Battle of Britain — air battle waged between German and British air forces in 1940
The Battle of Britain was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces and the first significant German defeat of World War II.
Key Facts
- Official British duration
- 10 July – 31 October 1940
- German operation planned
- Operation Sea Lion (amphibious invasion)
- Luftwaffe shift to airfields
- 12 days after 1 August 1940 directive
- Blitz night campaign start
- 7 September 1940
- Blitz end date
- 11 May 1941
- Named after Churchill speech
- 18 June 1940, House of Commons
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the rapid German conquest of France and the Low Countries in the Battle of France, Britain stood as the primary remaining opponent in Western Europe. Germany sought either a negotiated peace or, failing that, an amphibious invasion (Operation Sea Lion). Because the Royal Navy controlled the English Channel, the Luftwaffe was tasked with first achieving air superiority over the RAF as a prerequisite for any seaborne assault.
From July through October 1940, the Luftwaffe conducted a sustained air campaign against Britain, progressively targeting coastal shipping convoys, RAF airfields, aircraft factories, and strategic infrastructure. RAF Fighter Command, supported by the Fleet Air Arm, mounted continuous defensive operations. Unable to break RAF resistance through daylight raids, the Luftwaffe shifted to large-scale night bombing of British cities, a phase known as the Blitz.
The Luftwaffe failed to achieve air superiority or destroy RAF Fighter Command, forcing Hitler to postpone and ultimately cancel Operation Sea Lion. This outcome represented the first major German military defeat of the Second World War and ensured Britain remained in the conflict, preserving a western base from which Allied operations could later be launched against Nazi-occupied Europe.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Winston Churchill.
Side B
1 belligerent
Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring.