August 13th, 1940 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain: 'Adlertag' [Eagle Day]. The Luftwaffe launches Adlertag too early as the weather is dull and cloudy and postponement orders do not reach all units.As early as 05:30 radar stations identified two forces, about 60 aircraft, assembling over France, so 11 Group ordered two squadrons, Nos. 64 and 111, to protect damaged Hawkinge and Manston, assuming the enemy would, logically, hit them again.
Hurricanes from North Weald took station over a Thames convoy, while others watched
over Tangmere.
Another 100 Luftwaffe aircraft were detected off Dieppe and soon about 40 more off
Cherbourg before a smaller group was found by radar near the Channel Islands.
In total about 120 fighters were sent up to face about 300 attackers.
Escort for the first wave of 80 Luftlotte 2 Do17Zs had been cancelled successfully
but the bombers, fitted with different radio crystals pressed on to England. The thick
cloud served to hide them until they split, one group to Eastchurch Coastal Command
airfield, a smaller group to Sheerness dockyard. They were then intercepted by 74 and 151
Squadron. Hurricane L1750, the first cannon-armed Hurricane, flown by Flt. Lt. R. Smith
scored a certain success, 111 Sqn then joined in and forced KG 2 to jettison its load. 100
bombs were dropped on Eastchurch killing 16 men, injuring 48 and destroying
one Spitfire of 266 Sqn. The station was fully operational by evening. Five Do 17s were
shot down.
Later in the afternoon two groups of Ju88s attacked Farnborough and Odiham but
were forced to abandon the operation.
The major attack came around 16:00 with 40 Ju88s on course for Southampton and Middle
Wallop; to their west were 30 Ju87s of II/StG 2, with 50 more Ju87s escorted by JG27.
Forward support was provided by Bf109s of JG53 which swept between the Isle of Wight and
Lyme Bay until they ran low on fuel.
At least 23 bombs fell on Southampton docks killing 5 and injuring 25. But when the Stuka's of II/StG 2 arrived at Portland their escort, short of fuel, left for home allowing the Spitfires of 609 Squadron to destroy six of them, the day being noted as the 'glorious 13th' in the Squadron's records. Another attack on Middle Wallop strayed and attacked Andover instead.
Later in the day 40 Ju87s of LG 1 devastated Detling, killing 67 and destroying 22
aircraft. The station was functional the next day.
Night: He-111s of Kgr 100 equipped with the X-Gerat navigational system attack the
Spitfire factory at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham.
KG 54 attacks the aerodromes at Odiham and RAE Farnborough, but the formations are broken
up by RAF fighters. Large-scale Luftwaffe attacks follow during the afternoon, with the
loss of 45 aircraft.
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - Fiat works at Turin and Caproni
aircraft factory at Milan.
10 Sqn. Ten aircraft
to Turin. Two returned early, eight bombed primary. One damaged by fighter
and ditched in Channel on return with two killed.
51 Sqn. Ten aircraft
to Turin. One damaged by Flak and returned early, nine bombed primary.
58 Sqn. Ten aircraft
to Milan. Three returned early, four bombed primary, three bombed
alternative targets.
The London Evening News reported:
One of the greatest aerial battles ever to take place, happened this afternoon off the
southeast and southern coasts. However, well informed experts doubt that the present raids
represent the beginning of a blitzkrieg against England, and instead believe their true
purpose is to reconnoitre the strength of the RAF before the Germans mount even more
vigorous air attacks.
RAF Headquarters announced:
On Sunday night to early Monday morning, the "industrial squadrons" of the RAF
chiefly attacked petroleum installations in Germany. The raids on each target were carried
out by several squadrons at defined intervals, beginning shortly before midnight; the
return flight did not start until 3:00 A.M.
Also reported was unknown German aircraft dropping a miscellany of objects at various
places in the English Midlands and the Lowlands of Scotland. The objects included a
parachutes, wireless transmitters, small quantities of high explosive, maps, photographs,
lists of addresses of prominent people and instructions to imaginary agents defining their
role when the invaders came.
An experimental British radar, using the cavity magnetron which was developed only six
months earlier, tracks a man on a bicycle for the first time -- though his radar
cross-section is enhanced by the tin lid from a box of biscuits. (Cris Wetton)
Minesweeping trawler HMS Elizabeth Angela is bombed and sunk in the English Channel.
Corvette HMS Columbine is launched.
FRANCE: VICHY FRANCE: In a move aimed against the Freemasons, all secret societies are banned.
GERMANY:
The Luftwaffe makes 1,485 sorties to mark Adlertag [Eagle Day] - the start of full scale
bombing of England.
Berlin: The German News Bureau reported:
Aerial dogfights are continuing over the southern coast of England. More and more fresh
formations of German bombers and dive bombers are flying against the English coast. The
German bomber wings, which make their approach in compact formations at a fairly high
altitude, are almost
invariably escorted by Me109 and Me110 fighters. So far it has not once been observed that
a German bomber formation was forced by the English to turn around before reaching its
target. It has struck our attention that the fighting spirit of the English fighter pilots
- especially the Spitfire pilots - has fallen off markedly since yesterday. According to
reports received so far, 38 British aircraft were destroyed in aerial combat today
(Tuesday) and 15 were destroyed on the ground.
Corvette HMS Columbine launched.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Mahone laid down.
U.S.A.: President Franklin D. Roosevelt confers with Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, and Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles concerning the transfer of destroyers to Britain. Consequently, Roosevelt informs British Prime Minister Churchill (in telegram sent from Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles to Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, Sr.) that among other items previously sought "it may be possible to furnish to the British Government... at least 50 destroyers..." Roosevelt states, though, that such aid could only be given provided that "the American People and the Congress frankly recognized in return...the national defence and security of the United States would be enhanced." The President thus insists that (1) should British waters be rendered untenable the British Fleet would be sent to other parts of the Empire (and neither turned over to the Germans nor sunk) and (2) that the British government would grant authorization to use Newfoundland, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and British Guiana as naval and air bases, and to acquire land there through 99-year leases to establish those bases.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-60 sank SS Nils Gorthon in Convoy HX-62.