Blake Hall
Exactly 75 years ago, the Royal Air Force started its valiant fight against the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain.
The aerial campaign, which lasted for a grueling three months and three weeks, disrupted Adolph Hitler’s plans to obliterate Britain’s air support. On the contrary, the battle featured the most famous instances of dogfighting in military history. RAF Hawker Hurricanes are credited with destroying four fifths of all German aircraft during the battle.
After the last of Hitler’s forces left, Winston Churchill famously summed up the courage and sacrifice of British airmen and said, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of this historic battle, the RAF performed its Battle of Britain Memorial Flight over Buckingham Palace. Here are a few photos of Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires performing aerial maneuvers.
