1940 in aviation
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This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940:
Contents
Events
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 United Kingdom 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
January- January 4 - Fairey Fulmar production aircraft N 1854
- January 13 - Yakovlev Ya-26, prototype of the Yakovlev Yak-1
- February 24 - Hawker Typhoon prototype P 5212
- March 20 - Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle prototype P 1361
- August 28 - Caproni-Campini N.1, thermojet-powered aircraft
- 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 25 - de Havilland Mosquito prototype W 4050
- November 29 - Junkers Ju 288
- December 7 - Fairey Barracuda prototype P 1767
- December 18 - Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
Entered service
February March- Fairey Albacore with No. 826 Squadron FAA
- Dewoitine D.520 with French squadrons
- Fairey Fulmar with No. 806 Squadron FAA
- Westland Whirlwind with No. 263 Squadron RAF
- Avro Manchester with No. 207 Squadron RAF
- November 23 - Handley Page Halifax with No. 35 Squadron RAF
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