Question: Which was Britain’s main fighter plane in the Battle of Britain? Answer: Hawker Hurricane Britain had 29 Squadrons of Hurricanes and 19 of Spitfires. Hurricanes shot down three enemy planes for every two shot down by Spitfires during the battle, so Spitfires (being faster) shot down marginally more per plane than the Hurricanes. Question: What was the name of the unit of the RAF that was responsible for fighting the Battle of Britain? Answer: RAF 11 Group Question: Who was the RAF’s principle Air Commander during the Battle of Britain? Answer: Air Vice Marshall Keith Park Question: Where was the Operational HQ during the Battle of Britain? The Operations Room there is sometimes referred to as The Battle of Britain Bunker. Answer: RAF Uxbridge Question: Who was Head of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain? Answer: Air Marshall Hugh Dowding Question: What date each year is commemorated as Battle of Britain Day, this being the anniversary of the height of the battle? Answer: 15th September Believing that the RAF was close to breaking point, the Luftwaffe launched two huge bombing raids on London but ended up sustaining enormous losses that day. Question: What was the name of the world’s first wide-area ground-controlled interception network that controlled British airspace during the Battle of Britain? Answer: The Dowding System A land-line telephone network that quickly collected information from radar stations and the Royal Observer Corps in order to direct defensive interceptor aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery against enemy planes. It was designed just before the war by Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, Head of RAF Fighter Command and Keith Park who commanded 11 Group during the Battle. Question: Who commanded 12 Group (The Midlands) during the Battle of Britain and criticised Dowding’s and Park’s tactics by advocating a major assault on the enemy known as the Big Wing? Answer: Trafford Leigh-Mallory His constant carping during the battle led to Dowding being removed as Head of Fighter Command after the Battle and Park being posted to Egypt. Question: Who was the Army Commander responsible for Homeland Defence during the Battle of Britain? Answer: General Alan Brooke Question: During 1940, Nazi Germany planned to invade the UK. What name did Hitler give to the planned invasion? Answer: Operation Sealion
The Battle of Britain
