Diary December 18, 1939

formation of early Mk I Wellington bombers
A formation of early Mk I Wellington bombers. 12 were shot down in the Battle of the Heliogoland Bight.
War Diary WW2 for Monday, December 18, 1939:

Air War

Battle of the Heligoland Bight: 50 Me 109s and Me 110s destroy 12 of 22 Wellington bombers despatched on armed reconnaissance to Wilhelmshaven. Four fighters destroyed. RAF Bomber Command abandoned daylight raids until April 1940.

Finland

Winter War: Renewed bombing of Helsinki and shelling of coastal batteries.

Sea War

Atlantic: Commodore Harwood – victor in River Plate action – promoted to Rear-Admiral and knighted.
1,039 officers and men from scuttled pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee interned in Buenos Aires. Captain Langsdorff commits suicide, night December 19-20.

Oval@3x 2

Don’t miss the newest posts on Sunday!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

for sharing:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to Top