THURSDAY 15th AUGUST 1940

WEATHER:

Cloud covered much of the south and south-east during the morning. This was to disperse before noon where a ridge of high pressure right across Britain would insure a fine and warm day.

OPERATIONS IN DETAIL:

Because of the fact that the weather forecast predicted poor conditions and that all operations were postponed, Göring had summoned all his top commanders for a conference at Karinhall. Albert Kesselring, Hugo Sperle, General Bruno Lorzer of Fliegerkorps II and Generalmajor Joachim Coler of Fliegerdivision XI were all included. He put it to his commanders that they were having no impact on the RAF, he wanted to know the failures that had taken place, he wanted to know why they were suffering so many casualties, he wanted the commanders to explain. "We must have bigger impact in our attacks" said Göring, "our missions must consist of more bombers, bigger formations, more escorts that will fly with greater skills than they have done before". He also made one of his greatest mistakes when he instructed his commanders that the bombing of the radar stations was having no effect on the British, they were not being destroyed and that bombing them was not going to destroy any of their aircraft.

German High Command could not resist the break in weather conditions by mid morning, and the order went out that planned operations be commenced. At the  HQ of the 2nd Flying Corps, Oberst Paul Deichmann who was Chief of Staff of II Fliegerkorps already had 1,000 fighter planes and more than 800 bombers all ready with full compliments of bombs in their bays and fuelled up just waiting for the order to commence the operation. With no word from his superiors, he decided that the opportunity was too good to miss, and took it upon himself to launch an attack.

The planned operation was that the Ju87s of II/StG 1 and  IV (St) /LG 1 loaded with 500 and 250 kilo bombs would lead out first, Dornier bombers from the 3rd Bomber Group would head out over the Channel then turn and head in the direction of Eastchurch, and the Bf110s of 2/ZG76 would head through the Dover Straits then turn inland and attack Manston once again. In the centre of all this, 100 plus Me 109s would provide cover for the formations to left and right of them.

Radar stations all along the south coast could not help but pick up the huge formations that were heading between Lympne and Manston. There were so many aircraft heading across the Channel that many of them were not even on the radar screens, while the different formations could not be distinguished. The Luftwaffe were coming over in force, a mass of 1,120 aircraft were coming across the Channel.

There was no doubt about the intentions of the Luftwaffe on August 15th, they would follow the path of previous missions that attacked the airfields and airfield installations of Fighter Command, but this time, by coming over in larger numbers their plan was to entice more RAF fighters into the air.

1000hrs: Luftflotte 5 in Norway release 63 Heinkel He111 bombers from I and III/KG26 based at Stavanger and Sola. These bombers were given a 20 minute start before 25 Bf110s of I/ZG76 based at Stavanger/Forus take off to escort the Heinkels to their targets which were the British airfields at Asworth, Dishforth, Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesborough. The Bf110s are equipped a 1,000 litre drop tank that will allow them to fly well beyond their normal range.

At the same time as the Bf110s depart from Norway, 50+ Ju88 bombers from KG30 in Denmark begin their journey north also to bomb British airfields in the north of England.

1100hrs: The RAF "scrambled" 54 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires) and 501 Squadron Gravesend (Hurricanes) to intercept the foreboding onslaught that was coming across the Channel. The Observer Corps had reported 60+ Ju87 Stuka dive bombers and an undisclosed number of Bf110 as escort. But this was a numbers game, it was going to be obvious that two squadrons were not going to be enough. The order went out from Fighter Command to Kenley and 615 Squadron (Hurricanes) was "scrambled" to join the other two squadrons already on their way towards Dover.

1210hrs: Radar stations and the Observer Corps along the far north east coast of England and southern Scotland reported that an estimated 30 enemy aircraft had been detected coming in from the North Sea. A few moments later, this was changed to 50+ aircraft. A number of squadrons in the north had already proved their worth, but generally most of the squadrons in the north were newly formed squadrons or training units. Little did the Luftwaffe know that a number of experienced fighter squadrons were at this time up north on  a rest, including 72 and 79 Squadrons.

