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Battle of Britain Campaign
Diary
Date: 3rd October 1940
- Weather: Rain and drizzle in the Channel.
Visibility down to 500 yards in places.
- Day: Scattered raids on East Anglia
and southern England.
- Night: London and its suburbs attacked.
Enemy action by day
There were no attacks by enemy formations, probably due to adverse
weather conditions, but in place especially after mid-day, a fairly
continuous succession of raids by single aircraft crossed the coast
and in some cases dropped bombs in various parts of the country.
Many of the places have no military importance.
No enemy aircraft were brought down by Fighters not did we suffer
any casualties.
Light AA shot down one Ju88.
North and North East Coasts
Two meteorological flights were plotted in the afternoon 100 miles
East of Firth of Forth.
East Coast
From 0630 to 1230 hours some nine reconnaissances by single aircraft
were made between the Yorkshire Coast and Harwich. In two cases aircraft
penetrated far inland, one flying to Worcester, where bombs were
dropped, to Birmingham and Wellingborough which was also bombed.
The second crossed the coast at Bawdsey, flying to North Weald and
Debden. Bombs were dropped near North Weald from 1000 feet.
Between 1300 and 1500 hours fifteen raids were plotted between Harwich
and the Estuary. Two aircraft in one raid flew across England to
South Wales.
South East Coast
Between 0630 and 1000 hours, one aircraft approached London from
the Estuary and flew to Oxford and back, while other reconnaissances
were made in the Estuary and at Hornchurch.
At 1126 Light AA shot down a Ju88 which had bombed an Aircraft factory
at Hatfield.
Between 1300 and 1500 hours a succession of raids by single aircraft
crossed the Coast from Isle of Wight to Skegness, the principal lane
of entry being Kenley - Biggin Hill, Northolt - North Weald, and
Debden.
Twelve raids coming from Le Havre crossed between Selsey Bill and
Beachy Head and six raids from Dieppe and Calais flew mostly to the
London area.
Between 1500 - 1700, sixteen raids coming from Dieppe and crossing
between Beachy Head and Dungeness flew to London and the Estuary.
South and West Coast
At about 0700 hours enemy aircraft attacked St Eval from a low height
but little damage was done either by bombs or machine gun fire.
Reconnaissances were made by aircraft flying from the South West
towards the Bristol Channel, Filton and then to Bournemouth, from
Poling to Swindon and back, and off the Anglesey Coast.
From 1500 hours raids crossed the Coast between Beachy Head and
Selsey Bill flying inland and in one case to the Bedford area. This
aircraft on its return flight located a convoy near Selsey which
it bombed. A further track was plotted near Fishguard flying North
East to Speke thence via Wales and the Bristol Channel to Dorset.
Weather
East of Portland, it was overcast with rain or drizzle. Cloud 500-1000'.
Visibility poor. Wind slight to moderate.
West of Portland, mainly cloudy 5/10 - 9/10, 2000' to 3000'. Visibility
good, wind light to moderate, North East.
Night Operations - 3rd/4th October 1940
Enemy activity was on a very reduced scale compared with previous
nights.
Up to 2100 hours only eleven raids of single aircraft had entered
the country, nine from Dieppe to the London area, and two from Calais
to North of London and on to Bedford.
At 2100 hours there were no hostile raids inland, but between 2130
and 2300 hours, seven aircraft from Dieppe covered most of South
East England penetrating to London. One raider also flew from the
Dutch Coast to over Norfolk.
Between 2300 hours and 0100 hours a further eighteen enemy aircraft
from Dieppe flew to the London area, one of which proceeded past
London as far as Debden.
Later three more enemy aircraft visited London and Northolt. At
0200 hours the country was again entirely clear.
Complete inactivity continued, not a single enemy aircraft being
plotted over this country between the hours of 0200 and 0530, when
a single aircraft flew from Cherbourg to Selsey Bill and on toward
Biggin Hill, but turned South again and by 0605 hours the country
was again free of enemy raiders.
