This book, AFTER DUNKIRK, limits its scope to the timeframe immediately following the evacuation until a few days into the Battle of Britain. The next book, EAGLES OVER BRITAIN delves further into the Battle; and the one following will center on the Blitz.
Over the course of the year that incorporated the Evacuation, the Battle of Britain, and the Blitz, both Great Britain and Germany changed elements of strategy, tactics, and equipment. Those elements appear in each book to the best of my understanding, characterized by how they were seen in each successive period, which might differ from a view looking back.
On the British side, in the early days, there were more Hurricanes than Spitfires because the former had been in the inventory longer, and the latter were far more difficult to manufacture and thus took more time to deliver. On the German side, the Messerschmitt was the most capable aircraft, however, the Germans also relied on the Stuka dive bomber/fighter, Ju 88s, Heinkels, Dornier DO17’s, and other aircraft. As a result, in any given battle, an unexpected combination of aircraft might have appeared.
During the Battle of Britain, the limitations of the Stuka as a fighter became manifest, and from thence was used almost strictly as a dive bomber requiring ME109 escort. That was not the case across the entire length of Germany’s many fronts, and Stukas strafed and bombed ships, trains, convoys, tanks... Interestingly, the most decorated of all German pilots was Hans Ulrich Rudel, a Stuka pilot.
There is no doubt of what Churchill said of those who fought during the Battle of Britain, that so much was owed to so few. Nothing can take that away. What is little known is the radar screen and the command and control system designed and established by Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding. His determination and force of personality built the system of men, women, machines, and technology that allowed Great Britain to see well in advance where Germany was sending its bombers and fighter escorts and dispatch “The Few” to engage them in mortal combat at the places and times that would bring down an otherwise overwhelming, implacable foe. Of equal value was the decoding and analytical facility established at Bletchley Park that developed the ability to read any and all coded radio messages transmitted across German networks. The combined effort of all these men and women who sacrificed themselves helped win the war.
This book is a work of fiction, but it is based on real people and events. Where I have used actual names, their actions herein are fictitious, and a figment of my imagination. I hope I have done the real participants justice
Acknowledgments
The people who helped me with AFTER DUNKIRK, are numerous. I put out a call for anecdotes about WWII escapes and evasions and received piles of them. I am humbled by the heroism of so many mothers, fathers, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and other relatives of that time without which, we would be living in a much darker world.
Friends and family contributed technical knowledge. Others read and re-read either sections of the draft, or the entire manuscript, several times. Others proofread. Still more provided encouragement.
I have expressed my gratitude to each person who helped me with this project, so rather than risk missing someone here, please accept my thanks again, here.
I will extend my gratitude to my publisher, Andrew Watts at Severn River Publishing. He pushed me to write about World War II. I had read many books about the war and had studied it at West Point, but I had never researched it in depth, digging into the corners and crevices to find the little-known details of that history. They must number in the billions. I have probably not both read and written so much in as short a time, and a major element I learned is that if I study that epoch daily for a thousand years, I am sure that each day I will learn something new and astounding that reinforces the awe in which I hold all who participated to keep the western world free. We call them the greatest generation. They were giants.
About the Author
Lee Jackson is the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of The Reluctant Assassin series and the After Dunkirk series. He graduated from West Point and is a former Infantry Officer of the US Army. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, splitting 38 months between them as a senior intelligence supervisor for the Department of the Army. His novels are enjoyed by readers around the world. Lee lives and works with his wife in Texas.
