Case Studies in the Achievement of Air Superiority - Air Force ...

BATTLE OF BRITAIN
Spitfires of 610 Squadron.
Given the respite of the shift away from his airfields and the time to
reorganize his weary squadrons, Dowding reinforced No. 11 Group with
fresher pilots where he could and one new Spitfire squadron. On Sunday
the 8th, both sides took it relatively easy, except that in the evening London
was hit again in what was to prove the beginning of fifty-seven consecutive
nights of raids. From now on, Park’s squadrons were briefed to scramble
and fight in pairs. Over the next few days the tempo once again began to
increase after another brief lull for bad weather on the 10th. On the 1 Ith the
Germans began one last attempt to achieve daylight air superiority-mastery
of the air-and failed. Churchill in his somewhat overdramatic, but
highly successful manner, called it the crux of the war. The attack reached
its zenith on Sunday the lSth, Mrs. Park’s birthday. When her husband
apologized at breakfast for not having a present for her, she said a bag of
Germans would do.28
For Park the day was further personalized by the arrival of the Prime
Minister and his wife at No. 11 Group Headquarters. Down in “the Hole”
as the plotting table began to fill with raids, Churchill chomped on a cold
cigar, as Park had forbidden him to smoke because the air-conditioning system
would not stand it. Park committed all his own twenty squadrons,
asked Brand of No. 10 Group to the west for three, and requested three
more from Dowding. Finally, the Prime Minister asked about reserves, and
Park is said to have replied, “There are none.” It may have been a shrewd
gesture of defiance by Park, knowing he would have all his planes down,
refueled, and rearmed before the Germans could be back again. And
Churchill in telling the tale later knew exactly how to make the most of it.29
The story soon unfolded that the RAF had shot down 183 enemy aircraft
for a loss of 41. After the war, the truth was found to be 56 Germans
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