Battle of Britain Begins

Historical Overview

The launch of large-scale German Luftwaffe attacks against British shipping convoys and ports in the English Channel marked the beginning of the Battle of Britain. The primary strategic objective of the Nazi regime, codenamed "Operation Sea Lion," was to achieve absolute air supremacy over the United Kingdom to pave the way for a seaborne invasion of the British mainland. However, the Royal Air Force (RAF), heavily aided by the newly developed radar early-warning network, mounted a fierce defense. The Luftwaffe's failure to destroy Britain's air defenses forced Hitler to indefinitely postpone the invasion, marking Germany's first major strategic defeat of World War II.