Welcome to the History Unplugged Podcast.

The unscripted show that celebrates unsung heroes, Mythbust's historical lies, and rediscoveres

the forgotten stories that changed our world.

I'm your host, Scott Rank.

In the spring of 1940, Hitler's armies smashed across the borders of the Netherlands and

Belgium and streamed into the northern regions of France.

The German Blitzkrieg moved swiftly to the west and to the south, splitting the British

and French defenders, trapping the British army at Dunkirk and forcing its evacuation

from continental Europe.

The Germans entered Paris on June 14 and forced France's surrender on June 22.

The British now stood alone, awaiting Hitler's inevitable attempt to invade and conquer their

island, or so they thought.

While Great Britain was in trouble, the soldiers rescued from Dunkirk were exhausted by their

ordeal.

Worse, most of their heavy armaments lay abandoned and rusting on the French beaches.

After a short rest, the Germans began air raids in early summer, designed to seize mastery

of the skies over England, in preparation for invasion.

They needed air supremacy over the English Channel.

All that stood between the British and defeat was a small force of RAF pilots outnumbered

in the air by 4-1.

Day after day, the Germans set armadis of bombers and fighters over England, hoping to

lure the RAF into battle and annihilate the defenders.

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