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 on 27 July 1940. The Straits were fair, though the Channel remained partially overcast. With visibility improving, Fliegerkorps VIII renewed its focus on attacking shipping along the south coast, striking convoys and naval targets in the Straits of Dover, Portland, and off East Anglia. The Luftwaffe also mounted further raids on coastal towns and harbours, including another damaging attack on Dover itself. Fighter Command was heavily engaged in the Channel throughout the afternoon and, although many raids were turned back, losses occurred on both sides.
Morning Convoy Raids and the Loss of HMS Wren
The first major engagement of the day occurred at 09:45 hours, when Ju 87 Stukas from III./StG 77, escorted by Bf 109s of III./JG 27, launched an attack against a coastal convoy, code-named Bacon, off Swanage. RAF Fighter Command scrambled Hurricanes from Nos. 145 and 238 Squadrons, along with Spitfires from No. 609 Squadron, to intercept. In the ensuing combat, No. 145 Squadron succeeded in shooting down a Bf 109, while No. 238 Squadron destroyed one of the Stukas. A second Ju 87 was seen trailing smoke as it retreated across the Channel. No. 609 Squadron lost one Spitfire during the action; Pilot Officer J.R. Buchanan was killed, the victory credited to Oberleutnant Gerhart Framm of 2./JG 27.
At the same time, along the East Anglian coast, the 18th Destroyer Flotilla—comprising HMS Wren and HMS Montrose, escorting six minesweeping trawlers—came under attack approximately 20 nautical miles east of Aldeburgh. The raid was carried out by Heinkel He 111s from II./KG 53. HMS Wren was hit and sunk with heavy loss of life, while HMS Montrose sustained damage but remained afloat. Due to a lapse in RDF tracking, Fighter Command was not able to vector aircraft to intercept the attackers.
Dover Harbour Attacked – Naval Losses Mount
Dover came under renewed attack in the early afternoon. At 14:30 hours, a formation of six Bf 109s crossed the Straits from Calais, each armed with a bomb mounted on a centreline rack. This marked the first confirmed operational use of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the fighter-bomber (Jabo) role. The aircraft released their ordnance over the harbour, inflicting notable damage to dockside equipment. Although RAF fighters were scrambled in response, they were unable to intercept the withdrawing formation before it returned across the Channel.
A second raid on Dover took place later in the afternoon at 17:30 hours. Four bombs struck the harbour, while five more fell on nearby barracks buildings. During the attack, the destroyer HMS Codrington was sunk at her moorings, and HMS Walpole, berthed alongside the depot ship HMS Sandhurst, was severely damaged. In response, RAF Fighter Command scrambled three squadrons. No. 41 Squadron engaged a hostile aircraft identified as a Heinkel He 113—almost certainly a misidentified Bf 109, as the He 113 was not in operational service. No. 615 Squadron successfully intercepted and shot down a Heinkel He 59, a large biplane seaplane used by the Luftwaffe for reconnaissance and air-sea rescue operations. During the engagement, No. 501 Squadron lost a Hurricane; Flying Officer P.A.N. Cox was posted missing.
With three destroyers lost in a single day—including HMS Wren off Aldeburgh that morning—the Admiralty ordered the immediate withdrawal of all remaining naval vessels from Dover and the cessation of its use as an advanced base. The responsibility for safeguarding Channel convoys now shifted more heavily to RAF Fighter Command. In response, the Air Ministry issued directives mandating that any German formation approaching Dover be met with overwhelming force whenever possible. To implement this policy, fighter squadrons in the southeast were reinforced to 28 aircraft each, and increased use of RAF Hawkinge and Manston was ordered.
Convoy Agent Attacked off Dungeness
At 16:02 hours, a formation of six or more Luftwaffe aircraft approached Dungeness before turning west and bombing a steamer off Sandgate. The ship sustained damage but remained afloat. The raid was part of a broader attempt to disrupt Convoy Agent as it moved along the southern coast. British fighter patrols were recalled shortly afterward due to deteriorating weather conditions.
Reconnaissance Over the West
In addition to bombing raids, German aircraft conducted high-level reconnaissance over western parts of Britain. Flights were reported over Belfast, the Isle of Man, and the area stretching from south-west Anglesey to Cardiff. While these sorties did not result in direct attacks, they demonstrated growing Luftwaffe interest in British industrial and naval activity beyond the southern theatre.
Raids off the East Coast
Approximately six additional raids approached the east and south-east coasts throughout the day but turned back before penetrating inland.
Enemy Action by Night
Luftwaffe activity intensified after nightfall. Around 22:30 hours, approximately twenty enemy aircraft were plotted flying from Cherbourg and the Channel Islands toward south-west England and Wales. Bombs were reported dropped at Swansea Docks, Upton-upon-Severn, and Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire. Swansea sustained some rail damage when a line was displaced. Other targets included Bala, Cardiff, Bristol, and areas west of Gloucester. In some cases, RAF night fighters were dispatched, but no interceptions were reported.
Between 23:48 and 01:30 hours, four enemy raids were tracked approaching the east coast near St. Abb’s Head, apparently engaged in minelaying operations. 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 runs from the Tay to Kinnaird’s Head. Further activity was observed along the east coast, although not all aircraft returned to Cherbourg, suggesting operations were also staged from alternate airfields in occupied France.
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.