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• Italian submarine Malaspina sank British tanker British Fame with 6 torpedoes near the Azores, killing 3. Malaspina spent the remainder of the day towing a lifeboat full of survivors to safety. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
• Alessandro Malaspina sighted British tanker British Fame, which had dispersed from Allied convoy OB 193, sailing from Avonmouth in the United Kingdom to Abadan in Iran, in the Atlantic Ocean at 0550 hours. She submerged immediately, and then fired two torpedoes at 0620 hours at the distance of 1,600 meters, scoring one hit. Dead in the water, the crew of the tanker opened fire with their deck guns toward the direction of the torpedos. The Italian submarine then fired a third from the distance of 600 meters, scoring a hit on the engine room, forcing the freighter's master William George Knight to issue the order to abandon ship. At 1045 hours, the Italians fired a fourth torpedo, which detonated prematurely. Alessandro Malaspina surfaced and sailed close to the lifeboats, taking Knight prisoner. After ensuring that all survivors were far from the disabled ship, the Italians fired 22 rounds into the tanker to sink her at 1120 hours. 3 were killed during the attack, 1 was captured (Knight), and 44 in lifeboats were later rescued by Portuguese destroyer Dao and landed at Lisbon, Portugal. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]

• Italian troops renewed the attack at Tug Argan, British Somaliland, capturing the hill defended by the Northern Rhodesian Regiment as well as two of the four 3.7-inch howitzers. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | Tug Argan | CPC]

• Gunboat USS Erie, with Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt aboard, arrived at Guayaquil, Ecuador for a goodwill visit. ww2dbase [Guayaquil | CPC]

• Starting on this day and continuing for one month, the new curriculum for primary school girls in Paris and the Department of the Seine in France called for a focus on mending clothes, cleaning, ironing, personal hygiene, and childcare. Meanwhile, young boys in the same school districts were to visit zoos and museums, play sports, learn trade skills, and learn languages. ww2dbase [Paris | CPC]

• Flight Lieutenant Rod Learoyd, in a Hampden bomber of 49 Squadron based at RAF Scampton, pressed home an attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal despite of the damage his aircraft had sustained. He would would a Victoria Cross for this raid. ww2dbase [AC]

• Iride departed La Spezia, Italy for Libya with four manned torpedoes on board. ww2dbase [Iride | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
• Comandante Cappellini departed La Spezia, Italy at 0630 hours for exercises, returning at 1230 hours. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
• Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0908 hours for exercises, returning at 1415 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]

• The Military Collegium of the Soviet NKVD sentenced Red Army divisional commanding officer Grigoriy Fyodorovich to death for deserting his unit in combat during the Winter War. ww2dbase [CPC]

• It officially became illegal to waste food in the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [TH]
• 20 German Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters, especially converted as fighter-bombers, raided British radar stations along the coast. As the radar station operations were disrupted, almost 100 Ju 88 bombers escorted by 145 Bf 110 fighters attacked Portsmouth and the Ventnor radar station on the Isle of Wight, while Do 17 bombers attacked RAF airfields of Manston, Lympne, and Hawkinge in southern England, United Kingdom. Most of the radar stations would be repaired by the end of the day, but the Ventnor radar station would be out of commission for two weeks. Portsmouth was also bombed, killing 100 civilians. Minesweeping trawler HMT Pyrope was sunk (killing 6), so was HMT Tamarisk (killing 7), by German aircraft during this day. 55 German aircraft were shot down during aerial combat at the cost of 6 British Spitfire fighters and 9 British Hurricane fighters. British anti-aircraft guns claimed 7 bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
• James Lacey was shot down over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | England | AC]

• US President Roosevelt departed Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, United States aboard presidential yacht Potomac, escorted by destroyer USS Mayrant, for Newport, Rhode Island, United States to inspect the Torpedo Station and the Naval Training Station with Secretary of the Navy Knox, Senator David I. Walsh and Rear Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus. He then sailed for the Submarine Base at New London, Connecticut, United States, inspecting submarine operations en route and visiting Electric Boat Company facilities in New London. Finally, he set sail for Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, United States, arriving at night. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | New London, Connecticut | CPC]

12 Aug 1940 Interactive Map