The “Hardest Day”
In the Battle of Britain the air battle known as The Hardest Day was fought, with an inconclusive result. The Germans lost 69 aircraft and the British 29.
The Battle of Britain: On this “Hardest Day”, German aircraft attacked Kenley and Biggin Hill airfields in southern England in the United Kingdom, among other locations, subjecting the airfields to heavy bombing. Losses on both sides were heavy with the Germans losing 69 aircraft and the RAF Fighter Command 29.
Two main attacks were directed by the Luftwaffe in the southeast followed by a big attack was directed on the Portsmouth-Southampton area. During the night there were a number of small raids appeared off the coast where minelaying was suspected.
Weather: After early morning mist, especially in inland areas the morning was bright with clear skies. Most of Britain could expect warm temperatures although a weak change would come in from the Channel at midday and bring cloud to most of southern England. The Midlands and North should remain fine with patchy cloud.
For the last five days since August 13th the Luftwaffe had been targeting the airfields of Fighter Command and so far all they had done was to cause inconvenience instead of destruction. The German plan to destroy the Royal Air Force on the ground, and in the air was far from bearing fruit. If we look back on some of the previous days attacks, it was true that many of them had been of sizable proportion, but each time Fighter Command had managed to hold their own, if only just. Convoys in the Channel now seemed to be a thing of the past, Göring had already given up on trying to destroy the radar stations and the plan was to destroy the RAF airfields.
But, they were not causing any substantial setback to Fighter Command as yet. Many of the airfields that the Luftwaffe had targeted were either those of Coastal Command, the Fleet Air Arm or RAF training installations. Also, and as was evident of the last few days, the Luftwaffe attacks were not concentrated in any one area. They were scattered, an early attack may be on the east coast, later an attack would occur off the Kent coast, then they switched to the west. With attacks like this, because of the setup of Fighter Command, the RAF were able to hold their own, so to speak. The en masse attacks that were intended just had not occurred. Until now.
The Luftwaffe knew that some of the larger airfields around London, notably Hornchurch, Biggin Hill and Kenley were the key stations of Fighter Command. They were actually unaware that they were sector stations, just important airfields in the organization of Fighter Command. The plan was, for August 18th 1940 to completely destroy both Kenley and Biggin Hill with a well-planned attack, that once accomplished, they could duplicate the procedure at Hornchurch and other airfields important to Fighter Command. This was the plan for the day, and it was here that most of the daytime combat took place. During the afternoon there was some activity in the south near the Isle of Wight. Late afternoon saw action mainly along the east coast which kept many squadrons busy, and a few skirmishes took place in the west. But the main activity was Kenley and Biggin Hill.
Both of the target airfields were also the sites of the all-important Sector operations rooms, from which the British fighters were directed into action. These airfields had been selected for attack only because they were known to be amongst the largest ones operating fighters, however; the German Intelligence service had no knowledge of the Sector operations rooms there. But if these poorly protected buildings could be hit, and those inside killed or wounded, it would be a body-blow to the fighter control system in these Sectors.
If the Germans were going to smash through Britain’s fighter defenses in an effort to make an invasion of England, they would have to do it soon. Again and again Göring brought his Generals together for conference after conference. They discussed tactics, failures, missions, radar, right down to the weather. They too were now becoming frustrated, as it was way back in mid-July that it was estimated that it would take about six days to knock the RAF out of the air. That six days has now turned into four weeks, and still the Luftwaffe where nowhere nearer victory than they were a few weeks ago, in fact they were actually losing ground to Fighter Command.
Although many losses for both sides were generally grossly exaggerated, it was a fact that for every RAF aircraft shot down, the Luftwaffe were losing two. Couple this with the fact that British fighter production far exceeded that of Germany, the RAF by this day were well in front.
But Germany was not a spent force yet, the Luftwaffe could call upon 1240 bombers and 745 Bf 109s, a total of just under 2,000 aircraft. To fend off any attacks made by these aircraft, the RAF had only 825 fighters which consisted of 520 Hurricanes and 258 Spitfires. 47 other aircraft that were generally not used in combat, but that could be called upon included Defiants, Blenheims and Gladiators. Of these, 11 Group had at their disposal 80 Spitfires, 245 Hurricanes and 15 Blenheims shared amongst 23 squadrons.
0850 – 0910 hours: In methodical fashion, and at pre-arranged times, the German bomber forces and their escorts took off from various airfields in Northern France. The Heinkel He 111s of KG/1 were to take off first from Rosieres-en-Santerre and Montdidier. These were to be followed by Do 17s and Ju 88s of KG/76 and these were to be joined by Bf 110s of ZG/26 and Bf 109s of JG/51. The He 111s had just got airborne when a radio message came through that the mission was to be aborted because of thick haze over the English coast. The message managed to get through to the other Geschwaders before they took off, so the Heinkels were the only ones inconvenienced.
1050 hours: German reconnaissance flights are dispatched to patrol the Channel between the Isle of Wight and Dover and were to report on weather activity in the Channel areas and over southern England. They reported back that the early morning haze was thinning out and that the skies were clear although cloud was building up over the French coast and was expected to move north over England during the early afternoon.
1155 – 1230 hours: With cloud building up, the bomber formations were given the all clear to take off, some three hours behind the planned commencement of operations. Bombers of KG/1 got away as scheduled and over the French coast meet up with their escorts. The Do 17s and Ju 88s of KG/76 had problems with cloud and found it difficult meeting up with their escorts. The area to the north of Paris was 8/10ths cloud and the bombers had to climb through 4,000 feet of this before reaching clear blue skies. This was to put them behind schedule for the rest of the operation. Nine Do 17s of 9/KG76 had managed to leave their base on time but it was these nine Dorniers that was to be the element of surprise as they were to fly at almost sea level and at between 50-100 feet above the Kent countryside to avoid detection by British radar.
The plan here was for about 50 – 60 Bf 109s to cross the coast at Dover and head north-west towards London. Their task was a free rein to make contact with any British fighter squadrons that were in the air and lure them away from the main bomber force about five minutes behind. This bomber formation consisted of 12 Ju 88s and 27 Do 17s with an escort of about 25 Bf 110s and 20 Bf 109s. The target for this formation was Kenley. About ten minutes behind is a formation of 60 He 111s escorted by 40 Bf 109s whose target is Biggin Hill. Further west, and to cross the coast near Beachy Head are 9 low flying Do 17s who are unescorted.
Once at their target, the 12 Junkers Ju 88s were to approach Kenley from the east and make a precision dive bombing attack on the hangars and buildings on the south side of Kenley aerodrome. This was to be followed approximately five minutes later by a high level saturation bombing attack by the Dorniers to destroy ground defenses and crater the landing ground. Finally, the nine Do 17s coming in at low level from due south were to make the final blow destroying any visible hangars and building still standing.
