WORLD WAR II - THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN AND THE RAF OVER EUROPE - COMMEMORATIVE COIN.
TheBattle of Britain ( Luftschlacht um England or Luftschlacht um Großbritannien )was the name given to the air campaign waged by the Luftwaffe, ( German Air Force ) against theUnited Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940.
Theobjective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force( RAF ), especially Fighter Command. Thename derives from part of speech delivered by the then Prime Minister, WinstonChurchill in the House of Commons. “ The Battle of France is over, I expect theBattle of Britain is about to begin...\"
TheBattle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by airforces, also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to thatdate. From July 1940 coastal shipping convoys and shipping centres, such asPortsmouth, were the main targets.
Onemonth later the Luftwaffe shifted its attacks to RAF airfields andinfrastructure. As the battle progressed the German Luftwaffe also targetedaircraft factories and ground infrastructure. Eventually the Luftwaffe resortedto attacking areas of political significance and using terror bombing tactics.
Thefailure of the German Air Force to achieve its objectives of destroyingBritain\'s air defences, or forcing Britain to negotiate an armistice or anoutright surrender, was considered Germanys first major defeat and one of thecrucial turning points in the war. If Germany had gained air superiority, AdolfHitler would have most probablylaunched “ Operation Sea Lion “, anamphibious and airborne invasion of Britain.
It\'s difficult to establish an exact figure of how many aircraftwere shot down in the Battle of Britain, partly because both sides tended toexaggerate their successes and downplay their losses. However, it\'s estimatedthat between 10 July and the end of October 1940, the RAF lost around 1,023 aircraftwhilst the Luftwaffe lost 1,887.
In a wartime speech made by the British Prime Minister WinstonChurchill on 20 August 1940 he spoke of the dedication to duty by British andCommonwealth airman during the Battle of Britain - Never in the field of human conflictwas so much owed by so many to so few.
On offer a 24k Gold Plated base metal and enamel lapel badge.
Manufacturer unknown, within Canada, France, United Kingdom or USA
Circa: unknown.
Commemorating the Battle of Britain and the RAF over Europe.1940-1945
Size: A little over 1.1/2 inches ( 40mm ) in diameter..
All enamel intact.
All metal work intact no rubbing or dents.
Maintained in its original protective plastic case.
Only been taken out of it\'s outer packaging for photographic purposes. .
Very nice coin.
Picture may not do justice to the badge on offer.
Any marks that may appear on the badge are throw-back from the camera.
An ideal item for the collector of The Somme, France, or WW I related military memorabilia, a commemorative coin collector, even as a present.
2nd or 1st class postal options available on all my sales within the U.K. ( No fancy charges )
Payments from outside of the U.K. must be in Pounds Sterling ( GBP\'s ), due to the high exchange rates.
Combined posting will be considered on more than one item purchased. Please ask for details.
Postage prices listed are for 2nd or 1st class standard mail. If insured postage is required so that compensation claims can be made, then SIGN FOR, or International SIGNED FOR Air Mail Postage should be used.
