Day 314 of World War II, July 10th 1940
Battle of Britain
First light on the 10th July 1940 revealed a typical dirty English Summers day with intermittent driving rain from the North West: ‘Harry clampers’ to the fighter pilots of 11 Group, many of whom drunk their early morning cup of tea or turned over in bed for a lie in. The first phase of what was soon to be known as the Battle of Britain commenced with the Luftwaffe conducting major attacks on Channel convoys. The bulk of the attacks were in the south where the Luftwaffe went on probing attacks on British shipping in the English Channel and in the outer Thames Estuary. Smaller raids, and a number of German reconnaissance aircraft were spotted along the east coast while other nuisance raids took place in the north. At first light, almost every day, the Germans had been sending out weather and recognisance flights to photograph the previous days targets, possible future targets and to report on the weather. Do 17s, Do 215s or Ju 88s were usually used for this task, which included attacks on convoys if conditions allowed. They took advantage of cloud cover wherever possible and were often difficult to pick out on the radar sets. During this phase, London remained unscathed. Most of these attacks in the Channel were on the merchant convoys bringing much needed coal, raw materials, machinery and foodstuffs to Britain. By sinking these merchant ships Germany would deny the British people of the various commodities required just for their sheer existence.
But at the same time, by attacking these channel convoys, it was hoped that the Luftwaffe would draw out the British fighters from their bases. This way the Luftwaffe could analyze the strength of the RAF and determine the speed and the efficiency that the RAF could deploy its squadrons. To achieve this the Luftwaffe assigned General Lörzer’s II Fliegerkorps and General von Richthofen’s VIII Fliegerkorps the task of securing air superiority over the English Channel and its convoys. A battlegroup consisting of KG 2, II./StG 1, IV(Stuka)./LG 1 and other units were concentrated into a shipping strike force under the Geschwaderkommodore of KG 2, Oberst Johannes Fink, who was given the title Kanalkampfführer or Leader of the Channel Battle. But the battlegroup wasn't up to strength to commence operations so only Channel convoys were targeted until sufficient planes and ammunition were gathered.
For the next two or three weeks, the Luftwaffe was quite content on attacking the convoys in the English Channel, some of the conflicts included just a couple of Ju 87s dive bombing individual or small convoys, others included using U-boats while some of the larger convoys were attacked by numbers of Do 17s backed up by German Artillery from the French coast. The skies over the Channel were a criss cross pattern of vapor trails, then suddenly a Ju 87 would come hurtling in a near vertical dive sometimes hotly pursued by a Spitfire or Hurricane. Depending where one was watching from, depended on the sky show to be seen, but the two areas that seemed to attract the most action was an area between the Isle of Wight and Weymouth, and the other was the in the vicinity of the Dover Straights which had now been given the name of "Hellfire Corner".
At 0815 hours a lone Dornier 17z of KG 3 on a recon mission at about 10,000 feet was intercepted by Spitfires from RAF No. 66 Sqd. P/O Charles Cooke led the section and as the Spitfires peeled off one by one, engines roaring, the crew of the Dornier spotted them and soon it was weaving and sliding in a desperate effort to evade the gunfire from the Spitfires. Oblt. Bott, who had taken off from Antwerp on the recce flight at dawn fought hard to survive, manoeuvring the aircraft to give his three gunners repeated opportunities to knock out the two attacking Spitfires, but the eight guns of the second aircraft soon overwhelmed the Dornier, killing Bott and his second in command, Lt. Schroeder. The gunners in the Dornier tried in vain in warding off the Spits but to no avail. The Spitfires continued to harass the bomber and in the melee P/O Cooke's windscreen was hit and a hole developed in the canopy letting in extremely cold air. Then one of the Spitfires came up from underneath, firing at the Dornier with all eight Browning's and went in close and the Dornier went into a banking glide bellowing smoke until it hit the sea between Yarmouth and Harwich.
At approximately 1100 hours the convoy "Bread" was sighted off Manston by one Dornier 17 escorted by ten Bf 109s. Immediately the German radio operator dispatched a message to Kanalfront HQ giving the location of the convoy, size and its present course. The Spitfires of RAF No. 74 Sqd were scrambled and located the Dornier and the Bf 109s - heading for the slower Dornier first, but not before the highly maneuverable 109s turned and got the Spitfires in their sights. Two of the Spitfires were hit, but not bad enough to put them out of action They kept their course and as they approached firing range of the Dornier, they opened fire. Immediately the front cockpit of the bomber exploded in smoke and flame. The Dornier went down low and the Spitfires weaved and turned and engaged in a dogfight with the Messerschmitt escort. The two Spitfires that were hit were forced to return to Hornchurch while the other four remained for a while. Only one Bf 109 was hit and received minor damage. The Germans were reinforced by another group of about twelve aircraft just as the Spitfires of RAF No. 610 Sqd arrived and the remaining four Spitfires of RAF No. 74 Sqd returned back to base. RAF No. 610 Sqd scored no 'kills' but managed to stop the 109s and they headed back towards the French coast. In this combat, RAF No. 74 Sqd had two of its Spitfires damaged over the Channel while one Spitfire of RAF No. 610 Sqd had to make a forced landing at Hawkinge after being hit during the same combat.
