East and south coast shipping attacked.

Night: South Wales and midlands targets. Minelaying in Thames Estuary and north-east coast Scottish coast.

Weather: Fair in most districts with Straits and Channel overcast. Low cloud dispersing during the day. Warmer.

The day opened under largely fair skies across much of Britain, though the Channel and Straits remained overcast. Low cloud and morning mist cleared as the day progressed, giving way to warmer conditions. Although enemy activity remained relatively light compared to previous days, the Luftwaffe’s raids persisted, with attacks on convoys, light bombing raids, and intensified minelaying by night.

Strategically, 1 August 1940 marked a significant milestone in the German war effort: Adolf Hitler issued Directive No. 17, ordering the Luftwaffe to commence an intensified aerial offensive against Britain. The objective was to achieve air superiority over the RAF in preparation for Operation Seelöwe—the planned invasion of southern England. Göring’s Luftflotten were instructed to destroy RAF aircraft, infrastructure, and supporting industry, with operations to begin after 5 August, weather permitting.

The directive made clear that while terror bombing could be reserved as a reprisal, the Luftwaffe’s primary focus was to crush Fighter Command and neutralize naval threats to an amphibious assault.

Enemy Action by Day

The Luftwaffe’s daylight operations were scattered and modest in scope, largely comprising reconnaissance and attacks on coastal convoys. Early in the morning, German aircraft harassed trawlers south of Selsey Bill, though no RAF fighters intercepted the raiders.

Small formations continued to probe Britain’s southern coastline throughout the day. Aircraft were plotted near Beachy Head and the Isle of Wight, but they turned back upon sighting RAF fighters. Reconnaissance flights extended westwards toward the Cornish coast and northwest of Cornwall.

13:17–13:30 Hours: Fighting off the Yorkshire Coast

German aircraft turned their attention to shipping off the Yorkshire coast during the early afternoon. At 13:17 hours, three Hurricanes of No. 607 Squadron intercepted a Dornier Do 17 approximately thirty miles off Flamborough Head. Flying Officer George D. Craig attacked the bomber and claimed it damaged, although he believed that it had been destroyed.

Three Spitfires of No. 616 Squadron encountered a Ju 88 approximately fifteen miles east of Withernsea shortly afterwards and also claimed it destroyed. A Ju 88 of 1./KG 30 failed to return from an operational sortie to Carlisle and crashed into the North Sea with the loss of its unidentified crew. It may have been the aircraft attacked by one or both squadrons, but no definite attribution can be established.

14:30 Hours: Fighting off Hastings

Hurricanes of No. 145 Squadron encountered a lone Ju 88 off the Sussex coast. The bomber, probably belonging to Stab II./KG 76, escaped but returned badly damaged, with Feldwebel Anton Kohl severely wounded. Kohl subsequently died in hospital on 17 August.

At approximately 14:30 hours, four Hurricanes of No. 145 Squadron were directed towards further activity off Hastings and intercepted a Henschel Hs 126 reconnaissance aircraft of 4.(H)/31. The Hurricanes attacked and shot the Henschel down into the Channel, killing Feldwebel der Reserve Ulrich Trusen and Unteroffizier der Reserve Werner Schulze.

The German observer returned fire throughout the engagement and hit Hurricane P3155, flown by Sub-Lieutenant Ian H. Kestin of the Royal Navy, who was serving with No. 145 Squadron. Kestin’s Hurricane also crashed into the sea, and he was killed.

15:15 Hours: Raid on Norwich

At 15:15 hours, a lone Ju 88 approached Norwich undetected at low altitude and attacked the Boulton Paul Aircraft Works. The bomber dropped two high-explosive bombs and a number of incendiaries, killing nine workers and injuring twenty more.

The Ju 88 then attacked Thorpe railway station, where three high-explosive bombs killed six people and injured thirty-nine. Despite the casualties and damage inflicted, the bomber escaped without interception.

16:45 Hours: Fighting over Cherbourg

At 15:00 hours, bomb-carrying Blenheims of No. 59 Squadron departed to attack Querqueville airfield near Cherbourg. Ten Blenheim fighters of No. 236 Squadron provided the escort, six of which were also tasked with strafing the airfield.

The RAF formation encountered Bf 109s of 8./JG 27 over the Cherbourg area at approximately 16:45 hours. Three Blenheims were shot down during the fighting: one bomber from No. 59 Squadron and two escorting aircraft from No. 236 Squadron.

No. 59 Squadron lost Blenheim L8792, flown by Wing Commander R.G.S. Morgan-Weld-Smith. Morgan-Weld-Smith, Pilot Officer D.H. Davis, AFM, and Sergeant P. Pryde were killed.

Blenheim N3601 of No. 236 Squadron was also destroyed, killing the squadron’s commanding officer, Squadron Leader Peter E. Drew, and his observer, Pilot Officer B. Noakes-Cooper. Pilot Officer B.M. MacDonough and Sergeant F.A.P. Head were killed aboard Blenheim N2774. A third No. 236 Squadron aircraft, N3603, returned damaged, but Sergeants R.C. Smith and A.H. Piper escaped injury.

Oberleutnant Walter Adolph, Oberleutnant Ernst Düllberg and Oberleutnant Hans Richter of 8./JG 27 each claimed a Blenheim destroyed during the engagement.

16:50–17:00 Hours: Loss near Haamstede

A Blenheim of No. 114 Squadron was intercepted by Bf 109s near Haamstede during another daylight sortie. Blenheim R3898 failed to return, and Pilot Officer J.D. Goode, Sergeant E.A. Will and Sergeant V.St.G. Barrow were killed. Oberleutnant Franz Eckerle of 6./JG 54 and Oberfeldwebel Michael Hauer of 4./JG 54 both submitted claims for Blenheims in the area.

18:55 Hours: Attack on Convoy Pilot

During the evening, Ju 88s of III./KG 4 attacked Convoy Pilot as it passed the Norfolk coast near Great Yarmouth. The bombers used the low cloud to conceal their approaches, briefly emerging to attack the ships before climbing back into cover.

Three Hurricanes of No. 242 Squadron intercepted the raiders. Sergeant E. Richardson, flying Hurricane P3087, damaged one of the Ju 88’s engines, and the bomber eventually crashed into the sea beside the convoy. The aircraft was Ju 88 5J+HT of 9./KG 4. Oberleutnant Hans Geissler, Oberleutnant Fritz Wagner, Unteroffizier Franz Müller and Flieger Walter Kostors were killed.

One of the attacking pilots was Hauptmann Hajo Herrmann, Staffelkapitän of 7./KG 4, who was celebrating his twenty-seventh birthday. Herrmann had attacked the same convoy off Flamborough Head earlier in the day and returned when it reached the waters near Great Yarmouth. Despite making low-level attacks on both occasions, his bombs missed the ships.

Further Attacks on Coastal Shipping

The 5,952-ton British cargo vessel SS Clan Monroe struck a mine off Harwich, killing thirteen members of her crew, twelve of whom belonged to the Indian Merchant Navy. The badly damaged ship was towed into Hollesley Bay and beached.

Off Port Talbot, the Norwegian cargo vessel Stalheim also struck a mine and sank. Five people were killed and thirteen seriously injured.

The Trinity House tender Alert, clearly marked with the words “Lighthouse Service,” was bombed and machine-gunned while carrying relief lightkeepers. The bombs missed, but several members of the crew and a number of the lightkeepers were wounded by gunfire.

The neutral Irish steamer Kerry Head was attacked by a German bomber approximately four miles east-south-east of the Old Head of Kinsale while carrying coal and tinplate from Swansea to Limerick. Although the ship remained afloat, an explosion crushed part of her side, disabled the engines, tore away doors, shattered the windows, destroyed the compass and damaged a winch and lifeboat. The Irish government protested, and Germany subsequently accepted responsibility and paid compensation.

Operational Accidents

The Photographic Reconnaissance Unit lost Spitfire K9879 when it dived into the ground approximately three miles north-west of Crewkerne in Somerset. Its pilot, Lieutenant Commander George Kingdon of the Royal Navy, was killed. The accident was believed to have resulted from oxygen failure incapacitating the pilot at altitude.

Vickers Vildebeest K6408 of No. 22 Squadron struck the sea near Ryde Pier during a practice torpedo-dropping exercise. Pilot Officer Alfred Bailey and civilian observer Harry Dawson were killed, while Aircraftman E.S. Budd was rescued with severe injuries.

