Eighty years on. 12th July 1940

Historical

In the North Channel between England and Ireland, U-56 hit the British transport ship Dunera with a torpedo that glanced off without exploding.  Dunera is carrying 2,542 “enemy aliens”, many of whom were survivors from the British liner Arandora Star sunk on 2^nd July.

In typical British summer weather (low clouds, rain showers and occasional sunny periods) , British fighters engaged He111 and Do17 bombers with fighter escorts targeting a large convoy  off Essex and Suffolk.  Two Spitfires and 1 Hurricane were lost.  In the West of England, JU87 Stukas covered by Messerschmitt Me110s bombed Portland and Exeter.  The Stukas were vulnerable to attack when pulling out of their dive and two were shot down.   A lone Heinkel He111 from Stavanger was shot down near Aberdeen and dropped its bombs on the city before crashing into the city’s ice rink.

South-west of Ireland, U-99 sank the Greek steamer Ia carrying wheat and stopped the Estonian steamer Merisaar carrying lumber.  Rough seas prevented the sinking of the Merisaar with torpedoes or deck gun, so she was ordered to sail to Bordeaux.  

After the Battle of Calabria, Italian bombers attacked the British battleship HMS Warspite and the cruiser HMS Liverpool for two hours, causing no damage.  HMS Liverpool was hit by a bomb that failed to explode.  A Sea Gladiator from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle shot down an Italian bomber, but then made a forced landing alongside HMS Liverpool where it was recovered.

Pierre Laval was appointed Vice Premier of Vichy France and Marshal Pétain’s successor.

Game day 316. Great Britain

The five submarines in the North Atlantic moved north in pursuit of the German warship off Ireland.  Three battleships in the Bay of Biscay continued southwards towards Gibraltar while the three off Brest continued their attack on the single remaining German submarine.

Three fighter units were moved south from Scotland to East Anglia.  Six bomber units flew from Britain to attack a German bomber airfield at map reference 50,27.  They were intercepted by one fighter unit from northern France.  The bombers shot down the fighter and went on to destroy the lone German bomber unit on the ground.

In the Middle East British and Empire troops continued to move into Libya and towards Italian east Africa to confront the Italians.  The Australian troopships began their return voyage while the Battleship continued down the Red Sea en route for Singapore.

On the economic front a second industrial complex was completed in India.  Two merchant ships sailed from Canada to the U.S. east Coast to pick up supplies, and an escorted convoy departed from Bristol for the United States.