400 NAZI PLANES BOMB BRITISH COAST; 60 REPORTED LOST IN ALL-DAY ATTACK (8/12/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 8/12/40 | Raymond Daniell, C. Brooks Peters, Joseph M. Levy, Hanson W. Baldwin, Kenneth Campbell

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

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.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
German Fighter Range and British Radar Deployment
Marcks’ Plan, August 5, 1940
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

Plus a special guest map from Michael Korda’s, “With Wings Like Eagles,” showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour

[CougarGA7]

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 12 August 1940

• Weather: Fine with some mist patches.
• Day: Heavy raid on Portsmouth. Convoy in Thames Estuary, radar stations and coastal airfields attacked.
• Night: Widespread harassing raids.

  Enemy action by day

  Great activity was experienced, the main features of which were a heavy attack on Dover between 0720 and 0840 hours; attacks on convoys in the Thames Estuary at about 1100 hours; a strong attack on the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton at noon; an attack on Manston Aerodrome at 1245 hours; an extensive search in force off the mid-Straits of Dover at about 1400 hours; a further attack on Dover and also on Hawkinge and Lympne at about 1730 hours.

  Thames Estuary

  At 1101 hours, two raids were plotted approaching Deal. They combined to form a raid of 25+ aircraft which turned north and entered the Thames Estuary where two convoys were attacked. The enemy were intercepted by our fighters and casualties were inflicted.

  Attack on Manston Aerodrome

  At 1245 hours, the aerodrome at Manston was attacked by 50 enemy aircraft and damage done to the aerodrome and hangars. Four squadrons and one section of fighters engaged the enemy.

  Dover Area

  At 0720 hours, a large-scale attack began to develop on Dover and continued until about 0840 hours. There were 11 raids in all, consisting of about 200 aircraft, some of which are reported to been camouflaged in a manner similar to our fighters. RAF establishments at Dover, Rye and Pevensey were attacked but not seriously damaged. The four squadrons sent up to intercept shot down several enemy aircraft. Our own casualties were extremely slight.

  From 1400 to 1500 hours, a strong reconnaissance was plotted in the Straits of Dover and carried out and extensive search without approaching the English Coast.

  From 1700 hours onwards, about 17 raids were concerned in a further attack on Dover and district. A considerable battle developed during which enemy aircraft were active over Hawkinge and Lympne. Our fighters again intercepted and destroyed many enemy aircraft.

  During the period of these attacks on the South East Coast, two patrols of about 20 aircraft each were maintained by the enemy in the Straits about 10 miles south of Dover.

  Portsmouth Area

  Shortly after 0930 hours, one raid unsuccessfully attacked an RAF establishment at Poling.

  At 1151 hours, a raid of 150+ aircraft was plotted 30 miles north of Cherbourg. This raid split into a number of smaller raids which approached on a wide front. Some reached Portsmouth and Southampton where damage was done. Others flew over convoys off the Isle of Wight but no damage to shipping is reported. An RAF establishment at Ventnor was bombed and damaged at about 1300 hours.

  In the above raids the enemy were engaged by our fighters and suffered further losses.

  Reconnaissances

  There have been a number of reconnaissances searching for shipping off the East Coast. The was one reconnaissance from Shoreham up to Northolt and one over South Wales and Somerset and it is reported that one aircraft flew over the north of Scotland to 250 miles out into the Atlantic thence down the West Coast of Ireland.

  By night

  Widespread raids in small numbers occurred over the country. Minelaying was suspected off the North East and East Coasts and in the Thames Estuary and Bristol Channel. Enemy aircraft were active near Bircham Newton, towards Nottingham and in the Blackpool district. About 6 raids approached Norwich but did not appear to penetrate far inland.

