Stream of single raiders on London and the south-east.

Night: Continuing raids on London. Liverpool also bombed.

Weather: Mist, rain and poor visibility throughout the day. Fog at night.

Enemy Action by Day

Persistent mist and rain blanketed much of southern England on 4 October 1940, restricting visibility and limiting large-scale operations by either side. Daylight activity remained relatively subdued, with German efforts focused on single-aircraft raids and small formations, primarily targeting London and the South East. These attacks reached their peak concentration around 15:00 hours, though incursions continued sporadically throughout the afternoon. Elsewhere, reconnaissance flights probed shipping lanes and inland targets. The deteriorating weather ultimately grounded all fighter squadrons in No. 11 Group by 17:25 hours. However, by nightfall, conditions improved enough for the Luftwaffe to launch what became the most intense night bombing of London witnessed thus far.

Shipping Reconnaissance and Coastal Engagements

During the early morning hours, German aircraft conducted reconnaissance over the East Coast and coastal waters. One such mission was intercepted by RAF fighters, but the engagement was inconclusive, as the enemy aircraft escaped into cloud cover. Between 06:00 and 11:00 hours, single aircraft were observed flying along the South East coast and conducting convoy reconnaissance from Beachy Head to Dover. At approximately 08:30 hours, an Air Ministry establishment at Fairlight was subjected to a bombing raid, though damage was limited.

A more destructive attack occurred at 06:45 hours, when Penrhos Aerodrome in North Wales was bombed. The main office was destroyed, and nearby farm buildings sustained damage. Later that morning, a Ju 88 bomber was shot down off the Suffolk coast by Hurricanes of No. 257 Squadron, marking one of the day’s few confirmed aerial victories for the RAF.

South East Raids and Interceptions

At 11:00 hours, the Luftwaffe began a steady stream of single-aircraft crossings over the southern coast, concentrated between Beachy Head and Dover and aimed broadly at Greater London. As the raids increased in frequency and intensity, squadrons from multiple RAF airfields were scrambled. A Ju 88 was intercepted over the Channel by Hurricanes of No. 229 Squadron around 11:00 hours. Near midday, a formation of Heinkel He 111s was intercepted off the Sussex coast by Hurricanes of No. 501 Squadron from Kenley and No. 607 Squadron from Tangmere.

Beginning at around 13:00 hours, another wave of Ju 88s crossed the coast near Beachy Head and was engaged by No. 605 Squadron, flying Hurricanes out of Croydon. These engagements continued into the afternoon. At approximately 16:00 hours, Flight Lieutenant K. McL. Gillies of No. 66 Squadron was killed in action. His Spitfire I (X4320) failed to return from a patrol off the East Coast and was later found to have crashed near Covehithe, Suffolk. The loss may have corresponded to the single Spitfire claimed by Leutnant Ludwig Theopold of Stab I.(J)/LG 2 over Ramsgate—the only Luftwaffe claim of a Spitfire that day. Additionally, Oberleutnant Richard Leppla of 3./JG 51 claimed a Hurricane over Dover, marking his twelfth confirmed victory.

At around 17:00 hours, a further formation of Dornier Do 17s and Ju 88s crossed the Kent coast but quickly turned back under pressure from Hurricanes of No. 605 Squadron. Shortly thereafter, worsening weather conditions forced all fighter squadrons in No. 11 Group to stand down, effectively ending defensive operations for the day.

Bomb Damage Across the South and East

Bombing during the day was scattered but reached into several counties. Private property in Kent, Surrey, Essex, and East Anglia suffered damage from high-explosive bombs. In London, the New Cross Telephone Exchange sustained a direct hit at 13:50 hours, resulting in damage to telecommunications infrastructure. At 14:45 hours, Euston Station was bombed, temporarily blocking several rail lines. On the LMS line between Acton and South Acton, a series of bombs dropped at 14:20 hours disrupted traffic to Richmond and Kew Bridge.

Factories were also struck during daylight and overnight hours. In Kingston, a high-explosive bomb ignited a fire at the Hawker Aircraft Factory, damaging the shelter and stores, though the overall impact was minimal. Other sites hit included the premises of Burt, Bolton and Heywood in Erith, which sustained structural damage, and the Enfield Rolling Mills Cable Company, where a blast at 21:00 hours curtailed the water supply and disrupted production. In South London, a fire caused by bombing severely damaged two buildings at the Houghton Butcher’s Factory at 23:43 hours, though the full impact on production was not yet known.

