The Chronology: Page-31

Friday August 30th - Saturday August 31st 1940

WEATHER:

Much improved conditions would prevail throughout the British Isles. Temperatures should be slightly higher than the previous days and conditions are expected to remain fine with cloud periods in all Channel areas.

OPERATIONS:

This day, Germany launched a total of 1,310 sorties against Britain. It appeared that Kesselring was intent on attacking with everything that he had. One direct hit on the power supply line took out the radar stations at Dover, Rye, Pevensey, Foreness, Beachy Head and Whitstable and they were off the air for a critical three hours. Biggin Hill was attacked twice by 109s and Ju88s within a few hours and major damage was done with the result that some 40 people were killed. Kenley, Shoreham, Tangmere and Rochford were also targeted where the story was much the same. Hangars, buildings and the airfields themselves receiving devastating damage.

Many times, fighter sweeps by Bf109s failed to attract Fighter Command into the air, Park was not going to be drawn into unnecessary fighter combat. So Kesselring sent over fast Ju88 bombers and working in conjunction with the Bf109s was adamant that somehow he would get the RAF fighters into the air. At one time, a mass formation of over 200 bombers droned over the Kent coast only to break into separate formations with each one targeting the RAF airfields. Biggin Hill was attacked again, as was Kenley, Gravesend, Hornchurch, Debden, North Weald, in fact every RAF airfield from Duxford to the south coast was attacked in one way or another.

Fighter Command was forced to get some of its fighters into the air. The selective targets were to 'get the bombers'. The skies over the south coast became a pattern of vapour trails as some of the RAF fighters got tangled up with 109s, it was impossible to avoid them. Most of the fighters tried in vain to straffe the bombers, but it all became a melee of all sorts. The casualties started to fall from the sky, Spitfires, Bf 109s, Hurricanes, Heinkels and Dorniers. Many were badly shot up, others just collided into each other.

"I saw his contortions, then I saw him straighten and fly straight into the German aircraft; both crashed and Percy was killed. I was close enough to see his letters, as other pilots must have been and who also confirmed this incident, which in itself caused me to realize my young life and its future, if any, had jumped into another dimension"

Sgt. G. Pallister 249 & 43 Squadrons on P/O P. Burton ramming a German aircraft.

Deliberate, or accidental, the ramming and/or colliding with aircraft was a common occurrence, especially when many of the pilots were adopting the head on attack attitude. Carried out correctly, it was a successful method of attack. Mostly used on attack on bombers, it was also used frequently in fighter combat.

There are several advantages to the frontal attack when in combat, providing that you can get into the right position. You avoid the concentration of fire from a bombers rear gunners and as the twin engined aircraft has no guns firing forward, the pilot and crew are more vulnerable from the front, and perhaps above all it makes it very difficult for the escorting fighters to carry out their protective role. Of course, the disadvantage is that there is so little time. The relative closing speed would be something approaching 600 mph this is almost nearly 300 yards per second. The optimum range of our guns was about 300 yards, so if you could effectively get your sights on the target at 600 yards, you could press the button for one second and this would leave you with one second to break away, many had this tactic down to a fine art, many didn't, but the effect on the enemy formation was devastating.

Flight Lieutenant D.L. Armitage 266 Squadron

Despite the fine weather of the morning period, the only raids were on shipping in the Thames Estuary. These shipping strikes had been left alone for the last couple of weeks and Fighter Command regarded them as once again being lures to attract RAF fighters into the air. Park was in no way going to be tempted, sending up squadrons of fighters would weaken his defences of his airfields that seemed to be the targets of enemy action of the last few days. The first sign of action took place during mid-morning.

OPERATIONS IN DETAIL:

1030hrs: First sign of activity occurred when a formation was picked up off the coast near Cap Griz Nez. Three separate groups were detected which turned out to be separate formations of He111s and in all totalled about 120 aircraft. The cloud base was down to about 7,000 feet and the Observer Corps had difficulty in estimating their numbers as the German formation was flying at about 14,000 to 15,000 feet, and reported a small escort of Bf109s. The Luftwaffe were now, for the first time using a smaller number of Bf109s as close escort, and with a larger number flying at about 25,000 feet.

