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

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

At 21, he was a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain, a three-month period when air force personnel defended the skies against a large-scale assault by the German air force, the Luftwaffe.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2025

A planned fly past by the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will no longer take place following death of a pilot in a spitfire crash last month.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2024

It was before the disastrous May when the Allies fled, retreating to the French beaches, before the siege that was the Battle of Britain, before the thunder and flame-filled nights of the Blitz.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein