Battle of Britain

Day 32

Weather - Scattered thunderstorms with bright intervals. Cloudy in the Channel.

Combat - Again, the weather reduce the number of raids. During early morning a Do-17 successfully evades Hurricanes of No: 501 Squadron after dropping bombs on West Malling airfield in Kent.

The Boulton Paul factory, in Norwich, is the target for a raid of Me-110's who manage to escape back out to sea by the time Hurricanes of No: 242 Squadron, led by Douglas Bader, have scrambled from Coltishall.

Bomber command goes on the offensive and bombs the airfields at Cherbourg (France) and Schipol (The Netherlands).

During the night small raids are plotted around the British coasts, probably dropping mines.

R.A.F. Losses: 1 aircraft damaged during landing accident with no casualties.

Luftwaffe Losses: 9 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 4 pilots killed or missing and 2 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British armed merchant cruiser Transylvania (16,900 t) is sunk by U-56 north of Ireland. 36 are lost and 300 are rescued.

  British AMC Transylvania

• The Swedish steamer Varia (929t) is sunk by German bombing 60 miles southeast of Fastnet with the loss of 7 of the crew.
• The Danish steamer Kirsten (1196t) is sunk on a mine near the Danish coast.

Britain, Planning

Although there is the threat of a German invasion, the decision is taken to send a large part of the country's total stock of tanks out to the Middle East. Churchill takes much of the credit for this brave decision which, although not his idea, is necessarily carried out on his instructions.

German Raiders

The German armed merchant cruiser Widder sinks the Finnish barque south-southwest of the Azores in the Central Atlantic. The Finnish crew is returned to Abo.

Germany, Home Front

Baldur von Schirach (shown with Hitler Youth boys), leader of Hitler Youth since 1933, is appointed Gauleiter of Vienna. Artur Axmann becomes Youth leader.

Baldur von Schirach with Hitler Youth

Italy

The first flight of the Macchi-Castoldi C-202, powered by an imported Daimler-Benz engine, takes place. It is designed to replace some of the obsolete fighters of the Italian Regia Aeronautica.

The new Italian Macchi MC202 Folgore fighter on a taxiway.

Italian Macchi MC202 Folgore

Vichy France

Laval informs the Germans that the French World War I ace, Col René Fonck, has organized 200 pilots to join in the fight against Britain.