  

  ________________________________________

  Statistics

  Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 12 August 1940

• Blenheim - 60
• Spitire - 248
• Hurricane - 363
• Defiant - 24
• Gladiator - 4
• Total – 699

  Casualties:

  	Enemy Losses
  By Squadron No.	Destroyed	Probable	Damaged
  614 Sqn (Hurricanes)	2 Me109	1 Me109	1 Me109
  152 Sqn (Spitfires)	4 Ju88	1 Ju88	5 Ju88
  	1 Me110
  213 Sqn (Hurricanes)	1 Me110	9 Me110
  609 Sqn (Spitfires)	3 Me109	3 Me110	1 Ju88
  	3 Me110		1 Me110
  	1 Do17
  32 Sqn (Hurricanes)	6 Me109	2 Me109	1 Me109
  	2 Do215
  64 Sqn (Spitfires)	2 Me110	1 Do215	1 Do215
  56 Sqn (Hurricanes)	2 Me109
  	1 Do215
  610 Sqn (Spitfires)	3 Me109	4 Me109	3 Me109
  501 Sqn (Hurricanes)	6 Ju87	1 Me109	2 Ju87
  	1 He113		2 Me110
  	1 Me110
  54 Sqn (Spitfires)	6 Me109	1 Me109	1 Me109
  43 Sqn (Hurricanes)		1 Ju88	3 He111
  145 Sqn (Hurricanes)	2 Ju88	1 Ju88
  	1 Me110	1 Do17
  257 Sqn (Hurricanes)		3 Do17	3 Do17
  		1 Me110	2 He111
  65 Sqn (Hurricanes)	2 Me109	4 Me109	4 Me109
  266 Sqn (Spitfires)	2 Ju88	1 Ju88	5 Ju88
  	1 Me110	1 Me110	4 Me110
  	1 Do17
  By AA	7 aircraft
  TOTAL	62	36	39

• Own:

• No 501 Squadron - 2 Hurricanes, 1 pilot safe
• No 145 Squadron - 3 Hurricanes
• No 257 Squadron - 2 Hurricanes
• No 266 Squadron - 1 Spitfire
• No 152 Squadron - 2 Spitfires
• No 213 Squadron - 2 Hurricanes
• No 64 Squadron - 3 Spitfires

  Patrols:

• 196 patrols despatched involving 798 aircraft.

  Balloons:

• Flying 1466. Casualties 44.

  Aerodromes:

• No reports.

  Organisation:

• No 607 Squadron operational by day only.

  Air Intelligence Reports

• No reports.

  Home Security Reports

• Date: 12th/13th August 1940

• General Summary

• The raids on the 12th August were on a considerably larger scale than any yet attempted on this country.
• Apart from those during the night of 11th/12th August, of which there are further particulars in yesterday's report, the main objectives appear to have been aerodromes, RAF establishments, Portsmouth Harbour and in particular the county of Kent has received much attention from the enemy, not only in aircraft attacks but by shelling.
• Considering the extent of the raids, casualties, although fairly serious, were not actually numerous. Portsmouth in this respect suffered rather heavily
• In the Isle of Wight widespread damage was done but as so far reported, not of a major nature. In this area, machine-gunning was reported in addition to a large number of bombs being dropped.
• Amongst the aerodromes attacked, Manston and Hawkinge appear to have suffered the most.

• Detailed Summary

• In the south-eastern region, Lympne Aerodrome was attacked on two occasions on the 12th and considerable damage was done to hangars and premises.
• Hawkinge Aerodrome also suffered considerable damage from an attack at 1743 hours when seven hangars and several lorries, services and telephone phones, quarters and buildings were seriously affected.
• Manston Aerodrome was also visited by the enemy when two hangars were damaged and the aerodrome rendered temporarily unserviceable by a number of craters. Workshops were also damaged and it was reported that various offices and quarters were affected. Casualties are said to be four dead killed and eight injured.
• Four bombs were reported on Bircham Newton Aerodrome at 2215 hours.
• Other attacks on or near aerodromes and RAF establishments include:- Pevensey, Dunkirk (Kent), Brookland (Sussex), Poling (sussex), near Thorney Island, at Bosham, near Canterbury, at Bekesbourne, at Ipswich airport, north-west of Martlesham, east of Coltishall, near Wattisham and south of Sutton Bridge.
• With reference to the Canterbury area, it is reported that between 2250 and 2310 hours on the 12th, over 200 HE and 3 DA as well as some IB bombs were dropped and the main Dover line is blocked. Further details not yet to hand.
• Other areas which have been visited by enemy aircraft are somewhat widespread in the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Somerset, Devonshire and in South Wales at Cardiff and Neath.

