Defending the Nation

1. Press ‘ESC’ at any time to stop the presentation Ground Defences “In the first year of the war, gunners claimedto have shot down 444 German aircraft…” Defending the Nation

2. What’s happening in the picture? Who are these people? Part of The Battle of Britain Memorial - Sculpture by Paul Day

3. Why do you think that so many men and women were asked to volunteer to man air defences during the period 1939-45? Part of The Battle of Britain Memorial - Sculpture by Paul Day

4. According to Len Deighton who has often been overlooked when studying British successes during the Battle of Britain? “It is often forgotten that in addition to Fighter Command, Britain was defended against the Luftwaffe in 1940 by a huge army of gunners and search-light operators and barrage balloon crews who laboured day and night amidst intense discomfort (and often boredom) for very little recognition.” Len Deighton, Battle of Britain (Jonathan Cape, 1980) Please select an area that you would like to explore. Anti-Aircraft Guns Barrage Balloons Search Lights

5. Anti-Aircraft Guns “When planes came over the ack-ack guns would fire. The guns were called ack-ack because of the sound they made. Each round was quickly followed by another, like huge birds squauking. Lots of these guns were handled by women from the A.T.S. The guns were placed inside a wall of sandbags. Jean Williams, a schoolgirl who lived in Pembroke Dock during the early years of the war

6. A Light A.A. Gun, Swansea Photograph courtesy of Swansea Museum What does A.A. stands for? Why do you think that Swansea would have needed defences such as these?

7. “I was in the Fforestfach branch for about eighteen months…We were issued with red flashes to put on our arms and we were very proud of these….The whole battery was under the command of Colonel Aeron Thomas, who was a well-known Swansea businessman. We had two guns – two different types of gun, I should say. One was the mobile and the other was the static….” Jack Smith, who was a lieutenant in an anti-aircraft battery in Swansea, taken from Wales and the Second World Warby Philip Tapper and Susan Hawthorne Can you explain why this AA Battery was under the command of a well known businessman?

8. “I was in the Fforestfach branch for about eighteen months…We were issued with red flashes to put on our arms and we were very proud of these….The whole battery was under the command of Colonel Aeron Thomas, who was a well-known Swansea businessman. We had two guns – two different types of gun, I should say. One was the mobile and the other was the static….” Jack Smith, who was a lieutenant in an anti-aircraft battery in Swansea, taken from Wales and the Second World Warby Philip Tapper and Susan Hawthorne Even though guns on the ground accounted for a very small percentage of Luftwaffe planes shot down, it has been said that they made a significant contribution to the defence of airfields and towns? Why is this?

9. “ (A.A.) gunners made a very real contribution to the defence of the airfields in August and throughout the battle (of Britain) by forcing the German bombers to fly high and thus bomb less accurately.” The Commander-in-Chief of Anti-Aircraft Command was Sir Frederick Pile. He commanded seven A.A. Divisions which consisted of 1,200 heavy and 587 light guns. There were also 3,932 searchlights under his command. In the first year of the war, the gunners claimed to have shot down 444 German aircraft over Britain. These figures were wildly exaggerated, but were supported to boost the morale of the gunners. A.A. Guns were most effective at night as there were few effective night fighter aircraft that could challenge the Luftwaffe. Source - Len Deighton, Battle of Britain (Jonathan Cape, 1980)

10. “The slender resources of the Anti-Aircraft Command were strained to provide guns for the defence of the most important fighter and bomber aerodromes. High altitude and Bofors guns were provided up to the limit considered practicable, and the effort was reinforced by the use of Royal Air Force detachments with Lewis guns and some hundreds of 20mm cannon which were not immediately required for use in aircraft.” Air Chief Marshall Lord Dowding Why do you think that aerodromes were often given priority, even over civilian areas, when Anti-Aircraft guns were being issued during the Battle of Britain?

11. Barrage Balloons “The town I lived in was a military base and so it was protected by barrage balloons. These huge silver balloons were on top of the hill above the town and were tethered to the ground by thick cables fastened to iron rings embedded in a concrete base”. Jean Williams, a schoolgirl who lived in Pembroke Dock during the early years of the war Talking Points: How did a barrage balloon work? What was its purpose?

12. Barrage Balloons hover above a convoy of ships during World War Two. Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: P.86.949

13. 47 Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons operated barrage balloons, in which many WAAFs served as balloon operators. “They were required to drive the lorry, operate the winch, splice ropes and manhandle 120lb blocks and sandbag ballast. They lived ‘in the field’ as part of eight crew and two NCOs. The first WAAF-operated balloon was named ‘Romeo’. ” David Oliver, Fighter Command 1939-45 (Harper Collins 2000) Why do you think that the contribution of WAAF as balloon operators was so welcome between 1941-45?

14. A Barrage Balloon tethered over Cathays Park. How effective do you think barrage balloons were in protecting towns and cities like Cardiff from Luftwaffe bombers? Image courtesy of Cardiff Council Libraries and Information Service

15. “By the 31st July 1940, there were 1,466 balloons deployed around Britain, under the command of the R.A.F., each manned by twelve men* responsible for raising and lowering their huge gasbags as the weather changed – they were particularly vulnerable to thunderstorms”. “The balloons were a useful deterrent to enemy pilots nervous of hitting their cables, especially at night…(Many) Bf 109 pilots on their daylight sweeps over Britain often found themselves reduced to shooting down balloons to justify their attacks, when British fighters refused to be drawn to engage them.” Len Deighton, Battle of Britain (Jonathan Cape, 1980) *By 1941 many barrage balloon crews were female.

16. Search Lights “There were searchlights in Pembroke Dock – huge lamps set on the hills. They used to scan the sky for incoming enemy planes. At night we would watch the beams of light scanning back and fore.” Jean Williams, a schoolgirl who lived in Pembroke Dock during the early years of the war

17. Eventually Search Lights were only switched on when specific enemy aircraft were being tracked. Why do you think that this decision was made? A World War Two Searchlight –housed at Duxford Aircraft Museum

18. Searchlight Crossbeam Ack-Ack GunPosition Ack-Ack GunPosition

19. “(Most searchlights were) 90cm searchlights with a carbon projector giving 210 million candlepower…these were a very important part of the night defences. While not intended that way, its greatest effect was to blind the bomber crews.” R. Townshend-Bickers, Battle of Britain (1990) Give three reasons why Searchlights were such an important part of Britain’s night defence.