| louisv |
03-19-2011 12:23 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sauf
(Post 236131)
well, ok an exception for you, only because you gave us aussies maple syrup (where we learnt what the maple leaf was and it was a country), will move on before i think about that to much :)
ps, I still have a packet of Canadian wild rice in my pantry, 10 years old, been keeping it till they sell canadian duck here.
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http://www.secondworldwar.co.uk/inde...tle-of-britain
Canada at War - The Battle of Britain
July 10, 1940 the Battle of Britain begins. This was a precursor to Operation Sea Lion, Hitler's plan to capture England. But in order for him to land troops on British soil, he first had to control the air. This was the task of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe's attack force consisted, at the beginning, of around 2000 aircraft including a large proportion of Messerschmitt fighters, while the RAF only had about half that number of planes in Hurricanes and Spitfires. Outnumbering the British almost 2 to 1 the German Luftwaffe planned to attack RAF bases, then seaports and finally commence their ground assault. With nowhere else to turn, the British turned to Canada for support. Canada began to produce Hurricane fighters and train pilots to defend Britain.
The Canadian fighter group 242 began to take a powerful role in the battle of Britain. This group shot down huge numbers of Messerschmitts while the British fighters were regrouping. Their only major loss was when a group of Messerschmitt 109s flew out of the sun in an ambush and shot down nine of them. The battle of Britain took an important turn when a stray German bomber came under attack from flak guns, dropped her bombs to reduce weight but didn't realize that he was flying over London, a target made off limits by Hitler. In retaliation, the Allies began to bomb German cities. With Hitler's subsequent order to bomb British cities, the pressure on British airbases and radar stations was relieved. This gave the RAF time to regroup and it began to achieve victories. German air losses eventually became so great that Hitler, with his attention now more focussed on the forthcoming invasion of Russia, was forced to give up his campaign and Operation Sea Lion was postponed indefinitely.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Bri...n_contribution
Canadian contribution
Many Canadians served in the fighter squadrons which repulsed the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940. In fact, although the RAF only recognises 83 Canadian pilots as flying on fighter operations during the Battle of Britain, the RCAF claims the actual figure was over 100, and that of those 23 died and 30 were killed later in the war.[13][14] Another 200 Canadian pilots fought with RAF Bomber Command and RAF Coastal Command during the period and approx 2,000 Canadians served as ground crew. |
