In the morning 24 Vickers Wellington bombers of 9, 37 and 149 Squadrons took off to patrol the mouth of the Weser River, Wilhelmshaven and the Jade Bay, and to bomb every German war vessel sighted at sea. Shortly after 1:00 P.M. the report of intruding enemy aircraft was carried by the German Freya radar on the island of Wangerooge, to the command post of the German fighter wing in Jever, but it was interpreted as an observer error. The alarm was only sounded a few minutes later, when a second Freya radar report confirmed the first. For the first time, fighter aircraft were successfully guided to an enemy unit by radar, with the support of radiotelephony. The German 10 Squadron of the 26th Fighter Group under First Lieutenant Steinhoff, was the first to reach the bombers: "We could not have wished for better weather for our first encounter with the RAF. A fair-weather fog layer along the ground surmounted by a blue cloudless sky with clear long distance visibility." The English flew in compact formations, at an altitude of about 11,375 feet, past the German island of Heligoland, and set a heading for Jade Bay and Wilhelmshaven under fire from the Heligoland naval batteries. Airman First Class Helmayer made the first kill: "He must have been an old hand. Each time he banked opposite us at the moment we opened fire, and our gun bursts hissed away past the target. We were on our fourth attack - range 2,000 feet - 1,600 feet - 1,300 feet - 1,000 - then came a thud, a hiss, hits in our own aircraft, a blow to my left arm. But at the same time we saw that our assault had been successful. The Wellington was burning and crashed into the sea. We saw the impact point, the oil slick. Our cockpit was smoking and there was a smell of gunpowder. I saw splashes of blood from the wound in my left arm."

The air battle lasted no more than half an hour. Shortly after 3.00 P.M. the remains of the bomber unit had flown outside German fighter cover. 12 Wellingtons were lost and three made forced landings. The RAF claimed four German fighters from a mix of Me 109s and Me 110s.

Destroyer HMS Heythorp laid down.

GERMANY: Berlin: Hitler promises Vidkun Quisling money in return for helping a German invasion of Norway.

The German News Bureau reported: "The English undertook a large scale aerial assault, using 44 of the most up-to-date aircraft, The enemy unit tried to raid various points along the North Sea coast, but was scattered by Messerschmidt Me 109 German fighters north of Heligoland while it was still making its approach. Several stubborn aerial fights took place over the German Bay. In the process, 34 British aircraft were shot down, according to reports received so far. This number does not include losses which the remnant of the planes in all probability suffered on their return flight. Debris from shotdown English planes has already washed ashore on the German isles. The crews of two British aircraft have been taken prisoner. Only a few enemy planes succeeded in penetrating as far as Wilhelmshaven. Here they came under concentrated Flak fire and released 3 random bombs which fell onto the field without effect.

On the German side two aircraft have been lost; their crews got out by parachute."

U-85, U-374 laid down.

FINLAND: The Finnish 40th Infantry Regiment of the Lapland Group forces the Soviet 273rd Infantry Regiment to retreat in Pelkosenniemi.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: USN destroyers USS Greer (DD-145) and Upshur (DD-144) relieve destroyers USS Ellis (DD-154) and Cole (DD-155) of shadowing German passenger liner SS Columbus. Later that same day, heavy cruiser USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) replaces the destroyers in trailing the passenger ship.