http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/aug40/f25aug40.htm
Attrition ratio favors Germans
Sunday, August 25, 1940 www.onwar.com
Over Britain... The main German attack is against the fighter airfield at Warmwell. The attack is heavily escorted and, despite powerful British fighter forces being sent, the Germans only lose one bomber and each side loses 11 fighters. In total the Germans lose 20 aircraft and the British 16. This ratio favors the Germans in the long run. During the night the Germans attack Birmingham and other targets.
Over Germany... In response to the events of the previous night the RAF bombs Berlin. This is something of a shock to the German leaders who have claimed extravagantly that this is impossible.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/25.htm
August 25th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: The first RAF Bomber Command raid on Berlin occurred during the night of 25/26 August. The participants were:
1. Nine Vickers Wellington Mk Is of No. 99 Squadron based at Newmarket, Suffolk, and
2. Eight Vickers Wellington Mk Is of No. 149 Squadron based at Mildenhall, Suffolk, and
3. Twelve Handley Page Hampdens Mk Is of No. 61 and No. 144 Squadrons, both based at Hemswell, Lincolnshire, and
4. Nine Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk Vs of No. 51 Squadron (4 Group) and five Whitley Mk Vs of No 78 Squadron (4 Group), both based at Dishforth, Yorkshire. (Jack McKillop)
4 Group (Whitley) Reports: Bombing - industrial targets at Berlin and the Ruhr.
51 Sqn. Nine aircraft to Berlin. Weather atrocious, two bombed primary.
58 Sqn. Ten aircraft. Three returned early, four bombed primary, three bombed alternative targets.
78 Sqn. Five aircraft. None bombed due to adverse weather.
Whitley and Wellington crews are told that their main target “is the Siemens and Halske factory at Siemenstadt, producing 85% of the electrical power used by the German forces.” Hampden crews are told to demolish Berlin’s Klingenberg power station. Other objectives are the Henschel Aircraft Factory, the Bucker training aircraft factory at Rangsdorf, Tempelhof aerodrome and Tegel’s gasworks.
Battle of Britain:
RAF Fighter Command: Attacks on RAF Driffield and Airfields in south-east, south and south-west (Warmwell), the bombers are heavily escorted.
No large raids appear until 16:00, when a strong force heads for Weymouth.
10 and 11 Groups face it with all available aircraft between Tangmere and Exeter. 87 and 609 Squadrons defend Portland and 17 Sqn. protects Warmwell. The Ju88s of II/KG 51 and II/KG 54 protected by Bf110s split into three groups to attack Weymouth, Portland and Warmwell. 87 Sqn. takes on the Portland Ju88s leaving the 110s to 609 Sqn. But the 110s are in turn escorted by Bf109s of JG53. 17 Sqn. found the bombers impossible to reach through the dense fighter screen.
One Ju88 was shot down but the RAF lost 12 fighters and 8 pilots.
The only other sizeable raid of the day develops over Kent around 18:00. Six 11 Group squadrons are in action, 32 Sqn operating from Hawkinge, and engaging a dozen Do17s until Bf109s drove them off and destroyed a Hurricane.
Losses: Luftwaffe, 20; RAF, 16.
GERMANY: U-110 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
BALTIC SEA:
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are formally incorporated into the Soviet Union.
NORTH AFRICA: The remaining French airborne units, the 601st and 602nd GIA are disbanded. (Stuart Millis)
U.S.A.: The first parachute wedding ceremony is performed by Reverend Homer Tomlinson at the New York World’s Fair for Arno Rudolphi and Ann Hayward. The minister, bride and groom, best man, maid of honour and four musicians were all suspended from parachutes. (Jack McKillop)
Secretary of State Hull appeals for national unity behind the defence program and related foreign policies. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-100 sank SS Jamaica Pioneer.
U-124 sank SS Fircrest, Harpalyce and damaged SS Stakesby in Convoy HX-65A.
U-48 sank SS Athelcrest and SS Empire Merlin in Convoy HX-65A.
U-37 sank SS Blairmore and SS Yewcrest in Convoy SC-1.
U-57 sank SS Pecten in Convoy HX-65B. (Dave Shirlaw)