Warbird Information Exchange

This day during The Battle of Britain, Day 11.


By R.T. Bickers

Saturday, July 20:

Clouds at first over straits of Dover, followed by bright intervals and sunny afternoon in the south. Some Thunderstorms elsewhere.

Day:

In the afternoon, Sergeant J.H. "Ginger" Lacey who had scored five victories in France and was destined to be the top scoring RAF pilot in the Battle of Britain, made his first kill of the Battle and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. His Squadron, No. 501, was scrambled from Middle Wallop, in Hampshire, to intercept Ju 87s escorted by Bf 109s, attacking a convoy which the sector controller said was near Jersey. They found it half way between there and Portland Bill. Lacey picked on a 109 that was heading towards him, turned inside it, gave three bursts while following it through it's desperate attempts at evasion and recalls: "i can clearly remember watching him slanting down the sky at a hell of a steep angle. A beautiful little blue and gray mottled aircraft with white and black crosses standing out startingly clear, getting smaller and smaller; and thinking what a terribly small splash he made when he went straight into the Channel." lacey spotted another 109 and thought, "Well he's making a fool of himself. He's going due north. he'll have to turn any moment now, and then I've got him." "Then," he says, "as his turn continued, i thought for one awful moment that he was going to crash into me. Then i suddenly saw the aeroplane stagger as my bullets hit it. It's propeller started to slow down. We flashed past each other a few feet apart. By the time i whipped around, "Pan" Cox latched onto it. he didn't fire until he was in to about 20 yards. it went in almost besdie the oily patch where my first had gone in. I put no claim in for the half-share, because it was Pan Cox's first success."

Night:

Mines laid along the east coast. In the west, from the Isle of Wight to Cornwall and the Bristol Channel.

Aircraft losses: RAF 3, Luftwaffe 9.



Another account from Battle-of-Britain.com:

20th July

Weather Forecast
Scattered thunderstorms around the country. Bright intervals during afternoon in southern England with early cloud over the Channel clearing.



Combat Report
Action started early for Hurricanes of No: 56 Squadron, scrambled from North Weald, at about 0545hrs to intercept Ju88's. Although raids were plotted during the morning, from the south coast to Scotland, no more contact was made by R.A.F. fighters until around 1130hrs when Spitfires of No: 603 Squadron attacked and shot down a Do17 off Peterhead.
Early afternoon saw Hurricanes of No: 238 Squadron intercept Me109's and a seaplane over a convoy in Lyme Bay. Hurricanes of No: 43 & 601 Squadrons attacked enemy aircraft near the Isle of Wight as the convoy headed east. Later at about 1630hrs Hurricanes of No: 501 Squadron scrambled to meet a raid of Ju87's and Me109's heading towards Portland Bill. During the dogfight, Sgt. J.H. "Ginger" Lacey (highest scoring R.A.F. pilot of the Battle of Britain), with already 5 victories in France, made his "1st battle kill" by shooting down an Me109.
At about 1800hrs a large raid, consisting of Ju87's with Me109 & Me110 escorts, approached the Kent coast. Hurricanes of No: 32 & 615 Squadrons along with Spitfires of No: 610 Squadron intercepted and a large dogfight followed.
During the night extensive mine dropping was reported from Lands End to Isle of Wight, Bristol channel, Norfolk & Suffolk coastline, the Humber and Tees. Main attention was given to Harwich and the Thames Estuary. Bombs were dropped on Eastchurch, Hartlepool, Rochford, Swansea, near Wells and Chatham.



Statistics

R.A.F. Losses: 9 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 9 pilots & aircrew killed or missing and 1 wounded.

Luftwaffe Losses: 22 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 26 pilots & aircrew killed or missing and 8 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and other accidents.



Ju 88s flying in formation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZK847BKag&mode=related&search=

Spitfire tracking Ju 88 being tracked by a Bf 109

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZK847BKag&mode=related&search=

"Zerstörer"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9EFRznKqc&NR=1


From R.T. Bicker's BOB


Sharksmouth paint jobs have been a fairly common sight in many air forces over the past years, but this Bf 110C must have been one of the 1st to adopt such a scheme.


The armed minesweeper HMS Foylebank on gire and sinking off Portland harbour early in July 1940. Leading Seaman J. mantle was awarded the posthumous V.C. for staying at his AA gun despite his wounds.


A Messerschmitt Bf 1110C of II/ZG 26. Goering's vaunted Zerstorers had only one answer to the Spitfires and Hurricanes; the defensive circle. It was soon found that the heavy fighter needed fighter escort.


The quick-fire marksmanship of Helmut Wick saw him rapidly promoted to Kommodore of JG 2. The Luftwaffe's ranking ace with 56 victories, he fell to the guns of Flt. Lt. John Dundas of No. 609 Sqd.



Shay
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Semper Fortis