Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom’s air force, established in 1918. It operates aircraft and other capabilities for air defence, military operations, and support.

RAF Fighter Command: The RAF command responsible for Britain’s air defence and fighter operations during the Second World War. It directed the fighter squadrons whose defence of Britain became the RAF’s defining wartime operation.
Royal Flying Corps: The British Army’s air arm from 1912 until its merger into the Royal Air Force in 1918. It was one of the two services combined to create the RAF.
Battle of Britain: The 1940 air campaign in which the RAF resisted German attempts to gain air superiority over Britain. The RAF’s Fighter Command was the principal British force in this campaign.
British Army: The land warfare service of the United Kingdom’s armed forces. Unlike the RAF, it organizes and conducts military operations primarily on land.
RAF Bomber Command: The RAF command that conducted Britain’s strategic bombing campaign during the Second World War. Its operations show the RAF’s distinct offensive role beyond fighter defence.
Royal Naval Air Service: The Royal Navy’s air arm from 1914 until its merger into the Royal Air Force in 1918. Its personnel and units formed the RAF’s other founding service.
Operation Chastise: A 1943 RAF bombing raid on German dams, carried out by No. 617 Squadron. The raid became a prominent example of a specialized RAF operation.
Royal Navy: The United Kingdom’s naval warfare service. Its maritime mission distinguishes it from the RAF’s air operations.
RAF Coastal Command: The RAF command responsible for maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare, and coastal operations. It protected shipping and hunted submarines, extending RAF operations over the sea.
Air Force (UK) Act 1917: The British act that authorized an independent air force and the Air Council. It provided the legal basis for establishing an air service separate from army and navy control.

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