The Battle of Britain (47 page)

A view of the operations room at 11 Group Headquarters, showing some of the ‘beauty chorus'. Filter staff occupy the raised position, with the ‘croupiers' at table level with their rakes at the ready
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A Hurricane of No. 310 (Czech) Squadron being re-armed. Each of the eight Browning machine guns needed a belt containing 300 rounds, which gave roughly 15 seconds of firing time
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Some very temporary war art is applied to the fin of this 500lb/250kg German bomb by two enthusiastic Luftwaffe armourers
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German bomber crews examine a model of their target
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German aircrew studying a diagram of dock areas to be attacked
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Messerschmitt Bf 110s. Goering's vaunted Zerstörers had only one answer to the Spitfires and Hurricanes – the defensive circle. It was soon found that the heavy fighter needed a fighter escort itself.

The Spitfire became a legend during the summer of 1940; its sleek lines coupled with its fighting record gave it an unequalled popular appeal
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In the Luftwaffe, command was often more to do with prowess than rank. Adolf Galland, seen here with Herman Goering, became Kommodore of JG 26 while still a Major, although promotion followed
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The end of the road for another Zerstörer as a Bf 110C of I/ZC 2 forcelands in a French field. ZC 2 was the most unsuccessful of the Bf 110 units, producing not a single experte
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Feldwebel Heinz Friedrich and his crew are marched into captivity at Burmarsh on September 11, as smoke rises from their burning Heinkel He 111H
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© Pavilion Books Company Ltd, 2015

 

eISBN 978-1-849943-16-1

 

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This book was originally published as an illustrated edition

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