13 Group of Fighter Command scrambled 72 Squadron Acklington (Spitfires) to meet the enemy. Not too many large or frequent sightings had been made in this part of Britain as most of the action so far had taken place in the south with 11 Group, hence the radar operators were not as experienced as the radar operators in the south. The formation that they had estimated as being 30 aircraft, was in fact a formation of 65 Heinkel III bombers of KG 26 and 34 Me 110s from I/ZG 76 based in Norway (Len Deighton puts this figure at 72 He IIIs, 21 Me 110s and a decoy of Heinkel 115C Floatplanes coming in from the north) and a formation of 50 Ju 88s from KG 30 based in Denmark.

Whichever set of figures are correct, it has been verified that 13 Group did only estimate that the formation consisted of only 30 aircraft which later was corrected to 50+, which now turned out to be a mammoth task for 72 Squadron to undertake. Squadron Leader Collins ( Richard Collier claims this to be a Flight Lieutenant Ted Graham and this is backed up by Denis Newton) headed his squadron past the estimated vector point seeing the German formation well to his left, then turned through the broken cloud towards the direction of the formation from the sun. Approaching the enemy, a voice came over the radio " Haven't you seen them ?" to which a reply was forthcoming "Of course I've seen the bbbbbbastards, I'm trying to wwwwwwork out wwwwhat to dddddo." It wasn't that the leader had a sudden touch of bad nerves, but under strain it is said he stuttered badly.

In the meantime, corrections to the original estimate had been corrected and 605 Squadron Drem (Hurricanes) and 41 Squadron Catterick (Spitfires)  had been dispatched to join 72 Squadron. It was a bad start for the Luftwaffe after their long journey across the North Sea. 23 German aircraft were shot down which included 8 He111s, 8 Bf110s and 7 Ju88s.  It was a high price to pay for a little damage done to two airfields, although the German airman's account below states that the airfield at Driffield had been destroyed and 'was no more.' Records show that a number of Whitely's of Bomber Command at Driffield in Yorkshire were damaged. No other daylight raids on the north coast have ever been recorded.

"The coast.  The initial point.  No time left for thinking - there lay England, the lion's den.  But the eagles were going to attack the lion in his lair and wound him grievously.

"Fighters to starboard..." Three specks overflew us, disappeared to the rear, and after a diving turn, hung behind us."  "Your turn now". The words disappeared in the rattle of our machine guns.  In short bursts the volleys flew towards the first fighter.  He turned away and the second one took his place.  This one's fire is ineffective as well and both passed below and were shot at by our ventral gunner.  Like hornets they swooshed through our formation, the roundels on their fuselage looking like eyes.

"Five fighters to port above." reported the wireless operator calmly. "Dammit," the pilot said, but did not get agitated.  We kept on flying towards our target.  Staring before us we tried to locate the airfield amidst the ragged clouds.' "There, the field, below us." ......

"The target at last - the fighters were beginning to be a real nuisance.  The time had come now.  I did not give a single Pfennig for the life of those below - drop the HEs, away with the blessing!  The aircraft went into a dive, speed rapidly building up, and the wind roared and howled around us. The hangars grew and grew.  They were still standing.  The AA guns were firing away at us, but they were too late.

'A jolt - the bombs were free, the steel bodies out whistling down. Below all hell was let loose.  Like an inferno, steel hit steel, and stones.  Bomb upon bomb exploded, destroying and tearing apart what they hit.  Hangar walls and roofs crumpled like tin sheets, pieces flying through the air.  Aircraft were shattered by a hail of splinters.  Barracks tumbled down, enormous smoke and dust clouds rose like mushrooms.  Here and there explosions and flames shot up.  The airfield and the hangars were already badly hit but bombs kept falling from the bombers that followed us, kept raining down in a horrible shower.  Fire from exploding ammunition burst upwards like torches. The English AA artillery had been eliminated, their firing positions turned into craters.

"The sun shone into our cabin.  The enemy fighters had been got rid of.  Below us lay the wide sea.  How beautiful the Earth can be. Hands loosened their grip on the machine guns.  What happened just a few minutes ago lay behind us and we relaxed.  The engines were running evenly, we were flying home.  The airfield didn't exist any more; that was the result." ...

Oberleutnant Rudolf Kratz Stab/KG 30 stationed at Aalborg

An excellent description of this battle in the north is described in "North-East Diaries" [ Document-32 ]

Back down with 11 Group, 54 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires), 501 Squadron Gravesend (Hurricanes) and 615 Squadron Kenley (Hurricanes) were airborne and on course towards the massive formation of German bombers and fighters that were heading towards the Kent coastline.

