Posted on 07/28/2010 5:59:37 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour
News of the Week in Review
Twenty Questions On the News of the Week – 7
Hitler Delays Invasion but Keeps Up Bombing – 8-9
Britain’s Hope Based on Her Air Defenses – 9-10
Answers to Twenty Questions On the News of the Week - 11
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jul40/f28jul40.htm
Thor defeats Alcantara
Sunday, July 28, 1940 www.onwar.com
The HMS Alcantara, former royal mail liner, armed and in war service when it skirmishes with the German merchant raider Thor in the south Atlantic.
In the South Atlantic... There is an engagement in the south Atlantic between the German auxiliary cruiser Thor and the similar but less well-armed British merchant cruiser Alcantara. Thor is only lightly hit but Alcantara is forced to break off and head for Rio. Only proper British cruisers are adequate to catch and fight such German vessels.
In Britain... All British destroyers are withdrawn from Dover to Portsmouth. This is a significant achievement for the Luftwaffe implying that they may be able to dominate the Channel Narrows during the hours of daylight.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/28.htm
July 28th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - Dornier factory at Wismar.
77 Sqn. Ten aircraft, all bombed. Weather bad, opposition heavy. Flares dropped by enemy aircraft during bomb-runs.
78 Sqn. Four aircraft. One returned early, three bombed. Five fighters seen, but none attacked.
RAF Fighter Command: Weather Fine. Luftwaffe attack shipping off Dover and south-coast ports. All British destroyers are withdrawn from the English Channel between Dover and Portsmouth. This represents a significant achievement for the Luftwaffe. (Dave Shirlaw)
18 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed, 5 RAF aircraft lost.
Bombs fall for the first time on Kidwelly (Carmarthen) and Runcorn (Cheshire).
Heavy raids on Aberdeenshire, Berwick, Calne and Newcastle.
Around 14:00 a large enemy bomber force advances on Dover. Dowding has placed eight squadrons on forward airfields in readiness. A dozen Spitfires of 74 Sqn led by the famous South African ‘Sailor’ Malan (thus known from his merchant navy days) waded in among 36 Bf109s of I/JG 51 over Dover, while Hawkinge’s Hurricane squadrons set about the bombers. Such clear division of effort meant that squadrons would whenever possible no longer split at the battle site. Maybe the enemy sensed a tactical change, for the bombers readily turned about, leaving the escort battling with RAF fighters.
A sharp fight ensued with 41, 74, 257 and 111 Squadrons combating I and II/JG 51 led by Major Werner Molders, who had to force-land his Bf109 in France after it was badly damaged by Sailor Malan. Malan, Plt. Off. Freeborn and Flt. Lt. Kelly, all of 74 Sqn., each destroyed a 109. Another three were damaged, for the loss of two Spitfires and Plt. Off. J.H.R. Young.
He59 seaplanes arrived to rescue German survivors only to find 111 Sqn, which destroyed one and seriously damaged another.
When darkness fell, He115 seaplanes along with He-111s and Ju88s mined British waters.
Night bombers attacked Newcastle, where a dozen HEs fell in a line parallel to and a mile from the Tyne, and Barry, Port Talbot, Colchester, Salford, Newcastle-under-Lyme (Staffs), Seaford (Sussex), Staplehurst, Ashford (Kent) and Edenbridge. Also targeted were the Cotswold Slaughters, Midlothian, Cheshire and the Otmoor bombing range.
If you want to read more about this days’ RAF action there is a personal account by Harbourne Stephen of 74 Sq.. on http://www.remembering.org/stephen.html and a whole lot more on Ernie Burton’s Battle of Britain web site.
FRANCE: Germany bans all movement between the Vichy and occupied zones.
FINLAND: Finnish Foreign Minister Witting informs the British Ambassador Sir Gordon Vereker that Finland has to ‘interrupt’ her diplomatic relations with United Kingdom.
After Finland joined the war against Soviet Union, both Finland and UK were willing to keep the diplomatic relations intact. The German pressure upon Finland soon made this impossible, and thus Finland was reluctantly forced to sever the relations. The British Empire didn’t declare war until 6 Dec 1941, apparently because Stalin insisted. (Mikko Härmeinen)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Off the coast of Brazil, German raider ‘Thor’ badly damages the less heavily armed armed merchant cruiser HMS Alcantara in a gun duel. Alcantara is forced to head for Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
At 0557, the unescorted Auckland Star was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 80 miles WNW of Valentia Island, Co. Kerry. The master and 54 crewmembers landed at Dingle, Co. Kerry and 19 crewmembers landed at Slyne Head near Clifden, Co. Galway. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 322 July 28, 1940
Battle of Britain Day 19. At 1.35 PM, 100 German aircraft in 5 groups cross the Straits of Dover and are engaged by 4 Squadrons of British fighters off “Hellfire Corner”. 5 Messerschmitt Bf109s and 2 Heinkel bombers are shot down with the loss of two Spitfires. Luftwaffe wins a significant strategic victory, forcing Royal Navy to withdraw all destroyers from Dover to Portsmouth during daylight, as warships are vulnerable to divebombing by Stukas. Overnight, there is widespread minelaying along the coast and bombing of targets in England, Wales and Scotland.
At 5.57 AM, 80 miles West of Ireland, U-99 sinks British MV Auckland Star (carrying 10,700 tons of general cargo from Australia to Britain via the Panama canal). All 74 crew escape in lifeboats and reach the Irish shore. http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/438.html
740 miles East of Brazil, near the island of Trindade, German and British armed merchant cruisers exchange fire. British HMS Alcantara is hit by 3 shells (2 killed, 7 wonded) while chasing German raider Thor, causing Alcantara to slow down. As Thor turns away to break off, Alcantara hits her with 2 shells (3 killed). Both ships survive and will be repaired. http://www.amhinja.demon.co.uk/archive/Alcantara.htm
And, sometimes, even that isn't enough ...
