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. Main Activity: The day dawned cloudy, and on the whole it was peaceful over England. In Germany the Luftwaffe Command Staff issued orders that ‘if the weather situation does not […]
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. Main Activity:After reconnaissance flights at lunchtime, Luftflotte 2 put up three big raids and Luftflotte 3 attacked […]
12
Sep
Thursday 12 September 1940
Reconnaissance and small raids in the south. Night: Lesser raids on London. Weather: Unsettled, rain in most districts. Main Activity: Thursday proved mainly quiet thanks to cloud and poor weather over the south and east coasts. The morning was marked by continuous German reconnaissance. At lunch three small raids appeared on the operations table, and […]
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. Main Activity: At seven o’clock in the morning the Luftwaffe began its weather reconnaissance for the day’s work, aircraft covering the Biggin Hill, North Weald and Hornchurch sectors and another Kenley 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. Main Activity: The main German target for the 14th was again London and throughout the morning reconnaissance aircraft probed […]
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. Main Activity: Now celebrated annually as Battle of Britain Day, Sunday […]
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. Main Activity: During the 16th the weather precluded any heavy attacks and from the few small raids which […]
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. Main Activity: The continued strength of both Fighter and Bomber Commands of the RAF and an adverse weather report for the […]
18
Sep
Wednesday 18 September 1940
London and Merseyside bombed. Night: Heavy damage to London. Weather: Bright and squally. Main Activity: At 9 a.m. the first blips appeared on Fighter Command radar screens. They showed a heavy build-up over-Calais. The raiders, mainly fighters, penetrated between North Foreland and Folkestone at 20,000 feet. They were split up over Maidstone and the Estuary […]
19
Sep
Thursday 19 September 1940
Reduced activity, attacks mainly over Thames Estuary and East London. Night: Raids on London and Merseyside. Weather: Showery. Main Activity: Piccadilly, Regent Street, Bond Street, North Audley Street, Park Lane and many less famous thoroughfares in the centre of London were blocked after the night’s raids. Big cranes surrounded Marble Arch and men of the […]