lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 20, 2019 14:19:24 GMT
Day 324 of World War II, July 20th 1940 YouTube (Good People on Both Sides)Battle of Britain
The weather over the Channel continued to improve and more Luftwaffe operations were flown. Fighter engagements with the Luftwaffe were on a smaller scale due to a reduction of German activity near British coasts. What activity there was, however, was almost entirely directed towards attacks on shipping. They were hoping that their efforts would draw RAF Fighter Command into combat over the open waters, but this was not to happen. Many convoys came under attack, and many dogfights took place over the channel and as close as possible to the English coast. From 0600 to 0900 hours very little activity occurred. Most Luftwaffe operations in the morning were reconnaissance for larger raids in the afternoon resulting in the loss of a Ju 88 off the Norfolk coast. The first of several raids on the convoys occurred at 0900 hours when four flights of three Luftwaffe aircraft each headed for the Kent coast. The responding RAF fighters failed to intercept the airplanes when the radar tracks confused the radar operators. Shortly after 1100 hours two raids approached Swanage and a naval unit reported having been bombed. No reports were received regarding any damage. The first major raid was an early afternoon attack on Dover Harbour resulting in two Bf 109s from 3./JG 27 being lost including the Messerschmitt of Lt. Ulrich Scherer. The RAF lost three fighters during the combat. Sgt C.Parkinson of RAF No. 238 Sqn (Middle Wallop) baled out after being shot down by a Bf109 off Swanage in Hurricane P3766, at 1315 hrs. He died of his injuries on the next day. During a late afternoon attack, again on Dover, I./JG 27 lost its Gruppenkommandeur, Major Helmut Riegel, in action over the Island of Sark, Dover with Hurricanes of RAF No. 501 Squadron. Major Riegel had designed the Geschwader’s distinctive badge of a Negro and tiger’s head superimposed on an outline of Africa. Major Eduard Neumann was appointed Gruppenkommandeur in his place. Just after 1500 hours a formation of German dive-bombers and fighters returned to the Dover harbour. In consequence, 3 fighter squadrons proceeded to investigate and intercepted an German force of 40 Ju87s, escorted by a number of Bf109s over Dover and the Channel. The British claimed destroying a “Jaguar-ME” which was reported to be camouflaged in pale and dark blue and silver. Later in the afternoon two German raids of over twenty aircraft each, approached Dover again but aborted the raids after RAF fighters were dispatched. One formation decided instead to attack the convoy “Bosom” in the Channel. At 1740 hours, the Stukas of II./StG 1 escorted by Bf 110s and Bf 109s dropped onto the convoy. Destroyer HMS 'Acheron' was bombed and damaged by near misses, 10 miles off the Isle of Wight. Patrolling British fighters tried to engage the Ju 87s but were intercepted by the Messerschmitts. A lively dogfight ensued. In reality only two Bf 109s of II./JG 51 were shot down during the attack and no Ju 87s or Bf 110s were lost although four Stukas were very badly damaged; two crash-landing in France. The British lost three fighters. RAF No. 32 Squadron lost Hurricanes to Hptm. Horst Tietzen and Oblt. Josef Priller (who shot down the aforementioned F/Lt Bulmer, a Royal Navy sub lieutenant attached to the RAF whose body was never recovered) while a Spitfire from RAF No. 610 Squadron [P/O G Keighley had to carry out his second bale out (first on 31st May 1940)] was destroyed by Ofw. Karl Schmid of 1./JG 51. Ofw. Oskar Sicking became the 1 Staffel’s first loss when he crash landed on the beach near Audinghem, France following the battle. Channel convoy CW7 was attacked by a large force of German bombers off Dover. German aircraft sank the transport SS 'Pulborough' (trawler Lady Philomena takes off 17 survivors) and damaged the destroyer HMS 'Brazen'. The Norwegian shps 'Kollskegg' and 'Nina Borthen' were also damaged. 'Brazen' was taken in tow, but later sank. 'Brazen’s anti-aircraft guns claimed 3 German aircraft shot down. At 1840 hours forty-eight Messerschmitts tangled with forty Hurricanes and Spitfires for no loss to either side. Minelaying operations were increased during the night for the loss of one bomber off Margate. Severa. l raids were conducted over Hartlepool, Silloth, Rochford, Eastchurch, Swansea and Chatham. Further reports of damage by bombs which fell on Stirling at 0220 hours, state that damage was done to three sheds and some vehicles at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Forthside. A Focke-Wulf FW200C of 1./KG40 (F8+EH) was brought down by AA fire during a minelaying sortie and crashed into the North Sea between Hartlepool and Sunderland. Losses: Luftwaffe 9 - Fighter Command 3 Photo: RAF personnel inspecting the burnt-out wreckage of a Junkers Ju 88 reconnaissance aircraft of 4.(F)/122 on Cockett Wick Farm, St Osyth near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. The aircraft was shot down on July 20th 1940 by No. 56 Squadron Hurricanes. Air War over Europe
During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft against the German airfield at Flushing. At night, RAF Bomber Command sends raids against Düsseldorf and Wismar. A force from Hemswell-Lincolnshire attacks battleship Tirpitz, under construction at Wilhelmshaven, but makes no hits. The German night fighter force gets its first victory. Pilot Werner Streib of 2,/NJG1, in a prototype Do 17Z (one of a kind), shoots down a British Whitley bomber over the Ruhr without the use of radar. This kind of night visual interception will later be known as "Wild Boar." Streib himself becomes known as “The Father of Night Fighting.” The Luftwaffe conducts minelaying operations off England, and the Germans lose a FW200C of 1,/KG40. The Luftwaffe bombs Stirling during the night, causing some damage to vehicles at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Forthside. Reichsmarschall Goering orders Oberst (Colonel) Josef Kammhuber to follow up on the decisions made on 26 June and organize an expanded night fighter force. Kammhuber, a good organizer who briefly had been a prisoner of the French, will command the force. Kammhuber sets to work preparing a night fighter defensive line across Europe for Nachtverteidigung, or the protection of the skies. This becomes known as the Kammhuber Line, and Kammhuber effectively becomes the Night Fighter Czar with priority to get whatever equipment he needs. 3,/JG77 begins operating out of Tempelhof Airport in defense of Berlin. Battle of the Atlantic
British 4886 ton Freighter Troutpool hits a mine and sinks near Bangor Pier. There are 11 deaths. Destroyers HMS Havelock and Vanoc collide near Liverpool, but the damage is minor. The British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow receives an erroneous report that German battlecruiser Gneisenau had left its port at Trondheim. It organizes its forces to intercept, but the report is proven false. Convoy OA 187 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 186 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 40F departs from Freetown. Battle of the Mediterranean
HMS Eagle launches air strikes by Swordfish torpedo bombers on Tobruk, trying to finish off the damaged Italian cruiser Bande Nere. They sink Italian destroyers Ostro and Nembo in Tobruk Harbor, also damaging 2333 ton freighter Sereno. The British lose two planes. The Italians abandon Tobruk as a naval base, though of course it remains a formidable fortress. At Malta, there is an air raid at 02:42 by three airplanes which attacks the air base at Hal Far and at Kalafrana. The raid causes extensive damage at Kalafrana, damaging a Sunderland Flying Boat and other assets. One of the Italian planes is damaged. Morale at Malta is faltering, so the War Office plans a propaganda campaign to prop up the citizens' spirits. Spy Stuff
British submarine HMS Parthian lands an agent on Crete. German Military
Wehrmacht soldiers are warned to avoid too much mingling with the French in Paris and to patronize Wehrmacht coffee shops and canteens (which are being set up). France, particularly Paris, quickly is gaining a reputation as the favorite billet for Wehrmacht soldiers. British Government
With Hitler having given his "Last Appeal to Reason" speech to the Reichstag on the 19th, there are some within the British government who at least want to open some kind of negotiations with the Reich. Churchill, however, remains adamantly opposed. The Ministry of Home Security gives statistics on recent civilian casualties. During the month beginning June 18th 1940, there have been 336 civilian deaths and 476 other casualties. Churchill continues reshuffling the military top commands. He appoints Field Marshal John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, the former BEF commander, Inspector of Training and the Home Guard. Sir Alan Brooke, new commander of the Home Guard, has full authority, so this is a meaningless post. However, Gort remains under consideration for posts with real authority, though not for anything critical. New Zealand
The Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Air Staff depart Auckland and head for Suva on HMS Achilles for conferences. Free France
New Hebrides Islands residents vote to join Charles de Gaulle's "New France." Vichy France
Vichy France installs Admiral Decoux as Governor General of French Indochina in place of General Catroux. This solidifies Vichy France control over this sensitive foreign possession. Netherlands under German occupation
In retaliation for the refusal of Dutch colonies to surrender, the Germans arrest Dutch leaders. Italian Homefront
The University of Rome seeks the return of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. British Homefront
New car sales are banned.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 21, 2019 8:01:28 GMT
Day 325 of World War II, July 21st 1940Battle of Britain Most of the Luftwaffe operations for the day were centered in the Channel and the Straits of Dover with convoys being the targets. A few isolated raids penetrated inland. In the morning, the Luftwaffe carried out shipping reconnaissance in the Channel and afterwards made two unsuccessful attacks on convoy "Peewit". Shortly after 0900 hours south of the Needles, bombers of KG 3 attacked the convoy “Peewit” with fighter escort provided by JG 27. The attack did little damage. One Spitfire was reported lost whilst on convoy patrol at about 0930 hours. At 1458 hours another raid was conducted on the “Peewit” convoy but the Ju 87 bombers aborted when three RAF fighter squadrons were dispatched to intercept the force. A Bf 109 was claimed shot down. At 1520 hours nine Bf 110s of V./LG 1 made their first sortie in the fighter-bomber role, participating in another dive attack on the “Peewit” convoy, still passing south of the Needles. A flight of RAF Hurricanes were sent to Portland to intercept the raiders and chased the fighter-bombers to the French coast. One Messerschmitt was damaged by a Hurricane and crash-landed at Theville, killing one of the crew. A Bf 109 from 7./JG 27 and a Hurricane from RAF No. 43 Squadron (P/O R.A.DeMancha in Hurricane P3973) were destroyed in a collision near the battle. Both aircarft crashed in sea 5m South of the Needles. Besides the convoy attacks, a few raids were made inland by the Luftwaffe. A flight of Bf 110s was bounced by Hurricanes and lost a Messerschmitt over Goodwood. The British also lost a Hawker Hector bi-plane to Bf 109 fighter-bombers near Old Sarum. The victorious Messerschmitt was then shot down by a fighter from RAF No. 238 Squadron. A Do 17 was shot down near Blandford by RAF Hurricanes. Again, Do 17s attacked shipping off the Scottish coast with one from 1/606 destroyed. Raids during the night were centered on the West Country area between the hours of 2330 and 0300 hours. Two raids went as far as Barrow-in-Furness and returned via Liverpool and over Yorkshire. Other isolated raids went over Leeds, Church Fenton, Tyneside, over Norfolk and Wiltshire. Bombs were reported to have been dropped in Tyneside, near Derby, Driffield and Hornsea, but no serious damage was reported. It was reported at 0520 hours that an unsuccessful attempt was made on a convoy off the Lincolnshire coast. Losses: Luftwaffe 7, Fighter Command 6 Photo: A Bf 110C-4 reconnaissance-fighter formerly of 4.(F)/14 that was forced down at Goodwood, England. It was subsequently repaired with parts salvaged from another crashed example. British Government
Churchill is at his country estate at Chequers during the morning and is reading through his daily intercepts (courtesy of the Enigma programme at Bletchley Park) when he spots a message to Berlin from the German ambassador in Washington. The ambassador is informing Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop that the British ambassador there, Lord Lothian, had discreetly enquired for Germany's terms for peace. Churchill is shocked. He supposedly is in charge of the government, and he has authorized no such thing. In the politics of the era, even opening discussions about "terms" is seen as a sign of weakness. Churchill, during the May cabinet crisis along similar lines, had emphatically shown himself to be against all peace initiatives. The British ambassador in Washington is freelancing, and Churchill decides to put a stop to it. Churchill springs into action. He tells Lord Halifax, in charge of the Foreign Office, that his ambassador to Washington is strictly forbidden to talk to the German ambassador at all. Churchill sends a telegram to Lord Lothian telling him the same thing, to stop all communication. Further investigation reveals that the communications between the two had been clandestine, through a US Quaker (pacifist) intermediary. Lord Lothian is popular and competent, but is acting outside his portfolio. Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command attacks oil installations at Rotterdam and Bremen, factories at Wismarj, Bremen, Rotenburg, Kassel, and airfields all along the Channel coast. Battle of the Atlantic
U-30 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp) stops 712 ton British timber freighter Ellaroy about 180 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Portugal at 16:00. After disembarking the crew, the U-boat sinks the freighter at 22:39. All 16 aboard survive after being picked up by passing Spanish trawler Felix Montenegro. The Luftwaffe sinks 2318 ton British freighter Terlings 10 miles southwest of St. Catherine's Point. There are 18 survivors, 10 crew perish. The Luftwaffe also damages Norwegian tankers Kollskegg and Nina Borthen in the same general area. British submarine HMS Rorqual lays mines off Cyrenaica en route to Alexandria. It also sinks Italian freighter Cello. Troopship Gibraltar departs from Gibraltar carrying evacuees headed to Madeira. Convoy OB 187 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 228 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 227 departs from the Tyne, Convoy HG 39 (18 ships) departs from Gibraltar. Battle of the Mediterranean
