During the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
, the defence of the UK's airspace was divided up within
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Britai ...
into four
Groups
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
, each comprising several airfields and squadrons.
The groups involved, 10, 11, 12 and 13, saw very different levels of activity during the battle. No. 11 Group, responsible for the defence of London and the south-east saw the heaviest fighting, and pilots were often rotated among the groups to allow them to rest and recuperate after several weeks of fierce contact with the enemy. Each group was commanded by an
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...
, who served under the head of Fighter Command during the battle,
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...
Hugh Dowding
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, (24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was an officer in the Royal Air Force. He was Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is generally c ...
.
Organisational structure
Key:
*HQ = Group headquarters
*SS = Sector station
*SA = Satellite aerodrome
10 Group
10 Group defended Wales and the
West Country
The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...
and was commanded by
Air Vice-Marshal Sir Quintin Brand.
Image:Warmwell-16aug43.jpg, RAF Warmwell in 1943
11 Group
11 Group covered the southeast of England and the critical approaches to London and was commanded by
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...
Keith Park
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park, (15 June 1892 – 6 February 1975) was a New Zealand-born officer of the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the Second World War, his leadership of the RAF's No. 11 Group was pivotal to the Luftwaffe's defe ...
.
File:11 Group Operations Room Memorial and RAF Ensign, RAF Uxbridge.jpg, Memorial to the No. 11 Group Operations Room, with the Royal Air Force Ensign, at RAF Uxbridge
File:Plotting Table.jpg, Restored Operations Room at RAF Uxbridge
Image:Spitfire V 485-2.jpg, Line up of 485 Squadron 'Subscription' Spitfire Mk. Vbs at RAF Kenley in 1941
Image:SpiIX306.jpg, BS456 UZ-Z of 306 (Polish) Torunski Squadron, RAF Northolt, November 1942
12 Group
12 Group defended
the Midlands
The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
and
East Anglia
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
and was led by Air Vice-Marshal
Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, (11 July 1892 – 14 November 1944) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. Leigh-Mallory served as a Royal Flying Corps pilot and squadron commander during the First World War. Remaining in th ...
.
13 Group
13 Group covered the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and was commanded by
Air Vice-Marshal Richard Saul.
See also
*
List of Battle of Britain squadrons
This is a list of the officially accredited Battle of Britain units with their aircraft types, code letters, call signs and casualties.
On 9 November 1960, the Air Ministry published Air Ministry Order N850 which officially defined the qualifi ...
*
List of former Royal Air Force stations
This list of former RAF stations includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal Air Force.
The stations are listed under any former county or country name which was appropriate for the du ...
*
List of Royal Air Force stations
The Royal Air Force (RAF) operates several stations throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. This includes front-line and training air bases, support, administrative and training stations with no flying activity, unmanned airfields used fo ...
*
Luftwaffe order of battle August 1940
*
RAF Fighter Command order of battle 1940
Notes
References
External links
Interactive map of operational airfields with squadrons and aircraft type displayedArticle about the Battle of Britain from North Weald Airfield History
{{WW2AirDefenceUK
Airfields
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publi ...
Battle of Britain airfields
During the Battle of Britain, the defence of the UK's airspace was divided up within RAF Fighter Command into four Groups, each comprising several airfields and squadrons.
The groups involved, 10, 11, 12 and 13, saw very different levels of a ...