Battle of Britain
Day 24
Weather - Fine in most areas but overcast in the East and the Channel with the possibility of rain.
Combat - Another quiet day with small raids plotted over the Channel with occasional attacks on convoys and shipping. One convoy off the east coast of Scotland is attacked by He-111's of KG25 and another of Harwich by Me-110's of EG210. On this day the now famous Polish No: 303 Squadron, is formed at Northolt. Two of its most outstanding pilots are the Flight Commander, a Canadian named John Kent and a Czech pilot, Sgt. Josef Frantisek who achieved the highest score during the Battle of Britain.
Late morning brings a small raid of He-111's over the Thames Estuary and Essex which is attacked by Spitfires of No: 19 Squadron, scrambled from Duxford.
The afternoon and early evening sees small raids along the East coast with very little damage to shipping and although several Squadrons are scrambled on each occasion, no contact is made.
During the night a few raids are plotted crossing East Anglia, Lancashire, South Wales and Scotland with mines being dropped in the Thames Estuary, off Aberdeen and the Northeast coast.
R.A.F. Losses: 4 aircraft damaged or destroyed (through accidents) and 2 pilots killed.
Luftwaffe Losses: 14 aircraft damaged or destroyed with 19 pilots and aircrew killed or missing.
NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.
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]Battle of the Atlantic
- The British anti-submarine trawler Cape Finisterre (590t) is sunk by German bombing off Harwich with the loss of 1 crewman.
- The British steamer City of Brisbane is sunk by German bombing off South Longsand Buoy, Thames Estuary with the loss of 8 of her crew.
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| ]Britain, Politics
Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, is taken into the inner circle of Churchill's War Cabinet. Other members include Chamberlain, Lord Halifax, Attlee and Arthur Greenwood.
[ | ]German Raiders
The German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis captures the Norwegian steamer Tallyrand (6732t) in the South Atlantic. The ship is scuttled the next day and the crew put on board the steamer Tirranna.
[ | ]Germany, Planning
The Chief of the German Ministry of Economics and Armament is requested to set in motion a program that will increase the army's strength to 180 divisions. This is in preparation for the invasion of Russia.
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Hitler orders the 'destruction of the RAF and the British aircraft industry' and states that the necessary air offensive must start on August 5. The significance of this is that it accords the Luftwaffe an independence of role and action that has not been permitted up to this point. Its 'offensive force', rapidly assembled in France, the Low Countries and Norway, will consist of almost 1,700 aircraft including bombers, fighters, Stuka dive-bombers and fighter-destroyers. Field Marshal Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 will play the major role because its bases are the closest to England; in support will be Field Marshal Sperrle's Luftflotte 3; Gen Stumpff's Luftflotte 5 will operate from Norwegian bases against sites in the English Midlands. At this point the Germans remain unaware that the fighters which will be ranged against them are controlled by ground radar, a crucial asset in the weeks to come.
[ | ]Mediterranean
In Operation HURRY the carrier Ark Royal with Force H attacks the Italian base on Sardinia at Cagliari. The old carrier Argus which is also based on Gibraltar, is at sea to fly off a cargo of Hurricanes to Malta.
[ | ]Vichy France
On 4 July 1940, a court-martial in Toulouse sentenced de Gaulle in absentia to four years in prison. At a second court-martial on 2 August 1940, de Gaulle ias condemned to death for treason.
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