Eighty years on. 16th August 1940

Historical

Despite fine clear weather, it is a quiet day over southern England.  Small raids attacked the Thames Estuary and Kent.  Several airfields were bombed, resulting in many dogfights.  Stukas bombed Tangmere Aerodrome, destroying Hurricanes and Blenheims in the hangars.  Stukas also bombed Ventnor radar station, putting it out of action for a second time.  RAF losses were 22 fighters while Luftwaffe lost 72 aircraft.

In East Africa, Italian troops moved cautiously from Tug Argan and did not attack the British rear-guard at Barkasan.  British troops, arriving back at Berbera, started embarking onto Royal Navy ships, using an all-tide jetty constructed by the Navy.

The British submarine Osiris sank the Italian steamer Morea 50 miles West of Durrës, Albania.

U-boats began operating in “wolf packs” against convoys.  300 miles Northwest of Ireland, convoy OB-197 was attacked by U-30, U-46 and U-48.  The Swedish steamer Hedrun (3,000 tons of coal) and the British steamer Clan Macphee (6,700 tons of general cargo), were sunk and the Dutch MV Alcinous was hit but did not sink.  Additionally, U-100 sank the British MV Empire Merchant, heading to Jamaica with cargo and mail, 150 miles Northwest of Ireland.

Sunderlands of 210 Squadron attacked U-51 with depth charges 170 miles northwest of Ireland.  Despite being blown out of the water by one explosion, U-51 survived the attack.  This was the first partially successful depth charge attack by a Coastal Command aircraft.

The RAF attacked the Fiat manufacturing plant in Turin, as well as targets in Germany and the Netherlands.

48 volunteers of the U.S. 29th Infantry Regiment made the first U.S. Army parachute jump from an aircraft in order to explore its applications in battle.

Game day 351. China

In Kwangtung three infantry units attacked one Japanese infantry unit at 116,45 resulting in the loss of one Chinese unit.  In SingKiang there were thirty-six infantry units.  Ten moved east into China.  Six more moved into contact with the invading Japanese infantry at 106,38.  The Chinese lost two units to the Japanese one.    The remainder moved east or north-east towards enemy invading infantry.