Sunday, August 18, 1940 - Heavy German losses over airfields

[Louis]

Over Britain... The Germans make another big effort. Their targets are still mostly airfields but not all the attacks are well organized. Biggin Hill escapes comparatively lightly, but Kenley is so disrupted that part of the fighter force has to be withdrawn to another airfield. The Germans lose very heavily, 71 aircraft to Fighter Command's 27. The British originally claim that 155 have been shot down. Owing to heavy losses the Ju87 Stuka dive-bomber is withdrawn from attacks on targets inland.-

 

[Louis]

The Hardest Day was the name of a Second World War air battle fought during the Battle of Britain on 18 August 1940.-

The air battles that took place on this date were amongst the largest aerial engagements in history at that time. Both sides suffered very heavy losses.- The British outperformed the Luftwaffe in the air, achieving a favourable ratio of 2:1.-

However, a number of RAF aircraft, including around six to eight fighters, were caught and destroyed on the ground, equalling the total losses of both sides. Further large aerial battles would take place, with heavy casualties being suffered, but both sides lost more aircraft combined on this day than at any other point during the campaign, including Battle of Britain Day, generally considered the climax of the campaign.-

For this reason, the air battles of the 18 August 1940 became known as The Hardest Day.-