[CougarGA7]

Today I have the first installment of the Battle of Britain. Homer steered me to this web sight a couple of months ago and I requested that I post these entries much as I did with the Winter War. The formatting on this takes a little longer than the Winter War posts did, but these are very informative on the day to day events and I think it should be interesting to see how the paper measures up to these accounts albeit on a one day delay of course. I've added a link to the actual page to the bottom of each entry.

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 10 July 1940

• Weather: Showery in south-east England and Channel. Continuous rain elsewhere.
  
• Day: Convoy raids off North Foreland and Dover.
  
• Night: The east coast, home counties and western Scotland attacked.

  Summary of action

  During the day the main effort was concentrated in two attacks on shipping. At approximately 1100 hours a convoy was attacked off Manston by 1 Dornier escorted by 10 Me109s but in consequence of timely action by two of our fighter squadrons, the enemy aircraft were driven off. They suffered losses of 1 Me109 confirmed and 4 Me109s probable. At 1325 hours a large force of about 120 enemy aircraft collected behind Calais and approached a convoy between Dover and Dungeness. Fighter interception by 5 squadrons resulted in 6 Me110s, 1 Me109, 1 Do17 and 1 Do215 being confirmed as having been shot down, and 2 Me110s, 5 Me109s and 4 Do215s as probable casualties.

  Further enemy harassing raids took place along the West, South and East coasts. This was especially heavy in the West. Towards the evening, owing probably to bad weather, activity decreased. 1 Ju88 was shot down by AA fire. In the east, casual shipping was attacked and a few localities bombed including Raynham Aerodrome. During the course of these attacks 1 Do17 and 1 He111 were shot down and 1 Do17 and 1 He111 are probable casualties. No. 242 Squadron took part and accounted for one certain and one unconfirmed (included in the above). A few sporadic raids took place over the Scottish coast, none of these were intercepted.

  Between 2130 and 0530 hours, 12 raids were plotted between Firth of Tay and Beachy Head. Owing to adverse weather, none of our fighters were up. Bombs were dropped on Guisborough, Canewdon, Hertford, Isle of Grain, Tobermory (Isle of Mull, West Coast of Scotland), Colchester, Welwyn and Ely.

  

  ________________________________________

  Statistics

  Casualties:

• Enemy: Fighters - 8 confirmed, 11 unconfirmed; Bombers - 4 confirmed, 6 unconfirmed.
  
• Own: 2 Hurricanes confirmed. 2 Hurricanes crashed on landing.

  Patrols:

• 200 patrols were flown involving 641 aircraft.

  Balloons:

• Flying 1087, Casualties 81.

  Aerodromes:

• Catterick unserviceable.

  Organisation:

• No. 79 Squadron from Hawkinge to Turnhouse.
  
• No. 605 Squadron from Drem to Dyce.
  
• No. 72 Squadron operational by day only.

  Air Intelligence Reports

• Inspection of an Me109 which was shot down recently, confirmed that this aircraft is armed with 2 cannon, 1 in each wing, and 2 machine guns firing through the airscrew [propeller]. Previous reports that this aircraft carried 3 cannon are incorrect.
  
• A reliable source in a neutral country reports a marked change in highly placed Germans in that country during the last ten days, from one of extreme optimism to one of hesitation. Ten days ago the Germans were confident that England would be invaded almost at once and that we should quickly be compelled to seek and Armistice. However, they are now doubtful when invasion will take place and are becoming increasingly doubtful whether, if attempted, the operation would succeed. They stated our constant air attacks [by Bomber Command] were making it difficult to assemble troops and stores.

  Home Security Reports

• Report on Enemy Raids on Aerodromes

• Martlesham Aerodrome. At 0515 hours, 5 HE [High Explosive] bombs fell on the RAF station. No damage reported.
  
• Honington Aerodrome. At 0517 hours, 2 HE bombs (either 100 or 250lbs) one of which fell within 100 yards of Wellington at dispersal point, i.e. 600 yards of hangar and the other within 400 yards of same hangar. (Dornier aircraft concerned was reported shot down by No. 66 Squadron).
  
• West Raynham Aerodrome. At 0544 hours, seventeen bombs (type unspecified) estimated between 50 and 100 lbs each, were dropped, causing minor damage to plant and setting a hangar on fire. Three Ansons and one Gladiator were burnt out in the hangar. Three Battles and one Tutor were superficially damaged. The effect on operational ability was nil.
  
• Marham Aerodrome. At 0557 hours, about 14 bombs (type unspecified) fell in cornfield 300 yards north-east of the aerodrome. Wires on the road nearby were cut. No damage to the station.

  Battle of Britain

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Thanks, Cougar. It will be great to have these diary entries running through the summer and into the fall. The Battle of Britain was background music for life in the U.S.A. Like the Democratic convention, which will begin this week in Chicago.

Homer steered me to this web sight a couple of months ago

I, in turn, was steered to it by a footnote in Michael Korda's book, "With Wings Like Eagles." Here is what he has to say about it:

"For the day-by-day details of the Battle of Britain, I have relied on two principal sources: The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Campaign Diary, which is very accurate about weather, British fighter losses, and RAF and civilian casualties, as well as the exact damage inflicted by Luftwaffe raids, but is not necessarily accurate about German losses . . ."

Another footnote relates to part of today's initial entry:

"The two MG FF (Oerlikon) cannon in the wings of the Bf 109E (each with sixty rounds) fired on an "open bolt," as opposed to a closed bolt - that is, the breech opened as they fired, like that of a submachine gun. This made them lighter (they also had a short barrel, to save weight) by eliminating a complex and heavy breeech-locking mechanism, but also substantially reduced the muzzle velocity (submachine guns are designed this way so that they don't overheat). Consequently, in 1940 the Bf 109E's wing guns, thought they packed a deadly punch, operated at a very low rate of fire and with insufficient muzzle velocity."