The Regia Aeronautica bombs and sinks 3600 ton Finnish freighter SS Whirl about 20 miles southwest of Malta. The 26 survivors (no casualties) reach the island and request asylum. At Malta, there are air raid alerts in the morning, with the the attackers driven off by anti-aircraft fire without any bombs being dropped. The Regia Aeronautica mounts many of these half-hearted attacks throughout the campaign. One Italian plane is damaged and presumed by the British to be lost. The RAF loses a Swordfish torpedo plane sent up to investigate the incident. A London flying boat sent later on the same mission spots the downed Italian bomber, but in turn is attacked by CR 42 fighters. The flying boat shoots one of the fighters down and escapes. Housing on Malta is growing short. Some residents return to their bombed-out homes near the harbor after finding nothing acceptable anywhere else. Romanian/Bulgarian Relations
Under pressure from Berlin, King Carol and the Romanian government cede Southern Dobrudja to Bulgaria. Tensions between Romania and its northern and southern neighbors are steadily brewing, but there is little that Romania can do about the situation - yet. Soviet/Baltic States Relations
With puppet governments in place, Molotov has them vote for a union with the USSR, to become sister Republics. The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republics are established. Latvian President Ulmanis tries to flee to Switzerland, but is apprehended by Soviet authorities and sent to Siberia. British/Czech Relations
The British grant official recognition to a provision Czech government-in-exile, headed by Dr. Edvard Benes as President and Jan Sramek as Prime Minister. Latin American Relations
Foreign Ministers of the 21 American Republics arrive in Havana, Cuba for the start of talks about regional political and economic cooperation. German Government
Hitler again mentions during an army (OKH) conference that the Soviet Union is a potential target at some point in the future. With Hitler's prestige enormous after the victory over France, nobody challenges him. Army Commander-in-chief Walther von Brauchitsch begins to work up some preliminary ideas for further discussion. During the conference, he states that England's situation is "hopeless" and that victory over the USSR would be "easy, easier than France." This can be considered the true start of planning for Operation Barbarossa. British Homefront
Evacuation of schoolchildren continues, today from Eastbourne. The children are being sent to what amount to boarding houses, with many children staying with the same families in the countryside. Parents visit as they can on weekends, but travel is difficult in wartime England.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 22, 2019 3:51:49 GMT
Day 326 of World War II, July 22nd 1940Battle of Britain A quiet day except for a few south coast shipping attacks and some coastal reconnaissance. In contrast to the previous day’s activity, the Luftwaffe conducted few raids over England outside of convoys attacks and a few inland raids. Most of the raids were aborted when the RAF sent up squadrons of fighters to intercept the raiders. One flight of bombers flew over the Sussex coast at a high altitude, preventing any RAF fighters from reaching them. No contact was made. Two Hurricanes of RAF No. 145 Squadron attacked a lone Do 17 off Selsey Bill and it crashed into the Channel after accurate firing from F/L Boyd and P/O Weir. Six German prisoners were killed, and eighteen injured, by high explosive bombs which fell on Duff House, Banff, at 0922 hours. The house was severely damaged. During the night, however, the number of raids significantly increased with mines being dropped on British ports along the south and east coasts and the Thames Estuary. Bombs fell in Banffshire, where casualties resulted, in the neighborhood of Edinburgh, and in the coastal areas of Kent, Suffolk, Essex and Monmouthshire. The Stab and I./KG 51 sent its Ju 88s to bomb the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton at 2230 hours. Margate had eight high explosive bombs at 2235 hours, one house being demolished. The electricity supply failed and gas mains were fractured. About 15-20 high explosive bombs fell near Manston aerodrome at 2230 hours. Bombs which fell on a farm at Skipsea (East Yorkshire) at 0145 hours, causing damage to electricity supply, were described as a. . . ". . .supposed new type containing petrol, paraffin and other oils."
During the night on an attack against Plymouth, Lt. Hajo Herrmann, flying a Ju 88 with III./KG 30, attempted to avoid several barrage balloons over the target. His evasive maneuver caused the bomber to lose airspeed and drop down onto one of the balloons. With both objects now falling together, Lt. Herrmann regained airspeed and managed to take-off from the balloon and continued his mission, dropping two mines in the area. At 1735hrs. P/O J.L.Bickerdike of RAF No. 85 Sqn (Martlesham Heath) in Hurricane P3895 was killed as he crashed on approach to Castle Camps satellite airfield. Destroyer HMS 'Beagle' reported destroying a German Junkers Ju 87 by pom-pom fire. Losses: Luftwaffe 1, Fighter Command 1. Photo: Ground crew attend to Spitfire Mk I GR-A after a landing accident at RAF Pembrey. The pilot was Sgt Ronald H "Ronnie" Fokes who returned from a night sortie when the port undercarriage leg collapsed. At the time, No 92 Squadron RAF used the code GR when based at the airfield and QJ when stationed at RAF Biggin Hill.
Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command sends Blenheim bombers of No.107 Squadron against Creil, France. Whitley bombers are sent against German targets. RAF No. 10 Squadron and No. 58 Squadron each send 8 bombers against the aircraft factory at Bremen. No. 51 Squadron sends 7 bombers against the Ruhr industrial region. Battle of the Atlantic
British submarine HMS Clyde mistakes HMS Truant for a U-boat and fires six torpedoes at it off Fejeosen, Norway. They all miss. British Grampus Class submarine HMS Narwhal is lost around this date somewhere off Trondheim. This apparently is done by a Dornier Do 17 of 1/Kü.Fl.Gr. 606 (Lt. Karl Müller). British trawler HMS Campina hits a mine and sinks off the Holyhead Breakwater Light, with ten crew lost. Convoy OA 188 departs from Methil, Convoy FN 229 departs from Southend, Convoy MT117 departs from Methil, Convoy FS228 departs from the Tyne, Convoy FS229 departs from the Tyne. Battle of the Mediterranean
At Malta, there are some air raid alerts during the night where the raider turns back without attacking. At 03:45, a few bombers attack Hal Far airfield and the Kalafrana area. A Short Sunderland Flying Boat attacks an Italian convoy, damaging some ships. Applied Science
A Blenheim 1F at the Fighter Interception Unit at Tangmere is fitted with Airborne Intercept (AI) Mk IV radar. This radar has a range of between 20,000 feet and 400 feet. While not an ideal night fighter, the Blenheim shoots down a Dornier Do 17 south of Brighton. This is Britain's first night fighter victory. British Government
Lord Halifax gets on BBC and broadcasts a rejection of Hitler's July 19th 1940 "Last Appeal to Reason," saying: No one here wants the war to go on for a day longer than is necessary. But we shall not stop fighting until freedom, for ourselves and others, is secure.
Having Halifax make the rejection is important internally, because he has been the leader of the faction that wants to at least open a dialogue with Hitler. Separately, the War Cabinet ratifies Neville Chamberlain's proposal to create a Special Operations Executive (SOE) force. The SOE is part of the Ministry for Economic Warfare under Hugh Dalton. The intent is to support partisan uprisings against Hitler's rule in Europe. General Bernard Montgomery takes over British V Corps. Photo: Matilda II tank of the Royal Tank Regiment, 1st Armoured Division, being transported aboard a flatbed railway wagon United States Government
Bantam submits its bid for the first military jeep, including blueprints. Much of it is assembled from existing off-the-shelf automotive parts, and the custom four-wheel drivetrain components are supplied by Spicer. The hand-built prototype was completed in Butler, Pennsylvania. Canada Great Britain is desperately in need of pilots, as its attrition rate in the Battle of Britain is becoming alarming. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan begins in Ontario, Canada. General Harry Crerar is appointed Chief of General Staff. Baltic States
People who refused to vote for the Soviet puppet government candidates are arrested. Latin America
The Havana Conference convenes in Havana, Cuba. The member nations discuss joint security and neutrality issues. US Secretary of State Cordell Hull proposes a collective trusteeship of colonies to prevent them from becoming a battleground. Light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL 46) reached Callao, Peru on its "Show the Flag" mission. Japan
More Jewish refugees fleeing Europe take the "back door route" through Japan to America. The Hikawa Maru leaves Yokohama bound for Seattle, Washington with 82 aboard. Fumimaro Konoe becomes Prime Minister again. Tojo is his War Minister and is a big advocate of an alliance with Nazi Germany. Vichy France
Immigrant Jews lose their French citizenship.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 23, 2019 3:53:49 GMT
Day 327 of World War II, July 23rd 1940Battle of Britain Again, despite the weather, few raids were conducted by the Luftwaffe. Mostly shipping off the East coast was targeted. Tactics changed on the 23rd, as the Channel was almost free of all shipping movements. Dowding had earlier suggested that convoys use the east coast route, go around the top of Scotland and head out into the Atlantic from there. The reason was that convoys were becoming to easy a target for the Luftwaffe conveniently positioned all along the French coast. The other advantage of this, was that any attacking bombers would not have the luxury of fighter escort as the distance would be too great from any of their bases. Although a number of convoys did enter the Atlantic via the Shetlands, convoys still navigated the Channel. While patrolling a convoy off Yarmouth in the early morning, Hurricanes reportedly shot down a Ju 86. A 'help' message from a convoy some distance off Lowestoft was received at about 0809 hours but only one bomb was reported to have been dropped from a great height. An inland raid by the Luftwaffe went as far as Kenley before approaching RAF fighters forced the formation to return to base. At 1120 hours six Luftwaffe aircraft bombed trawlers off North Foreland. Two RAF squadrons were dispatched but failed to find the bombers. In the afternoon at 1530 hours nine German bombers attacked a British naval ship near Harwich. No RAF fighters appeared. Ten minutes later RAF Spitfires shot down a Do 215 during a raid near Kinnaird’s Head. At 1640 hours a formation of Luftwaffe bombers dropped their loads on Pulham Market and evaded the intercepting RAF fighters by using the heavy cloud cover. Another raid over North Scotland was turned back when RAF fighters were sent to engage at 1800 hours. Luftwaffe activity at night was again at somewhat on a lesser scale and almost exclusively confined to coastal flights, presumably minelaying. The chief activity was along the east coast from Dover to the Tyne and Forth Estuary, with one or two raids as far north as Kinnaird's Head and considerably less concentration in the Thames Estuary and the South Coast. It was reported that one He111 was shot down for certain at 0040 hours by a Spitfire near Dunbar. Montrose aerodrome reported one HE bomb which fell in the landing ground at 0043 hours without causing damage or casualties. Losses: Luftwaffe 6, Fighter Command 0 - (the first day of the Battle proper when no British planes or pilots were lost.) YouTube (Air Drama Off The Coast (1940)
Battle of the Atlantic
British submarine HMS Narwhal sinks on or about this day. It is believed to have been sunk by a Dornier Do-17 flown by Lt. Karl Müller of 1/KF1Gr 606. Photo: HMS Narwhal as she was when she was still in service
The Luftwaffe also bombs British submarine HMS Truant in the North Sea but escapes any damage. British 305 ton freighter The Lady Mostyn hits a mine and sinks a couple of miles from the Formby Light Vessel. All aboard perish. Convoy FN 230 departs from Southend, Convoy MT 118 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 230 departs from the Tyne, Convoy HX 60 departs from Halifax. In addition, a Canadian troop convoy, TC.6, also departs from Halifax with a destroyer escort, with one troopship destined for Iceland and the rest Scotland and England. The troopships are Batory, Antonia, Monarch Of Bermuda, Sobieski, Duchess Of York and Samaria, escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS Assiniboine and Saguenay and British cruiser HMS Emerald. Former British submarine HMS Seal, which the Germans previously captured, is commissioned as U-B. Soviet submarine M-99 is commissioned. Battle of the Mediterranean
Force H, which includes aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruiser Enterprise and destroyers Escapade, Faulknor, Foresight, and Forester. The objective is an air assault on Bordeaux. The weather turns poor and the operation is scrubbed. At Malta, there are false air raid alerts during the day, but overnight the Italians raid Hal Far airbase and Kalafrana. Also at Malta, examination of downed Regia Aeronautica aircraft reveals that the Italians are using explosive bullets which have a detonator in the nose cap. Governor Dobbie sends a report to the War Office because such bullets - at least arguably - are prohibited by international treaties. US/Soviet Relations
