Category Archive

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

Weather: some bright intervals but flying conditions remained difficult

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 46
• Spitfire – 217
• Hurricane – 404
• Defiant – 17
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 692

There was little combat this day. However, Kenley was attacked in the late afternoon. The RAF lost 3 aircraft and the Luftwaffe lost 5.

That night bombs fell on London, Birmingham and Liverpool. The Vickers Armstrong factory was seriously damaged. Park issued another stream of instructions designed to improve the rate of interceptions particularly of high flying intruders.

74 Squadron – Combat Report – 17 October
Squadron was ordered on patrol and 11 aircraft took off from Biggin Hill at 15:10 hrs on 17 October 1940. Later the squadron was ordered to intercept enemy fighters approaching London from the south. S/L Malan attacked from the sun and picked out 1 Me109. He delivered a 2 second burst with a quarter deflection from 200 yds closing to 150yds when he delivered another 2 second burst. This he followed with a 4 second burst from 100 yds which appeared to damage the elevator control of the enemy aircraft, which was seen in a vertical dive, during which time a final 4 second burst was delivered and the enemy aircraft emitted black smoke. S/L Malan could not follow the enemy aircraft as he himself ‘blacked out’ for 2 seconds.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 17th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 4 confirmed, 6 probable, 5 damaged
*  Own: 3 aircraft and 3 pilots killed or missing.

Today’s theme:  The Planes They Flew – Bristol Beaufighter

Weather: widespread fog

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 46
• Spitfire – 225
• Hurricane – 421
• Defiant – 17
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 717

The day saw a number of individual attacks by lone Me109s. RAF Ternhill was bombed, destroying a hangar and damaging others. The RAF managed to fly 275 sorties, destroyed 7 enemy aircraft, losing one RAF fighter.

That night 300 bombers attacked Britain.

85 Squadron Operational Record Book – 16 October
Order for one section to scramble. Flt Lt Marshall, Sgt Webster and Sgt Goodman took off 07.15 and landed 07.35. Conditions difficult owing to mist and low cloud at 300ft. 11 hours 40 mins non-op flying, consisting of a battle climb to 25,000 feet, fighter attacks, camera gun and aerobatics. POs A. Velebnovsky and E. Foit (Czechs) posted from 6 OTU.

Sqdn Ldr Townsend accompanied by Fg Off T.J. Molony, motored to Speke to sit on court of enquiry. Sgt Johnson posted to 145 Squadron, Tangmere.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 16th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 2 confirmed, 0 probable, 1 damaged
*  Own: 1 Hurricane of which the pilot is safe.

Today’s theme:  Top Gun Gallery – Adolf Galland

Weather: fair but some cloud

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 53
• Spitfire – 208
• Hurricane – 405
• Defiant – 18
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 692

The day opened with new instructions from the AOC of 11 Group. It was in response to the new tactics being employed by the Luftwaffe in which twin-engined bombers had been more or less eliminated from their battle order. They were being replaced by strong forces of Me109s and 110s. Secondly they were flying at much higher altitude than before. Sometimes as high as 30,000 feet. All this meant that German aircraft were arriving over London between 17 and 20 minutes after the radar stations had given the first warning.
As they might be flying as high as 30,000 feet, RAF fighters were often unable to intercept, as it took them at least 15 minutes to achieve the requisite altitude. The answer was to have squadrons patrolling at 20,000 feet or thereabouts, enabling them to intercept the enemy. The result was that, throughout October, the number of enemy aircraft shot down by the RAF fell in relation to the losses suffered by Fighter Command. It had become a battle of fighter versus fighter.

In the morning, some 30 Me109s hit London, including Waterloo Station. The station was subjected to further attacks that night, wrecking a train and two platforms. A second force of enemy aircraft attacked the capital in the middle of the morning while further enemy aircraft hit the suburbs. There were also raids on Kent, Biggin Hill, Kenley and Southampton. The RAF flew 743 sorties, lost 15 aircraft and shot down 14 enemy planes.

That night London was heavily bombed by 410 aircraft, which dropped 538 tons of bombs. Over 400 people were killed. BBC Broadcasting House was hit whilst Bruce Belfrage read the 9 o’clock news. Despite being covered in plaster and debris, Belfrage continued with his broadcast.

