Posted on 08/16/2010 4:37:18 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Plus a special guest map from Michael Korda’s, “With Wings Like Eagles,” showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.
William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour
Michael Korda, With Wings Like Eagles: The Untold Story of the Battle of Britain
Editorials – 10-11
The Battle of the Air
Bringers of Gifts
Hollywood Story
The Shadow Over Greece
Yorkville’s Opportunity
Foolishly Handcuffed
Really, Really, Cool.
Thanks.
I see you have aping list.
May I be added?
Thank you for posting this.
IIRC this day’s conflict marked the high-water mark of the Battle of Britain, in that the British fighter reserves were not drained on any earlier nor later day.
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/aug40/f16aug40.htm
German raids damage airfields
Friday, August 16, 1940 www.onwar.com
A newsstand vendor posts the latest tallies in the air battle over Britain. The kill ratios were usually exaggerated by both sides.
Over Britain... The Luftwaffe flies 1715 sorties and the RAF 776. In the fighting the Germans lose 45 planes and the British 21 in the air and a number on the ground. Among the targets attacked by the Germans are several Fighter Command airfields and these are quite heavily damaged.
In Berlin... Hitler intervenes in the quarrel between his army and naval staffs as to whether the invasion of Britain should be conducted on a broad front, as the army prefers or the narrow front more suited to naval limitations. He orders them to reach a compromise. The army has previously talked of using 40 divisions in the first three days of the operation, but now consider using 13.
Over Italy... The RAF sends attacks against Fiat works in Turin and the Caproni works in Milan.
In Washington... Roosevelt announces that there have been conversations with the UK on the acquisition of bases for western hemisphere defense. He does not disclose as yet that Britain wants some old US destroyers in return.
In East Africa... In British Somaliland the British forces begin to embark at Berbera for evacuation to Aden.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/16.htm
August 16th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain: Two Ju88s attack the aerodrome at Brize Norton and destroy 46 training aircraft.
Ju87s of St.G 2 bomb Tangmere but suffer heavy losses. Challenged by Hurricanes of 1, 43 and 601 Squadrons along with 602 Sqn. Spitfires tackling the escort, 17 Stukas were claimed by the RAF, the Luftwaffe admitting to losing 9. In the midst of the attack Pilot Officer W. Fiske force-landed Hurricane P3358, which was then strafed and burnt.
Around noon a two-pronged attack by KG 2 over Dover and the North Foreland resulted in 80 bombs falling on West Malling airfield, 66 of them exploding in surrounding farmland.
Four No. 266 Squadron Spitfires are shot down in a bitter struggle with II/JG 26 over Deal.
RAF Bomber Command attacks targets in Holland and GERMANY:
4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - Zeiss works at Jena, Dornier aircraft factory at Augsburg and power station at Bohlen.
10 Sqn. Nine aircraft to Jena. All bombed primary, one claimed at Bf110 destroyed and one FTR.
51 Sqn. Fourteen aircraft to Bohlen. Two returned early, twelve bombed primary. One force landed at Nuneaton and one TR.
58 Sqn. Eleven aircraft to Jena and Augsburg. Two returned early (one hit by own AA), four bombed Jena and five bombed Augsburg.