• Portsmouth

• At about 1201 hours on the 12th August, a raid by a large number of enemy aircraft was made on Portsmouth and district. The harbour railway station was badly damaged, the pier was demolished, a pontoon dock holed and badly strained and fires, which we later got under control, broke out in several buildings including a brewery in the old town. Casualties are reported to number eight killed and seventy-five injured.
• Gosport district was also bombed and although details of the full extent of the damage are lacking, casualties are reported to amount to fifteen killed and twenty-four injured, including twelve RAF personnel killed.
• In the Isle of Wight bombs were dropped at approximately midday on the 12th in the Ventnor area and a total number of 72 HE and 10 DA are reported. Damage was done to houses in Ventnor and Bonchurch and the railway line at Shanklin and Wroxhall was damaged. The number of injured is reported as six.

• Enemy Attacks by Shell-fire

• Reports have been received of shells falling on the South East Coast between 1020 and 1115 hours on the 12th when the railway line near Sandwich was damaged, some house property and telephone wires at Dover, houses demolished and damaged at Folkestone and barracks hit and minor damage to property at Deal and Walmer.

  Battle of Britain

[CougarGA7]

Good morning. Beat the ping. :)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Michael Korda, With Wings Like Eagles: The Untold Story of the Battle of Britain

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Fights on Channel – 2-3
Churchill Congratulates Air Fighters on Victory – 2
Briton Warns Poles to Prepare to Rise – 3
Australia Pushes Military Training – 3
Observers Watch British Beat Off Waves of Attacking Nazi Aircraft – 3
The International Situation – 4
British Transport is Sunk by U-Boat – 4
Nazis Say Mines Blockade Britain – 4
Nazis See Success – 5
Italians Attacked by R.A.F. in Libya – 6
2,000 at Gibraltar Moved to Madeira – 6
‘Enemy Forces’ Move in Mock War; 36,000 Take Part in Minnesota – 7
Manoeuvres Area Set for ‘Air Raid’ – 7-8
Britons See Lead Over Nazis in Air – 8
A New Member in the Ranks of U.S. Defense (photos) – 9
Rally Here Urges Sale of Warships – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 11-12

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/aug40/f12aug40.htm

British train guerrillas in Africa

Monday, August 12, 1940 www.onwar.com

In East Africa... A British mission is sent into Abyssinia from the Sudan to organize resistance, especially in the Gojjam district, and to prepare for the return of the emperor to the country. The mission is led by a Colonel Sandford and one of the officers later employed on this task will be Major Wingate.

In the Soviet Union... The power of the commissars in the Rea Army is reduced. Formal military ranks are restored and the military commanders are made solely responsible for operational decisions.

Over Britain... There are German raids on Portsmouth and the British airfields in Kent at Manston, Lympne and Hawkinge. The radar station at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight is attacked and damaged, putting it out of action for two weeks. This leaves a significant gap in British radar cover. The Germans fully understand the technical capabilities of radar, but they do not envisage that its contribution to fighter defense can be as great as is in fact the case. The Germans believe too that the radar masts are more difficult to destroy than they really are. The losses for the day are 22 British and 31 German.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/12.htm

August 12th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain:
Do17s from KG 2 attack Manston, dropping 150 bombs and putting the airfield out of action for a day.
63 JU 88A-1s from KG 51 and KG 54 bomb Portsmouth, 15 aircraft diverting to attack the radar station at Ventnor (Isle of Wight). The radar station is put out of action for 11 days.

