Posted on 08/30/2010 5:04:05 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.
Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/aug40/f30aug40.htm
Luftwaffe batters RAF on the ground
Friday, August 30, 1940 www.onwar.com
Over Britain... The Germans attack airfields in Kent and an aircraft factory at Luton. The important Biggin Hill sector station is severely hit as is the Luton airport. The Germans lose 36 planes and the RAF 26.
In Germany... A German sponsored conference concludes in Vienna. Hungary and Bulgaria have been recently trying to pick quarrel with Romania so that, following the example of the USSR, they can seize portions of Romanian territory. The Germans do not wish their grain and oil supplies to be threatened by a Balkan war and, therefore, intervene to adjudicate the dispute. A conference is called at Vienna and by the Vienna Award Hungary is given a large part of Transylvania and Bulgaria is given southern Dobruja. Romania can only acquiesce.
In Berlin... Hitler announces that he will make a decision on Operation Sealion (the invasion of England) about September 10th. This will mean that the landings will be on September 21st.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/30.htm
August 30th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM:
Battle of Britain:
RAF Fighter Command: Very heavy bombing of airfields (Lympne, Biggin Hill twice, Detling). Vauxhall works at Luton. At night heavy bombing of Merseyside.
Losses: Luftwaffe, 36; RAF, 26.
German raiders target Biggin Hill in Kent and important industries in Luton; incendiaries are dropped on London.
Leading today’s assault 100+ aircraft arrived in the Deal-Dungeness area at 07:36, Do 17s escorted by Bf110s of ZG 76 and heading for a convoy sailing from the Thames at Methil. Then at 10:30 the first element of phase one of the three part operation revealed itself as three Gruppen of Bf109s coming in over the Kent coast to pave the way for 40 He-111s, 30 Do 17s and another 90 fighters. 151 Squadron engaged the Heinkels, claiming three for the loss of two Hurricanes before 85 Squadron made head-on attacks, widely splitting the bomber formation. Two escorting Bf110s were then shot down, and another Hurricane lost.
Scattered groups of bombers produced another confusing and dangerous situation, prompting Park to order part of 253 Squadron to guard Kenley, whose fighters were scrambled. 253 then found themselves attacking three formation each of nine Ju88s with 30 fighters providing top cover. Aided by 43 Squadron and newcomers of 222 Squadron they destroyed six enemy aircraft, but for the cost of ten RAF aircraft and five pilots.
The pressure was building and before the squadrons completed their turn-rounds Kesselring dispatched small groups of bombers protected by many fighters and crossing the Kent coast from 13:00 at around 15,000 feet at 20-minute intervals, and largely unplotted because power supplies to radar stations had been cut during morning raids. For over two hours the enemy roamed over south-east England. Five fighter squadrons responded, among them 222 Squadron, which was to operate three times during the day, have eight of its Spitfires put out of use, lose five, have a pilot killed and two injured.
Twelve of 222 Squadron’s Spitfires on patrol at 16,000 feet over Lympne sighted 15 escorted He-111s near Canterbury and as they attacked were set upon by the Messerschmitts. They claimed a Bf 110 damaged but Pilot Officer Asheton was forced to land on the obstructed Bekesbourne airfield, Sergeant Baxter had to put down at Eastchurch and Pilot Officer Carpenter baled out of P9378 near Rochford.
Early in the afternoon another squadron appeared. Since the start of the Battle 12 Group’s Coltishall-based 242 Squadron, led by Sqn. Ldr. Douglas Bader, had been flying convoy patrols off the East Anglian coast and seen little fighting. Around midday 242 was ordered to Duxford, from where 14 Hurricanes set off to police the North Weald area, and led by Bader (P3061) they tackled raid X33, a diamond formation of KG 1s He 111s which had already braved 54 rounds of heavy AA fire, and shot down two. Before returning to Coltishall that evening 242 operated on two occasions.
By 16:00 a huge force of enemy aircraft, probably about 300, was crossing the Kent coast, some heading for distant inland targets. 13 squadrons were scrambled to deal with them. 19 Gruppen in total headed for Hawker’s at Slough, the Hurricane and Spitfire repair centres at Oxford, for Luton and three vital airfields - North Weald, Kenley and Biggin Hill. One small formation, intercepted by only one squadron, managed to put Detling out of use for 15 hours.
The biggest, potentially most damaging operation so far, had to be ferociously dealt with using as many aircraft as possible.
The first bombing incidents came at Lambeth. Soon after a group of fewer than ten Ju88s made low and fast for Sheppey, suddenly veered south, then delivered a devastating 15-ton blow on Biggin Hill smashing a hangar, the workshops, armoury, barrack blocks, MT Section, WAAF quarters, killing 39 and injuring 26. Too late, six Hurricanes of 79 Squadron arrived, chasing after the Ju88s and claiming two of them.