77 Sqn. Five aircraft to Augsburg. One bombed primary, three bombed alternative targets. Weather bad.
78 Sqn. Five aircraft to Bohlen. Four bombed primary, one bombed an alternative target.
Southampton: Flt-Lt Eric James Brindley Nicolson (1917-45) stayed, wounded and badly burnt, in his blazing Hurricane long enough to down a German fighter. Nicolson had been fired on by a Messerschmitt 110, injuring him in one eye and one foot. His engine was also damaged and the petrol tank set alight. As he struggled to leave the blazing machine he saw another Messerschmitt, and managed to get back into the bucket seat, pressed the firing button, continuing firing until the enemy plane dived away to destruction. Not until then did he bale out, and when he landed in a field, he was unable to bale out owing to his badly burned hands. (VC: the only Battle of Britain VC and only fighter pilot to win the VC in the war.) (Chuck Smith)
Submarine HMS Seraph laid down. Minesweeping trawler HMS Liberia is commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
The first American to join the RAF is killed today. William M. Fiske, III will become the only American buried at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Flying with RAF 601 squadron based at Tangmere, he died in a belly landing after being shot up defending England during the Battle of Britain. The inscription reads: “An American citizen who died that England might live.” (John Nicholas)
GERMANY: The German News Bureau reported:
An authoritative source has informed us that in the course of this afternoon’s aerial hostilities, one German aerial formation took off on a special mission. This combat group was deployed against all military and war-related targets immediately surrounding the British capital. The German Luftwaffe will offer proof that no power in the world can prevent it from dropping its bombs anywhere in England that it chooses - even, if it should be necessary over the City of London.
FINLAND: The US Army transport AMERICAN LEGION departs Petsamo. Passengers include Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her 3 children; President Roosevelt has invited her to come to the U.S. American Legion is the last neutral ship to leave Petsamo. In addition to her passengers, she carries a crated twin-mount 40 mm Bofors gun “with standard sights, spare parts and 3,000 rounds of ammunition.” (Jack McKillop)
SOMALILAND: British forces pull out of Tug Argan.
CANADA: LCdr Henry “Harry” George Dewolf, RCN, was posted ashore to HMCS Stadacona for reassignment to NSHQ, Ottawa, after a tour of duty as the Commanding Officer of HMCS St Laurent, a River-class destroyer, which he had held since 1937. In Ottawa he served as the Director of Plans and Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: Washington: The United States is to “swap” 50 ageing destroyers for 99-year, rent-free leases on British naval and air bases in the western hemisphere.
The draft agreement was made public two days ago, and was re-affirmed by President Roosevelt in a press conference today stressing the advantages of the deal to the USA. The destroyers in question are obsolescent, but still serviceable, “four-stackers” dating from the Great War, which Churchill told Roosevelt are desperately needed to escort convoys under attack from U-boat “wolf-packs”.
The bases involved stretch all the way from Newfoundland by way of Bermuda to the Bahamas and across the Caribbean to British Guinea.
It is understood that the deal had its origins in a personal appeal from Churchill to Roosevelt on 15 May. He explained that the Germans’ overrunning of the whole coastline of western Europe from the north of Norway to the Pyrenees, the entry of the Italian fleet, with 100 new submarines, into the war, and the loss of almost half Britain’s submarines in actions to protect convoys had seriously weakened Britain’s ability to defeat an invasion and keep the Atlantic sea lanes open for imports of wheat, oil and munitions from the United States and elsewhere. It was, Mr Churchill said, “a matter of life and death”, and King George added a personal message saying that the need for destroyers was “greater
every day.”
It is known that he President first felt that the legal and political difficulties of helping Britain were insuperable. On 1 August, however, the Century Group - which lobbies for US aid to Britain - came up with the idea of exchanging the ships for British bases.
The President was concerned about potential reactions from the isolationists in Congress, many of then Republicans, Mr Churchill was reluctant to let the exchange seem too hard a bargain, and preferred it to be seen as “two friends in danger helping each other.”
Still the President persevered: hence today’s press conference. One senator who supports the deal reminded his colleagues: “If you jump on the destroyer transfer you’re jumping on the acquisition of defence bases.”
Mr. Roosevelt has said he believes the swap will be the “most important action in national defence since the Louisiana Purchase.”
