Dan Snow

Sure, the German air force was a bit bigger, but lots of those aircraft were obsolete or they weren't fit for the purpose of wresting air supremacy over southern England off the British.

So actually, in terms of frontline fighters, in terms of the planes that are actually doing the fighting, fast interceptor fighter aircraft, single-seater, armed with cannon and machine guns, state-of-the-art, tight-turning aircraft. Actually, the Brits and the Germans had kind of equal numbers. People may have heard of the Spitfire and the Hurricane aircraft.

So actually, in terms of frontline fighters, in terms of the planes that are actually doing the fighting, fast interceptor fighter aircraft, single-seater, armed with cannon and machine guns, state-of-the-art, tight-turning aircraft. Actually, the Brits and the Germans had kind of equal numbers. People may have heard of the Spitfire and the Hurricane aircraft.

So actually, in terms of frontline fighters, in terms of the planes that are actually doing the fighting, fast interceptor fighter aircraft, single-seater, armed with cannon and machine guns, state-of-the-art, tight-turning aircraft. Actually, the Brits and the Germans had kind of equal numbers. People may have heard of the Spitfire and the Hurricane aircraft.

Those are the two British frontline fighters. And the Messerschmitt, the famous Messerschmitt 109, a fantastic German fighter. they were pretty equally matched. In fact, in terms of the aircraft, the Spitfire, I'm obviously a bit biased here, I'd say it was slightly better, but really the 109 and the Spitfire in particular were very, very evenly matched.

Those are the two British frontline fighters. And the Messerschmitt, the famous Messerschmitt 109, a fantastic German fighter. they were pretty equally matched. In fact, in terms of the aircraft, the Spitfire, I'm obviously a bit biased here, I'd say it was slightly better, but really the 109 and the Spitfire in particular were very, very evenly matched.

Those are the two British frontline fighters. And the Messerschmitt, the famous Messerschmitt 109, a fantastic German fighter. they were pretty equally matched. In fact, in terms of the aircraft, the Spitfire, I'm obviously a bit biased here, I'd say it was slightly better, but really the 109 and the Spitfire in particular were very, very evenly matched.

But here's the true advantage the British had. They were fighting over home territory. So if... a hurricane or a spitfire got shot down, the pilot could bail out. He'd pull open his canopy. He'd jump out, parachute to ground. He could be back on his base the next day, that afternoon. We have examples of people that landed in the pub, had a few beers and got a taxi back to their base.

But here's the true advantage the British had. They were fighting over home territory. So if... a hurricane or a spitfire got shot down, the pilot could bail out. He'd pull open his canopy. He'd jump out, parachute to ground. He could be back on his base the next day, that afternoon. We have examples of people that landed in the pub, had a few beers and got a taxi back to their base.

But here's the true advantage the British had. They were fighting over home territory. So if... a hurricane or a spitfire got shot down, the pilot could bail out. He'd pull open his canopy. He'd jump out, parachute to ground. He could be back on his base the next day, that afternoon. We have examples of people that landed in the pub, had a few beers and got a taxi back to their base.

They were flying the following day. One pilot was shot down three times in three days. Each day he managed to get back to base and flew again. So if a plane was shot out of the sky, it didn't mean you lost a pilot. Now, if the Germans are doing their fighting over southern England, say, when their pilots bail out, they're going straight into prisoner of war camps.

They were flying the following day. One pilot was shot down three times in three days. Each day he managed to get back to base and flew again. So if a plane was shot out of the sky, it didn't mean you lost a pilot. Now, if the Germans are doing their fighting over southern England, say, when their pilots bail out, they're going straight into prisoner of war camps.

They were flying the following day. One pilot was shot down three times in three days. Each day he managed to get back to base and flew again. So if a plane was shot out of the sky, it didn't mean you lost a pilot. Now, if the Germans are doing their fighting over southern England, say, when their pilots bail out, they're going straight into prisoner of war camps.

So they're losing far more pilots than they can replace. On top of that, the British have got the secret weapon, really one of the most important weapons of the Second World War, and that's radar, radio direction finding.

So they're losing far more pilots than they can replace. On top of that, the British have got the secret weapon, really one of the most important weapons of the Second World War, and that's radar, radio direction finding.

So they're losing far more pilots than they can replace. On top of that, the British have got the secret weapon, really one of the most important weapons of the Second World War, and that's radar, radio direction finding.

absolute top secret in fact it was so secret that initially all those german jewish refugee scientists that arrive escaping hitler's third reich they were put to work on the atomic program because they were considered too dangerous to allow to work on the radar because radar was top top top secret so these physicists are like go away and see if you can split the atom

absolute top secret in fact it was so secret that initially all those german jewish refugee scientists that arrive escaping hitler's third reich they were put to work on the atomic program because they were considered too dangerous to allow to work on the radar because radar was top top top secret so these physicists are like go away and see if you can split the atom

absolute top secret in fact it was so secret that initially all those german jewish refugee scientists that arrive escaping hitler's third reich they were put to work on the atomic program because they were considered too dangerous to allow to work on the radar because radar was top top top secret so these physicists are like go away and see if you can split the atom

And so, radar allowed the Brits to see German raids gathering over France and North France, coming across the channel, so the Brits could send up individual interceptors, individual squadrons, to shoot down those raids and take a terrible toll. Before that, aerial warfare was just, you go up with your mates in the morning, you fly around a bit, you hope you bump into the enemy, and then you land.