The military might of Nazi Germany had overrun most of Western Europe leaving just the United Kingdom and the nations of the British Empire as the Nazis last remaining enemies (with the exception of the resistance movements in the occupied countries). The USA was neutral, following an isolationist policy, the Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression treaty with the Nazis (which had led to the division of Poland between the two) and the other major European nations had either surrendered, remained neutral or sided with Hitler.

The geography of the British Isles as it is, separated from the European continent by the English Channel, had proven itself a remarkable deterrent to invasion in previous conflicts throughout history. This era proved a different challenge for the British defenders as this was the era of air warfare. The British, along with a large contingent of their Belgian, Dutch and French allies had been forced to evacuate the continent (most notably at Dunkirk). Vast quantities of arms were left in their flight along with many prisoners of war. All hope seemed lost, with even the American Ambassador to London, Joseph Kennedy, informing President Roosevelt that any aid given to the British would be futile. Despite the calls from certain quarters, such as Lord Halifax, that the British should seek peace with the Nazis the government of Winston Churchill stood firmly defiant. In Churchill's own words: "The Battle for France is over. The Battle of Britain has just begun."

The summer of 1940 was a long summer in the United Kingdom. This proved to be not be as desirable as one may imagine. Good weather meant good flying conditions. Good flying conditions meant the Luftwaffe could take off from their bases which were dotted along the channel coast in France, Belgium, Netherlands and as far north as Norway over the North Sea. The Nazis were still wary of the might of the Royal Navy and considered any naval invasion to be a disastrous policy without the Royal Air Force being 'neutralised' first. The RAF had seen much combat in the battles for France and the Low Countries and had taken great losses. Churchill and his Armaments Minister Lord Beaverbrook undertook an extensive rebuilding program of the Air Force and the depleted Army.

The Luftwaffe, lead by Air Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering deployed nearly 3,000 aircraft (approximately 1,000 fighters and 2,000 bombers), whereas the man charged with the defence of the skies over Britain, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, could muster a force of some 600 fighters to meet the expected onslaught. In addition to the fighter squadrons the British had the support of the recently developed radar, anti-aircraft batteries, barrage balloons and the 'eyes on the ground' of the Observer Corps.

The Luftwaffe began operations against mainland Britain in July 1940 and on 1st August Hitler ordered Goering to destroy the RAF as quickly as possible and with any means at his disposal.

Thus the initial targets of the main German attack were changed to the Radar installations and airfields. Up until August the thrust had been against shipping in the Channel and the South Coast ports such as the important Naval base of Portsmouth.

Neither side would commit their total force en masse and this allowed for the RAF to replace its losses with fresh, if inexperienced, pilots yet still it seemed futile. It was at best a holding battle. The Spitfires and Hurricanes were more than a match for the Heinkel, Dornier and Junkers bombers of the Luftwaffe but faced an equally dangerous opponent in the Messerschmitt 109 fighter. Between the 10th July and the 10th August 1940 the losses to both sides were over 200 German aircraft and about 100 British aircraft. The ratio was suiting the Luftwaffe more than the RAF. The air battle was a tiring affair with a recorded 600 sorties a day. It would seem that the valiant defenders would be defeated by sheer attrition.

The Germans planned that 11th August would be 'Adler Tag' or 'Eagle Day' the day they finally destroyed the RAF. Goring, ever convinced of 'his' Luftwaffe's superiority, guaranteed his Fuhrer victory, bragging that four days would be sufficient to secure the skies over southern England with another four weeks seeing the total annihilation of the RAF.

The 11th August came and though dogfights did take place there was no real indication of what was to come. The next day saw the attacks on Ventnor Radar station and several RAF airfields in Kent. Ventnor being ' knocked out' by the hated 'Stuka' dive bombers. The 13th August saw a more orchestrated attack by the Germans. In a total of just under 1,500 sorties flown by aircraft from Luftflotte 2 and Luftflotte 3 the Luftwaffe lost 46 aircraft while the RAF lost 13. Goring was always one to believe in his own publicity and his propaganda claimed that no less than 300 British fighters had been destroyed either in the air or on the ground. The tempo and targeting of the air raids did not alter much until the fateful night when an off-course Luftwaffe bomber jettisoned its bombs over the city of London. When the RAF retaliated by bombing Berlin the 'Blitz' had begun.

The Blitz had started accidentally but was now turned by Hitler into a deliberate attempt to defeat the British by demoralising them. It seems almost callous but this new strategy was to prove the Luftwaffe's downfall. While the bombers were attacking the civilians of London and other cities they could not be attacking airfields at the same time. It seemed that Hitler's need to show his enemy the futility of their stand overshadowed the logic which seemed to be winning the battle for him. The RAF fighters were more than a match for the German bombers and unescorted by their own fighters they proved easy prey. The German fighters did not have the fuel capacity to escort the bombers over London for any effective length of time.

With Hitler now demanding that an invasion of Britain be feasible by 27th September time was running out for Goring to make good his boasts. The aerial battles of 15th September were to prove pivotal to the abandonment of Hitler's invasion plans.

On this day the RAF employed it's 'Big Wing' tactic in a most spectacular fashion. The Germans flew 700 aircraft in the morning and 400 in the afternoon with the effectiveness of their fighter cover being severely curtailed by the order for the fighters to stay with the bombers and not to chase after the RAF fighters. The 'Big Wing' saw an end to the piecemeal attacks of single squadrons, now facing the enemy in multiple formations the effect on both the RAF morale and that of the Luftwaffe should not be discounted. With 250 fighters engaging the Germans this was the 'make or break' day. For the British it was make while for the Germans it was break. The numbers lost on either side were of such a ratio to consider the entire battle a victory for the RAF. The invasion of Britain was now a memory.