On 15th September 1940, the skies over southern England became the stage for one of the most decisive days in modern military history. Known as Battle of Britain Day, it was the culmination of months of relentless aerial combat between ‘The Few’ as they would be later known (fewer than 3,000 Allied airmen serving from July - October 1940) against far superior numbers of the Luftwaffe.
By September, the Luftwaffe had already launched sustained attacks aimed first at RAF Fighter Command’s airfields, radar stations and aircraft production sites, before shifting towards London and other major cities in the Blitz. Yet 15th September was different: it was the day Hermann Göring ordered a massive, concentrated assault on the capital, intended to draw out the RAF for destruction. Instead, it became the moment the RAF proved not only its resilience, but its mastery of air defence.
The Luftwaffe sent two major waves of attacks, more than 1,500 aircraft in total across the day. Early in the morning, radar stations picked up large formations crossing the Channel. What followed was the full mobilisation of RAF Fighter Command, with Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park directing No. 11 Group from Uxbridge. The pressure on his pilots was immense; many had already endured weeks of near-constant sorties.
The RAF launched 17 squadrons in response to the first wave alone. Fierce dogfights erupted across the skies above Kent, Surrey, and the approaches to London. Spitfires tangled with Bf 109s, while Hurricanes targeted the bombers.
By afternoon, a second, even larger wave approached. Once again, the RAF rose to meet it. Churchill himself visited Uxbridge’s operations room that day, observing the unfolding battle. His presence gave rise to his later words that “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
By evening, it was clear the Luftwaffe had failed to land a decisive blow. The Germans lost 58 aircraft, compared with the RAF’s 29. While both sides had endured heavy losses throughout the summer, this day was symbolic: the Luftwaffe had tested British defences at full force and been repelled.
This turning point undermined Hitler’s confidence in Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain. Without air superiority, any attempt to cross the Channel was impossible. In the months to come, the Blitz would intensify, but Britain had won the first strategic battle fought entirely in the air.
For historians, 15 September illustrates more than just tactical brilliance. It was a triumph of integrated defence: radar technology, the Dowding System of command and control, the courage of young pilots, and the resilience of civilian ground crews all played their part. The day crystallises the larger truth of the Battle of Britain that victory came not from any single factor, but from a collective defence system that worked under extreme pressure.
Today, Battle of Britain Day is commemorated as a moment of national endurance and innovation. For those of us who walk the airfields, visit the preserved operations rooms, or stand beneath the white cliffs of Dover, it remains a reminder of what was at stake in 1940: the survival of Britain against the might of Nazi Germany who had not yet suffered a blow.
