The Battle of Britain (10 июл 1940 г. – 31 окт 1940 г.)

Описание:

After the fall of France, Hitler anticipated a peace settlement with Britain, but Britain continued to fight. To end the war, Hitler planned Operation Sealion, which involved securing the skies over the United Kingdom, protected by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The RAF used the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire to fight off the Germans. The Germans shifted their focus to London, which allowed British defenses time to recover. On September 15, the British resisted another attack, and Hitler postponed Operation Sealion. This victory was crucial for Britain and demonstrated that air power could be used to win a major battle. In 1940 the German air force, the Luftwaffe, suffered a catastrophic defeat, losing almost 1700 aircraft and 2662 German casualties; in contrast, the Royal Air Force lost 1250 aircraft, including 1017 fighters.