Battle of Britain - HISTORY

On September 7, 1940, 300 German bombers raided London in what would be the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. This "blitzkrieg" would continue until May 1941.

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On July 29, 1940, just weeks into the Battle of Britain, British Secretary of State Robert Anthony Eden calls upon the resolve and fortitude of the people to defend against the attacks on the British mainland that will be a turning point in the war.

On the final day of the evacuation of Dunkirk, June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill speaks before the House of Commons, triumphant over the rescue of 338,226 Allied troops from advancing German forces. In the address he warns the nation to expect a German invasion and defiantly declares that Hitler's troops will meet an enemy prepared to "defend our island whatever the cost may be."

On September 8, 1944, Germany launched an aerial attack on London with V-2 ballistic missiles. A U.S. broadcast describes the varying reports coming from Germany and England of the damage. The V-2, developed by German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, was more technologically advanced than any other rocket of the era.

Learn more about the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Allies' first major offensive - and a decisive victory - in the Pacific theater during World War II.

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