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 3rd October
1940
- Blenheim - 31
- Spitfire - 226
- Hurricane - 403
- Defiant - 12
- Gladiator - 8
- Total - 680
Casualties:
| Enemy Losses |
| By Fighters |
| Destroyed |
Probable |
Damaged |
| Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
| By Anti-Aircraft |
| 1 Ju88 |
|
|
| 1 |
Nil |
Nil |
Patrols:
- Own
- During the night of 2nd / 3rd October - 35 patrols involving
35 sorties.
- During the day of 3rd October - 68 patrols involving 138
sorties.
- Enemy
- It is estimated that about 180 enemy aircraft operated over
or near our coasts during the night 2nd / 3rd October and 80
during the day of 3rd October.
Balloons:
Serviceability of Aerodromes:
- Grangemouth is unserviceable by night.
Organisation:
Home Security Reports
- General Summary
- Date: 3rd October 1940
- London and the Midlands appear to be the main objectives
of the enemy during the day but mention must be made
of the number of aerodromes that have been attacked.
St Eval Aerodrome appears to have received most damage.
The De Havilland Aircraft Factory at Hatfield suffered
considerably and slight damage was also done to the BBC
Station at Tatsfield. During the night enemy activity
was on a very much smaller scale by comparison with raids
of previous nights. London was visited and also the South
East of England, but there is no report of the Midlands
or the North having been bombed.
- Detailed Summary
- RAF Stations - 3rd October 1940
- Brockley Wood was attacked at 0437 hours and a few
craters on the landing ground is the only damage reported.
- Wembley: An unexploded bomb fell at 0455 hours in the
RAF Depot, Place of Industry.
- St Eval: This aerodrome was attacked between the hours
of 0655 and 0710. Two Spitfires and one Anson were completely
destroyed and two hangars were also hit and there was
also some minor damage.
- Upwood Aerodrome: The enemy attacked at 1333 hours
but failed to hit their objective.
- Woodley: Six bombs were dropped at 1505 hours three
of which are of delayed action. No damage is reported.
- Gravesend: An IB was dropped near to the Aerodrome
during the night but no damage is reported.
- Stanton Harcourt: Six HE were dropped on the landing
ground but caused no damage.
- North Weald: A number of bombs were dropped in the
early morning but there was no damage.
- Cosford: Attacked at 1517 hours but enemy failed to
hit their objectives.
- Wyton: Attacked at 1520 hours but no damage is reported.
- Skegness: The training station was attacked at 1613
hours. No further information is available.
- White Waltham: Was bombed at 1654 hours. There was
no damage.
- St Merryn: An attack was made at 1750 hours and three
aircraft were slightly damaged.
- Hatfield: the aerodrome was bombed. Nor further information
is available.
- Ford: The aerodrome was attacked at 1940 hours and
one Government building was damaged.
- RAF Stations - 4th October 1940
- Heathrow: An attack was made at 0100 hours and the
tail of an Albacore was smashed but no further damage.
- Factories - 3rd October 1940
- The De Havilland Factory was bombed at approximately
1130 hours. A large assembly shed and Technical School
received direct hits and were set on fire, and a Sheet
Metal shop was destroyed.
- The Mining and Engineering Co of Worcester was attacked
at 1232 hours. The damage was not extensive and full
production should be resumed in about seven days.
- The Gas Light and Coke Company was bombed at Banbury
at 1440 hours and production is suspended for four days.
- Major damage occurred at 2350 hours at Feltham to the
main hangar of General Aircraft Limited.
- A fire at the works of F A Lodge & Sons, Winke, Armley
caused severe damage and production will be suspended
for a few days.
- Factories - 4th October 1940
- At 0242 hours an unexploded bomb was dropped inside
Briggs Bodies Works at Dagenham which will hold up aircraft
production.
- De Souter Brothers was bombed at 0313 hours but production
is expected to recommence tomorrow.
- Elsewhere - 3rd October 1940
- Enemy aircraft machine gunned a searchlight at Whitburn
at 0020 hours but there was no damage.
- At 0940 hours ten HE fell near the premises of Shell
Mex BP Ltd in the Isle of Gray. The premises are intact
but slight damage was done to the railway.
- Eighteen bombs were dropped at Rushden at 1018 hours.
A school, boot factory and Electricity Sub-Station were
damaged. The railway also suffered and traffic is temporarily
suspended.
- At 1530 a bomb dropped at Tatsfield and slight damage
was done to the BBC Station.
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