Footage of No. 56 (Punjab) Squadron Hurricanes and No. 65 (East India) Squadron Spitfires operating from RAF Rochford (now Southend Airport), August 1940. Source: British Pathé
1940
19
Aug
Monday 19 August 1940
Isolated raids on Britain. Heavy reconnaissance activity. Night: Widespread harassing raids. Minelaying. Weather: Mainly cloudy. Occasional showers in the east. Main Activity: On the 19th large numbers of the enemy made threatening moves in the Channel and estuary areas, but only isolated raids came through. The most intense Luftwaffe activity was put up by the […]
20
Aug
Tuesday 20 August 1940
Scattered raids in the morning. Kent and Essex airfields attacked during the afternoon. Night: Very little activity. One or two raids in the south-west. Weather: Generally cloudy, rain spreading from the north. Channel mainly fine. Main Activity: The weather was autumnal, with low clouds, strong winds and intermittent rain which restricted German operations. The Luftflotten […]
21
Aug
Wednesday 21 August 1940
Small raids on airfields in the east and south. Night: Slight activity including Scotland. Weather: Cloudy, occasional rain. Main Activity: The bad weather continued throughout the day, and the Luftwaffe resorted to ‘tip-and-run’ raids round the east and south coasts. Instead of mass attacks, small formations or single aircraft were used in some cases, while […]
22
Aug
Thursday 22 August 1940
Shipping reconnaissance and attacks on two Channel convoys. Night: Increased activity particularly in the Midlands, north and west. Some minelaying. Weather: Cloudy and squally. Main Activity: At 0900 hours the convoy ‘Totem’ was passing through the Straits of Dover and reported being under air attack. Investigation showed that it was in fact being shelled by […]
23
Aug
Friday 23 August 1940
Single raids in the south and reconnaissance flights. Night: Main attacks in South Wales. Weather: Showers with bright intervals. Cloudy in Straits, Channel and Thames Estuary. Main Activity: Low cloud and rain continued throughout this Friday, limiting operations once again to guerrilla warfare by single, or occasionally flights of two or three machines. Outer London, […]
24
Aug
Saturday 24 August 1940
Airfield attacks in south-east; Manston evacuated. Heavy raid on Portsmouth. Night: Heavier attacks over wide area. Minelaying. Weather: Fine and clear in the south, drizzle in the north. Main Activity: The early part of the Saturday morning was cloudless and fine and the controllers in 11 Group watched anxiously for the inevitable signs of a […]
25
Aug
Sunday 25 August 1940
Slight activity in the morning, main raids by Luftflotte 3 in the south-west during the afternoon. Night: Continued widespread attacks with the main concentration in the Midlands. Weather: Early morning fair but remainder of day cloudy. Main Activity: For most of the morning and afternoon of Wednesday the Luftwaffe rested, although the Channel was filled […]
26
Aug
Monday 26 August 1940
Dover, Folkestone and airfields in Kent and Essex attacked. Lesser raids in the Solent. Night: Widespread raids, Industrial areas and airfields the main targets. Weather: Mainly cloudy but dry. Brighter in the south. Main Activity: This was another day of widespread activity in the course of which the Luftwaffe delivered three main attacks: (a) on […]
27
Aug
Tuesday 27 August 1940
Reconnaissance mainly in the Portsmouth – Southampton area. Night: Widespread attacks on industry and airfields from Lincolnshire to Portsmouth. Weather: Rain in central and eastern England. Some cloud in the Channel and haze over Dover Straits. Main Activity: The Tuesday morning dawned dull and hazy, but no Luftflotte 2 major raids developed. The main effort […]