1050hrs: 43 Squadron Tangmere (Hurricanes), 79 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes), 85 Squadron Croydon (Hurricanes), 111 Squadron Debden (Hurricanes), 222 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires) 253 Squadron Kenley (Hurricanes), 603 Squadron Hornchurch Spitfires), 610 Squadron Biggin Hill (Spitfires) and 616 Squadron Kenley (Spitfires) were released by Fighter Command cope with the incoming formations.  Park dispatched his squadrons in two waves, as the German bombers were coming across the Channel in three separate formations.

43, 79, 253, and 603 Squadrons went in first to intercept the first wave of bombers just prior to them reaching the English coast between Deal and Folkestone. 85 Squadron Croydon (Hurricanes) met up with the leading Heinkels and decided on a head on attack. This was a manoeuvre that AVM Hugh Dowding did not agree with, stating that it was far too dangerous and that many of the more novice pilots would want to copy their more experienced counterparts with possible fatal results. But nevertheless, squadron commanders generally encouraged it, because performed properly, it allowed the bomber formation to scatter in all directions, while at the same time a squadron following would then attack the bombers while they were pre-occupied with avoiding hitting the first squadron that caused them to scatter in the first place.

South African pilot, Pilot Officer E.J. Morris went into a head on attack with a Heinkel. He knew this form of attack although he himself had never tried it. 79 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes) engaged a formation of Heinkel 111s and while some peeled of to execute their attack from above, many decided to make a head on attack. Morris was one of them. He pressed the firing button, banked sharply only for the Heinkel to ram the underbelly of his Hurricane. His aircraft was cut to pieces, but Morris, still strapped in his seat managed to pull the ripcord and parachuted to safety. His injuries were just a broken leg...and a bit of confidence. He said afterwards, "I thought they were supposed to break formation if we pressed home a frontal attack". He was told that '...not if the pilot is dead, you are supposed to make allowances for that'. Morris replied, "Then how the hell are you supposed to know if he is dead or not?" The way you did, he was politely told.

S/L Tom Gleave of 253 Squadron was another who saw action this day. At 32 years of age, Gleave wanted to command the squadron, but was told politely that RAF regulations did not permit commanding officers above the age of 26. But somehow, Tom Gleave managed to get part of his way by smooth talking his way into sharing the command with the newly appointed commanding officer. It seemed that this day Tom Gleave was 'Hun Hungry';

Detached from the rest of the squadron, his vee of three aircraft was vectored on to an enemy formation. Ahead of him and about 500 feet above Gleave saw line-astern formations of Bf109s riding above the haze, well spaced out and stretching as far as the eye could see. It was the culmination of all Gleave’s ambitions. Unhesitating, he flew right through the enemy fighters.

He remembered the scene clearly, and described the smell of the cordite, the hiss of the pneumatics, and the way the Hurricane’s nose dipped as the guns recoiled.

He gave the first Bf 109 a four-second burst and saw his bullets hitting the engine. He saw the Perspex of the hood shatter into fragments that sparkled in the sunlight. The Bf109 rolled onto its back, slewed, and then dropped, nose down, to the earth. Another enemy aircraft came into his sights. Gleave turned with him, firing bullets that brought black smoke from the wings before the Bf109 dropped vertically, still smoking. Gleave narrowly missed colliding with his third victim, and then gave him a three-second burst as the Messerschmitt pulled ahead and turned into the gunfire. The cockpit seemed empty; the pilot slumped forward out of sight. The Messerschmitt fell. The German pilots were trying to maintain formation and by now there was so much gunfire curving through the air that Gleave had the impression of flying through a gigantic golden bird-cage. A fourth Messerschmitt passed slightly above Gleave, and he turned and climbed to fire into the underside of its fuselage. But after two or three seconds’ firing Gleave heard the ominous clicking that told him he had used up all his bullets. But already the fourth victim was mortally hit, and rolled on its back before falling away.

