Review of "Battle of Britain," DVD

Review of

Battle of Britain, DVD

Four out of five stars

Given the truly global nature of World War II, it is a bit presumptuous to say that any one battle was decisive. However, there is no question that the closest to a critical battle was the air war that has been given the name “The Battle of Britain.” It was the first battle that was fought almost totally in the skies and the fate of England did hang in the balance.

 Once the British Army was evacuated from Dunkirk, it still existed, but had little in the way of weapons. Had the Germans been able to land their forces on the coast of England, there was very little that could stop them. Anyone that has seen newsreel footage of British men drilling with broomsticks or pitchforks understands how little resistance the British could have put up against a German invasion. There is a scene of such action in this movie.

 After the massive evacuation that was labeled a victory, there were only two things standing in the way of the Germans, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the British Navy. As subsequent events, such as the sinking of the Repulse and Prince of Wales demonstrated, even the most powerful of Navy ships were no match for strong aerial attacks. Therefore, the only real line of defense was the RAF.

 This movie is a dramatization of the air war over Britain, told largely from the side of the British, but it does include a great deal of footage depicting the German side. There is some description of the tactics used, but the movie would have been stronger if there would have been more explanation of the German tactics, for their goal was more complex. The British simply had to survive, while the Germans had to destroy. As a student of history, I would have preferred less yelling and blaming by Herman Goring and more discussion of tactics.

 This is a good movie that is historically accurate in describing a crucial point in the Second World War. Yet, it would have been better if it contained more history.