This day during The Battle of Britain, Day 14.
By R.T. Bickers
Tuesday, July 23:
Dover Straits hazy, cloud and intermittent rain elsewhere.
Day: Little activity. Ships off east coast attacked.
Night: A few bombers inland. Minelaying eastern England and Scotland.
Aircraft Losses: RAF 0, Luftwaffe 3
Another account from Battle-of-Britain.com
23rd July
Weather Forecast
Light cloud and haze in the Channel with occasional rain across the country.
Combat Report
Enemy activity once again kept to a minimum. Occasional plots were made of raids but very few crossed the coastlines of Great Britain. Most were probable reconnaissance looking for convoys. The only action during the morning saw a Hurricane of No: 242 Squadron shoot down a Ju88 off Great Yarmouth. Late morning saw two raids made near Kenley where bombs were dropped and trawlers were attacked off North Foreland. Neither was successfully intercepted.
The afternoon was also quiet with Spitfires of No: 603 Squadron shooting down a Do17 well off the coast of Aberdeen and two raids were plotted; one over East Anglia and the other off North Scotland with the enemy successfully evading the fighters.
During the night several raids were reported along most British coastlines, most likely dropping mines. The only reported bombs dropped were near Hartlepool.
Statistics
R.A.F. Losses: 4 aircraft damaged or destroyed (none due to combat) with 1 pilot wounded.
Luftwaffe Losses: 7 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 14 pilots & aircrew killed or missing and 3 wounded.
NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and other accidents.
Luftwaffe bombing raid on Birmingham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdXVsTEhDWs
Junker Ju87G-2 Stuka[u]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZwZANWqrnw&mode=related&search=
From R. T. Bicker's BOB
Operations room at 11 Group HQ
At the outbreak the Handly Page Hampden was numerically the most important British medium bomber. This one from No. 49 Sqd.
Pilots scrambling during a drill in April. Pilots soon learned to leave their parachutes in the cockpits or on the wing.
Most successful defiant team, Sgts Thorn (pilot) and Barker (gunner) of No. 264 Sqd. Shot down 7 1/2 enemies over France an another 5 over Britain.
Shay
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Semper Fortis
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