Year 1940

Diary for Sunday, August 11, 1940: Air War Battle of Britain (Day 33): Highest daily losses up now. While German fighters stage diversions over Dover, Ju 88‘s and He 111s […]

Diary for Saturday, August 10, 1940: Air War First flight of Macchi-Castoldi C.202 Folgore powered by imported Daimler-Benz engine – designed to replace obsolete fighters of Italian Regia Aeronautica (enters

Diary for Friday, August 1940: Air War Sunderland shipyard bombed (raider shot down). Widespread night raids over Britain. RAF raid Guernsey airfield.

Diary for Thursday, August 8, 1940: Air War Battle of Britain (Day 30): Large formations of Ju 87 Stukas, with heavy fighter escort, make three separate attacks on 18-ship convoy

Diary for Wednesday, August 7, 1940: East Africa Last reinforcements (2nd Battalion Black Watch) reach British Somaliland.

Diary for Tuesday, August 6, 1940: Sea War Mediterranean: Italians lay extensive minefields in Sicilian Channel in which two British destroyers are sunk: Hostile (August 23, 1940) and Gallant (January

Diary for Monday, August 5, 1940: Neutrals USA: Roosevelt proposes legislation to combat ‘fifth column’ activities, following exhaustive inquiries by J. Edgar Hoover and FBI.

Diary for Sunday, August 4, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: Force H leaves Gibraltar for home waters to counter German invasion threat.

Diary for Saturday, August 3, 1940: East Africa Italians invade British Somaliland. Camel Corps fights delaying actions.

Diary for Friday, August 2, 1940: Sea War Mediterranean: Operation Hurry. Force H approaches Sardinia and Swordfish aircraft from Ark Royal attack Cagliari; 8 Italian submarines sent in vain pursuit.

Diary for Thursday, August 1, 1940: Sea War Hitler sets provisional date for Operation Sea lion to September 15. Italian destroyer Vivaldi rams British submarine Oswald and captures the crew.

Diary for Wednesday, July 31, 1940: Air War Battle of Britain: In attacks on convoys during July, 18 small steamers and 4 destroyers are sunk. Aircraft losses in July: German,

Diary for Tuesday, July 30, 1940: Air War German bombers attack shipping between Thames Estuary and Harwich.

Diary for Monday, July 29, 1940: Air War Ju 87 Stukas with heavy Me 109E escort raid Dover. Destroyer Delight bombed and sunk off Portland. Losses: German, 11; British, 3.

Diary for Saturday, July 28, 1940: Air War Battle of Britain (Day 19): air battle over Straits of Dover. ‘Sailor’ Malan wounds Mölders – German fighter ‘ace’ – who crash-lands

Diary for Saturday, July 27, 1940: Air War 50 Ju 87 Stukas attack Convoy ‘Bacon’ in English Channel. Destroyer Codrington sunk at Dover and destroyer Wren off Aldeburgh (Suffolk). Sea

Diary for Friday, July 26, 1940: Air War RAF daylight raid on Dortmund power station. Politics M Avenol resigns as Secretary-General of League of Nations.

Diary for Thursday, July 25, 1940: Neutrals Switzerland: General Guisan, the C-in-C, addresses all Army officers on the Ruetli Meadow – the birthplace of Swiss independence in 1307 – and

Diary for Wednesday, July 24, 1940: Sea War Repatriation steamer Meknes carrying 1,277 French sailors to Marseilles, sunk by German E-boat S-27 off Portland (383 dead). Neutrals Romania: Rumanian Government

Diary for Tuesday, July 23, 1940: Home Fronts Britain: Local Defense Volunteers renamed Home Guard. 1,300,000 men have volunteered since May 14; recruiting officially terminated. Third War Budget: income tax