It seemed a daring sort of plan, but was feasible. A total of 110 bombers and about 150 escorting aircraft. The only problem was that the delay that had occurred with the Ju 88s and Do 17s in negotiating the cloud base on takeoff, coupled with the fact that flying time was slower than expected, they were running up to ten minutes behind schedule while the nine low flying Do 17s crossing near Beachy Head were on time.
1225 hours: Dover radar station picked up some heavy activity over the Calais area. The CRT’s (Cathode Ray Tubes) indicated a large build up on a wide front. At first, it was estimated by the operators that the enemy formation was 350 in strength, a gross exaggeration.
1235 hours: The Observer Corps scattered along the Kent coastline give a more realistic account, but even this was not completely accurate because of the still lingering haze. The lower level Ju 88s were accurately accounted for, but it was almost impossible to number the Dorniers flying at higher altitude. But at least they could record the time and direction of the enemy formation.
1245 hours: Activity at 11 Group Headquarters was gaining momentum. Plots were being placed on the map board and just below the area known as ‘Hells Corner’ at Dover the map board became inundated with black markers stretching right back towards the French coast. A number of squadrons were vectored into the area between Maidstone and Canterbury. These included 17 Squadron Debden (Hurricanes), 54 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires), 56 Squadron North Weald (Hurricanes) and 65 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires). 501 Squadron Gravesend ((Hurricanes) were already on patrol and were preparing to return to base when they received orders to make 20,000 feet and patrol over Canterbury.
1305 hours: Both Fighter Command Headquarters and 11 Group Headquarters were watching the buildup intensely and AVM Keith Park had put up what he thought would be adequate fighter defences. The German forces were still ten minutes behind schedule but all aircraft were on course. The Bf 109s of JG3 and JG26 were still on a free hunt forward of the Ju 88s and Do 17s of KG76, while fifteen miles behind came the 60 He 111 bombers of KG1. All eyes were now on the triangle bordered by Dungeness, Dover and Ashford.
The squadrons that were patrolling the north Kent area were slightly too far north to make any contact with the German formation, except 501 Squadron who made a sweep between Tonbridge and Maidstone. They did not notice the Bf 109s of JG26 above. To Oberleutnant Gerhard Schoepfel who was commanding the 109’s, he could not have wished for a better opportunity having height and position. They swooped on 501 Squadron who were taken completely by surprise and were on the defensive from the outset. Five Hurricanes were destroyed but luckily only one pilot was killed.
But coming in across the Channel at barely 50 feet above the waves, the nine Do 17s of 9/KG76 the plan to fly low to avoid radar detection had worked. Fighter Command knew nothing of their presence.
It soon became obvious that the Dorniers could not keep their presence secret. Radar had not detected them, but the Observer Corps post on Beachy Head spotted them and reported the sighting to their headquarters at Horsham who in turn reported the situation to the fighter sector stations in their area, namely Kenley and Biggin Hill. Fighter Command was aghast when suddenly a small cluster of black markers appeared between Beachy Head and Lewes. No one knew at this time knew where the Dorniers were making for as they were on a north-westerly course between Beachy Head and Lewes. Both sector stations put up their fighter defences immediately. 32 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes) and 610 Squadron Biggin Hill (Spitfires), 64 Squadron Kenley (Spitfires) and 615 Squadron Kenley (Hurricanes).
But this was the flight plan of the low flying Dorniers. Northwest from Beachy Head, picking up the railway line at or near the town of Lewes. Then at the railway junction with the main Brighton to London railway line the Dorniers were to turn due north keeping the railway line to their left. This would take them directly to Kenley and the main buildings in the most southerly corner of the pear-shaped aerodrome.
1310 hours: The Dorniers of 9/KG76 were lining up to make their final approach to Kenley, the journey had been uneventful except for being shot at by a couple of Navy patrol boats over the Channel. Everything had gone to plan, except for the fact that there was no telltale smoke over Kenley Aerodrome. What had happened to the Ju 88s that were supposed to have dive bombed Kenley first, and the Do 17s that were supposed to have bombed the airfield just prior to their approach. The fact was, was that the formation coming in from the east was still running late and that it now appeared that the first attack would have to be made by Walter Roth’s low flying Dorniers.
The formation coming in from the east and the one following the railway line in the south were being closely watched. The sector station operation rooms at Kenley and Biggin Hill were being very cautious at the black markers that were both headed towards the south of London. It now seemed obvious that their targets were either Kenley or Biggin Hill. Both sector stations had released their fighters to give cover from altitude, but reports were still coming in that the formation from the south was still at exceptionally low altitude. The observations were still being maintained by the Observer Corps, and still no word had been received from Fighter Command who generated all the decision making. Although Fighter Command HQ had been advised, the duty controller Squadron Leader Norman at Kenley who’s airfield was about to be attacked could wait no longer for instructions from FCHQ. He had to make the decision without the consent of Fighter Command and acted as swiftly as he could, which was allowed if an airfield was in danger of being attacked. He requested assistance from nearby Croydon who dispatched the 111 Squadron Hurricanes.This was the only one squadron left that could possibly attack the Dorniers of 9/KG76.
111 Squadron Croydon (Hurricanes) were “scrambled” and instructed to vector Kenley, and to 111 commander Squadron Leader John Thompson’s surprise, he was told to maintain only 100 feet over the airfield. “You bloody mad” quipped Thompson, “……I could prune trees at that height.” “I repeat, yes repeat…….vector Kenley…..patrol at 100 feet……..30 plus low level bandits approaching” came the voice over the R/T.
1319 hours: Squadron Leader John Thompson had seen the nine Dorniers directly in front of him as they made their approach to Kenley from the southern end, and had to make the decision as to make their attack on the leading bombers, or sweep round and attack from the rear. The Dorniers were preparing their formation to attack by spreading out, and Thompson decided to place the main thrust of his attack from the rear.
1321 hours: The Dorniers commence to spread out in an arc to commence their attack.
1322 hours: The crews of the Do 17s could now see the buildings and hangars of the aerodrome standing out before them. Just as they were about to unleash their bomb loads, the Hurricanes of 111 Squadron had taken up position at the rear of the Dorniers and had commenced their attack. The rear gunners of the bombers answered back with machine guns pointed towards the British fighters. At the same time, the ground defences of Kenley commenced firing in rapid succession with their Bofors, and then came the chatter of machine gun fire from the sandbagged circles of the gun emplacements. Other defences were brought into action. Men manned the AA gun emplacements, but they could not fire until the Dorniers were almost directly above them. The parachute and cable were unleashed, while men and women not involved in any of the ground defences were ushered to the nearest shelters, although the approach of the Dorniers was so quick that many were not able to shelter at all and tried to find cover the best way they could.
