The Battle of Britain

11 Group Adlertag Air Corps airfield assault attack August August 15 Battle of Britain Biggin Hill bomber formation bombers bombs British fighters burst Captain climbed cloud coastal combat convoys crews damaged daylight destroyed dive dive-bombers Dornier Dover enemy aircraft enemy fighters enemy's England English coast feet fighter aerodromes fighter arm fighter bases Fighter Command fighter defence fighter escort fighter squadrons fighting fire First-Lieutenant flew flying German German aircraft German bombers German fighter Geschwader Goering ground Gruppen hangars Hawkinge heavy Heinkel Heinkel 111 Hornchurch hour hundred Karinhall Kenley Kesselring land London losses lost Luft Luftflotte Luftflotten Luftwaffe Luftwaffe's Lympne machine Manston Messerschmitts miles night once Operation Sealion pilots plane radar station radio raids reported Royal Air Force Rubensdörffer runway September shot smoke sorties south-east Sperrle Spitfires and Hurricanes staff Stukas Supermarine Spitfires tactics target Thames Estuary took turned twin-engined weather yards