150

  radar:

  airborne interceptor (AI), 265–66, 294

  and altitude estimates, 127, 142, 259–60

  and “big wing” formation, 179

  “Chain Home” network, 16n, 31, 34, 41, 42, 142

  early development of, 110

  effectiveness of, 190, 218–19, 276

  German attacks on, 159, 160, 169, 171, 174, 197, 207, 228, 230

  importance of, 125, 128, 129, 157, 163, 168, 171, 175, 288

  limitations of, 127, 142, 156, 217, 221

  production of, 17

  removed from German target list, 202

  towers of, 41, 42, 43, 159, 167

  use of term, 16n

  widespread use of, 42–43

  Raeder, Erich, 256

  RAF (Royal Air Force):

  Advance Air Striking Force, 12, 101

  and air combat, 84–88

  airfields of, 141–42, 159, 167, 168, 171–72, 218–19, 241, 251, 254, 288; see also specific airfields

  and altitude, 259–60

  and armaments, 73n, 83–84, 150–51, 169–70

  Bomber Command of, see Bomber

  Command

  class differences in, 59–62, 65

  Component of, 101, 102

  and cone of fire, 83

  and confusion of battle, 82–83

  death in the air, 87–88

  duct tape used by, 84n

  exhilarating experience of, 89–90

  as “the Few,” 207–8, 281

  Fighter Command of, see Fighter

  Command

  in France, 12, 100–108

  funding of, 4, 10, 28, 40

  handling controls gently, 84–85

  losses of, 93, 104–5, 115, 122, 127, 145, 157, 169, 172–73, 175, 201, 208, 230, 243, 250, 251, 253, 255, 272

  political infighting in, 111–12

  poor marksmanship in, 83

  as prisoners of war, 60

  rearmament of, 31–32

  rescues of, 88, 128, 148

  survival of, 86–89

  “vic” formation, 81, 82

  in the years between the wars, 4, 31

  RAF Andover, 172

  RAF Biggin Hill, 197, 205, 212, 213, 217, 218, 221, 222, 224, 226, 228, 251, 253, 254

  RAF Croydon, 197–98, 199, 212, 224, 230, 232

  RAF Detling, 171–72

  RAF Driffield, 191

  RAF Ford, 227–29, 230

  RAF Gravesend, 212

  RAF Kenley, 197, 212, 213, 218–20, 221–26, 229, 232, 251

  RAF Manston, 159, 193, 196, 212, 230, 239, 241

  RAF Martlesham Heath, 56, 193

  RAF Middle Wallop, 172, 196

  RAF Reserve, 61

  RAF Tangmere, 61, 206–7, 222, 227, 228

  RAF Voluntary Reserve, 62

  RAF West Malling, 197, 225

  Reston, James, 263

  Reynaud, Paul, 96n, 97, 98, 109, 114

  Ribbentrop, Joachim von, 5–6, 78, 249–50, 262, 268

  Richards, Denis, 133

  Richtofen, Manfred von, 143, 186, 187

  Richtofen, Wolfram von, 227

  Riefenstahl, Leni, 71

  Robinson, Derek, 6–7

  Rolls-Royce aero engines, 51

  Goshawk, 53, 54

  Kestrel, 70

  Merlin, 34, 57, 70, 72n, 74, 82–83, 134, 287

  PV XII, 54, 70

  Rommel, Erwin, 250n, 285

  Roosevelt, Franklin D., 109, 123, 134, 296

  Rose, Nigel, 206

  Roth, Joachim, 222–23, 224, 225

  Rothermere, Lord, 24–25

  Rotterdam, bombing of, 108–9, 166, 246, 247

  Royal Artillery, 224

  Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 61

  Royal Flying Corps, 15

  Royal Navy:

  and Dunkirk evacuation, 77

  and English Channel, 7, 126

  Fleet Air Arm, 144, 209

  and German attacks, 121, 126

  shipboard discipline in, 60

  shore bases of, 227

  in World War I, 29

  Rubensdörffer, Walter, 197, 199

  Sackville-West, Vita, 233

  Salmond, Sir John, 293

  Schmidt, Josef “Beppo”:

  failure to follow up, 169

  inaccurate estimates of RAF capability, 173, 189, 210, 222, 272

  as Luftwaffe chief of intelligence, 166

  poor intelligence reports from, 166, 168, 222, 227, 288

  Schneider, Jacques, 50

  Schneider Trophy races, 50–52, 54

  Scots Guards, 224

  Seeckt, Hans von, 62

  Shakespeare, William, 56n, 160

  Sholto Douglas, Sir William:

  and Dowding, 39, 150, 151, 183, 192, 211, 238, 257, 290, 291, 293–94, 295, 296

  and fighters vs. bombers debate, 39

  and October meeting, 290, 291, 292

  personal traits of, 151

  Short aircraft factory, bombing of, 171, 196

  Short Stirling bombers, 196

  Simpson, Wallis Warfield, 21–22

  Sinclair, Sir Archibald, 105, 111, 201, 210, 295, 296

  Slessor, Sir John, 297

  Smith, Roddick Lee, 169

  Somerville, Sir James, 153

  Sopwith planes, 79

  Soviet Union:

  German invasion of, 250n, 281, 282, 285

  in World War I, 19

  Spain, German attacks on, 13

  Spanish Armada, 163–64, 274

  Spanish Civil War, 73, 81

  Sperrle, Hugo:

  and bombing capacity, 183

  and bombing of London, 199–200, 245, 246, 247

  and Eagle Day, 158, 183, 187

  and Göring, 187, 199–200

  and Luftflotte 3, 122, 158, 227, 245

  Stuka planes, see Junkers Stukas

  Stumpff, H.-J., 122, 129, 183

  Summers, “Mutt,” 55

  Summersby, Kay, 263n

  Supermarine Aviation Works, 50–52

  shadow factory of, 167–68, 242

  Supermarine Spitfire:

  capabilities of, 46, 56, 81, 174, 183, 260, 267–68

  design of, 52-56, 58, 69, 70, 72n, 83, 88

  production of, 17, 26, 32, 38, 42, 52, 55–56, 68, 168, 171

  seaplanes, 51–53

  Type 224 monoplanes, 53–54

  “There’ll Always Be an England” (song), 234

  Things to Come (film), 20, 24, 44, 188

  Thorney Island airfield (HMS Peregrine), 227, 228, 230

  Tobin, “Red,” 145, 194

  Treaty of Versailles, 10, 19, 62

  Udet, Ernst, 40, 71–72, 75, 80, 96

  United Kingdom, see Britain

  United States:

  admiration of British in, 232

  aircraft produced by, 268, 269, 296–97

  aviation fuel imported from, 74–75

  British requests for help from, 109, 123
<
br />   Great Depression in, 19

  Lend-Lease supplies from, 285

  neutrality of, 123

  and Pearl Harbor, 282

  Vickers (Aviation), 52–53, 55, 167–68, 171

  Volkswagen, 69

  war, as chance, 7

  War Cabinet, May 13 meeting, 106, 107, 109–18, 138

  Warsaw, bombing of, 166, 246, 247

  Watson-Watt, Robert, 16n, 34

  Waugh, Evelyn, 130, 263n

  Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, duke of, 208

  Wells, H. G., 23, 28, 42, 107, 235

  The Shape of Things to Come, 20, 188

  Wellum, Geoffrey, 90–93

  Wilhelmina, queen of the Netherlands, 109

  Windsor, Edward, duke of, 5, 249

  Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF):

  air attack described by, 225

  as the “Beauty Chorus,” 44

  casualties among, 159, 286

  courage under fire, 75n, 159, 174–75, 193, 226, 230, 254–55

  and death in the air, 87, 286

  tasks of, 39, 44–45, 182, 214

  as unsung heroes, 75n

  Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens), 226, 230

  Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS), 207, 210

  Wood, Sir Kingsley, 101n

  World War I:

  air combat in, 86

  armament in, 29, 39, 79

  balloons in, 220

  Britain in, 15, 18, 20, 22, 29, 95, 105, 232, 292

  France in, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98

  Germany in, 18, 22, 143

  Royal Flying Corps in, 15

  World War II:

  and fog of war, 76

  Japanese surrender in, 269

  as new kind of war, 44

  Soviet Union in, 250n, 281, 282, 285

  subsequent events in, 284–85

  U.S. entry into, 282

  what-ifs, 288

  Young, G. M., 21, 30

  zeppelins, 18, 43, 50

  About the Author

  MICHAEL KORDA is the author of Ulysses s. Grant, ike, and Charmed Lives. educated at le rosey in switzerland and at Magdalen College, oxford, he served in the royal air force. he took part in the hungarian revolution of 1956 and on its fiftieth anniversary was awarded the order of Merit of the republic of hungary. he and his wife, Margaret, make their home in Dutchess County, new York.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  ALSO BY

  MICHAEL KORDA

  Ike

  Journey to a Revolution

  Ulysses S. Grant

  Marking Time

  Horse People

  Making the List

  Country Matters

  Another Life

  Man to Man

  The Immortals

  Curtain

  The Fortune

  Queenie

  Worldly Goods

  Charmed Lives

  Success

  Power

  Male Chauvinism

  BY MARGARET AND MICHAEL KORDA

  Horse Housekeeping

  Cat People

  Copyright

  WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES. Copyright © 2009 by Michael Korda. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  Mobipocket Reader December 2008 ISBN 978-0-06-173604-9

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  *Except for its Empire and Commonwealth, which were very distant and even less well prepared for war than “the mother country.”

  *In his speech in the House of Commons on June 18, 1940, on the fall of France, Churchill said, “What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.”

  *The author’s uncle, Sir Alexander Korda, was on the Gestapo’s list. In his case they had his correct business and home address.

  *Others remember this as “…when we are lying on the ground choking on our blood,” but either way Churchill’s view of the situation was dramatically different from that of his foreign minister, Lord Halifax.

  *Robinson, Invasion 1940, Carroll and Graf, New York, 2005.

  *Göring exaggerated his powers in this instance. In the end Milch, whose father was Jewish, was obliged to persuade his mother to swear that he was actually the child of an Aryan with whom she had had an extramarital affair.

  *The term “radar” was coined later, in the United States, and became universally used. Its birth in the United Kingdom came about in 1935, when the Air Ministry, informed erroneously that the Germans were developing a radio beam “death ray” that could destroy airplanes in midair, asked scientist Robert Watson-Watt to look into the matter. Watson-Watt dismissed the notion of the death ray, but suggested the use of radio beams to locate aircraft. He first tested such beams successfully at Daventry on February 26, 1935. Although Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin has been accused of lacking interest in defense and technology, he was kept fully informed of Watson-Watt’s progress, in which he showed great interest. He understood at once the vital importance of radar, and pushed hard for the development of the “Chain Home” radar network along Britain’s southern coast. It became operational in 1937, and it enabled Fighter Command to detect the number, height, and course of enemy aircraft at ranges of up to 100 miles.