1940 in aviation

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

Events

March

March 16 – Britain suffers its first civilian air-raid casualties of the war after a raid by KG 26 on Scapa Flow
March 25 – the US 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 England 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 Britain and its allies and begins an aerial assault on Malta.

July

July 1 – the Battle of Britain commences with the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

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 – Britain 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 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 Britain ("Operation Seelöwe") postponed indefinitely.

October

October 8 – No. 71 Squadron RAF, "Eagle Squadron" is formed, comprising American volunteers.
October 8 – Josef Frantiek, 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.