Battle of Britain
Day 54
Weather - Fair with cloudy patches over the country during the morning and clearing during the afternoon.
Combat - The Sunday appears to carry on from the previous day with a raid plotted over Dover, at 1100hrs, of He-111's, Do-17's, Me-109's and Me-110's, which successfully find and bomb their targets at Biggin Hill, Detling and Eastchurch airfields along with the docks at Tilbury. Hurricanes of No: 85 Squadron and Spitfires of No: 72 Squadron, both scramble from Croydon, manage to intercept the raid but could not penetrate the fighter escorts.
Just after 1300hrs another raid of nearly 200 aircraft crosses Kent and heads for the airfields of Kenley and Biggin Hill. Again the Hurricanes of No: 85 Squadron and Spitfires of No: 72 Squadron engage the enemy along with Hurricanes of No: 1 (Canadian), 79, 253 and 501 Squadrons and Spitfires of No: 222 and; 616 Squadrons. As this raid disperses at about 1500hrs, another wave of bombers and fighters sweeps over Kent and Sussex involving combat for the already exhausted pilots of No: 11 Group.
At 1730hrs large formations of Me-109's sweep in over Kent as Do-17's follow behind to make another successful attack on Biggin Hill airfield inflicting more severe damage to runways and buildings. Only the Spitfires of No: 603 Squadron, scrambling from Hornchurch, make contact with the raiders but suffer at the hands of the Me-109's. Biggin Hill has now lost communications and the ability to direct sector operations.
During the night, small bombing raids are made on Liverpool, Sheffield, the Midlands, Detling airfield and Rye. Mines are dropped in the Thames Estuary, along the South coast, Bristol Channel and the Norfolk coast.
Fires Rage in London |
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R.A.F. Losses: 21 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 5 pilots killed and 8 wounded.
Luftwaffe Losses: 26 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 19 pilots and aircrew killed or missing and 3 wounded.
NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.
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]Battle of the Atlantic
U-101 badly damages the Greek steamer Efploia (3867t) northwest of Ireland. The entire crew is picked up by the British destroyer Anthony. The Greek ship is so badly damaged Anthony sinks her later in the day.
[ | ]East Africa
In Kenya the Italians capture the small town of Buna in the northeast of the country.
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Mediterranean
The Italian submarine command, 'BETASOM', is established at Bordeaux.
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