Map of Phase I
The transmission that the Dornier made at 1030 hours was received loud and clear back in France. At 1350 hours British radar picked up a strong signal that a German formation was coming across the French coast just west of Calais and heading in the general direction of Folkestone. This was the largest number of German bombers ever seen coming across the Channel at that time. The main force was twenty-six Do 17s of III./KG 2 spread in three groups, thirty Bf 110s of I./ZG 26 and twenty Bf 109s of III./JG 51. The 'scramble' order went out to Manston, Biggin Hill, Croydon, Hornchurch and Kenley from which the following squadrons were scrambled: RAF No. 56 Sqd, RAF No. 32 Sqd (Hurricanes), RAF No. 111 Sqd (Hurricanes), the Spitfires of RAF No.74 Sqd while Kenley sent out six Spitfires of RAF No.64 Sqd towards the closing stages of the battle. As a feint for the attack, a single Ju 88 of II./LG 1 was sent to Bristol but soon aborted the mission.
The Dorniers turned and headed for the convoy just as the British fighters arrived on the scene. The Spitfires of RAF No.74 Sqd and the Hurricanes of RAF No. 56 Sqd and RAF No. 32 Sqd engaged the Bf 109s and the Bf 110s while the Hurricanes of RAF No. 111 Sqd went straight in and attacked the Dorniers. The Bf 110s immediately formed a defensive circle and it was left up to the fighters of III./JG 51 to protect the bombers. Soon the throng of warplanes were joined by more fighters from II./JG 51, bringing a total of thirty British fighters engaged with seventy German aircraft. The skies off the coast at Folkestone became a maze of vapor trails snaking in all directions. It was a tough dogfight with neither side gaining the upper hand.
As the dogfight continued, the Dornier formations started to break up as many of the British fighters began to harass them like dogs snapping at their tails. F/O Tom Higgs of RAF No. 111 Sqd took on a lone Dornier firing off numerous rounds towards the weaving bomber that was desperately trying to evade the pursuing Hurricane. But Higgs went in closer than his firing range, and with his thumb on the firing button clipped the Dornier with his wing before spinning seawards out of control with one wing missing. The Dornier also spun out of control. Both aircraft crashed into the Channel and a rescue launch that was soon on the scene picked up the pilot of the Dornier and another member of the crew, but there was no sign of the rest of the bomber's crew or of F/O Higgs.
One Bf 109 belly-landed outside Calais, damaged after the battle. Another Bf 109, that of Ofw. Arthur Dau of 7./JG 51 was lost in another collision, this time with a Hurricane of RAF No. 56 Squadron.
But despite JG 51’s and Werner Kreipe of KG 2’s claims, only one 700 ton ship was sunk from the convoy "Bread" with three Hurricanes damaged as well as four Spitfires, three Do 17s destroyed with one damaged on crash landing, three Bf 110s shot down and three Bf 109s shot down or damaged on crash landing. The rest of the ships in the convoy were not even attacked and continued their journey.
At 1530 hours sixty Ju 88 bombers from Luftflotte 3 were dispatched to attack the targets of Swansea in Wales and Falmouth in Devon. British 10 Group in the west at this stage had not been formed, so there really was no fighter protection in this part of England. But RAF No. 92 Sqd from Pembury were scrambled but were too late to avoid the bombing by the German bombers. An ammunitions factory was badly damaged at Swansea and Falmouth also suffered considerable damage. Shipping was also hit hard as was destruction to a power station. Thirty people were killed.
At 0515 hours, five HE [High Explosive] bombs fell on Martlesham Aerodrome. No damage was reported. At 0517 hours, two HE bombs (either 100 or 250lbs) fell on Honington Aerodrome one of which fell within 600 yards of the hangar and the other within 400 yards of the same hangar. The Dornier aircraft concerned was reported shot down by RAF No. 66 Sqd. At 0544 hours, seventeen bombs estimated between 50 and 100 lbs each, were dropped on West Raynham Aerodrome, causing minor damage to the plant and setting a hangar on fire. Three Ansons and one Gladiator were burnt out in the hangar. Three Battles and one Tutor were superficially damaged. At 0557 hours, about fourteen bombs fell in a cornfield 300 yards north-east of the Marham Aerodrome. Wires on the road nearby were cut. No damage was reported to the station.
