Figure 1.--Göring assured Hitler that the Luftwaffe could reduce the Dunkirt pocket. pparently Hitler wanted to reward Göring with part of he glory and with it the NAZI Party. The RAF successfully defended the beaches, but some Lufrwaffe planes did nreak through.. It was the Luftwaffe's first failure, unheralded at the time because all the men on the beaches was the Luftwaffe aircraft that broke through. It was the first time that Luftwaffe was confronted by a modern air force on somewhat equal terms.

At the time of World War II, the Luftwaffe led by Herman Göring was the most powerful air force in the world. They had experienced air crews and modern aircraft with experience gained in Spain. The Luftwaffe played key roles in the early German victories. The Luftwaffe had played a major role in the German victory in Poland and in the smashing the Dutch. This included the break through that would lead to the fall of France. The RAF and French squadrons were put in an impossible situation because of the Allies defensive status. Without early warning systems there was no way to deal with Luftwaffe attacks. Göring had been a fighter pilot in World War I, but was not a professional military man. He also had a tendency to boast. At this stage of the War, he had enormous prestige with Hitler. Ge was also the leading NAZI with a military commend. Both Hitler and Göring overestimated what could be accomplished with air power. Without consulting his generals, Göring offered to smash the Allied Dunkirk pocket. Hitler and Rundstedt concerned that the Panzers were over extended, accepted Göring's offer to 'finish' the Dunkirk pocket from the air. Göring at this stage was at the height of his power. The Luftwaffe had performed brilliantly in both Poland and France. The Luftwaffe did inflict heavy losses on the British evacuation fleet, but it failed to prevent the evacuation. Looking at the long lines of men lined up on the beech, it is difficult to understand how the Luftwaffe could have failed. There were a number of reasons. One factor was that the sand on the beach had the impact of dampening the impact of high-explosive bombs. The men lined up, however, would have been vulnerable to strafing attacks if the Luftwaffe had gained air superiority over the beach. The major reason for the Luftwaffe's failure was the RAF fighter screen over Dunkirk--it was the Luftwaffe's first failure. It was unheralded at the time because all the men on the beaches was the Luftwaffe aircraft that broke through. It was the first time that Luftwaffe was confronted by a modern air force on somewhat equal terms. Neither Göring or the Luftwaffe commanders learned anything. It was, however, the beginning of Göring losing Hitler's confidence. This continued when Göring and the Luftwaffe failed in the Battle of Britain. Göring may have gained back some influence with his central role in the Holocaust, but nothing could could restore his status after the Luftwaffe's failure to supply the Sixth Army at Stalingrad and to successfully protect German cities from Allied bombers.

Created: 9:33 PM 3/23/2022
Last updated: 9:33 PM 3/23/2022