▁Vice - Mar shal ▁R . ▁E . ▁Sa ul . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Britain , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁had ▁fault y ▁intelligence ▁indicating ▁that ▁ 1 3 ▁Group ▁had ▁next ▁to ▁no ▁f igh ters ▁in ▁operation ▁( they ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁reason ▁why ▁ 1 1 ▁Group ▁was ▁still ▁holding ▁out ▁was ▁that ▁ 1 3 ▁Group ▁had ▁been ▁sending ▁them ▁down ▁their ▁available ▁aircraft ), ▁so ▁they ▁had ▁thought ▁that ▁any ▁attacks ▁made ▁on ▁Scotland ▁would ▁not ▁face ▁any ▁serious ▁resistance . ▁This ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁cost ly ▁mistake ▁for ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe , ▁as ▁their ▁bom bers ▁were ▁intercept ed ▁by ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁f igh ters . ▁The ▁bom bers ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁esc orted ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁Scotland ▁from ▁Occ up ied ▁Europe ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁short ▁range ▁of ▁the ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁B f ▁ 1 0 9 , ▁so ▁the ▁attack ing ▁bom bers ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁f od der ▁for ▁Sa ul ' s ▁Sp it fire ▁and ▁H urr icane ▁squad rons . ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁August ▁▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁the ▁German ▁air ▁force ▁attempted ▁its ▁one ▁and ▁only ▁day light ▁fl ank ▁attack ▁on ▁Northern ▁England . ▁North ▁East ▁England ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁ 6 5 ▁He inkel ▁He ▁ 1 1 1 s ▁esc orted ▁by ▁ 3 4 ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁B f ▁ 1 1 0 s , ▁and ▁R AF ▁Dr iff ield ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁ 5