Attacks on convoy off Norfolk-Suffolk coast, shipping off the Isle of Wight and Aberdeen.

Night: South Wales and Bristol areas.

Weather: Mainly cloudy with early-morning fog in the Channel. Thunderstorms in many districts.

Enemy Action by Day

Friday, 12 July 1940, brought unsettled weather across much of Britain. Early-morning fog lingered over the Channel, and thunderstorms broke out in many districts. Despite the poor conditions, Luftwaffe activity remained persistent, focusing primarily on shipping in the Channel and the North Sea, as well as coastal infrastructure from Aberdeen to the Isle of Wight. The Luftwaffe’s strategy continued to focus on disrupting merchant convoys and drawing RAF fighters into action over the coast.

06:00–09:00 Hours: Early Skirmishes and Reconnaissance Raids

At first light, scattered reconnaissance and probing raids were reported along the southern coastline, particularly in the vicinity of Portland. Around 06:00 hours, Luftwaffe aircraft conducted low-level reconnaissance flights over British defensive positions along the Dorset coast, with several of these contacts tracked by Chain Home radar stations. Inland, early-morning mist and looming thunderclouds reduced visibility and impeded reports from Royal Observer Corps posts.

At 08:45 hours, Flying Officer J.H.L. Allen of No. 151 Squadron, flying Hurricane P3275 on a routine convoy patrol near Orford Ness, encountered a Dornier Do 17Z from II./KG 2. In the ensuing engagement, Allen’s aircraft was struck by return fire, forcing him to ditch into the sea. Despite efforts to locate him, he did not survive.

09:00–12:00 Hours: Convoy Booty and Agent Attacked off East Anglia

The main activity of the morning commenced around 09:00 hours. Two Luftwaffe formations, comprising Dornier Do 17s and Heinkel He 111s from II./KG 2 and III./KG 53, were detected approaching British convoy routes off the East Anglian coast. Convoy Booty, a large group of merchant vessels that had departed the Thames Estuary and was steaming southwest approximately 12 nautical miles off Orford Ness, and convoy Agent, positioned off North Foreland in Kent, were the primary targets.

Despite heavy cloud and intermittent fog, the bombers pressed home their attack. RAF Fighter Command scrambled multiple squadrons in response. No. 17 Squadron, flying from RAF Debden, was already patrolling above Booty when the alert came through, and reinforcements included No. 85 Squadron from Martlesham Heath, No. 151 Squadron from North Weald, No. 242 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Douglas Bader from Coltishall, and six Defiants of No. 264 Squadron out of RAF Duxford.

The first interception occurred at 08:48 hours as the German bombers began their run on the convoys. No. 17 Squadron engaged the leading formation, damaging several aircraft before more RAF units arrived. The Luftwaffe formations were flying in tight defensive groupings, and their interlocking fields of fire proved difficult to penetrate. Even so, RAF pilots pressed home their attacks with determination.

Among the confirmed German losses were two Dornier Do 17s of 5./KG 2, including that flown by Hauptmann Erich Machetzki, who was lost with his crew. Two Heinkel He 111s of 8./KG 53 were also destroyed. RAF losses included two Hurricanes shot down by defensive fire; Sgt L. Jowitt of No. 85 Squadron was killed.

Trawlers escorting convoy Booty moved quickly to rescue surviving German aircrew, several of whom were pulled from the sea even as bombs continued to fall around them. Though the Luftwaffe had mounted a coordinated attack, the combination of Fighter Command response and evasive convoy manoeuvring limited the effectiveness of the raid.

09:00–13:00 Hours: Raids on Aberdeen and the Scottish Coast

Meanwhile, in Scotland, He 111 bombers from KG 26 carried out a series of raids against the city of Aberdeen and surrounding infrastructure. The first attack, beginning around 09:10 hours, saw high-explosive bombs dropped on shipyard facilities near the harbour. The resulting explosions killed 29 civilians and injured over 100 more. Despite the scale of the assault, the Royal Navy shipyards emerged largely unscathed, with no damage reported to vessels under construction.

Spitfires of No. 603 Squadron intercepted at least one of the Heinkel formations. A He 111 of 2./KG 26 was hit during combat and crashed into the city’s newly built ice rink on Anderson Drive, setting the structure ablaze and worsening the civilian toll. Rescue efforts were hampered by the fire and the collapsing roof.

A second wave struck later in the morning, damaging the Hall Russell & Co. Iron Works. Another 26 people were killed and 79 wounded, as debris from collapsing workshops and secondary fires spread through the surrounding area. Incendiaries were also dropped in scattered rural areas. Near Bridgehill, a farmhouse caught fire, and a cow was reportedly killed in the blast. Though these attacks were far from the Channel Front, they reflected the widening scope of the Luftwaffe’s campaign.

13:00–16:00 Hours: Attacks on the Solent, Portland and Hampshire

By early afternoon, the Luftwaffe had shifted its focus back to the south coast. At 13:05 hours, high-explosive bombs were dropped near Hamble, just east of Southampton. Several houses sustained minor structural damage, but no civilian casualties were reported.

