Battle of Britain

American  

noun

1. (in World War II) the series of aerial combats that took place between British and German aircraft during the autumn of 1940 and that included the severe bombardment of British cities.

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Battle of Britain British  

noun

1. from August to October 1940, the prolonged bombing of S England by the German Luftwaffe and the successful resistance by the RAF Fighter Command, which put an end to the German plan of invading Britain

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Example Sentences

A year later, SS-GB envisaged what might have happened if Germany had won the Battle of Britain - beating Robert Harris to the concept of an alternative history novel by 20 years.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

The RAF operation comes 85 years after the Battle of Britain, when Polish pilots fought alongside the RAF to thwart sustained German air attacks in Britain's skies during World War Two.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

This week saw the South African ambassador to the US expelled from the country, the death of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilot and an ugly fish win a competition.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2025

He ended by saying that Sqn Ldr Long “personified the very best of the Royal Air Force, the typhoon force and the Battle of Britain Memorial flight and his legacy will live on”.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2024

The air raids became known as the Battle of Britain.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti