Quiet in the morning, airfield attacks in the south and south-east later in the day.
Night: Further attack on Liverpool with diversionary raids in the Midlands.
Weather: Showers and bright intervals. Cloud in the Channel and Straits.
Main Activity:
After the feverish activity of the previous night, the Thursday morning was dull but peaceful. Little activity was reported until after lunch, when at 1500 hours radar picked up formations at Cap Gris Nez, Boulogne and the mouth of the Somme. Brightening weather had led Luftflotte 2 to put up massive fighter sweeps in the hope of attracting British fighters to the slaughter. Jafus 1 and 2 operated over Kent with 564 Bf 109s and 159 Bf 110s respectively.
No. 11 Group sent up forward patrols, expecting a renewal of bomber raids. Thirteen squadrons were despatched and some were involved in combats, but in the main the pilots adhered to Park’s order of the 19th and retired when it was clear that no bombers were involved. This incident was particularly noted by the Luftwaffe operations and intelligence staffs who correctly deduced that the RAF was avoiding wastage in fighter versus fighter battles. The tactics paid, as Fighter Command losses were only nine machines and German casualties were seventeen for the twenty-four-hour period, of which five were Bf 109s from JG 3.
Excerpt from The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood & Derek Dempster
German Losses
Airmen: 45 | Aircraft: 24
British Losses
Airmen: 2 | Aircraft: 10
Hurricane V6623. No. 85 Squadron
F/L H.R. Hamilton killed. Shot down over Winchelsea.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/HamiltonHR.htm
Spitfire R6629, No. 610 Squadron
Sgt. E. Manton killed. Shot down during combat with Bf 109s over Hurst Green and crashed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MantonE.htm
Photo Descriptions:
- Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 flown by Hauptmann Rolf Pingel, Gruppen Kommandeur of I/JG 26, France 1940. © IWM (HU 44150)
- A Messerschmitt Bf 110C of 6./ZG 76 (M8+EP) over the English Channel, August 1940.