Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 11th September 1940

• Weather: Mainly fine with some local showers. Cloud in the Channel and Thames Estuary.
• Day: Three large raids in the south-east, including London. Portsmouth and Southampton attacked. German invasion postponed again (till the 14th).
• Night: London and Merseyside attacked.

This page is respectfully dedicated to Sergeant Pilot Stanley ANDREW, 46 Squadron, killed this day in the Battle of Britain. One of the few.

Enemy action by day

One major attack was made on the Kent Coast and inland at about 1530 hours by some 250 enemy aircraft, and of these about 30 penetrated Central London. Other activity was confined to an attack on the Portsmouth area simultaneously with that on East Kent, and to reconnaissance flights round the Coasts with a few penetrating inland.

During the day's operations 80 enemy aircraft were destroyed plus 34 probable and 44 damaged. Anti-aircraft shot down 9 enemy aircraft plus 9 damaged.

Our losses were 28 aircraft and 17 pilots killed or missing.

North and East Coast

Two reconnaissances were made in the Firth of Forth, one off the Humber and one off Yarmouth.

South

Up to 1200 hours there were six patrols by single aircraft in the East Kent area, one of which was identified as a Henschel, and there were two reconnaissances in the Thames Estuary.

At 1505 hours two raids consisting of 20 aircraft at 25,000 ft. and six plus at 11,000 ft. crossed the Coast at Dover and flew north to the Estuary and to Essex.

At 1534 hours, some 150 to 200 aircraft at 15,000 and 20,000 feet crossed at Folkestone and flew North West to Maidstone. Of these, 30 penetrated to Central London but a split, however, turned and flew towards Brooklands. These 30 were intercepted by four Squadrons.

At 1545 hours, a second wave of 100 enemy aircraft crossed the Coast between Dungeness and Dover and followed a course similar to that of the previous raid. Sixteen Squadrons were detailed to patrol aerodromes and to intercept and considerable casualties were inflicted. During the attack Dover was bombed and at 1545 hours was shelled by shore batteries from France.

At 1700 hours, a raid of five enemy aircraft at 15,000 ft. approached London from the South-west and may have formed part of the raid attacking Portsmouth. It finally turned South-easterly towards Maidstone.

South and South West

At about 1130 hours one aircraft at 15,000 ft. crossed the coast at Beachy Head and flew near Biggin Hill and on towards Central London returning on a reciprocal track.

Reconnaissances were made off the Isle of Wight, Start Point and the Bristol Channel.

At 1610 hours, at the same time as the attack was being made on London, 75 enemy aircraft came in over Portsmouth and Southampton and flew inland over Hampshire and Sussex. Three Squadrons were sent to intercept and enemy aircraft were shot down.

By night

Enemy activity commenced at about 2020 hours, when the first raids, originating from Le Havre and Dieppe, crossed the Coast between Beachy Head and Shoreham. These early raids approached London but failed to penetrate the AA Barrage and turned South again.

From 2150 to about 0130 hours, a stream of raids of one or one plus aircraft from Cherbourg flew to the Bristol Channel and then across Wales to the Liverpool area. At the same time there were scattered raids in the Midlands.

At 2345 hours, raids of single aircraft crossed the Coast at Dungeness and penetrated the London area, returning over Tangmere. By 0145 hours raids were becoming more numerous in the London area, but had practically withdrawn from the rest of the Country.

At 3000 hours, raids ceased coming to London from the South, but started approaching from the North-east, originating from the Dutch Islands and returning over Beachy Head. This activity continued until about 0500 hours, and by 0530 hours the whole Country was clear.

Minelaying was suspected in the Thames Estuary, off the Costs of Northumberland and Aberdeenshire, off the Sussex Cost and South of the Isle of Man.

Statistics

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 11th September 1940

• Blenheim - 61
• Spitfire - 214
• Hurricane - 387
• Defiant - 21
• Gladiator - 8
• Total - 691

Casualties:

• Own:
  • 28 aircraft with 17 pilots killed or missing.

