Special: Battle of Britain Day

Pilots,

One of the most famous aerial battles of World War II had British and German warplanes clash in a brutal fight for survival. This long-lasting encounter became known as the “Battle of Britain”, which culminated on September 15^th 1940 in a historic defeat of the German Luftwaffe on what is now called “Battle of Britain Day”. 

Here’s what bonuses you can expect in the game over the weekend:

Triple experience for the first victory with each plane

Be clever and earn triple the experience for every victory you score!

50% discount on the following two planes:

	German Tier V Heavy Fighter Messerschmitt Bf 110 E
	German Tier V Fighter  Messerschmitt Bf 109 E

Get two Germans for the price of one and recreate your own Battle of Britain!

50 % higher credit income for the aforementioned two planes

Your loyalty to history shall be rewarded with more credits than your planes can carry!

The special takes place from Friday September 13^th at 07:30 CEST (GMT+2) and lasts until Monday September 16^th at 07:00 CEST.

By June 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered most of Western Europe and Scandinavia. Only Great Britain and the Commonwealth were still resisting the Wehrmacht’s complete dominance in Europe. When it became clear that the British weren’t going to bend to Germany’s threats, Hitler decided to begin military action in order to break the will, and later the defences, of Great Britain. 

The first step, which began in July 1940, involved frequent attacks on British convoys and the Royal Navy from submarines and bombers alike. The goal was to force the opponent to redirect its provision supplies to north-eastern Britain. One month later, during Operation Eagle Attack, the Luftwaffe was tasked with gaining air superiority over the channel, in order to clear the pathway for a subsequent amphibious invasion codenamed Operation Seelöwe (Operation Sealion). 

However, winning dominance over the skies proved to be a heftier task than expected for the German Luftwaffe. A second attack had to be launched, this time with a different strategy, sending bombers over the channel to bombard military targets. In the first week of September, the Germans would fly daily raids on the British mainland, to attack RAF bases and radar stations. Starting from September 7^th, they switched their strategy again and began sending heavy bombers in the direction of London, targeting the city directly. 

The biggest raid of this kind happened on September 15^th when the Germans sent an astonishing 1120 aircraft, consisting of 620 fighters and 500 bombers, in multiple waves during an all-out daylight attack. Their plan was to draw out RAF control and finish off British resistance in a battle of annihilation. Luckily for the British, the RAF managed to scatter the German bomber formations, forcing the remaining attackers to drop their loads over a wider area, which largely saved London and its people from greater harm. Despite being outnumbered 1:2, the British pilots managed to hold off the Germans and even destroy more of their opponents’ planes than they lost themselves. 

As a consequence, the Germans abandoned Operation Sealion completely and proceeded to the famous Blitz, a strategic night-time bombing campaign that would last until May 1941, but ultimately equally failed. Still, had it not been for the heroics of the British fighter pilots on “Battle of Britain Day”, history may have gone in a completely different direction.  

Get ready to recreate your own Battle of Britain in the game very soon, Pilots!