# Canonical recap data for Battle of Britain Begins (1940)
# Source: https://recap.at/1940/battle-of-britain
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: battle-of-britain
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1940/battle-of-britain"
title: Battle of Britain Begins
aliases:
- The Blitz
- Operation Eagle Attack
- Unternehmen Adlerangriff
subtitle: The RAF's aerial victory over the Luftwaffe in 1940 prevented German invasion and proved air power decisive in modern warfare.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1940-07-10
endDate: 1940-10-31
datePrecision: day
year: 1940
decade: 1940
country:
name: United Kingdom
slug: united-kingdom
summaryShort: The Battle of Britain was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forc
summaryLong: "The Battle of Britain was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. It takes its name from the speech given by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the House of Commons on 18 June, 1940: \"What General Weygand called the 'Battle of France' is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.\""
lede: In summer 1940, Nazi Germany launched a sustained aerial assault on Britain, betting it could bomb the country into surrender before invading. The Royal Air Force held the line through the summer and autumn, preventing the Luftwaffe from achieving air superiority—and with it, the invasion that Hitler had planned.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/British_and_German_aircraft_a_dog_fight.jpg/1280px-British_and_German_aircraft_a_dog_fight.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Puttnam (Mr), War Office official photographer · via Wikipedia
importance: 89
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Duration
  value: July 10 – October 31, 1940
- label: Luftwaffe sorties
  value: Approximately 1,500 per day at peak
- label: RAF fighter aircraft lost
  value: 544 (mostly Spitfires and Hurricanes)
- label: Luftwaffe aircraft lost
  value: 1,733
- label: British civilian deaths from bombing
  value: 43,000+ (1940-1941)
- label: RAF pilots engaged
  value: Over 3,000 from multiple nations
- label: Radar stations operational for RAF
  value: 17 Chain Home stations
- label: German aircraft types deployed
  value: Messerschmitt Bf 109, Bf 110, Junkers Ju 87, Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17
timeline:
- date: 1940-07-10
  title: Battle officially begins
  description: The Luftwaffe launches sustained attacks on British convoys and airfields, marking the start of the campaign.
- date: 1940-07-19
  title: Hitler issues invasion directive
  description: Hitler issues Führer Directive No. 16, ordering preparations for Operation Sea Lion (Unternehmen Seelöwe), the planned invasion of Britain.
- date: 1940-08-01
  title: Luftwaffe intensifies assault
  description: Germany escalates the campaign with larger raid formations targeting RAF airfields, aircraft factories, and radar stations across southern England.
- date: 1940-08-15
  title: Black Thursday
  description: The Luftwaffe launches its largest attack yet with over 2,000 sorties; German losses prove unsustainable at 75 aircraft in a single day.
- date: 1940-09-03
  title: RAF reserves near breaking point
  description: Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding reports pilot fatigue and aircraft availability at critical levels as the RAF struggles to replace losses.
- date: 1940-09-15
  title: Battle of Britain Day
  description: The Luftwaffe loses 60 aircraft in two major attacks; German commanders realize air superiority is unachievable and begin planning the campaign's end.
- date: 1940-09-27
  title: Germany abandons invasion plans
  description: Hitler postpones Operation Sea Lion indefinitely, acknowledging the Luftwaffe's failure to neutralize the RAF.
- date: 1940-10-31
  title: Battle officially concludes
  description: The campaign ends after nearly four months; the Luftwaffe shifts to night bombing (the Blitz) against cities rather than military targets.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain"
  title: Battle of Britain
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: "The Battle of Britain was the first major military campaign decided entirely by air power. Its outcome reshaped World War II: Germany's failure to neutralize the RAF forced Hitler to abandon invasion plans and eventually turn east toward the Soviet Union, altering the war's entire trajectory."
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: How the RAF stopped the Luftwaffe in 1940 and prevented Nazi invasion of Britain
wikidataQid: Q154720
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260605052037/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-05
  label: Battle of Britain
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain"
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Times
  publisherSlug: the-times
  headline: RAF Repels Nazi Air Assault - Britain's Fighter Strength Holds
  publishedAt: 1940-07-11
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: The Royal Air Force has successfully defended British airspace against sustained Luftwaffe attacks, with RAF fighters claiming significant enemy losses. Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding's command continues to mount fierce resistance against German bomber formations.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The Daily Telegraph
  publisherSlug: daily-telegraph
  headline: Spitfires and Hurricanes Turn Back German Bombers
  publishedAt: 1940-08-02
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: British fighter pilots in their Spitfires and Hurricanes have proven match for the Luftwaffe's assault, destroying enemy aircraft at a ratio that gives hope to the nation. The aerial battle intensifies as Nazi Germany seeks air superiority before invasion.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: Britain Fights for Survival in Aerial Warfare - RAF Defies Luftwaffe Onslaught
  publishedAt: 1940-08-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - As Nazi Germany presses its air campaign against Britain, American observers note the critical nature of the RAF's defense. The outcome of this aerial battle may determine whether invasion of the British Isles becomes feasible.
  significance: 87
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC Radio News
  publisherSlug: bbc-radio
  headline: Air Ministry Reports Heavy Toll on Luftwaffe - Home Defence Succeeds
  publishedAt: 1940-09-03
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Official broadcasts confirm that British fighter squadrons have inflicted grave losses upon German aircraft, with the Luftwaffe's daylight assault proving costlier than anticipated. The RAF continues its resolute defense of the realm.
  significance: 85
  type: radio
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The Manchester Guardian
  publisherSlug: manchester-guardian
  headline: Nation Holds Breath as Fighter Pilots Defend the Skies
  publishedAt: 1940-08-26
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Young RAF pilots, many still in their twenties, mount daily sorties against overwhelming odds. Radar stations and ground crews work in concert with fighter command to repel wave after wave of German bombers in what may prove the decisive moment of the war.
  significance: 82
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