1130hrs: The Bf109s were successfully fending off the defending 54 and 501 squadrons while the Ju87s of II/StG 1 dive bombed Hawkinge and Lympne airfields causing severe damage that put both of them out of action for about three days. The Ju87s then concentrated on the radar stations at Rye, Dover and at Foreness, demolishing buildings at will, severing main power supply lines and completely obliterating the towers. All the radar stations were put out of action and the RAF were now blind, their 'eyes' gone, observation was now left to the Observer Corps alone which could only see as far as it was humanly possible.

1200hrs: Twelve Bf110s manage to get through and again make a hit and run attack on Manston airfield. No bombs were reported having been dropped, but they did straffe the airfield with cannon and machine gun fire destroying two Spitfires and it is reported that 16 personnel are killed.

1415hrs: South coast radar picks up further large concentrations of aircraft forming up over Calais. But with most of the main radar stations out of action it is difficult to determine which way the German formations are heading. Urgent messages are relayed to the Observer Corps to be on the lookout for formations coming in from the Channel and off the North Sea. The whole of the south-east corner of Britain is now virtually running blind.

1500hrs: 16 Bf110s from the EprGr 210 Group and Ju87s with an escort of Bf109s manage to cross the Essex coast and make an attack on Martlesham Heath which put them out of action for one day.  The Stuka's made the first attack on the signals station that had not yet been completed. The bombing was not accurate and the signals station suffered only broken windows and a damaged water supply tank. The Bf110s targeted the administration side of the airfield and destroyed some workshops and the Officers Mess. Two hangars were seriously damaged with a Fairy Battle being destroyed. The attack ruptured the water mains and telecommunications was disrupted.

1530hrs: The large formation that had previously been detected over Calais appeared coming in from across the Straits of Dover. At the time, Fighter Command had only four squadrons patrolling the area. At Uxbridge, on receiving a report from the Observer Corps Keith Park releases another three squadrons. Observers on the coast wonder how on earth Fighter Command could hold off this huge concentration of German aircraft coming in. Eighty-eight Dornier Do17s of KG3 and 130+ Bf109s cross the coast near Deal while nearly 70 Bf109s cross between Dover and Folkestone. 1 Squadron Northolt (Hurricanes), 17 Squadron Debden Hurricanes), 32 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes), 64 Squadron Kenley (Spitfires), 111 Squadron Croydon (Hurricanes), 151 Squadron North Weald (Hurricanes) and 501 Squadron Gravesend (Hurricanes) have to all that they can to drive off nearly 290 German aircraft, almost an impossibility.

The sheer number of Bf109s managed to keep the British fighters at bay until the huge formation was over the coast near Faversham in Kent, then they broke into two distinct groups, each with a target in mind. One group headed for the airfield at Rochester where the new Short Stirling bomber is under construction. The Do17s drop nearly 300 H.E. bombs on the airfield destroying hangars, large storage sheds, spare parts blocks and six planes nearing completion are destroyed. The Popjoy factory at the airfield is also hard hit. The other group target Eastchurch once again, and damage is severe, but one cannot wonder as to why these two targets were chosen as neither of them were associated with Fighter Command and the damage caused did nothing to setback the Battle of Britain.

1700hrs: The combat areas now switched the west. Some 60 Bf109s and 25 Bf110s were escorting a formation of 40 Ju87 dive bombers and were detected to the south of Portland. 10 Group despatch 87 Squadron Exeter (Hurricanes) and 213 Squadron Exeter (Hurricanes) to intercept. Soon after, now realizing the size of the enemy force, 234 Squadron Middle Wallop (Spitfires) were scrambled while 609 Squadron Warmwell (Spitfires) were placed at readiness in case they were needed.

The British fighters engaged the formation over the Channel well south of Portland and the notorious Solent, the graveyard for both British and German aircraft alike. The combined strength of the British fighters was about 20 aircraft, while the German force boasted a combined strength of 125. That worked out at a ratio of one RAF fighter to five Germans. F/L Ian Gleed who was commanding the five Hurricanes of 87 Squadron and in a good position to attack, instructed his flight " Okay chaps.....let's go and surround them!!!!!" But despite the odds against them, The RAF fighters managed to halt the progress of the raiders and a number of Bf110s were brought down. Records show that three were shot down and crashed into the Channel, while two limped back to base, one crashing in a field in France, while the other caught fire after crash landing at its base.