The specially fused bombs from the Dorniers fell with deadly accuracy. The hangars, mess rooms and other administrative buildings exploded in smoke and flame as each bomb found its mark. One of the Hurricanes was hit as the bombers commenced their attack, hit either by Dornier gunfire or from the guns of the Kenley ground defences. F/L S Connors was killed as his aircraft crashed to the ground at nearby Wallington.
“Someone called out that the sick quarters had a direct hit, so I sped in that direction. I remember running over the hummocky grass. There were lots of people badly shaken sitting about. The doctor had been killed, and Mary Coulthard, one of the two WAAF sick-bay attendants, was badly injured. She had the most enormous cut in her thigh. I had never seen anything like it, she had been thrown on to a steel helmet which had sliced through her leg. She and the other attendant were smiling though, because they had applied a tourniquet which had worked; and I smiled too — I, who under normal circumstances, could faint at the sight of someone’s cut finger! We tied a label on to her before she was taken to hospital.”
- Lillias Barr ex WAAF officer stationed at Kenley August 18th 1940
As soon as the Dorniers of 9/KG76 crossed the southern perimeter of Kenley, the Parachute and Cable (PAC) that were sited on the northern perimeter and placed at about 60 feet intervals were fired by rocket into the air. Once the 500 foot cable had reached its limit, a parachute would open leaving the steel cable suspended in the air and making a slow descent. If any aircraft struck the cable, a second parachute would open at the base of the cable automatically making the enemy aircraft difficult to fly as one wing would be pulled back by the entangled cable and the two parachutes.
The machine gunners and the anti-aircraft batteries on the airfield found it difficult to accurately find their targets because of the low altitude and speed of the bombers. One gunner stated that it was difficult following the path of the raiders, so they just pointed the barrel of the gun in front of the bombers and fired hoping that at the bombers would run into the gunfire. One by one the Dorniers dropped their load of twenty 110 pound bombs, and there was little that the defenses could do. The noise, smoke, fire and explosions were intense. One by one, they created a path of absolute destruction. Hangars, domestic blocks, administration buildings, the officers mess, the station headquarters building all suffered at the accurate bombing. Bombs that had been released by the bombers in the center of the formation bounced along the runways like ping-pong balls on a table tennis table before exploding.
But if the bombing had been a success, it was at a price. One Do 17 was hit as they made their approach, although it is not known if it was hit by gunfire from one of 111 squadron Hurricanes or from Kenley ground fire, but the bomber continued on streaming smoke and letting loose it deadly cargo of bombs before crashing. Feldwebel Wilhelm Raab had just let his bomb load go when a PAC was sent skywards, but luckily the Dornier was in the process of doing a banking turn that the cable just missed his aircraft. But PAC’s did account for two other Dorniers, being caught off balance as the cables caught their wings. (Some sources state that these aircraft were also damaged by ground fire as well). Other Dorniers were hit as they climbed to make height by 111 and 615 Squadrons.
1324 hours: In just 90 seconds, Kenley had been made a shambles, and as the Dorniers had passed, many thought that the raid was over and emerged from whatever shelter they could find, only to be told by someone yelling at the top of his voice to get back under cover as the raid was not over.
There was probably no more than a three minute interval between the departure of the surviving low-level Dorniers – hotly pursued by 111 and 615 Squadrons, with Roth himself in serious trouble – and the intense, high-level bombing, although for many of those on the ground, half-stunned by the noise and fury of the first attack, it was much longer. By a merciful chance of fate, the vulnerable brick ops room controlling the entire sector was not hit. But inside the silence that succeeded the explosions and the gunfire seemed even more intense in this enclosed space because all the power and almost all the telephone lines had gone dead. The airmen and the WAAF plotters at the table, in their tin hats and with gas masks at the ready, looked up questioningly to the dais above where their officers were, for a few seconds, looking equally bemused.
1327 hours: The six remaining Dorniers had made their low level sweep over the aerodrome, their mission had been completed all bar getting back to their bases. The nine Dorniers which between them had unleashed twenty bombs apiece, that’s 180 bombs in total or 19,800 lbs of explosive. Three had been hit and crashed and now the remaining six had no reason to remain at low level. They had to get out the best way that they could…..and with two squadrons of RAF fighters now circling a battered Kenley, their task was not going to be easy.
The Bf 109’s heading the formation from the east was now approaching Kenley and were constantly being kept busy by 615 Squadron Kenley (Hurricanes). At 20,000 feet they were suffering heavy losses but they managed to keep the Bf 109s away from the bombers that they now should be protecting. 5,000 feet below, the 27 Dornier Do 17s of KG76 who were unescorted now became the targets for 32 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes). Under the command of S/L “Mike” Crossley, the squadron had practiced head-on attacks, and here was one occasion that they could put all their learning into practice. Mike Crossley called the all familiar “Tally Ho” which now placed him in control of the situation. The twelve Hurricanes banked round sharply and headed for the formation of black dots, which through his windscreen looked as if they were almost stationary, which meant that the Hurricanes and the Dorniers were heading towards each other. At a closing speed of over 400 mph, that was seven miles a minute.
The Dorniers were accompanied by an escort of Bf 110s, and Crossley ordered “B” Flight to engage the escort while he himself would lead “A” Flight in line abreast head-on attack at the Dorniers. F/O Alan Eckford claimed the first Do 17. As they closed in, it was almost like a game of ‘Russian Roulette’ to see who would give way first. One of the Dorniers, piloted by Oblt. Stoldt could not maintain course any longer with the Hurricanes coming straight at him. He banked to port, pulling out of formation and it was an ideal opportunity for Alan Eckford who opened up with all guns blazing at the under belly of the Dornier. The bomber trailed smoke then went into a spin spiraling earthwards finally crashing at Hurst Green. One other Dornier is thought to have been hit and crashed, but 615 squadron was up to its task and the Dornier formation were the ones who finally broke formation and scattered putting every one of them of their approaching bombing run. All bombs dropped fell mainly in surrounding areas and little further damage was done to Kenley.
615 Squadron was to suffer. Four Hurricanes were shot down in the combat and one of the pilots was killed. S/L Mike Crossley went on to claim one of the Bf 110s, and further back engaged the Ju 88s and sent one of these spiraling to the ground, although it leveled out and trailing thick smoke could only get as far as Ashford where it crashed.
1337 hours: The sound of the departing Dorniers had hardly disappeared when cleaning up operations went into action. The attempt to destroy Kenley had failed although considerable damage had been done:
The hospital and reserve hospital had been destroyed. One of the medical officers had been killed in a shelter trench near hospital. The remaining medical staff, however, worked splendidly and with assistance of civil doctors the situation was soon in hand.
The ground defenses were seriously hampered by firstly the approach of raid being screened so that the low raid could not be engaged before it had released its bombs and the fact that smoke from low raid prevented the high being seen easily. Effective action was, however taken by gun crews…
All ground defence crews remained at their posts and engaged the enemy under heavy fire.