In spite of his age and rank, Gleave possessed the one quality that distinguished the ace pilots on both sides. It was something more important than flying skill, more important than keen eyesight, even more important than quick reaction times and the ability to “aim off” for the correct deflection. Such men as Gleave had the nerve to fly on collision courses (that forward-facing guns require) very, very close to the enemy. Gleave was 175 yards from his first victim (very close by 1940 standards) and 120 yards from the second one. But the third and fourth Messerschmitts were hit from only 60 and 75 yards respectively. At such close quarters the eight machine guns did terrible damage.

Len Deighton Fighter Jonathan Cape 1977 p200

Afterwards Tom Gleave learned of the RAF hierarchy "Bullshit" for want of a better word as he calls it. When he made his claim for the four Bf109s, they stated that it was an impossibility to shoot them down in as many minutes. As a compromise, they allowed his claim as four probables.

1115hrs: Observer Corps further reported that 40 plus Heinkel He111s and 30 Do17s escorted by 100 plus Bf109s and Bf110s were approaching the coast. By now, the first wave over bombers had pushed on over Ashford still in combat with the British fighters. With the first wave of He110s and Do17s crossing the Kent coast, what radar was working was picking up sightings that stretched right back to the French coast. Keith Park at Fighter Command Group HQ decides to act, and places nearly sixteen squadrons at readiness with two squadrons from 12 Group sent in to give cover to Biggin Hill and Kenley.

1130hrs: One of the first squadrons to intercept the enemy formation is 79 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes). Green section and Blue section move in to attack the Heinkel's:

Green section from Biggin Hill attacks an estimated 30 Heinkel He111s, one of which is shot down. The four Hurricanes of Blue section are led by F/O Ted Morris and Blue 2 is Bill Milligan. Instructing Blue 3 and Blue 4 to keep the fighters off, Morris leads Millington down into a vertical dive through another bomber formation to split it up. Millington opens fire as a Heinkel looms up in front of him but at the edge of his vision he sees a collision - Morris has crashed into a Heinkel. There is no time to watch as he hurtles through, narrowly missing a collision himself. As he pulls out of his dive the Australian can see that the Heinkels have split up and over the radio Blue 4 calls that he has seen Morris bale out. To one side, a Heinkel goes down with both engines on fire.

Dennis Newton A Few of the Few Australian War Memorial 1990 p135

1145hrs: The second wave of German bombers and their Bf109 escorts were now entangled with more RAF fighters. 85, 111, 222 and 616 Squadrons, just like the first squadrons to engage the bombers they were to have their hands full. Keith Park now had to act, and dispersed sixteen squadrons. But by the time that they managed to take off and gain height, the German bomber formation was well over Kent and heading towards London. The He111s and the Do17s break into two formations, and once again Park is quick to realize that his Sector Stations are under attack once more. One eyewitness said of this day, that no matter where you looked over Kent, Surrey or South London, you could see nothing but bombers and fighter planes fighting it out. Vapour trails were everywhere and it was believed that Germany had sent over the whole dammed Luftwaffe. S/Ldr Tom Gleave of 253 Squadron achieved the remarkable feat of destroying four Me109s in just a matter of minutes.

1200hrs: With squadrons engaging the first wave of bombers, and also the second wave, reports were still coming in to Fighter Command that more formations were over the Channel and heading for the Kent coast. Park had no option but to put all his squadrons into the air. Two squadrons that had been covering Biggin Hill were moved forward into the attack, and Park called on 12 Group to send squadrons down covering Biggin Hill and Kenley.

1215hrs: Once again, Biggin Hill was hit, the two squadrons from 12 Group fail to sight the Ju88s coming in from the south, but only few of the bombs actually fall on the airfields doing damage to a hangar and putting the telephone system out of action. Many of the bombs fall wide and the town of Biggin Hill suffered as did the village of Keston. Kenley suffered much the same fate with many buildings hit and many stationery wounded aircraft on the ground received further damage. 79 Squadron  Biggin Hill (Hurricanes) along with 74 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires) are pulled back to guard the aerodromes of Biggin and Kenley because once again, the 12 Group squadrons had failed to show. Two sections of Hurricanes try to keep the Bf109s occupied, while two sections engage the bombers. One Hurricane is lost as it fails to pull out of a dive on its target and collides with a He111 which goes down in flames. The pilot of the Hurricane was seen to bale out. 79 Squadron, as well as 610 Squadron, both from Biggin Hill between them, claim 10 enemy aircraft shot down. As well as Biggin Hill and Kenley suffering badly in the raid, the airfields of Croydon and Detling were also hit.

