July 18, 2010 in 266 Squadron, July 1940 | by Tony Rudd

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Day 9 – July 18th 1940 � Battle of Britain Day by Day:

"Weather: continuing poor

The only major engagement was an attack by 28 Me109s over the Straits of Dover which was met by Spitfires from 11 Group. The RAF lost 3 aircraft but failed to shoot down any of the enemy. Early that afternoon the coastguard station at St Margaret’s Bay was bombed and the Goodwin Lightship was sunk. 4 houses were destroyed during an afternoon attack on Gillingham.

266 Squadron Operational Record Book, 18 July
Average temperature, visibility very good. Flying 17 hours 25 minutes. B Flight at readiness. Ac Flight available. Practices included interception and attacks, target and cine gun practice. Spitfire aircraft N.3170 collided with tractor on aerodrome whilst taxiing and badly damaged. Pilot PO D.G. Ashton uninjured. Spitfire aircraft N.3244 force landed in a cornfield at Heckington, Lincs., owing to engine trouble. Pilot PO R.J.B. Roach uninjured."

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18th July 1940

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Stone & Stone: War Diary for 18 July 1940

Germany
RAF Coastal Command bombers attack Emden
Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
Coastal Command

RAF Bomber Command sends 68 aircraft to attack targets in Germany overnight
Strategic bombing of Germany and occupied Europe
Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
Bomber Command: Operations and missions

Netherlands
RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack shipping and barges
Strategic bombing of Germany and occupied Europe
Bomber Command: Operations and missions
Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944

Belgium
RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack shipping and barges
Strategic bombing of Germany and occupied Europe
Bomber Command: Operations and missions
Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944

France
RAF Coastal Command raid against Le Havre
Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
Coastal Command

North Sea
Kriegsmarine ASW vessel UJ-126 sunk by RN submarine H31
Naval operations in Northwest European waters, 1939-1944

United Kingdom
Luftwaffe bombers attack British ports and shipping
Battle of Britain, 1940
Naval operations in Northwest European waters, 1939-1944
Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944

549 Fighter Command daylight sorties with 3 RAF fighters lost and 4 Luftwaffe losses
Battle of Britain, 1940
Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
Fighter Command / 2nd Tactical Air Force: Operations and missions

Under pressure from Tokyo, British government announces agreement to close the Burma Road for transport of arms, ammunition, petroleum, and other strategic goods into China for three months
Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945: Politics and diplomacy
Anglo-Japanese relations

Convoy OA 186 departs Methil
Atlantic convoys

Suez Canal
RN warships seize French merchant vessels
Naval operations in the Mediterranean, 1939-1942
Anglo-French relations

Gibraltar
French aircraft flying from Morocco bomb the Rock, killing three and injuring eleven
Air operations in North Africa and the Mediterranean, 1939-1942
Anglo-French relations
Gibraltar

Atlantic Ocean
British vessel Woodbury sunk by U-99
The U-Boat war, 1939-1945
U-99

Swedish vessel Gyda sunk by U-58
The U-Boat war, 1939-1945

Japan
Prince Konoye forms new government
Japan: Home front and occupation
Prince Fumimaro Konoye


Dates are local to the time zone in which the event occurred, but discrepancies and inconsistencies abound throughout the sources, especially when events ocurred shortly before or after midnight.

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Day 8 – July 17th 1940 � Battle of Britain Day by Day

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Day 8 – July 17th 1940 � Battle of Britain Day by Day

17th July 1940

Wednesday the 17th of July 1940

Day: The I.C.I. Factory at Ardeer, Ayrshire was bombed by a few He 111's of KG 26. Light attacks on the South East coast. Shipping attacks further up east coast and off Scotland.

The first Polish R.A.F. Squadron, No 302 Polish Squadron was formed on this day.
R.A.F. first sights 'Seelöwe' (Sealion) activity taking place in occupied Channel ports.

Night: Light raids in south west. Mine laying in the Thames Estuary and the Bristol Channel by He 115's of Fliegerdivision IX

Losses: Luftwaffe 4: Fighter Command 2.

