Images

A photograph of Arthur 'Bomber' Harris, Air Chief Marshal of the RAF and Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command from 1942 to 1945. Harris was adamant that heavy area bombing of German cities would bring a quicker end to World War II (1939-45...

A photograph of burnt-out residential buildings in Hamburg following the firestorm created by the RAF bombing campaign Operation Gomorrah of July 1943. (Imperial War Museums Collection)

Château des Réaux, chouzé-sur-Loire, Indre-et-Loire, France. The castle's history can be traced back to the 14th century when it belonged to the Countess of Sancerre. It then became the property of Jean Briçonnet (d. 1493), the first mayor...

A photograph showing Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 bombers which were used to bomb targets in Europe and notably during the Battle of Britain of 1940. (Imperial War Museums Collection)

Promotional stamps for the Spitfire Fund, a government initiative to encourage civilians to contribute money to buy a Submarine Spitfire for the war effort during the Second World War (1939-45).

A Supermarine Spitfire at the Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow in 2023.

The cockpit of a Mk. IX Supermarine Spitfire. The fighter was in service with the RAF from 1939 to 1947 but was also used by many other airforces worldwide. (Aviation Museum Prague)

A photograph showing a number of Supermarine Spitfire F Mark XIIs of 41 Squadron during the Second World War (1939-45). 41 Squadron was based at Friston in Sussex, England. Imperial War Museums

A Supermarine Spitfire at the Season Premiere Airshow in 2018. The Spitfire was first built for use by the RAF in the 1930s and was a crucial fighter in the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940.

A map depicting the strategic situation in Europe and the Mediterranean in early November 1942, as World War II reached a critical turning point. Axis expansion had begun to reverse, while the Allies launched major offensives in North Africa...