Battle of Britain Reel 3 (1943): London Blitz & RAF Fighter Resistance

Reel 3 of *Battle of Britain* (1943), directed by Frank Capra as part of the *Why We Fight* series, captures the escalating Luftwaffe campaign against Britain. It opens with the rescue of a downed RAF pilot from the Channel and the capture of German aircrew. Massive air raids target British factories, while long-range coastal guns pound strategic sites. Spitfires scramble into fierce dogfights, with returning pilots reporting heavy enemy losses. The focus shifts to the London Blitz: children are evacuated to the countryside, sirens wail, and families rush to marked air raid shelters. Inside, civilians endure the terror of nightly bombings. This reel showcases both the RAF’s aerial resistance and the unbreakable morale of Britain’s civilian population under relentless attack.

• Rescue of downed RAF pilot from the English Channel
• Capture and interrogation of German Luftwaffe pilots
• Massive Luftwaffe raids on British factories and industrial sites
• German long-range coastal guns firing across the Channel
• RAF Spitfires scrambling and engaging in aerial combat
• Returning RAF pilots reporting German aircraft losses
• London Blitz: children evacuated to countryside safety
• Air raid sirens and civilians rushing to marked shelters
• Families enduring bombing raids inside underground shelters
• British civilian resilience and morale under sustained attack