Day 315 July 11, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 2. Clouds keep most RAF and Luftwaffe aircraft grounded. Hurricanes from 601 Squadron & Spitfires of 609 Squadron tangle with Ju87 Stukas & Messerschmitt Bf109s attacking the Royal Navy base at Portland (South coast of England). 1 Hurricane, 2 Spitfires, 2 Stukas and 2 Bf109s are shot down. Hurricanes of 66 Squadron attack a reconnaissance Dornier Do17 bomber off the East coast of England (the Dornier and 1 Hurricane are lost). 6 Spitfires shoot down a Heinkel seaplane bearing Red Cross markings (to pick up downed Luftwaffe pilots) escorted by 12 Bf109s of the coast of Kent. 2 Spitfires and 2 Bf109s are also shot down. http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0021.html

In the Indian Ocean 400 miles Southeast of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sinks British steamer City Of Baghdad (previously a German ship SS Geierfels, taken by Britain as reparations after WWI) carrying 9,324 tons of steel, chemicals and machinery. 2 crew are killed, 81 taken prisoner.

At 7 AM, U-34 sinks Norwegian steamer Janna 100 miles Southwest of Ireland. All 25 crew abandon ship in three lifeboats and make land at Mizen Head, Ireland 3 days later. In the Mediterranean 60 miles South of Cyprus, Italian submarine Tarantini sinks Panamanian tanker Beme and rescues her entire crew.