The Battle of Britain Historical Timeline

A day-by-day chronicle of the aerial conflict in 1940 between the British Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe.

1940

20

Jul

Saturday 20 July 1940

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: Around 1300 hours, nine Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers from III/StG 2, escorted by seventeen Bf 109s from I/JG […]

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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 Bf 110 from 4.(F)/14, which had penetrated inland […]

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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 about 0730 hours, three Hurricanes of No. 145 Squadron intercepted and shot down a Do 17P of 4.(F)/121 into the […]

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22

Jul

Air Drama Off The Coast

Newsreel footage “Air Drama Off The Coast”, 22 July 1940. Source: British Pathé

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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 of No. 603 Squadron intercepted and shot down a Do 17 of 3./KG 3 in a raid near Kinnaird’s […]

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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 of No. 54 Squadron were scrambled to intercept a formation of Do 17s from II/KG 2 attempting to bomb […]

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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 Bf 109s from III/JG 52 approached Dover at sea […]

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25

Jul

Running The Gauntlet

Newsreel footage “Running The Gauntlet”, 25 July 1940. Source: British Pathé

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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 about 0945 hours, six Hurricanes of No. 601 Squadron intercepted a formation of Bf 109s from III/JG 27 off the Isle of Wight. One Hurricane was […]

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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 of I/StG 77, escorted by Bf 109s of JG 27, were despatched to […]

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