On this day: 10 July

On this Day in 1940, the German air force, the Luftwaffe, launched an aerial attack on Britain. A precursor to Operation Sealion, the aerial attack was designed to clear the way for a land invasion. The RAF and the Luftwaffe took to the skies of Southern England as the Spitfires and Hurricanes did battle against the Messerschmitt. As we all know, Britain emerged victorious and the planned invasion of our island never materialised. Less well known is that the Hurricane aircraft shot down many more Luftwaffe planes than the famous Spitfire.