1300hrs: It had been one of Fighter Commands busier days, every squadron in 11 Group had at least been called up for one sortie. Again Keith Park was on the phone to 12 Group asking '...where in the hell were your fighters that were supposed to have protected my airfields." The answer was that the 12 Group fighters could not find the enemy, to which Park 'politely' told them that they were not supposed to be going looking for the enemy, they were supposed to be at the South London airfields waiting for the enemy to come to them.

1315hrs: Many of the original He111s, Do17s and Bf109s were heading for home, that is, if they hadn't been shot down, as another wave of bombers crossed the coast between Deal and Dungeness again. This time, their strength was much smaller. Coming in in three waves ten minutes apart, they all veered into different direction once over the Kent coastline heading for their own particular target. These attacked the forward airfields of Hawkinge and Manston. 43 Squadron Tangmere (Hurricanes) engaged the bombers and many of the British fighter pilots see the He113 fighter for the first time. Although the airfield received minor damage, all the bombers made just the single run before turning back over the Channel. F/L R.C. Reynell of 43 Squadron is caught between five He113 fighters who have the advantage of height. Reynell evades the German fighters with an extraordinary display of combat aerobatics with more manoeuvrable Hurricane, but because the German tactics was to send one He113 into a combat dive after Reynell's Hurricane, the others positioned themselves to block any exit Reynell may have had in mind. This cat and mouse action continued for eight to ten minutes before the enemy had to break off the engagement because of their fuel situation and return for home, and a relieved Reynell flies back to base.

1600hrs: More waves of heavy German bombers came across the Kent countryside and from the direction of the Thames Estuary. 56 Squadron North Weald (Hurricanes), 79 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes), 222 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires) 253 Squadron Kenley (Hurricanes), 501 Squadron Gravesend (Hurricanes) and 603 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires) were among the squadrons dispatched to intercept, many of these squadrons had been in combat practically non stop since 1030hrs. Now for the first time, as Keith Park for the second time this day had every one of his squadrons airborne, called in 12 Group and this time requested them to engage in combat and not just protect 11 Group airfields. One of the squadrons to be sent down in the combat area was 242 Squadron Duxford (Hurricanes) led by S/L Douglas Bader who had just brought his squadron down from Coltishall that morning. Bader, had been longing for action for months, but up until now had not seen any, well, with the exception of intercepting a lone aircraft while on patrol, but according to Douglas Bader, "....that is not action, my twelve Hurricanes against fifteen or so of theirs, that's what I call action." So if Bader called fifteen enemy aircraft action, then he was now going to be thrown right into it, because, being vectored close to North Weald there were seventy enemy aircraft to be met. [ Document 40 ].

1800hrs: For the second time that day, Biggin Hill was bombed and almost put out of action  Detling airfield was the first to get hit by at least fifty H.E. bombs. Oil tanks were hit and set ablaze, the main electricity cable was hit and cut the power to all buildings and with hangars and roadways cratered it was anticipated that the airfield would be out of action for at least two days. Nine Ju88 bombers manage to get though the British defences and took everybody by surprise and struck Biggin Hill with a low level bombing attack dropping 1000 lb bombs causing mayhem. The transport yard was destroyed, storerooms, the armoury and both officers and sergeants messes were severely damaged, two hangars were wrecked earlier in the day and now another hanger was almost flattened, and on top of all that telephone and communication lines were severed, gas and water mains were ruptured. Casualties amounted to thirty-nine personnel killed and thirty five injured.

