Dover raided. Defiant squadron largely destroyed. Weather: Showery with bright intervals in most cases. Channel winds light – fair. Night: Some activity between Isle of Wight and Plymouth, Thames Estuary and Harwich. Enemy Action by Day The day opened with sporadic Luftwaffe activity across southern England and the North Sea. At 06:03 hours, Norfolk and […]
1940
19
Jul
20
Jul
Saturday 20 July 1940
Shipping convoys off Dover attacked. Night: Widespread minelaying from the Needles, Isle of Wight, to Land’s End; Bristol Channel and eastern coastal waters. Weather: Occasional thunderstorms. Straits of Dover cloudy clearing to bright intervals. Enemy Action by Day Weather across southern Britain and the Channel remained unsettled, with occasional thunderstorms and clearing skies by midday. […]
21
Jul
Sunday 21 July 1940
Raids on convoys in Channel and Straits of Dover. Night: Targets chiefly at Merseyside. Weather: Fine and fair early, clouding over during the morning. Fair in the evening. Enemy Action by Day The day began with fine and fair weather, though skies clouded over during the morning. By evening, conditions had cleared. The Luftwaffe focused […]
22
Jul
Monday 22 July 1940
Shipping off the south coast attacked. Night: Minelaying the whole length of the eastern seaboard. Weather: Straits fair; Channel cloudy. Light westerly winds in both. Bright intervals between showers in the east. Enemy Action by Day Weather across the operational areas was mixed. The Straits of Dover experienced fair conditions, while the Channel was mostly […]
22
Jul
Air Drama Off The Coast
Newsreel footage “Air Drama Off The Coast”, 22 July 1940. Source: British Pathé
23
Jul
Tuesday 23 July 1940
East coast shipping raided. Night: Minelaying from Dover to the Tyne and Forth Estuary. Weather: Slight haze in the Straits of Dover. Cloudy with occasional rain in other districts. Enemy Action by Day Enemy air activity on 23 July 1940 was notably reduced compared to earlier in the month. In line with Air Chief Marshal […]
24
Jul
Wednesday 24 July 1940
Convoys and shipping in the Channel attacked Night: Nil. Weather: Channel and Straits of Dover cloudy. Coastal and hill fog in western districts spreading east. Rain in most districts. Enemy Action by Day The day opened with an early Luftwaffe strike on Glasgow. At approximately 06:30 hours, a lone Heinkel He 111 approached the city […]
25
Jul
Thursday 25 July 1940
Convoys and shipping in the Channel raided Night: Minelaying in the Firth of Forth and Thames Estuary. Reconnaissance over Bristol and Channel area. Weather: Fine day with haze in the Straits of Dover. Winds north-westerly and light. Enemy Action by Day The day began with fine weather and light north-westerly winds, although haze in the […]
25
Jul
Running The Gauntlet
Newsreel footage “Running The Gauntlet”, 25 July 1940. Source: British Pathé
26
Jul
Friday 26 July 1940
Shipping off the south coast attacked. Night: Minelaying in Thames Estuary and off the Norfolk coast. Bristol area. Weather: Heavy cloud with rain and poor visibility. Enemy Action by Day Heavy cloud, persistent rain, and low visibility over much of Britain significantly curtailed flying operations on 26 July 1940. Nevertheless, the Luftwaffe maintained a persistent—if […]