Best of the Battle of Britain

摘要

Eighty-one years ago, during the summer of 1940, the Battle of Britain catapulted the war in Europe onto the world stage. Newsreels in movie theaters captivated audiences with clips of the rubble and bombed-out, smoking buildings, Brits huddled together underground in the Tube stations, and most iconic, Mae West-clad Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilots scrambling to their fighters on grassy runways, just alerted by Fighter Command.The Battle was fought entirely by air, with the RAF eventually successful in staving off the German Luftwaffe and averting a ground invasion.Arguably, the three key combatants that tangled in the skies above the channel coast and towns were the best fielded at the time: the British Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane vs. the German Messerschmitt 109. But of these foes, which was the best?In our feature story, "Best Fighter of the Battle of Britain," modern jet fighter pilot Clive Rowley, MBE RAF (Ret.), tackles this ongoing challenge. With real time in the cockpit of the Spit and Hurricane, he offers a unique perspective and some new criteria. Who is better qualified than a fighter pilot himself?! Let's see if you agree with his conclusion!