Adlertag
![A picture of a piece of sky with several clouds and many condensation trails caused by many aircraft. Each trail curves around the other indicated an air battle](/Images/godic/202412/20/British_and_German_aircraft_a_dog_fight4444.jpg")
![Radar covered the indicated air space.](/Images/godic/202412/20/Battle_of_Britain_map.svg4444.png")
![Albert Kesselring commanded Luftflotte 2.](/Images/godic/202412/20/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R93434,_Albert_Kesselring4444.jpg")
![Hugo Sperrle, commanded Luftflotte 3.](/Images/godic/202412/20/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1987-121-30A,_Hugo_Sperrle4444.jpg")
Adlertag ("Eagle Day") was the first day of Unternehmen Adlerangriff ("Operation Eagle Attack"), which was the codename of a military operation by Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe (German air force) to destroy the British Royal Air Force (RAF). By June 1940, the Allies had been defeated in Western Europe and Scandinavia. Rather than come to terms with Germany, Britain rejected all overtures for a negotiated peace.