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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.

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
North Africa – Graziani’s Advance, 13 September-16 September 1940 (Map 34a)
German Fighter Range and British Radar Deployment
Marcks’ Plan, August 5, 1940
The Mediterranean Basin (Map 33)
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.

Ju-88 Bomber.

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 16th September 1940

Weather: General rain and cloud.
Day: Goering in conference following the previous day's losses. German effort to be switched against Fighter Command. Only minor air activity.
Night: Continuous attacks against London. Smaller raids on Merseyside and the Midlands.
Enemy action by day
An attack by some 350 enemy aircraft developed in Kent at about 0800 hours and formations flew in the direction of London, but the attack was not pressed home.
Other activity during the day consisted of a large number of reconnaissances off and over the Coast mostly by single aircraft, but one raid totalling 30 aircraft approached Dover. No attack, however, developed.
Weather largely hindered fighter action.
North and North-East Coast
One raid appeared off Fifeness in the early afternoon, turned South and crossed the Coast at Amble, flying to Carlisle and Cockermouth. It returned by the same route.
East Coast
Reconnaissances were made from Whitby to the Wash and off Cromer, where a Ju88 was intercepted with inconclusive results. One convoy was approached on two occasions and an aerodrome was attacked.
South-East Coast
A mass raid by 350 enemy aircraft crossed the Kentish Coast in waves between 0735 and 0805 hours. Formations spread out from Dover to Rye and to the Isle of Sheppey. One raid crossed the Estuary into Essex and towards London but soon turned back. By 0832 hours all the aircraft had re-crossed the Coast. No interception was made. 21 Fighter Squadrons were in the air, and it may have been on this account that the enemy turned away so soon.
Throughout the day enemy aircraft were actively engaged on reconnaissances, especially towards London and the Estuary.
South and West Coast
One aircraft crossed the Coast near the Needles and flew North-easterly to Northolt, Duxford and Debden, while a second crossing at the same place flew North-westerly to Middle Wallop and Cheltenham.
Other reconnaissances were made in the Bristol Channel. Between 1700 and 2000 hours some 15 raids were plotted in the Isle of Wight area, some of which flew inland. Some of these were the leading aircraft of the night operations.
By night
Hostile activity was of greater intensity than on recent nights and was of two distinct phases.
At 1940 hours raids were plotted out of Cherbourg and Le Havre areas followed by a steady stream from the Dieppe area. Raids crossed the Coast between the Isle of Wight and Dover, some flying North west to Bristol channel whence they spread out and penetrated to North Wales, Midlands and up to Liverpool. Other raids flew over South-eastern Counties to London and North of the Estuary.
From 2350 hours raids concentrated on London, East Anglia and the South-eastern Counties. At 0020 hours fresh raids originating from the Dutch Islands approached East
Anglia and the Thames Estuary, some of them penetrating to London. At about 0242 hours all raids had withdrawn and the Country was clear.
The second phase commenced at 0330 hours, aircraft being plotted out of the Dieppe area towards London and out of the Ostend area towards the East Coast. The latter were probably mostly minelaying. This second phase continued until 0530 hours.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 16th September 1940
Blenheim - 60
Spitfire - 216
Hurricane - 356
Defiant - 19
Gladiator - 8

Total - 659

Casualties:

	Enemy Losses
	By Fighters
Destroyed	Probable	Damaged
		1 Ju88
Nil	Nil	1
	By Balloon Barrage
1 Ju88
1	Nil	Nil
	Crashed (Cause Unknown)
1 He115
Nil	Nil	1

