R TAYLOR (Letters, June 15) may be long on experience having served in the war, as many of us did, but with respect he is woefully short on strategy.

Had there been an invasion of this island, how well the Navy would have done can only be speculation. What is fact is the vital role played by Fighter Command to deny the enemy the air superiority they wanted to mount the planned invasion. Lack of air support at Dunkirk was because the limited numbers of fighter aircraft we had were held back for the forthcoming desperate defence of this country.

By the time of Crete we had not enough aircraft, and even more importantly, bases within range to fly them from. The convoys he mentions were increasingly protected by aircraft, and the success the Navy had in defeating U-boats was in large measure due to the liaison with the air services and the introduction of the Leigh Light, and other measures. The Navy on its own was unable to prevent the siege of Malta, which was finally lifted with the arrival of the Spitfire.

As one who witnessed quite a few of the air battles during the Battle of Britain (I saw with many others, including Nicholson who won his VC over Southamp-ton), I stand to be corrected, but to my knowledge I can't recollect seeing any Navy battleships flying over.

Could I just refer Mr Taylor to Churchill's speech on the Few if he requires any further confirmation of the part Fighter Command and the Spitfire played in the Battle of Britain.

D R SMITH, Bitterne, Southampton.