31 JULY 1940 Wednesday
UNITED KINGDOM: The day dawned as a typical summer's day with clear skies and higher temperatures and even a number of people braved the consequences and a number of seaside resorts reported bathers on many of their beaches. The first combat operation of the day was at Plymouth at 0855 hours when it was not Fighter Command that were involved, but a Short Sunderland flying boat of the 10 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force based at Mount Batten. It was flying escort to the merchant cruiser 'Mooltan' that was departing Plymouth after a refit. Three and a half hours out of Plymouth the Sunderland sighted a Ju 88 and intercepted, providing the necessary cover for the 'Mooltan'. The German bomber broke off the engagement and departed the scene. The only other morning combat was over the Channel at 1100 hours, when Ju 87's attacked small convoys, the Luftwaffe continuing with its mission of destroying Channel traffic. Bombs were reported to have been dropped near four ships off Lowestoft and near a naval unit in Yarmouth Roads. Three RAF sections dispatched at various times failed to make contact. After 1200 hours the Luftwaffe contents itself with reconnaissance flight and a few single raids over the North Sea. No aircraft on either side were shot down.
In the afternoon at about 1600 hours two Staffeln of Bf 109s from JG 2 shot at barrage balloons over Dover. As the Bf 109s concentrated on the balloons, Spitfires from RAF No. 74 Squadron attacked the Messerschmitts. Soon, more Messerschmitts from II./JG 51 joined in the battle and a dogfight ensued over the Dover area. Four Bf 109's were damaged in the combat with one Bf 109E damaged and crash-landing at Fecamp with a seized engine with the pilot unhurt. The British lost three Spitfires from RAF No. 74 Squadron with one badly damaged and crashed on landing. Credit for kills were given to Oblt. Josef Fözö and Lt. Erich Hohagen of the 4th Staffel and Hptm. Horst Tietzen of 5./JG 51 for his fourteenth kill.
Losses: Luftwaffe - 5, Fighter Command - 3
Not until during the night did raids increase, with bombs dropped on areas near Swansea and South Wales, the Hornchurch, Gravesend and Shoeburyness areas of Kent; Southend and Brentwood areas of Essex; Ipswich, Wattisham, and Martlesham areas of Suffolk and Croydon.
WESTERN FRONT: Upset that the Geschwaderkommodore of JG 53, Obstlt Hans-Jürgen von Cramon-Taubadel had entered into a marriage whose family was not 100% Aryan, Reichsmarschall Göring this day ordered that all the unit's aircraft were to have its emblem, the "Ace of Spades", painted over and replaced with a simple red band, allegedly as an intelligence subterfuge. Most of the Geschwader's aircraft carried the red band across the front cowling while others had it placed underneath. Pilots within JG 53 responded in different ways to this slight - painting a huge 'question' mark on the red band where the unit badge was painted over, some painting over the whole cowling in the accepted recognition marking of all yellow. But III./JG 53, commanded by Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, painted out the swastikas on their tailfins and used the empty space to record aerial victories. Obstlt. von Cramon was never awarded the Ritterkreuz and was eventually sent to Scandinavia to serve as chief-of-staff to several local commands for the remainder of the war.
The Bf 109Es of I./JG 3 left their airbase at Grandvilliers and transferred to Colembert.
Hptm Erwin Röder became Gruppenkommandeur of IV.(Stuka)/LG 1 in place of Hptm Bernd von Brauchitsch. The unit was based at Hesdin.
CASUALTIES FOR JULY
R.A.F. Fighter Command
Hurricane: 33 destroyed, 17 damaged
Pilots: 23 killed, 0 missing, 11 wounded
Spitfire: 34 destroyed, 24 damaged
Pilots: 25 killed, 0 missing, 9 wounded
Blenheim: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged
Crew: 9 killed, 0 missing, 1 wounded
Defiant: 6 destroyed, 1 damaged
Crew: 10 killed, 0 missing, 2 wounded
TOTAL AIRCRAFT: 77 destroyed, 43 damaged
TOTAL PERSONNEL: 67 killed, 0 missing, 23 wounded
The Luftwaffe
Dornier Do 17: 39 destroyed, 13 damaged
Personnel: 30 killed, 74 missing, 19 wounded
Heinkel He 111: 32 destroyed, 3 damaged
Personnel: 52 killed, 85 missing, 6 wounded
Junkers Ju 88: 39 destroyed, 11 damaged
Personnel: 52 killed, 67 missing, 11 wounded
Junkers Ju 87: 13 destroyed, 11 damaged
Personnel: 10 killed, 12 missing, 3 wounded
Messerschmitt Bf 109: 48 destroyed, 14 damaged
Personnel: 17 killed, 14 missing, 13 wounded
Messerschmitt Bf 110: 18 destroyed, 4 damaged
Personnel: 13 killed, 17 missing, 2 wounded
Other: 27 destroyed, 1 damaged
Personnel: 19 killed, 33 missing, 15 wounded
TOTAL AIRCRAFT: 216 destroyed, 57 damaged
TOTAL PERSONNEL: 193 killed, 302 missing, 69 wounded
Peter G. Cooksley The Battle of Britain Ian Allan 1990