Shipping convoys off Dover attacked.
Night: Widespread minelaying from the Needles, Isle of Wight, to Land’s End; Bristol Channel and eastern coastal waters.
Weather: Occasional thunderstorms. Straits of Dover cloudy clearing to bright intervals.
Enemy Action by Day
Occasional thunderstorms and heavy cloud produced unsettled conditions across southern Britain and the Channel, although brighter intervals developed as the day progressed. German aircraft were active from before dawn, conducting reconnaissance missions and searching for coastal shipping before mounting a series of attacks off Swanage and Dover.
The resulting engagements stretched across much of the country. RAF fighters brought down reconnaissance aircraft off Essex and the Scottish coast, while the fiercest fighting developed around Convoy Bosum and the shipping off Dover. German seaplanes searching for missing airmen were also drawn into the battle, and both sides suffered further losses during escort missions later in the day.
00:15–01:05 Hours: Seaplanes Intercepted off Essex
At 00:15 hours, Pilot Officer Ernest Cassidy of No. 25 Squadron intercepted a Heinkel He 115 north of the Sunk Lightship and claimed it damaged, although he could not confirm its destruction.
Fifty minutes later, Flight Sergeant John Lingard, flying Blenheim L1512 with Sergeant John Medworth as his air gunner, intercepted another German seaplane off Walton. The aircraft was identified as a He 115, although it may have been a Dornier Do 18. Lingard claimed it destroyed after seeing it burning and descending into the moonlit sea, a claim apparently supported by evidence from radar stations.
05:21 Hours: Early Reconnaissance Activity
At 05:21 hours, radar detected approximately forty German aircraft approaching the Thames Estuary. What initially appeared to be a major raid soon divided into smaller groups searching for shipping. Twelve Spitfires of No. 54 Squadron were sent to intercept, but the scattered German formations avoided contact.
05:50 Hours: Ju 88 Brought Down at St Osyth
The first successful interception came at approximately 05:50 hours, when Flight Lieutenant E.J. Gracie and Pilot Officers Barry Sutton and A.G. Page of No. 56 Squadron caught a Ju 88A-1 reconnaissance aircraft of 4.(F)/122 approaching the Essex coast. The Junkers attempted to escape through cloud, but the three Hurricane pilots attacked it in succession and forced it down.
Ju 88 F6+BM crash-landed at Cockett Wick Farm near St Osyth. Unteroffizier Theodor Hermson and the surviving members of his crew were captured, but rear gunner Flieger Rüdiger von Hase had been mortally wounded during the engagement.
Elsewhere, a mysterious four-engined Dornier-type aircraft was reported operating near the Isle of Wight. Believed by some to be a rare Fw 200 Condor on either a test flight or photographic reconnaissance mission, its appearance raised concerns about German interest in deeper coastal targets.
Around 09:00 hours, four separate Luftwaffe flights—each comprising three or more aircraft—approached the Kent coast in a series of probing manoeuvres. These likely served to test RAF reaction times and divert attention from larger raids to follow. However, confusing radar plots and overlapping tracks hampered Fighter Command’s ability to intercept before the formations turned back across the Channel.
09:00–09:42 Hours: Dornier Damaged off Dover
Off Dover, Squadron Leader J.A. Leathart of No. 54 Squadron engaged and damaged a Dornier Do 17 sometime between 09:00 and 09:42 hours. A Do 17 of III./KG 2 subsequently force-landed at Zuyenkerke after sustaining fighter damage, although it cannot be confirmed that this was Leathart’s opponent.
The Dornier was extensively damaged. Oberfeldwebel Ernst Mewe was killed, while Staffelkapitän Oberleutnant Bruno Davids was wounded.
11:00 Hours: Shipping Attacked off Swanage
German attention then shifted towards shipping near Swanage. At approximately 11:00 hours, two small formations approached the area, and a Royal Navy vessel shortly afterwards reported an unsuccessful bombing attack nearby. No significant damage was sustained.
11:35–12:45 Hours: Dornier Shot Down east of Peterhead
Far to the north, three Spitfires of No. 603 Squadron intercepted a Dornier Do 17P of 1.(F)/120 approximately forty-five miles east of Peterhead. Flight Lieutenant Cunningham, Flying Officer Waterston and Pilot Officer Basil Stapleton attacked the reconnaissance aircraft sometime between 11:35 and 12:45 hours and shot it down into the sea.
The Dornier, A6+HH, was lost with its entire crew. Leutnant Herbert Heuer, Feldwebel Walter Hinz and Unteroffizier Gerhard Borgmann were killed.
13:04–13:44 Hours: Bf 110s Engaged off Dover
The first afternoon fighting developed off Dover, where Sergeants E.A. Bayley and W.B. Higgins of No. 32 Squadron engaged Bf 110s sometime between 13:04 and 13:44 hours. Both pilots claimed one of the twin-engined fighters probably destroyed, but no corresponding German loss has been identified.
13:25 Hours: Fighting over Convoy Bosum
At approximately 13:25 hours, Convoy Bosum became the focus of a much larger engagement south of Swanage. Nine Ju 87 dive-bombers of III./StG 2 approached the ships while seventeen Bf 109s of I./JG 27 moved ahead to engage three Hurricanes of No. 238 Squadron and three Spitfires of No. 152 Squadron.
The German fighters struck first. Oberleutnant Gerhard Homuth, Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 27, shot down Sergeant Cecil Parkinson’s Hurricane P3766 in flames. Parkinson baled out badly wounded and was rescued by HMS Acheron, but died from his injuries the following day. Three minutes later, Homuth attacked Spitfire K9880 of No. 152 Squadron, killing Pilot Officer Fred Posener.
The remaining RAF pilots counter-attacked. Pilot Officer Charles Davis claimed the Bf 109 he believed had shot down Parkinson probably destroyed, while Flight Lieutenant Stuart Walch shot down a Messerschmitt flown by Oberfeldwebel Heinz Beushausen of 3./JG 27. Flight Lieutenant Donald Turner destroyed another aircraft from the same Staffel. Its pilot, Leutnant Ulrich Scherer, ditched in the Channel but was not recovered.
Although the fighter escort inflicted two RAF losses, the nine Ju 87s failed to hit the convoy and withdrew without loss.
13:45 Hours: Blenheim Shot Down near Cherbourg
At approximately 13:45 hours, two Bf 109s of 6./JG 54 attacked three Blenheims of No. 236 Squadron escorting shipping in the Cherbourg area. Unteroffizier Oswald Frauendorf shot down Blenheim L1300, killing Sergeant E.E. Lockton and Sergeant H. Corcoran.
15:15 Hours: Heinkel He 59 Intercepted south of the Needles
The earlier battle south of Swanage brought German air-sea rescue aircraft into the area to search for missing pilots. At 15:15 hours, Pilot Officer John Urwin-Mann of No. 238 Squadron intercepted a Heinkel He 59 south of the Needles, disabled its starboard engine and claimed it probably destroyed.
16:20 Hours: Fighting south of Swanage
At approximately 16:20 hours, twelve Hurricanes of No. 501 Squadron encountered Bf 109s of 1./JG 27 south of Swanage. Squadron Leader H.A.V. Hogan, Flight Lieutenant P.A.N. Cox and Sergeant James “Ginger” Lacey each claimed a Messerschmitt destroyed during the ensuing fight.
Only one Bf 109 of I./JG 27 was actually destroyed, its pilot, Major Helmut Riegel, the Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 27, being killed. Although the victory has often been associated with Lacey, the available evidence does not establish conclusively which RAF pilot shot Riegel down.
No. 501 Squadron also suffered a loss. Leutnant Igor Zirkenbach of 1./JG 27 shot down Pilot Officer E.J.H. Sylvester in Hurricane P3082. Sylvester attempted to reach the English coast but crashed into the Channel and was reported missing.
17:40 Hours: Renewed Attack off Dover
The day’s heaviest attack began at 17:40 hours, when Ju 87 dive-bombers of II./StG 1 approached shipping off Dover under the protection of Bf 109s from II./JG 51 and bomb-carrying Bf 110s of 2./Erprobungsgruppe 210. Hurricanes of No. 32 Squadron and Spitfires of Nos. 610 and 65 Squadrons moved to intercept as the German formation neared the convoy.
The Bf 110s descended to low level and began their attacks against the shipping. Flight Lieutenant Mike Crossley of No. 32 Squadron singled out one fighter-bomber as it entered its dive and followed it towards the surface. After its bomb missed a ship by approximately 100 yards, Crossley pursued the Messerschmitt towards France at barely ten feet above the water, silencing its rear gunner before another Bf 110 forced him to break away.
Crossley’s opponent was probably Bf 110 S9+CK of 2./Erprobungsgruppe 210, flown by Oberleutnant Alfred Habisch. The aircraft reached France with seventy-eight bullet holes and suffered an undercarriage collapse on landing, although Habisch and his gunner, Unteroffizier Ernst Elfner, escaped injury.
