military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (12/18/89)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Monday, 18 December, 1939 A British daylight armed reconnaissance raid on Wilhelmshaven is intercepted in the Heligoloand Bight by fifty Me 109's and Me 110's. 12 of the 22 Wellingtons are downed, and four fighters lost. This is the biggest air battle of the war to date. (Berlin claims 34 of 44 bombers downed, 2 fighters lost; London claims 7 bombers lost against 12 fighters shot down) Commodore Harwood, commander of the British cruiser force in the Battle of the River Plate, is promoted to Rear Admiral and knighted. The Graf Spee's crew is interned in Argentina. The first Canadian troop convoy, including 100 American volunteers, lands in Britain. The US Navy approves of the sale of 40 of its new Brewster Buffalo fighters to Finland. It is also reported that Finland is purchasing machineguns and ammunition from the US. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@cbnews.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com Two views of the Brewster Buffalo: "...the Brewsters are understood to be the fastest and most effective yet developed for use by the American Navy."- Frank Kluckhorn, for NY Times "Disappointing yet colourful fighter whose operational history - with only one exception - is synonymous with gallant defeat." - E.C. Weal, et al, _Combat Aircraft of World War Two_ (the exception being the Finnish campaign)