Fighter numbers and combat experience in a disputed Battle of Britain argument

Cumming distinguishes the number of RAF fighters visible in the air from the number flown by experienced combat pilots. He suggests that veterans may have carried most of the fighting while less experienced pilots added to the appearance of strength. The presence of Hurricanes and Spitfires could still discourage enemy crews even when their pilots scored few victories. Cumming uses that distinction to question both German intelligence estimates and Galland's recollections of the opposition. The proposed division between effective fighters and aircraft making a show of strength remains an interpretation in a contentious book.