The Baltic States missions to the US protest against their Soviet absorption. The US refuses to recognize the Soviet annexation (pursuant to local "votes") of the Baltic States. Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles applies the 1932 Stimson Doctrine, which states that the US is under no obligation to recognize territorial changes undertaken by force. There are numerous benefits to the Baltics of this position, such as protection of Baltic States foreign assets and the right to maintain diplomatic missions. In Estonia, the Soviet puppet assembly rubber-stamps the Soviet takeover, transforming the nation into a Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR). Hungary Local Nazis stage a pro-Nazi demonstration in Budapest. Spain Admiral Canaris, head of the German military intelligence service Abwehr, visits Madrid for consultations regarding the capture of Gibraltar. This, obviously, requires more than just military planning and any decision to do anything of the sort requires a Spanish war commitment. Czechoslovakia in Exile
Britain recognizes the Czech National Committee as the Provisional Czech Government and forms a military alliance with it. French Somaliland
The Vichy government continues replacing its administrators in colonies to prevent any more defections to the "Free French" of Charles de Gaulle. General Germain replaces Pro-Free French General Legentilhomme. League of Nations
The League continues its collapse into irrelevancy with the announcement from Geneva that Secretary-General Joseph Louis Anne Avenol intends to resign. Vichy French
The Vichy government states that former Prime Minister Daladier and three members of his Cabinet will be prosecuted for causing the war. British Homefront
Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood presents the Third War Budget. It raises the income tax 24% to 8/6 and imposes additional sin tax levies on beer, wine, tobacco products, furs, makeup, amusement businesses and similar non-essential goods. The Local Defense Volunteers officially is renamed the Home Guard, which Prime Minister Winston Churchill believes is a more descriptive name. The Germans have announced that they will shoot any civilians acting against their troops. American Homefront
The British are in desperate need of aircraft, so the British Purchasing Mission secures permission (Roosevelt must approve) to purchase up to 40% of U.S. aircraft production. The mission is headed by Scottish-Canadian Montreal businessman Arthur Purvis (head of Canadian Industries Ltd (CIL), who had performed essentially the same function during World War I. Purvis also wants destroyers and torpedo boats. However, Admiral Stark is adamantly opposed to raiding the US Navy destroyer inventory.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 24, 2019 3:47:58 GMT
Day 328 of World War II, July 24th 1940
YouTube (Nazi Press Threaten Invasion Is Near)
Battle of Britain
German bombing attacks took place at a number of British towns on the 24th. Houses were damaged in the usually quiet suburb of Walton-on-Thames, the aircraft factories at Weybridge were attacked as was Brooklands airfield by a Ju 88 pretending to come into land. The Ju 88 circled the airfield for seven minutes, finally lowering its undercarriage while following several British planes coming in to land. As the Junkers crossed over the airfield buildings, it dropped twelve bombs and flew off. Slight damage was caused. An early morning raid on shipping in the Bristol Channel by Ju88s resulted with a few ships damaged. Soon after Welsh-based RAF No. 92 Sqn. Spitfires (K9998, N3167, N3297)intercepted and engaged a Ju88 of KG51 over Porthcawl. The Junkers was later shot down by RAF No. 87 Sqn. P/O R.P. Beamont near Lynton, Devon. But the day will be remembered as the day that the seaside town of Margate had a grandstand view of the Battle of Britain. At 0755 hours, a German formation had been detected coming in from the German coast and heading towards a convoy in the Thames Estuary. Fighter Command scrambled RAF No. 54 Squadron (Spitfires) at 0815 hours to make an interception. RAF No. 64 Squadron (Spitfires) also intercepted. Six Spitfires of RAF No. 54 Squadron attacked a number of the Dorniers who were attacking the convoy in the Straits of Dover but the squadron had to break up to send a couple of flights to the Thames Estuary where another convoy was under attack, but they could claim no victories except to spoil the aim of the bombardiers on the Dorniers. No German aircraft were shot down, but RAF No. 54 Squadron had three Spitfires shot down by accurate gunfire from the Dorniers. At about 1100 hours, another Luftwaffe formation was detected heading for the Thames Estuary. 18 Do17s escorted by JG 52 along with JG 26 attemptted to bomb a convoy. Again, RAF No. 54 Squadron was dispatched. Thus ensued what RAF No. 54 Sqn called ‘The Battle of the Thames Estuary’. The British fighters were understrength as they split their force to attack the two German formations. A ship was forced to run for shallow water and RAF No. 54 Sqn had their ‘biggest fight since Dunkirk.’ So furious and confused was the fight over Margate that RAF No. 54 claimed 16 ‘109s. This day was the last day for 54 Sqn at Rochford - they had been there for a month and were to be posted back to Hornchurch. The Operational Record Book of 54 Sqn shows "B" Flight intercepted a formation of Do215s off Dover and Green Section under P/O Dorian Gribble managed to break up the formation forcing them to jettison their bombs and turn back across the Channel. Extract from the operational record book of 54 Sqn: 125 hrs: The whole squadron took part in what they termed as "The Battle of the Thames Estuary" when a whole convoy was attacked by 18 Do215s, two squadrons of Bf109s and unknown number of He113s. The squadron accounts for 2 destroyed (confirmed) by P/O Colin Gray and Sgt George Collet, and four destroyed (unconfirmed) by F/Lt Alan Deere, F/O Desmond McMullen, P/O Edward Coleman and P/O Douglas Turley-George. Eight enemy aircraft were claimed as probably destroyed by F/O Desmond McMullen (2), P/O Dorian Gribble (2), P/O Colin Gray, F/Sgt Phillip Tew and P/O Douglas Turley-George. Two were damaged by P/O Edward Coleman and P/O Henry Matthews. Sadly, P/O John Allen DFC was lost in this encounter when he was attacked by a Bf109 off the coast near Margate and was seen coming down with the engine of his aircraft stopped, although it appeared that he seemed to be in full control. Suddenly his engine came to life and he appeared to be making for a landing at Manston, but the engine cut again and he appeared to turn the aircraft in the direction of Foulness. The aircraft stalled over the coast and the Spitfire went into an uncontrollable spin. P/O Allen did not bale out, and the aircraft crashed in flames near the Olde Charles Inn at Cliftonville near Margate.On reaching the formation, F/L A.L. Deere leading one of the sections reported back to his sector controller that the formation consisted of about eighteen Do 17s and forty plus Bf 109s and requested immediate assistance. RAF No. 64 Squadron (Spitfires) was scrambled to assist as was RAF No.610 Squadron (Spitfires) that was based at Gravesend. A hectic battle followed, the Bf109s trying desperately to cover the Dorniers, but over the Thames Estuary, the Bf109s had to keep an eye on their fuel. The ensuing battle in the skies took place almost over the town of Margate. Dorniers diving low and pulling out at almost sea level attempting to avoid the Spitfires, almost touching the rooftops of seaside hotels, Spitfires being chased by Bf 109s weaved about in all directions in the sky above. The Messerschmitts were from JG 26 flying from their new bases in France. Their first mission would end disastrously. III./JG 26, under strength with only ten Bf 109s, was to sweep ahead of the bombers while III./JG 26 would be the close escorting flight. II./JG 26 aborted the mission when the nine Spitfires of RAF No. 610 Squadron appeared. The Bf 109s from III Gruppe followed and engaged RAF No. 54 Squadron and RAF No. 65 Squadron. A Bf 109 of 8./JG 26 was shot down by one of the Spitfires and its pilot, Lt. Josef Schauff baled out but his parachute failed to open and his pilotless aircraft smashed into a quiet avenue in residential Margate. Another Bf 109 of III./JG 26 was hit and had to make a forced landing just outside the town. The pilot, Oblt. Werner Bartels, the popular Third Gruppe Technical Officer was seriously injured and taken prisoner. His Bf 109E-1 was salvaged by the British and used by the Red Cross in England for fund raising the next several years. A Spitfire of RAF No. 54 Squadron was hit by gunfire from a Bf 109 and nearly crashed into the town centre of Margate, but the pilot managed to regain a little height and clear the township, but crashed in a ball of flame at nearby Cliftonville. Two other Spitfires, both from RAF No. 54 Squadron crashed after being hit by gunfire from German fighters. Pilot Officer Allen (R6812) engaged a 109 near Margate, then his engine stopped. When it came to life again he attemptted to reach RAF Manston, but instead his aircraft spun in and crashed on an electricity sub-station in Omer Road, Cliftonville. Sergeant G.R. Collett (N3192) chased a Bf109 for a considerable distance, only to run out of fuel and crash at Sizewell, Suffolk. JG 26 lost three pilots. Lt. Josef Schauff, Oblt. Werner Bartels and Hptm. Erich Noack, Gruppenkommandeur of II Gruppe. Karl Ebbinghausen was promoted to Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26 in place of Oblt. Noack, who crashed while attempting to land back at Marquise. Three Dorniers were shot down over the Estuary. III./JG 52 lost four aircraft, including that of the Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm. Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald, who was killed attempting to land at Marquis-East. The total German losses for this action were three fighters from JG 26, one from III./JG 27 and four from III./JG 52. Another Messerschmitt from 5./JG 51 was written off after returning to St. Inglevert damaged. It was a disastrous period for the Luftwaffe. Four days earlier, Major Riegel Gruppe Kommandeur of I/JG 27 was killed, as was Staffelkapitaen Oblt Keidel of 8/JG 52, then Major Werner Molders was shot down, and severely wounded and was hospitalized for over a month. Off Dover at 1727 hours three German bombers attacked ships in the Channel. Fighters from RAF No. 74 Squadron shot down one Do 215 off Manston. The British lost two Spitfires and two trawlers were sunk. Poor weather at night curtails most activity. Searchlight crews illuminated one He 111 which fired back upon their sites at New Brighton. That, or another He-111 was then illuminated again and held for three minutes. Coastguards at Hoylake and Formby Point independently claimed that it crashed into the sea as a result of dazzle. A low-flying single He-111 dropped HE and incendiaries onto Glasgow’s Hillington Industrial Estate, damaging a printing works, a sugar and oil cake factory and injuring 18 people. Losses: Luftwaffe 13: Fighter Command 3. Photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mark Is of No. 610 Squadron based at Biggin Hill, flying in 'vic' formation Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command sends in another attack against the incomplete Tirpitz at Wilhelmshaven. 14 Whitley bombers cause no damage to the ship. There are other raids on the usual nearby targets such as Emden and Hamburg. Battle of the Atlantic
Finnish freighter Trio (1451 tons) hits a mine near Borkum and sinks. Everybody survives. Convoy FN 231 departs Southend, Convoy MT 119 departs Methil, Convoy FS 231 departs from the Tyne. German raider Widder takes on supplies from aptly named freighter Rekum. The Kriegsmarine continues its minelaying operations in the North Sea which the Admiralty on 23 July thought was an invasion force. U-139 is commissioned. 1,277 French Navy sailors captured by the British on July 3rd departed Southampton, England, aboard French passenger liner “Meknes” for Marseilles in southern France for repatriation. At 2230 hours, flying the French flag and with lights on to indicate neutrality, German torpedo boat S-27 fired a torpedo at the French ship off the northern Brittany coast in the English Channel, killing 416. British destroyers HMS “Viscount”, HMS “Wolverine”, HMS “Sabre”, and HMS “Shikari” rescued the survivors. To explain torpedoing, the German government will assert that the departure of the steamer had not been officially notified by the British authorities. Battle of the Mediterranean
Liner Celio (3864 tons) hits a mine and sinks about 10 miles off the eastern Libyan coast. The mine had been laid by British submarine HMS Rorqual on 21 July. The situation on Malta is growing critical, so the Admiralty sets in motion a convoy to reinforce the dwindling fighter defenses on the island. Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Argus sets off from Portland carrying a dozen Hurricane fighters, accompanied by destroyers Gallant and Greyhound, bound for Gibraltar. There, the plan is for them to rendezvous with other ships to form Convoy Hurry bound for Malta. They will bring only the most urgently needed supplies, as they face air attacks from Vichy France and Italy, as well as Italian submarine and surface vessel attacks. Separately, supply ships set out to make the long trip around Africa to Suez. Aside from the very few and highly risky missions "up the gut" through the Pillars of Hercules, all supplies sent to Malta take the long route, which takes weeks. On the island itself, there are some minor attacks on Grand Harbour which cause no damage because, as is often the case, the Italian pilots simply drop their bombs in the sea and then scramble for home. Elsewhere, the RAF bombs Bardia and Macaaca, causing damage to infrastructure. PalestineThe Italians bomb Haifa again. The objective is British oil refineries. Four civilians perish because the bombers miss their target and hit houses instead. Kenya South Africa increases its war presence by shipping the 1st Infantry Brigade to Mombasa. Romanian Government
Romania nationalizes Royal Dutch/Shell Oil Company) subsidiary Astra-Romana Oil Company on the flimsy excuse that it has not been transparent about its production. British Government
Member of Parliament Will Thorpe raises perhaps the most novel approach for ending the war ever proposed. During the Minister's Question Time, Thorpe remarks that the war would end quickly once "Hitler married a sensible woman." Eva Braun may be thinking the same thing, and, in point of fact.... Winston Churchill finally lifts the media ban on the sinking of the Lancastria of June 17th 1940. In that action, some 1,738 people were killed (sources vary) during the evacuation from France, one of the greatest naval disasters in Royal Navy history. Until now, there only have been rumors, fed by the increasingly obvious absence of the victims. Now, there is certainty, and many sad relatives who at least now have closure.
