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
Royal Air Force Bomber Command
surface form: RAF Bomber Command
alsoKnownAs Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939)
surface form: 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 Jagdgeschwader
surface form: Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader fighter wings

Bomber Command
surface form: RAF Bomber Command leadership
conflict World War II
surface form: Second World War
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
surface form: Vickers Wellington bomber
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 theatre of World War I
surface form: 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 the Heligoland Bight (1939)
this entity surface form: Battle of Heligoland Bight (1939)