Day bombing switched to London with a heavy attack on the capital. Night: Raids on London continue from dusk till dawn. Main objectives are the East End and Docks. Weather: Fair with some haze. Enemy Action by Day The morning of Saturday, 7 September 1940, began with an eerie calm. Radar stations along the south […]
1940
08
Sep
Sunday 8 September 1940
Slight activity. Some small attacks on airfields. Night: Heavy raid on London, mainly in the east. Weather: Fair early morning and evening, cloudy for the remainder of the day. Enemy Action by Day Sunday, 8 September 1940, began with a deceptive sense of calm. In the early morning light, the full extent of the previous […]
09
Sep
Monday 9 September 1940
Unsuccessful attacks on London, Thames Estuary and aircraft factories. Night: Main target is London, including the City and West End. Weather: Scattered showers, thundery in the east. Channel fair. Enemy Action by Day By 9 September, a perceptible shift in Luftwaffe strategy was underway. Following the heavy daylight raids of 7 and 8 September, Fighter […]
10
Sep
Tuesday 10 September 1940
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 […]
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. […]