Hudson N7314 of No. 220 Squadron struck power cables and crashed during a patrol. Flight Lieutenant H.W.A. Sheahan, DFC, Pilot Officer C.J. Allsup and Sergeant S. Smith were killed, while Sergeant Butler survived with injuries.

An Avro 504N equipped for target-towing duties struck a hut during take-off at Hawkinge and crashed. Pilot Officer P.B. Newson-Davis and his two crewmen escaped without injury.

Enemy Action by Night

The night of 1/2 August saw an uptick in Luftwaffe activity, with raids reaching widely scattered targets across Britain. Minelaying occurred in the Thames Estuary, off the northeast coast, and near Scapa Flow in Scotland.

Inland bombing raids during the night were sporadic but widely dispersed. In Scotland, bombs fell on Montrose, Dundee, Haddington, Duns, and Armadale. Further south, the counties of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire were targeted, with explosions reported near Peterborough, Stradishall, and Newmarket. Additional raids were recorded near major urban centres including Leeds, Liverpool, Coventry, Weymouth, Cardiff, Sealand, and Brighton.

Llanion Barracks in Pembroke sustained a direct hit, resulting in the death of one soldier and injuries to six others. Near Taunton, two parachute magnetic mines were dropped, further highlighting the varied nature of the Luftwaffe’s nocturnal operations.

23:45 Hours: Attack on SS Highlander

At approximately 23:45 hours, the 1,216-ton coastal cargo vessel SS Highlander was sailing six miles south of Stonehaven when two Heinkel He 115 floatplanes of 3./Küstenfliegergruppe 506 attacked with aerial torpedoes and machine-gun fire.

The crew of Highlander fought back with a Lewis gun and a Holman projector. One of the Heinkels was hit as it passed at extremely low altitude, clipped the ship’s lifeboat and davits and damaged the after cranes before falling into the sea astern in flames. Able Seaman George Anderson continued firing despite receiving a bullet dent in his steel helmet and a wound across his upper lip. He was subsequently awarded the British Empire Medal.

The second He 115 was shot down by the escorting naval vessel HMS Weston. Both German aircraft were destroyed, killing Feldwebel Siegfried Gast, Leutnant zur See Hans-Joachim Richter, Feldwebel Hermann Hansen, Unteroffizier Hans Löffler, Leutnant zur See Wilhelm Starke and Feldwebel Alexander Waldmann.

In an unusual development, four He 111s of II./KG 55 dropped packets of propaganda leaflets rather than bombs, intended to disseminate Hitler’s 19 July speech—his so-called “Last Appeal to Reason.” Owing to navigational error and poor visibility, the leaflets were scattered over South Wales and Somerset, falling largely in open fields.

Bomber Command Activity

Twenty-eight Wellingtons were dispatched to attack oil refineries and railway marshalling yards in northern Germany. All returned safely. During the raid, the rear gunner aboard a No. 99 Squadron Wellington piloted by Sergeant Frank Swatton claimed a twin-engined, twin-finned aircraft destroyed over The Hague. The claim was recorded as a Bf 110, but no corresponding German loss has been established.

German Losses:
Airmen: 19 | Aircraft: 13

British Losses:
Airmen: 5 | Aircraft: 1

Hurricane P3155, No. 145 Squadron. Lost at sea.
Sub/Lt I.H. Kestin missing. Shot down by gunfire from Hs 126 and crashed into Channel.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Kestin.htm

Blenheim IV N3601, No. 236 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
S/L P.E. Drew and F/O B.Nokes-Cooper. Both killed. Shot down on bomber escort by ground fire.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Drew.htm
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Nokes-Cooper.htm

Blenheim IV R2774, No. 236 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
P/O B.M. McDonough and Sgt F.A.P.Head. Both killed. Shot down on bomber escort by ground fire.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/McDonough.htm
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/HeadFAP.htm

Photo Descriptions:

1. No 264 Squadron’s CO, Squadron Leader Philip Hunter, leads a ‘vic’ of Defiants up from Kirton-in-Lindsey, early August 1940. © IWM (CH 885)
2. Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 242 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, 1940. © IWM (CH 1430)