Dates: 10 July – 31 October 1940

Luftwaffe Total Strength: 4,074 available aircraft including 1,107 single-seat fighters, 357 two-seat fighters, 1,380 medium bombers, 428 dive-bombers, 569 reconnaissance and 233 coastal aircraft. The Luftwaffe air strength given is from the Quartermaster General 6th Battalion numbers for 29 June 1940.

Luftwaffe Total Losses: 1,918 aircraft | 2,662 airmen

RAF Total Strength: 1,963 available aircraft including 754 single-seat fighters, 149 two-seat fighters, 560 bombers and 500 coastal aircraft. The RAF fighter strength given is for 0900 1 July 1940, while bomber strength is for 11 July 1940.

RAF Total Losses: 1,012 aircraft | 537 airmen

Note: The aircrew and aircraft losses have come from the comprehensive account in After the Battle Then and Now. RAF numbers are for Fighter Command. Luftwaffe numbers cover both fighters, bombers and other aircraft.

Photo Description: A group of German officers, including Hermann Göring, look across the English Channel at the White Cliffs of Dover, in preparation for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain in 1940. One of the officers is looking through binoculars at the English coastline.

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.”
Winston Churchill, 18 June 1940

The Battle of Britain represented a crucial turning point in World War II, marking the first major military campaign fought entirely in the air. Following the fall of France in June 1940, Nazi Germany turned its attention to Britain, which now stood alone against the rising tide of German military expansion. Adolf Hitler, who had initially hoped Britain would seek a peace settlement, ordered his armed forces to prepare for Operation Sea Lion – the planned invasion of Britain. However, the Germans recognized that for any invasion to succeed, they first needed to establish air superiority over southern England and neutralize the threat posed by the Royal Air Force.

The battle officially commenced on July 10, 1940, when the Luftwaffe began its systematic assault on British shipping in the English Channel and coastal targets. The German air force, under the command of Hermann Göring, deployed three air fleets from Norway to Brittany, comprising 2,186 serviceable aircraft, including 898 bombers, 708 single-engined fighters, and 202 twin-engined fighters. Opposing this formidable force was RAF Fighter Command, led by Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, with 640 serviceable fighter aircraft organized into four defensive groups covering different regions of Britain.

A crucial advantage for the British defense was Dowding’s integrated air defense system, centered on a chain of radar stations along Britain’s coast. This early warning network could detect incoming enemy aircraft at ranges of up to 80 miles, providing Fighter Command with precious time to scramble RAF fighters to intercept approaching bombers. The British had also developed a sophisticated command and control system, known as the Dowding System, which efficiently processed information from various sources and coordinated the defense response. This technological edge proved decisive in enabling the RAF to overcome its numerical disadvantage against the Luftwaffe.

The conflict escalated dramatically in mid-August when the Luftwaffe launched Operation Eagle Attack (Adlertag), targeting RAF airfields, radar stations, and aircraft factories. The Germans mounted their largest offensive on August 15, deploying all three air fleets in a coordinated effort that became known as the “Greatest Day.” Despite the intensity of the assault, RAF fighters managed to shoot down 76 German aircraft while losing 35 of their own. The pressure on Fighter Command reached its peak between August 24 and September 6, as the Luftwaffe concentrated its attacks on the airfields and sector stations of 11 Group in southeast England.

A critical shift in the battle occurred on September 7, 1940, when the Luftwaffe suddenly changed its strategy and launched massive attacks against London. This decision, prompted by Hitler’s outrage over RAF bombing of Berlin, proved to be a major tactical error. The switch in targets provided Fighter Command with a much-needed respite, allowing them to repair damaged airfields and regroup their forces. On September 15, now celebrated as Battle of Britain Day, the Luftwaffe mounted its largest and most concentrated attack on London, hoping to draw out the RAF into a final battle of annihilation. Instead, the raid resulted in a decisive defeat for the Germans, with the Luftwaffe suffering its highest losses in a month.

​The Battle of Britain concluded on October 31, 1940, marking the first major defeat suffered by Nazi Germany in World War II​. The Luftwaffe’s failure to destroy the RAF or gain air superiority over southern England led Hitler to postpone Operation Sea Lion indefinitely. This defensive victory proved crucial not only for Britain’s survival but also for the eventual course of the war, as it allowed Britain to serve as a staging point for the Normandy landings in June 1944. Winston Churchill immortalized the contribution of the RAF pilots with his famous words: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few“.