With the British fighters vastly outnumbered, it was always on the cards that they would suffer casualties. 234 Squadron lost three pilots. One was shot down over Bournmouth, another was badly damaged well out to sea and headed towards France where the pilot crash landed on a beach near Cherbourg and was taken prisoner and another became a prisoner after he crashed his Spitfire off the French coast. Three of the five 87 Squadron Hurricanes were shot down. S/L Lovell-Gregg was killed as his aircraft crashed in a wood, P/O P.W.Commeley was posted as missing after he crashed into the sea south of Portland while Sgt Cowley received injuries after making a forced landing near Bridport.

1750hrs: While the dogfighting continued over Swanage and Portland, some 60 Ju88s of LG1 with their escort of 40 Bf110s managed to slip through and seemed to be heading towards the airfield at Middle Wallop. 609 Squadron were still at readiness on the airfield when the message came through for them to "scramble". Just twenty miles away from the airfield, the Junkers formation split up, with one section heading for the other aerodrome at Worthy Down. The last of 609's Spitfires are still tearing across the airfield at Middle Wallop when the Ju88s appear overhead and start to release their bombs. With the exception of a few more craters appearing at Middle Wallop, very little damage is done compared to that of the previous day. Worthy Down was also bombed but again, no serious damage was done. Odiham was also a target, but miscalculations saw that Andover was bombed instead.

609 Squadron manage to turn the attackers around and they head out towards the open sea, but not before they manage to shoot down one Ju88 and four Bf109s. three Ju88s are reported as probables.

1820hrs: It had been a long day for Fighter Command, but as evening approached it was not over yet. Without the radar that had been destroyed earlier in the day, a small formation of Do17 bombers crossed the coast headed for Biggin Hill. Here, 610 Squadron (Spitfires) and 32 Squadron (Hurricanes) are scrambled and 610 who were dispatched first meet the German bombers about 10-12 miles to the south-east of the airfield. The tired pilots of both squadrons who had been in action most of the day managed to shoot down a couple of the Dorniers. Both squadrons turn their attention to the Bf109 escort and in doing so allowed the bombers to continue towards their target, but instead of hitting Biggin Hill, they attacked West Malling by mistake. As the escort decides to make a turn for home, 32 Squadron decides to chase after the bombers, but as they do so, they are vectored back towards Biggin Hill, where from the high altitude the Hurricane pilots can see a huge pall of smoke from the south London area.

1850hrs: Me 110s of EprGr 210 were not detected until too late, they had come in north of the Dornier formation and as the Do17s attacked West Malling, the Bf110s continued towards London. Escorted by only eight Bf109s, the German formation was flying into the low setting sun, and although their target was Kenley, they mistook the South London airfield of Croydon which was an ex-civil airport now being used by the RAF as being the target and then, coming down from 2,000 feet commenced their bombing run just as 32 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes) and 111 Squadron Croydon (Hurricanes) arrived on the scene. For some reason, at this stage, the Bf109 escort departed and escaped with only the odd one being attacked by British fighters.

Luckily the 9 Hurricanes of 111 Squadron had taken off moments before the bombing. They claw for height and counter-attack the German fighter bombers which immediately form a defensive circle.

At the same time 32 Squadron takes on the Bf 109s. John Pain sees 6 Messerschmitts diving from 1 500 feet (450 m) above. He avoids them by breaking his Hurricane into a tight turn just as they open fire. Completing his circle he lines up the last machine and presses the button. The 109 begins to trail smoke. Closing right in to 50 yards (45m) he fires two more bursts. In the same instant he realizes that he is alone with 6 enemy fighters so he turns away to rejoin his squadron.

Down below the Bf 110s decide to make a run for it and break out of their circle into small groups to head for cloud cover. It is the chance that 111 Squadron has been waiting for and they dive to attack. Seven Bf 110s are shot down.

