Mainly fighter and fighter-bomber sweeps.
Night: Widespread raids with London the main target.
Weather: Cloudy all day except for brighter weather in the late morning.
Main Activity:
The two Luftflotten made an early start and by 7.45 a.m. were raiding London and convoys in the estuary with a series of formations of as many as fifty aircraft.
By 9 a.m. the London suburbs had been hit and the docks damaged. Further sweeps were flown later in the morning and early in the afternoon. At 4.30 p.m. the Germans raided Southampton, London and Martlesham Heath simultaneously.
To repulse the attackers Fighter Command pilots flew 1,007 sorties. Ten British aircraft were shot down, but only five of the pilots were killed. The Germans lost fifteen machines.
Unknown to Fighter Command, however, they had driven off the penultimate major assault in the Battle of Britain.
Excerpt from The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood & Derek Dempster
German Losses
Airmen: 11 | Aircraft: 16
British Losses
Airmen: 6 | Aircraft: 14
Hurricane L1963, No. 43 Squadron
Sgt. L.V. Toogood killed. Crashed vertically from height during high-altitude aerobatics. Cause unknown but probably oxygen failure.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Toogood.htm
Spitfire P7539, No. 66 Squadron
P/O J.R. Mather killed. Crashed and burned out at Half Moon Lane, Hildenborough north-west of Tonbridge. Cause unknown but possible anoxia victim.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MatherJR.htm
Spitfire P7526, No. 74 Squadron
Sgt. J.A. Scott killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s over Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ScottJA.htm
Hurricane P3168, No. 145 Squadron
P/O A.I.R.G. Jottard missing. Shot down by Bf 109 five miles south-east of the Isle of Wight.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Jottard.htm
Spitfire P7439, No. 603 Squadron
F/O C.W. Goldsmith died 28/10/40. Shot down by Bf 109s south of Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/GoldsmithCW.htm
Spitfire P7365, No. 603 Squadron
P/O R.B. Dewey killed. Shot down in a surprise attack by Bf 109s south of Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Dewey.htm
Photo Description:
- A soldier guards Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1 (Werke/Nr.3576) of 7 Staffel/Jagdgeschwader 54, which belly landed on a beach near Lydd water tower in Kent on 27 October 1940. The aircraft was damaged in combat with Hurricanes of No. 605 Squadron during a fighter sweep over Tunbridge Wells. The pilot, Unteroffizier Arno Zimmermann, was captured.