The first official US Army parachute jump occurred today. Due to the success of this first jump, the War Department recognized the potential of the airborne units and subsequently expanded their role in combat. (Gene Hanson)
In the U.S., two motion pictures are released today:
- “Foreign Correspondent” a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, stars Joel McCrea, Larraine Day, Herbert Marshall, George Sanders, Albert Bassermann, Robert Benchley, Edmund Gwenn and Eduardo Ciannelli. Uncredited Alfred Hitchcock appears as a man walking down the street while Joan Leslie has an uncredited bit part. The plot has a young reporter for a U.S. newspaper (McCrea) working in London on the eve of World War II where he encounters enemy agents and enlists the aid of a woman (Day) to help him. The film is nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor (Bassermann).
- “Stranger on the Third Floor,” a film-noir drama directed by Boris Ingster, stars Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook, Jr. Cook is convicted of murder based on circumstantial evidence and on the testimony of a up-and-coming reporter. The reporter and his girlfriend have second thoughts and begin to investigate the case to determine his guilt. (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-100 sinks SS Empire Merchant in Convoy OA-198.
U-30 sinks SS Clan Macphee in Convoy OB-197.
U-48 sinks SS Hedrun in Convoy OB-197.
At 1302, U-46 fired three torpedoes on three ships (two passenger ships and one freighter) which partially overlapped in convoy OB-197 (150 miles SW of Rockall) and observed a hit on the freighter, which was clearly damaged, as the bow was deeper in the water. The Dutch merchant ship Alcinous (6,189 tons) was hit on the port side by one torpedo and caught fire, which could be extinguished after long work. The British sloop HMS Rochester supported the damaged ship, which was later towed to Gourock by a British tug. Endrass could not identify his victim, but U-30 heard the SOS-signals from the Alcinous. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 351 August 16, 1940
Battle of Britain Day 38. Despite fine clear weather, it is a quiet day. Smallish raids attack Thames estuary and Kent in Southwest England at noon and again at 4.30 PM. Many airfields are bombed, yielding many dogfights. Stukas divebomb Tangmere Aerodrome, destroying Hurricanes and Blenheims in the hangars. In one, Pilot Officer W. M. “Billy” Fiske is badly burned. (Billy will die the next day of his wounds; the only American killed during the Battle of Britain. American Ambassador John Winnat will unveil a memorial plaque to Fiske in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral London on July 4, 1941). Stukas also bomb Ventnor radar station, again putting it out of action. Despite being badly wounded and with his Hurricane on fire, Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson shoots down a Bf109 before bailing out. (Nicolson will win the only VC awarded to a fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain). RAF losses are 22 fighters while Luftwaffe loses 72 aircraft. http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0027.html
East Africa. Italian troops move cautiously from Tug Argan and do not attack the British rearguard at Barkasan. British troops, arriving back at Berbera, start embarking onto Royal Navy ships, using an all-tide jetty constructed the Navy.
British submarine Osiris sinks Italian steamer Morea 50 miles West of Durrës, Albania.
U-boats start operating in wolfpacks against convoys. 300 miles Northwest of Ireland, convoy OB-197 is attacked by U-30, U-46 and U-48. Swedish steamer Hedrun (3000 tons of coal, 8 killed, 20 rescued) & British steamer Clan Macphee (6700 tons of general cargo, 67 killed, 41 survivors rescued by Hungarian steamer Kelet) are sunk and Dutch MV Alcinous is hit but does not sink (towed to Gourock, Scotland). Additionally, U-100 sinks British MV Empire Merchant (heading to Jamaica with cargo and mail) 150 miles Northwest of Ireland (7 killed, 48 picked up by rescue tug HMS Salvonia and landed at Greenock). http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/466.html
Sunderlands of 210 Squadron attack U-51 with depth charges, 170 miles northwest of Ireland. Despite being blown out of the water by one explosion, producing oil and air bubbles, U-51 survived the attack. This was the first successful depth charge attack by a Coastal Command aircraft.
That's the kind of constructive criticism I like to receive. Thanks.
You are added to the class roster.
With an A+ for the day.
Thanks.
Berlin, Aug. 15--The emergency court of Braunschweig sentenced a 46-year-old woman from Wolfenbuettel to three months' imprisonment today for having questioned the veracity of German High Command communiques.
