Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 15th September 1940

• Weather: Fair with some cloud patches. Fine during the evening.
• Day: Heavy attacks on London, broken up by Fighter Command. Highest German losses since 18 August [185 claimed by the RAF] force a serious rethink by the German High Command.
• Night: Heavy damage to London.

Enemy action by day

The enemy delivered two major attacks on London during the day. Later smaller formations attacked both Portland and targets in the Southampton area.

Our fighters destroyed 176 enemy aircraft (124 bombers and 53 fighters) plus 41 probable and 72 damaged.

AA destroyed 7 enemy aircraft plus 4 probable.

Our casualties are 25 aircraft and 13 pilots killed or missing

Enemy patrols were plotted between 0900 and 1100 hours in the following areas:

• In the Straits.
• Off Harwich.
• Between Lympne and Dungeness.
• 20 miles East of line Lowestoft to Spurn Head.
• In the Estuary.
• South of Shoreham and the Isle of Wight.

Attempts to intercept the above were not successful. One He 111, flying west, was intercepted and destroyed near Start Point.

First Major Attack

At 1100 hours enemy aircraft began to mass in the Calais/Boulogne area and at 1130 hours the leading wave of about 100 aircraft crossed the coast between Dover and Dungeness, followed by a second wave of 150 aircraft. Objectives appeared to be in the London district.

No 11 Group sent up 16 Squadrons to meet the attack, and No 12 Group provided 5 Squadrons to patrol Debden and Hornchurch.

Approximately 100 enemy aircraft succeeded in reaching Central London.

Second Major Attack

At 1400 hours a wave of approximately 150 enemy aircraft crossed the coast near Dover, followed by a second wave of 100 aircraft. These formations spread over South-east and South-west Kent and the Maidstone area, and about 70 penetrated Central London.

No 11 Group sent up 16 Squadrons and No 12 Group 4 Squadrons. Targets in South London and railways in London and Kent appeared to be the chief objectives.

Attack on Portland

At 1530 hours a formation of 25 enemy aircraft attacked Portland. It was engaged and successfully driven off by our fighters.

Attack on Southampton

At 1725 hours about 50 enemy aircraft flew over the Isle of Wight and attacked objectives in the Southampton district. This formation was intercepted and driven off by 6½ Squadrons.

By night

The first hostile raids were plotted leaving the French Coast at Le Havre at about 2000 hours. They crossed the Coast at Shoreham and penetrated to the London area which appeared to be the main objective throughout the night. At about 2230 hours raids to London started to come from the Dieppe area crossing the coast between Selsey Bill and Dover. Between 0100 and 0300 hours raids were coming in via the Thames Estuary and Essex. About fifteen raids were plotted out of the Cherbourg area to South Wales and the Bristol Channel, some of which penetrated to the Midlands and others to Liverpool. By 0130 hours these raids had withdrawn by the activity over London and the South-east continued until about 0500 hours.

Two raids were plotted in the Digby and Church Fenton areas and two were plotted in the Irish Channel. Some ten raids were suspected of minelaying between Montrose and Flamborough Head.

During the night on He111 was destroyed (plus one probable) by a Defiant of No 141 Squadron.

Statistics

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 15th September 1940

• Blenheim - 47
• Spitfire - 192
• Hurricane - 389
• Defiant - 24
• Gladiator - 8
• Total - 660

Casualties:

• Own:
  • 25 aircraft with 13 pilots killed or missing.

Patrols:

• Own
  • During the night of 14th/15th September - 28 patrols involving 28 sorties.
  • During the day of 15th September - 115 patrols involving 705 sorties.

• Enemy
  • It is estimated that about 80 enemy aircraft operated over Great Britain during the night 14th/15th September and 600 during the day of 15th September.

Balloons:

• No report.

Aerodromes:

• No report.

Organisation:

• Nil.

Home Security Reports

• General Summary
  • Date: 15th September 1940
    • The London area was again the chief objective of enemy aircraft during the day, and the attack on the Capital was maintained at intervals from about noon until the early hours of 16th September 1940. A certain about of damage and casualties resulted, mainly in the districts South of the River Thames, where several factories were hit by bombs and many fires started. Communications and utility services are also affected.
    • Elsewhere, bombs were dropped in Kent, Sussex and East Anglia during the day, and attacks were made on Southampton, and on the Portland area where slight damage was done in the dockyard.
    • After dark, London continued to bear the brunt of the attack, which was intensified in the early hours of 16th September, and many reports of major damage have been received. Isolated raids were also made during the night in the Southern and South- Eastern coastal Districts, and in the Bristol Channel area but damage from these appears to have been moderate.

• Detailed Summary
  • London Area
    • Battersea: At 1210 hours railway bridges between Victoria and Clapham |Junction were hit and bombs also fell on the West London extension Line, and at 2325 hours HE bombs fell on the Projectile Engineering Company's Works causing major damage. Damage has been done to Utility Mains and roadways in this District.
    • Lambeth: At 1215 hours Water and Gas mains were damaged by HE bombs, and Norwood Road and Brixton Hill were blocked. An unexploded bomb at the Telephone Manufacturing Company caused production to be suspended. At 2029 hours a major fire was caused at the Brixton School of Building and other extensive fires as well as damage to Gas and Water Mains resulted from bombing with HE and IB.
    • Beckenham: At 1200 hours the Electricity Station was hit but damage was not serious and distribution is not affected.
    • Islington: At 0030 hours KB fell close to GPO Stores and to Mount Pleasant Post Office, but no reports of serious damage have been received.
    • Mitcham: The roof of Smith's Meters Factory was badly damaged by a bomb during the night but it is reported that the machinery escaped damage.
    • East Croydon: The railway track is closed and damage has been done to the property in the vicinity by HE bombs which fell at 0030 hours, 16th September.
    • Shepherd's Bush: HE bombs have fallen on private property near the Electric substation, which has been put out of action by the resulting blast. There is no current on the Hammersmith City Line.
    • Barnes: At 0238 hours 16th September, HE bombs fell on a council house necessitating the evacuation of the Control Centre of temporary premises.
    • Kilburn: HE bombs fell at Kilburn High Road which is blocked as a result, and damage was done to the railway bridge which crossed it.
    • Hammersmith: At 2253 hours HE bombs fell outside Cadby Hall damaging Gas and Water Mains and completely blocking Hammersmith road. At 0220 hours further HE bombs fell at the junction of Uxbridge Road which is also blocked. Utility Mains were damaged and a LCC Sewer was fractured.
    • Strand: Shell Mex House suffered heavy damage at 0047 hours by HE bombs. The central tower was demolished and the top storey is in danger of collapse. The Strand was blocked from Adam's Street to Aldwych. Bombs also fell near the Gaiety Theatre and serious flooding took place as a result of burst water main.
    • Westminster: HE bombs fell at Vauxhall Bride Road which was blocked by craters and debris.
    • Hospitals: St Thomas's, Guys and Lambeth Hospitals were all hit by bombs but no serious damage or casualties have been reported.

  • Elsewhere
    • Southampton: At 1750 hours three fires were caused by bombs near the Super Marine Aviation Works and damage was done to house property and mains nearby. Slight damage was also done to Thorneycroft's and a further attack at 2132 hours caused a fire at a furniture depository in the High Street.
    • Portland: At about 1530 hours HE and IB were dropped at Portland causing heavy damage to four houses and several small fires. Bombs also fell in the dockyard but damage was not extensive.
    • Cardiff: At 2245 hours five HE bombs were dropped in a residential district causing casualties. A number of unexploded bombs have fallen near the Docks.

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