Patrols:

• Own
  • During the night of 10th/11th September - 38 patrols involving 41 sorties.
  • During the day of 11th September - 114 patrols involving 678 sorties.

• Enemy
  • It is estimated that about 200 enemy aircraft operated over Great Britain during the night 10th/11th September and 500 during the day of 11th September.

Balloons:

• No report.

Aerodromes:

• Biggin Hill is unserviceable by night.

Organisation:

• No 238 Squadron from St Eval to Middle Wallop.
• No 234 Squadron from Middle Wallop to St Eval.

Home Security Reports

• General Summary
  • Date: 11th September 1940
    • During the morning and early afternoon enemy activity over land was confined to reconnaissance, but at about 1530 hours a large number of aircraft crossed the coasts of Kent and Hampshire and made an attack on Dover, and on the Southampton area where a number of casualties were inflicted.
    • Only a small part of the enemy forces penetrated to the London area, where communications were again attacked but little real damage appears to have been done during the daylight raids, although some fires were stated in the dock area and many people were injured.
    • After dark, and throughout the night of September 11th/12th, many reports of minor bombing, as well as a few of a major character have been received from the Southern and Eastern Districts of the Capital; more fires were caused but in the most cases these appear to have been brought quickly under control.
    • Elsewhere bombs have been dropped during the night in parts of Lancashire, South Wales, Devon and Cornwall, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire, but in no case has the damage been severe or the casualties heavy.

• Detailed Summary
  • London Area
    • Warehouses and sheds were set on fire and heavy damage done at the Surrey Commercial Docks as a result of an attack with HE and Incendiary bombs at 1623 hours.
    • The Central Telegraph Office, St Martins Le Grande was hit by HE bombs at 2042 hours the upper storeys being heavily damaged. The emergency telegraph and telephone schemes are in operation.
    • At Greenwich the Telcon Works was reported to have been set on fire about 2130 hours but details of this incident are not yet available.
    • At 2234 hours 3 HE bombs caused serious damage to the London Docks. Sheds were fired and a fire float was sunk at the quay.
    • The Star Works, Thomas de la Rue Ltd, Bunhill Row EC was gutted by fire at about 2320 hours. No casualties reported.
    • At Poplar, major damage was caused to the Manganese Bronze and Brass Company's Wharf by HE bombs at 2333 hours.
    • The main London-Brighton railway line is reported temporarily closed during a search for suspected unexploded bombs near Merstham Tunnel.
    • A major fire was caused by incendiary bombs at the Finsbury Works of the Ormond Engineering Company at 0100 hours on 12th.
    • The Southern Railway line at Bickley is blocked as a result of 5 HE bombs at 0130 hours 12th September.; this Company's line is also obstructed between Holborn low level and Farringdon Street Station, stopping all traffic from North of the Thames to the South on this system.
    • The Crystal Palace low level station has sustained major damage by bombs at 0210 hours, 12th September.
    • At Camberwell a serious fire broke out at the Works of the Anti-Attrition Metal Company and surrounding factories were reported to be involved.

  • Elsewhere
    • Eastleigh - Enemy aircraft made a dive-bombing attack on Eastleigh Naval Air Station at about 1613 hours without causing any damage, but the Cunliffe Owen Aircraft Factory nearby was hit and a fire was started. This was soon under control but many casualties were caused by a direct hit on a shelter.
    • Shelling Attack - Dover was shelled between 1552 hours and 1601 hours, 26 shells landing in salvoes of three and causing considerable damage to property and some to the railway station. Seven persons were killed and twelve seriously injured.

  • Casualties on the Ground by Enemy Action:
    • To RAF Personnel - Nil killed, Nil injured.
    • To others - 53 killed, 321 injured.

Images

Many thanks to the Kent Messenger Group of Newspapers for the photographs.

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