Fighter Commands overall strength on July 1, 1940 was down to an effective 26 fighter squadrons
or 570 fighters against the Luftwaffe's 856 fighters, and 1,260 bombers. The RAF's strategy was to
simply survive: The Luftwaffe, to destroy the RAF to pave the way for the invasion of England.
During those desperate days what became known as the Battle of Britain, young RAF flyers flew
up to 3 sorties in a day over the channel and southern England.