Battle of Britain Ends: RAF Repels German Invasion
The Battle of Britain concluded on October 31, 1940, when the Luftwaffe shifted from daylight bombing of RAF airfields to nighttime raids on cities, effectively abandoning its attempt to achieve air superiority over southern England. Hitler had planned Operation Sea Lion, a cross-Channel invasion, contingent on destroying the RAF. The campaign lasted from July to October 1940. During its peak, Luftwaffe bombers attacked RAF airfields, radar stations, and aircraft factories daily. The turning point came on September 15, when the RAF destroyed 56 German aircraft over London. Hitler postponed Sea Lion indefinitely two days later. The RAF lost 1,547 aircraft and 544 pilots during the battle. The Luftwaffe lost 1,887 aircraft. Winston Churchill's words endure: 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'
October 31, 1940
86 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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