Radar stations at Dover, Pevensey, Rye and Dunkirk (Kent) are also bombed as the Luftwaffe try to put a breach in the British radar system. But they failed to hit the transmitter poles and the stations themselves were well camouflaged in the surrounding countryside. Spare radar stations also served to deceive the Germans with simulated radio traffic.

RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - industrial targets at Heringen and the Ruhr.
77 Sqn. Ten aircraft to Heringen. Bad weather, only five bombed.
78 Sqn. Five aircraft to the Ruhr. Bad weather, only two bombed. Two damaged by Flak.
Germany. Flt-Lt Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd (b.1913) bombed his target from just 150 feet amid heavy flak, and returned his badly damaged aircraft to England. (VC)
RAF Fighter Command: Luftwaffe 45, RAF 13.

The first Bristol Beaufighters are delivered to the Fighter Interception Unit at Tangmere, they are equipped with A.I. MkIV (airborne interception) radar.
An experimental British radar, using the cavity magnetron which was developed only six months earlier, tracks an aircraft for the first time. (Cris Wetton)

London: RAF Headquarters announced:
This morning a series of violent aerial combats involving more than one hundred aircraft took place over the Channel and southeast coast of England. British fighter planes attacked a strong formation of enemy aircraft that was nearing the English coast, and have so far shot down 5 machines while seriously damaging other German aircraft.
Dover: The first German shell to fall on British soil destroys four houses.

Minesweeping trawler HMS Tyrope is lost due to unknown reasons.

Minesweeping trawler HMS Tamarisk is bombed and sunk in the Thames estuary.

Corvette HMS Anemone is commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: The Wehrmacht High Command announced:
As has already been revealed by a special announcement, German combat aircraft formations attacked the naval harbour of Portland on August 11. Important harbour installations, the jetty, the floating dock and a loading bridge were demolished; oil warehouses were set on fire. Two merchant vessels and one destroyer were badly hit.
Berlin:
The German News Bureau announced:
In the first segment of hostilities over the Channel and England on Monday, German fighters shot down 22 aircraft according to reports received so far. German losses thus far are 6.

Hauptmann von Menges of the OKW publishes his final contingency plans for an invasion of Switzerland. The first section details the German effort, the second outlines Italy’s expected contribution to the invasion. The plan emphasises the assault is to take place from several directions at once to quickly isolate and destroy the various units of the Swiss Army before they could withdraw into the high mountains of the interior. The occupation of the capital, Berne, and the industrial area around Solothurn and Zurich (where the Oerlikon armament works are located), is deemed critical for achieving quick success.

It is expected that the Swiss will field some 278,000 soldiers in six infantry and three mountain infantry divisions, three mountain infantry brigades, nine border guard brigades, and 75 reserve battalions. The Swiss Army has no tank arm, and there is only a weak air force. Menges, however, also believes that the French and Polish troops interned in Switzerland (about one divisions worth with some tanks) will also resist the invasion. Overall von Menges’ appraisal is that the Swiss armed forces are only suitable for defence and even at that would prove inferior in any contest with the Wehrmacht.

The main attack is to come from France because there the Swiss border defences are the weakest and the defenders less numerous. It is also believed that the transport net runs in such a way that the important Swiss cities can be reached more quickly by the invaders advancing from that direction.

The German units selected for the attack are: 4. Panzer Div., 5. 23. 73. 260. 262. Inf.Divs. - 1. Gebirgsjäger Div., 20. Inf. (mot). SS-TK (mot.), SS-LAH Rgt. (mot)., ‘GrossDeutschland’ Rgt.

