Day 363 August 28, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 50. With fine weather, Germans mount 4 raids of 60-100 aircraft bombing RAF airfields in Southern England, from 8.30 AM to 7 PM. Most are turned back by RAF fighters and little damage is done to airfields. Germans lose 19 Bf109 fighters, 8 bombers and a WWI-era Gotha biplane bomber which crash lands on Lewes racecourse. RAF loses 20 fighters, including 3 Defiants of 264 Squadron which are still easy prey for Bf109s. Overnight, there is the first concerted heavy bombing of industrial centers in the Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Sheffield, Manchester and South Yorkshire).

At 4.25 AM 200 miles Northwest of Ireland, U-101 hits Finnish steamer Elle with 1 torpedo (2 killed). 27 crew are picked up by sloop HMS Leith and landed at Greenock, Scotland, on August 30. HMS Leith scuttles Elle with 2 shells. At 9 PM, U-28 sinks British steamer Kyno in the same area (4 lives lost). 33 crew are picked up by British MV Queen Maud. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/491.html