To What Extent Was Hitler’s ‘Indefinite Postponement’ of Operation Sealion Due to the Royal Air Forces Victory over the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain?

Part A: Plan of Investigation

After France’s surrender to Germany on June 22nd 1940, Germany turned to Britain as the only country stopping them from total control of Europe. When a political solution could not be met, Hitler devised a plan to invade Britain, codenamed Operation Sealion. It involved a seaborne attack across the English Channel but because the Royal Navy (RN) was vastly superior to the Kriegsmarine, Hitler decided to only go forward with the attack if the Luftwaffe had air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF). Operation Sealion was postponed indefinitely on September 17th, 1940, two days after the Luftwaffe’s defeat on what is know as the Battle of Britain Day (Sept. 15, 1940). The question therefore is, to what extent was Hitler’s ‘indefinite postponement’ of Operation Sealion due to the Royal Air Forces victory over the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain?

There are three areas of investigation. The first is the air perspective, focussing on the effects of the RAF’s victory in the Battle of Britain. The second is the naval perspective of the battle including a comparison of the RN and Kriegsmarine’s size and abilities. The third is the political and strategical views by Hitler and the Wehrmacht (unified armed forces of Germany from 1935-1945). A variety of secondary sources will be used such as works by notable historian John Keegan and a three-part article on Britain’s defences in 1940 by British historians Christina Goulter, Andrew Gordon and Gary Sheffield. Winston Churchill’s “The Few” speech is used as a primary document to gain insight about Britain’s view on the battle at the time.

Part B: Summary of Facts
The Luftwaffe’s loss in the Battle of Britain affected Hitler’s decision to cancel Operation Sealion.
Luftwaffe Facts • Commanded by Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering • Produced 140 Messerschmitt 109s and 90 Me110 fighter jets per month totalling 900 fighters[1] • Totalled 1000 Dornier17s,

Cited: Royal Air Force. Background to the Battle of Britain. 16 Feb. 2005. 30 Apr. 2011 < http://www.raf.mod.uk> Barnett, Corelli Churchill, Winston. “The Few,” Selected Speeches of Winston Churchill, 20 Aug. 1940. 30 Apr. 2011 Gordon, Andrew, ed Goulter, Christina. Battle of Britain: The Air Perspective. Saluting the Few: The Triumph of British Air Power in 1940. London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, 2006. Goulter, Christina and Andrew Gordon and Gary Sheffield. The Royal Navy did not win the ‘Battle of Britain’ But we need a Holistic View of Britain’s Defences in 1940. London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, 2006. Keegan, John. The Second World War. London: Penguin Books Ltd, 1990. Sheffield, Gary. Battle of Britain: The Land Perspective. Operation Sealion and the Battle of Britain: A Land Perspective. London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, 2006. Snow, Peter and Dan Snow. Battlefield Britain. London: BBC Books, BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2004. ----------------------- [1] John Keegan, The Second World War (London: Penguin Books Ltd, 1990), 92 [2] Ibid Keegan, 94 [3] Peter Snow and Dan Snow, Battlefield Britain (London: BBC Books, BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2004), 194 [6] “Background to the Battle of Britain” Royal Air Force, 30 Apr. 2011 < http://www.raf.mod.uk> [7] Ibid Keegan, 92 [12] Winston Churchill, “The Few,” Selected Speeches of Winston Churchill, 30 Apr. 2011 [13] German Naval Historical Staff, Brief Statement of Reasons for Cancellation of Invasion of England, 1944, in Battle of Britain: The Naval Perspective [14] Peter Snow and Dan Snow, Battlefield Britain (London: BBC Books, BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2004), 194 [15] Christina Goulter, Battle of Britain: The Air Perspective [16] Andrew Gordon, Battle of Britain: The Naval Perspective. The Whale and the Elephant, (London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, 2006) [17] Gary Sheffield, Battle of Britain: The Land Perspective [18] Ibid Goulter [19] John Keegan, The Second World War (London: Penguin Books Ltd, 1990), 91 [26] John Keegan, The Second World War (London: Penguin Books Ltd, 1990), 102 [27] Christina Goulter, Battle of Britain: The Air Perspective [28] Andrew Gordon, Battle of Britain: The Naval Perspective. The Whale and the Elephant, (London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, 2006) [29] Ibid Gordon [30] Corelli Barnett, “Both Services Played Heroic Role in the Battle of Britain”, The Daily Telegraph, 25 August, 2006, 28 [31] Gary Sheffield, Battle of Britain: The Land Perspective [32] Andrew Gordon, Battle of Britain: The Naval Perspective. The Whale and the Elephant, (London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, 2006