Quote with 3 notes
ONE SPITFIRE = £5,000
NINE SPITFIRES = 40 MESSERSCHMITTS
GIVE AS MANY PENNY UNITS AS YOU CAN AFFORD
…a single British plane [a Spitfire] suddenly dived into [a formation of seven German aircraft] from above, the pilot tackling them single handed. He was hit at once by one of the enemy and I saw smoke pouring from his machine. He then turned and dived towards the ground about 1,000 feet to save himself, then straightened out…he certainly could have saved himself before his plane got further alight: instead he went on, avoiding the farm etc. and all of the houses and the post office and a large Army Service Corps depot…he drove on with his plane now ablaze. I saw the flames yards behind it and he had no chance then. He gave his life to save us all at Leigh Green…he met his death in this last act of self-sacrifice.
I have always loved England. But now I am in love with England. What a people! What a chance! The whole of Europe humiliated except for us. And the chance that by our stubbornness we shall give victory to the world.
Since England, in spite of her hopeless military situation, shows no signs of being ready to come to an understanding, I have decided to prepare a landing operation against England and, if necessary, to carry it out.
The aim of this operation will be to eliminate the English homeland as a base for the prosecution of the war against Germany and, if necessary, to occupy it completely.
I therefore order as follows :
1. The landing will be in the form of a surprise crossing on a wide front from about Ramsgate to the area west of the Isle of Wight. Units of the Air Force will act as artillery, and units of the Navy as engineers.
The possible advantages of limited operations before the general crossing (e.g. the occupation of the Isle of Wight or of the county of Cornwall) are to be considered from the point of view of each branch of the Armed Forces and the results reported to me. I reserve the decision to myself.
Preparations for the entire operation must be completed by the middle of August.
2. These preparations must also create such conditions as will make a landing in England possible, viz:
(a) The English Air Force must be so reduced morally and physically that it is unable to deliver any significant attack against the German crossing.
(b) Mine-free channels must be cleared.
(c) The Straits of Dover must be closely sealed off with minefields on both flanks; also the Western entrance to the Channel approximately on the line Alderney-Poitland.
(d) Strong forces of coastal artillery must command and protect the forward coastal area.
(e) It is desirable that the English Navy be tied down shortly before the crossing, both in the North Sea and in the Mediterranean (by the Italians). For this purpose we must attempt even now to damage English home-based naval forces by air and torpedo attack as far as possible.
RAF - five planes and four pilots.
Luftwaffe - Nine planes and twenty-eight aircrew.
RAF - six planes and three pilots.
Luftwaffe - seventeen planes and 41 aircrew.
RAF - 2 fighters and 2 pilots lost to enemy action.
Luftwaffe - 11 aircraft and 29 aircrew lost to enemy action.
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Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
‘To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods[?]’
Quote with 3 notes
The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him all Europe may be free, and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands; but if we fail then the whole world, including the United States, and all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more prolonged, by the lights of a perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts for a thousand years men will still say, “This was their finest hour.
If it is thought best for France in her agony that her Army should capitulate, let there be no hesitation on our account, because whatever you may do we shall fight on forever and ever and ever.
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