Battles and Operations of World War II Involving the United Kingdom - Operation Torch, Operation Goodwood, North African Campaign (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 111. Chapters: Operation Torch, Operation Goodwood, North African Campaign, Defence of the Reich, Operation Overlord, Operation Crusader, Allied invasion of Sicily, British airborne operations in North Africa, Operation Tonga, Operation Varsity, Operation Weserubung, List of Commando raids on the Atlantic wall, Operation Deadstick, Italian Campaign, Order of battle for Operation Epsom, Dodecanese Campaign, Operation Totalize, Operation Caravan, Operation Veritable, Operation Steinbock, Operation Goodwood order of battle, Operation Agreement, Borneo campaign, Operation Tabarin, Operation Skorpion, Operation Nicety, Operation Bigamy. Excerpt: The Defence of the Reich is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied Europe and Germany itself during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German military and civil industries by the Western Allies. The day and night air battles over Germany during war involved thousands of aircraft, units and aerial engagements to counter the Allied strategic bombing campaign. The campaign was one of the longest sustained in the history of aerial warfare. Along with the Battle of the Atlantic, and Allied blockade of Germany, it was the longest campaign during 1939-1945. The Luftwaffes fighter force (Jagdwaffe), defended the airspace of German occupied territory against attack, first by RAF Bomber Command, and then Bomber Command and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). In the early years, the Luftwaffe was able to inflict a string of defeats on Allied strategic air forces. In 1939, RAF Bomber Command was forced to operate at night as casualties to unescorted heavy bombers became too heavy. In 1943, the USAAF suffered several reverses in daylight and called off the offensive over Germany in October that year. The British bui...