The Battle of Britain was a major aerial campaign of World War II that occurred from July to October 1940 when the British Royal Air Force fought back against German warplanes that had been attacking Britain from airbases in France. The Luftwaffe was ordered to achieve air superiority over Britain in preparation for an invasion of the British Isles, and it bombed RAF airfields and infrastructure in addition to strategic infrastructure, areas of political significance, and civilian areas. Assisted by volunteer pilots from Poland, New Zealand, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, France, the United States, and a collection of other Commonwealth and Allied nations, the Royal Air Force bravely fought back against the Axis forces, defending British cities from the Luftwaffe's assaults. The Germans suffered irreplaceable losses in the battle, and the Luftwaffe would lose much of its strength as a part of the German military. By October 1940, the Germans had lost 1,977 planes and 4,245 aircrew, and they would never recover. The battle was a huge morale boost for the British, as they thwarted Adolf Hitler's plans for an invasion of England and had dealt heavy damage to the German war effort.
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