RUMANIA FIGHTS REDS AND HUNGARIANS; R.A.F. AND NAZIS MAKE BOMBING RAIDS (8/28/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 8/28/40 | Guido Enderis, W.F. Leysmith, Joseph Frayman, Percy Knauth, Hanson W. Baldwin

[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

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Clashes on Border – 2-4
Axis to Mediate in Balkan Crisis – 3
The International Situation – 5
2 London Attacks – 6
Berlin Hints British Bombed Irish Coast – 6
Far-Ranging R.A.F. Claims Wide Havoc – 7
Nazis Say Britain Lost 1,055 Planes – 8
Catholic Support of Nazis Indicated – 9
Bombers Widen War Havoc – 10
The Texts of the Day’s War Communiques – 11

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/aug40/f28aug40.htm

Germans bomb Liverpool at night

Wednesday, August 28, 1940 www.onwar.com

Over Britain... After a lull on the 27th, the Germans attack again. They lose 30 aircraft and Fighter Command 20. One attack is made by fighters alone and the British commanders are tricked into engaging it on the assumption that it is a mixed formation. During the night there is the first of a series of four raids on Liverpool. Around 160 aircraft are sent each night.

In the North Atlantic... The British armed merchant cruiser Dunvegan Castle is sunk by a German U-boat.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/28.htm

August 28th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM:
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - industrial targets at Dortmund and Dusseldorf - airframe factory at Dessau.
10 Sqn. Two aircraft each to Dortmund and Dusseldorf. All bombed primaries.
102 Sqn. Seven aircraft to Dessau. All bombed primary.

Battle of Britain:
RAF Fighter Command reports airfields at Eastchurch and Rochford attacked, with Luftwaffe fighters flying in sweeps across southern Britain.

After further heavy losses the Defiant fighter will now be pulled out of the daylight battle.

At night much heavier raiding begins - around 160 bombers raid Merseyside, 180 operate elsewhere, yet in 600 sorties by night, Luftlotte 3 has lost only 7 aircraft.

During the early hours Gillingham is dive-bombed, probably in error, hundreds of incendiaries are released, damaging 20 houses and killing 16 people.

He-111s of II and III/KG 53 and Do17s of I/KG 3 escorted by Bf109s of I and III/JG 51 proceed north near Sandwich and are met by 501 and 615 Hurricane Squadrons along with 264 Squadrons Defiants. They were unable to prevent the Dorniers from reaching Eastchurch and Heinkels from raiding Rochford. Eastchurch was seriously damaged with two Battles destroyed and two damaged. Eight RAF fighters and six pilots were lost for five enemy aircraft brought down.

Rochford was again attacked at 12:40 leaving some buildings damaged but failing to catch 264 Squadron on the ground. Spitfires of 54 Squadron positioned at 30,000 feet dived upon the escort, Flt. Lt. Deere claiming a Bf109, Flt. Lt. George Gribble another at the end of an 11-aircraft line, and Sqn. Ldr Leathart a Dornier. In a quite astonishing chase of a Bf109 Gribble and Norwell ended the fight so low that Gribble’s shooting killed a cow. After landing he discovered pieces of a tree lodged in his Spitfire, Deere was less fortunate and had to bail out. As the raiders were approaching Rochford, Hurricanes on No.1 Squadron downed a Do17 of 6/KG 3 on Rochford aerodrome, its crew becoming PoWs.

Afternoon fighting showed the success of a Bf109 and Bf110 seven element excursion over Kent, which resulted in a wasteful fighter-versus-fighter encounter with 16 aircraft lost on both sides. Dowding forbids further pointless fighter engagements.

Night operations by beam-riding He-111s of KGr 100 include an attempt to pathfind to Liverpool and Sealand RAF base near Chester. The bombers went so far astray that the British thought that the Midlands and London area were the main targets. The bombers also hit London, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Derby, Manchester and Sheffield. At Avonmouth (Bristol) the Shell Mex installations and the National Smelting Co. works were hit, Coventry shops and houses were damaged and in Altrincham (Cheshire) a 50,000 gallon oil tank at the Anglo-American oil depot caught fire.

Losses: Luftwaffe, 30; RAF, 20.

U-101 sank SS Elle in Convoy SC-1.
U-28 sank SS Kyno in Convoy HX-66. (Dave Shirlaw)

VICHY FRANCE:
The government breaks off relations with European governments in exile.

AFRICA:
The South African Air Force bombs Italian bases in Somaliland.

FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA: Free French Commandant De Lange leads his battalion in a march on the Government Palace in Brazzaville, Congo. Vichy General Husson yields power without resistance but in protest. General de Larminat arrives by boat from Leopoldville, Belgian Congo to take power in the name of Free France. Governor de Saint Mart in Bangui, Ubangi, receives a telegram reporting events in Brazzaville and declares the colony’s adhesion to Free France. The local garrison threatens a coup d’etat but General de Larminat arrives by airplane and to defuses the situation with an offer to return Pro-Vichy officers to Dakar in French West Africa. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: The USN destroyers USS Biddle (DD-151) and USS Blakeley (DD-150) escort U.S. Army transport USAT American Legion on the final leg of her voyage from Petsamo, Finland, to New York City. The 40 mm Bofors gun she carries is subsequently shipped to the Naval Proving Ground at Dahlgren, Virginia. (Jack McKillop)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 363 August 28, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 50. With fine weather, Germans mount 4 raids of 60-100 aircraft bombing RAF airfields in Southern England, from 8.30 AM to 7 PM. Most are turned back by RAF fighters and little damage is done to airfields. Germans lose 19 Bf109 fighters, 8 bombers and a WWI-era Gotha biplane bomber which crash lands on Lewes racecourse. RAF loses 20 fighters, including 3 Defiants of 264 Squadron which are still easy prey for Bf109s. Overnight, there is the first concerted heavy bombing of industrial centers in the Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Sheffield, Manchester and South Yorkshire).

At 4.25 AM 200 miles Northwest of Ireland, U-101 hits Finnish steamer Elle with 1 torpedo (2 killed). 27 crew are picked up by sloop HMS Leith and landed at Greenock, Scotland, on August 30. HMS Leith scuttles Elle with 2 shells. At 9 PM, U-28 sinks British steamer Kyno in the same area (4 lives lost). 33 crew are picked up by British MV Queen Maud. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/491.html

[PAR35]

Heavy tank?

Looks like a Toldi I, 8.5 tons, 20mm gun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toldi_%28tank%29

Better view here:
http://tankove_muzeum.sweb.cz/museum/toldi2.html

[CougarGA7]

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 28th August 1940

• Weather: Fine and fair but cold. Cloud in Dover Straits.
• Day: Three-phase attack on airfields in Kent, Essex and Suffolk.
• Night: First major attack on Liverpool (150 bombers). Further harassing attacks over London, the Midlands and north-east coast

  Enemy action by day

  During the day the enemy made four major attacks in the Kentish area, some of which penetrated to the Thames Estuary.

  Our fighters destroyed twenty-seven enemy aircraft plus one by anti-aircraft fire while our casualties were twenty aircraft (nine pilots plus three air gunners missing or killed).

  North and East

  In the evening, a single aircraft was plotted east of Yarmouth.

  South East

  At 0640 hours, three enemy aircraft flew along the coast from Lympne to North Foreland, possibly making a photographic reconnaissance of the Royal Air Force stations in that area.

  At 0830 hours, about sixty enemy aircraft penetrated inland between Dover and North Foreland on a westerly course followed shortly afterwards by a second wave of about sixty enemy aircraft, some of which turned north to Essex. Fighters intercepted and shot down five aircraft.

  At about 1300 hours, approximately one hundred enemy aircraft flew inland between North Foreland and Dungeness to the Thames Estuary, their objective being aerodromes. Rochford was attacked. Our fighters destroyed nine aircraft.

  Between 1550 and 1645 hours, the enemy launched seven raids totalling over one hundred aircraft over Kent and the Estuary. Our fighters destroyed twelve aircraft.

  At 1900 hours, another sixty enemy aircraft again flew inland over Kent, some heading west and some north to the Estuary following a course similar to previous attacks. Fighters intercepted and shot down one enemy aircraft.

  South and West

  During the morning, hostile reconnaissances were reported off Cornwall and Pembroke. Later, two small raids passed over Cardiff and flew south east to Yeovil and Swanage and returned to France.

  Northern Ireland

  A hostile aircraft was reported passing near to Aldergrove.

  By night

  Enemy activity was very heavy but more confined to specific areas than usual.

  The Midlands was clearly the main objective and there were very few raids outside an arc based on Shoreham to Selsey Bill up to Liverpool, across to Sheffield and thence down to London.

  At 2050 hours, a few raids commenced to cross the Kentish Coast, some passing over London and up to the Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Sheffield, Manchester and South Yorkshire areas. Successive raids developed towards the same areas crossing the coast at many points between Beachy Head and Selsey Bill. Many of these returned over the London area keeping London 'Red' for the record period of seven hours.

