Airfields in Kent, Hampshire and West Sussex attacked with widespread damage. Radar station at Ventnor put out of action. Other targets in Oxfordshire, Essex and Suffolk hit.

Night: Numerous light attacks.

Weather: Mainly fair and warm with haze over the Channel.

Enemy Action by Day

The weather remained fair and warm, with haze lingering over the Channel. Luftwaffe operations began in earnest around midday, developing into one of the hardest-fought days of the battle so far. Strong German formations struck airfields across Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire, while secondary attacks reached Oxfordshire, Essex, and Suffolk. London suburbs were also bombed, and Ventnor radar—already disabled on 12 August—was once more put out of action. By nightfall, Fighter Command had suffered heavy losses, but the Luftwaffe paid a higher price: 44 aircraft destroyed and 55 aircrew killed.

12:00 Hours – First Major Assaults on Kent and the Thames Estuary

Shortly after midday, radar tracked large formations approaching the Kent coast. Around 100 Dornier Do 17s of KG 2, escorted by Bf 109s of JG 51, steered for the Thames Estuary while other elements pressed inland toward Biggin Hill and Kenley.

Spitfires of No. 266 Squadron and Hurricanes of Nos. 56 and 151 Squadrons intercepted. In the opening exchanges, Flight Lieutenant Henry Ferris of No. 56 Squadron collided with a Dornier during his attack; both aircraft crashed, killing Ferris. Squadron Leader Rodney Wilkinson of No. 266 Squadron was also lost when his Spitfire R6768 collided with a Bf 109 flown by Unteroffizier Ernst Buder of 4./JG 51. Buder bailed out and was captured; Wilkinson was killed when his aircraft came down at Eastry Court near Deal.

The battle spread across the skies of Kent as RAF fighters tore into the bombers while their Messerschmitt escorts fought to protect them. Ten German aircraft were destroyed for the loss of six RAF fighters. Among the Luftwaffe victories, Hauptmann Walter Oesau of 7./JG 51 claimed two Spitfires off Cap Gris Nez, raising his tally to eighteen.

On the ground, bombs fell on West Malling while clearance from the previous day’s attack was still underway. Eighteen bombers of KG 2 dropped around 80 bombs, most of which fell harmlessly in farmland. One aircraft was destroyed on the ground, and structural damage forced the station out of action until 20 August.

Civilian targets were also hit. At 12:30, Tilbury docks were bombed, damaging a vessel and killing several dockworkers. At 13:00, ten bombs struck Bowater’s Paper Mills at Northfleet, destroying part of the plant and killing 25 workers, with 32 injured. Further east, four bombs hit Thorney, demolishing No. 3 hangar and destroying three aircraft by fire.

13:00 Hours – Stuka Assaults on Tangmere, Gosport, and Ventnor

At 13:00 hours, radar stations detected a mass of aircraft crossing from Cherbourg—around 150 in total. The force included fifty-four Ju 87 Stukas of StG 2, Ju 88s of KG 54, and heavy escort from Bf 109s of II./JG 2 and Bf 110s of III./ZG 76. Over the Nab Tower, flares signalled the split: one detachment turned toward the disabled Ventnor radar, another struck Portsmouth and Gosport, while the main body pressed on to Tangmere.

Hurricanes of Nos. 1, 43, and 601 Squadrons, together with Spitfires of No. 602 Squadron, engaged. In the fierce fighting that followed, RAF pilots claimed 17 Stukas destroyed, though Luftwaffe records confirm nine losses.

Despite the interception by RAF fighters, Tangmere was devastated. Dive-bombers destroyed seven Hurricanes, six radar-equipped Blenheims, and a Magister trainer on the ground. Two hangars were obliterated, three more badly damaged, and key infrastructure—including workshops, fire mains, the officers’ mess, and the command post—was wrecked. Twelve personnel were killed and five wounded.

No. 43 Squadron lost four Hurricanes on the ground, while Pilot Officer C.A. Woods-Scawen crash-landed on the Isle of Wight. He escaped unhurt, though his aircraft was destroyed.

Pilot Officer William “Billy” Fiske of No. 601 Squadron, an American volunteer, was mortally injured when his Hurricane’s fuel tank was set ablaze by return fire. Though badly burned, he crash-landed at Tangmere and was pulled from the wreckage. He died the next day, aged 29, becoming the first American combat fatality in RAF service. He was buried at Boxgrove Priory and later commemorated in St Paul’s Cathedral.

