Convoy off Dover and shipping in the Thames Estuary attacked. London attacked during the afternoon.
Night: Widespread attacks across the country.
Weather: Misty in northern France. Fog over the Thames Estuary and Straits clearing later.
Enemy Action by Day
Weather across southern Britain on 28 October 1940 was mixed, with broken cloud over the Channel and clearer intervals inland. The Luftwaffe opened the day with renewed interest in coastal shipping, particularly in the Dover Strait and the Thames Estuary, where reconnaissance aircraft probed convoy routes and dropped sporadic bombs. Activity during the morning was limited to isolated flights and minor harassment of shipping, but by early afternoon the pattern shifted to a series of Bf 109 sweeps across Kent and Sussex, followed by more substantial movements mid-afternoon. Although no large bomber formations operated in daylight, several small raids and fighter–bomber attacks were plotted, and a demonstration over Portsmouth formed part of a broader effort to stretch Fighter Command’s resources across multiple sectors.
Fighter Command’s interceptions were effective, and four enemy aircraft were confirmed destroyed, with seven probably destroyed and eight damaged. RAF losses for the day were nil.
Morning Reconnaissance and Shipping Attacks
Enemy reconnaissance developed gradually during the morning. Aircraft patrolled the Straits and Estuary, shadowing convoys and reporting movements. At 11:52 hours, a ‘Help’ signal was received from a convoy off Dover, prompting immediate fighter response. Bombs were dropped on shipping near the port, and further activity was recorded in the Bristol Channel, where eight single aircraft were plotted. Additional reconnaissance flights were made off the Cornish coast, and shipping off the East Coast was repeatedly reported by enemy aircraft.
At 13:10 hours, a drifter operating off Southwold was sunk by an enemy aircraft. Later in the afternoon, at 14:50 hours, fourteen hostile aircraft were plotted off Harwich; three flew inland briefly while the remainder circled near another convoy.
Inland reconnaissance flights ranged widely: hostile aircraft approached East London, Luton, Debden, Maidstone, and twice over Birmingham.
13:00 Hours: First Attack Over Dungeness
The first coordinated movement of the day developed shortly after 13:00 hours. A formation of twenty to thirty Bf 109s crossed the coast at Dungeness and advanced on a five-mile front toward Biggin Hill. The raid split into several sections before reaching its objective and turned back almost simultaneously. By 13:15 hours, the enemy had already recrossed the coast. No deep penetration was made.
14:27 Hours: Second Sweep Toward Maidstone
A second sweep appeared at 14:27 hours when eighteen or more enemy aircraft flew inland from Dover toward Maidstone and the Biggin Hill area. As with the earlier movement, the raid showed no effort to push northwest beyond its initial line of advance. By 14:40 hours, the enemy was already heading back towards the Channel. Hurricanes of No. 257 Squadron, scrambled from North Weald, intercepted Bf 109s of JG 27 near Gravesend. Oberfeldwebel Otto Schulz of 4./JG 27 and Oberleutnant Ernst Düllberg of 5./JG 27 each claimed a Spitfire during these brief engagements.
16:05–17:10 Hours: Major Afternoon Activity
By 16:00 hours, significant concentrations of enemy aircraft were forming over the Channel. Sixty-five or more were reported circling off Calais, while another formation of more than thirty aircraft lifted from the Le Havre area and flew north towards the Isle of Wight. This latter force reached Portsmouth by 16:30 hours, where it remained until about 16:50 hours. Hurricanes of Nos. 145 and 213 Squadrons, scrambled from Tangmere, attempted interception but were unable to prevent the attack. One Dornier 17 was later engaged as it turned back toward France.
Meanwhile, the Calais formations increased in strength. At 16:05 hours, a group of twenty aircraft crossed at Dungeness and flew toward Maidstone, while another eighty crossed at Beachy Head, heading for Biggin Hill. Neither force penetrated beyond the Kenley–Biggin Hill line. By 16:35 hours, both had turned back.
Further activity followed at 16:42 hours, when new formations—estimated at fifty, thirty-plus, and fifty aircraft—again crossed between Beachy Head and Dungeness. One raid advanced as far as Hornchurch, while the others pressed toward Biggin Hill. All formations retired eastward down the Estuary or across the South Coast by 17:10 hours.
Hurricanes from Nos. 229, 249, 253, 257, 501, and 605 Squadrons, along with Spitfires of Nos. 74, 92, and 603 Squadrons, were scrambled against these attacks. For once, the Bf 109s of JG 51 and JG 53 suffered losses without inflicting any on Fighter Command. Oberfeldwebel Hans Dieter John of 4./JG 51 was shot down and killed. Oberleutnant Gerhard Michalski of Stab II./JG 53 claimed a Hurricane during the same period.
