Slight activity. Some small attacks on airfields.
Night: Heavy raid on London, mainly in the east.
Weather: Fair early morning and evening, cloudy for the remainder of the day.
Main Activity:
While Fighter Command examined the records of the London attack the day before, the Luftwaffe somewhat reduced the scale of its efforts on the 8th, partly through fatigue and partly due to bad weather.
Between 1100 and 1230 hours Luftflotte 2 put in several raids over Kent with airfields once more the chief objectives. Some fifteen formations of varying size dropped bombs on Sevenoaks, West Mailing, Detling, Hornchurch, Dover and Gravesend. Eleven fighter squadrons were sent up and many of the enemy were turned back, doing little damage. Compared with its 817 sorties of the 7th, Fighter Command flew 305 on the 8th and lost only two aircraft, the pilot of one returning safely. In contrast Luftwaffe losses for the twenty-four-hour period were fifteen.
Excerpt from The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood & Derek Dempster
German Losses
Airmen: 29 | Aircraft: 16
British Losses
Airmen: 2 | Aircraft: 5
Spitfire R6756, No. 41 Squadron
F/O W.J. Scott killed. Possibly shot down by Bf 109. Crashed in flames.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ScottWJM.htm
Hurricane P3201, No. 46 Squadron
Sub/Lt J.C. Carpenter killed. Shot down by E/A. Pilot baled out but killed. Aircraft crashed at Maidstone.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/CarpenterJC.htm
Photo Descriptions:
- The Prime Minister Winston Churchill visits bombed out buildings in the East End of London on 8 September 1940.
- Bomb damaged shops, Lower Road, Bermondsey. with Bermondsey Old Town Hall to the rear, 8 September 1940. © IWM (HU 131496)
- A huge crater in the middle of the road at Elephant & Castle, 8 September 1940.