Another dogfight over the Channel later at 1400 hours brought the total for the day to nine British fighters destroyed with three British fighters credited to Oblt. Walter Oesau, the Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 51. Also given credit for destroying Spitfires and Hurricanes for the day were Lt. Erich Hohagen and Lt. Heinz Tornow of 4./JG 51, Uffz. Otto Tange of 4./JG 51, Hptm. Horst Tietzen and Lt. Hans-Otto Lessing of 5./JG 51. Another Spitfire was also credited to Oblt. Josef Priller of 6./JG 51.
By the end of the day, in a view of things to come, the German’s claim of seven aircraft lost along with those just mentioned, seemed heavy as compared to the relatively light losses of the RAF. But even with an actual total of fifteen aircraft lost, the Luftwaffe still believed it had begun to achieve its aim of bringing Fighter Command up to battle and destruction.
The Bf 110 crews of Hptm. Rubensdörffer’s Epr.Gr 210 moved from Köln-Ostheim to the airbase at Denain with the airfield at Calais-Marck to be used as a forward airbase.
Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command attacks airfields at St. Omer and Amiens during the day.
The British examine the Bf 109Es which landed in England on the 9th and learn about their armament (they have 2, not 3, cannon as originally thought).
Battle of the Atlantic
U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) torpedoes and sinks 4,596 ton Finnish freighter Petsamo just off the Irish coast near Cork at 14:26. There are 34 survivors, and 4 stokers perish in the explosion. The U-boat spends 6 hours getting into firing position and does so just in time before the ship makes landfall.
U-61 (Oberleutnant zur See Jürgen Oesten) fires two torpedoes and sinks 4,533 ton Dutch freighter Alwaki about 10 miles northeast of Cape Wrath, Scotland. All 51 aboard survive. The U-boat is positioned in the middle of two columns of Convoy OA-180. The torpedoes do not explode because the target ship is only 200 meters away, but the inertia of the torpedoes sends them through the hull anyway. Due to the odd nature of the attack, with the U-boat's presence masked by passing ships, the convoy does not even realize that the ship was torpedoed. Sabotage is put down as the likely cause of the holes created in the ship's side.
German raider Widder sinks 6333 ton British freighter Davisan in the middle of the Atlantic about 500 miles off Guadalupe. The Widder takes the crew captive.
The Luftwaffe sinks 1905 ton British freighter Waterloo about three miles off Smith's Knoll Buoy in the North Sea. All aboard survive.
The Luftwaffe damages Dutch freighter Bill S. a few miles from Dungeness. It later sinks. All aboard survive.
British aircraft carrier Hermes collides with AMC HMS Corfu about 130 miles northwest of Freetown. The Hermes had recently been participating in Operation Catapult, the destruction of the French fleet in North Africa. Everybody survives, the Hermes continues on to Freetown, and the Corfu is towed into Freetown. Hermes is put out of action and must be repaired.
The Orkneys-Iceland-Greenland is established by the Royal Navy. This is to narrow the key breakout point to the North Atlantic by German raiders.
Five U-boats leave for patrol from Bergen, which has become a major U-boat hub.
German raider Pinguin meets up with U-UA and resupplies it.
Convoy OA 182 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 181 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 38 departs from Gibraltar.
Photo: 2-pounder anti-aircraft gun aboard HMCS Assiniboine firing in exercise en route between Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and Britain
Battle of the Mediterranean
HMS Eagle launches an air attack by 9 Swordfish against Augusta, Sicily. They sink Italian destroyer Leone Pancaldo in shallow water (later refloated). They also damage an Italian oiler and sink a hulk used as a storeship.
Italian submarine Scirè sinks French ship Cheik, then rescues the crew. Just who is on whose side is getting very tricky to figure out in the Mediterranean.
At Malta, there is an air raid against Grand Harbour at 07:45. There is one death, three wounded. The attackers lose three aircraft. Another raid at 21:55 near the entrance to Grand Harbour and nearby locations also causes some damage.
The convoy which had sailed from Malta and which led to the Battle of Calabria on the 9th reaches Alexandria. A second, slower convoy departs from Malta today at about 21:00, escorted by HMS Kirkland, Masirah, Novasli, Tweed and Zeeland.
North Africa Campaign
The Italians continue their air raids on The King's African Rifles at Moyale, Kenya.
The Italians also continue their air raids on Sidi Barrani, this time with a dozen SM-79 bombers.
The RAF sends Blenheim bombers against Tobruk, hitting oil storage tanks. The British also attack Macaac airfield.
Western Front
British Lieutenant Hubert Nicolle returns to England from his spy mission on Guernsey. He has accumulated valuable intelligence about the estimated 469 Wehrmacht troops on the island, most of whom are concentrated in St. Peter Port. Gubbins begins planning a commando raid (Operation Ambassador) for a few days hence.
