Supermarine Spitfire (British)
Messerschmitt Bf 109 (German)
Nicholas Johnson
RAF Fighter Command
This animation is a simplification of the Royal Air Force Fighter Command Structure. Pictured here is a single chain of command when in reality there were hundreds of stations under the command of Fighter Command. To find out more details about a building here on the map just hover over it for an information box. The green balls that move during the animation symbolize the flow of information from one station to the next. To begin, click the start button below and enjoy the animation.
Operations Room and Filter Room This center was used as the main operations room as well as the receiving point for all the radar plots.
Group Operations Room
The Group Operations Room receives radar plots from the Filter Room and directs Sector Operations Rooms to intercept the oncoming fighters.
Sector Operations Room The Sector Operations Room directs the RAF, batteries, and balloons to defend their sector.
Anti-aircraft Battery
The anti-aircraft batteries were one part of Britain's defense attempting to shoot down enemy planes.
RAF Airfield
The RAF had many airfields around Britain that aircraft scrambled from when radar or observer corps members spotted enemy aircraft.
Radar Stations
Radar stations were placed all around the British coast in the southeast and reported incoming aircraft.
Radar Stations
Radar stations were placed all around the British coast in the southeast and reported incoming aircraft.
Observer Corps
The Observer Corps reported enemy aircraft positions that were over land back to Sector Operations Rooms.
Balloon Barrage
When Balloon Barrages were notified of incoming aircraft they raised balloons around important buildings to force the German bombers to fly higher.