Denis Newton A Few of the Few Australian War Memorial 1990 p106

Rubensdorffer's formation had spotted Croydon and began diving and unleashing a mass of bombs at the silent red brick buildings below. The suburb of Croydon shook as one by one the explosions shattered the airfield. Surrounding houses felt the full impact as blast waves tore holes in walls, hoardings and even one house had its roof shifted. The blasts were felt as far away as Woolwich on the Thames and at the Houses of Parliament in Central London. It was almost as if Croydon was handed to Rubensdorffer on a plate. Now, was Rubensdorffer aware that Croydon was a suburb of London, and that on the explicit orders of Adolph Hitler, London including its dockland area and its suburbs were not to be attacked or bombed, and anybody violating this order would be ordered to stand for a court-martial if he ever survived any such attack.

Rubensdorffer who had lead his crack 210 Bf110s on this raid on Croydon, had been hit and was desperately trying to get his crippled plane back across the Channel. But he had had a Hurricane on his tail all the way from Croydon. Slowly the Hurricane was within striking distance over the tiny village of Crockham Hill in Kent. The Bf110 started to catch fire as ruptured fuel tanks spread burning fuel over the wings and along the body of the aircraft. Still the Hurricane fired at Rubensdorffer who was by now losing height rapidly. A couple of more Hurricanes joined in, but decided to attack another 110 that was also trying to make it back to base, this left Rubensdorffer alone, who stayed courageously with his crippled plane that eventually crashed into trees, then as the fuel tanks burst, the whole plane was engulfed in flame killing both crewmen. Was this justice for a man who had violated Hitler's personal orders. Maybe it was.....maybe.

It was by a sheer miracle that 111 Squadron Croydon (Hurricanes) managed to take off under such circumstances, but by the time that they had turned and reached the required height, the damage had been done. But just as the Bf110s broke away and began their return, ironically flying over Kenley the airfield that they originally intended bombing, 111 Squadron was reinforced by 32 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes) who had been diverted to give assistance. One by one the Bf110s were hit as they had no time to go into their defensive circle pattern, their only means of defence against the fighter. The German fighter bombers were riddled with bullets, sparks and glowing yellow star shapes running horizontally along their long fuselages. Many tried in vain to keep altitude and head for home, others, victims to the marauding British fighters spiraled and crashed, unfortunately into the heavily populated suburbs around Croydon and Purley. One such factory that sustained a direct hit was the Bourjois perfume factory. Sixty people died and over 180 were injured in the twisted mangled remains.

The news shattered Londoners. These were the first bombs to fall on their city, and to many it brought home there worst fears, all these dead and injured in one raid at one location. They did not know it then but 60 innocent people dead and 180 badly injured because of a mistaken target by the Germans.

One by one the Bf110s fell, they were not only engaged in combat with 111 and 32 Squadrons, but they were being held back, using up valuable fuel that was required to get them back to base. A number of them were shot down crashing into the fields of Kent and Sussex, while others struggled to make it back to their base, many of them crashing into the Channel.

Back at Fighter Command HQ, Churchill, Dowding, Lord Ismay and Lord Beaverbrook stood in silence as they watched the tangled mess of the huge map board below them unravel. They watched the wall as squadron after squadron came in to land, refuel and rearm then take off again. They stayed until they at last saw what was left of the German formations head back across the Channel. With Adler Tag not being able to commence as planned for the Luftwaffe, August 15th 1940 could be said to have been the opening phase. Another directive [ Document 33 ] had been issued by Göring, this time regarding new methods of attack, but no mention yet of a definate plan of invasion. So far, this had been the largest air battle so far during the period known as "The Battle of Britain". Combat action were seen from beyond Newcastle in the north, to Dover in the south and across to Portland in the west. The Luftwaffe had lost officially seventy-six aircraft while Fighter Command lost thirty-four. Out of the seventy-six German aircraft lost, thirty-seven were bombers, and with four crew to each plane that was one hundred and forty-eight aircrew that would not take part in operations again.

John Frayn Turner in his book "Battle of Britain" states that AVM Hugh Dowding, in his direction of Fighter Command deserves high praise and continues:

......but even more remarkable had been the restraint and the exact measurement of formidable stresses which had reserved a fighter force in the north through all these long weeks of mortal conflict in the south. We must regard the generalship here shown as an example of genius in the art of war.

