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Battle of Britain Facts & Worksheets

The Battle of Britain was an air battle that took place between Great Britain and Germany during World War II.

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The Battle of Britain was an air battle that took place between Great Britain and Germany during World War II. Once Hitler had conquered the majority of Europe, he went after Great Britain, but realized that he needed to defeat the Royal Air Force (RAF) first.

See the fact file below for more information on the Battle of Britain or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Battle of Britain worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • The Battle of Britain began on July 10th, 1940.
  • It is known as the first major battle to have taken place using only air forces.
  • Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister at the time, was the one who gave the battle the name “The Battle of Britain”.
  • The Battle of Britain happened when the Germans bombed Great Britain to try and obliterate Great Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF).
  • The German air force was called the Luftwaffe.
  • Germany thought that once they had destroyed the RAF, they would be able to invade Great Britain by land.
  • The name for Hitler’s plan to destroy the RAF and invade Great Britain by land was called “Operation Sea Lion”.
  • Germany thought that it would be easier to invade Great Britain without the threat of the RAF shooting at and sinking their ships.
  • Immediately after the Dunkirk evacuation, between May and June 1940, Germany began it blitzkrieg invasion of France, which left Britain alone.
  • On June 18, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced:
    What General [Maxime] Weygand [commander of the Allied armies in France] called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin… Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.”

THE BATTLE

  • The Luftwaffe had a nearly 4:1 advantage over the RAF in aircraft, so Germany thought it would be easy to destroy the RAF quickly.
  • About 1,000 British planes and 1,800 German planes were shot down during the battle.
  • The leader of the RAF was Sir Hugh Dowding, and the leader of the Luftwaffe was Hermann Goering.
  • From July to October 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed British airfields, radar stations, and aircraft factories.
  • Radar stations were important during the Battle of Britain because they helped the RAF to figure out where Luftwaffe planes were, and where their flight path was likely to take them.
  • The RAF marked the paths taken by the Luftwaffe by moving around colored objects that represented the planes that were flying around.
  • The main German attacks against the RAF were codenamed “Eagle Attack”.
  • The RAF and the Luftwaffe both used the most advanced aircraft available.
  • The RAF used Spitfires and Hurricanes, which were faster than German planes. They could also fly away from the Luftwaffe planes easily.
  • The Luftwaffe used the Messerschmitt BF 109.
  • Winston Churchill described the Battle of Britain as “Britain’s finest hour”.
  • Churchill referred to the airmen of the RAF who fought in the Battle of Britain as “The Few”.
  • Churchill thought that Great Britain owed so much to “The Few” who fought.
  • September 15th, 1940 was “Battle of Britain Day”.
  • It was called this because this was the day that the Luftwaffe launched two huge attacks against the RAF.
  • During the Battle of Britain Day, the Luftwaffe lost 60 aircraft, and the RAF only lost 26 aircraft.
  • From this point on, the Germans realized that the RAF were a stronger and more capable opponent than they thought.
  • Although there were more German pilots in the sky, the British had the advantages of flying over their homeland, defending their territory, and using radar to detect German planes and movement.
  • Knowing when and where the German planes were gave the RAF an advantage because they could prepare their own flight path and get their planes in the air to help.
  • On October 30th, 1940, the Battle of Britain ended.
  • Hitler decided that it was too risky to continue attacking the British in the sky because the RAF was too strong and well-equipped.
  • Hitler and the Germans decided it would be better to focus their efforts on bombing major cities in Great Britain, like London.
  • The Battle of Britain was a turning point in the war because Germany had not lost a battle before they tried to invade Britain.
  • The Battle of Britain showed the Germans that they would not be defeated easily.
  • The subsequent bombing of British cities was referred to as the “Blitz”.
  • The Blitz was Germany’s way of trying to get Great Britain to surrender the war.
  • Germany continued to bomb London at night to try and secure victory.
  • During the final days of the Blitz, Germany bombed London 57 nights in a row.
  • Finally, Hitler decided to focus his efforts on bombing Russia to the East, so he stopped bombing London.

Battle of Britain Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Battle of Britain across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Battle of Britain worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Battle of Britain which was an air battle that took place between Great Britain and Germany during World War II. Once Hitler had conquered the majority of Europe, he went after Great Britain, but realized that he needed to defeat the Royal Air Force (RAF) first.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Battle of Britain Facts
  • Acrostic Poem
  • Is it True?
  • Crossing the Battle
  • Churchill and Britain
  • Event Mapping
  • Battle History Card
  • WWII Factions
  • Define Me!
  • Picture Analysis
  • Remembering “The Few”

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the Battle of Britain?

The Battle of Britain was when England fought hard and won against Germany. This was an important victory during World War II because it stopped Germany from taking over England.

How many planes were in the Battle of Britain?

During the peak of the Battle of Britain, British Royal Air Force forces were outnumbered by nearly a 3:1 ratio, with only 749 fighter aircraft in their arsenal compared to 2,550 German Luftwaffe planes.

How did the Battle of Britain start?

On September 15, 1940, Germany tried to take control with a horrible bombing of London. The British Royal Air Force then stopped them by shooting down many planes. Their bravery and strength ultimately stopped any chance of a victory for Germany.

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Link will appear as Battle of Britain Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 27, 2023

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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