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August 6th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Fighter Command: Weather, cloudy, windy. Little Luftwaffe activity, some attacks against shipping. Heavy raids on Swansea and Midlothian
Off East Anglia three 85 Sqn. Hurricanes led by Sgt. Geoffrey Allard shot down a Do 17 of III/KG 3..
Losses: Luftwaffe, 1; RAF 1.
London: The first contingent of airmen from Southern Rhodesia arrived in Britain today to add its strength to the increasingly international air force which is waging war on Germany. The men join not only British and Polish pilots but also airmen from Canada, Australia and New Zealand - not to mention volunteers from Ireland and the USA.
Throughout the Empire, towns, islands, colonies and even tribes are donating money for individual planes to the mother country. Soon more airmen will arrive from the colonies to pilot the planes that their fellow countrymen have donated. Already Canada is training hundreds of fighter pilots. More generally, India has 500,000 men under arms; Australasia 225,000; Canada 200,000, and South Africa 80,000.
ASW trawlers HMS Morris Dance, Saltarelo launched.
Rescue tug HMS Prudent launched.
Destroyer HMS Blencathra launched.
Corvette HMS Gentian launched.
Corvette HMS Salvia launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: U-219, 220, 301, 302, 359, 360, 445, 446, 447, 448, 707, 708 ordered. (Dave Shirlaw)
FINLAND: The US Army transport American Legion arrives at Petsamo, Finland to embark US citizens that had been living in European countries, e.g., Finland, Estonia, Lativa, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. (Jack McKillop)
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Quezon asks the US War Department for a subsidy of $100 per soldier. This was rejected on the advice of High Commissioner Sayre, who analyzed it as a money-making scheme for the Commonwealth.
AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Toowoomba laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: The Secretary of State, Cordell-Hull, calls for a massive build-up of arms to dissuade enemy attacks.
In the U.S., Columbia Records cut the prices of its 12-inch (30.48 cm) classical records. The records are priced to sell at US$1 (US$11.76 in year 2000 dollars). Within two weeks, RCA Victor did the same and ended a record-buying slump brought on by disinterested consumers. (Jack McKillop)
Destroyer USS Madison commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 341 August 6, 1940
Battle of Britain Day 28. Another quiet day, with wind and low clouds deterring much flying. At 6.30 AM, Hurricanes of 85 Squadron intercept and shoot down a Dornier Do17 bomber reconnoitering a shipping convoy East of Lowestoft, Suffolk. However, 1 British pilot, H.W.A Britton of 17 Squadron, is killed when his Hurricane crashes on takeoff and catches fire. In a prelude to the coming Phase 2 of the battle, a German aircraft bombs the RAF station at Llandow, South Wales.
British submarine HMS Sealion is rammed by German antisubmarine vessel UJ-123, running at periscope depth attacking a convoy 20 miles off the South coast of Norway. Sealion with return to the Tyne August 15, undergoing repairs until October 23.
Operation Tube. British submarine HMS Pandora reaches Malta from Gibraltar with ground equipment and spare parts for the Hurricanes delivered by aircraft carrier HMS Argus August 2 in Operation Hurry.