Day bombing switched to London with a heavy attack on the capital.

Night: Raids on London continue from dusk till dawn. Main objectives are the East End and Docks.

Weather: Fair with some haze.

Enemy Action by Day

The morning of Saturday, 7 September 1940, began with an eerie calm. Radar stations along the south coast reported no incoming formations, and, for the first time in weeks, operators stepped outside to enjoy the mild weather. But this silence was deceptive. It marked the opening of a new and deadly phase of the air war. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring had declared himself commander of a new phase of the Luftwaffe campaign—codenamed Loge—which would now shift its focus from airfields to the destruction of London. The third phase of the Battle of Britain had begun. Hitler and Göring were confident that one overwhelming blow against the capital would break British morale and force surrender. Across the Channel, Göring entertained Luftwaffe commanders at a lavish picnic at Cap Blanc Nez, complete with champagne and white-linen-covered tables, while bomber formations assembled overhead.

First Probing Raids: Morning Activity

The first signs of enemy action came mid-morning when around thirty aircraft crossed the coast near Lympne. These included Bf 109s and possibly Bf 110s in the Jabo role. They did not penetrate far inland but struck targets at Dover and Hawkinge. Dive-bombing attacks caused minor damage to installations at Hawkinge, with 12 to 15 bomb craters reported near the officers’ mess and perimeter track. No serious damage was recorded, although operations were briefly disrupted. Dover received bomb splinters and light damage to buildings near the harbour.

Reconnaissance flights followed shortly after. One aircraft crossed the Wash to Lincoln and exited over Skegness without interception. At 09:20 hours, a Dornier Do 215 was intercepted by No. 266 Squadron and shot down off the Dutch coast following a pursuit across the North Sea. Several convoys were shadowed in the Bristol Channel and off the Yorkshire coast, and another enemy aircraft patrolled East Anglia. One penetrated as far inland as Duxford, but evaded interception by diving into cloud.

Midday Activity: Kent Reconnaissance and Skirmishes

From 11:00 to 12:00 hours, around seventy German aircraft assembled over northern France and crossed the coast near Folkestone. The formation split—some heading toward Hastings along the coast, others fanning out over East Kent. This was followed by a period of relative quiet. From 13:00 to 15:00 hours, small patrols of six aircraft were plotted circling Calais and Boulogne, occasionally testing the coast near Lympne.

15:40–18:14 Hours: The Main Raid

At 15:40 hours, radar stations at Foreness, Dover, Rye, and Pevensey began detecting the build-up of what would become the largest raid of the war thus far. First, a wave of approximately 100 aircraft crossed the coast at 16:25 hours, spreading across Kent. At 17:18 hours, a second and far larger wave followed—comprising some 250 bombers and fighters in five separate raids. The entire armada is now estimated to have consisted of more than 1,100 aircraft: 372 bombers, 200 Bf 110 fighter-bombers, and 642 Bf 109s flying as escort. Their target was London.

As formations crossed the Channel and split over Kent, British sector controllers misjudged their objectives. Nos. 1, 303, 501, and 504 Squadrons were scrambled to protect airfields, oil refineries, and sector stations, but the real target was still unrecognised. Meanwhile, Duxford’s Big Wing was slow to form, taking 20 minutes to assemble its thirty-six aircraft and arriving too late to intercept the inbound bombers over Maidstone. Park’s demand for immediate reinforcements went unanswered, as the formations pushed north.

Over Kent, Nos. 249 and 501 Squadrons made contact near Rochester. The Hurricanes attempted to disrupt the bomber stream, but No. 249 suffered heavily, losing six aircraft in combat with the fighter escort. Meanwhile, the German bombers—Heinkel He 111s, Dornier Do 17s, and Junkers Ju 88s—pressed on with minimal interference.

17:00–18:10 Hours: Attack on East London

The main bomber force followed the Thames upstream toward the docklands. At 17:00 hours, the first loads were released over the oil storage tanks at Thameshaven, which were still burning from the previous day. At 17:15, waves of bombers reached Woolwich Arsenal, the Harland & Wolff shipyard, and the Siemens Brothers works. Bombs caused widespread destruction. Gunpowder stores at Woolwich exploded, igniting fires visible for miles. Serious damage to a main sewer and road and rail infrastructure in the area resulted in major disruption.

