Fighting the Blue

1. Spirits in the Wind
We look at the saviour of the Battle of Britain, Hugh Dowding, who was instrumental in structuring an entire air defence force that could take on the massive aerial might of the Luftwaffe. We argue that it was primarily Dowding who saved Britain from defeat against Hitler in 1940, only to be ignominiously humiliated at the end of the conflict.

2. A New Revolution
A study of the Germans’ massive aerial attack that would finish off Dowding’s RAF once and for all, Adler Tag, (Eagle Day, 13th August 1940) and how Fighter Command tried to repel such a huge show of force. Using CGI effects and listening to stories from pilots such as Squadron Leader George Bennions, we hear what it was like to bale out of the a burning cockpit and experience the terror of a dog-fight between an RAF Spitfire and a German Messerschmitt.

3. The Fighting Few
Fighter Command has to deal with increasing losses of pilots and planes as the Battle approached its climax. Production of aircraft was up but Dowding was concerned for his “chicks”; he couldn’t replace the mounting losses.  There were no reserves – the Battle depended on ‘The Few’ that flew and fought against a backdrop of tactical disagreements behind the scenes.

4. Fire in their Hearts
The RAF had won the battle for aerial supremacy by day but by night the outcome was far from certain. We look at the German development of night blitzes and argue that this was still a part of the Battle for Britain, which continued until May 1941. With CGI effects, we’ll recall the terror of a Night Blitz raid (7th September 1940) where 1,200 German aircraft bombed the City and hear about civilians’ experiences.