John Frayn Turner Battle of Britain Airlife 1998 p48

Winston Churchill turned and left the room at 11 Group HQ, he was to head silently back to Chequers near Amersham to the west of London. Lord Ismay followed, as tried to talk to a concerned and upset Churchill "Don't talk to me" bellowed the Prime Minister, " Never before have I been so moved". They sat silently as the staff car made its way to the ministerial residence, then in an emotional tone of voice, Churchill said, "Never, Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few". It was these few words, giving praise to the courage and the esteem of the fighter pilots that fought that day, that were to become amongst the most famous words spoken by Britain's leader.

Many Station Commanders put 'red tape' and 'going by the book' to one side to welcome back their pilots, others got caught up in the excitement and themselves in their own way became part of the Battle of Britain. One pilot said "...that it was always good to know that after exhausting combat, it was good to know that you would be welcomed home by your commander, most commanders were not bad, they showed their admiration for their pilots in so many ways."  Group Captain Richard Grice at Biggin Hill airfield threw all books out of the window and ordered crates of beer for all pilots returning after combat, at Hornchurch Wing Commander Cecil Bouchier often gave a running commentary over the station loudspeaker system from the Ops Room so that all members of the ground crew and administrative staff would know what was going on. He would yell out in excitement like a commentator at a football match that 'Blue Leader has got a Dornier' or "Blue One has a 109 on his tail, he's diving....yes he's left...  now right....a Spit....yes a Spit has got the 109...yes Blue One has gone back into action" and a loud cheer would go up as all the listeners joined in the excitement.

Another story is that a young pilot from North Weald, his Hurricane badly shot up, trailing smoke and with his controls damaged was fighting to keep altitude, yet all the way in, he was singing 'Maisey don'ts and daisy don'ts a little lambsey divey' only to interrupt his singing with a message to base that they should keep the kettle boiling as he was getting close.

But not only did the fighter pilots have a light hearted attitude to the task that was at hand, they also showed courage and determination. Like the case of Flying Officer Ostazewski flying a Spitfire from 609 Squadron out of Middle Wallop. Engaged in combat at 8,000 feet, he picked out a Bf110 that was breaking away, he followed with the intent of getting the Zerstorer into his sights and determined to chalk up a 'kill'. Richard Collier in his book has this account:

Typical were the last desperate moments of young Josef Birndorfer, an Me 110 pilot, seeking vainly to shake 609 Squadron's implacable Flying Officer Ostazewski off his tail. Diving steeply for the ground in a series of S-turns, Birndorfer found himself curving, at 300 miles an hour, round a church spire ... snaking perilously through the steel cables of Southampton's balloon barrage, cheating the grey, motionless sixty-foot-long porpoise-shapes by a hair's breadth . . . now at hedgetop level, a dark speeding shadow across the lavender shadows of evening ... onwards over the Solent's laden waters, with Ostazewski closing relentlessly from 300 yards. Then the Pole was down to 100 yards, still firing, and white stars were winking and dancing along the Zerstorer's fuselage. At Ashley Down, on the Isle of Wight, it struck a metalled road head-on, and suddenly it was a plane no longer but a fiery, skidding projectile ripping itself apart.

Still the Germans were coming: Oberst Deichmann's onslaught had reached juggernaut pitch by now. At 6.28 pm, the Spitfire pilots of 54 Squadron, slumped on the grass at Manston airfield, were dreaming wistfully of beer and supper at their home base, Hornchurch, when the telephone's jangle sent their hopes plunging.

Another seventy-plus German aircraft were in mid-Channel, surging for a landfall between Dover and Dungeness.

Richard Collier Eagle Day-Battle of Britain 1996 Hodder and Staughton p89

1930hrs: The days events were slowly drawing to a close with 54 Squadron engaging a large German formation near Dover on August 15th 1940 the final engagement of the day, perhaps a day that will go down in many a history book. The first daylight raid on the English mainland in north eastern England, the first fall of bombs on a London suburb, Churchill emotionally gives Dowdings fighter pilots due credit with his now famous words, and every squadron in south east England was in operational combat at the same time, someplace, somewhere. These fighter squadrons were:

