Many of the Spitfires used in the battle were purchased privately. The turn-around time (re-arm and refuel) for the Spitfire was 26 minutes, while the Hurricane's was 9 minutes, which increased its effectiveness. Although the Spitfire had attracted more attention from the public, the Hurricanes were more numerous and were responsible for most of the German losses, especially in the early part of the battle. The most famous fighter aircraft used in the Battle of Britain were the British Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire Mk I, and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 E variant ( Emil) single-engined fighters. Fighter aircraft Main types: Hurricane, Spitfire and Bf 109 The failure of Nazi Germany to destroy Britain's air defence or to break British morale is considered its first major setback. It was the largest and most sustained bombing campaign attempted up until that date. The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces the British in the defensive were mainly using fighter aircraft, and the Germans used a mixture of bombers with fighter protection. German historians usually place the beginning of the battle in mid-August 1940 and end it in May 1941, on the withdrawal of the German bomber units in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the campaign against the Soviet Union. The British date the battle from 10 July to 31 October 1940, which represented the most intense period of daylight bombing. Secondary objectives were to destroy aircraft production and ground infrastructure, to attack areas of political significance, and to terrorise the British people into seeking an armistice or surrender. Neither the German leader Adolf Hitler nor his High Command of the Armed Forces ( Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, or OKW) believed it was possible to carry out a successful amphibious assault on Britain until the RAF had been neutralised. The Battle of Britain (German: Luftschlacht um England) was an effort by the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom in preparation for the planned amphibious and airborne forces invasion of Britain by Operation Sea Lion. R4118 flew 49 sorties while on 605 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, and is currently the only Battle of Britain Hurricane still flying.
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