Operation Adlerangriff
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Operation Adlerangriff was the Luftwaffe offensive in the 1940 Battle of Britain intended to destroy RAF Fighter Command and secure local air superiority over Britain. It began with the 13 August raids known as Adlertag, but failed to exhaust Fighter Command within days because of flawed intelligence and targeting, while Britain's integrated air-defence system remained operational.
In depth
Operational concept and course
German plans for Operation Sea Lion required air superiority over Britain. Hermann Göring therefore designated Adlerangriff as an offensive to neutralise RAF Fighter Command, opening the major assault with Adlertag on 13 August 1940. Raids struck airfields, radar stations, and ports, but did not decisively destroy Fighter Command's essential detection and control network.
Results and historical significance
The Luftwaffe expected Fighter Command to collapse within days, or at most weeks, while Britain's radar, observation, and control system continued to function. When the offensive later shifted toward London and urban targets, Fighter Command gained time to recover, and Operation Sea Lion was postponed indefinitely. Adlerangriff thus illustrates how German intelligence assessments and operational choices failed to achieve the air superiority required for invasion.
Related historical events
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN) (supports the operation's purpose, 13 August 1940 opening, intended destruction of RAF Fighter Command, failure, and link to Operation Sea Lion)
- rafmuseum.org.uk (Royal Air Force Historical Society symposium volume, supports the organisation and functioning of Fighter Command's radar, observation, plotting, and command system in 1940)