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**Ennath** · August 13th, 2012, 11:44 AM

August 13, 1922
India The Royal Indian Military College opens at Dera Dun, beginning British moves toward the “Indianization” of the Indian Army.

August 13, 1923
PolandThe first seagoing cargo ship docks in the newly-constructed port of Gdynia, near Danzig.

August 13, 1940
Battle of Britain This is Adlertag (Eagle Day), marking the beginning of the all-out German offensive against Fighter Command. The RAF is to be crippled and driven out of the sky over southern England within four days and to be out of the fight completely in four weeks.
At this stage, the RAF has something over 600 modern fighters with trained crews, half deployed in southern England. There are adequate numbers of new planes in reserve stocks but trained pilots are in far shorter supply. A limited number can be borrowed from the navy and bomber crewmen can be employed if absolutely necessary, but these expedients cannot make much difference. The Luftwaffe has between 600 and 700 operational Bf109’s, just over 1000 twin-engined bombers, and 350 each of Stukas and Bf110’s. This preponderance in numbers is somewhat illusory since the number of attacking bombers usually has to be limited to the strength of the available fighter escort for which it will emerge that the Bf109 is the only suitable aircraft. The Bf110’s can usually manage to look after themselves by defensive tactics if they do nothing else. The bombers are all weakly armed and the slow, clumsy Stukas are especially vulnerable without escorts. Neither side has a very accurate appreciation of the other’s strength. This, and the inflated claims of kills from excited pilots, is a less serious problem for the RAF, since it must merely keep on defending against whatever attacks are made, while the Luftwaffe must judge from intelligence appreciations which forces to send and which targets to attack, and, most importantly, how much progress is being made. They will require consistently high kill rates and constant, tiring sorties. They also need to preserve strength to support the ensuing invasion. Finally, they have only a few weeks in which to accomplish this, before fall weather makes a Channel crossing unlikely.
Until now, the fighting has generally gone in the RAF’s favor. They have lost 150 fighters for 228 German planes shot down since July 12. These figures are not entirely conclusive since German fighter losses are only about half their total and, if these roughly equal fighter losses continue, the process of attrition will leave Fighter Command crippled and the Germans with fighters and bombers to spare. Although claims of German aircraft shot down are greatly, if honestly, exaggerated (the claims of German propaganda are less honestly meant), this danger is horribly clear to the RAF. It is obvious, above all, that they must, as far as possible, avoid simple fighter versus fighter battles while inflicting maximum casualties on the bombers, keeping them from bombing with ideal accuracy. The tactics adopted by Air Marshal Dowding, leader of Fighter Command, and Air Vice-Marshal Park, who commands 11 Group in southeast England are to send relatively small formations, which can react quickly, to disrupt and harry the German bomber forces. Sir Quintin Brand, commanding 10 Group in the southwest, also employs these tactics. Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory, commanding 12 Group in the Midlands and east central England advocates that large fighter groups be assembled before attacking in order to ensure something close to parity in numbers and inflict heavier losses. These tactics are mistaken in the circumstances because forces closer to the coast have no time to assemble “big wings” at sufficient altitude and those sent from 12 Group cannot arrive before the Germans have left for home. Also, with this system it is more difficult to maintain the necessary reserves and to avoid the risk of planes being caught on the ground.
The events of Eagle Day strongly favor the RAF. The Germans fly about 1500 sorties, 1000 by fighters, and the British about 700. The Germans lose 45 planes, the British only 13 and from these six pilots are able to return to their units and new machines. This will be a factor throughout the battle. Instances will occur when RAF pilots shot down in the morning will be flying in combat once more in the afternoon. Since the German losses mostly occur over hostile territory, they have no such benefit. The number of sorties flown by the fighters on each side at this stage shows the strain which will be put on these units. If the Germans are to continue to fly twice as many fighter missions as bomber missions, then they will be compelled to keep almost all their fighters in the front line unless they are willing to reduce the strength of the bomber attacks. If they do not make such reductions, then the comparative shortage of reserve planes will tell against them since pilots of otherwise combat-ready aircraft will be grounded because of battle-damage to their planes or simply because of fatigue. Since the RAF has only about half its fighter squadrons in the front line and is miserly about the way it exposes them to losses, it will be better able to rest units and to cover up for its losses. This is a further advantage of Park’s tactics.

August 13, 1941
Eastern Front The Soviet government announces the release of all Polish prisoners of war captured in 1939.
China Much of Chungking is in ruins after a week of heavy Japanese air raids.

