Shipping off south and east coasts attacked.
Night: Very little activity.
Weather: Occasional rain in southern districts. Straits of Dover cloudy. Cool.
Main Activity:
At 0930 hours, fifteen Spitfires of Nos. 152 and 610 Squadrons were scrambled to intercept a large raid heading towards a convoy near Deal. The enemy formation turned out to be thirty Bf 109s of JG 51. In the ensuing combat, one Spitfire was shot down and two others damaged.
At about 1300 hours, six Spitfires from No. 609 Squadron intercepted Ju 88 bombers from II/LG 1 off the Isle of Wight. One bomber was shot down and another damaged. Two Spitfires were lost to return fire. Around the same time, six Spitfires from No. 145 Squadron shot down an He 111 bomber from KG 27 twenty miles south of Bognor Regis.
German Losses
Airmen: 16 | Aircraft: 6
British Losses
Airmen: 8 | Aircraft: 5
Blenheim N3541, No. 235 Squadron. Aircraft lost.
P/O R.L. Patterson, Sgt R.Y. Tucker, and Sgt L.H.M. Reece. Certified as missing. Failed to return from operational flight.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/PattersonRL.htm
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/TuckerRY.htm
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ReeceRHM.htm
Spitfire P9452, No. 610 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
P/O P. Litchfield Killed. Shot down by Bf 109 over Channel. Body never recovered.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Litchfield.htm
Blenheim L6779, No. 236 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
P/O C.R.D. Thomas and Sgt H.D.B. Elsdon. Both killed. Shot down during photo-recon mission over Le Havre, France.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ThomasCRD.htm
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ElsdonHDB.htm
Blenheim L6639, No. 236 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
P/O R.H. Rigby and Sgt D.D. Mackinnon. Both killed. Shot down by Bf 109 during photo-recon mission over Le Havre, France
http://bbm.org.uk/airmen/Rigby.htm
http://bbm.org.uk/airmen/MacKinnonDD.htm
Photo Description:
- Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9446 of No. 235 Squadron
- Spitfires of No. 610 Squadron, based at Biggin Hill, banking left, July 1940. © IWM CH 734