Air War, Battle of Britain (Day 41): Luftwaffe operations hampered by bad weather (cloud and rain), August 19-23. Light raids on airfields, shipping and coastal targets. Ju88s set fire to oil storage depot near Pembroke Dock, South Wales (August 19).
Losses: German, 24; British, 9.
Stukas withdrawn from the Battle (57 lost since August 8). RAF raid Kiel, Zschornewitz power station near Leipzig and 30 airfields; 2 1/2-hour air-raid alarm in Berlin (no bombs).

East Africa: Italians occupy Berbera, capital of British Somaliland. British casualties since August 3, 250 men; Italian casualties, 2,050 men.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1940

Sea War Mediterranean: Italian Navy to carry out 'total blockade' of Gibraltar, Malta, Suez and other British possessions.

Sea War Pacific: German disguised raider Orion sinks SS Turakina (8,700 t) after 2 1/2-hour battle in Tasman Sea.

Home Front Britain: Churchill praises RAF Fighter Command (the 'Few').

Picture: the poster with Churchill's slogan: 'let us go forward together !'

China: Heavy Japanese bombing raid on Chungking; many thousands made homeless.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1940

Secret War: Trotsky, exiled Russian Revolutionary leader and founder of Red Army, assassinated by NKVD agent in Mexico City; aged 61.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1940

Sea War: German super-heavy artillery bombards convoy for 80 minutes (no hits). Fire switched to Dover town in evening; British 14-inch gun replies (first of many cross-Channel 'duels').

Picture: A British coastal convoy under fire from German cross-Channel guns for the first time on this day.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1940

Sea War: Heinkel He115 seaplanes torpedo two cargo ships and damage third in Moray Firth.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1940

Air War: Heavy raids on airfields in southeastern England: Manston evacuated; North Weald and Hornchurch also hard hit. Residential areas of Portsmouth and Ramsgate bombed.
Losses: German, 30; British, 23.
German bomber crews, ordered to attack Shorts' aircraft factory at Rochester (Kent) and Thameshaven oil tanks, are confused by British radio counter-measures and bomb central London and the East End, starting numerous fires (night August 24-25).

Picture: One of the first bombs on London destroyed this cinema in the suburbs in the night from August 24-25.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 1940

Air War, Battle of Britain (Day 47): air battle over Portland-Portsmouth area. 19 German aircraft destroyed for loss of 8 RAF fighters; Warmwell airfield bombed. 150 night raiders over Britain: main target Birmingham.
(MAIN EVENT) FIRST RAF NIGHT RAID ON BERLIN: 81 bombers despatched, but many fail to find target; slight damage in city centre and suburbs. Raids on other targets inc. Cologne, Hamm and Boulogne. Total losses: 5 aircraft.

Picture taken from one of the bombers of the first RAF night rain on Berlin. The diagonal street on the top is the Charlottenburger Chaussee, the light flashes were beams from the anti-aircraft searchlights.