August 13, 1942
Eastern Front Troops of 4th Panzer Army advance southeast toward Elista.
Mediterranean Early in the morning the cruiser Manchester is sunk, as are five more freighters of the Pedestal convoy. Another two are sunk later, but four reach Malta, and a fifth, the damaged tanker Ohio is towed into Valetta on the 15th, carrying vital fuel for the island’s aircraft. Two Italian cruisers are damaged by British submarines.
North Africa Montgomery assumes command of 8th Army on a visit to the front. His first task is to remedy inadequate defenses against Axis attack.
Switzerland Police begin turning back Jewish refugees.

August 13, 1943
Eastern Front The Soviets are now very close to Kharkov, having taken Bolshaya and Danilovka. Soviet forces liberate Spas-Demensk; attacks begin toward Dukhovshchina. This drive gains only 4 miles in 5 days.
Allied Air Operations US planes bomb Wiener Neustadt; this is the first raid on an Austrian city.
Borneo US 5th Air Force sends 380 planes to raid the Balikpapan oil fields from Australia.

August 13-24, 1943
Allied Planning Roosevelt, Churchill and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, along with their political and military advisors, meet at Quebec to discuss future Allied strategy.
General Morgan’s plans for the invasion of Europe are accepted as the basis for more detailed work. Britain commits to producing Mulberry harbors – artificial ports which will be placed off the French beaches. Churchill accepts that the Supreme Commander for the invasion should be an American. In the Mediterranean the British are pleased that some exploitation of the defeat of Italy is provided for. The Pacific operations will continue, as agreed before, with the US in full control. There is some difficulty in devising plans for Burma, however. It is decided to prepare another Chindit operation and to continue sending aid to Chiang Kai-shek. Admiral Mountbatten is selected to head the new Southeast Asia Command (SEAC).

August 13, 1944
Western Front Argentan is largely cleared by US attacks but Bradley orders a halt here. To the south US troops are advancing toward Orleans and Chartres from the area of Le Mans.
Far East, Air Operations Chennault sends a number of reconnaissance aircraft over Manila. His action is criticized by both Stilwell and MacArthur, who insist, on political grounds, that the Philippines must not be bombed.

August 13, 1945
Germany French troops arrive in Berlin.
Manchuria The Soviets use incendiaries against the Hutou fortifications, but resistance remains fierce.

