The Battle of Britain (July-October 1940) was one of the most important battles of the Second World War and was fought entirely in the skies. Following the success of the German Blitzkrieg in France, Hitler's forces were preparing to invade England in Operation Sea Lion, a massive amphibious invasion that primarily involved the elimination of the RAF (Royal Air Force) air forces, which could have endangered the German landing forces.

The Luftwaffe, the German air force, began to massively bomb British air bases, factories and ships as early as July 1940. The Germans had superior aircraft numbers, but the British had a crucial new technology on their side: radar. Thanks to radar, the British could anticipate enemy movements and improve their strategic planning, organising the defence of the island into sectors and a coordination system called the Dowding System, named after RAF commander Hugh Dowding.

The role of British pilots was crucial, along with volunteers from around the world such as Poland, Australia and New Zealand, British pilots showed incredible resilience in countering the numerically superior German forces. The most critical moment was when in September the Lutwaffe began conducting indiscriminate attacks against civilian targets with the intention of causing panic among the population. London became the main target of the bombings. A key day was 15 September when the RAF decimated dozens of German aircraft in a brutal air battle, making it clear to the German high command that it was impossible to continue with a ground invasion.

During the fighting, Prime Minister Winston Churchill's role was decisive, his charisma and strength inspiring the British people. Churchill summed up the heroism of the British pilots with these famous words:

''Never was so much owed by so many to so few''.

A phrase indicative of how grateful the British people were to their brave pilots, whose sacrifice had prevented an invasion of England.