Small formations attacked London and East Anglia.
Night: Very quiet.
Weather: Dull with continuous rain all day.
Enemy Action by Day
Persistent rain and low cloud across southern England and the Channel region on 6 October 1940 led to a significant reduction in Luftwaffe operations. Continuous poor visibility rendered large-scale coordinated attacks impractical, and instead, the day was characterised by scattered raids conducted almost entirely by single aircraft. Several mass formations assembled over France during the morning but were forced to abandon their missions due to deteriorating weather and returned to base. Nonetheless, the daylight hours still saw frequent incursions by lone raiders targeting airfields, towns, and convoys, particularly in East Anglia, Kent, and Sussex. RAF Fighter Command reported limited engagements, claiming one enemy aircraft destroyed and one damaged, for the loss of one fighter and one pilot. Night operations were minimal, with only a few isolated aircraft penetrating British airspace.
Reconnaissance and Coastal Activity
Reconnaissance activity was most marked during the morning, with German aircraft carrying out observation flights over the Thames Estuary, Kent, and southern airfields. A convoy off Southwold was shadowed between 13:30 and 14:30 hours by two small raids, followed by a larger group of twelve or more aircraft that crossed the coast near Aldeburgh. RAF fighters were dispatched to intercept, but no engagement was reported.
Notably, Kenley and Biggin Hill were both photographed during reconnaissance passes. Around the same period, several towns in the southeast were subjected to low-level machine-gun attacks. Wickham Market, Felixstowe, and the Shirley district of Southampton were targeted in these strafing runs, though damage was negligible.
Airfield Attacks and Skirmishes Over Southern England
Throughout the day, scattered raids struck a number of RAF airfields and military installations. At 11:30 hours, Middle Wallop was attacked by a lone aircraft, though no damage was recorded. At 12:10 hours, Northolt aerodrome was bombed and machine-gunned by a Ju 88. One Hurricane I (P3120) of No. 303 Squadron was destroyed on the ground and another seriously damaged. A Bristol Blenheim was also hit. The attacking aircraft fatally wounded Polish pilot Sergeant Antoni Siudak, who was preparing for takeoff, and killed Aircraftman 2nd Class Henry Stennett, who was on watch duty atop a hangar. The Ju 88 was later intercepted and shot down near Leatherhead, Surrey, by a Hurricane of No. 229 Squadron.
At 12:45 hours, several bombs were dropped on Biggin Hill airfield, damaging gas and water mains but causing little structural harm. A single Spitfire may have been damaged. Tangmere was also attacked but suffered no confirmed hits. Croydon airfield received light damage, and Farnborough was machine-gunned around 16:35 hours, although no injuries or losses were reported. At White Waltham, adjacent residential properties and the airfield were strafed at 17:00 hours. Again, there were no casualties or structural damage.
Industrial Targets and Railway Disruption
The Luftwaffe continued to target industrial infrastructure in scattered attacks. The Hawker Aircraft Factory at Slough was struck at 16:50 hours by a Ju 88, causing minor damage to one of the shops and leaving an unexploded bomb lodged in the concrete flooring. A fire broke out at Shell Mex BP premises at Purfleet at 17:12 hours, damaging five oil tanks and one office, although the blaze was brought under control before it spread. Turner’s Asbestos Works at Erith was also hit, with three blocks and several cutting machines destroyed in the resulting fire.
Other sites included the Siemens Bros works in Woolwich, where a fire occurred at 01:45 hours, and Loders & Nuceline in Silvertown, which also reported a fire. The Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd. plant at North Woolwich sustained slight damage to buildings. The Vauxhall Works in Luton were bombed, but no damage was reported.
Rail infrastructure suffered scattered damage throughout the day. At Gidea Park, three rail tracks were put out of service. Both lines at Woolwich Arsenal Station were blocked by bomb damage, and at Brentwood Station Yard, bombs destroyed several carriages by fire. The Royal Arsenal in Woolwich was also bombed during the night, with a packing case store burned out. However, production was not interrupted.
