Can someone explain a Hitler speech quote?
The date of this quote is interesting because by May 1941, the Germans had abandoned all possibility of invading Britain after the Luftwaffe was pushed back by the RAF in summer 1940 and failed to win air superiority. The Luftwaffe had bombed Britain by day and night pretty much constantly from July – October 1940, and after suffering unsustainable losses, it continued only sporadically until May 1941 when it was withdrawn to support Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR. Much of the Luftwaffe was destroyed in this disastrous campaign and it never recovered, whereas the RAF and USAAF grew into massive strength and from 1943 – 45 were pretty much flying over Germany at will and causing great damage. If this quote of Hitler is genuine, it may be a case of sour grapes at failing to overcome the RAF in the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe wasn’t displaying “reserve”: it was just over-committed and stretched too thinly and could not recover from significant losses.
