The Battle of Britain
5 May 2022
In August 1940, the German Luftwaffe began closing the Channel to merchant shipping before moving to operation Adlerangriff (Eagle Attack), the strategic bombing of British airfields in an attempt to achieve air superiority over the RAF and bring the UK to the negotiating table. But by September the Luftwaffe had not gained the anticipated results and turned to the bombing of British cities to disrupt military and commercial industries and destroy civilian morale.
On 15 September 1940, the German High Command launched one of its largest and most concentrated attacks in a bid to destroy the Royal Air Force. This action involved over 1,500 aircraft. The RAF succeeded in preventing the Luftwaffe from overwhelming the UK’s air defences and achieved the first major reversal for German forces in the Second World War. The Luftwaffe, however, continued its Blitz campaign until May 1941.
Please visit our website to see the selection of images used in the presentation and to discover more.
