battle opened with heavy air attacks against Convoy Bread. I. and III./ZG 26 and I./JG 3 Bf 109s escorted 26 Do 17s from I./KG 2. No. 74 Squadron RAF engaged and the wing lost one crew and another aircraft damaged. 74 Squadron suffered damage to three Spitfires, while KG 2 lost two bombers and one severely damaged in combat with 111 and No. 32 Squadron RAF. On 29 July, Eight Bf 110s from 1. Staffel and three from 2. Staffel/Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 were met near Dunkirk by 30 Bf 110 escorts from ZG 26. The formation set out for the convoys. They were intercepted and attacked by No. 151 Squadron Hurricanes. Two Hurricanes force-landed, the pilots unharmed, an Erpro 210 Bf 110 was damaged and ZG 26 suffered no losses, the attackers claiming hits on a 1,000 GRT and an 8,000 GRT ship. The last actions of the Kanalkampf were fought on 11 August, with a final German attack on convoys Booty, Agent and Arena. Walter Rubensdörffer led ErpGr 210 off the Harwich–Clacton coast at noon GMT. The Germans spotted the ships and began their bombing run against Booty. Rubensdörffer and his Zerstörer were accompanied by eight Do 17s from the specialist 9./KG 2, whose crews were trained for low-level attacks. Twenty Bf 110s from ZG 26 provided high cover for the bombers. The fighters were intercepted by Spitfires from 74 and 85 squadrons while six Hurricanes from No. 17 Squadron attacked. No. 85 Squadron led by Peter Townsend shot down three Bf 110s and the Hurricanes one more; two Bf 110s and three Do 17s were damaged. Rubensdörffer's group attacked and withdrew. It was followed by another raid, designed to catch those fighters already in combat when they were low on fuel and unable to assist. ZG 26 destroyed one Hurricane and damaged another from 17 Squadron killing one pilot. Two pilots from No. 74 Squadron were shot down and killed. On 13 August the Luftwaffe initiated Operation Eagle Attack—Adlertag. The morning weather was bad and Hermann Göring ordered a postponement of raids. KG 2 were not informed and took off at 04:50 for their target. ZG 26 were scheduled as their escort, but received the cancellation order. Oberstleutnant Huth took off to warn the Dorniers of the cancellation. Unable to contact the bombers by radio, Huth tried to signal them by flying in front of them and performing aerobatics.