Summary of Daylight Operations
Although several bombs were reported across scattered localities, no evidence indicates that any aircraft other than Bf 109s operated in daylight over southern England. Enemy penetrations were shallow, and despite the size of several formations, few reached beyond the Biggin Hill–Kenley line. Fighter Command executed eight daylight interceptions, with two confirmed victories, two probable, and four damaged from reconnaissance encounters alone. No RAF aircraft were lost during the day.
Enemy Action by Night
Night activity on 28/29 October proceeded on a reduced scale compared with the heaviest raids of the month. The first raiders crossed the coast at 18:43 hours, approaching Beachy Head from the direction of Abbeville. Early raids were dispersed across the country, but the main weight of attack fell on London and its suburbs, and on the Midlands, where Birmingham again received concentrated bombing. Smaller raids reached Reading, Coventry, Sunderland, East Anglia, and several RAF stations. Minelaying continued in the Estuary and along the east coast.
One enemy aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire near Poole, and another was damaged by No. 85 Squadron near Binbrook.
First Phase (19:00–21:00 Hours)
Between 19:00 and 21:00 hours, thirty-one raids were plotted from Cherbourg and Le Havre, crossing the coast between Swanage and Beachy Head. From Dieppe and other French positions, forty-four additional raids reached the coast between Selsey Bill and North Foreland. A further fifteen originated from the Dutch coast.
Activity was widespread, with London and its immediate suburbs receiving the greatest pressure. Many raiders turned back before entering the Inner Artillery Zone, but a continuous stream approached the capital throughout the period.
In the Midlands, Birmingham was heavily bombed. Raids were also plotted over Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry, and Reading. A small number reached the Sunderland area, while additional tracks passed near aerodromes in Lincolnshire and East Anglia. Minelaying in the Estuary was suspected.
At 19:47 hours, approximately 300 incendiaries fell on Biggin Hill; all fires were extinguished without casualties.
Second Phase (21:00–01:00 Hours)
From 21:00 hours onward, forty-three raids were plotted approaching from the French coast and about twelve from Holland. London and Birmingham continued to be the principal objectives.
Considerable activity developed along the coast between Newcastle and Aberdeen, although few aircraft penetrated inland more than a short distance. By the end of the period, enemy activity had diminished markedly.
Isolated incidents were reported at RAF stations across East Anglia and Lincolnshire: Binbrook, Driffield, Massingham, and Linton-on-Ouse all received bombs during the early evening, consistent with reports of three Ju 88s and a reconnaissance He 111 attacking Binbrook at 17:55 hours, and similar attacks at Driffield at 18:00 hours and Massingham at 19:00 hours. Bombs fell at Digby, though incendiary leaves dispersed harmlessly before reaching the ground.
A fifty-pump fire broke out at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, shortly before midnight but was brought under control by approximately 02:00 hours.
Final Phase (01:00–06:00 Hours)
After 01:00 hours, activity decreased further, though sporadic raids continued toward London, with many approaching via the Estuary. One raid penetrated inland as far as Bedford before recrossing the coast at Southwold.
Bombing in the Midlands continued into the early hours. Birmingham endured one of its heaviest attacks of the period, with 230 incidents reported: thirty-two involving high-explosive bombs and the remainder caused by incendiaries, including oil bombs. The most serious fire occurred at New Street Station, where flames spread across multiple platforms, offices, and storage areas. Other buildings affected included the Cathedral, Woolworth’s, and the Army & Navy Stores.
At Southwark, at 01:40 hours, a major incident occurred when a public shelter containing four hundred people received a direct hit; casualties were reported at one hundred.
Civil and RAF Station Damage
Bombs at Hawkinge fell just outside the camp at 10:30 hours with no damage or casualties. At Ipswich, a new type of small, percussion-triggered bomb was reported—approximately the size of a civilian respirator container, coloured dark green externally with ribbing, and producing a violent explosion on impact.
At Farnborough, a single aircraft, believed to be a Ju 88, dropped three bombs at 13:45 hours over the residential area east of the station.
Further details on attacks carried out the previous evening (27 October) at RAF stations were confirmed on the 28th: Binbrook suffered nineteen craters and hangar damage; Driffield received twenty-four bombs, including a direct hit on No. 2 Hangar; Massingham suffered four killed and seven injured; and Linton-on-Ouse reported fourteen craters and damage to aircraft, vehicles, and buildings.
German Losses:
Airmen: 18 | Aircraft: 14
British Losses:
Airmen: 0 | Aircraft: 0
Photo Descriptions
- Two sentries, armed with rifles and a Bren gun, standing guard on clifftops at Birling Gap, near Eastbourne, on the south coast of England, 28 October 1940. © IWM (H 5108)
- Pilot Officer Peter Kells, the pilot of a Blenheim IF of No. 29 Squadron, climbs into his cockpit at the start of another night patrol from Coleby Grange, Lincolnshire, October 1940. © IWM (CH 1584)