History of the Second World War27 Aug 2025

230: The Battle of Britain Pt. 5 - Shifting Focus

In this pivotal episode of the Battle of Britain series, we explore the mounting pressures faced by both British and German forces as September 1940 unfolds. While the RAF continues its desperate defense against daily Luftwaffe raids, behind the scenes both nations are dealing with critical resource challenges and strategic dilemmas. The British struggle with pilot shortages and factory production disruptions caused by constant air raid warnings, leading to new policies that increase worker risk but maintain essential aircraft production. Meanwhile, German intelligence faces a mathematical crisis as their estimates of British fighter strength prove wildly inaccurate, with the RAF continuing to field strong resistance despite German claims of destroying over 1,100 fighters. As Hitler's September 10th deadline for Operation Sea Lion approaches, the Luftwaffe shifts focus from airfields to London itself, culminating in the massive September 7th bombing raid that marks the beginning of the London Blitz - a devastating new phase that would see the city bombed for 57 consecutive days and nights, forever changing the character of the Battle of Britain. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(355)

Listener Question Pt. 5

Start off this one with a few quick hitters, then a question that takes 15 minutes to answer. Allied invasion of France in 1942? That Churchill guy you may have heard of? How did occupied economies wo...

2 Jul 23min

264: War at Sea '41 Pt. 2 - Cruisers Attack

This episode examines Germany's auxiliary cruisers and the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper as they carried the commerce war into distant shipping lanes during 1940 and early 1941. It follows the disguise...

1 Jul 24min

263: War At Sea '41 Pt. 1 - The Surface Raiders

This episode begins a new look at the German surface raiding campaign of late 1940 and early 1941, when the Kriegsmarine tried to use cruisers and battleships to threaten Britain's Atlantic lifelines....

25 Jun 25min

262: Crete Pt. 7 - Another Defeat; Another Victory

The evacuation from Crete reaches its final stage as British, Commonwealth, and Greek forces try to escape through Sphakia while others are left behind at Rethymno and across the island. This episode ...

17 Jun 25min

261: Crete Pt. 6 - Stick It Out

The battle for Crete shifts toward evacuation as the Royal Navy absorbs severe losses while trying to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the island by sea. This episode follows the aftermath ...

11 Jun 22min

260: Crete Pt. 5 - Failed Counterattacks

The Royal Navy's success in turning back the German invasion convoys in the waters north of Crete on the night of May 21st removed the threat of a seaborne landing, but it could not undo the damage do...

3 Jun 20min

Listener Questions Pt. 4

War Aims and Strategic Bombing History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.f⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠m Learn more about y...

31 Mai 24min

259: Crete Pt. 4 - Naval Victory, Naval Disaster

As the first day of the German invasion of Crete drew to a close on May 20th, 1941, neither side held the clear advantage they had hoped for — the Germans had failed to secure their primary objectives...

27 Mai 25min