Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain, which took place between July and October 1940, was a major air campaign in which Britain’s Royal Air Force defended the British Isles against Nazi Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe. Described by prime minister Winston Churchill as the RAF’s finest hour, it was the first major military campaign in history to be fought entirely in the air. It was one of Britain’s most important victories of the Second World War and prevented Germany from invading Britain

Second World War

Overwhelming odds and inevitable invasions: 3 myths surrounding the Battle of Britain

A Hawker Hurricane of Fighter Command on its way to intercept German bombers as they crossed the south coast of England during the Battle of Britain, 1940. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

6 Battle of Britain myths. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Spitfires under construction at the Vickers Supermarine works in Southampton, around 1940

The difficult birth of the Spitfire – and how the WW2 fighter almost missed the battle of Britain

London burns behind Tower Bridge on 7 September 1940

Second World War

Days of destiny: 5 key dates in the Battle of Britain

A Hawker Hurricane in flight over Britain

Second World War

Your guide to the Battle of Britain: how the RAF turned back the Luftwaffe

German Heinkel HE-111 bombers fly over Britain during a mission in September 1940

8 reasons why the Luftwaffe didn’t stand a chance of beating the RAF in the Battle of Britain

A group of fighter pilots of No. 32 Squadron relax beside their Hawker Hurricane Mk I fighters at RAF Hawkinge in July 1940

The Few: who exactly were the heroes of the Battle of Britain?

Dornier 217 bombers of the Luftwaffe bomb London during the Battle of Britain. "The crucial role of the RAF in denying the Germans control of the air in 1940 and therefore persuading Hitler to abandon his invasion plans is so well known that it might seem almost sacrilegious to question it, " says Sean Lang. "But was it solely responsible for saving Britain from invasion? Not quite." (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

9 of the most overrated battles in history (and one underrated one)

The Battle of Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Hurricane fighter planes taking off from Gravesend after being refuelled and rearmed, during the Battle of Britain. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

The Battle of Britain: a brilliant triumph that involved far more than just the chosen few