The first Free Polish fighter squadron of the RAF is formed. This was No. 302 "Poznanski" Squadron at Leconfield, Yorkshire.

London: Lord Beaverbrook’s appeal to the women of Britain to "Give us your aluminium and we will turn your pots and pans into Spitfires and Hurricanes, Blenheims and Wellingtons" has brought an amazing response. Women, keen to help the RAF pilots who are defending them, have rushed to the depots set up by the Women’s Voluntary Service to hand over some of their cooking utensils. A typical response to the Minister of Aircraft Production’s appeal was that of a woman aged about 80 who walked a mile and a half to donate a saucepan. "It is very useful," she said, "but I give it gladly to the country."

Hundreds of tons have already been collected although the appeal is only a couple of days old. In one town so much was collected that a steam roller was used to flatten the utensils in order to make more room. As well as pots and pans, tennis racket presses and cigarette cases, an artificial leg and a racing car with an aluminium body are among the possessions that their owners hope will be turned into fighters and bombers.

GERMANY: Berlin: Hitler’s Directive no. 15 orders the Luftwaffe to destroy the RAF in preparation for Operation Sealion - the invasion of Britain.

While Hitler still hopes that Britain will make peace, he has already set in train preparations for invasion. On 2 July he ordered a study of the idea, and today he has issued a military directive to the effect that Germany must gain air superiority over the RAF before an invasion can take place. Hitler tells his generals that Britain is only fighting because of hope that Russian assistance. He goes further in confiding that it may become necessary to invade Russia.

Today Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, the German naval commander, stated that invasion should be regarded as a last resort to make Britain sue for peace. He believes, however, that Britain can be brought to her knees more effectively by throttling its maritime trade and bombing its cities.

Hitler writes to Mussolini declining his offer of Italian troops and aircraft for the invasion of Britain.

Hitler has said that the invasion will begin on August 5th.

Mediterranean and Arabia: Italian aircraft raid the British possessions of Malta and Aden.
The Regia Aeronautica continues its heavy raids on the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet under Admiral Cunningham as it continues its retirement from Malta towards its base Alexandria. Despite the contributions the four Sea Gladiators of HMS Eagle's 813 Fighter Flight had made in breaking up raids on 11 July, a decision was made to rely solely on the massed AA guns of the fleet during the 14 raids on 12 July. However, as, 13 July saw the Sea Gladiators again intercepting several of the seven raids made on the fleet off Crete throughout the morning and early afternoon. In a series of sharp actions, Eagle's Commander Flying, Commander Charles Lindsay Keighly-Peach, RN claimed one S-79 and shared another with his wingman, Lieutenant (A) L. K.  Keith, RN. Later, Lt. Keith downed an S-81. Again, losses were not the whole tale, as the valiant fighters broke up several of the attacks, and the Italians were unable to obtain any hits. The day marked the end of three days of intense air activity that had seen some three hundred bombing sorties achieve but a single hit on HMS Gloucester on the 11th.(Mark Horan)