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Jul 24, 2019 15:02:43 GMT
Day 328 of World War II, July 24th 1940
Battle of Britain
..... But the day will be remembered as the day that the seaside town of Margate had a grandstand view of the Battle of Britain. At 0755 hours, a German formation had been detected coming in from the German coast and heading towards a convoy in the Thames Estuary. Fighter Command scrambled RAF No. 54 Squadron (Spitfires) at 0815 hours to make an interception. RAF No. 64 Squadron (Spitfires) also intercepted. Six Spitfires of RAF No. 54 Squadron attacked a number of the Dorniers who were attacking the convoy in the Straits of Dover but the squadron had to break up to send a couple of flights to the Thames Estuary where another convoy was under attack, but they could claim no victories except to spoil the aim of the bombardiers on the Dorniers. No German aircraft were shot down, but RAF No. 54 Squadron had three Spitfires shot down by accurate gunfire from the Dorniers...... Off Dover at 1727 hours three German bombers attacked ships in the Channel. Fighters from RAF No. 74 Squadron shot down one Do 215 off Manston. The British lost two Spitfires and two trawlers were sunk. Poor weather at night curtails most activity. Searchlight crews illuminated one He 111 which fired back upon their sites at New Brighton. That, or another He-111 was then illuminated again and held for three minutes. Coastguards at Hoylake and Formby Point independently claimed that it crashed into the sea as a result of dazzle. A low-flying single He-111 dropped HE and incendiaries onto Glasgow’s Hillington Industrial Estate, damaging a printing works, a sugar and oil cake factory and injuring 18 people. Losses: Luftwaffe 13: Fighter Command 3.
Lordroel
Sorry but those numbers don't seem to add up? Don't really count the losses but given that the FC losses reported were so low and 54th squadron's early losses rather highlighted it.
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 24, 2019 15:05:55 GMT
Day 328 of World War II, July 24th 1940
Battle of Britain
..... But the day will be remembered as the day that the seaside town of Margate had a grandstand view of the Battle of Britain. At 0755 hours, a German formation had been detected coming in from the German coast and heading towards a convoy in the Thames Estuary. Fighter Command scrambled RAF No. 54 Squadron (Spitfires) at 0815 hours to make an interception. RAF No. 64 Squadron (Spitfires) also intercepted. Six Spitfires of RAF No. 54 Squadron attacked a number of the Dorniers who were attacking the convoy in the Straits of Dover but the squadron had to break up to send a couple of flights to the Thames Estuary where another convoy was under attack, but they could claim no victories except to spoil the aim of the bombardiers on the Dorniers. No German aircraft were shot down, but RAF No. 54 Squadron had three Spitfires shot down by accurate gunfire from the Dorniers...... Off Dover at 1727 hours three German bombers attacked ships in the Channel. Fighters from RAF No. 74 Squadron shot down one Do 215 off Manston. The British lost two Spitfires and two trawlers were sunk. Poor weather at night curtails most activity. Searchlight crews illuminated one He 111 which fired back upon their sites at New Brighton. That, or another He-111 was then illuminated again and held for three minutes. Coastguards at Hoylake and Formby Point independently claimed that it crashed into the sea as a result of dazzle. A low-flying single He-111 dropped HE and incendiaries onto Glasgow’s Hillington Industrial Estate, damaging a printing works, a sugar and oil cake factory and injuring 18 people. Losses: Luftwaffe 13: Fighter Command 3. Lordroel Sorry but those numbers don't seem to add up? Don't really count the losses but given that the FC losses reported were so low and 54th squadron's early losses rather highlighted it.
Steve
Seems you are right stevep, again this comes from a source i use online, seems i have to check the numbers better before i post.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 25, 2019 3:52:51 GMT
Day 329 of World War II, July 25th 1940Battle of Britain Luftwaffe activity by day was again concentrated with attacks on shipping and convoys in the Channel as the Germans now had some radar on the French coast. The weather had improved enough during the early morning for German Stuka and E-boat attacks on a convoy working its way through the Dover Straits. Newly installed radar and wireless intercept stations at Wissant allowed Oberst Fink to track and hit the convoys at their most vulnerable. By early morning he had ordered his planes aloft. The first attack was a formation of sixty Ju 87s of II./StG 1 and IV(Stuka)./LG 1 in three waves vectored on the Channel convoy CW8 "Peewit" followed by flights of forty or more aircraft. Defence rested with AA gunners, Dover Site D1 claiming a JU87 before frantic calls brought along Spitfires of 54 Sqn and 65 Sqn upon which a hoard of Bf109s pounced. But the Luftwaffe changed its tactics when it sent strong fighter formations forward to sweep the target of British fighters before the bombers arrived. Each wave of Stukas was escorted forward by one Gruppe of fighters from JG 26. The escorting Bf 109's came in at sea level to meet the Spitfires and Hurricanes while the Ju 87 Stukas came out of the sky the dive bomb the convoy. Starting at 1127 hours the convoy was off Dover harbour and the target of the attacking Luftwaffe aircraft. RAF No. 54 Sqd with five Spitfires was on patrol over Dover when the first German formation appeared over the convoy. RAF No. 54 Sqn. called this ‘Black Thursday’. Diving to attack the Stukas, the Spitfires were immediately set upon by Messerschmitts from Major Adolf Galland's III Gruppe. Like the previous day, RAF No.54 Squadron was to suffer badly, but with one Spitfire to every five Bf 109's, they were lucky not to lose more than three aircraft. The small British flight was overwhelmed and one Spitfire was shot down by Major Galland. Waiting for the Stukas to come out of their dives were Spitfires from RAF No. 64 Squadron. The Spitfires managed to engage the Stuka formation as they came out of their dives and shot down two Ju 87s of II./StG 1 before the Bf 109s of 7./JG 26 intercepted. The RAF lost a total of five Spitfires at no loss to JG 26. RAF No. 54 Sqn’s ‘B’ Flight Commander, Flt. Lt. BH Way, was killed. Oblt. Georg Beyer's 7./JG 26 claimed four Spitfires without loss. RAF No.32 Squadron (Hurricanes) and RAF No.615 Squadron (Hurricanes) came in to assist the sea level dogfight against the fifty Bf 109's but with no luck. Plt. Off. V.G.Draw of 32 Sqn mixed with six Bf 109s received leg wounds and force landed a badly damaged P3677. The fighter sweeps succeeded as the Stukas arrived over the convoy mostly unmolested. It was a disaster for the convoy as they were pounded by heavy guns from the French mainland as well. Eleven merchant coal ships out of twenty-one were sunk and another seven were damaged in the Straits as well as two Royal Navy destroyers, HMS 'Boreas' and HMS 'Brilliant'. The two destroyers, along with two motor torpedo boats, had left Dover to attack E-boats leaving Boulogne. Ju87s dive-bombed the destroyers which were also the targets of shore-based artillery from the French coast. HMS 'Boreas' was hit and called for smoke and tugs. Both damaged destroyers headed back for Dover, whose No.4 LAA gunsite claimed a Stuka. More Spitfires of 54 and 64 Sqns tried to protect the warships, along with Hurricanes of RAF No. 56 Sqn even though they were challenged by over 100 enemy aircraft. Just as the destroyers came under further attack RAF No. 610 Sqns Spitfires arrived to bag two Bf 109s and damage several more without loss. At 1430 hours, with the convoy only just past Folkestone, the Luftwaffe sent another forty Ju 88s with an escort of over fifty Bf 109s to make a final attack on the convoy. Only eight Spitfires of RAF No.64 Squadron were scrambled to meet the ninety German fighters and bombers, along with twelve Spitfires of RAF No.54 Squadron and a flight of Hurricanes from RAF No.111 Squadron. The Hurricanes and Spitfires were vastly outnumbered by five to one, almost impossible odds, but the RAF pilots were equal to the task. When the eight Spitfires of 64 Sqn arrived they faced 30 Ju 88s of III./KG 4 accompanied by more than 50 Bf 109s. Three more 64 Sqn Spitfires arrived along with 12 Hurricanes of RAF No. 111 Sqn. Despite engaging the bombers they could not prevent the sinking of two more ships. One Spitfire was lost. Flt. Sgt. Franklin, manoeuvring extremely low in N3164 caused a Bf109 to plunge into the sea. The tactic here was to meet the bombers head on at full throttle then as they dispersed they pulled upwards to meet the oncoming Bf 109's. The tactic worked, and both fighters and bombers withdrew. With RAF No.64 Squadron and RAF No.111 Squadron returning to refuel, the German formation, strengthened by another staffel circled and returned to the convoy. Here they sank a further five merchantmen and seriously damaged four others. Only two out of twenty-one ships of convoy 'CW 8' were to reach their destination of Portland. Fw. Bernhard Eberz of 9./JG 26 was shot down, the only loss of the day for the Geschwader. Other Geschwader were not so lucky. In the convoy battle off Folkestone, the Jagdwaffe lost six warplanes, one from III./JG 27 and four from III./JG 52, who lost its newly appointed Staffelkapitän of the day before, Wilhelm Keidel who had a total of five victories. The sixth fighter was a Bf 109E-4 from 5./JG 51 which was so badly damaged returning to St. Inglevert that it was written off. After this days fighting, RAF No. 54 Squadron Hornchurch headed north for a brief rest. They had been constantly in action for the past three weeks, had flown in excess of 800 flying hours, had 506 operational sorties to their credit, had lost five experienced pilots and had twelve of their aircraft destroyed. The last of the raids began at 1930 hours when several flights of twelve to thirty aircraft flying at 15 minute intervals attacked another convoy off Dover. The British lost four Spitfires to the Messerschmitts of JG 51 during the activity over the Dover straits with the British claiming fourteen Luftwaffe aircraft shot down. The four Spitfire kills were credited to Uffz. Paul Obst, Hptm. Walter Oesau, Hptm. Horst Tietzen and Lt. Hans-Otto Lessing of the II Gruppe of JG 51. Earlier two Luftwaffe flights of thirty and twelve aircraft approached Portsmouth then turned toward Portland. At 10:40 Ju87s of III./StG1 tried to attack Portland but were intercepted by three squadrons of RAF fighters, six German bombers were shot down along with a RAF Spitfire. A Stuka from III./StG 1 was shot down off Cherbourg after being chased across the Channel. Another Stuka was badly damaged in the same encounter. Two raids of single German aircraft resulted in a RAF Hurricane being shot down by a Ju 88 which in turn was itself destroyed by other British fighters. The aircraft in the other solitary flight was destroyed by anti-aircraft fire. RAF No.32 Sqn Hurricanes joined RAF No. 615 Sqn in another battle. RAF No.152 Sqn destroyed a Do 17M west of Eastfleet and a Ju 87. By night, several raids started from the Cherbourg district and crossed the coast of Dorset en-route for the Bristol Channel and South Wales but no bombing has been reported from this area. AA claim an German aircraft shot down in flames near Milford Haven. There was considerable minelaying activity in the Firth of Forth (where some 28 were also dropped into the sea) and the Newcastle area. Harwich and Lowestoft were also visited by raiders, bombs being dropped at Bungay (Norfolk) and near Harlestown. Minelaying was also being carried out in the Thames Estuary and the Downs by approximately ten aircraft. Photo: Blenheim Mk IFs of No. 25 Squadron at Martlesham Heath. The foreground aircraft is equipped with AI Mk III radar. The squadron was used for night fighter operations. Air war over Europe
