Articles
The Battle of Britain
2011 marks the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which was fought between July and October 1940. New Zealanders played a key role in this vital struggle, flying the Hurricanes and Spitfires of Fighter Command, or serving in other roles in the air, at sea and on the ground.
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Page 4 – The battle: July-August
The battle: first phaseBritish pilots 'scramble', July 1940Luftwaffe (German air force) commanders recognised that their main task was to whittle down the strength of Royal Air
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Page 5 – The battle: September-October
Tactical disputesPainting of Keith Park, 1940In early September 1940 Britons steeled themselves for the German invasion that now seemed imminent.
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Page 6 – New Zealand's contribution
New Zealanders in the battleAlan Deere's Nine Lives memoirThere were many New Zealanders among ‘the Few’ – Churchill’s grateful description of the airmen who took part in the
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Page 7 – Aftermath
The tollNew Zealand pilot's gravestoneBoth sides lost heavily during the Battle of Britain. More than 1700 Luftwaffe (German air force) planes were destroyed.
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Main image: German bombers under attack
A formation of Heinkel He 111 bombers viewed through the gun camera of an attacking RAF fighter.
