Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939)

E306746

The Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939) was the first major air battle of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force attacked German naval forces near the German North Sea coast.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle ⓘ
air battle ⓘ
military engagement ⓘ
airForceInvolved Luftwaffe fighter units ⓘ
RAF Bomber Command ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Battle of Heligoland Bight (1939) ⓘ
belligerent Kriegsmarine ⓘ
Luftwaffe ⓘ
Royal Air Force ⓘ
casualties lighter German fighter losses ⓘ
significant RAF bomber losses ⓘ
combatType air attack on naval forces ⓘ
air-to-air combat ⓘ
commandStructure Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader fighter wings ⓘ
linked to: Jagdgeschwader

RAF Bomber Command leadership ⓘ
linked to: Bomber Command
conflict Second World War ⓘ
linked to: World War II
countryInvolved Germany ⓘ
United Kingdom ⓘ
date 18 December 1939 ⓘ
followedBy RAF shift toward night bombing operations ⓘ
GermanAircraftUsed Messerschmitt Bf 109 ⓘ
Messerschmitt Bf 110 ⓘ
historicalPeriod early phase of World War II ⓘ
involves German naval bases in the North Sea ⓘ
RAF daylight bombing raid ⓘ
location Heligoland Bight ⓘ
North Sea ⓘ
off the German North Sea coast ⓘ
notableFor first major air battle of the Second World War ⓘ
objective attack German naval forces ⓘ
disrupt German naval operations in the North Sea ⓘ
opponent Nazi Germany ⓘ
United Kingdom ⓘ
partOf European theatre of World War II ⓘ
precededBy early World War II North Sea skirmishes ⓘ
RAFAircraftUsed Vickers Wellington bomber ⓘ
linked to: Vickers Wellington
region German Bight ⓘ
result German defensive victory ⓘ
RAF tactical reassessment of daylight bombing ⓘ
heavy RAF bomber losses ⓘ
strategicImpact demonstrated vulnerability of unescorted daylight bombers ⓘ
influenced RAF bombing doctrine ⓘ
target German naval units in Wilhelmshaven area ⓘ
German warships ⓘ
theatre North Sea naval theatre ⓘ
year 1939 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Helgoland → event → Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939) ⓘ
Heligoland Bight → siteOf → Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939) ⓘ
Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939) → alsoKnownAs → Battle of Heligoland Bight (1939) ⓘ
linked to: Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939)