RAF Bomber Command raids northwest Germany and Holland, including Hamburg and the Ems canal. Battle of the Atlantic
German battleship “Gneisenau” completed its torpedo damage repairs and departed Trondheim, Norway for Kiel, Germany for more thorough repairs. She was escorted by cruiser “Nürnberg” and destroyers “Galster”, “Lody”, “Jacobi”, and “Ihn”. Torpedo boats “Luchs”, “Jaguar”, “Kondor”, “Iltis”, and T.5 would join the convoy overnight near Stavanger, Norway. Convoy SL 41 departs from Freetown. Battle of the Mediterranean
The Italian Regia Aeronautica attacks Alexandria and Haifa. Convoy Hurry, the plan to ferry a dozen Hurricane fighters to Malta, is now projected to reach the vicinity of the island on 31 July. Submarines HMS Pandora and Proteus will bring in supplies need by the planes. On Malta, it is a quiet day with no air raids. Governor Dobbie appoints Lt Col Vella of King’s Own Malta Regiment to the position of Administrative Command of all Maltese infantry and volunteers. This new position is designed to integrate Maltese peoples into the armed forces. German/Romanian Relations
Hitler meets with the Romanian Premier and Foreign Minister at Berchtesgaden. German/Italian Relations
Hitler agrees to allow Italian planes to participate in the Battle of Britain, which does not really seem necessary at this point as the battle is going reasonably well. German Government
Nazi Economics Minister Walther Funk gives a long speech entitled "The Economic Reorganization of Europe." It revolves around the idea of a "Greater Europe" which he admits "does not yet actually exist." He discusses a European currency union (led by Germany) free from any gold standard and notes that the "raw material situation of Greater Germany has improved immensely during the war." The Reichsmark will be the dominant currency, with all other currencies tied to it by fixed exchange rates. In fact, Germany already is doing this with Vichy France on draconian exchange rate terms. Many of Funk's ideas sound quite similar to the later European Economic Community. It is an optimistic speech that looks forward to a seemingly early end to the war, which is the prerequisite for any of his ideas actually happening. The underpinning of the entire idea, however, is, as William Shirer points out, that the "Germans will abandon the gold standard and substitute their worthless Reichsmark, making US gold reserve useless." US Government
The government ratchets up the pressure on the Japanese by banning the export of oil and scrap metal without license. The Americas and Great Britain are excluded from this ban. This measure removes a major source of Japanese oil imports, and there are very tempting oil fields just to the south. Heavy cruisers USS Wichita (CA 45, Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens) and USS Quincy (CA 39) depart Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for Bahia, Brazil on their "Show the flag" mission. British Government
The RAF announces that it has made over 1000 raids into occupied Europe since the start of the war. Photo: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, Royal Armoured Corps, parade with their new Standard Beaverette reconnaissance cars Free French
Philippe de Hauteclocque aka Captain Leclerc joins the Free French in London. Switzerland Commander of the Swiss military General Henri Guisan vowed that Switzerland would defend against any German or Italian invasion. General Guisan addresses all Army officers on the Ruetli Meadow - the birthplace of Swiss independence in 1307 - and exhorts them to be ready, at a moment's notice, to defend Swiss independence and liberties. Luxembourg The Royal Family arrives at the Navy Academy in Annapolis, Maryland aboard the USS Trenton (CL 11).
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 26, 2019 7:23:17 GMT
Day 330 of World War II, July 26th 1940 Battle of Britainhe weather was disastrous. Low dark cloud and heavy rain all over Britain made any flying almost an impossibility, but still the Luftwaffe persisted with spasmodic bombing attacks by Fliegerkorps VIII. But of the raids that were conducted, most were aborted when RAF fighters were sent to intercept. Their targets were Channel shipping south of the Isle of Wight. At 0603 hours a single German plane succeeded in evading any RAF fighters and bombed Mayfield and Hastings. A number of bombs were dropped and casualties were recorded. At 0900 hours, three raids of more than twenty-one aircraft each approached Swanage. At 0945 hours a formation of Bf 109s flying off the Isle of Wight were bounced by Hurricanes of RAF No. 601 Squadron and although several Messerschmitts were damaged, they managed to destroy one of the British fighters, a Hurricane flown by P/O P.Challoner-Lindsey, the only casualty for the RAF. Another flown by F/O J.H. Riddle was damaged by gunfire but managed to return to base. RAF No. 601 Squadron managed to shoot down two German bombers. Around noon a flight of some twenty Luftwaffe aircraft approached Portland but as in the other actions, the bombers turned and retreated when RAF fighters were dispatched. RAF No. 238 Sqn. tangled with JG 27 off Portland. A Bf 109 from 2./JG 27 was caught and shot down south of Portland by a Hurricane of Flt. Lt. S.C. The German pilot, Fw. Günther Böer, went missing in action. Plt. Off. Goodman in a Hurricane downed a Bf 109 of III./JG 27. Even though the morning raids produced negative results, the Luftwaffe tried one more time for the day with a large raid. At 1530 hours several formations of about fifty aircraft headed to the Isle of Wight. Three RAF fighter patrols flying at between 10,000 and 20,000 feet went for the formations. The German flight split and returned to friendly airspace. One flight did manage to continue to the coast at Dungeness where fighters from RAF No. 65 Squadron shot down a Bf 109 off Dover. Another Luftwaffe raid attempted at 1848 hours with a flight of more than twenty-four aircraft made it nearly to Portland before breaking up and returning to Cherbourg. Three steamers were sunk in the Channel and the motor-lifeboats 'Rosa Woodd' and 'Phyllis Lunn' went out after survivors. RAF No 92 Squadron whilst on patrol off the Pembroke coast at 1700 hours, claimed to have shot down one Ju 88 (unconfirmed). Despite the day’s failures, the night brought new opportunities. Numerous raids by either single aircraft or a few bombers were conducted all over the English countryside. At 2100 hours He 111s of II./KG 55 managed to defy the weather and attacked the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton again along with a raid on Bristol itself. Again shipping in the Channel was recorded to have been hit as well as some land based areas. At 2128 hours a single bomber dropped its load on Kent and Essex before crashing into the sea of Brightlingsea. Several minelaying operations were conducted in the Thames Estuary between Deal and Harwich. Bombs fell for the first time on Brentwood, Essex. RAF No. 1 Squadron replaced 43 Sqn. at Tangmere. The first R.C.A.F. Squadron arrived in Britain equipped with Canadian built Hurricane's. The Admiralty issued an order prohibiting the passage off Dover by ships during daylight hours. Air Intelligence reported that the RAF's night bombing of Germany was most effective and was worrying the German High Command. It was also reported from another source that the RAF raids were causing serious damage. The Germans were stated to be considerably worried by these raids and RAF delayed action bombs were particularly unpopular. Although not really achieving the desired effect - destruction of prime targets - Bomber Command's early venture into bombing Germany would have a completely different and welcome result in the near future. Photo: Refuelling and rearming No.601 Squadron Hawker Hurricanes at RAF Tangmere, 1940. Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command sends a risky daylight raid against the Dortmund power station. Operations during the daylight hours are more precise, but they invite fighter interception and more accurate anti-aircraft fire. Today, though, the weather is so poor that it is almost like bombing at night anyway. Not much damage is done. Other RAF raids are launched on airfields in Holland at Amsterdam/Schiphol and Waalhaven. Attacks are made on Hamm and Ludwigshafen. Night raids are launched on ports such as Cherbourg, St. Nazaire, and Nantes. RAF Bomber Command sends a dozen planes on minelaying operations during the night. The Axis raids Gibraltar during the night without causing much damage at all. Air Intelligence reports that the German high command is concerned about RAF raids on Germany because they are causing substantial damage. Delayed action bombs also are causing concern. Battle of the Atlantic
The convoy escorting the partially repaired Gneisenau back to Kiel is rounding Stavanger, Norway when it is spotted by British submarine HMS Thames. It fires a torpedo at the ship that instead hits torpedo boat Luchs which unexpectedly crosses in between at extremely close range to the submarine, blowing it up. The Thames is never heard from again, and is assumed to have been destroyed by depth charges or by hitting a mine shortly after this incident. Another possibility is that the nearby explosion of the torpedo itself caused some kind of damage to the submarine, or the sinking Luchs fell on it. U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) sinks 9,337 ton British liner Accra about 320 miles west of Ireland at 14:47. There are 465 survivors and 35 perish. The Accra is with Convoy OB 188, so picking up the survivors happens quickly. U-34 also torpedoes 4,359 ton British freighter Vinemoor in the same convoy. Everybody on board, 32 crew, survives, and the ship is wrecked and sinks on the 27th. British 1,189 ton cargo ship Haytor strikes a mine in the North Sea and sinks. Convoy OA 190 departs from Methil, Convoy OG 39 departs from Liverpool. Battle of the Mediterranean
The RAF bombs the Italian airfield at Derna, Libya, damaging or destroying half a dozen aircraft. The Italians bomb Mersa Matruh, causing four casualties, and armoured cars at Sidi Rezegh. A raid on Malta at 02:37 causes damage at Valletta, Grand Harbour, Marsa Creek, Kirkop, and Ta Silch. The bombs hit a power station which puts the local electrical supply out of operation. At Malta, hotels now are advertising that passersby may shelter in them during air raids. The Italian Stefani news agency asserts that Malta has been destroyed as a British military base, though it remains active as an air base. Photo: officers of the 11th Hussars use a parasol to give shade during a halt, while out patrolling on the Libyan frontier. The vehicle is a Morris CS9 armoured car. Germany
