Category Archive

Weather: drizzle

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 39
• Spitfire – 213
• Hurricane – 391
• Defiant – 11
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 662

Luftflotte 3 joined the action sending a force of over 100 aircraft consisting of fighters and fighter bombers which reached London and bombed a number of targets. However, Kent and Sussex were the main targets that day. The Armstrong Siddeley factory was also hit. North Weald was attacked in the early evening.
The tally that day was 8 German aircraft lost against 5 RAF fighters destroyed.
There were few attacks that night due to the bad weather.

85 Squadron Operational Record Book – 30 October
Night flying training. Sqdn Ldr Townsend and Flt Lt Marshall carried out night patrols.

1 Squadron Operational Record Book -30 October
Blue Section (B Flight) took part in an Army co-operation movement. This section was ordered to scramble base. Personnel: POs G.E. Goodman, R.G. Lewis and Sgt V. Jicha. E/a sighted. Goodman mistook it for a Blenheim. Lewis and Jicha recognised it as a Junkers 88 and shot it down. Sgt J. Dygryn crashed when landing, plane written off.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 30th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 9 confirmed, 8 probable, 7 damaged
*  Own: 5 aircraft with 4 pilots killed or missing.

Today’s theme:  Top Gun Gallery – The final word on the pilots

Weather: dry but overcast

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 38
• Spitfire – 232
• Hurricane – 413
• Defiant – 12
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 703

Dornier 17s came back into battle this day. These twin-engined bombers were, however, heavily protected by a number of Me109s. In the early morning there were raids over Biggin Hill, Maidstone, Kenley, Hastings and London. This was followed later that morning with a raid from 100 aircraft over Maidstone. In the afternoon there were attacks on central London, Kenley and Tangmere.The RAF flew 809 sorties against the considerable number of enemy raids over Kent and London. 20 enemy aircraft were destroyed at a cost of 10 RAF fighters.

This was the day that the Italian Air Force finally joined the battle. It proved to be more of a political gesture than a serious act of war. 16 of these Italian aircraft took off that night to bomb Harwich. Milch complained that this Italian initiative caused more trouble than it was worth.
At night London and Birmingham were the main targets.

1 Squadron Operational Record Book – 25 October
Air firing at Sutton Bridge. Searchlight co-operation. Dusk landings. The night readiness section had to scramble base for 15 mins but no enemy aircraft was sighted.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 25th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 14 confirmed, 12 probable, 16 damaged
*  Own: 10 aircraft with 3 pilots killed or missing.

Today’s theme:  Squadrons – 1 Squadron

Weather: improved

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 38
• Spitfire – 229
• Hurricane – 420
• Defiant – 12
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 707

A few individual raiders and reconnaissance planes flew over Britain. This quieter day enabled Dowding to try and straighten out the difficult relations between Keith Park at 11 Group and Leigh Mallory at 12 Group. He told the former to make allowances for the latter’s difficulties when trying to send reinforcements. However, subsequent events showed it was really too late to mend these fences. Things had gone too far. The RAF flew 476 sorties resulting in 8 German aircraft being destroyed; several the result of accidents while Fighter Command lost none.

At night 50 aircraft attacked London. In the provinces, Birmingham was the main target while Basingstoke was also hit.

1 Squadron Operational Record Book – 24 October
Destruction of a Junkers 17. Red Section were ordered to intercept raid 10 at 1204 hours. Personnel: Flt Lt M.H. Brown, PO A.V. Clowes, DFM, PO A. Kershaw. E/a sighted 3,000 ft above cloud. As a result of the ensuing engagement the e/a was brought down at St. Neot. During the engagement some fire was experienced from the e/a rear gunner, and our side used up 1911 rounds. All 3 pilots expressed the opinion that the e/a did not make very good use of cloud cover before the attack and the only evasive action taken was diving into the clouds. He appeared to be an inexperienced pilot. Searchlight co-operation. Blue Section (B Flight) scrambled base, nothing sighted.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 24th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 2 confirmed, 0 probable,  2 damaged
*  Own: Nil.

Today’s theme:  The Planes They Flew – Ju52

Weather: cloudy with some haze

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 44
• Spitfire – 226
• Hurricane – 411
• Defiant – 20
• Gladiator – 7
• Total – 708

This day, there were raids at 9.35, 11.00, 13.15, 14.20 and 15.00 on London and the south east but a number of interceptions were made by the RAF. The RAF flew 745 sorties and lost 4 aircraft but succeeded in shooting down 14 enemy aircraft.

The coming night, London was given a hard time by a force of no less than 300 bombers which pounded the city. Coventry was also heavily bombed and many fires were started.

1 Squadron Operational Record Book – 20 October
Practice flying: fighter attacks, vector by R/T, high flying tactics. Blue section (B Flight) scrambled base, 20,000 ft, but no e/a sighted. Sgt A. Zavoral landed at Cottesmore. Sgt. H.E. Pettit posted to no. 605 Squadron, Kenley.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary  20th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 9 confirmed, 7 probable, 6 damaged
*  Own: Three aircraft. Pilots safe.

Today’s theme: Captains and Commanders –  Erhard Milch

Weather: cloudy with some mist

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 47
• Spitfire – 233
• Hurricane – 412
• Defiant – 22
• Gladiator – 7
• Total – 721

A few individual sorties were reported in the morning, mainly heading for London. In the afternoon a group of about 60 Me109s flew over Kent. They were intercepted by RAF fighters and fierce dog-fights took place in which the RAF lost 5 aircraft shooting down 2 of the enemy.

That night heavy raids took place on London and Coventry. Mile End Hospital was partly destroyed.

1 Squadron Operational Record Book – 19 October
Flying consisted of weather test by A/C. Formation, air drill, cine camera. During a scramble by Flt Lt M.H. Brown, PO Chetham and PO A.V. Clowes DFM, a Hun was sighted on top of a cloud, but he got away through the clouds before attacked.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 19th October 1940):

*  Enemy:  2 confirmed, 0 probable, 1 damaged
*  Own: Two aircraft. One pilot missing.

Today’s theme:  The Airfields – RAF Martlesham Heath

Weather: fair. A relatively calm day

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 43
• Spitfire – 218
• Hurricane – 408
• Defiant – 16
• Gladiator – 7
• Total – 692

Sporadic attacks on London, Kent and South East coast. However, Liverpool and Birmingham were bombed that night. Luftwaffe losses amounted to 15 aircraft as against the RAF loss of 4 planes.

1 Squadron Operational Record Book – 18 October – Wittering
3 weather tests; searchlight co-operation, formation air test, air drill, camera gun and formation cloud flying.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 18th October 1940):

*  Enemy:0 confirmed, 0 probable, 1 damaged
*  Own: Nil.

Today’s theme:  Squadrons – 266 Squadron