Civilian and Friendly Fire Incidents
In a tragic case of mistaken identity, a Hampden of No. 106 Squadron (L4100) was attacked just after midday during a cross-country flight by Hurricanes of No. 17 Squadron, flown by Pilot Officer Jack Ross (P3894) and Sergeant George Steward (P3027). Although the aircraft was not destroyed and landed safely at Stradishall, its navigator, Sergeant K. S. Powers, was killed in the attack. The incident deeply disturbed the No. 106 Squadron commanding officer, who reportedly visited No. 17 Squadron with photographs of Hampdens to prevent future misidentification.
RAF losses for the day included the fatal crash of a Spitfire from No. 64 Squadron during a routine patrol. Sergeant Frederick Fenton Vinyard, aged 24, went down at sea at 14:20 hours and was declared missing. His name is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Notable Luftwaffe Activity and Aircraft Introductions
One Ju 88 from II./KG 55 was dispatched at 16:19 hours from Chartres with orders to bomb the Parnall aircraft facility at Yate but aborted the mission and returned to base without releasing its ordnance. Another Ju 88 collided with a barrage balloon cable during a low-level attack but managed to break free and escape.
Geschwaderkommodore Werner Mölders of JG 51 flew operationally for the first time in the new Bf 109 F-1 (W.Nr. 5628, coded ‘SG+GW’). JG 51 was the only unit in the Channel theatre equipped with the new model at the time. Mölders encountered no enemy aircraft and made no combat claims during the flight.
Enemy Action by Night
By nightfall, heavy 10/10 cloud cover and base levels between 100 and 500 feet curtailed most Luftwaffe activity. At 20:00 hours, only one German aircraft was plotted over England, flying from Dieppe over Shoreham toward Kenley and Northolt before turning back east. Another aircraft entered at 21:00 hours and followed an extended route—from Reading, across the Birmingham area to Bury St Edmunds, Duxford, and North Weald—before exiting over Romney at 23:20 hours.
At 21:20 hours, a separate aircraft crossed in over Beachy Head, flew over London to Waltham Abbey and Hatfield, then exited again over Romney at 22:30 hours. These flights were noted for their accurate navigation despite dense low cloud. At 05:15 hours, four additional aircraft from the Dutch islands approached London. By 05:48 hours, one had entered the Inner Artillery Zone, with others observed near Debden, the Blackwater Estuary, and Brighton. The final enemy aircraft departed by 06:00 hours.
Summary
Sunday, 6 October 1940 was defined by poor weather and fragmented Luftwaffe activity, signalling a continued shift in German strategy. The day’s actions consisted of harassing attacks and strafing runs by lone aircraft, with airfield strikes, factory bombings, and occasional infrastructure disruption forming the primary objectives. The loss of two RAF aircraft—including a tragic case of mistaken identity—underscored the hazards of confused airspace under poor conditions. Meanwhile, the first appearance of the Bf 109 F-1 in operations, flown by Mölders, foreshadowed developments in Luftwaffe capabilities. As the German High Command increasingly recognised the failure to achieve air superiority, daylight operations waned, and the campaign turned further toward night bombing. Yet even under low cloud and heavy rain, the Luftwaffe maintained a presence—demonstrating that the pressure on Britain, though diminished, had not relented.
German Losses:
Airmen: 19 | Aircraft: 9
British Losses:
Airmen: 2 | Aircraft: 2
Spitfire R6683, No. 64 Squadron
Sgt. F.F. Vinyard killed. Aircraft was seen to crash into the sea off Flamborough Head.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Vinyard.htm
Hurricane P3102, No. 303 Squadron
Sgt. A. Siudak killed. Aircraft destroyed on the ground by enemy raider attacking Northolt.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Siudak.htm
Photo Description
- A Hawker Hurricane Mk. I of No. 1 (RCAF) Squadron at Northolt on 6 October 1940.
- Bf 109 F-1 (WNr. 5628, coded ‘SG+GW’) as flown by Major Werner Mölders on 6 October 1940.
- A Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1 of JG 27 (W.Nr. 6147) is taken away on an RAF Maintenance Unit lorry outside offices in Stockwell, south London, during October 1940. The aircraft was left there for about a month where it was used as a collecting point for an RAF charity. It had been shot down in the village of Isfield, East Sussex, on 15 September with its pilot, Uffz Andreas Walburger, captured unharmed. The aircraft was later exhibited at a number of other locations in aid of local Spitfire Funds.