238 Squadron. The Ju 87s severely damaged SS Surte, MV Scheldt and SS Omlandia and sank SS Balmaha soon after. SS Tres was sunk by StG 77. SS Empire Crusader, in the lead, was hit by StG 2 and sank several hours later; four ships were sunk and four were damaged in the attacks. From 20 to 30 RAF fighters attacked the German aircraft and I. and II./StG 2 suffered one damaged Ju 87 each. On 13 August Adlertag began to destroy Fighter Command. Targets for the day were the Portland area and airfields specifically RAF Middle Wallop and neighbouring radar station and RAF Warmwell. 52 Ju 87s from StG 1 and StG 2 took off RAF Warmwell and Yeovil. I./JG 53 flew a fighter sweep ahead of the bombers from Poole to Lyme Regis in order to tempt the RAF into battle. I./JG 53 made landfall at 16:00. The sweep failed to attract and divert RAF squadrons. Instead, all it succeeded in doing was to alert the RAF defences a critical five minutes earlier. When the main wave of LG 1 and StG 2 arrived over the coast, they were greeted by 77 RAF fighters. II., and III./JG 53 and III./ZG 76 flew escort for the Ju 87s. ZG 2 and JG 27 flew escort for LG 1. In response the whole of No. 10 Group RAF intercepted. One staffel II./StG 2 was badly hit by 609 Squadron; six out of nine Ju 87s were shot down. StG 1 and 2 gave up on their original targets owing to clouds. Both headed for Portland. I./StG 2, with 29 of 35 aircraft operational, was ordered to bomb an airfield near Rochford but abandoned the mission due to bad weather. Enneccerus' II./StG 2 turned back when the formation of 27 was intercepted and promptly lost six Ju 87s [from an operational total off 33 from 39]. Enneccerus and his gruppe were tasked with destroying RAF Hawkinge on 15 August, a date known as "black Thursday" in the Luftwaffe. He lost four Ju 87s in the process. On 16 August StG 2 was involved in a large-scale attack on airfields in southern England. RAF Tangmere was the target. Dinort's wing encountered strong fighter opposition over the target area near Portsmouth. Hitschhold lost five crews and three aircraft damaged from I. gruppe. Brücker's III./StG 2 bombed Tangmere and radar station at Selsey Bill.