Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 7th September 1940

• Weather: Fair with some haze.
• Day: Day bombing switched to London with a heavy attack on the capital.
• Night: Raids on London continue from dusk till dawn. Main objectives are the East End and Docks.

Enemy action by day

Enemy activity did not develop until mid-morning when some thirty aircraft crossed the coast near Lympne but did not penetrate far inland. Dover and Hawkinge were attacked.

The main attack of the day started at 1635 hours and came over in two waves totalling some 350 aircraft which spread over Kent, making for the Thames Estuary, East London and aerodromes North and South of London. By 1814 hours all raids were homing. While the above raids were in progress some 24 aircraft approached the South Coast near Spithead but turned back. Reconnaissance flights were made over Liverpool and Manchester areas, Bristol Channel, Norfolk and Yorkshire.

During engagements with the enemy, our fighters destroyed 74 enemy aircraft (plus 34 probable and 33 Damaged). Our casualties amounted to 27 aircraft of which 14 pilots killed or missing.

East

In the early morning, one aircraft, picked up among returning bombers, flew across the Wash to Lincoln and out at Skegness, no interception effected. At 0920 hours, one Do215, plotted inland in Norfolk, was intercepted and shot down off the Dutch Coast. Two reconnaissance raids over convoys. One raid of some 6 aircraft 25 miles East of Lowestoft; fighters failed to intercept. A raid of one aircraft patrolled Yorkshire and was intercepted on its way out but escaped into cloud.

A further raid crossed the coast at Southwold and penetrated to Duxford.

South East

A number of early reconnaissance flights off the South East Coast and one overland between Harwich/Biggin Hill and Maidstone were made in the early morning.

First Attack: 1100-1200. After massing on the French Coast, some 70 enemy aircraft crossed the coast near Folkestone. A split from this raid flew along the coast to Hastings, the remainder spreading over East Kent. Dive bombing attacks were carried out against Hawkinge and Dover.

From 1300-1500 hours constant patrols averaging 6 aircraft in Calais/Boulogne district. At 1515 hours 10 aircraft patrolled the Straits and appeared to cross the coast near Lympne.

Second Attack: 1625-1814. First wave totalling some 100 aircraft crossed the coast but activities were confined to Kent. A second wave commenced to cross the Coast at 1718 hours, some 250 aircraft being plotted in five raids, the activity spread to an area from East of Kenley covering the Thames Estuary to as far North as Duxford. No 12 Group provided 5 Squadrons to assist No 11 Group during this engagement. A strong enemy patrol was maintained in the Straits down to Dungeness for about an hour after the attack.

South

At 0915 hours a raid of 3+ flew from Le Havre to Portsmouth. It was intercepted off the Isle of Wight and one Me110 shot down. A further raid of 2+ aircraft in this area was intercepted but decisive action by our fighters was prevented owing to our AA fire. During the period of the second attack in the South East, a raid of 12 aircraft approached Portsmouth but turned back before reaching the coast.

By night

Enemy activity commenced at 2010 hours when raids came out of Fecamp/Caen area, crossing the Coast near Shoreham. One raid went to Northolt and others to Kenley and Biggin Hill area. There was then a steady stream of raids mostly crossing between Beachy Head and Dungeness, spreading over Sussex/Kent/Essex and penetrating into Greater London area including Northolt where between five and eight raids were continuously plotted up to 0300 hours. By about 0430 hours the last raids had left Greater London area and were homing. Very slight activity over the remainder of the country. Isolated raids reached Liverpool/Birmingham and South Wales, and there was suspected minelaying activity off the Norfolk Coast before midnight.

By 0500 hours the whole country was clear of enemy raids.

Statistics

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 7th September 1940

• Blenheim - 44
• Spitfire - 223
• Hurricane - 398
• Defiant - 20
• Gladiator - 9
• Total - 694

Casualties:

• Own:
  • 27 aircraft with 14 pilots killed or missing.

Patrols:

• Own
  • During the night of 6th/7th September - 34 patrols involving 44 sorties.
  • During the day of 7th September - 143 patrols involving 817 sorties.

• Enemy
  • It is estimated that about 120 enemy aircraft operated over Great Britain during the night 6th/7th September and 700 during the day of 7th September.

Balloons:

• Balloon Barrage at Weybridge operational as from 2200 hours 6th September 1940.

Aerodromes:

• Rochford unserviceable.

Organisation:

• No 213 Squadron from Exeter to Tangmere.
• No 601 Squadron from Tangmere to Exeter.
• No 605 Squadron from Drem to Croydon.
• No 111 Squadron from Croydon to Drem.

Home Security Reports

• General Summary
  • Up to 1700 hours on 7th September 1940, enemy air activity was slight, a few bombs were dropped at Bristol and at Hawkinge, Kent.
  • Soon after 1700 hours, however, the enemy launched a very big attack and the principal objectives seem to have been industrial and dock property on both sides of the Thames, bombs were dropped at Woolwich, Purfleet and the Dockland area of London.
  • Fires broke out and some damage was done to the Arsenal and to Siemen's Bros. Works at Woolwich and to Harland & Wolff's factory at North Woolwich. Serious damage was caused to a main sewer in Woolwich and there has been considerable interference with rail and road communications in the area.
  • At Purfleet, serious fires occurred at the Anglo-American Oil Works and other industrial buildings were hit and fires broke out. In Dockland, principally in the East India, West India, Surrey Commercial and Milwall Dock very serious fires broke out, due to the a large number of bombs.
  • The Gas Works at Beckton was seriously damaged and great interference will be caused to gas supplies in many parts of East London.
  • A number of bombs were also dropped at different points of South-Eastern London where also serious interference was caused to rail and road traffic.
  • During the night of 7th/8th September, attacks extending over many hours covered a considerable area of London and were of an intense nature. Preliminary reports do not permit an accurate review of the full extent of the places hit or of the damage. Possibly the most serious effect has been in Silvertown which has been described as a 'raging inferno' and complete evacuation became necessary. Over 600 fire appliances were in use during the night.
  • In the Battersea area, as in many others, major damage is reported, including the Battersea Power Station and London Power Company's property.
  • Southwark, Bermondsey, East and West Ham, Poplar, Plaistow, Barking, Hackney, Rotherhithe and Stepney are amongst those districts quoted in the category where major damage has occurred. Finsbury and Lewisham are also added to this category at a late hour.
  • Fires in many places are still raging at the close of this Summary.

• RAF Stations
  • Cottesmore: At 2233 hours on the 6th September, a small number of IB were dropped approximately 100 yards from the tarmac.
  • Waddington: At 0310 hours on 7th September, an enemy aircraft fired a burst from a machine-gun at an aircraft from Scampton whilst landing here and afterwards a burst on the aerodrome from approximately 1,000 feet. No damage reported.
  • Hawkinge: At 1126 hours on the 7th September, an attack was carried out on this station by two waves of Me109 resulting in 12 to 15 craters on the perimeter near the Officers' Mess.
  • Rochford: It is reported that an attack was carried out on this station on 7th September but no details are available.

• Casualties on the Ground by Enemy Action:
  • No detailed report of the numerous raids during the night of 7th/8th September is possible owing to insufficiency of information and the total of casualties cannot be quoted with accuracy. The preliminary figures are given as:
    • To RAF Personnel - Nil killed, Nil injured.
    • To others - 51 killed, 180 injured approximately.

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