All R/T communication with the aircraft had been severed when the attack commenced, but this was soon re-established by 1337hrs. Eight Hurricanes were destroyed on the ground, two hangars were totally destroyed while five others were severely damaged, the operations room suffered considerable damage and was put out of action, while many other buildings, including the hospitals were reduced to rubble. Had all the bombs exploded on impact, Kenley could have been totally destroyed, but many were released too low and hit the ground horizontally and failed to activate the warheads. A fireman at Kenley stated that the hangar fires were extremely difficult to extinguish. The roofs frames were made of timber, which was covered with asphalt and bitumen, most of the jangars had many drums of paint and thinnes in them and most of the aircraft in them had petrol in their tanks. It was really an explosive situation.
Unexploded bombs were everywhere. But the most iminent danger was the fires, made worse because one of the bombs had exploded and fractured the aerodromes water mains. Three of the four aircraft hangars had been destroyed, the main sector operations room lost all electricity and telephone services and the main power cable had been severed rendering the mainframe useless. Many station buildings and the medical sick bays were destroyed as was both the officers’ and the sergeants’ messes. A hangar housing the stations motor transport was wrecked, and four Hurricanes and a Blenheim had been destroyed with three Hurricanes and a Spitfire badly damaged.
It had been a surprise attack to all members of air and ground crews at Kenley. The Luftwaffe plan was to send in a small formation of nine Dornier Do 17 bombers to make a low level approach and attack, flying at between 50 and 100 feet between crossing the coast at Beachy Head and following the main Sussex railway line towards London crossed the southern perimeter of Kenley aerodrome and in one sweep across the airfield that took just ten seconds dropped specially fused bombs causing havoc and confusion, fire and destruction but with only a small amount of casualties. The plan was that a large formation of Heinkel He 111s and Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers should follow and would be guided by the visual sighting of fire and smoke. But these were late in arriving. The 50 plus Heinkels flying at high level escorted by some 75 Me109 fighters were attacked over Surrey. 615 Squadron Kenley (Hurricanes) led by “Sailor” Malan mixed it with the fighters but outnumbered by five to one, 615 Squadron lost four Hurricanes before the Messerschmitts turned for home. The remaining six Hurricanes then tore into the 50 Heinkels and split them up. Some turned away, some obviously damaged attempted to turn for home while it is estimated only fifteen managed to get through to Kenley.
A formation of Junkers Ju 88 and Dornier Do 17 bombers were also on a flight path towards Kenley. But 32 Squadron from Biggin Hill intercepted them and one Ju 88 and a Do 17 were shot down. Some managed to get through to the Kenley area, but most of the bombs dropped were way off target.
1345 hours: While the ground staff started to commence repair work on Kenley, and civil services arrived to assist in whatever way that they could, the Do 17s and Ju 88s of KG76 and He 111s of KG1 lined themselves up to attack Biggin Hill, just a short distance away from Kenley. With a cover of some forty Bf 109s the formation was spotted by 610 Squadron Biggin Hill (Spitfires) with Squadron leader John Ellis in command. The bombers were in a stepped formation from 12,000 to 15,000 feet. Again, the timing of the attack was all wrong. The plan was very similar to that of the attack on Kenley, but either the low flying Dorniers were early or the Junkers were early.
1350 hours: By the time the Dorniers had got into position at 100 feet to commence their low altitude attack, 610 Squadron had been joined by 32 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes) and between them they managed to play havoc with the Luftwaffe’s well thought out plan of attack. As at Kenley, the ground staff released the PAC rockets as the Do 17s made their approach and accounted for the destruction of two of them. Other aircraft were forced to take evasive action. This meant that many of the bombs were released too early and either fell in the open areas of the landing field or amongst the trees in the wooded area to the east of the aerodrome. Some bombs and shrapnel fell close to the station buildings, but were not to cause any serious damage. Joan Mortimer worked in the operations room.
The attack on Biggin Hill was to have been a carbon copy of the earlier attack on Kenley. Nine low flying Dorniers made the initial attack followed by high level bombing raids by Heinkel and Ju 88 bombers. The difference here was that of the nine Dorniers that made the low level attack, seven of them were never to return to their bases. Again, as in the Kenley attack, timing of the attacks were out. The Dorniers arrived too early and the Heinkels arrived far too late than planned.
1353 hours: Just three minutes after the low flying Dorniers had passed, the high level bombers were to release tons of high explosive on the airfield. But many of the He 111 and Ju 88 bombers were far too busy evading the onslaught of 32 and 610 Squadrons that were doing a superb job of the defense of Biggin Hill. The bombing could only be regarded as very inaccurate with most of the bombs falling away to the east of the airfield, although a few did land on Biggin Hill only to cause large craters in the center. No buildings were destroyed, only windows blown in by some close blasts. Compared to Kenley, Biggin Hill escaped unscathed.
While August 18, 1940 will always be noted for the attacks on Kenley and Biggin Hill fighter stations, very little has ever been recorded on the German air attacks on the Coastal Command aerodrome of Thorney Island, and the Fleet Air Arm aerodromes of Gosport and Ford. Why attack Fleet Air Arm airbases has always posed a question to historians and researchers as they were not a part of the Royal Air Force Fighter Command. Maybe the German authorities thought that these FAA bases posed a threat, but the most logical and the one generally accepted was the poor intelligence service that Germany had relied on.
It was around midday that 109 Junker Ju87 Stuka dive bombers from 2/StG77, 3/StG77, 5/StG77 and III/StG77, 65 Messerschmitt Bf109 fighter escorts and 55 Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters following up on a free hunting patrol left their bases in Normandy and Brittany to attack the aerodromes in Hampshire and Sussex and Poling Radar Station also in Sussex. The Messerschmitt Bf 109s were from 6/JG2, 1/JG27 and 6/JG27. Their flight path would take them across the English Channel and twelve miles to the east of the Isle of Wight. About ten miles south of the English coastline they would break up into three distinct groups. Twenty-Two Ju87s would attack Gosport, 27 would attack Thorney Island, 29 would attack Ford while 31 would attack Poling.
After the second attack there followed several hours of quiet as Nos. 10 and 11 Groups and Luftflotte 2 and 3, tired after considerable exertions, stopped to draw breath. On both sides of the Channel, unit commanders now phoned round frantically, trying to establish whether missing crews and aircraft were safely down elsewhere. It was time to move the dead, wounded and refuel and rearm the aircraft before the next potential mission.
