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Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 4 August 1940

Weather: Fair to fine early. Cloudy with bright intervals at midday, clearing in the evening.
Day: Reconnaissance along the south coast and Bristol Channel.
Night: Little activity.
Enemy action by day
Enemy activity has been slight during the day, possibly because of the bad weather conditions in various areas. A number of enemy reconnaissances have been made over the sea, mainly along the south coast and in the Bristol Channel area. No attacks have been reported. Several of the raids approaching the south coast were probably concerned with a convoy which was anchored in St Helen's Roads, Isle of Wight, owing to fog.
Interceptions were hampered by weather conditions. One raid over the Isle of Wight was reported by the Observer Corps to have been intercepted.
North and East Coast
Only three raids were reported in this area during the day, two of which were probably Zenit flights. The third was plotted 50 miles east of Kinnaird's Head, approached to within 15 miles of the of the coast, and then turned back.
East Coast
One raid appeared off Whitby at 1446 hours, proceeded over Thornaby, re-crossed the coast over Flamborough Head, flew over a convoy and faded eastwards.
South East Coast
Four raids, all of which faded on the east coast, were reported. Fighters were despatched, and on one occasion they reported seeing a raid but were unable to contact the enemy.
Southern Area
Several raids approached the Isle of Wight during the day, of which four flew towards the convoy at anchor at the entrance to Spithead. These turned back when fighter patrols were despatched. Two raids crossed the coast; one near Poole passed over Southampton and out to sea again over Portsmouth; the other near Bournemouth, passing Middle Wallop and Upavon, re-crossed the coast near Poole, fading in the Baie de la Seine.
West of England
Six reconnaissance flights were plotted across Cornwall to the Bristol Channel and South Wales area, and five reconnaissance flights were plotted in the Cornwall and Devon areas searching for shipping and giving weather reports.
One unidentified aircraft was detected patrolling for an hour on various courses between seventy and one hundred miles north east of Dunkerry Head.
France
Patrols were detected in the Calais and Dunkirk areas during the day.
By night
Widespread fog was reported. Less than half a dozen hostile raids were plotted.
At about 2300 hours two raids crossed the coast near Immingham; Hull and Grimsby were under "red" warning. At the same time two raids crossed over Harwich, which went up through the Midlands as far as Derby, returned near London (purple), and passed out over the Kent coast having fired the correct signal.
A further raid crossed in over East Anglia and appeared to attempt to locate aerodromes in the Cambridge area.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 4 August 1940
Blenheim - 66
Spitfire - 249
Hurricane - 375
Defiant - 21
Total – 711
Casualties:
Enemy: Nil.
Own: Nil.
Patrols:
90 patrols despatched involving 275 aircraft.
Balloons:
Flying 1484. Casualties 30.
Aerodromes:
Catterick is today reported to be unserviceable.
Organisation:
Middle Wallop Sector came under the control of No 10 group at 1300 hours, 4th August. No 604 Squadron (Blenheims), No 238 Squadron (Hurricanes), No 609 squadron (Spitfires) and No 152 Squadron (Spitfires) are therefore now operating under No 10 Group control.
Air Intelligence Reports
Several reports have been received of the general success of our [bombing] raids, which are reported to have been considerably more effective in the last week of July. The quality of our pilots and aircraft are now being openly commented upon and the public are nervous as to what will happen in the Spring, when we may have air superiority. They are at present buoyed by the hope, so frequently promised, of the rapid defeat of England, and if this should not happen, the patience of the public, already sorely tried, may well become exhausted and internal difficulties follow. It is reported that the raids have been particularly felt at Kiel and Aachen.
A highly placed neutral passing through Berlin reports that the indifference of the population to the German victories has to be seen to be believed.
In Holland, a highly placed neutral reports that our attacks on aerodromes have been most effective and the inhabitants of Amsterdam got no sleep at all towards the end of June.
Home Security Reports
Date: 3rd/4th/5th August 1940
General Summary
Shortly before midnight on the 3rd August enemy aircraft visited Gloucestershire and in the early hours of the morning of the 4th August South Wales and Scotland.
There was no activity during the day of the 4th August but at about midnight and in the early hours of 5th August enemy aircraft were active over Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire.
Detailed Summary
At 0014 hours on the morning of the 5th August the military camp at Kennett (Cambridgeshire) was bombed which resulted in one soldier being killed and twelve being injured.
Further leaflets of Hitler's speech were dropped during the early morning of the 4th August at Langstone, Raglan, Glais (near Swansea), Helmsley, Wass (Yorkshire), Elan Valley (South Wales), Clydach (Glamorgan), Rogerstone and Christchurch (near Newport, Monmouthshire).
Battle of Britain

Interesting that the Italian invasion of British Somaliland is not getting much play in the newspaper or the daily recap websites with only one brief mention in the worldwar2daybyday blog. I assume that the Times just hasn't gotten the wind of this yet since it is just getting started and the news from this region is bound to move slowly. But interesting enough, even the British National Archives has sparse mention of the event. The Daily Reports in the War Cabinet do not take the matter up until the 7th of August and the weekly report for August 1st through 8th only has this to say:

British Somaliland.
18. The Italian invasion of British Somaliland began on 4th August. The following day a strong Italian attack developed from the East and South-East. In the face of vastly superior number our garrisons at Hargeisa (one company N. Rhodesia Regiment and one company Somaliland Camel Corps) and Oadweina (two troops Somaliland Camel Corps) carried out a withdrawal. The Italians have also occupied Zeilah.
The enemy will probably endeavor to obtain a series of rapid successes before the cessation of the rains. On the other land frontiers of Italian East Africa military activity has been confined to reconnaissance.

The British Somaliland Camel Corps certainly has a Lawrence of Arabia look and feel to them.