The Splendid and the Vile
by Erik Larson
Contents
Chapter 35: Berlin
Overview
Hitler privately admitted that Britain would not collapse in 1940 as Göring had promised, yet he kept the planned invasion alive and allowed the air campaign to continue. Göring responded by intensifying attacks on the RAF while London remained officially off-limits. The mounting strain on Britain’s defenses culminated in a navigational blunder on August 24 that signaled a major shift in the war’s direction.
Summary
On Tuesday, August 20, in Berlin, Adolf Hitler told his headquarters staff that he was disappointed the Luftwaffe had failed to achieve the air superiority Hermann Göring had promised. Hitler concluded that England’s collapse in 1940 could no longer be expected under current conditions, but he did not cancel Operation Sea Lion, which remained scheduled for September 15.
Göring still insisted that air power alone could force Britain to submit. Rather than reconsidering his strategy, Hermann Göring blamed his own fighter squadrons for lacking the courage and skill needed to protect German bombers, and he ordered renewed, “ceaseless attacks” to destroy the RAF once and for all.
London, however, was still forbidden as a target by Hitler’s explicit order. Over the following nights, German bombers and fighters flew thousands of sorties over England from multiple directions, creating such pressure that Britain’s coastal radar network and RAF tracking system were at times nearly overwhelmed.
The chapter ends by marking the night of Saturday, August 24, as a turning point. A German navigational mistake—described as a piece of carelessness—occurred, and later historians would see it as the error that changed the character of the war.
Who Appears
- Hermann GöringLuftwaffe chief who blames his fighters and orders ceaseless attacks to destroy the RAF.
- Adolf HitlerGerman leader who doubts Britain will collapse in 1940 but keeps Sea Lion scheduled and London off-limits.