By 1700 hours, the Luftwaffe was ready to strike again. Radar stations were not plotting more German formations off the Kent coast and over the Pas-de-Calais area. Having attacked Biggin Hill and Kenley, Luftflotte 2 was not going after the Sector Station RAF North Weald and RAF Hornchurch. Some 58 Do 17s of KG 2 were sent to bomb Hornchurch and 51 He 111s of KG 53 were directed to attack North Weald. The two raiding formations were to pass over the coast at the same time; so the He 111s attacking North Weald, with further to go, left 15 minutes earlier. The He 111s were to cross over at Foulness, the Dorniers at Deal. Fighter escort was provided by 140 Bf 109s and Bf 110s from JG 3, JG 26, JG 51, JG 54 and ZG 26.
KG 53 approached North Weald from the east between Maldon, Essex and Rochford. No. 56 Squadron’s 12 Hurricanes engaged the bombers, while No. 54 Squadron’s 11 Spitfires engaged the escorting Bf 109s and Bf 110s. In the engagement, at least one Bf 110 was shot down. The line of advance was now clear to the British ground controllers. Five Squadrons: No. 46, 85, 151, 257, and 310 with 61 Hurricanes, were scrambled to intercept the bombers in front of, or over the target. By 1700 hours the airfield was covered in 5/10ths stratocumulus at 5,000 feet. Within thirty minutes the base fell to just 3,500 feet. The German formation leaders soon realized that there was no hope of hitting a target from 12,000 feet, particularly when they could not see it. At 1740, KG 53 turned away and headed for base. They had lost a single bomber to 56 Squadron. Things were about to change. As they turned around, 28 Hurricanes from Nos. 46, 85, and 151 Squadron prepared for a head-on attack. Meanwhile, 12 Hurricanes from 256 Squadron closed on the Germans from behind.
No. 151’s Pilot Officer Richard Milne shot down Gruppenkommandeur of II./KG 53, Major Reinhold Tamm. The He 111 blew up, killing all aboard. The escorting Bf 109s counter-attacked, shooting down two No. 151 Squadron Hurricanes, killing one pilot and wounding the other. No. 257 Squadron also engaged and lost one pilot killed in a crash landing after combat with Bf 110s. No. 46 Squadron—the only 12 Group unit to take part—also engaged. Shortly hence, the 13 Hurricanes from No. 85 Squadron, led by Peter Townsend, struck at the bombers but was blocked by ZG 26 Bf 110s. Bf 109s was also present and inconclusive engagements began. It was likely the Bf 109s belonged to III./JG 51 providing top cover. There were intense combats around the bombers. No. 1 Squadron’s leader, David Pemperton, accounted for one JG 3 Bf 109. No. 85 Squadron accounted for one He 111, but lost a Hurricane to the Bf 110s, the pilot, Pilot Officer Paddy Hemmingway, bailed out into the Channel and survived. Another pilot, Flight Lieutenant Dick Lee, a veteran of the Battle of France and a flying ace with nine victories was reported missing in action. He was last seen chasing three Bf 109s out to sea. His body was never found. Among the few British squadrons left in the fight (owing to fuel and ammunition running low) was No. 54 Squadron. Its commander, Colin Falkland Gray, destroyed a Bf 110.
As KG 53 retreated out to sea, the German bombers dumped their bombs. Around 32 German bombs fell on the town of Shoeburyness. Two houses were destroyed and 20 damaged. One bomb landed on an Anderson Air Raid Shelter, killing a man and his wife. Another landed on the railway signal box, killing the signalman. Several bombs fell on a War Department gunnery range, causing no damage. Some 200 German bombs fell on the mud flats and sandbanks off Shoeburyness. Many were delayed-action bombs, and would go off at irregular intervals.
KG 53 had lost only four He 111s destroyed and one damaged. Its personnel losses amounted to 12 dead, two wounded and four prisoners of war. A further five were rescued by British ships, bringing the total number captured to nine. The low losses of the group in the face of fighter attacks were down to the determination of ZG 26. It cost the unit seven Bf 110s and a further six damaged.
At 1818 night began to fall. The Luftwaffe sent bombers from KG 1, 2, 3, 27 and 53 to bomb targets at Sheffield, Leeds, Hull, Colchester, Canvey Island, Manningtree and Sealand. British records mentioned damage only at Sealand. Most bombs were scattered over rural districts. In one incident, a KG 27 He 111, shortly before midnight, attacked the flying and training school at Windrush, in Gloucestershire, where night flying was in progress. The bomber, piloted by Alfred Dreher, crashed into an Avro Anson piloted by Sergeant Bruce Hancock. Both aircraft crashed, killing all five men involved.
The laurels for the day’s action went to the defenders. The aim of the Luftwaffe was to wear down the Fighter Command without suffering excessive losses in the process, and in this it had failed. It cost the attackers five aircrew killed, wounded, or taken prisoner, for each British pilot casualty. In terms of aircraft, it had cost the Luftwaffe five bombers and fighters for every three Spitfires and Hurricanes destroyed in the air or on the ground. If the battle continued at this rate the Luftwaffe would wreck Fighter Command, but it would come close to wrecking itself in the process.
RAF Statistics for the day: 155 patrols were flown involving 914 aircraft. Luftwaffe casualties: Fighters – 60 confirmed, 13 unconfirmed, 21 damaged; Bombers – 63 confirmed, 13 unconfirmed, 21 damaged; Unknown – 13 confirmed for a total of 207 casualties with 13 being a result of antiaircraft. RAF casualties: 22 fighters of which 10 pilots killed or missing.
British Losses:
Hurricane L1921, No. 17 Squadron.
P/O N.D. Solomon killed. Shot down by Bf 109 off Dover.
Spitfire R6713, No. 65 Squadron.
F/O F. Gruszka killed. Aircraft crashed at Westbere, near Canterbury, during a flight patrol.
Hurricane P2923, No. 85 Squadron.
F/O R.H.A. Lee. Reported as missing. Last seen in pursuit of an enemy formation thirty miles off the east coast. Failed to return.
Hurricane R4181, No. 151 Squadron.
P/O J.B. Ramsay. Reported as missing. Failed to return from an engagement with enemy aircraft over Chelmsford.
Hurricane R4187, No. 111 Squadron.
F/Lt. S.D.P. Connors. Killed. Shot down by anti-aircraft fire whilst attacking Do 17s bombing Kenley.
Hurricane P3208, No. 501 Squadron.
P/O J.W. Bland. Killed. Shot down by Bf 109 over Canterbury, Kent.
Hurricane P2549, No. 501 Squadron.
F/Lt G.E.B. Stoney. Killed. Shot down by Bf 109. Aircraft crashed near Stile Farm, Chilham.
Hurricane R4191, No. 601 Squadron.
Sgt L.N. Guy. Killed. Shot down by Bf 109 off Sussex coast.
Hurricane L1990, No. 601 Squadron.
Sgt R.P. Hawkings. Killed. Shot down by Bf 109 over the Sussex coast
Hurricane P2768, No. 601 Squadron.
