Reduced activity.
Night: London attacked.
Weather: Dull with fog in morning. Cloudy in afternoon, fair to fine late. Some rain.
Enemy Action by Day
The day began under a blanket of fog across much of southern England, and this, combined with overcast skies and intermittent rain, contributed to significantly reduced Luftwaffe activity. Radar plots indicated occasional enemy reconnaissance aircraft operating along the coastline between Portsmouth and Harwich, but no large-scale raids developed during the day. Fighter Command recorded the lowest number of sorties flown since the Battle of Britain had begun.
At 07:00 hours, a reconnaissance aircraft was plotted over a convoy off Lowestoft. Two enemy aircraft crossed the coast at Harwich around 15:45 hours and proceeded inland toward Debden and Duxford. RAF fighters were scrambled and engaged the intruders. A third single aircraft was tracked over Harwich shortly after 17:20 hours but was not intercepted.
In the South East, enemy aircraft patrolled the Dover Straits and reconnoitred a coastal convoy between 07:00 and 15:00 hours. Between 15:00 and 17:00 hours, six or seven Bf 109s flew singly from Dieppe across southern England, penetrating as far inland as Biggin Hill, Northolt, and central London before exiting over Sussex. One of these aircraft crossed the coast near Bognor Regis and continued northward into Northamptonshire before returning to France.
Later that afternoon, a lone Ju 88 operating over the Channel south of the Isle of Wight was intercepted by Spitfires of No. 234 Squadron, flying from Middle Wallop. The bomber was shot down and crash-landed in the sea. All crew members survived and were taken prisoner.
Fowlmere Aerodrome Attacked
At approximately 15:30 hours, several enemy aircraft conducted an attack on RAF Fowlmere. According to station records, one Spitfire on the ground was destroyed and several others damaged. No buildings or installations suffered significant damage, and no casualties were reported. The attacking aircraft are believed to have been Bf 109s, possibly the same flight plotted over London earlier in the day.
Just before 17:00 hours, a Ju 88 was intercepted and destroyed by RAF fighters near the Lizard in Cornwall. This was one of the few confirmed daytime victories by Fighter Command on a day otherwise marked by sporadic activity.
Aerial Reconnaissance Across the South and West
Enemy reconnaissance flights were recorded across southern England throughout the day. At 07:00 hours, an aircraft flew a route from Calais to a point west of Shoreham. Another enemy aircraft crossed the coast near Lyme Bay around 08:00 hours and conducted a wide-ranging reconnaissance, extending as far as Gloucester, Liverpool, Burnley, Wolverhampton, and South Wales before returning to France over the Channel Islands. RAF fighters attempted interception but were unsuccessful.
Between 11:30 and 13:30 hours, several raids originating from Cherbourg and the Baie de la Seine approached the Isle of Wight but turned back before reaching the English coast.
Northern and Western Incidents
In the North West, a convoy off the coast of Ireland was reported under attack at 07:50 hours, but no damage was confirmed and RAF interception efforts failed to make contact. In Yorkshire, weather conditions remained poor throughout the day. Three Hurricanes from No. 85 Squadron were forced to make emergency landings due to low visibility and fuel exhaustion while returning to Church Fenton. Flight Lieutenant G. Allard landed near Clitheroe, Pilot Officer J.E. Marshall near Burnley, and Pilot Officer J.A. Hemingway just outside Burnley. All three pilots were unharmed.
Enemy Action by Night
Luftwaffe night operations commenced early, with initial formations already crossing the coast before nightfall. By 19:04 hours, London had received its first ‘Red’ warning. From 19:30 hours onward, a continuous stream of raiders approached the capital from multiple directions—across the Thames Estuary from the Dutch islands, over Selsey Bill from Cherbourg, and through East Anglia from occupied northern Europe.
By 20:30 hours, the majority of Luftwaffe activity was focused almost exclusively on London. Dornier, Heinkel, and Junkers bombers attacked in successive waves, releasing their loads on strategic targets across the capital. By midnight, the sky above the city glowed red from extensive fires, particularly in the docklands and industrial districts. Serious conflagrations developed in Woolwich and Dagenham, including a large fire in the Royal Arsenal Timber Field, which had intensified further by 03:28 hours. At least two air raid shelters sustained direct hits—one in Poplar and another in Lambeth—causing between 30 and 50 fatalities and injuring many others.
A mine exploded near Ilford at 21:40 hours, demolishing 100 houses and damaging another 100. At Victoria Docks, J. Rank’s Flour Mills were destroyed, rendering the factory inoperable and affecting approximately 1,800 employees.
Mile End tube station was closed after sustaining a direct hit. Elsewhere, the Grand Union Canal was bombed, fracturing the wall of the Limehouse Cut and damaging nearby warehouses. Allen & Hanbury’s medical works in Bethnal Green were seriously damaged, halting most production.
Night Fighter Operations and Further Attacks
Although Fighter Command deployed Defiant and Blenheim night fighters, their effectiveness remained limited. With only a small number airborne and radar still in its infancy, few successful interceptions were made. However, a notable incident occurred when a Whitley bomber of No. 58 Squadron was shot down near Thornaby by a Luftwaffe night intruder, marking one of the first German night fighter successes over Britain.
Outside London, bombs were also dropped on Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire, but with less severe consequences. Hastings and Eastbourne suffered light damage and several casualties. In Basingstoke, an unexploded bomb temporarily blocked the Southern Railway line. At Fowlmere, a further nine high-explosive bombs were dropped on the landing ground around 14:30 hours, destroying one aircraft. RAF Digby, Kirton-in-Lindsey, and Waddington were each attacked during the early hours of 23 September, but damage was minimal or non-existent.
Summary
Although 22 September was marked by relatively little activity during daylight hours, the Luftwaffe returned in force at night with one of the most intense bombing assaults on London thus far in the Blitz. Fighter Command flew limited sorties during daylight, resulting in the destruction of a single Ju 88 near the Lizard. One RAF aircraft—a Spitfire at Fowlmere—was destroyed on the ground.
Luftwaffe losses for the day totalled six aircraft, while Fighter Command lost one. The effectiveness of the night raids, combined with significant fire damage and civilian casualties, underscored the Luftwaffe’s increasing reliance on the strategic bombing of population and industrial centres after the failure of daylight mass attacks.
German Losses:
Airmen: 7 | Aircraft: 6
British Losses:
Airmen: 0 | Aircraft: 1
Photo Descriptions
- Ground staff re-arm a Spitfire Mk I at Biggin Hill, September 1940. © IWM (HU 104499, HU 104501, HU 104498)
- A family pose by an Anderson shelter perched on the edge of a large crater in back garden caused by a bombing raid, South London, 22 September 1940. © IWM (HU 72357)