The Battle of Britain was a major air battle during World War II. It took place between July and October 1940.
During this time, Hitler's Germany tried to gain control of the skies over Britain so it could invade the country.
To do this, the German air force, called the Luftwaffe, attacked British airfields, radar stations and factories.
Britain was defended by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Young pilots flew fast fighter planes to stop the German bombers before they could do too much damage.
The RAF used a clever system of radar and ground observers to spot enemy planes early and send fighters to intercept them. This helped Britain defend itself even though Germany had more aircraft.
The battle was fought mostly in the skies above southern England. Many towns and air bases were bombed, but the RAF kept fighting.
The bravery of the pilots became famous, and they were later called “The Few” after a speech by Winston Churchill praising their courage:
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”
By October 1940, Germany had failed to defeat the RAF. This meant Britain remained free and Germany could not launch its planned invasion.
The Battle of Britain became an important turning point in the war.
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