Air Operations, Europe
The first 'kill' by an RAF night-fighter equipped with AI, Airborne Interception, radar is reported. A Do-17 is shot down south of Brighton by a Blenheim.
|
| 
]Battle of Britain
Day 13
Weather - Fair in the Dover Straits and cloudy in the Channel. Bright intervals with showers in the South East.
Combat - Activity by the enemy is greatly reduced and for once, not by the weather. A few small reconnaissance raids are plotted during the morning with no interceptions or combat made. The first, and only, action of the day comes at about 1300hrs when Hurricanes of No: 145 Squadron shoot down a Do-17 off Selsey Bill.
During the night, however, the number of raids significantly increase with mines being dropped on British ports along the south and east coasts and the Thames Estuary. Bombs are dropped on South Essex, Norfolk, near Manston, Kidderminster, Welshpool, Brough, Edinburgh, near Drem and South Wales. At about 2345 hours, a Do-17 is shot down near Selsey Bill.
R.A.F. Losses: 6 aircraft damaged or destroyed (5 of which were non-combat) and 1 pilot killed.
Luftwaffe Losses: 5 aircraft damaged or destroyed and 7 pilots and aircrew killed or missing.
NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.
[ | ]Britain, Planning
The British War Cabinet sets up the Special Operations Executive (SOE) for secret sabotage and intelligence missions in Europe.
[ | ]Diplomatic Relations
The British Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, replies in response to Hitler's message of July 19: 'We never wanted the war; certainly no one here wants the war to go on for a day longer than is necessary. But we shall not stop fighting till freedom for ourselves and others is secure.' He says, 'Hitler made "no suggestion that peace must be based on justice, no word of recognition that the other nations of Europe had any right to self-determination, the principle which he has so often invoked for Germans. His only appeal was to the base instinct of fear, and his only arguments were threats.... His picture of Europe is one of Germany lording it over those peoples, whom he has one by one deprived of freedom."'
[ | ]
Secret War
The British government believes strongly that there will be uprisings against Hitler's rule that will contribute greatly to the overthrow of his power and will make a British return to the continent possible. The Special Operations Executive is created to work clandestinely to encourage these developments. Although events will not turn out as the British imagine, SOE will make a considerable contribution to the development of the various resistance movements in occupied Europe. This will be despite the lack of funds and equipment allowed to the department by the 3 services. Officially SOE is to be a part of the Ministry for Economic Warfare. The later American OSS will be modelled partly on SOE.
[ | ]