The Spitfire in the summer of 1940
The battle that made the Spitfire famous, and the Hurricane that did more of the fighting.
The battle
The Battle of Britain was fought between July and October 1940. The main German offensive began on 13 August. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain Germany needed control of the skies over southern England before it could attempt an invasion, codenamed Operation Sealion. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
The Dowding System brought radar, ground defences and fighter aircraft together into a single system of defence. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain Ground crew, factory workers, the Observer Corps and the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, as radar operators and plotters, were all part of the defence. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
31 August 1940 was Fighter Command’s worst day of the whole battle. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain On 15 September Fighter Command repelled another massive Luftwaffe assault. Hitler then postponed Operation Sealion indefinitely. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
The odds
At the height of the battle the RAF had only 749 fighters available, against 2,550 Luftwaffe aircraft. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary
‘The Few’ were 2,945 aircrew, joined by volunteers from 13 nations. Roughly a fifth were not British. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary The average RAF pilot in 1940 was 20 years old, and in August 1940 a fighter pilot’s training could take just two weeks. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary
544 of ‘The Few’ were killed during the battle. RAF: Battle of Britain anniversary
Spitfires and Hurricanes
IWM says that by September 1940 Spitfires were in service with 18 RAF squadrons. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain The RAF says 19 Spitfire squadrons were ready to engage the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. RAF: Spitfire, fighter aircraft supreme
The Hurricane was Fighter Command’s most numerous fighter in the battle, equipping 33 squadrons by September 1940. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain Hurricanes accounted for 656 German aircraft, more than the Spitfire. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
IWM says Spitfires shot down 529 enemy aircraft in the battle, for the loss of 230 Spitfires. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain More Hurricanes than Spitfires served in the battle, and they were credited with more ‘kills’. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
Where possible, Hurricane squadrons were sent against the bombers while Spitfires took on the fighter escorts. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
Against the Bf 109
IWM: the Bf 109 was faster than the Spitfire at high altitude, while the Spitfire was superior at lower altitudes. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain Britannica: the Spitfire was faster than the Bf 109 above 15,000 ft (4,600 m) and just as manoeuvrable. Britannica: Spitfire (John F. Guilmartin)
The Bf 109 couldn’t fly beyond London and carried only about seven seconds’ worth of cannon ammunition. IWM: Iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain
IWM and Britannica disagree on which was faster high up. See sources that disagree.
From the airfields
Duxford’s Spitfires flew most of the battle from Fowlmere, which was basically a farm with a couple of Nissen huts. IWM: Duxford and the Spitfire (audio slideshow transcript) No. 303 (Polish) Squadron joined the battle on 31 August and became Fighter Command’s highest-claiming squadron, with 126 kills. IWM: 8 things you need to know about the Battle of Britain
At first most Spitfires were held back in Britain. They came to the fore over the Dunkirk evacuation and then in the Battle of Britain. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix) After 1940 the Spitfire gradually replaced the Hurricane in Fighter Command. RAF Museum: The first flight of the Spitfire (Kris Hendrix)
One still flies
P7350 is the last Spitfire still flying that fought in the Battle of Britain. RAF News: RAF Digby marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain · checked 29 Oct 2026
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