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Changing methods of warfare, 1939 to 45
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The Second World War was fought on land, at sea and in the air across the world, with new tactics and weapons.
Land and air
Blitzkrieg: fast attacks by tanks and aircraft working together, used against Poland (1939) and France (1940).
Battle of Britain (1940): the RAF, helped by radar, defeated the Luftwaffe.
The Blitz (1940 to 41): German bombing of British cities.
V weapons: the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket (1944).
Allied bombing of Germany destroyed cities and industry.
Battle of Britain (1940): the RAF, helped by radar, defeated the Luftwaffe.
The Blitz (1940 to 41): German bombing of British cities.
V weapons: the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket (1944).
Allied bombing of Germany destroyed cities and industry.
Sea
U-boat warfare in the Atlantic threatened Britain's supplies until convoys, radar and code-breaking won the battle.
In the Pacific War (1941 to 45), aircraft carriers replaced battleships as the key warships.
In the Pacific War (1941 to 45), aircraft carriers replaced battleships as the key warships.
Amphibious and airborne operations
D-Day (June 1944): the largest amphibious invasion in history, in Normandy.
Paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines; the airborne attack at Arnhem (1944) failed.
Civilian resistance movements, as in France, sabotaged railways and gathered intelligence.
Paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines; the airborne attack at Arnhem (1944) failed.
Civilian resistance movements, as in France, sabotaged railways and gathered intelligence.
Explain why radar was important in the Battle of Britain.
- Radar detected German planes before they arrived.
- The RAF could send fighters to the right place at the right time.
- This made Britain's smaller fighter force far more effective.
Answer: It let the RAF meet attacks efficiently instead of patrolling blindly.
Blitzkrieg (1939 to 40); the Battle of Britain and radar (1940); the Blitz; V weapons; Allied bombing of Germany. The Battle of the Atlantic against U-boats; aircraft carriers in the Pacific. D-Day (1944), paratroopers and Arnhem, and resistance movements in France.
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