Heavy attacks on London and Bristol.

Night: Further raids on London, Merseyside and the Midlands.

Weather: Fair in the extreme south and south-west. Cloudy in the Channel with light rain over southern England.

Enemy Action by Day

The 27th of September marked one of the heaviest and most disastrous days of the campaign for the Luftwaffe. Large-scale operations were mounted by Luftflotte 2 against London and the South-East, supported by diversionary strikes against Bristol. A total of four major raids unfolded throughout the day, testing the limits of Fighter Command’s endurance. While the Luftwaffe suffered catastrophic losses — more than fifty aircraft destroyed, including some of its most experienced Zerstörer commanders — the RAF also paid heavily, losing nearly thirty fighters and many pilots. The day also witnessed the extraordinary “Battle of Graveney Marsh,” the last recorded armed engagement fought on English soil.

Morning Feint

At around 08:50 hours, a diversionary sweep by ten Bf 110s from V.(Z)./LG 1 crossed the coast as a feint to draw RAF fighters away from planned bomber formations. One aircraft had aborted at takeoff, leaving nine to proceed. The raid drew a swift response from RAF squadrons, including No. 249, which intercepted near the Sussex coast. The German formation was decimated — only three aircraft returned to base. Among the losses was the Gruppe Kommandeur, Hauptmann Horst Liensberger, who was pursued for over forty miles at low altitude by Flying Officer P.R.F. Burton of No. 249 Squadron, flying Hurricane V6883. After an extended chase, during which Burton’s guns ceased firing — likely due to ammunition exhaustion — the aircraft skimmed over rooftops near Hailsham. Burton manoeuvred above and behind the Bf 110 and made what appeared to be a ramming attack. Both aircraft lurched; debris separated mid-air. The tail unit of the Bf 110 dropped into a field, followed by the fuselage. The falling object was identified as the wingtip of Burton’s Hurricane, which then crashed into a large oak tree on New Barn Farm, killing him instantly. The Hurricane burned out in the field. This engagement cost both pilots their lives and marked the near-destruction of V.(Z)./LG 1, which, by the end of the day, retained only two veteran crews from its original strength in the French campaign.

09:00–09:43 Hours: First Major Attack

At approximately 09:00 hours, some 180 enemy aircraft—around one hundred fighters and eighty bombers—crossed the coast between Folkestone and Dover in six distinct formations flying between 15,000 and 20,000 feet. The enemy order of battle included Bf 110s of Erprobungsgruppe 210 and the long-range twin-engined Zerstörer of all three Gruppen of ZG 26, supported by Bf 109 escorts from JG 51, JG 54, and elements of JG 77. Thirteen No. 11 Group squadrons were ordered up, eleven of which intercepted successfully, while No. 12 Group dispatched four squadrons to patrol North Weald and Hornchurch.

Intense fighting developed from Dungeness to Maidstone and Tonbridge. The attack was halted short of its objective, although several bombers penetrated to central and west London. Hurricanes of No. 504 Squadron shot down two Bf 110s of I./ZG 26 during the withdrawal; one disintegrated over the Stapleton Institution at Fishponds, becoming the only enemy aircraft to crash within the Bristol boundary during the war, and another came down at Haydon near Radstock. Heavy losses were sustained by Erpr.Gr. 210: Gruppenkommandeur Hauptmann Martin Lutz and Oberleutnant Wilhelm Rossiger, Staffelkapitän of 2./Erpr.Gr. 210, were both killed, and Oberleutnant Adolf Johann Bühl of I(J)./LG 2 was posted missing. Oberleutnant Werner Weymann became acting Gruppenkommandeur, and Oberleutnant Wolfgang Schenck assumed command of 1./Erpr.Gr. 210.

By 09:43 hours, the enemy formations were dispersing and recrossing the coast between Shoreham and Dungeness.

11:47–13:00 Hours: Second Major Attack

Between 11:47 and 12:15 hours, six further formations, totalling approximately 300 aircraft, crossed between Dover and Lympne at altitudes from 12,000 to 29,000 feet. These comprised Do 17s and Ju 88s, together with Bf 109 and Bf 110 escorts, directed toward the Chatham area and London. Twenty squadrons were ordered up, and heavy engagements took place over Kent and East Sussex.