German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop remains hopeful that he can use the Duke and Duchess of Windsor as pawns in negotiations with the British. Under orders from Hitler, he dispatches SS officer Walter Schellenberg to the neutral city of Lisbon, Portugal to see if the pair, who have refused Ribbentrop's attempts to have them return to German voluntarily, can be kidnapped. Schellenberg hopes to lure the couple back to Fascist Spain, where presumably Franco will play along and arrest them on some pretext. Schellenberg begins spreading rumors that the British secret service has orders to kill the couple due to their pro-Nazi leanings. The Duke and Duchess are staying near Estoril while they await passage to the Duke's new posting as Governor-General of the Bahamas. They are in a villa owned by the banking brothers, Espirito Santos. They have been travelling in a small party of three cars, a trailer and a truck. It is unclear at this point if the Royal Navy will send a destroyer to take them, or they will fly the Clipper. Their presence in Portugal is well-known around the world and news of them appears in society pages everywhere. German/Romanian Relations
Hitler concludes his talks with the Romanian Premier and Foreign Minister, who then leave for Rome to see Mussolini. A topic of conversation is two Romanian tankers detained in Port Said by the British. Hitler also advises them to give Hungary the territory it wants. German/Bulgarian Relations
Next on Hitler's diplomatic list are the Bulgarian Premier and Foreign Minister, who arrive in Salzburg ready to make the drive up to Berchtesgaden. League of Nations
Joseph Avenol, the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, resigned from his post. Soviet Government
General Golikov becomes Deputy Chief of the General Staff (Stavka), while General Nikolai Vatutin becomes Head of the Operations Directorate. British Government
Home Guard chief Sir Alan Brooke confides that he is growing pessimistic about the prospects of heading off an invasion. The power of the Royal Navy, in his opinion, diminishes greatly in value as the Luftwaffe becomes more ascendant. Brooke, of course, is right. The feasibility of a successful German landing with the forces available is probably at its height during this period. However, on the German side, Hitler's preconditions for Operation Sea Lion as set forth in his Fuhrer Directive of 16 July are not being met. Those preconditions, such as sealing off the English Channel with mines, are extremely unrealistic in any event, but they underscore the fact that nobody in the Wehrmacht really wants to make the attempt. One problem is that the German invasion plan envisages a landing where the British are strongest, in the south, rather than in the north where perhaps Scapa Flow could be neutralized with a quick assault and a sustainable beachhead grabbed nearby. At the heart of the matter, Hitler's complete ignorance about naval operations and unbridled German pessimism about the Kriegsmarine's abilities is the ultimate barrier to any attempt. It is easier to simply punt and wait for the completion of the battleships Tirpitz and the Bismarck and perhaps the aircraft carriers, with the shaky assumption that they will make a difference, rather than risk everything on a weak navy and a Luftwaffe which is showing distinct weaknesses operating over the Channel. Meanwhile, the British are scrambling successfully to upgrade their defenses with each passing day, though the RAF's attrition remains a serious matter. Australia The government forms the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS). Japan Prime Minister Konoye announces a new, more aggressive policy. He plans to step up efforts to isolate China from supply. Konoye also focuses on the Dutch East Indies to replace the oil and metal supplies denied to Japan by President Roosevelt's ban on such exports to Japan of the 25th. China The Japanese have been so successful at cutting off supply routes over the Himalayas and through French Indochina that the Nationalists resort to trading with the Soviet Union. This requires using pack mules and camels to cross the roadless deserts. Latin America: Light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL 46) departs from Callao, Peru, ending its "Show the Flag" mission. It returns to base.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 27, 2019 14:17:53 GMT
Day 331 of World War II, July 27th 1940
YouTube (No Deal... Herr Hitler)
Battle of Britain
The summer of 1940 was as unpredictable as ever, as again the weather partially cleared although the cloud base remained over the English Channel. Fliegerkorps VIII again made attacks along the southern coast against shipping and naval units in the Straits and Dover harbour along with continued attacks on the convoy “Bacon”. Beginning at 0945 hours, elements of Richthofen's Fliegerkorps VIII attacked the convoy off Swanage while two convoys near the Estuary were raided. The destroyers HMS 'Montrose' and HMS "Wren " of the 18th Destroyer Flotilla were escorting six minesweeper trawlers off Aldeburgh when they were attacked by He 111 aircraft from KG 53. The "Wren " was sunk about 20 nautical miles east of Aldeburgh and 'Montrose' was damaged. RAF No.609 Squadron was ordered to the Portland area to cover the convoy off the coast. One Bf 109 and one Ju 87 was shot down by Hurricanes of RAF Nos. 145 and 238 Squadrons respectively and another Ju 87 limped away to the south trailing smoke. RAF No.609 Squadron lost one aircraft in the combat off the coast at Weymouth, the Spitfire being credited to Oblt. Gerhart Framm of 2./JG 27. Spitfires of RAF No 234 Squadron shot down one Ju 88 (unconfirmed) off Land's End.
Dover was attacked by two separate raids with four bombs falling in the harbour and five dropping on the barracks buildings. During this second attack, the destroyer HMS "Codrington" was sunk and destroyer "Walpole" alongside the depot ship "Sandhurst" in Dover Harbour was badly damaged. With the navy losing three destroyers this day, the Admiralty decided to withdraw all naval ships from Dover and cease using the harbour as an advanced base. Although Fighter Command was now released from the burden of protecting the destroyers, based there for anti-invasion operations, it was to place a further burden on the RAF as they would have to provide additional protection of the Channel convoys though the Straits, something that Dowding and Park did not want to do. But with convoys having no destroyer protection the task was handed to the RAF. Dover itself was being hit so badly that the Air Ministry issued instructions that Fighter Command was to engage any German formations approaching the port with superior forces whenever possible. To manage this, fighter squadrons in the south-east were ordered to increase to 28 and Fighter Command was to make more use of Hawkinge and Manston.
One of the Dover attacks during the day was carried out by six Bf 109s carrying bombs on centre-section racks. This was the first report of Bf 109s being used in the Jabo role. They crossed the Straits and dropped bombs which caused damage to dock equipment. RAF Fighters chased the German aircraft towards France but did not make contact.
As the afternoon progressed the weather deteriorated and the British fighters patrolling over the convoy "Agent" were recalled. One of the last raids of the day was an attack on the city of Belfast. Five raids of one aircraft each were reported off the east coast of Scotland and the Orkneys.
At 1602 hours, one raid of 6+ Luftwaffe aircraft flew towards Dungeness, turned west and bombed a steamer (which was damaged) off Sandgate. At 1730 hours, three RAF Squadrons were sent up to patrol the Dover area and RAF No 41 Squadron shot down one He 113 (?) (confirmed) and RAF No 615 Squadron shot down one He 59. RAF No 501 Squadron lost one Hurricane.
Late at night on the 27th of July and early in the morning of the 28th July, bombs were dropped at Swansea Docks, Upton-upon-Severn and Kidwelly (Carmarthen). No damage was reported except at Swansea where a railway line was displaced. During the night there was minelaying along the east coast and around Portland.
Generalmajor Theo Osterkamp was appointed Jagdfliegerführer (Jäfu) 1 or fighter-leader of Luftflotte 2, responsible for tactical coordination of JG 3, JG 26, JG 52, JG 54 and ZG 26 and left his duties as Kommodore of JG 51. Major Werner Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53, took over as Kommodore of JG 51. Major Mölders' place as Gruppenkommandeur was taken by Hptm. Harro Harder.
Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command sends 15 bombers to attack various targets in Holland and northwestern Germany, primarily shipping facilities, oil depots and airfields.
RAF Fighter Command begins evaluating the first prototype Beaufighter IF fighters.
Battle of the Atlantic
U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) continues stalking convoy OB 188, which is now about 350 miles out into the Atlantic west of Scotland. To add to its totals of the 26th, the U-boat torpedoes and sinks 5,260 ton British freighter Sambre at 02:58 and 10,364 ton British tanker Thiara at 03:13. There are 25 dead on the Thiara, while 36 survive; everybody on the Sambre (48 crew) survives.
British freighter Salvestria hits a mine and and sinks in the Irish Sea.
British corvette HMS Clematis (K 36, Commander York McLeod Cleeves) is commissioned.
Convoy OB 190 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 40F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy HX 61 departs from Halifax.
U-73 is launched.
Battle of the Mediterranean
Malta needs better air defenses, so Whitehall begins plans to send a dozen heavy guns and ten light anti-aircraft batteries to the island via the Suez Canal. Operation Hurry, the convoy past Gibraltar into the Mediterranean, is confined to the transport of Hurricane fighters and is not carrying any extraneous materials. The ships are not intended to actually dock at the island, but rather to fly the Hurricanes off once within range.
The Italians send a reconnaissance raid over the island at 11:10, losing a fighter to anti-aircraft fire. At 16:40, a couple of Short Sunderland flying boats on patrol engage some fighters and shoots down three of the Italian planes. One of the Sunderlands is damaged but makes it back to base.
The incessant air raids are seriously affecting productivity in the dockyard. The government begins pondering moving some operations underground so that the workers do not have to stop for each air raid alert, many of which are either false alarms or for enemy planes that wind up not attacking.
German/Spanish Relations
While there is not much enthusiasm on the Spanish side, the two countries' military staffs begin preliminary planning for Operation Felix: the invasion of Gibraltar. Taking Gibraltar would effectively bottle up the Mediterranean and force all British ships to take the long way around Africa to supply British forces in Egypt.
German/Bulgarian Relations
Adolf Hitler meets with the Bulgarian Premier and Foreign Minister at Berchtesgaden. Hitler tells them that he supports their claim on Romania in southern Dobruja province.
Italian/Romanian Relations
The Romanian Premier and Foreign Minister, having talked with Hitler on the 26th, meet with Mussolini and Italian Foreign Minister Ciano in Rome.
British/Japanese Relations
The Japanese detain eleven British citizens. Such detentions invariably result in diplomatic protests.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 28, 2019 6:43:20 GMT
Day 332 of World War II, July 28th 1940Battle of Britain
Photo: Messerschmitt Bf 110D 8M+BN of 5./ZG 76 wearing the Haifischmaul, or ‘shark’s mouth’, marking of II Gruppe.