85 Squadron Operational Record Book – 15 October
22 hours 5 minutes non-op flying comprising formation air drill, air fighting and camera gun. Night flying carried out by PO Arbon, Sgts Gray, Berkeley and Hutton. PO W.H. Hodgson awarded DFC and Sgt H.N. Howes, DFM.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 15th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 19 confirmed, 5 probable, 10 damaged
*  Own: 15 Aircraft of which 9 pilots are safe.

Weather: fine, cloud in the afternoon

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 38
• Spitfire – 221
• Hurricane – 359
• Defiant – 13
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 639

The first enemy attack was on a convoy off the coast of East Anglia. At lunch time, however, several attacks developed on London. The first of these was by a force of 50 Me109s. This was followed by a slightly larger group. A third attack in the afternoon came in from 25 Me109s. This last penetrated to the centre of London where it attracted continuous harassment from RAF fighters. The RAF that day flew 590 sorties. The British lost 2 aircraft but succeeded in shooting down five of the enemy.

That night bombs hit a shelter of a block of flats in Stoke Newington and killed 154 people.

17 Squadron Operational Record Book – 13 October
While on patrol, Sgt Sewell and PO Ross were weaving behind the Squadron in the Chatham area, when anti-aircraft fire opened up just behind them. Soon afterwards PO Ross was missed. The rest of the Squadron landed at Martlesham at 14:55 hours. Later PO Ross was reported in Gravesend RAF Hospital with slight shrapnel wounds in the left leg, side and neck. His aircraft was hit by cannon-shell (which it is thought may have been from A/A guns) and PO Ross baled out.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 13th October 1940):

*  Enemy: 2 confirmed, 5 probable, 0 damaged
*  Own: 2 aircraft which the pilots are safe.

Today’s theme:  Captains and Commanders – Lord Beaverbrook

Weather: widespread mist

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 46
• Spitfire – 217
• Hurricane – 368
• Defiant – 16
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 655

An active day. In the morning, there were attacks on Biggin Hill, London and Kent. In the afternoon over 100 enemy aircraft reached South London. In the late afternoon there were raids of over 100 enemy aircraft over south east Kent and there was a small raid on Biggin Hill. Fighter Command flew 797 sorties. They lost 10 aircraft but shot down 11 enemy aircraft.

That night the Luftwaffe visited and bombed Hastings, Coventry and Trafalgar Square.

85 Squadron Operational Record Book -12 October
12 hours 35 minutes non-op flying consisting of formation and cloud flying. Practice squadron formation, pilots were Sqdn Ldr Townsend, Flt Lt Marshall, FO Hemingway, Sgt Goodman, Sgt Webster, Sgt Berkeley, Sgt Gray, Flt Lt Allard, PO Thompson.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 12th October 1940):

*  Enemy:  11 confirmed, 11 probable, 7 damaged
*  Own: 10 aircraft with 4 pilots lost.

Today’s theme:  The Airfields – RAF North Weald

Weather: fair with some coastal showers

Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:

• Blenheim – 40
• Spitfire – 240
• Hurricane – 384
• Defiant – 18
• Gladiator – 8
• Total – 690

For most of the day RAF fighters were kept busy seeing off a series of attacks by Me109s. Mid-morning, a group of Me109s went inland to attack Biggin Hill. In the afternoon sweeps of 100 Me109s attacked Southend, and later, Maidstone. The RAF flew 949 sorties, destroyed 7 enemy aircraft but lost 9 aircraft. At night German bombers ranged far and wide visiting Southampton, Portsmouth, Dorset, Berkshire, Surrey, Kent, Norfolk and parts of Scotland. The Lever factory at Port Sunlight was also hit.

85 Squadron Operational Record Book – 11 October
19 hours 55 minutes non-op flying consisting of camera gun and formation. Sgts Gray, Muchowski and Paleniczer carried out dusk landings.

Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 11th October 1940):

* Enemy: 8 confirmed, 4 probable, 1 damaged
* Own: 9 aircraft with 3 pilots lost.

Today’s theme: Squadrons – 501 Squadron