Fighter coordination among the German formations was poor. The Bf 109s tasked to cover succeeding bomber waves remained in the London area and were struck by RAF fighters. Without adequate escort, the bombers were heavily attacked. One Ju 88 crashed and burned at Folly Farm, South Holmwood. Walter Schmidt of 2./KG 77 later recalled the continuous fighter assaults and the breaking up of the bomber formation under sustained attack. By 12:30 hours, the enemy was in retreat, and the last formations were clear of the coast by 13:00 hours.

11:30–12:20 Hours: Attack on Filton

Almost simultaneously with the second major attack, a separate force of about twenty-five Do 17s and Ju 88s, with some forty-five Bf 110s and Bf 109s, crossed near Swanage and turned toward Filton. At Frome, the Bf 109s broke away and returned, leaving the bombers exposed. Spitfires of Nos. 152 and 609 Squadrons and Hurricanes of Nos. 56 and 504 Squadrons intercepted, breaking up the Bf 110 escort and forcing the bomber formations to jettison their loads prematurely.

Pilot Officer Alfred Keith Ogilvie of No. 609 Squadron destroyed a Bf 110 off Portland, describing a collision between Yellow 1 and an enemy aircraft, and witnessing several Bf 110s descending in flames. Filton was bombed from 11,000 feet, with limited damage to a hangar, a water pipe, the field telephone, and the northern perimeter. Aircraft serviceability was not materially affected.

At 11:45 hours, a Bf 110 of 3./ZG 26 was set ablaze after a head-on attack—likely by Sergeant H. D. B. Jones of No. 504 Squadron or by Flying Officer T. H. T. Forshaw of No. 609 Squadron. Leutnant Koepsell baled out and was captured unhurt; Unteroffizier Schmidt was killed when his parachute failed to open.

15:00–16:00 Hours: Third Major Attack

A third major operation began between 15:00 and 15:26 hours, when nine formations totalling approximately 160 aircraft—likely half of them bombers—crossed between Dover and Brighton at an average altitude of 22,000 feet. Interceptions took place immediately, though about twenty aircraft penetrated as far as central London before dispersing.

Bomber formations were heavily pressed by both No. 11 Group and No. 10 Group squadrons. Luftwaffe losses mounted sharply. Claims by German fighter leaders included Hauptmann Helmut Wick of Stab I./JG 2, whose score rose to thirty-one; Oberleutnant Hans Philipp of 4./JG 54 with four victories; and a succession of successes by Oblt. Roloff von Aspern (5./JG 54), Oblt. Herbert Ihlefeld (1.(J)/LG 2), Hauptmann Walter Oesau (Stab III./JG 51), Oberleutnant Arnold Lignitz (9./JG 51), Oblt. Gustav Rödel (4./JG 27), Lt. Willi Kothmann (2./JG 27), Unteroffizier Xaver Ray (8./JG 53), Oberfeldwebel Josef Pöhs (5./JG 54), and Lt. Otto Grote (4./JG 54). Kommodore Mölders of JG 51 claimed a further Spitfire of No. 222 Squadron for his forty-first victory; his brother, Oberleutnant Viktor Mölders of 2./JG 51, claimed a Hurricane.

II./JG 52 suffered a disastrous return to operations, losing five pilots and seven aircraft, with Fw. Franz Bogasch of 4./JG 52 shot down and captured. Overall Luftwaffe losses for the day reached fifty-five aircraft missing, including twenty-one bombers. Fighter Command lost twenty-eight fighters, most of which came down in England, enabling the majority of pilots to return to duty.

Battle of Graveney Marsh

Later in the day, a new variant of the Ju 88, piloted by Unteroffizier Fritz Ruhlandt of KG 77, was disabled after earlier damage from anti-aircraft fire during a London raid and subsequent attacks by Spitfires of Nos. 66 and 92 Squadrons, which had been instructed to capture such aircraft intact if possible. With both engines failing, the aircraft crash-landed on Graveney Marsh near the Sportsman Inn.

