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Defence of Britain

Boulton Paul Defiants - fighter aircraft with rear-facing gun turrets. These were used on front-line operations until 1942.

Boulton Paul Defiants - fighter aircraft with rear-facing gun turrets. These were used on front-line operations until 1942.
©Imperial War Museum CH000884

The catastrophic defeat of France and the collapse of Allied plans on Norway devastated British strategic thinking. However, despite a threatened invasion, Britain refused to negotiate terms and fought on under Churchill's leadership.

Related documents

German control

Cabinet Memorandum. Reorganisation and re-equipment of the British Expeditionary Force. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for War. 8 June 1940 (PDF, 0.730MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Priority for the Production of Tanks. 14 August 1940 (PDF, 1.345MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Army Programme. 14 September 1940 (PDF, 1.500MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Weekly Resume No 44. Report by the Chiefs of Staff. 5 July 1940 (PDF, 5.426MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 8. France. 4 July 1940 (PDF, 1.514MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. New Construction Programme. Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty. 7 September 1940 (PDF, 1.018MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Future Strategy. Report by the Chiefs of Staff. 4 September 1940 (PDF, 16.365MB)

The Battle of Britain

Cabinet Memorandum. Weekly Resume no 51. Report by the Chiefs of Staff. 23 August 1940 (PDF, 4.062MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Air Raid Damage in the London Area. Report by the Lord President of the Council. 14 September 1940 (PDF, 1.155MB)

Cabinet Conclusions 1 & 3. Naval, Military and Air Operations & Air Raids. 10 March 1941 (PDF, 1.107MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 13 March 1941 (PDF, 2.191MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 9 June 1941 (PDF, 2.075MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Air Raids. 27 April 1942 (PDF, 0.690MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Air Raids. 4 May 1942 (PDF, 1.105MB)

Cabinet Conclusions. Attack by Rockets. 9 September 1944 (PDF, 0.750MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Future Scale of Attack by Flying Bombs and Rockets on this Country. 25 September 1944 (PDF, 1.523MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Air Raids. 13 June 1944 (PDF, 1.186MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Crossbow. Report by the Chief of the Air Staff. 13 June 1944 (PDF, 0.911MB)

Threat of invasion

Cabinet Conclusion 9. British Strategy in the Near Future. 27 May 1940 (PDF, 1.398MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 10. Invasion of Great Britain. 30 May 1940 (PDF, 1.594MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 9. Defence against invasion. 17 June 1940 (PDF, 2.109MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Urgent Measures to Meet Attack. Report by the Chiefs of Staff. 19 June 1940 (PDF, 1.609MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 7. Home Defence. 9 September 1940 (PDF, 1.158MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Shipping. 4 October 1940 (PDF, 0.990MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 9. Germany: possible intentions. 10 October 1940 (PDF, 1.252MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Home Defence. 4 July 1941 (PDF, 1.109MB)

War at sea

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Shipping. 4 March 1941 (PDF, 1.828MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Weekly Resume No 91. 29 May 1941 (PDF, 3.447MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 26 May 1941 (PDF, 5.115MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 28 May 1941 (PDF, 0.975MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 11 May 1942 (PDF, 0.757MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 18 May 1942 (PDF, 1.089MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Shipping situation. Joint Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Minister of War Transport. 22 June 1942 (PDF, 2.270MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 12 February 1942 (PDF, 2.107MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 12. Parliament. 16 February 1942 (PDF, 2.125MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Shipping situation. Joint Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Minister of War Transport. 22 June 1942 (PDF, 2.270MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Naval, Military and Air operations. 22 March 1943 (PDF, 1.233MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Shipping situation. Joint Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Minister of War Transport. 22 June 1942 (PDF, 2.270MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Weekly Resume (no 183). 15 October 1942 (PDF, 4.319MB)

Russia as an ally

Cabinet Conclusion 5. USSR. 8 September 1941 (PDF, 1.634MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. United States: Supply of Destroyers. Note by the Secretary. 22 August 40 (PDF, 0.970MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 7. United States of America. 6 March 1941 (PDF, 1.392MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. United States Bases. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 12 March 1941 (PDF, 0.797MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. United States of America. 13 March 1941 (PDF, 2.191MB)

Search using Royal Navy Battle of Britain German control

Further reading

Barnett, C., Engage the Enemy More Closely (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1991)
Collier, B., Defence of the United Kingdom (London: HMSO, 1957)
Terraine, J., The Right of the Line. The Royal Air Force in the European War 1939-1945 (Ware: Wordsworth Editions, 1998)
Terraine, J., Business in Great Waters: The U-boat Wars 1916-1945 (London: Leo Cooper Ltd, 1989)

Content

Defence of Britain
German control and the Battle of Britain
War at sea and Russia as an ally

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