At 15:15 hours, a single Dornier Do 17 appeared over Portland, likely undertaking a reconnaissance sweep or minor bombing sortie. Hurricanes from No. 501 Squadron were scrambled to intercept. During the engagement, Hurricane P3084, flown by Pilot Officer Duncan A. Hewitt—a Canadian serving with the RAF—was hit by return fire from the bomber. The aircraft crashed into the sea off the Dorset coast, killing Hewitt. Despite being damaged, the Dornier evaded further pursuit and escaped back across the Channel.

Ten minutes later, at 15:55 hours, a larger formation of German bombers attacked naval and coastal targets in the Solent, between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. One Heinkel He 111 of Stab./KG 55, having completed its bombing run, was intercepted by a flight of six Hurricanes from No. 43 Squadron. Severely damaged by concentrated fire, the bomber lost altitude rapidly and crashed into the Horse and Jockey pub at Hipley, a small hamlet north of Portsmouth. The aircraft exploded on impact, killing Oblt Walter Kleinhanns; the remainder of the crew survived, several wounded and taken prisoner.

16:00–17:00 Hours: Air Raids on Cornwall and the Thames Estuary

Around 16:40 hours, five separate Luftwaffe formations—primarily Ju 88s—struck across Cornwall, Devon, Weymouth, Falmouth, and St Eval. RAF units attempted interception where possible. Over St Eval, Hurricanes of No. 243 Squadron engaged a Ju 88, which was last seen descending with its port engine ablaze. Bomb damage was reported across several locations, though specific naval or strategic targets were not confirmed.

Simultaneously, several Heinkel He 111s conducted armed reconnaissance along the Thames Estuary and Norfolk coast, probing for convoy movements and radar installations. These aircraft largely escaped interception, although one He 111 of KG 55 was later confirmed lost during this operation, likely brought down by No. 43 Squadron.

At 16:42 hours, an SOS was received from a trawler off the Essex coast that had come under attack by a Heinkel He 111 of 4./KG 53, piloted by Uffz. Rudolf Franke. The bomber was engaged and shot down by a section of Spitfires from No. 74 Squadron, with shared credit going to Flight Lieutenant “Sailor” Malan, Pilot Officer P.C. Fasken and Sergeant E.A. Mould.

Enemy Action by Night

Luftwaffe operations resumed after dark. From 22:40 to 01:02 hours, seven enemy tracks were plotted crossing into the Portland area, before continuing toward South Wales and the Bristol region. Bombs were dropped on Newport, causing minor damage to Lysaght’s railway sidings, and in Highbridge, Somerset.

Meanwhile, between 23:34 and 01:17 hours, raids were plotted off Northumberland and Yorkshire, with bombs falling at Billingham and Thornaby. On the Scottish coast, from 23:32 to 00:17 hours, fourteen tracks were plotted. Bombs were dropped on Cupar, Dunfermline, and Helensburgh, though no damage was reported.

Adverse weather restricted both RAF night operations and the effectiveness of the German raids. Interception was limited, and most bombers returned unscathed.

German Losses:
Airmen: 28 | Aircraft: 9

British Losses:
Airmen: 4 | Aircraft: 5

Hurricane P2557, No. 85 Squadron. Lost at sea.
Sgt L. Jowitt missing, believed drowned. Hit by gunfire from He 111 from II/KG 53 off Felixstowe.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Jowitt.htm

Hurricane P3275, No. 151 Squadron. Lost at sea.
F/O J.H.L. Allen missing, believed drowned. Hit in engine by gunfire from Do 17 off Orfordness.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/AllenJHL.htm

Hurricane P3084, No. 501 Squadron. Lost at sea.
P/O D.A. Hewitt missing, believed drowned. Hit by gunfire while attacking Do 17 off Portland.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/HewittDA.htm

Spitfire P9502, No. 610 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
Sgt S. Ireland killed. Lost control of aircraft during diving practice.

Photo Descriptions

1. Hawker Hurricanes of No. 17 Squadron on the ground at Debden, while another comes in to land, July 1940. © IWM (HU 54414)
2. Pilots of No. 85 Squadron run to their Hurricanes at the satellite landing ground at Castle Camps, July 1940. In the foreground is P2923 VY-R, flown by Plt Off Albert G Lewis. © IWM (HU 104483)
3. Pilot Officer Albert G Lewis of No. 85 Squadron grabs his flying helmet from the tailplane of his Hurricane, P2923 VY-R, as a member of the ground crew warms up the engine prior to a sortie, Castle Camps, July 1940. © IWM (HU 104484)
4. Ground staff warm up a Hurricane of No. 85 Squadron at Castle Camps, July 1940. © IWM (HU 104485)
5. A German Heinkel He 111 P bomber of the Stab/KG 55 which crash-landed at Hipley in Hampshire on 12 July 1940. It was shot down by Hurricanes of ‘B’ Flight, No. 43 Squadron over Southampton Water. © IWM (HU 90819)
6. RAF personnel inspecting Heinkel He 111P (coded G1+FA) of Stab/KG 55 which was brought down at Hipley in Hampshire, 12 July 1940. It has been camouflaged to prevent the Luftwaffe attempting to destroy the remains. The bomber was shot down by ‘B’ Flight of No. 43 Squadron over Southampton Water. © IWM (HU 72438)
7. Civilians and RAF airmen inspect the burning remains of a Heinkel He 111 which was shot down by Spitfires of No. 603 Squadron over Aberdeen, Scotland and crashed into the newly-built Ice Rink on Anderson Drive. © IWM (HU 71114)