The skies over the English Channel were grey on July 10, 1940, and laden with the shadow of war. The air battle between Germany’s Luftwaffe and the British Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber and Coastal Commands began on this day with raids on convoys in the English Channel off North Foreland and Dover. It was the prelude to the Luftwaffe’s main effort in mid-August, when its focus shifted to attacks on RAF radar bases and airfields. In early September, the attacks shifted again, to London, Coventry and other major cities; the Blitz (from Blitzkrieg, or lightning war) continued until May 1941. More than 100 Canadians served with the 3,000 pilots of the Royal Air Force who repulsed the attacks in dramatic air battles, turning the tide of the war. More than 500 aviators died, including 29 Canadians.