WWII Question?

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

Soldato
Joined
29 Jun 2004
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Is this true?

Before the American's got heavily involved in the war and when France fell to Axis control it was literally the UK against the whole of Europe?

I'm just trying to confirm if this is a true fact or some patriotic banter between two people.

Thanks :)
 
Read up on the Battle of Britain. We stood our ground, and won that campaign. :D The German losses were too great, so a different method of invasion would have to be set. After that Hitler built defenses along the channel, because we could (and did) go on the offensive after that.
 
Not the whole of Europe no, just Germany - although they did have access to the resources of an occupied Europe.

I don't know if it's more or less impressive in your eyes, but it was a few hundred fighter pilots who held off Germany and combined with the threat of the Royal Navy made invasion impossible.

A bit sentimental but informative none the less: http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Air_Power/Battle_of_Britain/AP22.htm
 
It wasn't just the UK vs. the whole of Europe. The commonwealth sent a lot of troops to help, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Indian etc. At the Battle of Britain some of the best pilots were Poles fighting on our side, there were also some American volunteer pilots (though they didn't win it single handedly as Ben Affleck would have us believe).

In fact I think there was a considerable number of Polish troops in Britain as well as the Free French (not cheese eating surrender monkeys but brave troops who were the first to land on the beaches on D-Day).
 
Officially there were no American volunteer pilots, but a number of Canadians with an odd accent;)
If memory serves it was a crime under U.S. law for a U.S. citizen to be involved on either side - so no one really knows how many U.S. volunteers there were.
 
No it was the COMMONWEALTH (UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India etc.) with The Free French, Free Poles, Free Belgians, Free Danes, Free Dutch, Free Norwegians, Free Greeks, Yugoslav Partisans, Brazil against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan, Romainia, Hungary, Bulgaria)

The 'standing alone against tyranny' idea is all just another facet of the Churchill Myth created in an attempt to hasten the US's inclusion in the war. There is increasing evidence that Hitler had no real intention of making a serious attempt to invade Britain as his supply lines in the channel would have in all likelihood been cut to pieces in the channel by the Royal Navy (who regardless of the U-Boat threat held almost complete dominance in the North Sea). Adlertag and the ensuing Blitz and the troop build up for Sealion now seems to be a feint (and a process of industrial suppression) to deflect the Russians prior to the commencement of Barbarossa.

**Edit. I must point out I detract in no way from the brave role played by 'The Few', they were a group of daring and comitted young men who achieved the almost impossible and deserve all our thanks. The same for the Merchant Marine who's role is this period is almost universally neglected. Brave, brave men, we have the choices we have in our lives now because of them.
 
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Werewolf said:
Officially there were no American volunteer pilots, but a number of Canadians with an odd accent;).
Click to expand...

Yeh we helped saved your sorry arses from a spanking:p:D
 
eXSBass said:
Is this true?

Before the American's got heavily involved in the war and when France fell to Axis control it was literally the UK against the whole of Europe?

I'm just trying to confirm if this is a true fact or some patriotic banter between two people.

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

No, it was effectively UK against German (who controlled Poland, Austria, and most of EU), but Germany was also fighting against Russia who was our sort of ally as we had a common enemy.
 
June 1940 till Decemeber 1940 Germany were only at war with us and the comonwealth, Russia and spain had neutrality pacts with the Germans, the rest of Europe was either occupied or allied with Germany.
December 1940 Hitler made the same mistake that Nepolian made and attacked the russians in the winter. Then the japs bombed pearl harbour in Dec 41 and really messed up his plans.

That said long before they joined the war the US were helping us out through Lend Lease and the like.

Make no mistake it it wasnt for geography (the fact we are an island) and "The Few" the world would be a very diffrent place.
 
what's so scary is the Germans where only days away from destroying are aircraft launch capabilities. The main reason we won, is they started bombing civilians rather than are airfields and supply depots.
 
Spawn said:
Yeh we helped saved your sorry arses from a spanking:p:D
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You’re forgetting that Hitler originally intended the race for world supremacy to be fought between the combined forces of Greater Germany and British Empire against the Americans. Now who saved whose arse?
 
TheMightyTen said:
No it was the COMMONWEALTH (UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India etc.) with The Free French, Free Poles, Free Belgians, Free Danes, Free Dutch, Free Norwegians, Free Greeks, Yugoslav Partisans, Brazil against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan, Romainia, Hungary, Bulgaria)

The 'standing alone against tyranny' idea is all just another facet of the Churchill Myth created in an attempt to hasten the US's inclusion in the war. There is increasing evidence that Hitler had no real intention of making a serious attempt to invade Britain as his supply lines in the channel would have in all likelihood been cut to pieces in the channel by the Royal Navy (who regardless of the U-Boat threat held almost complete dominance in the North Sea). Adlertag and the ensuing Blitz and the troop build up for Sealion now seems to be a feint (and a process of industrial suppression) to deflect the Russians prior to the commencement of Barbarossa.
Click to expand...
To be fair, between France falling in 1940 and Hitler launching Barbarossa in 1941, Great Britain was effectively 'standing alone against tyranny'. The 'free' soldiers of the various European nations, whilst no doubt good soldiers, made up only a small part of the war effort.
 
House said:
June 1940 till Decemeber 1940 Germany were only at war with us and the comonwealth, Russia and spain had neutrality pacts with the Germans, the rest of Europe was either occupied or allied with Germany.
December 1940 Hitler made the same mistake that Nepolian made and attacked the russians in the winter. Then the japs bombed pearl harbour in Dec 41 and really messed up his plans.

That said long before they joined the war the US were helping us out through Lend Lease and the like.

Make no mistake it it wasnt for geography (the fact we are an island) and "The Few" the world would be a very diffrent place.
Click to expand...

Germany invaded Russia June 22nd 1941 ;) It was the Winter of 41/42 that did for the 3 Army Groups.
 
House said:
Make no mistake it it wasnt for geography (the fact we are an island) and "The Few" the world would be a very diffrent place.
Click to expand...

It wasn't just "The Few" that thwarted Hitlers plans for invasion. It's been revised by historinans....and while the RAF did tremendous job of maintaining air superiorty over Britain, the Nazi's realised that any significant seaborne invasion would have been decimated by the Royal Navy. Which until the latter part of WWII was the largest and most capable Navy in the world.
 
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