The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

conversation here.’ He had just returned from a week’s rest in Geneva, with
his family, where he had discovered much talk of the ‘new Europe’.
Switzerland, although neutral, was clearly pro-Germany. France had also
announced an end to parliamentary democracy. She, too, was becoming a
totalitarian state, albeit a puppet one. ‘The Nazis,’ noted William, ‘are
laughing.’
Then, on 6 July, Hitler returned to Berlin. Goebbels had issued more
than a million swastikas to the crowds that lined the streets. On the radio,
blaring out in factories, homes and the streets, was a running commentary
from the moment Amerika pulled into the station until Hitler’s arrival at the
Reich Chancellery. The streets had been lined with crowds and flags and
church bells had been rung as all of Berlin, it seemed, rejoiced in the return
of their glorious Führer.
‘What did I tell you?’ said Else Wendel’s boss, Herr Wolter, at the
Department of Art. ‘Don’t you admit now that our Führer is the greatest
man in the world?’
‘Yes,’ Else replied. ‘I do and without reservations.’
Herr Wolter wondered whether Else could speak English. She could –
she was almost fluent. ‘Very well,’ her boss told her, ‘then I will take you
with me when we go to England.’ He already had plans to take the factory
exhibitions to Britain.
‘Feverishly,’ noted Else, ‘we waited for the invasion.’
It was not only Berliners who were waiting with bated breath; so too was
General Kesselring, commander of Luftflotte 2. He and his fellow
commanders at the front could not conceive how Hitler could hope to reach
an agreement with Britain when day after day went by without anything of
any significance happening. Some of the pilots were wondering the same.
‘When nothing happened,’ noted Hans-Ekkehard Bob, ‘one wondered about
our leadership.’ Hans and III/JG 54 were now based at Bergen-aan-Zee in
Holland from where they were providing cover for their own coastal
convoys. Siegfried Bethke and JG 2 had remained in France at Beaumontle-Roger
in Normandy. Supposedly still in the front line, he and the other
pilots were becoming increasingly frustrated. They had heard on the radio
that Britain was already being constantly attacked by bombers, but, if so,
they certainly hadn’t noticed. Rather, they were spending their time at
cockpit readiness waiting to take off should British bombers arrive. Instead