Battle of Britain

Joseph Piercy has written a number of successful books for a range of leading publishers. He is the author of The Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: Churchill and Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: Shakespeare for Rydon Publishing and The Story of English, 25 Rules of Grammar, A Rum Tale and Slippery Tipples amongst many others. He holds a Master of Philosophy degree in English Studies and is a regular contributor to various magazines and journals.Joseph lives in Brighton.

• Introduction 7 Part One: Preparations for Battle 10 Who Named the 'Battle of Britain'? 10 Operation Sea Lion 12 Germany's Secret Air Force 15 The Four Groups of 'The Few' 19 The Major Players: Sir Hugh Dowding 23 Radio Detection Finding (RDF) 25 The Major Players: Air Vice Marshell Sir Keith Park 27 The Major Players:Reichsmarschall Hermann Wilhelm Goering 29 The Starts of the Skies: The Supermarine Spitfire 33 The Unsung Story of Hazel Hill 36 The Shadow Factory Plan 38 Buried Treasure? 41 Part Two: The Early Skirmishes 44 The Kanalkampf 44 The Stars of the Skies: The Messerschmitt Bf 109 48 The Stars of the Skies: The Hawker Hurricane 52 Protecting Convoy Peewit 56 Operation Eagle Attack 58 Aldertag: 13 August 1940 61 Part Three: The Battle Intensifies 66 'Black Thursday': 15 August 1940 64 The Stars of the Skies: The Junkers Ju 88 66 The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) 69 The 'Atta Girls' 71'Miss Shilling's Orifice' 74 'The Hardest Day': Sunday 18 August 1940 78 Top Guns and Flying Aces: Peterson Clarence Hughes 81 Top Guns and Flying Aces: Heinrich Bar 86 Top Guns and Glying Aces: Werner Moelders 88 The 303 Squadron 91 Top Guns and Flying Aces: Adolf Galland 94 The Big Wing Controversy 99 The Nerve Centre of the No.11 Group 102 Cotton's Club 104 Part Four: Rage in the Skies 106 Goering Hits the Sector Stations 106 Revenge Attacks 107 The Blitz Begins: 7 September 110 The Battle of Britain Movie (1969) 114 Top Guns and Flying Aces: Adolf 'Sailor' Malan 116 Top Guns and Flying Aces: Douglas Bader 121 Battle of Britain Day: 15 September 1940 126 Conclusion 129 The Legacy of the Battle of Britain 131 Index 134 Acknowledgements 144+AS5

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