Men of the 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles arrived expecting an immediate surrender, but the German crew opened fire with machine guns and sub-machine guns. The London Irish deployed along drainage dykes and returned controlled fire. After a brief engagement, the crew signalled surrender with a white flag, two of them wounded. The airmen were secured and taken to the nearby inn. The aircraft was recovered to Farnborough, where it yielded valuable technical intelligence. Captain Cantopher received the George Medal. The skirmish is regarded as the last battle fought on English soil.

Patrols and Reconnaissances

Throughout the day, the Luftwaffe maintained fighter patrols across the Channel. In the evening, enemy reconnaissance aircraft were identified off the south-east coast, in the Thames Estuary, and off East Anglia—the latter probably observing a convoy. At 11:43 hours, three Bf 109s made an unsuccessful attack on the Dover balloon barrage. No daylight minelaying was detected.

Enemy Action by Night

Enemy air activity resumed shortly after dusk and continued until 06:00 hours, with London again the principal objective, though Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Nottingham were also attacked. Between 19:30 and 21:00 hours, eighteen raids from Dieppe and Le Havre advanced toward the capital, while nine further raids from Cherbourg crossed the coast between Swanage and Selsey en route to the Bristol Channel, several continuing as far as Liverpool. At the same time, four raids from the direction of Denmark crossed north of St Abb’s Head, pausing over a convoy before striking Edinburgh. Fires were started in several districts during these early attacks but were quickly brought under control; damage to communications was noted, though it remained less extensive than the previous night, and the fire at the Thames Ammunition Works proved negligible.

From 21:00 to 01:00 hours, the scale of operations increased, with fifty-five raids plotted—most steering toward London from Cherbourg and Dieppe, though a few reached as far north as Duxford. Additional isolated attacks were made on Liverpool, Birmingham, and Nottingham. By 23:00 hours the western half of the country had largely cleared of raiders, and no minelaying activity was detected during this interval.

Between 01:00 and 06:00 hours, enemy aircraft continued approaching London along the usual routes from the French coast until about 02:15 hours, after which a brief lull followed. Activity resumed at 03:15 hours when fresh raids from the Abbeville area crossed the coast between Bexhill and Hastings. These operations gradually diminished toward dawn, and by 06:00 hours the last plots were recrossing the coast, bringing the night’s activity to an end.

Summary

The Luftwaffe’s operations on 27 September 1940 were intended to deliver simultaneous heavy blows against both London and Bristol. Instead, they suffered one of their worst days of the campaign, with crippling losses among their bomber and Zerstörer units. The deaths of senior officers such as Hauptmann Martin Lutz and Hauptmann Horst Liensberger dealt a further blow to morale. Fighter Command, though strained, proved resilient. The day’s events underlined Adolf Galland’s candid admission to Göring:

“In spite of the heavy losses we are inflicting on the enemy fighters, no decisive decrease in their number or fighting efficiency was noticeable.”

The day closed with the Luftwaffe no closer to breaking Fighter Command, and their heavy daylight losses forced an increasing reliance on night bombing.

German Losses:
Airmen: 81 | Aircraft: 57

British Losses:
Airmen: 20 | Aircraft: 28

Hurricane P3647, No. 1 (RCAF) Squadron
F/O O.J. Peterson killed. Shot down in combat with Ju 88s and Bf 110s over North Kent.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Peterson.htm

Spitfire X4352, No. 19 Squadron
P/O E. Burgoyne killed. Shot down by Bf 109s in combat over Canterbury.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Burgoyne.htm

Spitfire X4032, No. 64 Squadron
Sgt. L.A. Dyke. Listed as missing. Failed to return from a sector patrol. Cause unknown.
http://bbm.org.uk/airmen/Dyke.htm

Spitfire X4340, No. 72 Squadron
P/O E.E. Males killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s over Sevenoaks.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Males.htm

Spitfire N3068, No. 72 Squadron
F/O P.J. Davies-Cooke killed. Shot down by a Bf 109 over Sevenoaks. Pilot baled out but fell dead near Hayes Station.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Davies-Cooke.htm

Spitfire X4422, No. 92 Squadron
F/O J.A. Paterson killed. Shot down in flames by Bf 109s near Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/PatersonJA.htm

