Summer to fall 1940: The German Luftwaffe’s attempts to gain air superiority over the (British) Royal Air Force
(The Royal Air Force at that time was also known as the “RAF” and as “Fighter Command.”)
The name (“Battle of Britain”) derives from a speech made on June 18, 1940 in the House of Commons by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, “The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin…”
The battle was the first major campaign to essentially be fought by opposing air forces and was the largest Nazi bombing campaign to that date. The Nazis failed to destroy Britain’s air defense or to force them to surrender. This was the first major Nazi defeat and a crucial turning point in the war.