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• HMS Cumberland departed Simonstown, near Cape Town, South Africa in search for the German armed merchant cruiser Thor, suspected to be off the Brazilian coast. ww2dbase [Cumberland | CPC]
• German submarine U-99 sank British ship Woodbury 150 miles southwest of Ireland; the entire crew of 35 survived and took to lifeboats. German submarine U-58 sank Norwegian ship Gyda 30 miles northwest of Ireland at 1641 hours; 11 were killed and 9 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
• Adolf Galland was promoted to Major. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | AC]
• British bombers attacked the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
• British destroyer Cotswold was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
• British minesweeper Polruan was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German began broadcasting propaganda through Radio Caledonia, aiming at urging Scottish separatism. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-95 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]

• British steam merchant Dunstan spotted the lifeboat containing survivors of Norwegian steam tanker Sarita, which was sunken by German submarine UA four days prior, in the Atlantic Ocean. The survivors were picked up and would be taken to Pernambuco, Brazil. ww2dbase [UA | HM]

• Hans-Joachim Marseille completed flight training at Jagdfliegerschule 5 in Schwechat, Austria. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | Schwechat, Niederösterreich | CPC]

• Canadian corvette Wetaskiwin was launched in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ww2dbase [North Vancouver, British Columbia | CPC]
• The Canadian Navy placed an order for 12 motor torpedo boat with Canadian Power Boat Company, Limited in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; this order would later result in MTB 332 through 343. ww2dbase [Montreal, Quebec | CPC]

• French aircraft bombed Gibraltar in retaliation for recent British attacks on French warships, but most of the bombs fell into the sea. ww2dbase [CPC]

• 15 Spitfire fighters of No. 152 and No. 610 Squadron engaged 30 Bf 109 fighters off Beachey Head on the southern coast of England, United Kingdom, resulting in 1 British fighter lost. Elsewhere, German bombers attacked Montrose Aerodrome on the east coast of Scotland, United Kingdom, killing 2 and wounding 3. Further to the south, German bombers sank the East Goodwin Light Vessel. In the evening, at 1900 hours, the British retaliated by sending 18 British Blenheim bombers, escorted by 24 fighters, to attack German barges at Boulogne, France. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
• The United Kingdom recognized the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]

• Franklin Roosevelt received an almost unanimous invitation at the Democrat Convention in Chicago, Illinois, United States to stand as the party's candidate for the 1940 presidential election. If elected he would become the first US President to remain in office for more than two terms. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Chicago, Illinois | CPC, AC]

18 Jul 1940 Interactive Map