viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

75 years ago the greatest battle in the Battle of Britain took place in which the Luftwaffe finally gave up bombing British airfields and the invasion could not take place.
To mark the occasion yesterday twenty Spitfires and six Hurricanes flew, the greatest number since the war.

(Download)


(Download)

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

For those who have never seen the Movie "Battle of Britain", you have missed one very good movie... I see it time and time again when available....

alf85 Loc: Northumberland, UK.

Hope you don't mind me posting this shot that i took of the three last year.
Regards, Alfie.

angler Loc: StHelens England

Hero's everyone of them.Excellent tribute Viscountdriver.

Shakey Loc: Traveling again to Norway and other places.

1940 saw an epic, summer long, battle of the few of the Royal Air Force pitted against the experienced, battle hardened, and previously undefeated Luftwaffe. In numbers the RAF was out numbered 10 to 1, at the beginning of the battle. However their secret weapons were, Radio Direction Finders (later code named Radar) and dispersed fighter aircraft production factories where workers (often women) produced both Hurricane and Spitfire fighters around the clock. So fast did they work that they outstripped Luftwaffe production. New fighters were reaching RAF airfields fast as replacements for fighters lost. Women made the fighter deliveries as brave pilots who flew unarmed aircraft for maximum speed. The fighter pilots came from all over the British Commonwealth: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and others. Plus pilots who had escaped from Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Holland and Norway. Many of these European pilots loved the Hurricane squadrons as they were designated to attack the Luftwaffe bombers which had devastated their home cities. The Czech squadron was credited with shooting down the highest number of Luftwaffe bombers during the battle. Spitfire squadrons took on the Luftwaffe fighters, usually the ubiquitous Messerschmidt ME109, which was a match for both the Hurricane and the Spitfire until the introduction of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine with fuel injection, rather than the earlier carburetor, which gave a faster rate of climb and more maneuverability without loss of power. The ME109 had fuel injection before the British fighters but the Merlin engine gave the British fighters a small but vital edge.
There were two Eagle Squadrons made up of American volunteer pilots, the first was used for propaganda purposes to boost aid from the US. Fear of news of American losses in the battle kept the boys on the ground but, as the fighting intensified, they too broke the taboo and got into the fight. Most American pilots transferred to the Army Air Corps after Pearl Harbor when Hitler declared war on the USA.
As a Military History student I got bore you to death but this is a fascinating air battle which broke the tales of the invincibility of the Luftwaffe.