The German auxiliary cruiser KORMORAN engaged and sank the HMAS SYDNEY, a Leander-class cruiser, off Australia. Although the KORMORAN was also severely damaged and was ultimately scuttled, the SYDNEY was hammered unmercifully by the Germans heavy guns and torpedoed at least once. The SYDNEY staggered off into the darkness and sank with all hands. The wreckage of both ships has only been recently discovered.
Computer animation of SYDNEY/KORMORAN engagement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQwDAeoD-40
...[sorry, I don't know how to put in active links]...
Date: 28 July 1940 
Enemy action by day
There was less enemy activity in the morning, and it was not until the afternoon that the major engagement of the day took place in the Straits, off Dover.
Our fighters shot down seven enemy aircraft at a cost of two Spitfires.
Other raids approached shipping and ports on the south and west coasts, either doing no damage or retiring before our fighters could intercept.
North and North-East
At 1029 hours, one aircraft was plotted 15 miles north-east of Montrose but a section of fighters sent to investigate did not make contact.
At 1522 hours, a further raid was plotted in this area.
South and West At 0640 hours, a raid was plotted out of Cherbourg in the direction of Plymouth but our fighters failed to make contact.
At 1110 hours, a raid of three aircraft was plotted from Baie de la Seine to Swanage, where sound plots were recorded overland. Fighters were despatched without effect and the raid eventually faded south in mid-Channel at 1250 hours.
Another raid approached Portland with no results and no interception.
At 1237 hours, three aircraft appeared 15 miles north of Cherbourg and approached Bournemouth. No contact was effected.
Off Dover
At 1204 hours, a large number of aircraft assembled and circled over the Calais-Boulogne district and then set course for Dover. When the enemy aircraft had reached a position half way across the Straits they turned back to the French coast where they gradually dispersed.
At 1335 hours, five raids involving approximately 100 aircraft, crossed the Straits and were engaged by four Squadrons of our fighters off Dover. No 74 Squadron accounted for three Me109s (confirmed) with the loss of two Spitfires. No 41 Squadron shot down two Me109s (confirmed) and No 11 Squadron shot down two He59s (confirmed).
At 1552 hours, one raid was plotted 40 miles south of Dungeness to within 30 miles of Selsey Bill where it turned south-east and faded in the Le Havre area at 1630 hours.
At 1708 hours, two raids involving 9+ aircraft where plotted flying east from the direction of Portland. These raids turned north and approached Swanage, but retired on approach of our fighters. Another raid originated over Portsmouth and faded in Baie de la Seine without interception.
At 1735 hours, a "help" signal was received by a convoy near Milford Haven; fighters were despatched without result.
East and South-East
At 0620 hours, a hostile aircraft approached Cromer but was not intercepted.
At 1424 hours, a possible meteorological flight was plotted sixty miles east of Haisboro flying north-west.
At 1503 hours, another raid was plotted eighteen miles east of Bawdsey and faded over Foreness.
At 1600 hours, a raid of 1+ was plotted fifty miles east of Mablethorpe, turned south and appeared to orbit in an area about fifty miles east of Cromer. A "help" signal was received from the naval unit which this raid had attacked.
At 1853 hours, a hostile reconnaissance of 3+ aircraft started from Dunkirk and flew to within fifteen miles east of Lowestoft where it turned south on the approach of our fighters and faded inland of Gris Nez. The aircraft appeared to return to St Inglevert.
At 1948 hours, seven raids assembled in the Gris Nez area and at one time one of these raids was plotted at not less than 40 aircraft on a ten-mile front at 30,000 feet. Six squadrons were detailed to meet this attack, which, however, did not materialise.
France
The usual patrols were flown over the Calais-Boulogne area.
By night
There was considerable enemy activity in most areas. The main feature of the earlier part was the intense activity of the minelaying type from the Thames Estuary to the Humber, extending later as far north as Aberdeen. Inland raiding over the south and east coasts was very pronounced and nearly all areas of England, Scotland and Wales were involved. By 0130 hours, raids were mostly withdrawing and at 0145 hours the country was clear north and east of a line from Chester to London. By 0245, all inland raids had withdrawn to the coast.
During the night about 150 hostile, or "X" tracks were plotted. Bombs were reported to have been dropped in the following places: - Edinburgh district, Perth, Rochford, Tyne, Thames Estuary, Crewe, Newcastle, Alnwick, Hungerford, Staplehurst, near Long Eaton, Holywell (Flintshire), Sealand, north of Gatwick aerodrome, Edenbridge, west of Beachy Head, north-east of Maldon (Essex), Glenkindie, near Sittingbourne, Seaford, near Neath, Brixham, Shaeftesbury, near Lydd, south of Colchester, Otmore (Vivinity), Lichfield, near Derby, Salford, near Swansea and other locations in South Wales.
At Staplehurst a searchlight post was bombed and put out of action.
Fighters were despatched in some instances but results are not reported.
An enemy aircraft is reported to have crashed at Wooton Hill (4 miles south-west of Newbury) at 0200 hours. Occupants baled out and are still at large.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 28 July 1940
Casualties:
Patrols:
Balloons:
Aerodromes:
Organisation:
Air Intelligence Reports
Home Security Reports
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQwDAeoD-40">Computer Animation of the battle</a>
Results in:
Many thanks ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.