Battle of Britain
Day 5
Weather - Conditions fair all day throughout the country.
Combat - The Air Ministry decides to allow Fighter Command to attack enemy rescue seaplanes flying under the Red Cross banner due to suspicions that they are also flying reconnaissance missions on British shipping.
Activity during the morning is low with a few raids reported near Poole, Swanage, Dungeness and Lands End. The action increases into the afternoon with an attack over Dover around 1500hrs and a large attack by Ju-87's of IV/LG1 and Me-109's of III Gruppe from JG3 on a convoy off Eastbourne. These are met by Hurricanes of No: 151 and 615 Squadrons and Spitfires from No: 610 Squadron.
During the night, raids are reported over the country from 2200hrs. Bombs are dropped in the Bristol area, North of the Isle of Wight, Kent and Suffolk.
Mines were thought to have been dropped in the Thames Estuary and off Harwich.
R.A.F. Losses: 2 aircraft damaged or destroyed and 1 pilot died following day from injuries.
Luftwaffe Losses: 5 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 4 pilots and aircrew killed or missing and 1 wounded.
NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.
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]Battle of the Atlantic
- U-A sinks the Norwegian steamer Sarita (5824t) 120 miles southwest of St Vincent. The entire crew of 29 is rescued by the British steamer Dunstan on the 18th.
- U-52 sinks the Greek steamer Thetis A (4111t) west southwest of the Scillies with the loss of 9 crewmen.
| ]Diplomatic Relations
General elections are held in the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The 3 nations vote unanimously for union with the USSR.
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German Raiders
The German armed merchant cruiser Thor sinks the British steamer Gracefield (4631t) in the South Atlantic. The crew are made prisoners of war.
[ | ]Occupied France
'Bastille Day' in France is observed as a day of 'national mourning'. Gen de Gaulle and other Free French leaders lay wreaths at the Cenotaph in London to symbolize their determination to fight on for the liberation of France.
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