BCtriguy1 wrote:
windywave wrote:
spot wrote:
BCtriguy1 wrote:
windywave wrote:
BCtriguy1 wrote:
I'd prefer to see a series about the air battles in the European theatre (would have to be a British focused series I suppose)Say what?
Well, I would imagine a series about that would largely focus on the battle of Britain, no?
It seems most likely that an American series based on air involvement in WW2 would focus on the pacific battles.
The Battle of Britain lasted 3-4 months in the late summer, early fall of 1940. While an important battle, it only decided who had air superiority over Britain. The Luftwaffe still reigned supreme over the Continent. The RAF started bombing Germany in 1940 and 1941, but never had air superiority. In 1942, the US began daylight operations over the Continent, and the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) really took off in 1943. However, the lack of long range escort fighters meant horrific losses for both the RAF and the USAAF bombers. It wasn’t until the P-47, and then the P-51 with drop tanks, that the tide began to turn against the Luftwaffe. In fact, most of the air-to-air battles over the Continent were between the USAAF and the Luftwaffe, as the RAF never did develop a long range escort fighter. It was during Big Week in early 1944, with the USAAF putting over a 1,000 bombers every day for over a week (and the RAF putting huge numbers of sorties at night as well), that the back of the Luftwaffe fighter force was broken, ensuring aerial supremacy over the D-Day landing beaches in June 1944.
You almost make it sound like it wasn't just the RAF
I realize US involvement wasn't just in the pacific. Maybe it's just how WW2 is depicted up here in the Queen's colony but the Battle of Britain is always what seems to come to mind when I think of air battles in Europe.
And that's totally understandable...that was a very proud moment for the UK and the Commonwealth. It's also pretty standard for how any nation really views WWII. For example, with this year being the 75th anniversary of D-Day, there were all sorts of magazines and books on the subject, many of which proclaimed that D-Day was the pivotal battle that decided the fate of Europe. I'm pretty sure the Russians would not agree with that....considering their losses and some of the epic battles (Stalingrad, Kursk) that really turned the tide of the Nazi advances.
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