The weather was a carbon copy of the previous day, and Fighter Command expected stronger attacks by the Luftwaffe. Additional Fighter Command Squadrons were moved to forward bases as Dowding placed eight squadrons on forward airfields in readiness. But the morning proved too quiet. It turned out to be a disastrous day for the Luftwaffe. Their losses started at 0500 hours when a Ju 88 of 3./KG 51 on a mission to bomb Crewe in Lancashire lost its bearings and became hopelessly lost, then ran out of fuel and made a forced landing at Bexhill Sussex. The crew was not wounded and was made prisoners. Then at 0525 hours, 10 Group released a flight from RAF No.234 Squadron (Spitfires) to intercept Ju 88's approaching the Devon coast south of Plymouth. F/L Hughes, and P/O Horton all contributed in shooting down one Ju 88 east of Plymouth. At 0630 hours, hostile aircraft appeared over Glasgow and bombed the Hillingdon district where a printing works was seriously damaged. Some windows of the Rolls Royce factory were broken and a few minor casualties were reported. At 0730 hours, a Ju 88 which approached Portcawl and bombed shipping was shot down by RAF No 92 Squadron. Several raids approached Bournemouth and Portland but faded without any attack being made. The Luftwaffe fighters used a new tactic this morning that surprised the British defenders. Just past noon a large formation was detected to the west of Calais, and moments later another formation was picked up on the other side. But for some unknown reason the amalgamating formations seemed to hold their pattern, then when part way across the Channel turned back. By 1330 hours another large formation built up in the vicinity of Calais and headed towards Dover. Slowly the German formation made its way towards the English coastline escorted by fighter elements from I and II./JG 51 and III./JG 26. As the German bombers with their escort approached the Kent coast, the British Observer Corps reported about sixty Heinkel's and forty Messerschmitts. Fighter Command released RAF No.41 Squadron (Spitfires), RAF No.74 Squadron (Spitfires), RAF No.111 Squadron (Hurricanes) and RAF No.257 Squadron (Hurricanes) to intercept. The formation was just about over the coast when RAF No.74 Squadron was first on the scene, the other squadrons arriving moments later. As was usual practice, the Hurricanes attacked the bombers while the Spitfires engaged combat with the Bf 109 escort. A dozen Spitfires of 74 Sqn led by the famous South African ‘Sailor’ Malan (thus known from his merchant navy days) waded in among 36 Bf 109s of I./JG 51 over Dover, while Hawkinge’s Hurricane squadrons set about the bombers. But here, where the new tactic during the morning failed, it was applied during this afternoon raid with tepid results. The German formations split up before reaching their objective and headed back to French bases, leaving the British fighters to engage only the escorting German fighters. The fighting was intense as JG 51 engaged first followed by Bf 109s of JG 26, up sun of RAF No 74 Sqd, who bounced on the unsuspecting Spitfires. The RAF lost five Spitfires against five fighter losses for the Luftwaffe. RAF No 74 Sqd had two fighters destroyed and two damaged while RAF No.41 Squadron lost one damaged. A Spitfire damaged from RAF No. 41 Squadron was done in by Gefr. Martin Gebhardt of 2./JG 51 but Gefr. Gebhardt was shot down and killed shortly after the battle over Dover. He was given no credit for the kill. Spitfire claims went to Ofw. Karl Schmid of 1./JG 51, Richard Leppla of 3./JG 51, and Fw. Arthur Haase of 6./JG 51. Four Hurricanes were credited as being shot down by 7./JG 26 including one by Oblt. Muncheberg. He 59 seaplanes arrived to rescue German survivors only to find RAF No.111 Squadron (Hurricanes). Because a number of German rescue and Red Cross planes had been detected on observation, photographic and possibly other missions as well as carrying out their primary roll as search and rescue aircraft, the Air Ministry on 14 July 1940 gave instructions for them to be shot down if they were seen near to allied shipping or close to the English coast. One of these Heinkel 59 rescue planes was spotted by No.111 Squadron and shot down about 10 miles to the east of Boulogne off the French coast. As the crew of the He 59 scrambled in the water another He 59 made a landing close by to rescue them and a Hurricane of RAF No.111 Squadron flown by F/O Ferris strafed the second He 59 causing damage, but it managed to take off and make for safety. Another He 59 was also shot down by RAF No.111 Squadron whilst on a search and rescue mission at approx 1530 hours. In all, a total of eighteen German aircraft had been shot down during the day, and the shooting down of He 59 search and rescue planes caused Hitler to proclaim that the RAF in attacking unarmed aircraft with defenseless and injured personnel on board nothing but cold blooded murderers. There was considerable German activity in most areas during the night. The main feature was the intense activity of minelaying from the Thames Estuary to the Humber, extending later as far north as Aberdeen. Inland raiding over the south and east coasts was very pronounced and nearly all areas of England, Scotland and Wales were involved. By 0130 hours, raids were mostly withdrawing and at 0145 hours the country was clear north and east of a line from Chester to London. By 0245, all inland raids had withdrawn to the coast. At 2330 hours, He 111s of III./KG 55 attacked Rolls Royce Crewe. Kent and Sussex were bombed late at night. Near Edenbridge, houses and gas and water mains were slightly damaged. Sealand Aerodrome was bombed at 0230 hours and South Wales was also bombed and the railway track near Neath was damaged, and a road blocked at Pontaliw near Swansea. YouTube (Footage of No. 64 Squadron Spitfires and No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron Hurricanes operating from RAF Kenley)
Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command continues its strategic campaign against industrial targets, including Cherbourg oil installations, numerous airfields all along the coast, and the like. Battle of the Atlantic
German raider Thor encounters British armed merchant cruiser HMS Alcantara off southern Brazil near Trindade island. It is a fairly evenly matched encounter. Thor hits the British ship with three shells and severely damages the Alcantara, forcing it to make port in Rio de Janeiro with 9 casualties. Thor takes two shells and also needs repairs. U-99 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) torpedoes and sinks large 13,212 ton British freighter Auckland Star about 80 miles west of Ireland. All 47 crew survive by sailing their lifeboats to shore. The Luftwaffe finds and sinks British freighter Orlock Head in the North Sea. Norwegian freighter Argo hits a mine and sinks. The mine was laid by French submarine Rubis. Italian submarines leave the Mediterranean for the first time and begin operating off the Azores. Convoy OA 191 departs from Methil, Convoy SL 41F departs from Freetown. Battle of the Mediterranean
Free French pilots operate with the RAF in Egypt and carry out reconnaissance over Diredawa, Abyssinia. The Italians carry out scattered bombing raids without much success. Royal Navy cruisers HMS Neptune and Sydney intercept Italian tanker Ermioni near the Dodecanese Islands and sink it. At Malta, Italian fighters jump a Short Sunderland flying boat carries out reconnaissance over Sicily (it spots five flying boats at Augusta) and drops some bombs without causing any damage. The Italians quickly get fighters in the air which use the explosive ammunition previously identified from downed Regia Aeronautica planes, which may violate international law. The Sunderland sustains heavy damage and several of the crew are wounded, but it shoots down one or two of the attackers and returns to base under continued attack, barely making it. There is only one air raid alert on Malta, shortly before noontime. Heavy anti-aircraft fire drives the bombers off before they drop their bombs, and the Italians lose one plane. German/Vichy France Relations
At 05:00, the Germans in occupied France close rail lines to Vichy France without warning. The choke point is Moulins. The reason given is invasion fears - by the British. German/Slovak Relations
At Berchtesgaden, Hitler meets with President (Monsignor) Jozef Tiso, Prime Minister Vojtech Tuka and Hlinka Guard leader Alexander Mach of the Slovak Republic in his continuing series of discussions with Germany's eastern neighbors. This is a pattern that continues throughout the war: Hitler will meet with his most important ally - Italy or Finland or whoever it is - and then hold subsequent meetings with other, lesser powers. It is an easy way to see who is at the top of his pecking order - and who is at the bottom. Hitler broadly hints to the Slovak leaders that they have little choice if they wish to remain free. "Slovakia should adhere loyally and unequivocally to the German cause in her domestic politics," he says. The Slovaks agree to set up a Nazi-style state that represses Jews. Soviet/Afghanistan Relations
The two nations sign a commercial trade agreement. US/Brazilian Relations
To promote inter-American relations, the US grants Brazil a $20 million loan that likely will never be repaid. Foreign Affairs Minister Osvaldo Aranha, a former Ambassador to the US, notes that "We should erect a statue to Hitler - he made the USA finally notice us." Aranho typically represents Brazil at pan-American conferences such as the recent Havana Conference and is a strong proponent of pan-Americanism. German Government
Discussions take place within the German army about the plans for Operation Sea Lion, which is considered unrealistic as proposed by the Kriegsmarine. China Japanese bombers make 100 sorties against Chungking, Chiang Kai-shek's capital, losing one bomber.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 29, 2019 3:46:26 GMT
Day 333 of World War II, July 29th 1940Battle of BritainPhoto: Three Hurricanes of No. 32 Squadron taxying for take-off at Hawkinge
The weather was fine and it was expected that more attacks would be made by the Luftwaffe as flying conditions were as perfect as one could get. Slow to make their presence felt, it was not until 0700 hours that the first German formations were detected coming in across the Channel towards Dover. The observer Corps reported that the formation consisted of forty Ju 87 Stukas of II./LG 1 and II./StG 1, in two waves of 20 aircraft each and fifty Bf 109s of JG 51 and III./JG 26. Fighter Command sent up more squadrons than usual including RAF No.41 Squadron (Spitfires), RAF No.56 Squadron (Hurricanes), and RAF No.64 Squadron (Spitfires). RAF No. 41 Sqn began the proceedings with a 07:25 scramble to engage the enemy on his northern flank, leaving ten Hurricanes of RAF No. 501 Sqn. to race in from the sunward side. As they met the Luftwaffe they realised they were facing one of the largest formations yet of Bf 109s escorting two waves of Stukas. The massed formations of Spitfires and Hurricanes arrived over the town of Dover just as the Ju 87s were making their first attacks at 0730 hours and the skies above the town became a swirling mass of weaving aircraft and vapor trails as an estimated number of 200 aircraft engaged in combat. 41 Sqn. went in after the Stukas but Bf 109s bore down upon the Spitfires. The squadron, forced to split, engaged both, and lost one aircraft in combat and four more in crash landings. 64 and 56 Sqns. were vectored to help. 501 Sqn. penetrated to the Stukas, shooting down two into the sea. The concussion of bursting bombs shook buildings and broke windows all along the seafront, while waterspouts dropped tons of water onto ships in the harbour. Two Ju 87s from II./LG 1 and one Ju 87 from II./StG 1 were shot down into the sea while Fighter Command received a number of damaged aircraft including five Spitfires from RAF No.41 Squadron. Two RAF fighters were lost. Two other Stukas from II./StG 1 were damaged. Dover's AA guns added to the confusion and claimed RAF No. 501's Ju 87s. Dover received slight damage as one merchant vessel (already damaged) and one small yacht were sunk and one naval unit was damaged. The Stuka's attack sank the steamer 'Gronland', which had been damaged on the 25th, and started a fire aboard a submarine depot ship. A naval auxiliary was sunk, and the oil pipeline broken, fuel gushed, then blazed upon the water. Buildings were damaged by splinters and blast. Patrol yacht 'Gulzar' (197grt) was sunk by German bombing in the submarine basin in Dover Harbour. The entire crew was rescued. Several Experten made claims against the British aircraft. Hptm. Horst Tietzen of 5./JG 51 claimed his thirteenth kill while credit was given to Ofw. Fritz Beeck for his second and Fw. Eduard Hemmerling for his third. Both pilots were from 6./JG 51. Ofw. Karl Schmid of 1./JG 51 was credited with his ninth victory, a Spitfire over Dover. But JG 51 lost two pilots. Fw. Emmerling of 1./JG 51 was killed when he crash landed in the Channel off Calais as was Hptm. Erwin Aichele of 6./JG 51 when he crash-landed in France after the battle over the Channel. Soon after midday attention switched to Channel convoys. Off Dungeness one was subjected to a low-level onslaught by Ju 88s of KG 76, whose lead aircraft hit a ships balloon cable. Destroyer HMS "Delight" (Cdr M. Fogg-Elliot DSO) of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla departed Portsmouth at 1500 for the Clyde, but was sunk by German bombing off Portland. She was sailing in daylight, in contravention of local orders and placing herself at significant risk. After she had left the harbour, she was detected by German radar at Cherbourg, which directed German aircraft to attack the destroyer, by now some 20 miles (32 km) off Portland Bill. She attempted to fight them off, but was hit by a bomb on her fo'c'sle, which caused a major fire and a subsequent explosion. She finally sank in Portland harbour early the next morning, having lost six of her company in the attack. At 1700 hours twenty He 111 and Do 17s attacked Harwich while Bf 110s of Epr.Gr 210 were sent from St. Omer to attack the port of Dover again. Convoy 'Agent' off Essex also came under attack by a mixture of 36 fighter and fighter-bomber Bf 110s. They were intercepted by RAF No.66 Squadron (Spitfires), RAF No.17 Squadron (Hurricanes) and RAF No.85 Squadron (Hurricanes) off the Essex coast near Harwich and two He 111's were shot down while RAF No.151 Squadron (Hurricanes) attacked the formation of Bf 110s off the coast at Orfordness. One He 111H-2 with 2./KG 53 was shot down by the RAF fighters of RAF No 17 Squadron, into the North Sea off Lowestoft. Six German planes in total were shot down while the British lost three fighters, Hurricanes were credited to pilots from 8./ZG 26. The Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 26, Obstlt Adolf Genth was killed when his Do 17 was rammed by a Spitfire. Ofw Edmund Riebl and his crew were also killed when their Do 17 crashed at Paddock Wood. Two Hurricanes were damaged by accurate gunfire from the Bf 110s and both made forced landings at Martlesham and Rochford respectively. The day's activities resulted in four Luftwaffe fighters being severely damaged from anti-aircraft fire. In addition to the Bf 109s from JG 51 already mentioned, two other Messerschmitts lost, one each from II./JG 27 and 4./JG 51, crash-landed without injuries. Dover was left untouched. On a night mission to attack the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton, an He 111 from 8./JG 55 was detected by searchlights and came under fire from AA gun batteries which managed to hit and damage the bomber. A fire started to engulf one of the engines believed to be the port engine, and soon the other engine began to lose power and the crew decided to abandon the aircraft. All baled out and were eventually captured. Two of the crew were at large for some 48 hours, but one crew member, Fw. J. Markl, managed to evade capture for nine days, believed to be the longest period of time that a German airman was "at large" before being captured. The oil tanks at Avonmouth were also attacked by the Heinkels. Drawing: He 111 from 8./JG 55
