Atlantic

During the night German torpedo boats sink 2 Free French anti-submarine vessels off the Isle of Wight.

Battle of Britain

Day 94

Weather - Early morning misty and foggy with occasional showers and bright intervals.

Combat - Many of the raids made on this Friday consist of bomb carrying Me-109's, which sees the first combat of the day involving Spitfires of No: 72 Squadron, scrambled from Biggin Hill to protect a convoy, at about 0800hrs off Deal.

Over the next few hours many reconnaissance raids are made over southern England until about 1030hrs when four separate waves of Me-109 bombers and fighters cross the Kent coast for nearly 1 hour and make for targets around Kent and London. Bombs are dropped on Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone, Folkestone, Whitstable and the Thames Estuary areas. Many Fighter Command squadrons are scrambled to intercept, but only the Spitfires of No: 66 and 72 Squadrons and Hurricanes of No: 73 and 253 Squadrons manage to engage the raiders.

The pattern continues into the afternoon from 1400hrs as waves of Me-109's cross the coast at Hastings and Dungeness where they split for targets near Portland, London and Hornchurch. Another raid crosses the Essex coast and makes for North Weald and then Biggin Hill areas. The dogfights involving Hurricanes of No: 73, 249 and 253 Squadrons and Spitfires of No: 41 Squadron last until nearly 1700hrs.

The Spitfires of No: 41 Squadron from Hornchurch and No: 66 Squadron from Gravesend have suffered during the combat with Me-109s, each losing three aircraft.

As the evening arrives a raid by Do-17's is made on targets in the Midlands and Merseyside between 1800hrs and 1930hrs. The Hurricanes of No: 312 (Czech) Squadron are scrambled from Speke to intercept, as do the Spitfires of No: 611 Squadron, from Ternhill. Three of the Do-17's are successfully shot down with the loss of one aircraft to each squadron.

During the night London is bombed again along with targets at Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol. Mines are dropped off the east coast of Scotland and the Thames Estuary.

R.A.F. Losses: 13 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 3 pilots killed and 5 wounded.

Luftwaffe Losses: 17 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 18 pilots and aircrew killed or missing and 1 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-48 attacks Convoy HX-77 and sinks the Norwegian steamer Brandanger (4624t) and the British steamer Port Gisborne (10,144t) about 110 miles west-southwest of Rockall. 6 are lost from the Brandanger and 26 from Port Gisborne. Survivors are picked up by the British tug Salvonia.

The Blitz

Liverpool is heavily attacked in the continuing German bombing campaign. Four ships in the port are sunk and other damage is inflicted.

Finland

The demilitarization of the Aland Islands is agreed in a Finnish-Soviet convention.

France, Politics

Pétain broadcasts to the French people, advocating that they abandon their traditional ideas on who are their friends and who are their enemies.

Mediterranean

The British light cruiser Ajax is attacked during the night by seven Italian destroyers and torpedo boats. Two of the torpedo boats, Airone and Ariel, are sunk and two damaged. The Italian destroyer Artigliere is seriously damaged and is later sunk by the heavy cruiser York.

British forces were led by the Ajax which was making history, using radar for the first time in a naval combat engagement, and using it to good effect. She had sunk the Italian destroyer support ships Ariel and Arione and seriously damaged the destroyers Aviere and Artigliere. The crippled Italian warship Artigliere is finished off by a torpedo from the British cruiser York which hits her magazine causing a massive explosion.

The End of the Artigliere