VE Day 75 years later: The real story of how Britain won WW2

[EddieM]

So what you are saying is that the UK was geographically secure and that a land invasion (like the Allies did at Normandy) could never have happened? Lucky us. There was boddggddgd thinking is was because we had scared the Gerries off.

Sigh, that was the point of the battle of Britain, to secure the skies over Britain to have some shred of a chance of a land invasion. Still a vanishingly small chance with a comparatively small Navy.

Even if it had been achieved it's very unlikely it could have been kept. Yes, blighty is of huge geographical strategic importance, regardless of who is here (as long as they're organised, ok opens up for countless jokes there)

 

[noseall]

Sigh, that was the point of the battle of Britain, to secure the skies over Britain to have some shred of a chance of a land invasion. Still a vanishingly small chance with a comparatively small Navy.

Lol. I think if Hitler had had patience or the will to fight the UK (he cleary didn't as he let many of our soldiers escape from Dunkirk), then he had the means to arm his Navy or even commandeer others. He clearly wasn't interested and was focussed on the bigger challenge of going East.

 

[Bodd]

Nonsense. Hitler chose to invade Russia instead.

Only because we would not bend over for him. That was key to the way the world is today.

 

[noseall]

Only because we would not bend over for him.

Luckily we had a moat.

 

[noseall]

That was key to the way the world is today.

Correct. Some nutters on here think we are still at war with Germany. Poor old sods.

 

[transam]

Correct. Some nutters on here think we are still at war with Germany. Poor old sods.

U sure

Blimey thought we still were

 

[EddieM]

Lol. I think if Hitler had had patience or the will to fight the UK (he cleary didn't as he let many of our soldiers escape from Dunkirk), then he had the means to arm his Navy or even commandeer others. He clearly wasn't interested and was focussed on the bigger challenge of going East.

No, he went to the east because his supply lines were being effectively cut off. Invasion was not possible.

 

[noseall]

No, he went to the east because his supply lines were being effectively cut off. Invasion was not possible.

That statement is contradictory and doesn't make any sense.

 

[Bodd]

Luckily we had a moat.

I think the moat was the difference.

 

[Bodd]

Correct. Some nutters on here think we are still at war with Germany. Poor old sods.

In my Traverling days I loved the Germans and the Japs. Both good decent social people.

 

[ajohn]

Hitler and Germany was envious of Britain's empire and desperately wanted to emulate us.

I don't think that is entirely correct. More of a problem for him really. For instance when WWII got going India raised the biggest voluntary army any one has ever seen. 2.5million people. People tend forget that when he took on Britain he was effectively taking on an empire of sorts that contained 25% of the worlds population some of which could and did form effective armies that did fight against him. What he would envy is the materials that these countries contained and also areas effectively seen as being "owned" by other "empires". France for instance.

Hitler's efforts in Africa was an attempt to get at raw materials and also the Suez canal.

 

[ajohn]

The odd thing about occupation and WWII is that in some cases he was outnumbered in several areas needed for war. We've learnt from the technique used but call it something else now and it's used in a variety of ways.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_and_awe

 

[crystal ball]

What other European country on our side that didn't crumble

Not talking about European countries

The geographic location of this country strong leadership, our airforce, army and hardware

Where did the hardware come from?

 

[fillyboy]

Where did the hardware come from?

Hawker, Avro, Supermarine, Rolls Royce, Armstrong Vickers, BSA, Webley and Scott, plus a whole host of manufactures who switched production from everyday products to weapons or items required for the war effort.
Raw materials?, women queued up to hand over their aluminium pots and pans, Town Parks were stripped of their wrought iron railings (still evident today), when we ran short of metal, we'd conceive planes made from wood like the Mosquito.
We were quite a resourceful nation, and a very determined people.

 

[transam]

We leased alot of ships from the US