At 4.00 p.m., again without pause, the third and perhaps heaviest group of raids is plotted building up. During the next two hours large and small formations of enemy aircraft flood in over Kent and the Thames Estuary. The Junkers Ju 88s which appear over Biggin Hill at 6.00 p.m. only number nine but the havoc caused by their bombs is far worse than that of any previous attack. The airfield is taken completely by surprise. Six of 79 Squadron's Hurricanes manage to scramble before the bombs start falling but 610 Squadron, already up, is too far away to help defend its own base.

There is wholesale destruction as workshops, cook houses, the sergeants' mess and WAAF quarters are wrecked and 90% of the station's transport is damaged or destroyed.

All electricity, water and gas mains are cut: and two parked aircraft are reduced to scrap. The airmen's shelter is pulverized by a direct hit and all those who had crammed in a few moments earlier are killed. Another bomb hits the airwomen's shelter and the concrete walls cave in, crushing and smothering those inside.

Everyone outside pitches in and digs furiously to free the trapped women. Ambulance and stretcher parties stand by. One-by-one the women are carried out: some are barely recognizable because of dirt and blood on their faces. Others are dazed and bruised but all, except one, are alive. Lena Button from Tasmania is the only casualty. Altogether, 39 personnel have been killed and 26 injured.

Dennis Newton. A Few of the Few Australian War Memorial 1990 p136

It had been a busy day for Fighter Command, over 22 squadrons had been in action for most of the day, many of them doing up to four sorties. But as night fell, there was to be no let up. Göring this time had meant business. It appeared that this was an all out effort to destroy Fighter Command in one way or another.

130 plus Ju88s and He111s of Luftflotte 3 made a night attack on the City of Liverpool, Do17s and He111s made raids on London and Portsmouth, Manchester was bombed as was Worcester and Bristol. In another unexpected raid, the Vauxhall Motor Works at Luton was hit resulting in over fifty people being killed.

It had been one of the worst days for the RAF, 39 aircraft were destroyed, eight of these were Spitfires from 222 Squadron Hornchurch, over 50 RAF personnel had been killed (39 of these at Biggin Hill) with nearly 30 seriously injured. Some 200 civilians had been killed in the air raids and along with the radar stations of Pevensey, Beachy head and Foreness sustaining damage, Biggin Hill was made virtually non-operational, and the control of its sector was transferred over to Hornchurch.

On the German side, a total of 41 fighters and bombers had been destroyed. But they too, during the hours of darkness felt the brunt of an Bomber Command offensive as well. More that 80 Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys attack cities in Holland and Belgium. Berlin is attacked by 149 Squadron Bomber Command. 50 Squadron attacked oil refineries near Rotterdam. Of these, only four RAF bombers are lost.

CASUALTIES:

1115hrs: W of Maidstone. Hurricane L1965. 253 Squadron Kenley

P/O C.D. Francis killed. (Shot down during combat with Bf109 )

1120hrs: Redhill. Hurricane P3921. 253 Squadron Kenley

P/O D.N.O. Jenkins killed. (Baled out when aircraft hit by gunfire from Bf109, but shot at by enemy)

1150hrs: Nr Bognor. Hurricane P3179 43 Squadron Tangmere

Sgt. D. Noble killed. (Shot down by Bf109 in combat over Sussex coast. Crashed near Brighton/Hove)

1151hrs: Stroud (Kent). Hurricane V7369. 151 Squadron Stapleford

S/L E.B. King killed. (Crashed and exploded in flames during routine patrol. No cause known

1202hrs: West Malling. Spitfire X4248. 616 Squadron Kenley

F/O J.S. Bell killed. (Shot down during attack on Bf109. Crashed and aircraft burnt out)

1715hrs: Dungeness. Hurricane P3213. 253 Squadron Kenley

Sgt. J.H. Dickinson killed. (Shot down by Bf109, baled out but was killed)

1735hrs: Woodchurch (Kent). Hurricane V6548. 43 Squadron Tangmere

S/L J.V.C. Badger died of wounds 30.6.1941 (Shot down by Bf109 over Romney Marshes)

1802hrs: Bishopsbourne. Spitfire R6628. 222 Squadron Hornchurch

Sgt. J.I. Johnson killed. (Shot down by Bf109. Crashed and burnt out)