1940 IN AVIATION

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940:

Contents

Events

January

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

First flights

Entered service

Events

January

★ January 6 - The Finnish lieutenant Jorma Sarvanto manages to shoot down six Soviet Tupolev DB-3 bombers in one mission.

March

★ March 16 - The United Kingdom suffers its first civilian air-raid casualties of the war after a raid by KG 26 on Scapa Flow

★ March 25 - the U.S. government grants permission to the country's aircraft manufacturers to sell advanced combat aircraft to nations fighting the Axis powers.

April

★ April 9 - Germany invades Denmark and Norway, making extensive use of paratroops

★ April 13 - the Royal Air Force begins deploying sea mines around Germany's coastal waters.

★ April 24-28 - aircraft carrier HMS ''Glorious'' evacuates the Gloster Gladiators of No. 263 Squadron RAF from Norway

May

★ May 10 - Germany invades the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Paratroops again play a key role.

★ May 13 - the Sikorsky VS-300, which made its first flight the previous year, makes its first untethered flight.

★ May 15-16 - British bombers make their first attack on German land targets, in the Ruhr Valley

June

★ June 4 - BOAC commences a twice-weekly service between the United Kingdom and Portugal, scheduled to connect with Pan Am flights from Lisbon to New York.

★ June 8 - after a second expedition to Norway, HMS ''Glorious'' is sunk by German battlecruisers (or light battleships) ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau''.

★ June 10 - Italy declares war on the United Kingdom and its allies and begins an aerial assault on Malta.

July

★ July 10 - the Battle of Britain commences with the first German attacks on British convoys in the English Channel.

August

★ August 15 - the heaviest fighting of the Battle of Britain occurs, with the loss of 46 British and 76 German aircraft.

★ August 25-26 - The Royal Air Force makes its first air raid on Berlin of the war.

★ August 31 - Polish 303 Squadron, the most efficient allied unit of the Battle of Britain, enters action.

September

★ September 7 - Hermann Göring orders the Luftwaffe to stop targeting British airfields and attack London itself instead.

★ September 7-September 8 - the largest mass air combat in history takes place over Great Britain, with 1,200 British and German aircraft operating in an area of only 24 x 48 km (15 x 30 miles).

★ September 15 - Germany makes its heaviest daylight raid on London

★ September 30 - the Battle of Britain is said to be over, with Hitler's planned invasion of the United Kingdom ("Operation Seelöwe") postponed indefinitely.

October

★ October 8 - No. 71 Squadron RAF, "Eagle Squadron" is formed, comprising American volunteers.

★ October 8 - Josef František, the Czech ace (17 victories) - the most efficient allied pilot of the Battle of Britain, died in an aircrash.

November

★ November 5 - four RAF squadrons are deployed to Greece to support the country against Italian attacks.

★ November 11 - regular ferry flights of US-built warplanes commence across the Atlantic.

★ November 11-12 - Fairey Swordfish from HMS ''Illustrious'' make a highly successful raid against ''Regia Marina'' ships at Taranto, damaging battleship ''Conte di Cavour'' beyond repair, and extensively damaging two others, ''Littorio'' and ''Caio Duilio'' (Battle of Taranto).

★ November 14-15 - 437 Luftwaffe aircraft make a massed air raid on Coventry. 380 civilians are killed and some 800 wounded.

December

★ December 29-30 - the Luftwaffe makes a devastating attack on London, making extensive use of incendiary weapons.

First flights

★ Ikarus Aero 2
'January'

★ January 4 - Fairey Fulmar production aircraft ''N1854''

★ January 13 - 'Yakovlev Ya-26', prototype of the Yakovlev Yak-1
'February'

★ February 24 - Hawker Typhoon prototype ''P5212''
'March'

★ March 20 - Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle prototype ''P1361''
'May'

★ May 18 - SAAB B17

★ May 29 - Vought XF4U-1
'August'

★ August 28 - Caproni-Campini N.1, thermojet-powered aircraft
'September'

★ September 7 - Blohm & Voss BV 222

★ September 14 - Miles M.20
'October'

★ October 12 - 'Ilyushin TsKB-57', prototype of the Ilyushin Il-2

★ October 18 - Airspeed Fleet Shadower

★ October 26 - 'North American NA-73X', prototype of the P-51 Mustang
'November'

★ November 25 - de Havilland Mosquito prototype ''W4050''

★ November 29 - Junkers Ju 288
'December'

★ December 7 - Fairey Barracuda prototype ''P1767''

★ December 18 - Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Entered service

'February'

★ Blackburn Roc
'March'

★ Fairey Albacore with No. 826 Squadron FAA
'May'

★ Dewoitine D.520 with French squadrons
'July'

★ Fairey Fulmar with No. 806 Squadron FAA

★ Westland Whirlwind with No. 263 Squadron RAF
'November'

★ Avro Manchester with No. 207 Squadron RAF

★ November 23 - Handley Page Halifax with No. 35 Squadron RAF