Observed on September 15, the Battle of britain day, is a national holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the historic air battle during the Second World War in 1940. This is one of the most popular festivals in England in which an official commemoration is observed at Buckingham Palace.
This is the Battle of britain which is the name given to the large-scale aerial battle that took place on September 15, 1940, between the English and the Germans.
By June 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered most of Western Europe and Scandinavia. At the time, the only one standing in the way of the great power of a German-dominated Europe was the British Empire and the Commonwealth.
After having rejected several peace offers by the British, Adolf Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF) to gain air superiority or air supremacy as a prelude to the launch of Operation Sea Lion, an amphibious assault on the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) on the British mainland.
In July 1940, the Luftwaffe began closing the English Channel for the merchant marine. In August, Operation Adlerangriff (Eagle Attack) was launched against RAF airfields in southern England. In the first week of September, the Luftwaffe had not achieved the results Hitler wanted.
Frustrated, the Germans resumed the strategic bombardment of cities, an offensive that aimed at British military and civil industries, but also civil morale. The attacks began on September 7, 1940, but reached their climax on Sunday, September 15, 1940, when the Luftwaffe launched its largest and most concentrated attack on London in hopes of pulling out the RAF in a battle of annihilation.
Around 1.500 aircraft took part in the air battles that lasted until dark. The action was the climax of the Battle of Britain. The truth is that the English forces defeated the German attacks. The Luftwaffe formations were dispersed by a large cloud base and failed to inflict serious damage on the City of London.
After the attack, Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion. After being defeated in daylight, the Luftwaffe turned its attention to the night bombing campaign that lasted until May 1941.
September 15th is then celebrated across the UK. In Canada, the commemoration is celebrated on the third Sunday in September.