British Royal Air Force Fighter Command Strength, Jun-Dec 1940

Editor's Note: The following content is a transcription of a period document or a collection of period statistics. It may be incomplete, inaccurate, or biased. The reader may not wish to take the content as factual.



ww2dbaseNumber of Squadrons as of 1 Jul 1940
 Spitfire Hurricane Blenheim Defiant Total
11 Group 8 17 5 0 30
12 Group 5 3 2 1 11
13 Group 6 9 1 1 17
Total19 29 8 2 58


Proportion of Aircraft Strength
 Spitfire Hurricane Blenheim Defiant Total
11 Group 14% 34% 6% 0% 54%
12 Group 7% 6% 3% 2% 18%
13 Group 10% 14% 2% 2% 28%
Total31% 54% 11% 4% 100%


Weekly Strength in Number of Aircraft, Jun-Dec 1940
DateEstablishment Strength Deficiency 
15 Jun 1,4561,094-362
6 Jul1,4561,259-197
13 Jul1,4561,341-115
20 Jul1,4561,365-91
27 Jul1,4561,377-79
3 Aug1,5581,434-124
10 Aug1,5581,396-162
17 Aug1,5581,379-179
24 Aug1,5581,377-181
31 Aug1,5581,422-136
7 Sep1,5581,381-177
14 Sep1,6621,492-170
21 Sep1,6621,509-153
28 Sep1,6621,581-81
5 Oct1,7141,703-11
12 Oct1,7141,752+38
19 Oct1,7001,737+37
26 Oct1,7271,735+8
2 Nov1,7271,796+69
9 Nov1,7271,829+102
16 Nov1,7011,763+62
23 Nov1,7491,728-21
30 Nov1,7631,768+5
7 Dec1,5991,744+145
14 Dec1,6551,786+131
21 Dec1,6551,801+146
28 Dec1,6551,809+154
ww2dbase

Source(s):
Kate Moore, Battle of Britain; Stephen Bungay, The Most Dangerous Enemy

Added By:
C. Peter Chen





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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
17 Nov 2013 01:37:01 AM

All very well , but how many ex- French Airforce or French Contract Curtis Mohawks and Tomahawks were in UK during BofB? They had been diverted to UK. Were they available for use IF required?
2. Anonymous says:
23 Sep 2018 06:29:31 AM

YOUR 1ST box figures contain an error

19+29+8+2 =58 not 38
3. Commenter identity confirmed C. Peter Chen says:
24 Sep 2018 05:22:48 AM

To Anonymous of 23 Sep 2018: Thanks for pointing out the error, the figure has now been corrected.
4. Commenter identity confirmed Alan Chanter says:
26 Dec 2020 01:07:13 AM

By the time the Battle of Britain began only one squadron of the Gladiator biplane fighter remained in the UK, this being No. 247 Squadron based at RAF Roborough (10 Group), north of Plymouth, Devon. The Squadron was not re-equipped with Hurricanes until Christmas Eve, 1940.
5. Commenter identity confirmed Alan Chanter says:
28 Dec 2020 05:05:13 AM

No.10 Group (Air Vice Marshal Sir Quintin Brand -Headquarters at Box) of RAF Fighter Command defended Wales and the South West during the Battle, The Group, formed on 1 June 1940, had four Squadrons of Spitfires (92, 152, 234 and 609), Three squadrons of Hurricanes (87, 213 and 238), One squadron of Blenheim 1f (604) and One Squadron of Gladiators (247).

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