Menges believes that the portion of Switzerland to be occupied by the Germans can be secured in three to five days. He is unsure how long the Italians will need to complete their part of the invasion, since their sector includes difficult Alpine terrain and strong fortifications. (Russ Folsom)(131)

AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Bendigo is commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Moose Jaw is laid down in Collingwood, Ontario. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: The USN Bureau of Ordnance requests informally that the National defence Research Committee sponsor development, on a priority basis, of proximity fuzes with particular emphasis on anti-aircraft use. (Jack McKillop)

The Will Bradley Trio, consisting of Ray McKinley on drums, “Doc” Goldberg on base and Freddie Slack on piano with McKinley and Bradley on vocal, records “Down the Road Apiece” on Columbia Records. (Jack McKillop)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 347 August 12, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 34. With fine weather, Germans try out their new tactics. Numerous coastal radar installations are bombed but most are repaired and operational by the end of the day, although Ventnor (Isle of Wight) is badly damaged and will be out of action for 2 weeks. Luftwaffe mounts heavy raids on British airfields in Kent (Manston, Lympne & Hawkinge). Portsmouth is also bombed, leaving 100 civilians dead. To test the effects of knocking out radar, Germans also attack convoys in the English Channel and Thames Estuary, sinking minesweeping trawlers HMT Pyrope (6 killed) and HMT Tamarisk (7 killed). Despite damage to radar and runways, RAF responds to most attacks and shoots down 55 German aircraft (for the loss of 6 Spitfires & 9 Hurricanes). Lutfwaffe loses 7 more bombers to anti-aircraft fire. http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0024.html http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/august12.html

British Somaliland. Italians again attack British defenses at Tug Argan. They take another hill, defended by Northern Rhodesian Regiment, and capture 2 British 3.7 inch howitzers (from a total of 4 available). Italians control the South side of the Hargeisa-Berbera road.

In the Atlantic, near the Azores, Italian submarine Malaspina sinks British tanker British Fame with 5 torpedoes. 3 crew are killed but Malaspina risks staying on the surface for a day to tow survivors in lifeboats to safety.

[agere_contra]

Anyhow, they are certainly good enough to fight Italians.

LOL, Churchill saw with a clear eye.

[tlb]

>>> 60 planes lost

Cut claimed kills by 2/3 as a general rule of thumb. It still adds up.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Will Bradley Trio, consisting of Ray McKinley on drums, “Doc” Goldberg on base and Freddie Slack on piano with McKinley and Bradley on vocal, records “Down the Road Apiece” on Columbia Records.

I don't think this one will hit the Billboard Top Ten.

"Down the Road a Piece

[CougarGA7]

According to the Battle of Britain website reporting the official confirmed kills for the day are at 62 (see table on my earlier post) so today anyway it seems pretty accurate. Though usually I would subscribe to the same 2/3 rule that you mentioned.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

It’s amazing how fast the war got going.

I look one month and hitler’s blustering, then a little time later, England’s coast is being blitzed.

[CougarGA7]

Come on now. I think that song is better than chicken fried in bacon grease.

[CougarGA7]

Click on cover to read.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

According to Michael Korda the Battle of Britain Diary is not as accurate as to the numbers for downed German aircraft as it is for the numbers for downed RAF planes. The same is true for German estimates of downed British planes. On both sides multiple pilots would claim the same kill, planes that looked to be destroyed would make it home, and so on. On the other hand, both sides had extremely accurate numbers of their own losses. All they had to do was count the planes that didn't return.

Propaganda is another matter, but I guess that would tend to inflate enemy losses and minimize the home side's.

[CougarGA7]

That makes sense. The propaganda aspects of it almost has to be expected. This is true of planes, troops, or ships.

I remember reading that in Japan the official reports that even their officers received portrayed Midway as a great victory for Japan. Some of these officers later said that it was the American reports that described ships sunk by name that made them suspect that Midway was not the victory that was being portrayed.

[CougarGA7]

I noticed that there is more talk about this new air warning thing we have.