British pilots scramble

Scramble! Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilots race toward their aircraft on 25 July 1940, after the ringing of the 'scramble bell' warned of an approaching enemy formation. Fighter Command's success in the Battle of Britain depended on the early warnings provided by coastal radar stations, and on their pilots' ability to reach the optimum altitude to attack the oncoming Luftwaffe (German air force) bombers.