Raids on shipping and naval units in Dover harbour and Straits.
Night: Attacks on south-west England.
Weather: Fair Straits, cloudy in Channel. Slight rain in the midlands and the North Sea.
Enemy Action by Day
Following several days of poor weather, conditions began to improve over southern England and the English Channel. The Straits were fair, though the Channel remained partially overcast. With visibility improving, Fliegerkorps VIII renewed its attacks on shipping along the south coast, striking convoys and naval targets in the Straits of Dover, near Portland and off East Anglia.
The Luftwaffe also mounted further raids against coastal towns and harbours, including another damaging attack on Dover. Fighter Command was heavily engaged over the Channel during the afternoon and, although several raids were disrupted, losses occurred on both sides.
09:25–10:55 Hours: Attack on Convoy Bacon
At approximately 09:25 hours, radar detected a formation approaching Portland, and RAF fighters were ordered to cover Convoy Bacon off Swanage. Ju 87s of I./StG 77, protected by Bf 109s of I./JG 27, attacked the convoy and were intercepted by Hurricanes of Nos. 145 and 238 Squadrons and Spitfires of No. 609 Squadron.
Pilot Officer J.E. Storrar of No. 145 Squadron, flying Hurricane P2696, claimed a Bf 109 destroyed approximately twenty miles south of the Needles, although no corresponding German loss has been identified.
Pilot Officer C.T. Davis of No. 238 Squadron, flying Hurricane P3462, attacked and destroyed a Ju 87 of 2./StG 77. Unteroffizier Robert Munk and Unteroffizier Karl Wagner were killed. It was Davis’s fourth victory, two of which were shared. A second Stuka was seen trailing smoke as it withdrew across the Channel but succeeded in returning to France.
No. 609 Squadron lost Spitfire N3023 during the fighting. Pilot Officer J.R. Buchanan was shot down off Weymouth and killed, the victory being credited to Oberleutnant Herbert Framm of 2./JG 27. No. 609 Squadron submitted no combat claims.
Attack off East Anglia and the Loss of HMS Wren
Off the East Anglian coast, the 18th Destroyer Flotilla—comprising HMS Wren and HMS Montrose and escorting six minesweeping trawlers—was attacked approximately twenty nautical miles east of Aldeburgh. Heinkel He 111s of II./KG 53 struck the formation before Fighter Command could intervene. HMS Wren was hit and sunk with heavy loss of life, while Montrose was damaged but remained afloat.
Bf 110s of Erprobungsgruppe 210 also attacked a convoy approximately twenty miles north-east of Harwich. One aircraft of 2./Erprobungsgruppe 210 attempted to attack an anti-aircraft cruiser within the convoy but received a direct hit before releasing its bombs. The Bf 110 exploded and fell into the sea, killing Oberleutnant Franz Fallenbacher and Feldwebel Friedrich Oberland.
14:30 Hours: Ju 88 Intercepted off the Lizard
At approximately 14:30 hours, three Spitfires of No. 234 Squadron intercepted a Ju 88 reconnaissance aircraft of 3.(F)/121 off the Lizard. The Spitfire pilots attacked the bomber and claimed it probably destroyed after seeing its rear gunner fall from the aircraft.
The Ju 88 escaped across the Channel but was forced to make a belly landing after returning with extensive combat damage. The rear gunner, Gefreiter Paul Schmidt, was killed during the engagement.
14:30–18:00 Hours: Dover Harbour Attacked
At 14:30 hours, Bf 110s of 3./Erprobungsgruppe 210 attacked Dover Harbour. The destroyer HMS Walpole suffered damage from a near miss but remained afloat. RAF fighters were unable to intercept the Bf 110s before they withdrew across the Channel.
16:02 Hours: Convoy Agent Attacked off Dungeness
At 16:02 hours, a formation of six or more German aircraft approached Dungeness before turning west and bombing a steamer off Sandgate. The ship sustained damage but remained afloat. The raid formed part of a broader attempt to disrupt Convoy Agent as it moved along the southern coast. British fighter patrols were recalled shortly afterwards because of deteriorating weather.
Approximately 18:00 Hours: Second Attack on Dover
At approximately 18:00 hours, Bf 110s of Erprobungsgruppe 210, accompanied by Ju 87s and Bf 109 escorts, mounted a second attack on Dover Harbour. The destroyer HMS Codrington was moored beside the depot ship HMS Sandhurst when a near miss broke her back. Codrington sank at her moorings, while Sandhurst was damaged.
Hurricanes of Nos. 501 and 615 Squadrons and Spitfires of No. 41 Squadron were among the RAF units sent to intercept the raiders. Flight Lieutenant J.T. Webster of No. 41 Squadron claimed an aircraft identified as a Heinkel He 113 destroyed. The He 113 was not in Luftwaffe service, and the aircraft attacked was almost certainly a Bf 109. No corresponding German loss has been identified.
Sergeant D.A.S. McKay of No. 501 Squadron claimed a Bf 109 probably destroyed and a Ju 87 damaged. The squadron lost its leader, Flight Lieutenant P.A.N. Cox, flying Hurricane P3808. Cox may have been struck by Dover’s anti-aircraft fire, although Leutnant Horst Marx of 3./Erprobungsgruppe 210 also claimed a Hurricane during the engagement and had his victory witnessed by other German airmen. Cox was killed.
Six Hurricanes of No. 615 Squadron intercepted a Heinkel He 59 air-sea rescue aircraft approximately ten miles east of North Foreland. Flying Officers J.R.H. Gayner and P. Collard and Pilot Officers P.H. Hugo and M. Madle attacked before Squadron Leader J. Kayll closed from astern and set the seaplane on fire.
