Was the Battle of Britain a turning point in World War Two?

What was the Battle of Britain?

A Spitfire flying over Britain in 1941. — Image caption,
A Spitfire flying over Britain in 1941, both the Spitfire and Hurricane were superior fighter aircraft to the Luftwaffe's.

By the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany had successfully invaded and conquered Britain's main ally France.

Adolf Hitler thought Britain itself could be successfully invaded next, he named the plan Operation Sea Lion.

He believed the Royal Air Force (RAF) needed to be destroyed first, this would give Germany air superiority (full control of the skies) over Britain.

The Battle of Britain began on 10th July, 1940, when the Luftwaffe (the German Airforce) began to attack the south coast of Britain.

The battle was a significant turning point (a time when a something significant happens that changes the outcome) in the war and proved Nazi Germany could be defeated.

Important words

Important words on the Battle of Britain during World War Two.

Keyword	Definition
Air superiority	Full control of the skies.
Luftwaffe	The German Airforce.
RAF	The British Royal Airforce.
Turning Point	A time when a something significant happens that changes the outcome.

What was Battle of Britain day?

Contrails in the sky above St Pauls Cathedral, left behind in a dogfight in 1940. — Image caption,
Trails in the sky left over from a dogfight between the RAF and Luftwaffe over St Paul's Cathedral, London, 1940.

One of the most famous events of the battle was the Battle of Britain day.

This took place on the 15th September 1940.

Germany believed they were close to victory and launched two large scale attacks on London.

German intelligence thought the RAF only had around 200 planes, but Britain actually had around 750 planes.

The RAF also had better planes than the Luftwaffe, the Hurricane and Spitfire could turn more easily and could fly further distances with less fuel.

Britain was not as weak as Hitler believed and the RAF shot down many German planes that day.

Slideshow: The Battle of Britain

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Image caption,
Indian pilots arriving in Britain to fight for the RAF, 1940. Pilots from many countries, such as India, Poland, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, and others played an important role in securing victory.
Image caption,
The British RAF mainly used the Hurricane and Spitfire fighter planes, these planes were fast and could turn more easily. The Luftwaffe used the Heinkel bomber and the Messerschmitt fighter plane. The Messerschmitt did have powerful guns, but it could not turn as quickly as the British planes and was not as fast.
Image caption,
The Battle of Britain was fought above Britain which was a significant advantage for the RAF. RAF pilots could land, refuel and rearm quickly and also parachute out, land and quickly rejoin the battle in a new plane, whereas if German pilots had to parachute out, they would be captured as a prisoner of war. This meant Germany lost a plane and a trained pilot.

Was the Battle of Britain a turning point in the war?

Image caption,
A shot down Messerschmitt fighter aircraft outside the Houses of Parliament, London, 1940.

The Battle of Britain was a huge turning point in the war.

This was the first military defeat Germany had experienced.

It was then that Hitler realised that the RAF could not be defeated and Britain could not be invaded.

He called off the aerial attack and planned invasion of Britain.

Hitler then turned his attention to Russia and decided to continue his battle to take over Europe.

What happened when the Battle of Britain was won?

Britain’s victory sent a powerful message to the world that Nazi Germany could be defeated.

The Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, was extremely proud of the courageous RAF and everyone involved who helped to secure victory, proclaiming:

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

After the Battle of Britain had ended, Germany continued to bomb London and other cities in Britain between September 1940 and May 1941 but they were attacked by the RAF every time.

This heavy bombing campaign became known as The Blitz.

Think like a historian

A thought bubble saying 'Thinking points'.

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

Why do historians consider the Battle of Britain as a turning point in the Second World War?
Why did Hitler believe that the RAF needed to be destroyed before launching Operation Sea Lion?
What did Winston Churchill's quote "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" tell historians about the importance of the Battle of Britain?