At 13:10 Tangmere was struck again, this time by Ju 88s of Luftflotte 3. Unlike the Stukas, their bombing was devastatingly accurate: nearly every hangar and building was hit, and fourteen more aircraft were destroyed on the ground.

The station’s defence extended to the ground. Second Lieutenant E.P. Griffin of the Royal Engineers manned a Lewis gun during the raid and brought down a Bf 110, which crashed three-quarters of a mile from the aerodrome, killing its three crew.

Meanwhile, Gosport and Lee-on-Solent were also bombed. At HMS Daedalus, three hangars were destroyed, 42 aircraft wrecked, and 14 personnel killed with five wounded. At Gosport, multiple buildings were damaged, with seven killed and 15 wounded. Fires burned across the station.

Simultaneously, five Stukas attacked Ventnor, ensuring the radar station—already disabled—remained silent until late September.

13:45 Hours – Victoria Cross over the Solent*

At 13:45 hours, Ju 88s withdrawing from Tangmere were intercepted over the Solent by Hurricanes of No. 249 Squadron. During the combat, Flight Lieutenant James Nicholson was hit by Bf 109s of JG 53 led by Oberleutnant Heinz Bretnütz, who claimed two RAF fighters—matching Nicholson’s section losses.

Nicholson, wounded in the head and leg and with his cockpit ablaze, pressed home an attack on a Messerschmitt before finally bailing out. While descending, he was mistakenly shot in the leg by a Home Guard volunteer. He survived and was later awarded the Victoria Cross—the only member of Fighter Command to receive the decoration during the Second World War.

17:00–18:00 Hours – Evening Raids

By late afternoon, fresh waves continued to cross the coast.

At 17:05 hours, Heinkel He 111s of KG 55 mounted a raid against the Great Western Aerodrome (now Heathrow). Their approach was intercepted by RAF fighters including Spitfires of No. 602 Squadron, leading to heavy losses. Three He 111s were shot down over Sussex, while three more, badly damaged, limped back across the Channel and were forced to make emergency landings in France. Among those lost was a He 111P (Werke/Nr. 1582, coded G1+FR) of 7./KG 55, which crashed at High Salvington near Worthing.

At 17:20, bombs fell on Wimbledon, Merton, Mitcham, Esher, Malden, and Coombe. A factory and sub-station at Wimbledon were demolished, leaving 18 civilians dead and 57 injured. At the same time, Basingstoke was also struck; railway tracks were damaged though traffic continued on a single line.

At 17:30, He 111s escorted by around fifty Bf 110s attacked Essex. Spitfires of No. 19 Squadron, supported by other Duxford units, intercepted off Clacton, shooting down several Bf 110s while at least one Heinkel was destroyed over the sea. Further south, Eastbourne was hit by 18 bombs, killing three civilians and wounding another.

By 17:45 hours, the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough came under attack, with two wooden buildings destroyed in the bombing. Harwell was also attacked; the first raid was ineffective, but a return strike at 00:35 hours ignited fires that damaged hangars and storage.

At 18:04, Brize Norton was hit again. Bombs damaged hangars, the barracks, and the institute building, with five personnel wounded. At 18:15, eight Bf 109s dive-bombed Manston, machine-gunning dispersal areas and destroying one Spitfire and two Blenheims.

During these late engagements, the Luftwaffe suffered further losses, including Oberleutnant Karl Ebbighausen, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26, who was killed in combat and replaced by Hauptmann Erich Bode. Oberleutnant Walter Möckel of 4./JG 2 was shot down and taken prisoner.

Enemy Action by Night

Raids continued after dark. At 01:45 hours, bombs fell on Brough airfield, cutting telephone lines. At 03:32, Filton was struck, three houses demolished and ten damaged, though no industrial loss occurred. At 23:50, bombs hit central Cardiff, starting a fire quickly extinguished. Scattered bombs also fell across South Wales, Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire, Kent, Suffolk, and the Isle of Wight, though most caused little damage.

Aftermath

Losses on 16 August were heavy on both sides. Fighter Command lost 23 aircraft, including six destroyed on the ground, with nine pilots killed. The Luftwaffe’s toll was greater: 44 aircraft destroyed and 55 aircrew killed.

Among those gravely wounded was Pilot Officer Billy Fiske of No. 601 Squadron, who had crash-landed his burning Hurricane at Tangmere. He succumbed to his injuries the following day—his sacrifice becoming a lasting symbol of Anglo-American solidarity in the Battle of Britain.

At RAF Uxbridge, Winston Churchill observed operations alongside Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park. As the fighting closed, the Prime Minister delivered the words that crystallised the struggle:

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Four days later, he repeated them in the House of Commons.

