EUROPEAN AIR WAR

Welcome to the European Air War Timeline!

This timeline covers all air combat between the Western Allies and Axis air forces throughout Europe between the years 1939 and 1945.

"My Luftwaffe is invincible...And so now we turn to England. How long will this one last - two, three weeks?" Hermann Goring June 1940 Air Marshal Arthur Harris General Leutnant Adolf Galland German JU-87B Stuka In 1940, the Junkers JU-87B Stuka was the Luftwaffe's most important tactical attack aircraft.

03/09/1939	An RAF Blenheim bomber of 139 Squadron conducts the RAF's first operational sortie of the war when it flew over to Germany to check shipping in the Schillig Roads. With a frozen radio, it was unable to transmit any information back to base and by the time it landed it was too late to mount an attack that day. Later that night, Whitley bombers conduct an number of leaflet dropping sorties over Germany.
04/09/1939	The RAF attacks German shipping at Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven and Schillig Roads, with negligible results (7 out of 30 Wellington bombers are shot down by German fighters and Anti-Aircraft).
08/10/1939	RAF reconnaissance planes shoots down a German flying boat over the North Sea.
16/10/1939	German bombers attack Forth and Rosyth bridges.
06/11/1939	First big air battle on Western Front.
13/11/1939	German bombers attacked British territory for the first time, with a bombing raid on the Shetland Islands. No serious damage was done.
23/11/1939	RAF shoots down seven German aircraft over France.
18/12/1939	The RAF launch another daylight raid against German shipping in the Schillig Roads, but lose 12 out of 24 bombers. This was the culmination of a series of RAF daylight raids which had cost an increasing number of aircraft. This eventually caused the RAF to switch to night raids to reduce casualties.
26/12/1939	The first squadron of Australian airmen arrives in Britain.