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London, Aug 25: Naval historians have stuck to their guns that it was the Royal Navy that saved Britain from a full scale German invasion during World War II.

Peter Furtado, the editor of History Today magazine defended his decision to publish the story that stated it was the Royal Navy that was the real victor in the Battle of Britain.

He said many historians have supported the theory put forth by three military historians, Andrew Gordon, head of maritime history at the staff college, Christina Goulter, air warfare historian at the staff college and Gary Sheffield, the staff college's land warfare historian that the Royal Navy was instrumental in preventing a full scale assault of the Isles by the Germans in the autumn of 1940.

"The reaction has mostly been pretty good. Quite a few historians have said this point of view is now out of the academic closet and is a debate that has been long overdue. The naval historians are sticking to their guns, still saying this and more. Clearly a number of Battle of Britain pilots are spluttering and of course they were going to splutter but the intention was not to play down their achievements, which were remarkable," The Telegraph quoted Furtado as saying.

He said readers and many others who contacted the magazine, however, voiced their protest that the might of the Royal Navy was a deterring factor.

They said that without the RAF air cover, the Home Fleet, lying up in ports around Britain, would have been extremely vulnerable to attacks by the Luftwaffess bomber fleet, which would have made mincemeat of the naval fleet, much like what the Japanese did in Singapore.

Dr Michael Fopp, director general of the RAF's museums and son of a Battle of Britain pilot, said: "The Battle of Britain was the first time air-to-air combat reversed the outcome of an enemy's major strategic plan".

Another reader said: "Claiming that the Navy saved Britain is like claiming a goalkeeper who never needed to make a save won a football match". (ANI)