Around 16:10, 20 He-111s of II/KG 1 escorted by Bf110s flew across Southend and then North Weald bound for Luton’s industrial area. Despite spirited efforts by Hurricanes of 1, 56, 242 and 501 Squadrons - Nos. 1 and 56 each destroying a Heinkel - the raiders reached Luton, where at 16:40 they carried out the five minutes of bombing during which 207 HEs fell, may on Vauxhall Motors factory. No public warning had sounded and horrific scenes followed the destruction of the factory’s main internal stairway. Casualties totalled 59 killed and 141 injured. Over 60 bombs fell very wide of the target, 18 of them in Whipsnade Zoo.
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). 58 Sqn. Nine aircraft. One returned early, seven bombed primary, one bombed an alternative target.
Destroyer HMS Esk working with the 20th Destroyer Flotilla engaged on minelaying operations is lost to a mine in the North Sea off the Dutch Coast at 53 30N 03 47E. (Alex Gordon)(108)
AMC HMS Monowai commissioned.
Submarine HMS Unbending laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
FRANCE: The Vichy French government signs the Matsuoka-Henry Pact and yields to Japanese (1) demands for an end to shipments of war material to the Chinese nationalists via the Hanoi - Kunming railway, (2) grants Japanese forces transit rights and access to military facilities in Indochina and (3) the right to station troops in Tokinchina. Japan agrees to recognize continued French sovereignty over Indochina. Vichy reciprocates with formal recognition of Japan’s “pre-eminent” role in the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere. (Jack McKillop)
GERMANY: U-165 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
HUNGARY: Bucharest: Under pressure from Germany, Romania cedes 20,000 square miles of territory - half of Transylvania - to Hungary.
Hungary and Bulgaria have been trying to seize various portions of Romania. The Soviet Union has already accomplished this. A Balkan war threatens Germany. A conference is called at Vienna. Romania acquiesces to giving up Transylvania to Hungary and Bulgaria receives southern Dobruja.
CANADA: Corvette HMCS Dunvegan laid down Sorel, Province of Quebec. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: The motion picture “Boom Town” is released. Directed by Jack Conway, this romantic adventure drama, based on the story “A Lady Comes to Burkburnett” by James Edward Grant, stars Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Claudett Colbert, Hedy Lamarr, Frank Morgan and Chill Wills. The plot has Gable and Tracy going West to get rich in the oil fields. Colbert also goes West to marry Tracy but marries Gable and then the fun starts. The film is nominated for two Academy Awards. (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-32 sank SS Chelsea, SS Mill Hill and SS Norne in Convoy HX-66A.
U-59 damaged SS Anadara and SS San Gabriel. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 365 August 30, 1940
Battle of Britain Day 52. Fine weather allows sustained and concerted attacks on RAF airfields (Luftwaffe flies 1,310 sorties). Between 10.30 AM and 6 PM, almost all airfields in Southeast England are bombed and there are continuous dogfights. 6 radar stations are down for 3 hours when a power line is hit. Biggin Hill is bombed twice and put out of action (39 killed, 35 wounded). Squadron Leader Tom Gleave of 253 Squadron downs 4 Bf109s in 1 dogfight. AVM Park’s Group 11 is badly let down when fighters from Group 12 (commanded by his rival AVM Leigh-Mallory) do not arrive to cover the airfields. RAF loses 39 fighters, 8 pilots. Germans lose 33 fighters, 30 bombers. Overnight, Liverpool is heavily bombed for the third night, as well as London, Portsmouth, Manchester, Worcester, Bristol and the Vauxhall Motor Works at Luton (where 50 are killed). RAF Bomber Command again bombs Berlin as well as oil refineries near Rotterdam (4 RAF bombers lost). http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0031.html
In 30 minutes from 2.20 to 2.48 AM, U-32 sinks 3 ships in convoy HX-66A 4 miles off Isle of Lewis, Scotland. British SS Mill Hill sinks with all 34 hands lost. British SS Chelsea sinks with 24 dead (11 crew taken off by armed trawler HMS Lord Cecil and landed in Scotland). Norwegian MV Norne sinks with 17 dead (11 survivors rescued from the water by corvette HMS Hibiscus and landed in Scotland next day). In 20 minutes from 9.34 to 9.53 AM, U-59 hits 2 ships in convoy OB-205 70 miles Northwest of Ireland. British tanker Anadara does not sink and is towed to the Clyde by tug HMS Schelde (no casualties). Anadara will be repaired and back in service in May 1941. Greek SS San Gabriel also does not sink (2 killed, 22 survivors abandon ship and are picked up by destroyer HMS Warwick) but is later declared a total loss and beached. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/1377.html
Raid angers Reich - Now that’s chutzpah - you should pardon the phrase.
