Day 349 August 14, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 36. Cloudy weather again frustrates German attempts to send big raids against the British airfields. At noon, 300 aircraft fly over the Dover Straits and attack Dover & Folkestone in Kent. Simultaneously, Manston airfield in Kent is bombed for the second day running. 65 squadron is engaged over Dover, so Manston is undefended apart from 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns which shoot down 2 Messerschmitt Bf110’s. At 3.45 PM, RAF Middle Wallop in Hampshire is bombed by Stukas and Heinkels (3 airmen and 1 civilian killed). German bombing damages British sloop HMS Kingfisher and tug Carbon in Portland Harbour. Germans lose 30 aircraft while RAF loses 3 Spitfires and 5 Hurricanes.

British Somaliland. British hold off Italian attacks at Tug Argan but the defenses are crumbling. Major-General Godwin-Austen requests permission from General Wavell (Commander-in-Chief Middle East) to withdraw from British Somaliland.

3 British motor torpedo boats and destroyers HMS Malcolm and Verity engage 3 German motor torpedo boats (Schnellboot) escorting a convoy of 6 trawlers off Texel Island, Holland (1 Schnellboot and 1 trawler are sunk).

At 8.34 PM, 15 miles North of Ireland, U-59 sinks British steamer Betty carrying 2726 tons of rice from China to Liverpool (30 crew killed). 4 survivors are picked up by British anti-submarine trawler HMS Man o´ War and landed at Belfast.
http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/460.html