August 13th, 2012, 11:44 AM	#1973
Ennath Vintage Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 6,814 Thanks: 26,898 Thanked 80,770 Times in 6,813 Posts	August 13, 1922 India The Royal Indian Military College opens at Dera Dun, beginning British moves toward the “Indianization” of the Indian Army. August 13, 1923 PolandThe first seagoing cargo ship docks in the newly-constructed port of Gdynia, near Danzig. August 13, 1940 Battle of Britain This is Adlertag (Eagle Day), marking the beginning of the all-out German offensive against Fighter Command. The RAF is to be crippled and driven out of the sky over southern England within four days and to be out of the fight completely in four weeks. At this stage, the RAF has something over 600 modern fighters with trained crews, half deployed in southern England. There are adequate numbers of new planes in reserve stocks but trained pilots are in far shorter supply. A limited number can be borrowed from the navy and bomber crewmen can be employed if absolutely necessary, but these expedients cannot make much difference. The Luftwaffe has between 600 and 700 operational Bf109’s, just over 1000 twin-engined bombers, and 350 each of Stukas and Bf110’s. This preponderance in numbers is somewhat illusory since the number of attacking bombers usually has to be limited to the strength of the available fighter escort for which it will emerge that the Bf109 is the only suitable aircraft. The Bf110’s can usually manage to look after themselves by defensive tactics if they do nothing else. The bombers are all weakly armed and the slow, clumsy Stukas are especially vulnerable without escorts. Neither side has a very accurate appreciation of the other’s strength. This, and the inflated claims of kills from excited pilots, is a less serious problem for the RAF, since it must merely keep on defending against whatever attacks are made, while the Luftwaffe must judge from intelligence appreciations which forces to send and which targets to attack, and, most importantly, how much progress is being made. They will require consistently high kill rates and constant, tiring sorties. They also need to preserve strength to support the ensuing invasion. Finally, they have only a few weeks in which to accomplish this, before fall weather makes a Channel crossing unlikely. Until now, the fighting has generally gone in the RAF’s favor. They have lost 150 fighters for 228 German planes shot down since July 12. These figures are not entirely conclusive since German fighter losses are only about half their total and, if these roughly equal fighter losses continue, the process of attrition will leave Fighter Command crippled and the Germans with fighters and bombers to spare. Although claims of German aircraft shot down are greatly, if honestly, exaggerated (the claims of German propaganda are less honestly meant), this danger is horribly clear to the RAF. It is obvious, above all, that they must, as far as possible, avoid simple fighter versus fighter battles while inflicting maximum casualties on the bombers, keeping them from bombing with ideal accuracy. The tactics adopted by Air Marshal Dowding, leader of Fighter Command, and Air Vice-Marshal Park, who commands 11 Group in southeast England are to send relatively small formations, which can react quickly, to disrupt and harry the German bomber forces. Sir Quintin Brand, commanding 10 Group in the southwest, also employs these tactics. Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory, commanding 12 Group in the Midlands and east central England advocates that large fighter groups be assembled before attacking in order to ensure something close to parity in numbers and inflict heavier losses. These tactics are mistaken in the circumstances because forces closer to the coast have no time to assemble “big wings” at sufficient altitude and those sent from 12 Group cannot arrive before the Germans have left for home. Also, with this system it is more difficult to maintain the necessary reserves and to avoid the risk of planes being caught on the ground. The events of Eagle Day strongly favor the RAF. The Germans fly about 1500 sorties, 1000 by fighters, and the British about 700. The Germans lose 45 planes, the British only 13 and from these six pilots are able to return to their units and new machines. This will be a factor throughout the battle. Instances will occur when RAF pilots shot down in the morning will be flying in combat once more in the afternoon. Since the German losses mostly occur over hostile territory, they have no such benefit. The number of sorties flown by the fighters on each side at this stage shows the strain which will be put on these units. If the Germans are to continue to fly twice as many fighter missions as bomber missions, then they will be compelled to keep almost all their fighters in the front line unless they are willing to reduce the strength of the bomber attacks. If they do not make such reductions, then the comparative shortage of reserve planes will tell against them since pilots of otherwise combat-ready aircraft will be grounded because of battle-damage to their planes or simply because of fatigue. Since the RAF has only about half its fighter squadrons in the front line and is miserly about the way it exposes them to losses, it will be better able to rest units and to cover up for its losses. This is a further advantage of Park’s tactics. August 13, 1941 Eastern Front The Soviet government announces the release of all Polish prisoners of war captured in 1939. China Much of Chungking is in ruins after a week of heavy Japanese air raids. August 13, 1942 Eastern Front Troops of 4th Panzer Army advance southeast toward Elista. Mediterranean Early in the morning the cruiser Manchester is sunk, as are five more freighters of the Pedestal convoy. Another two are sunk later, but four reach Malta, and a fifth, the damaged tanker Ohio is towed into Valetta on the 15th, carrying vital fuel for the island’s aircraft. Two Italian cruisers are damaged by British submarines. North Africa Montgomery assumes command of 8th Army on a visit to the front. His first task is to remedy inadequate defenses against Axis attack. Switzerland Police begin turning back Jewish refugees. August 13, 1943 Eastern Front The Soviets are now very close to Kharkov, having taken Bolshaya and Danilovka. Soviet forces liberate Spas-Demensk; attacks begin toward Dukhovshchina. This drive gains only 4 miles in 5 days. Allied Air Operations US planes bomb Wiener Neustadt; this is the first raid on an Austrian city. Borneo US 5th Air Force sends 380 planes to raid the Balikpapan oil fields from Australia. August 13-24, 1943 Allied Planning Roosevelt, Churchill and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, along with their political and military advisors, meet at Quebec to discuss future Allied strategy. General Morgan’s plans for the invasion of Europe are accepted as the basis for more detailed work. Britain commits to producing Mulberry harbors – artificial ports which will be placed off the French beaches. Churchill accepts that the Supreme Commander for the invasion should be an American. In the Mediterranean the British are pleased that some exploitation of the defeat of Italy is provided for. The Pacific operations will continue, as agreed before, with the US in full control. There is some difficulty in devising plans for Burma, however. It is decided to prepare another Chindit operation and to continue sending aid to Chiang Kai-shek. Admiral Mountbatten is selected to head the new Southeast Asia Command (SEAC). August 13, 1944 Western Front Argentan is largely cleared by US attacks but Bradley orders a halt here. To the south US troops are advancing toward Orleans and Chartres from the area of Le Mans. Far East, Air Operations Chennault sends a number of reconnaissance aircraft over Manila. His action is criticized by both Stilwell and MacArthur, who insist, on political grounds, that the Philippines must not be bombed. August 13, 1945 Germany French troops arrive in Berlin. Manchuria The Soviets use incendiaries against the Hutou fortifications, but resistance remains fierce.