Knights of the Black Cross

INTRODUCTION

The Allies did not win the air battle over Europe in the Second World War. Germany lost it. And because it did, the Third Reich went down to defeat, despite an arsenal of potentially superior and a trained elite of fighter pilots whose abilities have never been equalled before or since.

As late as the end of 1943, it was still possible for the Luftwaffe to control the air over the Continent, and had it done so, the succeeding land battles would have gone far differently if, indeed, they took place at all. Armed with hindsight, military historians list several reasons for Germany's failure to conquer Europe completely and thus " win " the Second World War. Among these, though not necessarily in order, are the following :

Germany's dictator, Hitler, while a gifted amateur, constantly meddled in tactical plans for carrying out his strategic scheme of conquest.

Germany did not invade Great Britain in the late summer of 1940, when the British were all but beaten, and knock her out of the war.

Hitler did invade Russia before disposing of Great Britain completely, thus forcing Germany to fight on two fronts.

During the invasion of Russia, instead of crushing the political base of the Soviet Army in a climactic battle around Moscow, Hitler weakened his main force by sending troops south to the Ukraine in a drive to capture Russia's major steel making centres, her oil and wheat producing areas.

In a crucial diplomatic lapse, Hitler declared war on the United States,... ( ... )