Sgt P.K. Walley. Killed. Shot down by Bf 109s near Sevenoaks, Kent.
No. 302 (Polish) and No. 310 (Czechoslovakian) squadrons were activated by the RAF.
The Luftwaffe loses 17 Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers during the day (out of 109 committed to action). Ten are lost just in the Thorney Island raid. It is the single worst day for the Stuka force during the war, at least to this point. Six others are badly damaged for an overall attrition rate of over 20%. After this, the Stukas basically are withdrawn from the battle, though they remain available at the Pas de Calais for targeted strikes, particularly against naval targets and to support Operation SEA LION (the invasion of Great Britain that never takes place). Looking ahead, the Stukas are withdrawn completely only when Sea Lion is finally canceled in September 1940.
The day’s losses are usually touted as 60-75 losses for the Luftwaffe and 30-40 for the RAF. This, however, does not count numerous aircraft (one estimate is 29, including half a dozen fighters) destroyed on RAF airfields, so things are not quite as bad for the Luftwaffe as it might appear based on the aerial combat losses. One can with confidence say that air losses for the day were heavy for both sides and favored the RAF by roughly 2-1, while planes actually destroyed were about even.
However, the numbers also understate the problems caused for the Luftwaffe. The numbers do not come close to reflecting the chaos and the damage suffered. GruppenKommandeur Hptm. Herbert Meisel of I,/StG 77 is killed, Lt. Walter Blume of 7./JG 26 (14 victories) becomes a POW, Oblt. Helmut Teidmann of 2./JG 3 (7 victories) becomes a POW, Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51 Hptm. Horst Tietzen is killed – the list of very talented and successful pilots lost is long. When that many top pilots are lost, something is going seriously wrong. Fortunately for Adolf Galland, he is at Carinhall receiving a decoration and misses the “fun,” but the losses are absolutely crippling for several formations.
The RAF also loses a dozen pilots, and that is not trivial. Most of their men, however, can parachute to safety and be back with their Squadrons by suppertime. The Germans shot down over England are gone for good, and there are scads of them. It is fair to say that neither side really knows how the other is holding up, so the day puts everyone on edge.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 6 Blenheims on an uneventful sea sweep during the day.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 20 Whitleys to Rheinfelden, Waldshut and Freiburg, and 4 Whitleys to Turin, Italy overnight. No losses.
At Malta, there are no raids. Three Blenheim bombers fly in for operations.
In the Somaliland fighting, Blenheim bombers of RAF No. 11 Squadron based in Aden bomb the road near Laferug, losing a bomber to little purpose. RAF No. 223 based on Perim Island at the same time also raids Addis Ababa in Abyssinia, destroying some hangars, the Duke of Aosta’s personal airplane, an SM.79 bomber, an SM.75 bomber, and three Ca.133 planes in addition to damaging several other planes.
The summer is wearing on, and Operation SEA LION is no nearer to having its preconditions fulfilled. It is not, however, the Luftwaffe’s fault, for it is fighting its heart out with inadequate equipment and delusional commanders. The problem is the Kriegsmarine. It continues to reveal just how unprepared it is for a cross-Channel expedition of any kind, which is a bit of a farce because the navy was the service pushing the idea of an invasion hardest in the first place. While Wilhelm Keitel can issue fatuous orders about “compromise” between the army and navy conceptions of an invasion, reality intrudes. The army can insist all it wants on inserting an entire army group on the English shores at once, but everything ultimately boils down to the Kriegsmarine and what it can actually do. There is only one conclusion to be drawn as the high command reviews the facts: the Kriegsmarine simply does not have the ships pretty much regardless of what the Luftwaffe does from now on.
There is scapegoating everywhere in the German high command. Hermann Göring blames “local commanders,” Admiral Raeder blames the Luftwaffe, the Army blames the Kriegsmarine, and Hitler apparently doesn’t even really want to invade anyway. One thing is for certain, things have to improve fast or the entire military strategy against Great Britain is bankrupt.
Hitler tells Vidkun Quisling, “I now find myself forced against my will to fight this war against Britain. I find myself in the same position as Martin Luther, who had just as little desire to fight Rome but was left with no alternative.”
The determination of the German health authorities to push their warfare against alcoholism is reflected in the speeches at the fourth annual conference of anti-alcoholists now in session in Berlin.
Finland remains solidly neutral, but German negotiators propose a trade of German military equipment for Norwegian raw materials such as nickel, along with transit of German troops through the country (which could only be for one obvious purpose…). The Finns, still smarting from the Winter War and all of the territory lost to the Soviet Union, give the proposal serious consideration.
Rumano-Hungarian conference will reconvene at Turnu Severin tomorrow, when the Rumanians will present counter-proposals regarding the future of Transylvania.
Greece’s Premier George Metaxas was understood tonight to have talked by telephone during the weekend with one of Chancellor Hitler’s close advisers in Berlin, seeking Germany’s support for the preservation of Greek neutrality.
The British evaucation of Berbera, British Somaliland was completed after troopships Chakdina, Chantala, Laomedon, and Akbar and hospital ship Vita departed the port, destined for Aden. The Black Watch rear guard boards the transports at Berbera in the early morning hours and completes the evacuation. Australian cruiser HMAS Hobart was left behind to collect stragglers and destroy vehicles, fuel, and stores. Colonial troops of the Somaliland Camel Corps chose to remain in their homeland; their British officers respected their decision and allowed them to keep their weapons.
Three Australian sailors from HMAS Hobart, which remains in the harbor, are captured at one of the previous blocking positions outside of Berbera around this date and become the first Australian POWs of World War II.
The campaign is a decided British defeat, and Prime Minister Churchill (who has strong views about the Italian military) is furious at everyone involved. As a media event, it is overwhelmed by the climax of the Battle of Britain and thus receives scant attention in the Allied media. However, British prestige in the Middle East and throughout the Arab World, first earned by Lawrence of Arabia during World War I, is shattered.
For Italy, today may be the highpoint of their military involvement in World War II, an unalloyed victory with no downside and insignificant losses. Once they occupy Berbera, they quickly begin converting it into a submarine base.
Destroyers HMS Duncan and HMS Cattistock departed Scapa Flow at 1000 for Liverpool. At Liverpool, the destroyers joined two Western Approaches destroyers to escort convoy “MP” to Scapa Flow.
Destroyer HMS Active arrived at Scapa Flow at 0600 to work up prior to joining the 12th Destroyer Flotilla.
Armed merchant cruiser HMS Circassia was attacked by a U-boat 120 miles 255° from 40N, 20W. The armed merchant cruiser counterattacked and claimed sinking the submarine.
British trawler Valeria (189grt) was sunk by German bombing eight miles 35° from The Smalls. The crew of nine was rescued.
British dredger Lyster (619grt) was damaged by German bombing at Brunswick Dock, Liverpool.