A Hurricane from RAF No. 302 Squadron based at Leconfield airfield near Beverley, Yorkshire, was landing at base in a crosswind on a first familiarisation flight and damaged the aircraft. PO K. Lukaszewicz was unhurt, the aircraft was repairable. Photo: HMS Sandhurst burning in Dover Harbour after being bombed. Alongside is the broken wreck of HMS Codrington. Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command continues its daylight raids over Occupied Europe. This includes raids on barges being collected at Channel ports for a possible invasion and airfields in northwest Europe. The RAF is being aided in these raids by Free French airmen. Other targets of opportunity are infrastructure such as railway marshalling yards and oil installations. The British Air Ministry justifies the fact that it has shot down four Luftwaffe Heinkel He 59 search and rescue planes that are clearly marked with the Red Cross symbol by stating that any plane that acts "suspiciously" is fair game. In point of fact, the RAF has been shooting down such planes while in the very act of rescuing downed crewmen in the Channel when there was nothing suspicious about them. Battle of the Atlantic
Otto Kretschmer in U-99 continues his rampage in the mid-Atlantic. He picks off independent 7336 ton British freighter Clan Menzies about 150 miles off of County Clare, Ireland. Kretchmer misses with a torpedo, then stalks the ship for five hours until finally maneuvering into firing position. There are 88 survivors, 6 crew perish. British 1262 ton freighter Moidart hits a mine and sinks off Felixstowe, Suffolk. All 11 crew perish. British 44 ton trawler Leach's Romance hits a mine and sinks 10 miles south of Kemptown, Brighton. All four crew perish. British 5952 ton freighter Clan Monroe hits a mine near Harwich. She remains afloat with a broken back for a few days, but sinks while under tow. British 5601 ton freighter Ousebridge hits a mine in Queen's Channel on the entrance to Liverpool. It blows her bow off and breaks her back. There are two deaths. British submarine HMS Sealion spots U-62 on the surface in the North Sea heading back to Bergen and shoots 3 torpedoes at it. The crew of the U-boat spots the British submarine, however, and evades the torpedoes. Sealion then surfaces and attacks with its deck gun, but U-62 dives and manages to escape. British submarine HMS Triton sights an unidentified U-boat off Korsfjord, Norway heading out to sea but is unable to attack. British submarine HMS Porpoise lays a minefield (FD.23) off of Norway, then heads south to the Bay of Biscay. British corvette HMS La Malouine (K 46, Lt. Commander Ronald W. Keymer, is commissioned. Battle of the Mediterranean
HMS Eagle, based at Alexandria, escorts a convoy in the eastern Mediterranean. Its Sea Gladiators shoot down an Italian SM.79 lurking in the vicinity. Italian bombers raid Aden without much effect. Regia Aeronautica planes also attack Royal Navy ships north of Bardia, but do not score any hits. Malta is being bombed almost every day, and people have begun practically living in the larger shelters. Many of these underground chambers were created centuries ago by the Knights of Malta. During the day, there are two air raid alerts, but no bombs are dropped. Battle of the Indian Ocean
The Royal Navy blockades Vichy French Madagascar. German raider Atlantis rendezvouses with Kriegsmarine freighter Tirranna and takes on board ample fuel and other supplies. German Government
OKW Chief of Operations Colonel-General Alfred Jodl briefs top military personnel on Hitler's decision to attack the Soviet Union. "The collision with Bolshevism is bound to come. Better to have it now, when we are at the height of our military power," he says. The decision, of course, is not up for debate. The timing given for the attack is spring 1941, which pretty much everyone believes will give the Wehrmacht plenty of time to settle matters with Great Britain. Eventually, the codename Operation Barbarossa will be given to this invasion. While there have been off-handed rumination by some that the attack would occur as early as the fall of 1940, this is the first time a specific time frame has been officially established. In fact, while treated very matter-of-factly, this is first real communication from Hitler to the Wehrmacht, aside from off-handed comments, that an attack on the USSR will occur at all. After this, the idea of an attack on the USSR will be an accepted, in fact almost obvious and inevitable, idea among the top military leadership. Hitler is at the absolute peak of his popularity following the fall of France, and while many have misgivings about attacking the Soviet Union - with very good reason - it is impossible to oppose his next move absent some intervening event. Among the many who oppose the idea to one extent or another is Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, but there really is nothing that he or anyone else can do within the chain of command once Hitler has made a decision. The OKL (Kriegsmarine high command) issues a memo urging that Operation Sea Lion, the invasion of Great Britain, be postponed until 1941. The OKL does, however, state that an invasion is feasible and could succeed even in September 1940 as seems the most likely possible start date. With Great Britain about to fall into its hands, the Nazis set up an economic board to oversee the exploitation of British industry after Operation Sea Lion succeeds. Spanish/Portuguese Relations
The two governments sign the Iberian Pact. Anglo/Romanian Relations
The Romanian government having recently nationalized a Dutch Royal Shell subsidiary, the British government formally protests via a diplomatic note. German occupied Belgium
Germany annexes Belgian provinces Eupen, Malmedy, and Moresnet. Speaking French/Flemish there now is banned. There is a large ethnic German population in this region, and many already tend to view themselves as German in nationality as well as by origin. Vichy France
With trials scheduled for former Prime Minister Daladier and other "traitors," the Vichy government sets up a special Supreme Court to try former officials of the Third Republic. This becomes known as the Riom Trial. Japan One of the 9-12 British nationals (sources vary) imprisoned by the Japanese recently on spying and other charges (they claim), a Mr. Melville Cox, commits suicide at the police station. China The Nationalist government rejects a semi-serious Japanese peace offer which would assure Japanese hegemony in the region. American Homefront
A poll in Life Magazine shows that 36% of the public thinks that Germany will beat Great Britain, versus 24% who see the reverse outcome. There is 70% support for a a draft.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 30, 2019 3:12:53 GMT
Day 334 of World War II, July 30th 1940
Battle of Britain
The poor weather once again kept raids by the Luftwaffe to a minimum. Low cloud and light rain hampered the missions over the Channel. Attacks were on convoys off Orfordness, Clacton and Harwich. There were, however, a few engagements for Fighter Command with the first involving Spitfires of RAF No. 603 Squadron attacking a small raid of He 111's off Montrose with success just after midday. At about 0900 hours, three raids consisting of 21+ aircraft in all approached Swanage. In each case as the fighters were sent to intercept, the raiders turned away not less than 10 miles from the coast. At about 0945 hrs, RAF No. 601 Sqn when on patrol off the Isle of Wight, intercepted a formation and a Bf 109 was a probable casualty. One Hurricane is thought to fall into the sea and the pilot lost (this is difficult to substantiate and records conflict on this event, no pilots are named that I can see). Between 1100 and 1300 hrs, twenty enemy aircraft approached Portland but turned back when some distance from the coast on the approach of RAF fighters. RAF No. 238 Sqn shot down one Bf109 (confirmed). A He 111 that crashed north-east of Montrose was shot down by the defending Spitfires at 1212 hours. At 1100 hours Ju 88s attacked a convoy in the Channel without sinking a single ship. RAF No. 85 Squadron intercepted Bf 110's off the Suffolk coast and shot down one Bf 110, 10 miles east of Southwold at 1532 hours.
At 1530 hours, eight raids consisting of fifty aircraft assembled in the Bay of Seine and flew towards the Isle of Wight. Three fighter squadrons ordered to patrol at heights between 10,000 - 20,000 feet turned the enemy force which split and flew to within 30 miles of the Isle of Wight whence it returned to its rendezvous area. One raid crossed the coast north of Dungeness and No 65 Sqn shot down one Bf109 (confirmed) off Dover. A force of 24+ aircraft (and probably considerably more) appeared in the Cherbourg area at 1848 hours. The formation was plotted on a 10-mile front, flying in layers at an average height of 16,000 feet. It turned west towards Portland and then broke into separate raids and returned direct to Cherbourg. Squadrons off Portland failed to sight the enemy.
A small raid appeared over Surrey during the early evening with bombs being dropped on several areas near Esher, Chessington and Tolworth. The same raiders also attacked a balloon barrage. Bombs were dropped at Heysham (five miles south of Lancaster) from a raid coming in from the west. Other reports of bombs were received from Barry Docks and near Cwm Bargoed, where a railway track was damaged. The night-time activities also proved very quiet with raids plotted over Plymouth, Dorset, Devon, The Midlands and South Wales. During one of these raids, near Bristol, anti-aircraft fire claimed a He 111 bomber. The bombers of KG 55 continued with their attacks on the Bristol area. Beginning at 2300 hours until ending shortly after midnight, He 111s of I./KG 55 raided the Bristol Aeroplane Company and the oil tanks at Avonmouth.
Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command continues its attacks on barges, oil installations and airfields in northwest Europe. Coastal Command raids German guns on the Norwegian coast and the Kriegsmarine base at Emden.
Battle of the Atlantic
Royal Navy submarine Narwhal sinks around this date. It is believed that it hits a mine off Norway.
The Luftwaffe attacks Belgian trawler John about 35 miles off southwest Ireland.
British mine layers Plover and Willem van der Zaan (from the Dutch Navy) lay minefield BS.29 in the North Sea.
Convoy HG 40 departs from Gibraltar, Convoy OA 192 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 191 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 40 departs from Gibraltar.
U-93 (Kapitänleutnant Claus Korth) is commissioned.
Battle of the Mediterranean
The RAF raids Italian forces near Kassala.
The Anglo-Maltese League launches an appeal in England for funds to purchase fighter planes for Malta. Of course, the underlying problem is not lack of planes, but the inability to get them to Malta. However, this plays into the stirring accounts in the British media of the heroic defense of the island.
On the island itself, there is only one attempted raid in the morning which turns back before dropping any bombs. Air reconnaissance sights an Italian convoy heading south from Messina, Sicily, which may be an invasion fleet or simply carrying supplies to Libya.
German Propaganda
Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels broadcasts brave words about the course of the Battle of Britain, stating:
Britain was already weakening, it cannot muster the number of planes required to conquer our glorious Luftwaffe, they are losing a battle that they are intent on prolonging.
It is a classic case of talking loudly while in a tight situation rather than, as Teddy Roosevelt suggested, talking softly but carrying a big stick. In fact, the RAF shows no signs of weakening, as this very day's events show.
Anglo/Swedish Relations
A British destroyer flotilla commanded by Captain C. Caslon intercepts a flotilla of four destroyers built in Italy which have been purchased by Sweden and are en route to that country. While not a "war crime" because Sweden is not at war, it is a serious breach of international law, as the Royal Navy has no grounds for seizing the ships of a neutral country. The Swedes issue a diplomatic protest for the safe return of its ships.
Anglo/Japanese Relations
British Foreign Minister Lord Halifax issues a diplomatic protest against the recent Japanese arrest of British citizens on espionage charges.
German/Swiss Relations
Germany shuts down the German/Swiss border, heightening Swiss fears of an invasion.
Latin American Relations
The 21 nation-delegates in Havana sign the Act of Havana, which proposes a joint administration of European colonies in the Americas which appear vulnerable to "changes of sovereignty." While elegantly phrased in lawyerly language, the agreement basically provides that the signing nations will take over any areas controlled by nations invaded by Germany that look like they are going over to the Axis.
Baltic States
The new Soviet-controlled government continues its purge of former national leaders in the Baltic States, arresting former Estonian President Konstantin Pats and sending him to Siberia.
British Government
Victoria Crosses are awarded to two soldiers: Lieutenant (now Captain) H. M. Ervine Andrews of the East Lancashire Regiment and (posthumously) to Lance Corporal H. Nicholls of the Grenadier Guards. Andrews receives his for conspicuous gallantry on the Dunkirk perimeter on 31 May, while Nicholls is honored for commanding troops north of Tournai on 21 May despite being wounded and "firing from the hip" as he personally charged the enemy lines.
The Minister of Economic Warfare announces that the British blockade now encompasses all of Europe and North Africa - including Vichy France.
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Jul 30, 2019 8:44:27 GMT
Lordroel
Just a small duplication here.
Steve
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 30, 2019 9:31:45 GMT
Lordroel
Just a small duplication here. Steve
Thanks for the notice.
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