Other formations rained bombs across the Royal Docks—Albert, Victoria, and King George V—, destroying warehouses, setting ships ablaze, and igniting forty miles of dockfront. Millwall, Poplar, Canning Town, West Ham, and Wapping suffered heavily. Large industrial targets and working-class neighbourhoods alike were engulfed in fire. The Beckton gasworks was hit and severely damaged, reducing gas supply capacity across East London. One fire officer pleaded:

“Send all the pumps you’ve got, the whole bloody world’s on fire.”

As wave after wave of bombers approached, No. 609 Squadron intercepted a mixed formation over Dartford, destroying two Dorniers, two Bf 110s, and one Bf 109 without loss. No. 303 (Polish) Squadron engaged bombers over Essex alongside No. 1 Squadron, claiming ten Do 17s and three Bf 109s destroyed, though P/O Daszewski was wounded and hospitalised.

Despite these interceptions, many bombers reached their targets unopposed, as their Bf 109 escorts had turned back due to fuel limitations. This allowed RAF squadrons to engage returning bombers more effectively. The Big Wing, arriving too late to protect London, attacked the retreating formations over the Thames Estuary. No. 234 Squadron lost two pilots, including its commanding officer, Squadron Leader J.S. O’Brien, who was shot down over St. Mary Cray and crashed near Biggin Hill. Flight Lieutenant P.C. Hughes was killed after intercepting a Dornier Do 17 bomber. His Spitfire, X4009, crashed in a field between Sundridge and Bessels Green in Kent. He apparently bailed out, but his parachute failed to open; his body was discovered in a garden on Main Road, Sundridge, not far from the wreckage of his aircraft. The exact circumstances of Hughes’s death remain uncertain, though it is widely believed that his close-range tactics played a significant role. He is generally thought to have collided with the German bomber he was attacking, rendering his Spitfire uncontrollable. Pilot Officer Bob Doe, also of No. 234 Squadron, was credited with the destruction of a Heinkel He 111.

Between 17:45 and 18:10 hours, further bombing runs targeted Poplar, Limehouse, Barking, Tottenham, and Croydon. Incendiary and high-explosive bombs lit up entire boroughs. Major damage was reported in Stratford and Silvertown, where the fires became so intense that a full evacuation was ordered. Over 600 fire engines and crews were deployed across the city.

Damage and Casualties

Civilian casualties were severe. 448 people were killed in the day’s attacks, with 1,337 more seriously injured. In one act of heroism, Albert Ernest Dolphin, a hospital porter, was killed while shielding a nurse from a collapsing wall at South-Eastern Hospital, New Cross. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross.

Among the hardest-hit sites were the gasworks at Beckton, Siemens Bros. and Harland & Wolff in Woolwich, Thameshaven refinery, and the Royal Docks. Silvertown was described as a “raging inferno,” and could not be brought under control until the following day. Water pressure for firefighting was compromised by low Thames levels and burst mains. Railway lines were twisted or buried under debris. Road transport was paralysed across large parts of East London.

Enemy Action by Night

At 20:22 hours, a new wave of bombers crossed the Kent coast at Beachy Head. These raids lacked escorts, relying instead on the glow of East London’s fires to guide their path. Hugo Sperrle’s Luftflotte 3 launched continuous streams of single bombers, avoiding collisions at night. From dusk to dawn, 333 tons of high explosives and 13,000 incendiaries were dropped.

Major targets included Battersea Power Station, which sustained heavy damage, and London Power Company’s infrastructure. Southwark, Bermondsey, East and West Ham, Hackney, Lewisham, Stepney, Plaistow, Barking, Rotherhithe, and Finsbury reported extensive damage. Reports of major infrastructure damage included severed water mains, collapsed buildings, derailed trains, and power outages. Beckton’s gasworks continued to burn.

Final Summary

By 04:30 hours on 8 September, the last raiders withdrew. The bombing had lasted seven continuous hours. Fires still raged in multiple districts, and emergency services remained fully engaged. It was the beginning of the Night Blitz. London had endured its first all-out attack.

Fighter Command lost 25 aircraft during the day, with sixteen pilots killed or missing. The Luftwaffe lost 41 aircraft, including 16 Bf 109s. Eleven German pilots became prisoners of war, including Oblt. Hans Krug (4./JG 26) and Ofw. Gotthard Goltzsche (1./JG 77); several other German aces were missing in action, including Ofw. Fritz Ströhlein (2./JG 51) and Uffz. Willi Melchert (5./JG 2).

Leading Luftwaffe aces added to their tallies: Major Mölders, Oblt. Helmut Wick (reaching 25 victories), and Major Hannes Trautloft. Ofw. Erich Rudorffer (2./JG 2) claimed three Spitfires. The RAF’s response was valiant but overstretched. Göring, falsely triumphant, claimed London had been struck to its core.