Heinkel He 59 D-AROO of Seenotflugkommando 3 crashed into the sea. Oberleutnant Erich Chudziak, Unteroffiziers Ernst Mälzer and Josef Baumiller and Gefreiter Willi Paddags were killed. The wounded radio operator, Unteroffizier Josef Bühs, was the only survivor.
The loss of HMS Wren and HMS Codrington, together with the serious damage inflicted on HMS Walpole, persuaded the Admiralty to withdraw the remaining naval vessels from Dover and cease using the harbour as an advanced base. This placed an additional burden on Fighter Command, which now carried greater responsibility for protecting Channel convoys.
To implement the new policy, fighter squadrons in south-eastern England were reinforced to twenty-eight aircraft, and increased use of RAF Hawkinge and Manston was ordered.
Coastal Command Attack off Norway
Off the Norwegian coast, Hudson NR-M of No. 220 Squadron, flown by Pilot Officer C.T. Dacombe, attacked the Norwegian bomb-carrying vessel Trio. Ten 100-pound bombs were released, one of which struck the vessel’s stern. The crew abandoned ship before later returning and beaching the damaged vessel. The captain and a deck boy were critically wounded and subsequently died.
Three Bf 109s attacked the Hudson as it withdrew. Their gunfire damaged its tail and disabled the starboard rudder, but air gunner Sergeant A. Barker fired on one of the Messerschmitts and claimed it destroyed. No corresponding German loss has been identified.
Reconnaissance over Western Britain
German aircraft conducted high-altitude reconnaissance over Belfast, the Isle of Man and the area extending from south-west Anglesey to Cardiff. Although these flights did not result in direct attacks, they demonstrated the Luftwaffe’s continuing interest in British industrial and naval activity beyond the southern theatre.
Approximately six additional raids approached the east and south-east coasts during the day but turned back before penetrating inland.
Shipping Losses
The 11,928-ton whale factory ship Salvestria struck a mine off Inchkeith Island in the Firth of Forth and sank with the loss of ten members of her crew.
In the Bristol Channel, the 477-ton sand dredger Durdham struck a mine and sank with the loss of all seven crewmen.
Enemy Action by Night
Luftwaffe activity intensified after nightfall. At approximately 22:30 hours, around twenty German aircraft were plotted flying from Cherbourg and the Channel Islands towards south-west England and Wales.
Bombs were dropped at Swansea Docks, Upton-upon-Severn and Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire. Swansea suffered railway damage when a section of track was displaced. Other raids approached Bala, Cardiff, Bristol and areas west of Gloucester.
Night Interception off Dunbar
Sergeant A. McDowall of No. 602 Squadron, flying Spitfire N3228, intercepted a Heinkel He 111 illuminated briefly by searchlights near Dunbar. McDowall fired a prolonged burst and saw the bomber escape into cloud trailing damage. He claimed it damaged.
The aircraft was probably a He 111 of II./KG 53 that failed to return. Feldwebel Willy Herrberger, Feldwebel Paul Kurz, Gefreiter Rolf Schewitzer and Unteroffiziers Josef Schorpp and Richard Wolfhard were killed. This was No. 602 Squadron’s final victory in Scottish skies before the unit moved south.
Spitfire Lost during Night Patrol
Pilot Officer T. Wade of No. 92 Squadron became lost during a night patrol over the Swansea area after deteriorating weather and radio failure prevented him from maintaining contact with ground control. After remaining airborne for more than three hours, Wade exhausted his fuel and baled out.
Spitfire N3287 crashed approximately two miles south-west of Cranleigh. Wade landed nearby and survived without serious injury.
23:48–01:30 Hours: Minelaying off Scotland
Between 23:48 and 01:30 hours, four enemy raids approached the east coast near St Abb’s Head, apparently engaged in minelaying. The aircraft continued north as far as the Firth of Tay, where explosions were reported offshore.
Three additional raids were believed to have carried out minelaying sorties between the Tay and Kinnaird’s Head. Further activity was observed along the east coast, although not all the aircraft returned towards Cherbourg, suggesting that some had operated from alternative airfields in occupied Europe.
Operational Accident at RAF Newton
At RAF Newton, Battle L5528 of No. 150 Squadron was being prepared for a night sortie when a bomb fell from the aircraft, caught fire and exploded. Flying Officer W.M. Blom, DFC, Sergeant W.H.J. Franklin, BEM, and four ground crew—Corporal D.H. Sharpe, Leading Aircraftmen W.Y. Cann and G.A. Hall and Aircraftman First Class F. Stewart—were killed.
Air gunner Sergeant A.E.F. Gould was seriously injured and died the following day. Five additional ground personnel were wounded.
German Losses:
Airmen: 12 | Aircraft: 5
British Losses:
Airmen: 2 | Aircraft: 2
Spitfire N3023, No. 609 Squadron. Aircraft lost.
P/O J.R. Buchanan killed. Shot down by Bf 109 off Portsmouth.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/BuchananJR.htm
Hurricane P3808, No. 501 Squadron. Aircraft lost.
F/O P.A.N. Cox. Posted missing. Shot down by Bf 109 off Dover.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/CoxPAN.htm
Photo Descriptions
- A Junkers Ju 87 B-1 Stuka of 9./StG 77 photographed at Flers, France, July 1940.
- Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers of StG 77 taking off from an airfield in France, 1940.
- The British destroyer HMS Wren was sunk by He 111 bombers from KG 53 on 27 July 1940 while escorting minesweepers off Aldburgh, Suffolk.
- A Junkers Ju 88A-1 bomber, code 9K+H, of 3./Kampfgeschwader 51, after crash-landing at Buckholt Farm in Hampshire on the night of 27 July 1940. The crew had been tasked with bombing Crewe but became disorientated and flew over Dublin before realising their mistake. With fuel critically low, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing, and the four crew members were captured following a brief exchange of fire with British troops.