Such conduct, the court decided, represented a violation of the law against subversive activity.
Leftist Nazis--but I repeat myself!--today would imprison anyone who questions Leftist Nazi--oops! redundant again!--dogma, if they could--and if they keep trying, they just might find a way to do it, considering the complicity of the Press and the Decadence that has crippled Western Civilization.
Date: 16th August 1940
Enemy action by day
Enemy activity was on a reduced scale compared with that of the previous day. The main activity consisted of two attacks:-
Several of these raids penetrated towards London which received two red warnings.
During engagements, our fighters destroyed 72 enemy aircraft.
North and North-East Coasts
No plots were received in this area.
East and South-East Coasts
In the early morning and isolated raid was plotted in the Kirton area. At about 1240 hours, raids totalling some 250 aircraft approached between Dungeness and Yarmouth. A split of these raids proceeded up the Thames Estuary, then passed south-west towards Biggin Hill and Kenley. Another raid of 20+ approached Croydon but turned back. These raids continued until about 1430 hours.
At 1630 hours, a raid of 100+ approached the Dover area and at 1710 hours a raid of 70+ was plotted between the Isle of Sheppey and Hornchurch and on towards Debden. This raid returned down the Thames Estuary at 1730 hours and back to the Calais area.
Between 1830 and 1920 hours, enemy search patrols were active between Cherbourg and the Straits of Dover.
South and South-West Coast
Between 1000 and 1100 hours, two small reconnaissances approached the Isle of Wight area but turned back before reaching the coast.
At 1240 hours, a raid of 30+ approached Portsmouth and a raid of 50+ approached Tangmere. A further raid of 70 followed towards Tangmere at 1300. At 1315 hours, heavy raids were still reported in the Portsmouth and Tangmere areas.
At about 1700 hours, 100 enemy aircraft crossed the coast at various points between Poole and Shoreham and penetrated to Southampton, Hanwell and Guildford, returning over Beachy Head to the Cherbourg area.
By night
Enemy activity was slight. Between 2200 and 2330 hours, a few raids appeared off the East Anglian coast. Attacks were reported on Martlesham and Harwich. At about 2300 hours, two raids were reported in the Thames Estuary, and about seven small raids off the Isle of Wight, probably minelaying. There were also a few small raids in the Western area which penetrated to the Bristol Channel and South Wales. Between 0100 and 0300 hours, some raids penetrated inland to Bury St Edmunds, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Derby and North London.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 16 August 1940
Casualties:
| Enemy Losses | ||
|---|---|---|
| By Fighters | ||
| Destroyed | Probable | Damaged |
| 21 Me109 | 11 Me109 | 3 Me109 |
| 10 Me110 | 6 He111 | 4 Me110 |
| 8 He111 | 1 He113 | 9 He111 |
| 2 He113 | 6 Ju87 | 5 Ju87 |
| 19 Ju87 | 1 Ju88 | 1 Ju88 |
| 2 Ju88 | 1 Do17 | 6 Do17 |
| 1 Do17 | 3 Do215 | 4 Do215 |
| 3 Do215 | 9 unknown | |
| 6 unknown | ||
| 72 | 29 | 41 |
| By Anti-Aircraft | ||
| Destroyed | Probable | Damaged |
| 3 unknown | ||
| 3 |
Patrols:
Balloons:
Aerodromes:
Organisation:
Air Intelligence Reports
Home Security Reports
I took notice of that too. Shows the contrast between a dictatorial regime and a democratic one. Of course this is just a story that made it into the paper. Most don’t even see the light of day.
And you are veering very near to hate speech with your comments. Better watch it, Buster, or someone will report you to the authorities.
Next thing you’re going to tell me is that our government is going to intern my Japanese-American neighbor. Sheesh.
Don't even joke like that, Hom
Wait a minute.
Somebody's knocking at the d
They're coming innnnnnnn
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