Bøker av Dilip Sarkar MBE

Sarkar's sixth volume examines the fourth phase of the Battle of Britain, detailing Luftwaffe failures and Britain's resilience.In this, the sixth of Dilip Sarkar's unprecedented eight-volume series, the day-by-day events occurring in the fourth phase of the Battle of Britain are chronicled and set within a much wide context, including the operations of Bomber and Coastal Commands and the Home Front. Renowned for his evidence-based approach, the author has returned to primary sources, the analysis arising often challenging our previous understanding and the popular narrative.In Volume 5, Target London: 7 September 1940 - 17 September 1940, the beginning of the Blitz was explored at length. This illuminated the inescapable fact that Luftwaffe air intelligence completely failed to understand how Fighter Command was organised and controlled, nor that it was replacement pilots, not aircraft, that was Air Chief Marshal Dowding's greatest concern. Indeed, on 15 September 1940, Luftwaffe aircrews were briefed to expect but a token resistance over London from the last handful of RAF fighters - their morale shattered when their first attack was met by over 300, the second by nearly as many. This convinced Hitler that the Luftwaffe could not achieve the aerial superiority needed for the invasion of Britain to proceed. Two days later Operation Seelöwe was postponed 'indefinitely'.Reichsmarschall Herman Göring, however, still believed that the Luftwaffe could prevail - and so continued attacking the UK, changing tack, yet again. As London had proved it 'could take it', the Luftwaffe, whilst continuing to bomb the capital by night, now focussed its daylight attacks on the British aircraft industry. Naturally the Supermarine Spitfire factory at Southampton was a primary target; it was subsequently badly hit, with great loss of life. Other factories, in the West Country, were also targeted, and, owing to a navigation error due to cloud cover, the picturesque town of Sherborne was devasted on 30 September 1940.By that date, however, it was clear that Göring's He 111 force was unable to continue absorbing such losses and the type was exclusively switched to night-bombing - thereby substantially reducing the German daylight bombing force. On 20 September 1940, Me 109 fighter-bombers attacked London, and going forward the next and final phase would see such attacks, and high-flying fighter sweeps, dominate the daytime arena.Such raids, though, were never going to defeat Britain, so it is fair to say that the period reviewed in this volume really did see the 'Daylight defeat' of the Luftwaffe over England in 1940 - and the events involved are interpreted and recounted in great detail.

In this unprecedented series exploring the big story of the Battle of Britain, renowned historian Dilip Sarkar investigates the wider context and intimate details of the epic aerial conflict in the summer of 1940 from all sides. In so doing, he gives due acknowledgement to the roles of Bomber and Coastal Commands in addition to the fabled Few of Fighter Command. This unique narrative draws upon a lifetime of research, the author having enjoyed a long relationship with survivors and the relatives of casualties; his innumerable interviews and first-hand accounts collated, in addition to privileged access to personal papers, providing essential human interest to this inspirational story. In this the fourth volume, _Battle of Britain: Airfields Under Attack_, Dilip continues to examine the fighting on a day-by-day, combat-by-combat basis from 19 August until 6 September 1940\. It is a period in which we saw the LuftwaffeâEUR(TM)s bombing of the all-important 11 Group airfields intensify, culminating in âEUR¿The Hardest DayâEUR(TM) of 18 August 1940, which saw both sides lose more aircraft than any other day throughout the whole Battle of Britain. The tensions and problems between Fighter CommandâEUR(TM)s 11 and 12 Groups also intensified. It was a situation that eventually led to Squadron Leader Douglas Bader criticising Fighter Command tactics, proposing the use of âEUR¿Big WingsâEUR(TM), contrary to the System of Air Defence and strategy involved, gaining the support of his 12 Group commander, Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory. Given its later significance, this is investigated in depth. Through diligent research, combined with crucial official primary sources and personal papers, Dilip unravels many myths, often challenging the accepted narrative. This is not simply another dull record of combat losses and claims âEUR" far from it. Drawing upon unique first-hand accounts from a wide-range of combatants and eyewitnesses, along with Daily Home Intelligence Reports and numerous other primary sources, this book forms part of what is likely to be the first and last such comprehensively woven account of this epic air battle.

This previously unpublished biography was the last manuscript that Johnnie Johnson wrote prior to his death and covers his service in the latter part of the war.

Air Vice-Marshal 'Johnnie' Johnson became the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilot and wing leader par excellence of the Second World War.

This biography of a remarkable airman and politician is written with the support of the Malan family.

This previously unpublished diary details the event experienced by Johnnie Johnson in 1942.