On August 18, 1940, the Battle of Britain reaches its high point as the German Luftwaffe initiates a large-scale attack against the British Royal Air Force. Known as “The Hardest Day,” the Luftwaffe focused its attacks on England’s military air fields and factories, hoping ultimately to destroy the RAF Fighter Command Center and achieve air superiority.
The long, drawn-out fighting resulted in heavy losses on both sides. Later, Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring shifted attacks from British air bases to British cities. The move gave the RAF time to recuperate and rebuild its forces, leaving it able to eventually defend London after its attacked by German forces. Drawn into a stalemate, the Germans, low on supplies and materiel, eventually retreat, abandoning their plans to dominate English skies by September’s end.
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