RCAF.com
The Battle of Britain
The air battle over Britain was fought in three overlapping phases. From July 10 to mid-August the Luftwaffe hammered at shipping in the Channel and at the docks and harbor facilities of southern England. From August 13 to September 6, it concentrated on fighter airfields and aircraft factories. The Germans might have won if they'd kept at this. Instead, in the third phase, they turned on London and other cities, hoping to break the will of the British people.
The Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our British life, and the lon continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."
Winston Churchill, June 18, 1940
In quality of pilots and aircraft, Britain and Germany were evenly matched, but the RAF was outnumbered in fighter aircraft. In early August, the Luftwaffe had 2550 planes including 1029 fighters, 998 bombers and 261 dive-bombers. To oppose them Britain's Fighter Command had 708 Hurricane and Spitfire fighters, and some 40 two-seater Blenheims and Defiants. In addition, the British had a crucial weapon - a chain of radar stations that gave early warning of raids and indicated where to intercept the enemy.
By far the largest number of defenders were British, but fighter pilots of many other nations flew with them, including some 80 Canadians. Of these, 26 were in the RCAF's No. 1 Squadron, which arrived soon after Dunkirk; 16 flew as a team in the RAF's 242 "Canadian" Squadron; the rest were scattered among a dozen other RAF squadrons. These last included men such as PO. Johnnie Bryson, an ex-Mountie; Flt. Lt. Johnnie Kent of Winnipeg, who flew with the Poles in 303 Squadron; and FO. W. H. Nelson, who served in 74 Squadron with the South African ace Adolph "Sailor" Malan. Another 200 Canadian airmen fought in RAF Bomber and Coastal commands, which throughout the battle pounded at German invasion ports and other targets; 27 of them gave their lives.