Light cruiser HMS Delhi in the South Atlantic intercepted Spanish steamer Ciudad de Seville and sent her into Freetown under armed guard. The cruiser also intercepted Portuguese steamer Joao Belo and removed six Germans.
Convoy OA.201 departed Methil escorted by destroyer HMCS Skeena and corvette HMS Godetia, which was departed on the 22nd.
Convoy OB.200 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyer HMS Walker and corvette HMS Arabis from 18 to 21 August. The escorts were detached to convoy HG.41. Destroyer HMS Achates escorted the convoy on 20 to 22 August and destroyer HMS Arrow from 21 to 22 August.
Convoy FN.256 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 20th.
Convoy MT.144 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.256 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers HMS Vimiera and HMS Wolsey. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th.
Convoy BS.3 departed Suez, escorted by sloop HMS Clive. Light cruiser HMS Leander and anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Carlisle joined on the 21st. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 26th.
Convoy SL.44 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser HMS Canton to 5 September. The armed merchant cruiser proceeded to Greenock for fuel, water, boiler cleaning. Destroyer ORP Blyskawica, sloop HMS Sandwich, and corvette HMS Gardenia joined on 3 September. On 4 September, destroyers HMS Shikari and HMS Skate and corvette HMS Erica joined. On 5 September, corvette HMS La Malouine joined. The convoy arrived on 7 September.
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister W. MacKenzie King met in the president’s railway car at Ogdensburg, New York for a conference on hemispheric defense. The two leaders signed the Ogdensburg Agreement and announced the establishment of a Permanent Joint Board for the Defense of the United States and Canada. The commission would consist of four or five representatives from each nation with responsibility for the defense of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere from possible attacks from sea, land, or air. The first meeting of the commission took place on August 26, 1940. Many important World War II projects went into effect as a result of the Permanent Joint Board for the Defense’s recommendations. Among these were the building of the Alaska Highway through Canadian territory and the establishment of United States weather stations at strategic points in the Canadian Arctic. The establishment of the board was intentionally designed to outlive the war.
Admiral William D. Leahy, Governor of Puerto Rico and former Chief of Naval Operations who sailed the Atlantic and Eastern Caribbean areas with President Roosevelt during Navy maneuvers two winters ago, said today that further Caribbean bases were “almost” essential for United States control of this area. The Admiral saw Puerto Rico remaining as the key to the Panama Canal approach from the Atlantic, with a possible base at Trinidad as greatly strengthening our hemispheric position should the United States be called on to defend South America. Trinidad is about 600 miles southward from Puerto Rico, and is slightly farther from the canal than this island.
Representative Martin Dies told interviewers today there were 675 “German and other foreign spies” in and around San Francisco and some of them were in key positions and industries. He did not mention names. Dies arrived here from Los Angeles to continue his committee hearings on un-American activities. In Los Angeles, the committee heard allegations numerous screen personages were linked with communism. The Texas Democrat said James Cagney, one of those named in the Los Angeles testimony, would fly here from New York on Tuesday to answer the Los Angeles accusations and film actor Franchot Tone might also come. He invited any other Southern Californians accused of un-American activities to appear before the committee here in case they desired to expedite their testimony. He said the Los Angeles hearings were over for the time being. After a look at the west coast situation, Dies said, he would return to Washington and tell congress another 60 days and another $60,000 would be needed by his committee to go fully into matters in this area.
If Great Britain is defeated, an attack by the German military machine on the United States will come in the most unexpected manner and all the strength of this country will be needed to parry it and save American independence, William C. Bullitt, United States Ambassador to France, declared here tonight. Urging Americans to pay no heed to agents of the dictators or to honest “wishful thinkers” who unwittingly “are playing the dictators’ game” by lulling us into a false sense of security, he called upon them to write and telegraph Congress demanding passage of the selective compulsory service bill and informing the legislators that they backed General John J. Pershing in the proposal to send overage destroyers to England’s aid. “America is in danger,” he warned. “It is my conviction, drawn from my own experience and from the information in the hands of our own government in Washington, that the United States is in as great peril today as was France a year ago.”
Two officers and two enlisted men were killed instantly tonight when a B-12 army bomber crashed into an open field and burned seven miles southwest of Ruston, Louisiana. The dead were: Second Lieut. James H. Griffin, 27, the pilot, of Asheville, N. C; First Lieut. Hubert T. Elders, 33, Columbia, S. C: Pvt E. E. Quinker, Valdosta, Ga.; Pvt. Daniel C. Johnston, Elberton, Ga. The plane left Barksdale field Shreveport, La., Saturday and was on a return flight. Lieut. Griffin was crushed to death after bailing out when his parachute failed to open. The others were burned inside the plane which exploded after crashing.
The United States informed Germany in a formal note made public tonight it expected the army transport American Legion, steaming homeward with nearly 900 Americans from Petsamo, Finland, would not “suffer molestation by any action undertaken by the German armed forces.” Publication of the note followed the German government’s public statement in Berlin yesterday it would not be responsible for any harm that might befall the ship if it followed the course outlined by the United States.
The German-American Bund and the KKK hold an anti-war rally in Camp Nordland, New Jersey, which attracts the attention of protesters. Several hundred white-robed members of the New Jersey Realm of the Ku Klux Klan mingled with about. 700 members of the German-American Bund today at an all-day “Americanism” rally held by the Klan at Camp Nordland, the 200-acre recreation camp of the Bund near here. Officials of the Klan said there was no thought of a merger between the two organizations and explained that the camp had been taken over for the day by the klan on a rental basis. At the meeting a collection was taken up among bundsmen as well as Klansmen to pay the expenses. Neither Klan nor Bund officials would name the rental figure. Six men were arrested outside the gates of the camp after they had attempted to distribute an “Appeal to the Friends of Fritz Kuhn,” former leader of the Bund now in prison. Bundsmen, who apparently have turned against their former leader, forced the six out of the camp and they were arrested by a deputy sheriff and constable. The six were fined $10 each by Justice of the Peace Charles Van Ness at Newton for disorderly conduct and paid their fines.
The rampant Roanoke River, thirty-one feet above flood level, inundated towns in North Carolina, rendered thousands homeless, damaged many industrial plants, and left at least two dead in Halifax County today. After reaching an all-time record crest of fifty-eight feet, the stream began slowly to recede tonight, but at Weldon, a town of some 4,000 population, 600 persons were homeless and the town was without a water supply. Trucks hauled water to Weldon from Roanoke Rapids.
Walter P. Chrysler, 65, who gambled $5,000 in 1908 to buy an automobile on a “hunch” and later made millions manufacturing them, died today at his Long Island estate. Death came from a cerebral hemorrhage after an illness of more than two years, ending a spectacular career that started in a railroad roundhouse at five cents an hour and led to the top of the motor car corporation bearing his name. Chrysler had taken no active part In business since he was stricken with a circulatory attack May 26, 1938, but maintained an interest in world affairs. He was allowed out of bed for a time last Thursday, spending some time in a wheelchair, and suffered an attack Friday. He lapsed into a coma yesterday and died at 5:50 p.m. today.