Spy Stuff
Highly placed sources in a neutral country report to the British that the German High Command is growing leery about an invasion of Great Britain. One of the problems is the successful attacks by RAF Bomber Command on the invasion barges being assembled in Holland and Belgium. This intelligence, in hindsight, appears accurate but perhaps a bit premature.
British Prime Minister Churchill, of course, is right on top of this. In a "secret" memorandum to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, circulated to the War Cabinet, he concludes that the prospects of a German landing depend upon the strength of the Royal Navy. In the memo, he notes that the battleships HMS Nelson and HMS Barham would soon be ready for sea and would enable the creation of further battle groups that could break up any invasion force. He further states that the largest German ships are under the close surveillance of the RAF and would be unable to stage a surprise breakout. For these reasons, he concludes that an invasion is unlikely. His only worry is the need for the ‘strong air support’ necessary to protect the Royal Navy during daylight hours.
Churchill, as a 2x former First Lord of the Admiralty, knows the overwhelming dominance of the Royal Navy prevents an invasion. That and the protection afforded by the RAF - a bit less certain - are the keys to the kingdom which Hitler does not have. However, Churchill tells his cabinet that he does not want to downplay the chances of invasion to the public, but rather wants war fears to remain strong so that the people remain motivated.
War Crimes
2,542 persons, including Italian and German POWs and British citizens suspected of being Nazi sympathizers and aliens interned in England, are sent on British troopship Dunera to Australia for internment. Among the 2,542 are 2,036 anti-Nazis, mainly Jewish refugees. During the trip, the British guards mistreat the passengers savagely, leading to numerous court-martials. Conditions on the overcrowded ship are abysmal and lead to dysentery and other illnesses.
This is a very serious matter. It is easy for POWs to get word back to their own governments about mistreatment through the International Red Cross. Proper treatment of POWs is of intense interest to both sides throughout the war, and it is easy for one side to take reprisals against the other for violations of the Geneva Convention and other international agreements. As a general matter, POW treatment is one of the few areas where the warring sides (at least in the ETO) maintain close and continuing contact throughout the war, with generally satisfactory and humane results.
German/Hungarian Relations
Hitler and new Hungarian Prime Minister Count Teleki meet. Hitler agrees to support Hungarian territorial claims against Romania. Teleki has no desire to pursue those claims or enter the war at this time, but instead is more concerned with establishing his own credentials back home as someone acceptable to the Germans. In return for German support and protection, though, Hitler wants a full alliance.
China Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters (pre-series of 15 A6M2) go into operation with the 12th Rengo Kōkūtai in China on about this date.
French-Vichy Government
Marshal Petain becomes a virtual dictator when the French National Assembly votes 569-80, with 17 abstentions, to grant him extensive plenary powers. This officially ends the Third Republic. After the vote, the Marshal adjourns the National Assembly.
US Government
President Roosevelt goes back to Congress for more defense appropriations. He sets an objective of 1.2 million men in the US Army, and desires the procurement of an additional 15,000 planes for the USAAC and 4,000 for the Navy.
Republicans Henry L. Stimson becomes the US Secretary of War and Frank Knox the Secretary of the Navy.
Captain Laurence Wild relieves Captain Edward W. Hanson as Governor of American Samoa and Commandant of the Naval Station, Tutuila, Samoa.
British Government
The government bans the British Union Party, which is fascist.
Not everybody in the UK is certain about the wisdom of fighting the Nazis, though of course later accounts portray public opinion as monolithic. England is a land of long-standing class divisions, and some question fighting to preserve such privilege. The recent bans on spreading false rumors and defeatist talk are partially aimed at heading of this issue. A clerk, for instance, is sentenced to a year in prison for saying, "We are fighting to provide dividends for the ruling class." Free speech rights take a serious hit everywhere during the war.
This clerk conviction supports a pet theory of Hitler's, that the "plutocrats" are mistreating the workers who will rise up against their rich masters. There is a kernel of truth to this view, but only a kernel. Hitler wildly overestimates the degree of this sort of sentiment and plans bombing raids to heighten a sense of disproportionate sacrifice, such as by targeting worker tenements and not the mansions of the rich. This is detrimental to the overall Luftwaffe campaign.
The British government is aware of this undercurrent of sentiment, and does not want to publicize this potential issue at all by passing laws directly aimed at it. Instead, it takes subtle steps to combat the appearance of privilege and excess, such as the ban on "false rumors." One of these is a new law that bans "luxury eating" at restaurants, which remain outside the ration limits. For instance, restaurant meals may have only one meat/fish course, and no iced cakes. This may seem petty, but there is a larger purpose behind such restrictions.
In a comment on this general topic that seems uncannily prescient for political rhetoric in the 21st Century, George Orwell comments about the wealthy that "Nothing will ever teach them that the other 99% of us exist."
American Homefront
The first group of British child evacuees arrives in New York.