The 7 September raid marked a major turning point. The Luftwaffe had failed to destroy Fighter Command, but it had shifted to a campaign of terror against London. In doing so, it may have inadvertently spared the RAF’s sector airfields and altered the course of the battle.

So began the Blitz. London would now endure bombing every night for the next fifty-seven consecutive nights.

German Losses:
Airmen: 52 | Aircraft: 41

British Losses:
Airmen: 16 | Aircraft: 25

Spitfire P9560, No. 54 Squadron
F/O D.J. Saunders killed. Crashed during low altitude training practice flight.

Spitfire R6901, No. 54 Squadron
P/O W. Krepski listed as missing. Believed crashed into sea during operational flight.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Krepski.htm

Blenheim L6684, No. 600 Squadron
Sgt A.F.C. Saunders killed.
Sgt J.W. Davies killed.
Crashed due to engine failure during landing approach.

Hurricane V6641, No. 43 Squadron
S/L C.B. Hull killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109 and crashed in grounds of Purley High School.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Hull.htm

Hurricane V7257, No. 43 Squadron
F/L R.C. Reynell killed. Baled out after being shot down by Bf 109. Died on landing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Reynell.htm

Hurricane R4114, No. 249 Squadron
P/O R.D.S. Fleming killed. Shot down by Bf 109s during combat operations.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/FlemingRDS.htm

Hurricane P3234, No. 73 Squadron
Fl/L R.E. Lovett killed. Shot down by enemy aircraft during combat operations.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Lovett.htm

Hurricane L1615, No. 504 Squadron
F/O K.V. Wendel died of injuries. Shot down over Estuary but crashed in flames at Faversham.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wendel.htm

Hurricane P3049, No. 257 Squadron
Fl/L H.R.A. Beresford killed. Aircraft crashed on Isle of Sheppey. Pilots remains unearthed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Beresford.htm

Spitfire N3198, No. 602 Squadron
F/O W.H. Coverley died of injuries. Shot down by E/A and crashed in flames. Pilot baled out with severe burns.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Coverley.htm

Hurricane V7254, No. 257 Squadron
F/O L.R.G. Mitchell listed as missing. Last seen in action in combat. Believed crashed into sea.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MitchellLRG.htm

Spitfire X4256, No. 602 Squadron
P/O H.W. Moody listed as missing. Failed to return to base after combat operation.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MoodyHW.htm

Spitfire P9466, No. 234 Squadron
S/L J.S. O’Brien killed. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed near Biggin Hill.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/OBrien.htm

Spitfire X4009, No. 234 Squadron
Fl/L P.C. Hughes killed. Believed crashed into Do 17 wreckage after he shot it during combat.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/HughesPC.htm

Photo Descriptions

1. Armourers replenish the ammunition in Hawker Hurricane Mark I, P3143 ‘NN-D’, of No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron at RAF Duxford, 7 September 1940. © IWM (CH 1297)
2. A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over the Isle of Dogs in the East End of London, at the start of the Luftwaffe’s evening raids of 7 September 1940.
3. Two Dornier 17 bombers flying over the Plumstead sewer bank, Crossness pumping station and the Royal Arsenal butts on Saturday 7 September 1940, the first day of the sustained Blitz on London.
4. Two German Dornier 17 bombers over West Ham in London during a raid on the first day of the Blitz, 7 September 1940.
5. Smoke rising from fires in the London docks following bombing on 7 September 1940.
6. The effects of a large concentrated attack by the Luftwaffe on London dock and industry districts on 7 September 1940. Factories and storehouses were seriously damaged; the mills at the Royal Victoria Dock (below left) show damage wrought by fire.
7. A still from camera-gun film taken from a Supermarine Spitfire Mark I of No. 609 Squadron RAF, flown by Flying Officer Tadeusz “Novi” Nowierski (formerly Polish Air Force) as he closes in on a formation of Dornier Do 17Zs of KG 3 south-west of London at approximately 5.45 pm on 7 September 1940, the first day of the Blitz. Tracer bullets from the intercepting Spitfires can be seen traveling towards the enemy aircraft which were heading back to their base after bombing East London and the docks. © IWM (CH 1820)
8. Fires light up the docks along the River Thames on 7 September 1940 and bring into vivid relief the merchant ships lying alongside the many docks which line London’s busy port.
9. One of many fires started in the Surrey Commercial Docks on 7 September 1940 after a heavy raid during the night by German bombers.