Editing Operation Sea Lion (section)

=== Battle of Britain ===
[[File:Winston Churchill visiting bomb-damaged areas of the East End of London, 8 September 1940. H3978.jpg|thumb|[[Winston Churchill]] visiting bomb-damaged areas of the [[East End]] of London, 8 September 1940]]
The [[Battle of Britain]] began in early July 1940 with attacks on shipping and ports in the ''[[Kanalkampf]],'' which forced [[RAF Fighter Command]] into defensive action. In addition, wider raids gave aircrew experience of day and night navigation and tested the defences.<ref>{{Cite news
| url         = http://historicalsocietyofgermanmilitaryhistory.com/german-history-of-world-war-ii/world-war-two-battles/battle-britain/operation-sea-lion/
| title       = Operation Sea Lion
| date        = 13 February 2018
| work        = Historical Society of German Military History – Historische Gesellschaft der deutschen Militärgeschichte
| access-date = 7 March 2018
| url-status     = live
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20180307151117/http://historicalsocietyofgermanmilitaryhistory.com/german-history-of-world-war-ii/world-war-two-battles/battle-britain/operation-sea-lion/
| archive-date = 7 March 2018
}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} On 13 August, the German ''Luftwaffe'' began a series of concentrated aerial attacks (designated ''Unternehmen Adlerangriff'' or [[Operation Eagle Attack]]) on targets throughout the United Kingdom in an attempt to destroy the RAF and establish air superiority over [[Great Britain]].  The change in emphasis of the bombing from [[List of Royal Air Force stations|RAF bases]] to [[the Blitz|bombing London]], however, turned ''Adlerangriff'' into a short-range [[strategic bombing]] operation.

The effect of the switch in strategy is disputed. Some historians argue the change in strategy lost the ''Luftwaffe'' the opportunity of winning the air battle or air superiority.<ref>Wood and Dempster 2003, pp. 212–13.</ref> Others argue the ''Luftwaffe'' achieved little in the air battle and the RAF was not on the verge of collapse, as often claimed.<ref>Bungay 2000, pp. 368–69.</ref> Another perspective has also been put forward, which suggests the Germans could not have gained air superiority before the weather window closed.<ref>Hooton 2010, p. 80.</ref> Others have said that it was unlikely the ''Luftwaffe'' would ever have been able to destroy RAF Fighter Command. If British losses became severe, the RAF could simply have withdrawn northward and regrouped. It could then deploy if the Germans launched an invasion. Most historians agree Sea Lion would have failed regardless because of the weakness of the German [[Kriegsmarine]] compared to the [[Royal Navy]].<ref>Corum 1997, pp. 283–84.</ref>