Weather: Less cloudy with light rain at times.
R.A.F. Losses for Wednesday the 17th of July 1940

No 64 Squadron
Spitfire I P9507
D.M.Taylor

No 603 Squadron
Spitfire I K9916
C.D.Peel

battle of britain

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Monday the 15th of July 1940

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Monday the 15th of July 1940

15 July 1940, Plt. Off. John Bisdee
Battle of Britain Blog Entry

No diary entry - the Air Staff Operational Summary records:

There was very little enemy activity, probably owing to bad weather. A few raids occurred in the CARDIFF, SWANSEA, PORTSMOUTH and SOUTHAMPTON areas, off the THAMES ESTUARY and NORFOLK Coast. One raid also visited DREM. A certain amount of activity was experienced over convoys on the south and east coasts.

1940

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Sunday the 14th of July 1940

Sunday the 14th of July 1940

14 July 1940, Plt. Off. John Bisdee
Battle of Britain Blog Entry

No diary entry - the Air Staff Operational Summary records:

Fighter engagements with the enemy were on a smaller scale due to a reduction of enemy activity near our Coasts. What activity there was, however, was almost entirely directed towards attacks on shipping. Bombs damaged convoys off DOVER and a naval unit was bombed off SWANAGE. No damage reported. A convoy off the NORFOLK Coast was also reconnoitred, and one raid approached the coast of MONTROSE. Patrols were maintained over convoys at periods during the day; one enemy aircraft in reporting the position of a convoy mentioned our Fighter escort, and no attack resulted.

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Thursday the 11th of July 1940

Thursday the 11th of July 1940

 Germany
Luftwaffe announces it can defeat the Royal Air Force within a month
   Germany: Air forces, airpower, and air operations
   Battle of Britain, 1940

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack various targets by day and night
   Strategic bombing of Germany and occupied Europe
   Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
   Bomber Command: Operations and missions

 Netherlands
RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack various targets by day and night
   Strategic bombing of Germany and occupied Europe
   Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
   Bomber Command: Operations and missions

 France
Marshal Petain assumes complete power in Vichy France as "Head of the French State"
   France: Home front and occupation
   Vichy France
   Marshal Henri-Philippe Petain

Petain appoints a Council of Ministers consisting of twelve members with Laval as vice-premier
   France: Home front and occupation
   Vichy France
   Marshal Henri-Philippe Petain
   Pierre Laval

In a radio broadcast, Petain announces that he has assumed all executive and legislative powers
   France: Home front and occupation
   Vichy France
   Marshal Henri-Philippe Petain

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack airfields
   Strategic bombing of Germany and occupied Europe
   Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
   Bomber Command: Operations and missions

 English Channel
British vessel Mallard sunk by Kriegsmarine S-boats
   Naval operations in Northwest European waters, 1939-1944

 Channel Islands
British commando raid
   Commando and special operations in Europe, Africa, and the Near East
   Channel Islands: Occupation, collaboration, and resistance

 United Kingdom
Three Luftwaffe raids against ports and shipping intercepted by RAF fighters
   Battle of Britain, 1940
   Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944

432 Fighter Command daylight sorties with 4 RAF fighters lost and 20 Luftwaffe losses
   Battle of Britain, 1940
   Air operations in Northwest Europe, 1939-1944
   Fighter Command / 2nd Tactical Air Force: Operations and missions

Campaign to collect scrap aluminum for building aircraft
   United Kingdom: Home front and occupation

Convoy OB 182 departs Liverpool
   Atlantic convoys

 Mediterranean
RN destroyer Escort sunk by Italian submarine Marconi
   Naval operations in the Mediterranean, 1939-1942

Panamanian vessel Beme sunk by Italian submarine Tarantini
   Naval operations in the Mediterranean, 1939-1942

 Sierra Leone
Convoy SL 39F departs Freetown for Liverpool
   Atlantic convoys

 Atlantic Ocean
Norwegian vessel Janna sunk by U-34
   The U-Boat war, 1939-1945

 United States
William Franklin Knox becomes Secretary of the Navy in the Roosevelt administration
   United States: Navies, seapower, and naval operations
   United States: Politics

 Canada
Convoy HX 57 departs Halifax for Liverpool
   Atlantic convoys

 Indian Ocean
British vessel City of Bagdad sunk by German raider Atlantis
   Naval operations in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal
   German merchant raiders and their supply ships
   Atlantis

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Battle Of Britain Blog

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Collecting information from various sources about the Battle Of Britain in 1940. Information about RAF and Lufwaffe pilots, aircraft, and operations.

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