Enemy Action by Night

At approximately 19:05 hours, Luftflotte 2 initiated one of the most intense night bombing campaigns of the war to date. A sustained stream of enemy aircraft, originating from the Abbeville region, crossed the Channel in tightly spaced intervals of three to five miles. Simultaneously, additional raids emerged from the Baie de Seine area and crossed the coast near Shoreham. Over 100 aircraft followed the Abbeville route between 19:00 and 21:00 hours, while at least 20 more came from the Seine.

London was the primary target, and the concentration of bombers overwhelmed many defensive systems. The New Cross Telephone Exchange sustained further damage during the night, and the LNER railway line near Crews Hill Station in Enfield was struck at 20:15 hours, causing a complete halt to traffic. Other reported night targets included the Hawker Aircraft Factory, where further fire damage occurred, and railway infrastructure in Brentwood, where a high-explosive bomb derailed an engine and stranded two trains. A suspected delayed-action bomb was also reported near the station.

At the same time, raids were not confined solely to the capital. One bomber reached Bristol, while others operated over the Thames Estuary, where minelaying was suspected. A single aircraft attacked Liverpool. From 21:00 to 23:00 hours, 34 raids were plotted crossing between Beachy Head and Dungeness. Though only eight aircraft reached central London, the rest fanned out across southwest and northwest London, reaching as far as North Weald and Debden. Another 24 aircraft followed a similar route but spread more broadly across southeastern England, reaching as far west as Swindon.

Two bombers from the northern Dutch coast attacked targets in Berwick, Newcastle, Eyemouth, and Dunbar. Between 23:00 and 01:00 hours, twelve more raids were conducted over southeast England, with sixteen additional aircraft from the Dutch coast entering over Cromer and Harwich. These flew across East Anglia, over west and northwest London, and exited over Beachy Head. In one of the day’s deepest inland sorties, a single bomber entered near Solway Firth, passed over Carlisle, and flew the entire length of England before exiting near Weymouth.

By 01:00 hours, all enemy aircraft had left British airspace. However, a new wave began shortly after 02:00 hours, with ten more raids from Dieppe heading toward London by 02:45 hours. These proved to be the final operations of the night, and by 03:30 hours, the skies were clear once again.

Strategic Developments and Command Decisions

Amid growing frustration from squadron commanders over unfavourable interception altitudes, Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park issued new guidance on engagement procedures. A special reconnaissance flight was established at Gravesend to improve tracking, and controllers were instructed to allow readiness squadrons to gain optimal altitude before being vectored toward incoming raids. Park advised that Spitfires be positioned at 25,000 feet and Hurricanes at 20,000 feet above sector aerodromes before committing to patrol lines, in order to improve interception success rates.

Also on this day, Squadron Leader M. Lister Robinson, DSO, DFC, was appointed commanding officer of No. 609 Squadron. In Germany, Hauptmann Walter Adolph—already credited with nine aerial victories—was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26.

At the highest level of the RAF, Sir Charles F. A. Portal was named Chief of the Air Staff, effective 24 October, replacing Sir Cyril Newall, who was appointed Governor of New Zealand. Air Marshal Sir Richard Peirse was selected to succeed Portal as Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command.

Summary

Although poor weather limited the scope of daylight operations on 4 October 1940, the Luftwaffe’s use of small, frequent raids placed continuous pressure on RAF resources. The bombing of Penrhos, widespread hits on railway lines, and the loss of F/Lt Gillies underlined the ongoing threat posed even by lone aircraft. By nightfall, as conditions cleared, the Luftwaffe escalated its assault in a sustained and coordinated bombing campaign on London and other key cities. With more than 100 aircraft converging on the capital in carefully spaced waves, it was the heaviest night raid experienced to date—signalling that, despite Hitler’s shifting strategic focus, the aerial campaign against Britain was far from over.

German Losses:
Airmen: 32 | Aircraft: 15

British Losses:
Airmen: 1 | Aircraft: 1

Spitfire X4320, No. 66 Squadron
F/Lt. K. McL Gillies killed. Failed to return from an interception of a He 111 over the coast in the Hastings/Dungeness area.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/GilliesKM.htm

Photo Descriptions

1. Bombs dropping on the port of Tilbury, on 4 October 1940. The first group of bombs will hit the ships lying in the Thames, the second will strike the docks.
2. Undaunted by a night of German air raids in which his store front was blasted, a shopkeeper opens up the morning after for “business as usual” in London.