Single-aircraft raids on airfields during the afternoon. Night: Main attacks against London. Some lesser raids on Merseyside and South Wales. Weather: Generally cloudy, some rain. Enemy Action by Day Tuesday, 10 September, was marked by generally poor weather across southern England and the Channel, with widespread cloud and intermittent rain hampering large-scale air operations. The […]
1940
11
Sep
Wednesday 11 September 1940
Three large raids in the south-east, including London. Portsmouth and Southampton attacked. German invasion postponed again (till the 14th). Night: London and Merseyside attacked. Weather: Mainly fine with some local showers. Cloud in the Channel and Thames Estuary. Enemy Action by Day This day marked the date originally scheduled for the launch of Unternehmen Seelöwe […]
12
Sep
Thursday 12 September 1940
Reconnaissance and small raids in the south. Night: Lesser raids on London. Weather: Unsettled, rain in most districts. Enemy Action by Day Thursday, 12 September 1940, was marked by unsettled weather, with rain affecting much of Britain. The air war entered a period of reduced intensity, with operations largely limited to reconnaissance, scattered small raids, […]
13
Sep
Friday 13 September 1940
Small raids mainly against London. Hitler in conference, discussing the German air offensive and invasion plans. Night: Renewed attacks against London. Weather: Unsettled. Enemy Action by Day With invasion planning still under review and the Luftwaffe yet to achieve air superiority, Hitler met with senior commanders in Berlin to discuss the ongoing air campaign and […]
14
Sep
Saturday 14 September 1940
Hitler postpones the German invasion until September 17th. Fighter-bomber attacks during the afternoon on London. Night: Reduced activity but main attacks against London. Weather: Showers and local thunder. Cloud in the Straits, Channel and Thames Estuary. Enemy Action by Day Showers and local thunder moved across southern England on 14 September, with cloud lingering over […]
15
Sep
Sunday 15 September 1940
Heavy attacks on London, broken up by Fighter Command. Highest German losses since 18 August [185 claimed by the RAF] force a serious rethink by the German High Command. Night: Heavy damage to London. Weather: Fair with some cloud patches. Fine during the evening. By mid-September 1940, the Luftwaffe’s campaign against Fighter Command had reached […]
16
Sep
Monday 16 September 1940
Göring in conference following the previous day’s losses. German effort to be switched against Fighter Command. Only minor air activity. Night: Continuous attacks against London. Smaller raids on Merseyside and the Midlands. Weather: General rain and cloud. Enemy Action by Day The morning of 16 September brought sober reflection on both sides of the Channel. […]
17
Sep
Tuesday 17 September 1940
Reduced activity again with only one large fighter sweep during the afternoon. German invasion cancelled indefinitely. Night: Heavy attacks against London. Merseyside and Glasgow also raided. Weather: Squally showers with thunder and bright intervals. Unternehmen Seelöwe Cancelled Indefinitely On the morning of 17 September 1940, a critical shift occurred in German strategy. While Luftwaffe commanders […]
18
Sep
Wednesday 18 September 1940
London and Merseyside bombed. Night: Heavy damage to London. Weather: Bright and squally. Enemy Action by Day Operation Sea Lion, Germany’s intended invasion of Britain, had been indefinitely postponed the previous day, but there was no respite for the RAF or the British population. Luftwaffe attacks continued by day and intensified by night, with London […]
19
Sep
Thursday 19 September 1940
Reduced activity, attacks mainly over Thames Estuary and East London. Night: Raids on London and Merseyside. Weather: Showery. Enemy Action by Day Following the indefinite postponement of Operation Sea Lion, the Luftwaffe shifted its focus to sustained reconnaissance and scattered harassment raids across southern and eastern England. Though no large-scale assaults occurred, the day was […]