Tangmere lay shattered, Gosport and Lee-on-Solent burned, and Ventnor radar remained silent. Yet the RAF endured, and the German gamble of overwhelming Britain’s southern defences had again fallen short.

German Losses:
Airmen: 55 | Aircraft: 44

British Losses:
Airmen: 9 | Aircraft: 23

Spitfire R6768, No. 266 Squadron
S/L R.L. Wilkinson killed. Believed collided with Bf 109 over Channel. Some authorities say shot down.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/WilkinsonRL.htm

Spitfire N3240, No. 266 Squadron
Sub Lt H.L. Greenshields killed. Chased Bf 109 across Channel, crashed and burnt in Calais suburb.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Greenshields.htm

Spitfire N3095, No. 266 Squadron
P/O N.G. Bowen killed. Shot down and aircraft burst into flames during combat with Bf 109.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/BowenNG.htm

Hurricane R4193, No. 111 Squadron
F/L H.M. Ferriss killed. Collided with Do 17 during a head-on attack on enemy formation.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Ferriss.htm

Hurricane P3358, No. 601 Squadron
P/O W.M.L. Fiske. Died of Injuries next day. Damaged by gunfire from Ju 87 and crashed on landing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Fiske.htm

Hurricane ?, No. 213 Squadron
P/O J.E.P. Laricheliere. Listed as missing. Failed to return after combat over Portland.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Laricheliere.htm

Hurricane P3616, No. 249 Squadron
P/O M.A. King killed. Shot down by Bf 110. Pilot bailed out but parachute collapsed on descent.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/KingMA.htm

Spitfire R6802, No. 610 Squadron
F/Lt W.H.C. Warner. Listed as missing. Last seen in combat with Bf 109 over Channel. Failed to return.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Warner.htm

Spitfire K9915, No. 65 Squadron
P/O L. L. Pyman killed. Crashed into Channel during combat.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Pyman.htm

Photo Descriptions

1. Troops examine the wreckage of Messerschmitt Bf 110 D-0/B (W.Nr. 3374, S9+BB) of Erprobungsgruppe 210 on 16 August, 1940. This aircraft was shot down after a raid on Croydon the previous day. © IWM (HU 104733)
2. Troops guard the wreck of Heinkel He 111P (W.Nr. 1582, G1+FR) of 7./KG 55, which was shot down during an attack on Great Western Aerodrome (now Heathrow) and crash-landed at High Salvington near Worthing, 16 August 1940. © IWM (HU 72684)
3. A Belfast hanger at RAF Tangmere in flames after the Luftwaffe raid on 16 August 1940. Note the Bristol Blenheims of the newly formed Fighter Interception Unit.
4. Another view of the burning hanger at RAF Tangmere on 16 August 1940.
5. A Hurricane flies by the wrecked Handley Page shed at RAF Tangmere after the raid on 16 August 1940. The camouflaged building to the left is the newly-built gas decontamination centre.
6. An air raid shelter at RAF Tangmere, 1940. Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.
7. One of four Junkers Ju-87B Stukas of 3./StG 2 shot down after the attack on RAF Tangmere on 16 August 1940. Pursued by F/Lt. Carl Raymond Davis of No. 601 Squadron, the bullet-holed Stuka crashed through trees before coming to rest at Bowley Farm, South Mundham. Both crew had been hit in the head by bullets, killing the radio operator/gunner instantly and grievously wounding the pilot, who died in hospital the next day.
8. The body of Ogefr Rudolf Messerschmidt of 3./StG 2 lies in a field at Honar Farm in Pagham, Sussex. Messerschmidt died after the raid on RAF Tangmere on 16 August 1940 when his Junkers Ju 87B Stuka (W.Nr. 5138, T6+LL) was shot down by fighters. The pilot, Unteroffizier Paul Linse, also died in the crash.
9. During an action near Southampton on 16 August 1940, Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson (pictured here three months later) was wounded when his Hurricane was attacked by Messerschmitt Bf 109s of JG 53 — not a Bf 110, as later accounts claimed. Despite his cockpit being on fire, he attempted to engage an enemy fighter before bailing out, suffering serious burns in the process. For his actions he became Fighter Command’s only recipient of the Victoria Cross during the Second World War. © IWM (CH 1700)

*Special thanks to John Vasco for his invaluable contribution to this page. You can explore his excellent book on Amazon below:

Messerschmitt Bf 110: Bombsights over England Erprobungsgruppe 210 in the Battle of Britain
John Vasco
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