No. 32 Squadron claimed one Bf 110 and one Ju 87 destroyed, together with several aircraft probably destroyed. Four Stukas returned to France damaged, two of them making forced landings, but no Ju 87 was confirmed destroyed.
The German fighters inflicted heavier losses on No. 32 Squadron. Sub-Lieutenant Geoffrey Bulmer, a Fleet Air Arm pilot attached to the unit, was shot down in Hurricane N2670, apparently by Oberleutnant Josef Priller of 6./JG 51. Bulmer baled out over the Channel but drowned before he could be rescued.
Squadron Leader J. Worrall was attacked by Oberfeldwebel Johann Illner of 4./JG 51 and forced to land Hurricane N2532 near Hawkinge, where it caught fire and was destroyed. Sergeant W.B. Higgins was slightly wounded during the fighting.
No. 610 Squadron entered the battle at approximately 18:00 hours. Pilot Officer F.T. Gardiner claimed a Bf 109 damaged, while Pilot Officer Geoffrey Keighley was pursued back to Hawkinge and shot down in Spitfire N3201. Keighley baled out with slight wounds.
Flying Officer Gordon Olive of No. 65 Squadron joined the fighting at approximately 18:15 hours and shot down a Bf 109 of II./JG 51 off Calais. The German pilot baled out and was later rescued by a Heinkel He 59. Oberfeldwebel Oskar Sicking of 3./JG 51 was also killed after baling out from another damaged Bf 109 near Audinghem.
While the escorts fought the RAF, the Ju 87s broke through to the ships below. The 860-ton British coaster SS Pulborough was struck and sunk off Dover, although HMT Lady Philomena rescued seventeen survivors.
The destroyer HMS Brazen was also hit and left severely damaged. She was taken in tow but broke in two and sank the following day. One member of her crew was killed.
18:15 Hours: Seaplane Operations off the South Coast
Further fighting developed south of the Needles at approximately 18:15 hours, when Hurricanes of No. 43 Squadron encountered Bf 109s and German seaplanes operating in the area. The squadron claimed one Messerschmitt damaged, but Flying Officer J.F.J. Haworth was shot down in Hurricane P3964 while investigating an aircraft identified as a Heinkel He 115. Haworth baled out over the Channel but was lost.
Hurricanes of No. 601 Squadron subsequently intercepted Heinkel He 59 D-AKAR of Seenotflugkommando 1 approximately thirty miles south of Selsey Bill. The aircraft was searching for missing German pilots and carried civilian markings and Red Cross insignia.
The Hurricanes initially attempted to force the Heinkel towards England. When it turned south and continued towards France, the pilots were instructed to treat it as hostile. Flight Lieutenant T.E. Hubbard and the other members of Green Section then attacked and shot it down in flames. The four German crewmen baled out too low for their parachutes to open and were killed.
19:15 Hours: Blenheim Lost south of Portland
At approximately 19:15 hours, Hauptmann Eduard Neumann of Stab I./JG 27 intercepted Blenheim R3738 of No. 110 Squadron south of Portland following a raid on Vlissingen Aerodrome. Neumann shot down the bomber, killing Squadron Leader J.F. Stephens and Sergeant J.V. West. Sergeant E.C. Parker survived and was taken prisoner.
Operational Accidents
Engine failure forced Sergeant Jim Hallowes of No. 43 Squadron to land Hurricane P3784 in a field at Amberley during the early morning. Flying Officer John Young of No. 249 Squadron also force-landed Hurricane P3154, while ferry pilot Pilot Officer Richard Manlove brought Spitfire R6752 down at Turnhouse.
The most serious accident occurred at Grangemouth, where Pilot Officer A.R. Downer of No. 263 Squadron was fatally injured while force-landing Hurricane P2917. He died from his injuries the following day.
Enemy Action by Night
After darkness fell, the Luftwaffe shifted its attention to minelaying and scattered bombing attacks around the British coast. More than fifty sorties were flown between 22:00 and 02:30 hours, covering an extensive area from the Needles and Land’s End to the Humber and the Firth of Clyde. The principal concentrations were around Harwich, the Thames Estuary, Norfolk, Suffolk and the Bristol Channel.
Bombs also fell on Silloth, Hartlepool, Eastchurch, Swansea, Rochford, Chatham and Stirling. At approximately 02:20 hours, the Royal Ordnance Factory at Forthside, Stirling, suffered damage to sheds and vehicles, although no serious casualties were reported. Aircraft of 9. Flieger-Division meanwhile laid mines off Falmouth and Plymouth and in the Thames Estuary.
