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

aircraft line. ‘We made up a barrage line,’ says Joe Steele, ‘about eight
trawlers stretched across the harbour and as planes came over we’d open
fire with our 12-pounder and twin .5s.’ As Joe admits, it was not very
effective – the 12 pounder was not designed as an anti-aircraft gun and
neither were the .5-inch machine guns – but the trawlers were cannily
placed should the invasion have been mounted.
Churchill had personally rung Park to inform him of the invasion
warning, but had not seemed unduly concerned himself. Nor was Park, who
was confident Fighter Command could stave off the enemy fighters while
Bomber and Coastal Commands attacked any invasion shipping.
In fact, much to his annoyance, Park had still been in his meeting with
Dowding when the bombers had arrived over London so had not been in the
Operations Room at Uxbridge. Hurrying there, he had arrived before the
raiders passed, conferred with his controllers and then dashed to Northolt,
where he kept his Hurricane. Rather like Feldmarschall Milch, Park made
sure he flew regularly, seeing the lie of the land for himself, and speaking to
as many of his squadrons as possible.
Flying over London, he had been appalled by the sight of so many fires,
but he sensed that the attack on the capital was unlikely to have been a oneoff.
Rather, he suspected it marked a major switch in Luftwaffe policy, and,
if so, it would give him a chance to bring his airfields back to some kind of
order. In short, the Luftwaffe might have thrown him a lifeline.
Churchill had been at Chequers, but at noon on Sunday, 8 September, he
left for London taking General Ismay with him, and headed straight to the
worst parts of the East End. More than 300 had been killed and more than
1,300 seriously injured, but one of the first places they had been taken to
was an air raid shelter that had suffered a direct hit. About forty people had
been killed, and now, the afternoon after the night before, the place was still
heavy with those searching for trapped people and belongings. As the Prime
Minister got out of the car, people rushed around him crying, ‘It was good
of you to come, Winnie!’ and ‘We thought you’d come!’ Others shouted out
in defiance, ‘We can take it! Give it ’em back!’
Churchill was profoundly moved; when he had supported plans to
attack Berlin, he had been aware of the probable German reaction but was
equally firm in his belief that Britain and her people had to be prepared to
accept losses in the struggle against Nazi Germany. Now, however, he