Own:
One Spitfire of which the pilot is safe.
Patrols:
Own
During the night of 15th/16th September - 67 patrols involving 68 sorties.
During the day of 16th September - 78 patrols involving 428 sorties.
Enemy
It is estimated that about 175 enemy aircraft operated over Great Britain during the night 15th/16th September and 350 during the day of 16th September.
Balloons:
No report.
Aerodromes:
Exeter is unserviceable by night.
Organisation:
Corrigendum: Cancel the move of No 609 Squadron from Middle Wallop to Turnhouse recorded on 14th September.
Home Security Reports
General Summary
Date: 16th September 1940
Enemy bombing activity overland during daylight was scattered and ineffective. Bombs were dropped in some districts of the capital, and attacks were made on several RAF stations, but on the whole very little damage and few casualties were caused during this period.
As soon as darkness fell, the attack on London was renewed, and many heavy HE bombs were dropped in the West End and the City, starting serious fires, most of which however, came under control after a time. Minor bombing is reported from most districts in Greater London, and communications have been interrupted, but it would appear that no vital targets have been hit, and damage is comparatively light.
Bombing over the rest of the country during the night was rather more widespread, and reports have been received from many counties in Southern England and also from South Wales and the Birmingham, Coventry, Newcastle Districts, but in no case has very serious damage occurred.
Detailed Summary
RAF Stations
Bombing attacks were made on Hampstead Norris at 1750 hours, Honington at 1550 hours, at Yatesbury at 0300 hours, at Alconbury at 1235 hours, at Feltwell, at Woodley, where production at Philips and Powis is temporarily suspended owing to unexploded bombs at 1600 hours, at Oulton at 1630 hours and Henlow at 1400 hours, and Speke before noon; in all these attacks only craters and superficial damage was caused and there are no reports of casualties to RAF Personnel.
London Area
Thameshaven: A fire was started at the Oil Wharf by HE and incendiary bombs at 2104 hours and two tanks are involved.
Hackney: At 2300 hours HE Bombs fell at the Victoria Park LMS Signal Box, damaging the track and stopping all traffic. Bombs also fell on the railway bridge at Homerton causing heavy damage.
Poplar: HE bombs caused damage to the East Ferry Crane and Engineering Company at 2340 hours.
Southwark: At 0020 hours, 17th September, a direct hit was made on the Southern Railway Arch at Guildford Street, Union Street Junction.
St Pancras: The Reception Ward of St Pancras Hospital was demolished by HE but nobody was hurt. Unexploded bombs are suspected in the building.
Fires: The following fires were reported during the night; but the majority have been reported under control.
Ordell St Bow (30 pumps)
Farrington St Station and Market (30 pumps)
West Smithfield (80 pumps)
Old Bond Street (30 pumps)
Bermondsey (50 pumps)
Great Portland Street (30 pumps)
Clerkenwell (40 pumps)
Eastcheap (30 pumps)
Tower Hill (20 pumps)
Old Broad Street (20 pumps)
Elsewhere
Coventry: HE and Incendiary Bombs fell in the North part of the City at 2345 hours and caused extensive damage to working class houses; casualties have not yet been reported.
Newport (Monmouthshire): Two HE bombs were dropped at 2143 hours, one in the Dock, one at a coalhoist. No interference with working caused.
Newcastle-on-Tyne: At 2006 hours bombs fell in the Gosforth, Heaton and Hebbern districts, but damage was only slight.
Wakefield: At 2000 hours bombs fell in the city area and fires were started in the Prison and at Williams and Womersley's Engineering Works, but production there will not be affected.
Birmingham: HE bombs fell at 2300 hours in the Kingsheath and Hall Green Districts, wrecking houses and causing about ten casualties.
Skinningrove: At 1610 hours two HE bombs were dropped outside the Ironworks, causing damage to mains and to the Electric Power Line, but production will not be materially affected.
Battle of Britain

Click cover to read.

Straying from the main course content, the article “2 Lutheran Groups united in Worship” caught my eye. The reason they were meeting together was the decline of St. Mark’s Lutheran since the loss of 1000 of their members (mostly women & children) in the burning of the General Slocum on June 4, 1904. The church had chartered the boat to take them to their end of school year picnic. The all wood steamer caught fire and instead of grounding the boat immediately, the skipper finally did so two miles farther with a much greater loss of life to the fire and drowning. This was New York’s greatest tragic loss of life until the second World Trade Center bombing, but has been largely forgotten.

http://maggieblanck.com/Goehle/GeneralSlocum.html