Driffield's Fiery Stand
The Day Hitler Tried to Burn Bomber Command
The fate of Great Britain in the summer of 1940 hinged entirely on the outcome of a brutal struggle for aerial dominance: the Battle of Britain.
As Hitler finalized plans for Operation Sea Lion, his invasion of the British Isles, the entire weight of the German Luftwaffe was committed to destroying RAF Fighter Command and clearing the skies.
This was the first major campaign waged wholly by air forces, pitting the resilience and advanced command structure of the British defense against the sheer weight and evolving tactics of the Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring’s air fleets.
...the concentrated hammer blow...
The battle unfolded not as one continuous campaign, but across distinct phases, from the Kanalkampf skirmishes over shipping in July to the concentrated hammer blow of Adlerangriff in August.
This strategic air war reached a critical peak on August 15, 1940 - "The Hardest Day" - when the northernmost German air fleet, Luftflotte 5, launched a disastrous but determined raid against targets like RAF Driffield in Yorkshire.
While the Luftwaffe's strategy ultimately faltered, leading to the shift to the morale-breaking Daylight and Night Blitz on London, the courage and cost of this immense conflict were encapsulated in the single, violent attack on a remote bomber station far from the main southern front.
The Battle of Britain: A Fight for Air Supremacy
The Battle of Britain, fought from July to October 1940, was the first major military campaign waged entirely by air forces and represented Britain's desperate defense against Hitler's planned invasion, Operation Sealion.
Its outcome rested on the ability of RAF Fighter Command to deny the Luftwaffe air supremacy over the English Channel and Southern England.
The battle unfolded in distinct phases, reflecting the Luftwaffe’s shifting, ultimately flawed, strategy:
...decisive attempt to destroy Fighter Command...
- Phase 1: Kanalkampf (July 10 – August 12, 1940). The initial fighting focused on engagements over the English Channel, targeting British shipping convoys and probing coastal radar stations. This was designed to draw out and test the RAF’s defenses.
- Phase 2: Adlerangriff and The Airfield Campaign (August 13 – September 6, 1940). This marked the decisive attempt to destroy Fighter Command. The Luftwaffe unleashed massive, concentrated attacks against key RAF sector airfields, command centres, and aircraft factories, pushing the RAF to the brink of collapse.
...a vital reprieve for repair and recovery...
- Phase 3: The Daylight Blitz on London (September 7 – October 31, 1940). In what Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park called Göring's greatest mistake, the Luftwaffe shifted its massive formations to bomb London's docks and civilian areas. This strategic error allowed Fighter Command's damaged airfields a vital reprieve for repair and recovery.
- Phase 4: The Night Blitz (November 1940 – May 1941). As daylight losses became unsustainable, the Luftwaffe transitioned to sustained, high-intensity night bombing of British cities. This period is considered the conclusion of the battle, as the immediate threat of invasion had passed, and the RAF had conclusively won the fight for daytime control of the skies.
...the resilience of the pilots...
The RAF's ultimate victory - secured by the resilience of the pilots known as "The Few," the effectiveness of the Dowding System of command and control, and the production of the Spitfire and Hurricane - forced Hitler to postpone and eventually abandon Operation Sealion, preserving Britain as the forward base for the eventual liberation of Europe.
Eagle Attack: The Climax of Attrition
Adlerangriff - German for "Eagle Attack" -marked the decisive operational climax of the Battle of Britain.
Launched on 13th August, 1940, it was the day the Luftwaffe finally committed its full force to destroying RAF Fighter Command in a single, concerted effort.
The preceding phase, Kanalkampf, had been mere probing; Adlerangriff was meant to be the knockout blow.
...aimed to annihilate the RAF in three days...
Under the personal direction of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the ambitious plan aimed to annihilate the RAF in three days.
The targets were precise and strategic: Fighter Command airfields, particularly those in No. 11 Group, which defended the approaches to London; coastal radar stations (the "eyes" of the defense system); and aircraft production factories.
Göring believed that by destroying the RAF's airfields, command and control infrastructure, and aircraft on the ground, Britain's air defense would crumble, clearing the way for Operation Sealion.
...bad weather and conflicting orders...
However, Adlertag (Eagle Day) was marred by poor German coordination and communications.
Initial attacks on August 13th were hindered by bad weather and conflicting orders, giving the RAF precious hours of warning.
Over the next five days, particularly on August 15th - dubbed "The Hardest Day" - the Luftwaffe launched massive, multi-wave assaults across the south and northeast of England.
...inflicting serious damage on key airfields...
Despite inflicting serious damage on key airfields, the Luftwaffe consistently failed to distinguish between Fighter Command airfields and less crucial bomber or coastal command bases.
Crucially, the British defense system - the Dowding System - proved resilient. While radar stations were hit, ground crews quickly repaired them.
More importantly, the Germans systematically underestimated the number of operational RAF fighters, consistently overclaiming their victories.
...a single, decisive battle of annihilation...
Adlerangriff did not succeed in destroying Fighter Command.
While the attrition on the British side was severe, the RAF refused to be drawn into a single, decisive battle of annihilation.
By the time Göring shifted the attack focus away from the airfields in early September, the German offensive had cost the Luftwaffe dearly, setting the stage for the true climax of the Battle of Britain.
