Convoys off shipping at 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. Main Activity: At approximately 1300 hours, nine Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers from III/StG 2, escorted by seventeen Bf 109s from […]
1940
20
Jul
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. Main Activity: At 1005 hours, a section of Hurricanes from No. 238 Squadron intercepted and shot down a reconnaissance Messerschmitt Bf 110 from 4.(F)/14 that had ventured […]
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. Main Activity: At approximately 0730 hours, three Hurricanes from No. 145 Squadron intercepted a Dornier Do 17P reconnaissance aircraft from 4.(F)/121. The Hurricanes […]
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. Main Activity: At 1540 hours, three Spitfires from No. 603 Squadron intercepted a Dornier Do 17 bomber from 3./KG 3 during a raid near Kinnaird’s Head. […]
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. Main Activity: At 0815 hours, six Spitfires from No. 54 Squadron were scrambled to intercept a formation of Dornier Do 17 bombers from II/KG 2 targeting […]
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. Main Activity: At 1207 hours, a large formation of Messerschmitt Bf 109s from III/JG 52 approached Dover at […]
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. Main Activity: At approximately 0945 hours, six Hurricanes from No. 601 Squadron intercepted a formation of Messerschmitt Bf 109s from III/JG 27 near the Isle of Wight. In the […]
27
Jul
Saturday 27 July 1940
Raids on shipping and naval units in Dover harbour and Straits. Night: Attacks on south-west England. Weather: Fair Straits, cloudy in Channel. Slight rain in the midlands and the North Sea. Main Activity: Shortly before 0800 hours, thirty Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers from I/StG 77, escorted by Messerschmitt Bf 109s from JG 27, launched an […]