151 Squadron North Weald who had chased the Dorniers out into the Thames Estuary and the North Sea, 17 Squadron Debden (Hurricanes) in action off the coast at Clacton, 1 Squadron Northolt (Hurricanes) also in action off of Clacton, 151 Squadron North Weald (Hurricanes) in action in North Kent, Dover and at Rochester, 32 Squadron Biggin Hill (Hurricanes) who had a busy day off of Clacton, then over Croydon and Kent in the early evening, 111 Squadron Croydon (Hurricanes) who earlier saw combat near Portsmouth then over their own airfield in the early evening, 54 and 266 Squadrons Hornchurch (Spitfires) who were engaged in combat all day over the Kent coast, 64 Squadron Kenley (Spitfires) who also spent the day in combat over the Kent coast.
Other squadrons operational on this day were 43 Squadron Tangmere, 601 Squadron Tangmere, 234 Squadron Middle Wallop, 152 Squadron Warmwell, 87 Squadron Exeter 213 Squadron Exeter and 238 Middle Wallop.

The sound was unthinkable, you never heard anything like it, and there, out of the sky planes were falling blazing to the ground, parachutes with little men hanging helplessly underneath drifted towards earth, even flying boots and pieces of aircraft came down hitting the tin shelter with a terrific thud. I think it was now that this war was so close to home, that we suddenly became proud of these pilots, men and young men, who we didn't even know, yet we cheered them on in every dogfight that we saw.

Mrs Joanna Thompson, housewife Kent England.

I was in the garden of our new home in Luton with my foster mother (Auntie Sarr) when she exclaimed, 'Arn't they beautiful', pointing to some silver coloured planes flying high in the clear blue sky. A series of violent explosions followed and we discovered later that planes were German.

Leon Kay.

Ben Wicks Waiting for the All Clear. Bloomsbury 1990 p48 CASUALTIES:

1205hrs: Deal. Hurricane P2801. 615 Squadron Kenley

Sgt D.W. Halton Listed as missing. (Aircraft crashed and burnt out. No sign of pilot)

1500hrs: Harwich. Hurricane R4075. 1 Squadron Northolt

P/O D.O.M. Browne Listed as missing. (Last seen in combat with enemy fighters over North Sea)

1500hrs: Harwich. Hurricane P4043. 1 Squadron Northolt

Sgt M.M. Shanahan Listed as missing. (Last seen in combat with enemy fighters over North Sea)

1520hrs: Dungeness. Spitfire R6990. 64 Squadron Kenley

F/O C.J.D. Andreae Listed as missing. (Last seen in combat with Bf109s over Channel)

1525hrs: Calais. Spitfire K9664. 64 Squadron Kenley

P/O R. Roberts Taken prisoner. (Forced landing after combat with Bf109s over Channel)

1715hrs: Dunkirk. Spitfire N3189. 266 Squadron Hornchurch

Sgt F.B. Hawley Listed as missing. (Believed crashed into Channel after destroying He115)

1745hrs: Portland. Hurricane V7227. 213 Squadron Exeter

P/O S.M.H.C. Buchin Listed as missing. (Failed to return to base after combat over Channel)

1751hrs: Selsey Bill. Hurricane P3944. 111 Squadron Croydon

F/O B.M. Fisher Killed. (Shot down by Ju88 and exploded. Pilot baled out of burning plane)

1800hrs: Portland. Hurricane P3215. 87 Squadron Exeter

S/L T.G. Lovell-Gregg Killed. (Aircraft damaged by enemy gunfire. Crashed attempting to reach Warmwell)

1805hrs: Portland. Hurricane P2872. 87 Squadron Exeter

P/O P.W. Comeley Listed as missing. (Shot down by Bf110 off coast and crashed into the sea)

1815hrs: Cherbourg. Spitfire N3277. 234 Squadron Middle Wallop

P/O R. Hardy Taken prisoner. (Forced landed on beach after combat over Channel off Swanage)

1815hrs: Bournmouth. Spitfire R6988. 234 Squadron Middle Wallop

P/O C.H. Hight Killed. (Collapsed and died by his aircraft after being shot down and crashing)

1850hrs: Rochester (Teston). Spitfire N3168. 266 Squadron Hornchurch

P/O F.W. Cale Killed. (Baled out over River Medway but was dead when found in the river)

1915hrs: Dymchurch. Hurricane P3941. 151 Squadron North Weald

P/O J.T. Johnstone Killed. (Shot down into Channel by Bf109. Was dead when picked up by rescue boat)

1920hrs: Dover. Hurricane V7410. 151 Squadron North Weald

P/O M. Rozwadowski Listed as missing. (Failed to return to base after combat over Channel)