Day 330 July 26, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 17. Bad weather restricts flying. Several times, both small and large raids approach within 10-20 miles of the English coast but turn away when RAF fighter squadrons go up. It is not clear if this is due to the weather, reluctance of Luftwaffe pilots to engage or a new tactic designed to draw the RAF over the open sea towards France. 3 Messerschmitts and 1 Hurricane are lost.

50 miles Southwest of Stavanger, Norway, British submarine HMS Thames fires a torpedo that is intended for German battleship Gneisenau heading for Kiel. The torpedo instead hits one of the screening vessels at 50 yards; torpedo boat Luchs which sinks immediately. HMS Thames is never heard from again (possibly damaged by the proximity of the blast or hit by the sinking Luchs, or she may be lost on a German mine at a later date).

At 2.47 PM, 320 miles West of Ireland, U-34 fires three torpedoes at convoy OB-188, sinking British passenger ship Accra carrying 1700 tons of general cargo (24 dead). 465 survivors are rescued by British steamer Hollinside, Norwegian steamer Loke, sloop HMS Enchantress and corvette HMS Clarkia and landed at Liverpool. British MV Vinemoor is hit and sinks the next day (all 32 crew picked up by HMS Clarkia, transferred to steamer Hollinside and landed at Liverpool).
http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/435.html