Shipping attacks off Dover and Portland.
Night: Minelaying in Thames Estuary.
Weather: Early morning fog in southern England clearing by mid-morning.
Main Activity:
At 1500 hours, twelve Hurricanes from No. 238 Squadron and three Spitfires from No. 609 Squadron were dispatched from Warmwell to patrol over a convoy in Lyme Bay. Unable to locate the convoy, the RAF fighters instead encountered a large enemy raid, marking the first significant deployment of Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter-bombers from V/LG 1. In the ensuing battle, one Bf 110 was shot down, and two others were heavily damaged. Tragically, a pilot from No. 238 Squadron lost his life when his Hurricane stalled while attempting to avoid high-tension cables during landing.
Later that evening, at approximately 1730 hours, twelve Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers from II/StG 1, escorted by nineteen Bf 109s from II/JG 51, launched an attack on Dover Harbour and the convoy codenamed BREAD. Hurricanes from No. 56 Squadron and Spitfires from No. 64 Squadron scrambled to intercept the raid. In the resulting engagement, one Bf 109 was shot down, and two Stukas sustained damage. The RAF suffered losses as well, with two Hurricanes destroyed and two Spitfires damaged by anti-aircraft fire, forcing them to make emergency landings at Hawkinge. During the assault, the British destroyer HMS Vanessa sustained severe damage and had to be towed back to port for repairs.
German Losses
Airmen: 11 | Aircraft: 6
British Losses
Airmen: 5 | Aircraft: 6
Spitfire R6807, No. 610 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
Sgt P.J. Watson-Parker killed. Crashed, reasons not recorded.
Hurricane P2950, No. 238 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
F/Lt J.C. Kennedy killed. Believed injured by gunfire from Do 17, crashed on returning to base.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/KennedyJC.htm
Hurricane N2432, No. 56 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
Sgt J.R. Cowsill missing. Last seen in combat with Bf 109, believed ditched in Channel.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Cowsill.htm
Hurricane P2922, No. 56 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
Sgt J.J. Whitfield missing. Hit by gunfire from Bf 109 over Channel, crashed into sea.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Whitfield.htm
Spitfire R6688, No. 19 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
Sgt R.R.G. Birch killed. Stalled while attempting steep turn during dogfight practice.
Photo Descriptions:
- A flight of Hawker Hurricane Mark Is of No. 56 Squadron RAF taking off for a sortie from North Weald, Essex. In the foreground another Hurricane Mark I of the Squadron, P2764 ‘US-P’, stands at its dispersal point near the perimeter track on the south-western edge of the airfield. © IWM (CH 158)
- Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers during the Battle of Britain, 1940.
- HMS Vanessa (D29) docked at Blackwell. She and the destroyer HMS Gallant (H59) were escorting Convoy CW 6, codenamed BREAD, in the English Channel on 13 July 1940 when it came under German air attack shortly after leaving Dover. A bomb landed in the water six yards (5.5 meters) astern of Vanessa, knocking her propellers out of service. The destroyer HMS Griffin (H31) towed her to port. Vanessa underwent repairs at Chatham Dockyard, which were not completed until 4 November 1940. © IWM (A 9503)
- British troops with a partly-camouflaged crash-landed Heinkel He 111 of Stab./KG 55 shot down by Hurricanes of No. 43 Squadron during an armed reconnaissance sortie to Southampton on 13 July 1940. Dumping its bomb load, the crippled aircraft made a forced landing in a Hampshire meadow beside the Hambleton to Farnham road at Hipley, just opposite the Horse and Jockey pub. One of the crew had been killed, three others injured and one escaped unharmed. © IWM (HU 7963)
Gerald Clark
July 21, 2020 @ 21:45
The Bf 110 shot down was that of Hans Joachim Göring, and Uffz Albert Zimmermann, who crashed at the Verne Portland. Their remains were never recovered. The two damaged aircraft crashed into the sea off Portland. The crews bodies of one, Friedrich Wolfgang Graf von Castell and Gefr Heinz Reder were never recovered. The other Bf 110 was crewed by Joachim Schröder, who was rescued by Weymouth Lifeboat, the body of his crewman, Franz Sorokoputal was not recovered. Also shot down, off Portland in this raid, was a Ju 87B. The bodies of the crew, Wolfgang Grosche and Uffz Horst Fietz, were never recovered.
David Bailey
July 22, 2020 @ 22:40
Sgt Watson-Parker was sadly killed whilst performing the important role of ferrying a Spitfire to 610 Squadron at Biggin Hill. He’d been attached from 263 Squadron to 5 OTU at Aston Down, where he was on a twin-engined conversion course. He was then loaned to 6 MU to deliver the Spitfire. The records show that it was his first flight in a Spitfire, and 263’s squadron leader believed the crash was caused by his lack of experience on the Spitfire. It’s a very sad story. Hope that helps.