--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was perhaps, then, not surprising that…" description: "\"“It was perhaps, then, not surprising that it was Colonel Beppo Schmid, not General Martini, who on 16 July submitted to Göring the principal intellige..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/james-holland-63722_fact-and-fiction_it-was-perhaps-then-not-surprising-that_2710897.jpg" --- # It was perhaps, then, not surprising that it was Colonel… ![“It was perhaps, then, not surprising that it was Colonel Beppo Schmid, not General Martini, who on 16 July submitted to Göring the principal intelligence appreciation of the RAF, which became the basis for the Luftwaffe General Staff’s plans. He underestimated the strength of squadrons, claiming…” quote by James Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/james-holland-63722_fact-and-fiction_it-was-perhaps-then-not-surprising-that_2710897.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/james-holland-63722_fact-and-fiction_it-was-perhaps-then-not-surprising-that_2710897.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/james-holland-63722_fact-and-fiction_it-was-perhaps-then-not-surprising-that_2710897.jpg) > ““It was perhaps, then, not surprising that it was Colonel Beppo Schmid, not General Martini, who on 16 July submitted to Göring the principal intelligence appreciation of the RAF, which became the basis for the Luftwaffe General Staff’s plans. He underestimated the strength of squadrons, claiming they were eighteen aircraft strong, when in fact they had between twenty-two and twenty-four aircraft. He also stated that only a limited number of airfields could be considered operational with modern maintenance and supply installations, which was nonsense. He badly underestimated current aircraft production figures to the tune of about 50 per cent and claimed there was ‘little strategic flexibility’, when, in fact, Dowding’s air defence system provided exactly the opposite. The Me110, he claimed, was a superior fighter to the Hurricane. Even more glaring were the omissions. The Luftwaffe had no concept of how the air defence system worked, no concept of there being three different commands – Fighter, Coastal and Bomber – and no understanding of how repairs were organized. ‘The Luftwaffe is clearly superior to the RAF,’ he concluded, ‘as regards strength, equipment, training, command and location of bases.’7 He was correct in terms of strength only. The rest of his claims were utter twaddle. On the eve of Adlertag, Schmid further reassured the Luftwaffe General Staff that some 350 British fighters had been destroyed since the beginning of July and that they were already being shot down faster than they could be produced. In fact, up to 12 August, 181 had been destroyed and more than 700 new fighter aircraft built.8 The gulf between fact and fiction was quite startling.”” [James Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-holland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Schmid’s report overestimated German strength and underestimated RAF capabilities, leading to flawed strategic decisions for The German intelligence misread the RAF’s actual power and organization, causing dangerous miscalculations. **In simple terms:** German intelligence misread RAF strength and organization. Key Takeaway Recognize the need for accurate intelligence before planning. Themes military history intelligence analysis World War II Mood cautious analytical reflective Type historical analytical When to use this quote - military planning - historical research - strategic education Key Concepts strategic miscalculation overconfidence information failure Questions to Reflect On - How might better intelligence have altered the battle’s outcome? - What safeguards can prevent such misjudgments? A Different Perspective Intelligence can be biased by limited perspectives and wishful thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basis Luftwaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basis-luftwaffe-2806517/) [Fact and fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-and-fiction/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Luftwaffe Concept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luftwaffe-concept-2806519/) [Luftwaffe General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luftwaffe-general-2806521/) [Organized Luftwaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized-luftwaffe-2806520/) [Reassured Luftwaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reassured-luftwaffe-2806518/) ## Related quotes > [Max Allan Collins blends fact and fiction like no other writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/max-allan-collins-blends-fact-and-fiction-like-no-other-writer/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [There aren't really rules for painting, but there’s certain facts and fictions about painting. 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He underestimated the strength of squadrons, claiming they were eighteen aircraft strong, when in fact they had between twenty-two and twenty-four aircraft. He also stated that only a limited number of airfields could be considered operational with modern maintenance and supply installations, which was nonsense. He badly underestimated current aircraft production figures to the tune of about 50 per cent and claimed there was ‘little strategic flexibility’, when, in fact, Dowding’s air defence system provided exactly the opposite. The Me110, he claimed, was a superior fighter to the Hurricane. Even more glaring were the omissions. The Luftwaffe had no concept of how the air defence system worked, no concept of there being three different commands – Fighter, Coastal and Bomber – and no understanding of how repairs were organized. ‘The Luftwaffe is clearly superior to the RAF,’ he concluded, ‘as regards strength, equipment, training, command and location of bases.’7 He was correct in terms of strength only. The rest of his claims were utter twaddle. On the eve of Adlertag, Schmid further reassured the Luftwaffe General Staff that some 350 British fighters had been destroyed since the beginning of July and that they were already being shot down faster than they could be produced. 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