Henry McHenry, Poppa Ruiz and Ray Brown of the East team up on the second shutout of the Negro League East-West Game history, blanking the West, 11–0, in the 1940 East-West Game. Buck Leonard reaches base five times for the winners.
Major League Baseball:
Jimmy Powers, sport editor of the Sunday New York Daily News, causes a flap when he suggests the Yankees’ poor play this season can be attributed to “a mass polio epidemic” contracted from Lou Gehrig. The former Yankee first baseman and his roommate, Bill Dickey, file suit and the newspaper retracts the story on September 26 and apologizes.
Earl Johnson, southpaw rookie, pitched his first full game for the Red Sox today and won it, giving Joe Cronin’s team a 4–2 victory and a sweep of the three-game series with the Senators. Johnson, called up from Rocky Mount in the Piedmont League a few weeks ago, had collected three decisions in previous mound appearances but had not gone the distance.
Behind the good pitching of Steve Sundra, the Yankees neatly polished off the Athletics in the first chapter of a doubleheader, 9–1. But with 21,284 Philadelphia onlookers chortling with glee in the second game, the A’s routed Marvin Breuer in the fourth inning, sent five runs over before Joe McCarthy could do a thing about it and bagged this one behind Johnny Babich, 7–3. Not even Joe Gordon’s twenty-third homer of the campaign could alter the result of the second game
The weather man handed the American League-leading Indians a 2-2 draw with St. Louis today. The scrappy Browns tied the score in the ninth and made four tenth-inning runs which were washed away by rain.
Ted Lyons, 39-year-old veteran of the White Sox, furnished further evidence that the rocking chair won’t get him for a while by pitching his team to a 7–5 victory over the skidding Tigers today. The victory gave the White Sox a sweep of their three-game series. Lyons, who helped his own cause with four hits, was in trouble in the eighth inning, when George Tebbetts’s home run gave the Tigers a 5–4 edge, but the White Sox rallied in the ninth to score three runs on three singles, a double, and an error.
The Brooklyn Dodgers flattened the Boston Bees in a doubleheader, 7–2 and 3–1. As a result Brooklyn pulled up to within four and one half games of the National League-leading Reds. Leo Durocher, forced back into action by the injury to Pee Wee Reese, was the Durocher of old during the eighteen innings, cutting off base hits and engineering double plays at shortstop. Luke Hamlin held Boston to seven hits and one unearned run in the nightcap and allowed only one extra-base hit but, more importantly, no home runs.
The Cardinals turned on the Reds today, defeating the National League champions, 3–1 and 5–4. The double victory advanced St. Louis to fourth place. Mort Cooper outpitched Bucky Walters in the first game, scattering seven hits to register his eighth triumph of the season against the same number of losses. Walters, who had won sixteen games, suffered his ninth defeat. The first three Cardinals to face him singled to produce two runs. Terry Moore’s eleventh homer of the year brought in the other Redbird tally in the third frame.
The Phillies swept a doubleheader from the Giants at the Polo Grounds today. They dropped the opener by 6–3 because towering Cliff Melton wasn’t quite up to the job of restraining enemy bats. There was also the matter of a couple of misplays by Babe Young and Harry Danning. In the nightcap Harry Gumbert was something like Melton, only worse. Roy Joiner was less than adequate. The Phillies enjoyed a home-run splurge with three robust drives for the circuit, and Doc Prothro’s band won by 8–6.
The Cubs defeated the Pirates today, 9–1, winning behind the six-hit pitching of southpaw Larry French. The Cubs scored three runs on Truett Sewell in the first inning and knocked him out of the box in the fifth. French held the Bucs hitless until the fifth, when doubles by Virgil Davis and Maurice Van Robays produced their run.
Washington Senators 2, Boston Red Sox 4
Boston Bees 2, Brooklyn Dodgers 7
Boston Bees 1, Brooklyn Dodgers 3
Pittsburgh Pirates 1, Chicago Cubs 9
St. Louis Browns 2, Cleveland Indians 2
Chicago White Sox 7, Detroit Tigers 5
Philadelphia Phillies 6, New York Giants 3
Philadelphia Phillies 8, New York Giants 6
New York Yankees 9, Philadelphia Athletics 1
New York Yankees 3, Philadelphia Athletics 7
Cincinnati Reds 1, St. Louis Cardinals 3
Cincinnati Reds 4, St. Louis Cardinals 5
Chan Ching-chong, an editor of the American-owned newspaper Ta-mei Wan Pao, was shot and killed by unidentified assassins today as he left his home in the French sector of the International Settlement of Shanghai to go to his office. The attack on the editor, one of a number of prominent Chinese “blacklisted” by the Japanese-sponsored Wang Ching-wei regime, was the third such incident during the weekend.
U.S. Navy Admiral Thomas Hart, commanding the United States Asiatic fleet, disclosed in a statement today that the dispute between American and Japanese military authorities here over control of the British defense sectors of the International Settlement was now the subject of negotiations between Washington and Tokyo. The statement was interpreted as an indication that the local negotiations were hopelessly deadlocked. The Japanese-sponsored Chinese regime of Wang Ching-wei at Nanking also entered the Settlement dispute today, with Mr. Wang’s newspaper, the Central China Daily News, charging that Japan had no right to meddle in reallocation of the sectors that the British are abandoning, because it was a matter for the Nanking regime to settle. It was said authoritatively that the Nanking-Tokyo differences on this question were delaying the signing of a peace treaty between Japan and the Wang government.
The last British troops in North China closed what is possibly the final chapter in their colorful history in China when the Peiping Embassy guard and the Tientsin garrison sailed at dawn today for Tangku and Singapore.
Premier Robert G. Menzies today announced the appointment as Australia’s first Minister to Japan, of Sir John Greig Latham, chief justice of the Commonwealth High Court, who will receive leave from the court, and he added that it was hoped that a Japanese Minister to Australia would arrive shortly.
Born:
Paul Popovich, MLB second baseman, pinch hitter, and shortstop (Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates), in Flemington, West Virginia.
Joan Joyce, American softball Hall of Fame pitcher, 1954-75 (Raybestos Brakettes, Orange Lionettes), LPGA golfer, 1977-95, and softball coach, 1995-2022 (Florida Atlantic), born in Waterbury, Connecticut (d. 2022).
Died:
Walter Chrysler, 65, American automotive industry executive and founder of Chrysler Corporation.
Naval Construction:
The U.S. Navy Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Columbia (CL-56) is laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corp. (Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.).
History Diaries 