Bomber Command Operations
Bomber Command sent Hampdens of Nos. 61 and 144 Squadrons against the battleship Tirpitz at Wilhelmshaven during the night. Three aircraft attempted low-level attacks against the warship, flying through intense defensive fire, and all three were shot down.
Hampden P4358 of No. 61 Squadron reached the target area despite being repeatedly hit and crash-landed on exposed mudflats. Pilot Officer A.H. Gould, Sergeants J.F. Cowan and J.N. Prendergrast survived and were taken prisoner, but rear gunner Pilot Officer D.S. Carnegie was killed.
Hampden P4343, also of No. 61 Squadron, was struck while making its approach. Pilot Officer D.H. Davis survived and was captured, but Pilot Officer M.R. Tagg and Sergeants F.S. Waltho and A. McN. Cockburn were killed.
The third No. 61 Squadron aircraft, Hampden P4344, came down near Jever after being hit by anti-aircraft fire. Pilot Officer K. Jones pulled the other members of his crew from the wreckage before all four airmen were captured.
No. 144 Squadron lost Hampden P4367, which was hit by anti-aircraft fire and ditched. Flight Lieutenant D.H. Edwards and Sergeants B.N. Dingle, W. Wylie and A.J. Giles were killed.
Wellington R3165 of No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron was lost over Germany, possibly to a Bf 110 night fighter of I./NJG 1. Flying Officer S.M.M. Watson, Pilot Officer E.C.J. Cameron and Sergeants G.M. Cumming, R.A.J. Anderson and J.L. Owen were killed.
Wellington R3210 of No. 37 Squadron was also lost, probably to a night fighter. Pilot Officer G.H. Muirhead and Sergeants F.J.B. Finch and F.H.E. Phillips were killed, while Sergeants T.E.S. Alderwick and J.A. Theed survived and were taken prisoner.
Another Wellington of No. 75 Squadron, R3168, fought off several German aircraft. Air gunner Sergeant A.L. White claimed one Bf 110 destroyed and another probably destroyed, but no corresponding German losses have been confirmed.
Hampden L4077 of No. 49 Squadron ran out of fuel and force-landed near Hunstanton. Pilot Officer K.W. Mitchie and his crew escaped injury.
German Losses:
Airmen: 18 | Aircraft: 12
British Losses:
Airmen: 7 | Aircraft: 9
Hurricane P3766, No. 238 Squadron. Aircraft lost at sea.
Sgt C. Parkinson. Died of injuries the next day. Baled out after being shot down by Bf 109. Rescued by ship.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Parkinson.htm
Hurricane P3082, No. 501 Squadron. Aircraft lost at sea.
P/O E.J.H. Sylvester. Certified as missing. Damaged by Bf 109 off Cherbourg, crashed approaching coast.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Sylvester.htm
Spitfire K9880, No. 152 Squadron. Aircraft lost at sea.
P/O N.H. Posener. Certified as missing. Crashed into Channel after being hit by gunfire from Bf 109.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Posener.htm
Hurricane N2670, No. 32 Squadron. Aircraft lost at sea.
Sub/Lt G.G.R. Bulmer. Certified as missing. Hit by gunfire from Bf 109 and crashed into Channel.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Bulmer.htm
Hurricane P3964, No. 43 Squadron. Aircraft lost at sea.
F/O J.F.J. Haworth. Certified as missing. Shot down while investigating E/A, baled out over Channel.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Haworth.htm
Blenheim L1300, No. 236 Squadron. Aircraft lost at sea.
Sgt E.E. Lockton and Sgt H. Corcoran. Certified as missing. Shot down by Bf 109 during escort mission. Crashed into Channel.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Lockton.htm
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Corcoran.htm
Hurricane P2917, No. 263 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
P/O A.R. Downer. Died of injuries the next day. Crashed while making a forced landing at base.
Photo Descriptions
- A Junkers Ju 87 B-2 Stuka lucky to make it back to France lies in soft sand, 1940.
- The destroyer HMS Brazen sinking in the English Channel after being severely damaged by German dive-bombers during the Luftwaffe attack on 20 July 1940. Struck off Dover while escorting a convoy, she later foundered while under tow.
- RAF personnel inspecting the burnt-out wreckage of a Junkers Ju 88 reconnaissance aircraft of 4.(F)/122 on Cockett Wick Farm, St Osyth near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. The aircraft was shot down on 20 July 1940 by No. 56 Squadron Hurricanes. © IWM (HU 89068)
- Flying from RAF Tangmere, Hurricane P3784 FT-U force-landed at Amberley in Sussex, when Sgt Herbert JL “Jim” Hallowes of No. 43 Squadron experienced engine problems during an early morning patrol on 20 July 1940.