With Wings Like Eagles (38 page)

pleas for help from, 105

surrender of, 97, 106, 108

Newall, Sir Cyril:

and aircraft specifications, 40

and Dowding, 33, 40, 103–4, 106, 111, 115, 116, 117, 137, 291

and fighters sent to France, 103–4, 106, 114, 115

and fighters vs. bombers, 106–7

and October meeting, 291

and War Cabinet meeting, 110, 113–14

Nicholson, J. B., 205

Nicolson, Harold, 23, 233

Norway:

air war over, 76

German airfields in, 122, 129, 183, 190

German invasion of, 8, 13

Nuffield, William Morris, Lord, 168

Observer Corps, 38, 41, 45, 142, 223

Operation Sea Lion, 5, 8–9, 289

delays in, 9, 155–56, 157, 235, 243, 256, 270–71, 275

plans for, 12–13, 136, 139, 154–56, 174

postponed indefinitely, 281, 283–84

Ordnance Survey maps, 167

Osterkampf, Theo, 68

Oxford University Air Squadron, 61

Park, Keith R.:

and Churchill, 277

and Czech squadron, 210

and Dunkirk, 79, 148

and Leigh-Mallory, 130, 177–79, 228, 236, 242, 243, 251–52, 259, 265, 276, 290, 291

and No. 10 Group, 228, 251

and No. 11 Group, 79, 93, 129, 132, 144, 148, 169, 175, 177–78, 196, 200, 213, 221, 227, 236, 242, 252, 254, 255, 259, 265, 280

objections to big wing, 179, 182, 236, 242, 252, 290

and October meeting, 290, 291–92

operations room of, 213

as pilot, 243

political enemies of, 266, 290, 294, 296

and rescue, 128

strategies of, 221, 222, 227, 228, 236, 266, 276, 289

Pearl Harbor, 282

Percy, Hugh, 194

Philip II, king of Spain, 163–64

Phillipart, J., 196–97

Piece of Cake (BBC-TV), 6–7

Pile, Sir Frederick, 143

Poland:

air war over, 76

German bombing of Warsaw, 166, 246, 247

German invasion of, 5, 13

Holocaust in, 121

Portal, Sir Charles, 297

Portes, Hélène de, 98

Queensberry, marquess of, 150

radar:

airborne interceptor (AI), 265–66, 294

and altitude estimates, 127, 142, 259–60

and “big wing” formation, 179

“Chain Home” network, 16n, 31, 34, 41, 42, 142

early development of, 110

effectiveness of, 190, 218–19, 276

German attacks on, 159, 160, 169, 171, 174, 197, 207, 228, 230

importance of, 125, 128, 129, 157, 163, 168, 171, 175, 288

limitations of, 127, 142, 156, 217, 221

production of, 17

removed from German target list, 202

towers of, 41, 42, 43, 159, 167

use of term, 16n

widespread use of, 42–43

Raeder, Erich, 256

RAF (Royal Air Force):

Advance Air Striking Force, 12, 101

and air combat, 84–88

airfields of, 141–42, 159, 167, 168, 171–72, 218–19, 241, 251, 254, 288;
see also specific airfields

and altitude, 259–60

and armaments, 73n, 83–84, 150–51, 169–70

Bomber Command of,
see
Bomber

Command

class differences in, 59–62, 65

Component of, 101, 102

and cone of fire, 83

and confusion of battle, 82–83

death in the air, 87–88

duct tape used by, 84n

exhilarating experience of, 89–90

as “the Few,” 207–8, 281

Fighter Command of,
see
Fighter

Command

in France, 12, 100–108

funding of, 4, 10, 28, 40

handling controls gently, 84–85

losses of, 93, 104–5, 115, 122, 127, 145, 157, 169, 172–73, 175, 201, 208, 230, 243, 250, 251, 253, 255, 272

political infighting in, 111–12

poor marksmanship in, 83

as prisoners of war, 60

rearmament of, 31–32

rescues of, 88, 128, 148

survival of, 86–89

“vic” formation, 81, 82

in the years between the wars, 4, 31

RAF Andover, 172

RAF Biggin Hill, 197, 205, 212, 213, 217, 218, 221, 222, 224, 226, 228, 251, 253, 254

RAF Croydon, 197–98, 199, 212, 224, 230, 232

RAF Detling, 171–72

RAF Driffield, 191

RAF Ford, 227–29, 230

RAF Gravesend, 212

RAF Kenley, 197, 212, 213, 218–20, 221–26, 229, 232, 251

RAF Manston, 159, 193, 196, 212, 230, 239, 241

RAF Martlesham Heath, 56, 193

RAF Middle Wallop, 172, 196

RAF Reserve, 61

RAF Tangmere, 61, 206–7, 222, 227, 228

RAF Voluntary Reserve, 62

RAF West Malling, 197, 225

Reston, James, 263

Reynaud, Paul, 96n, 97, 98, 109, 114

Ribbentrop, Joachim von, 5–6, 78, 249–50, 262, 268

Richards, Denis, 133

Richtofen, Manfred von, 143, 186, 187

Richtofen, Wolfram von, 227

Riefenstahl, Leni, 71

Robinson, Derek, 6–7

Rolls-Royce aero engines, 51

Goshawk, 53, 54

Kestrel, 70

Merlin, 34, 57, 70, 72n, 74, 82–83, 134, 287

PV XII, 54, 70

Rommel, Erwin, 250n, 285

Roosevelt, Franklin D., 109, 123, 134, 296

Rose, Nigel, 206

Roth, Joachim, 222–23, 224, 225

Rothermere, Lord, 24–25

Rotterdam, bombing of, 108–9, 166, 246, 247

Royal Artillery, 224

Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 61

Royal Flying Corps, 15

Royal Navy:

and Dunkirk evacuation, 77