That anger went a long way to losing the war for them.
Suddenly their air tactics went from attacking military installations to terror bombing of civilians in revenge.
It gave the military a reprieve and allowed them to rebuild, and ultimately stop the Nazi plans to invade Britain.
Date: 30th August 1940
Enemy action by day
The enemy delivered one major attack during the morning and three in the afternoon in South West England. Aerodromes appeared to be the principal objectives. Sixty-two enemy aircraft were destroyed (plus twenty-one probable and twenty-nine damaged), and our casualties were twenty-five aircraft and ten pilots killed or missing.
North and East
In the early morning, one hostile aircraft was reported over Leicester and crossed the coast near Cromer. Interception was not successful.
A small raid reconnoitred over a convoy off Cromer.
South East
Between 0740 hours and 0820 hours, two raids of twenty plus each cruised in the Straits and Calais areas. Two squadrons sent up over the Straits did not sight either raid. Hostile patrols remained active in the Calais - Boulogne area.
At 1106 hours, one hundred plus enemy aircraft passed over Dungeness and Dover, quickly followed by another wave of one hundred plus. These formations split up over Kent and Surrey, sub-divisions attacking targets in the Estuary and the aerodromes at Biggin Hill and Eastchurch. At 1200 hours, another wave of one hundred plus came in over Dover but did not penetrate far inland. Throughout the attack numerous hostile aircraft patrolled the Channel and French Coast, evidently waiting to cover retreating bombers.
Sixteen fighter squadrons met the attack and destroyed twenty-seven enemy aircraft plus three by anti-aircraft at a cost of ten aircraft and five pilots, and by 1230 hours all raids had been driven off.
At 1420 hours, sixty plus enemy aircraft crossed the coast between Dover and Dungeness and some flew towards Kenley and Biggin Hill. Four squadrons were sent up and by 1500 hours all raids had retreated out to sea. Two enemy aircraft were destroyed plus one by anti-aircraft.
At 1555 hours, about three hundred aircraft entered Kent, some crossing the Estuary to Essex. The concentration remained greatest over East Kent but formations of ten to twenty aircraft each spread to Kenley, North Weald, Hornchurch, Debden, Sheerness, Harwich, Bentley Priory and as far west as Oxford at an average height of 10,000 feet. Lympne, Detling and Biggin Hill were attacked.
Thirteen squadrons destroyed twenty-nine hostile aircraft and by 1715 hours had cleared the sky.
At 1800 hours, about seventy enemy aircraft flew up the south side of the Thames Estuary. Some turned south and south-east over Kent and one formation of twelve passed over Biggin Hill at 7,000 feet. By 1830 hours, raids had dispersed.
By night
Activity was again heavy. Dusk raids crossed into Cornwall apparently searching for aerodromes. Main objective of the night was industrial Midlands up to Liverpool and as far as Bradford and Leeds. South Wales received less attention than usual.
With few exceptions, raids (mostly one aircraft but some of three plus) again crossed the coast in a continuous stream between Beachy Head and Lyme Bay, some of those which flew over the Bristol area carrying on to the Midlands.
Raids passing to and fro over London Central kept it at 'Red' between 2110 and 0345 hours. The East Coast was largely neglected. Only a few raids crossed inland over East Anglia and some minelaying is suspected in the Humber.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 30th August 1940
Casualties:
| Enemy Losses | ||
| By Fighters | ||
| Destroyed | Probable | Damaged |
| 10 Me109 | 4 Me109 | 3 Me109 |
| 20 Me110 | 6 Me110 | 15 Me110 |
| 23 He111 | 7 He111 | 10 He111 |
| 2 Do17 | 2 He113 | 1 Ju88 |
| 2 Do215 | 1 Do17 | |
| 1 Ju88 | 1 Do215 | |
| 59 | 21 | 29 |
| By Anti-Anticraft | ||
| Destroyed | Probable | Damaged |
| 2 Me109 | ||
| 1 Do17 | ||
| 1 Me109 | ||
| 3 |
Addendum to report for August 29th
Patrols:
Balloons:
Aerodromes:
Attacks on Aerodromes
Organisation:
Air Intelligence Reports
Home Security Reports
Apparently Britain is the only country that has unraveled the mystery of flat black paint. I think America better get to work on this problem as well so we don't end up with a "paint gap" after the war.
Fat chance. The only paint research going on here is on providing our new model automobiles with harmonious color schemes (see #7).
Per the inflation calculator, we’re looking at $$10,822.69 for that car. Add in air, power steering, airbags, seatbelts, catalytic converter, etc, and you’d end up about where an equivalent car would be 70 years later.
A restored one today will run you closer to 20k (I really do want one of these). So I guess they have appreciated.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.