  Some raids flew to Bristol Channel area but activity here was lighter than usual.

  Several of the raids which passed over the Midlands carried on to Sealand and this area seems to have received marked attantion.

  Minelaying appears to have been taken place in the Wash, off East Anglia, Thames Estuary, Beachy Head, Shoreham, Lyme Bay and possibly Bristol Channel and Liverpool Bay.

  

  ________________________________________

  Statistics

  Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 28th August 1940

• Blenheim - 55
• Spitfire - 225
• Hurricane - 413
• Defiant - 23
• Gladiator - 7
• Total – 723

  Casualties:

  	Enemy Losses
  	By Fighters
  Destroyed	Probable	Damaged
  4 Do17	11 Me109	1 Do17
  2 Do215	2 He111	1 Do215
  19 Me109	1 Do17	5 Me109
  1 He111		1 Me110
  1 He159		1 He111
  1 Gotha*		1 Curtis Hawk
  28	14	10
  	By Anit-Aircraft
  Destroyed	Probable	Damaged
  Nil	Nil	Nil

  
  *NOTE – This is reported in the foregoing narrative as brought down by anti-aircraft fire, but it is since reported that it landed intact on Lewes racecourse due to pilot being lost.

• Own:

• 20 aircraft. Seven pilots and three air gunners killed or missing. (NOTE: Since writing of narrative which mentions nine pilots killed or missing, this has been reduced to the above.)

  Patrols:

• Own

• 187 patrols involving 778 aircraft.

• Enemy

• Estimated during the night of 27th/28th August - 200 aircraft. Estimated during the day 28th August - 400 aircraft.

  Balloons:

• Flying 1549, casualties 32 (26 repairable, 2 written off, 4 by enemy action).

  Aerodromes:

• Rochford unserviceable during hours of darkness. Serviceable for single aircraft by day with care.

  Organisation:

• Nil.

  Air Intelligence Reports

• While there is an absence of any specific reference in official communiqués to the raids on Berlin, information received from Spanish press sources confirms the success of the raids [by RAF Bomber Command] and that their effect on the population is noticeable. Those sources pay high tribute to the daring and efficiency of the British aircraft crews, who flew over the centre of the city while dropping bombs only on their targets in the suburbs. Spanish public opinion is much impressed.

  Home Security Reports

• Date: 28th August 1940

• General Summary

• A number of aerodromes were attacked during the period including, amongst others, Dyce aerial lighthouse site where a number of HE were dropped by low flying aircraft. No damage of importance is reported.
• Rochford was subjected to heavy attack by fifteen He111 and it was estimated that 15 tons of bombs were dropped in and around the aerodrome. Short fires were caused to buildings and the surface of the landing ground was cut up but it is serviceable for single aircraft with care.
• Avonmouth Docks were bombed, two HE falling on the "Shell Mex" Can factory and two HE also seven IB near the plant belonging to the National Smelting Company.
• Bombs were dropped on the factory of Messrs S Smith and Sons at Cricklewood.
• A new type of incendiary bomb was reported to have been dropped at Ulceby.
• Eleven fires were reported from Coventry, all of which were extinguished in due course.
• The absence of full reports does not make it possible to give an accurate detailed summary of the latest raids.
• During the night 28th/29th August, a 50,000-gallon oil tank was on fire at Anglo-American Oil Depot, Broad Heath, Altrincham, Cheshire. It is not reported if this is due to enemy action.

• Casualties on Ground by Enemy Action: (The details given below are quoted with considerable reserve owing to the lack of accurate information).

• To RAF Personnel - nil killed, 5 injured.
• To others - 37 killed, 78 injured.

  Battle of Britain

[CougarGA7]

Asterisk or not, the reporting of the downing of a Gotha bomber is a bit strange.

[PAR35]

Found the one in the back. It’s a 39M Csaba 4 wheeled armored car. About 6 tons, 2mm cannon and a couple of light machine guns.

[CougarGA7]

Here's another picture of the Toldi I (39M tank)

At first I wondered if it may be the 42M, but that tank has a 40mm cannon which this is clearly not in the picture. At any rate, it's not a "heavy tank".

Here's one of the 39M while I'm at it.

[PAR35]

Later Toldis (1942 and later) were upgunned to a 40mm.

It’s hard to get a scale for how small it was without people in the picture. It brought to mind the Czech tankettes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AH-IV

[BroJoeK]

"Catholic Support of Nazis Indicated – 9"

The German Catholic clergy are generally given high marks for their opposition to and persecution by the Nazis.

However, here and there as in other countries, there were exceptions. Apparently this is one...