Spitfire R6767, No. 92 Squadron
Sgt. C. Sydney killed. Shot down in combat with enemy aircraft.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/sydney.htm

Spitfire R6622, No. 92 Squadron
Sgt. T.G. Oldfield killed. Aircraft crashed onto Hesketh Park in Dartford.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/as-oldfield.htm

Hurricane N2401, No. 213 Squadron
F/Lt. L.H. Schwind killed. Shot down in combat with enemy fighters over Gatwick.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Schwind.htm

Spitfire P9364, No. 222 Squadron
Sgt. E. Scott. Listed as missing. Failed to return from an operational sortie in the afternoon.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ScottE.htm

Hurricane V6782, No. 229 Squadron
F/Lt. R.F. Rimmer killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s. Aircraft exploded over Franchise Manor Farm, Burwash.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Rimmer.htm

Hurricane P2967, No. 242 Squadron
F/O M.G. Homer killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Homer.htm

Hurricane V6883, No. 249 Squadron
F/O P.R.F. Burton killed. Collided with Bf 110 during combat over Redhill area.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/BurtonPRF.htm

Hurricane P3834, No. 249 Squadron
P/O J.R.B. Meaker killed. Shot down by return fire from a Ju 88. Pilot baled out but fell dead at Warren Field, Brightling Park.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Meaker.htm

Hurricane L1696, No. 303 Squadron
F/O L.W. Paszkiewicz killed. Shot down in combat with enemy aircraft.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Paszkiewicz.htm

Hurricane V7246, No. 303 Squadron
Sgt. T. Andruszkow killed. Shot down over Horsham.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Andruszkow.htm

Hurricane V6645, No. 501 Squadron
P/O E.M. Gunter killed. Shot down while attacking Do 17s. Pilot baled out but was killed when parachute failed to open.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Gunter.htm

Spitfire N3244, No. 603 Squadron
P/O P.M. Cardell killed. Baled out over Channel but parachute failed to open.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Cardell.htm

Spitfire X4107, No. 609 Squadron
P/O R.F.G. Miller killed. Collided with a Bf 110 over Chesilbourne, near Kingscombe.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MillerRFG.htm

Spitfire R6702, No. 616 Squadron
F/O D.S. Smith. Died of injuries 28/09/40. Shot down by Bf 109s whilst acting as a weaver.
http://bbm.org.uk/airmen/SmithDS.htm

Photo Descriptions

1. Pilots of No. 249 Squadron based at North Weald, September 1940. Left to Right: P/O Percy Burton; Flt/Lt Robert ‘Butch’ Barton; Flt/Lt Albert Gerald ‘Zulu’ Lewis; P/O Terry ‘Ossie’ Crossey; P/O Tom ‘Ginger’ Neil; P/O Hugh John Sherard ‘Beazel’ Beazley; Sqn/Ldr John Grandy C/O; P/O George Barclay; Flt/Lt Keith Lofts.
2. The shattered tail section of Messerschmitt Bf 110C-2 (L1+XB) of Stab I./LG 1, flown by Hauptmann Horst Liensberger, after it was brought down in collision with the Hurricane of Pilot Officer Burton of No. 249 Squadron on 27 September 1940.
3. A Junkers Ju 88A-1 (W.Nr. 8099, 3Z+EL) of 3./KG 77, which crash-landed on Graveney Marsh, Kent, on 27 September 1940, after being damaged by AA fire and intercepted by Spitfires of Nos. 66 and 92 Squadrons. When troops of the 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles moved in, the crew opened fire before being overpowered, two of them wounded. The bomber, largely intact, was taken to Farnborough for evaluation. The clash, remembered as the “Battle of Graveney Marsh,” is regarded as the last armed engagement on English soil.
4. A close-up of the Junkers Ju 88A-1 (W.Nr. 8099, 3Z+EL) of 3./KG 77, which crash-landed on Graveney Marsh, Kent, on 27 September 1940.
5. Flight Sergeant George ‘Grumpy’ Unwin of No. 19 Squadron with Flash the Squadron mascot at Fowlmere, September 1940. Unwin shot down 14.5 enemy aircraft between May and September 1940 including a Bf 109 destroyed on 27 September. © IWM (CH 1343)