Battle of Britain

Day 49

Weather - Cloudy and overcast in most areas with occasional rain. Clearing later in the South.

Combat - Weather conditions restrict air activity for most of the day. Several reconnaissance raids are made during the morning along the south coast areas and Fighter Command intercepts a few without loss.

Spitfires of No: 152 Squadron are scrambled from Warmwell and engage an He-111 off Portland. A Ju-88 subsequently shoots one of the Spitfires down.

Meanwhile Hurricanes of No: 238 Squadron intercept a Do-17 off Cornwall and Spitfires of No: 222 Squadron make contact with another Do-17 on reconnaissance.

During the night, many raids are reported around the country in East Anglia, the Midlands, Kent, Surrey, Portsmouth, South Wales, North East, Derby, Lancashire, Leeds and Nottingham. Mines are also dropped between the Tees and The Wash.

R.A.F. Losses: 4 aircraft damaged or destroyed and 1 pilot killed.

Luftwaffe Losses: 18 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 16 pilots and aircrew killed or missing and 8 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.

Battle of the Atlantic

• RAF Coastal Command sets up a base in Iceland to help protect Atlantic shipping.
• U-28 sinks the Norwegian steamer Eva (1599t) about 60 miles east of Rockall with the loss of 1 crewman. The 17 survivors make landfall at Boligarry, Isle of Barra on August 30th.
• U-46 sinks the British armed merchant cruiser Dunvegan Castle 120 miles southwest of Cape Clear with the loss of 27 of her crew. 250 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Harvester and the corvette Primrose.
• U-37 sinks the Greek steamer Theodoros T (3409t) southwest of Ireland. The entire crew is rescued by the British destroyer Eclipse.

German Raiders

The German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin captures the Norwegian tanker Filefjell (7616t) and sinks the British steamer British Commander (6901t) and the Norwegian steamer Morviken (5008t) off the southern tip of Madagascar. The entires crews of the Filefjell and the British Commander are made prisoners of war. The crew of the Morviken later make it back to Oslo.

Germany, Planning

Hitler modifies the Operation Sea Lion plan. The landings will be made on a 'narrow front', Eastbourne-Folkestone, in preference to earlier 'broad front' proposals.

Occupied France

Free French forces under Leclerc take over Duala on the Cameroon coast.

United States, Home Front

Congress authorizes the induction of National Guard units and Army Reserve components into the U.S. military for a one-year period.