Editing Winston Churchill (section)

====Battle of Britain and the Blitz====
[[File:Churchill CCathedral H 14250.jpg|thumb|Churchill walks through the ruins of [[Coventry Cathedral]], 1941]]
On 20 August 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, Churchill addressed the Commons to outline the situation. In the middle of it, he made a statement that created [[The Few|a famous nickname]] for the RAF fighter pilots involved in the battle:<ref name="The Few">{{cite web |url=http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/thefew.html |title=The Few |publisher=The Churchill Society, London |date=20 August 1940 |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=12 March 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312093906/http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/thefew.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="H364:1167">{{cite periodical |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1940/aug/20/war-situation#column_1167 |title=War Situation – Churchill |magazine=Hansard |date=20 August 1940 |series=5th |volume=364 |page=1167 |publisher=House of Commons |location=Westminster |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604054801/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1940/aug/20/war-situation#column_1167 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{blockquote|The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.}}

The Luftwaffe altered its strategy from 7 September 1940 and began [[the Blitz]], which was intensive through October and November. Churchill's morale was high and told his private secretary [[Jock Colville|John Colville]], in November, he thought the threat of invasion was past.{{sfn|Jenkins|2001|p=640}} He was confident Great Britain could hold its own, given the increase in output, but was realistic about its chances of winning the war without American intervention.{{sfn|Jenkins|2001|p=641}}