The Battle of Britain

The battle begins, summer 1940
The battle begins, summer 1940

After defeating France in June 1940, Hitler assumed Britain would sue for peace but ordered his armed forces to prepare for invasion. Hermann Goering assured him that a sustained air assault would destroy the RAF, winning the air superiority needed.
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940

July 1940 saw German planes target shipping in the Channel, drawing the RAF into combat, before radar stations, communications centres and airfields faced round-the-clock bombing in August. The battle reached a climax with attacks on London in September.
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)

Joan 'Elizabeth' Mortimer, Elspeth Henderson and Helen Turner of the WAAF. All three received the Military Medal for courageous conduct during attacks on Biggin Hill airfield. Biggin Hill suffered a total of ten major attacks between 30 Aug and 5 Sept.
Non-British personnel in the RAF
Non-British personnel in the RAF

A group of pilots of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF return from a sortie. The first Polish squadrons were formed in the summer of 1940. Pilots came from several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and the USA.
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford

RAF Duxford was a Sector Station in 12 Group, responsible for defending the Midlands and East Anglia. As the fighting intensified, Duxford's squadrons were called on to support 11 Group's defence of London and the south-east.
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF

Despite incessant attacks, the RAF's defences held. The Luftwaffe could not continue, and in the autumn switched to 'nuisance' raids and night operations. The failure to defeat the RAF convinced Hitler to postpone his invasion plans indefinitely.

Main menu

IWM London
London
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM North
Manchester
Open daily 10am - 5pm
Last admission 4.30pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December

Admission is free
- What's On
- Visiting Information
IWM Duxford
Cambridgeshire
Open daily

Summer 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm

Winter 10am - 4pm
Last admission 3pm

Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
Churchill War Rooms
London
Open daily 9.30am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information
HMS Belfast
London
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
- What's On
- Visiting Information

Collections search

Let's Kill the Hydra!
(posters) Made by: Sarkisyan, P (artist) 1941
whole: The image fills the majority of the design with two plain white horizontal bands above and below, both of which are filled with text in black and red. image: An Allied sword cutting a head from a German Hydra. The Hydra is wrapped around a pile of...
[Tass Window 699] [A Salute to Heroes!]
(posters) Made by: Ivanov, Viktor (artist) 1943
whole: The image fills the middle section of the design with text above and below. The text at the top is in red and black, set against a plain white background. The text at the bottom is black, set against a green background. image: A miner and a female...
[Tass Window 537] Russian soldier throwing stick grenade
(posters) Made by: Shchersakov (artist)
image: A Russian soldier throws a stick grenade towards advancing German tanks. He also has a machine-gun beside him. Above him fly Russian planes. text: OKNO TASS No 537 POEDINOK. IZ KAMNYA VISEKUT, SHTOB TAK OSTALOS NA VEKA - SO SVYAZKOIOU GRANAT RUKA...
[Tass Window 848] [OUR DNIEPROPETROVSK]
(posters) Made by: Lebedev, Vladimir (artist)
image: Hitler in threadbare uniform steps aross blazing ruins clutching a firebrand; menaced by a Russian bayonet. text: Dniepropetrovsk Nash [Our Dniepropetrovsk] additional verses in Russian (not translated)
[Tass Window 507] [A WEDDING PRESENT]
(posters) Made by: Lebedev, Vladimir (artist)
image: Hitler points gun to head of cripple, waving copy of 'Mein Kampf'. text: Svadebny padarok [A wedding present]. At the beginning of each marriage, young people are obliged to buy a copy of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf'. From this book Hitler has gained...
[Tass Window 514] [RAGPICKERS]
(posters) Made by: Lebedev, Vladimir (artist)
image: German civilian in threadbare socks walks off with new clothes. Another civilian sits on the floor in his underclothes holding a threadbare jacket. text: Tryapitchniki [Ragpickers]. 'It is difficult for most Germans to decide to give away their...
[Tass Window 503] [HITLERAMA - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF A FASCIST REPTILE]
(posters) Made by: KUKRYNIKSI (artist)
image: (Six images as follows): Top left - Hitler in civilian clothes overhearing two civilians talking. Top right - Hitler with bierstein declaiming in front of Nazi party adherents. Middle left - Hitler as valkyrie holding an axe and burning books....
[Tass Window 982] [Swastika Defeated by the Soviet Sword]
(posters) Made by: KUKRYNIKSI 1944
whole: the image fills the majority of the page, leaving only a border at the top and bottom of the sheet. On the right side of the top border is some black Cyrilic type with a red number. Along the bottom of the page there are six lines of black...
[Tass Window 971] [THE CRIMEA - GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH]
(posters) Made by: Cheremnykh, Mikhail M (artist)
image: (Divided vertically). Left - Russian seaside scene with diver and swimmer. Right - same scene, beach littered with dead German soldiers, Hitler being pushed into the water by a Russian rifle butt. A bloody hand reaches from the water to grab...
[Tass Window 869] To The Bushes
(posters) Made by: Sarkisyan, P (artist)
whole: The majority of the poster is filled by the image except for a band across the top of the page containing a block of black Cyrillic type, positioned to the right. In the upper right corner of the band a piece of paper has been stuck, marked with...