Opening of ‘Eagle Day’ misfires. Heavy raid on Eastchurch followed by afternoon raids on Portland, Southampton and airfields in Kent and Hampshire. 1,485 German sorties.

Night: Light attacks on Midlands, Wales and the West Country.

Weather: Mainly fair. Early morning mist and slight drizzle in places and some cloud in the Channel.

Enemy Action by Day

The Luftwaffe’s long-planned opening of Adlertag—Eagle Day—descended into confusion from the outset. Scheduled to begin with coordinated strikes at 07:00 hours, the operation was severely disrupted by dense cloud, coastal fog and poor visibility across occupied northern France. A postponement order was issued to Luftflotte 2 because of the weather, but it failed to reach KG 2, which was already airborne. Farther west, Luftflotte 3 continued its operations as planned.

As a result, what had been intended as a synchronised and overwhelming blow against RAF Fighter Command devolved into a series of staggered, piecemeal raids, disrupted by missing escorts, poor communications and adverse weather.

Despite this lack of cohesion, 13 August marked a turning point in Luftwaffe strategy. Göring’s directive to shift the focus from attacks on Channel shipping towards the destruction of Fighter Command’s airfields, sector stations and operational bases ushered in a new phase of the campaign. The weather would delay the full weight of the offensive until later in the day, but several formations were already airborne.

04:30 Hours: KG 2 Sets Out for Eastchurch and Sheerness

The Luftwaffe’s first large-scale raid of the day began before dawn. At 04:30 hours, seventy-four Dornier Do 17s of KG 2, under Oberst Johannes Fink, took off to bomb the Coastal Command airfield at Eastchurch and the Royal Navy base at Sheerness. Their intended escort—Bf 110s of ZG 26—received the postponement order and turned back.

Oberstleutnant Joachim Huth attempted to warn the Dorniers in the air, flying ahead of the formation and signalling to Fink. The message was not understood, and KG 2 continued towards England without its intended fighter escort.

05:00–07:00 Hours: KG 54 Targets Farnborough and Odiham

A separate operation was already taking shape farther west. Around 05:00 hours, twenty Ju 88s of I./KG 54 took off to bomb the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, followed shortly afterwards by eighteen Ju 88s of II./KG 54 bound for RAF Odiham. Bf 109s of JG 2 and Bf 110s of V.(Z)/LG 1 provided fighter cover.

Before the main formation reached the coast, a lone Do 17P reconnaissance aircraft of 4.(F)/11 was intercepted off Kent at 06:20 hours and destroyed by Squadron Leader “Sailor” Malan and Flying Officer J.C. Mungo Park of No. 74 Squadron.

Ten minutes later, the KG 54 formations approached the south coast. Hurricanes of Nos. 43 and 601 Squadrons and Spitfires of No. 64 Squadron intercepted the raiders, and a running battle developed across Sussex. Heavy cloud made navigation increasingly difficult, while repeated fighter attacks disrupted the German formations. The Ju 88s eventually turned back without reaching Farnborough or Odiham.

The withdrawal cost KG 54 heavily. Near Petworth, a Ju 88A-1 (B3+DB) of I./KG 54 was attacked by Pilot Officer H.C. Mayers of No. 601 Squadron and Sergeant H.J.L. Hallowes of No. 43 Squadron before crashing at Phillis Wood, Treyford. Oberleutnant J. Ostermann was killed, while Unteroffizier F. Rösler, Obergefreiter K. Brieger and Unteroffizier K. Seitz baled out and were captured.

Another Ju 88A-1 of II./KG 54 came down in Swanbourne Lake near Arundel. Oberleutnant H. Rose and Unteroffizier H. Scholz were captured; Feldwebel W. Bickel was killed, while Hauptmann A.-W. Strauch later died from his wounds.

A further Ju 88A, B3+TP of 6./KG 54, came under attack from Nos. 43 and 601 Squadrons over the Isle of Wight. Leutnant Siescher, Gefreiter Handelmeier, Obergefreiter Hosport and Gefreiter G. Niessl baled out and were captured, but the pilot managed to regain control of the aircraft and return to base.

The fighter escorts were also drawn into the fighting. Oberleutnant Werner Machold of I./JG 2 claimed a Hurricane near Brighton, but the Gruppe lost Oberleutnant Paul Temme, whose Bf 109E-1 (W.Nr. 5068), coded <+, was shot down at 07:10 hours and force-landed at New Salts Farm near Shoreham aerodrome. Temme was captured.

06:45–08:30 Hours: KG 2 Strikes Sheerness and Eastchurch

Meanwhile, KG 2 was approaching the Thames Estuary. Poor visibility made it difficult for the Observer Corps to assess the size of the raid accurately, but RAF fighters began attacking the unescorted Dorniers as they crossed north Kent.

Shortly before 07:00 hours, Do 17Z U5+ER of 7./KG 2 was brought down by Squadron Leader J.M. Thompson of No. 111 Squadron. The Dornier force-landed at Stodmarsh, where Unteroffiziere G. Vogel, H. Arndt and W. Mahringer, together with Gefreiter H. Bauer, were captured.

As the bombers reached the Isle of Sheppey, the formation divided. One group turned towards the Royal Navy base at Sheerness, while the main force continued towards Eastchurch.

Between 07:05 and 07:20 hours, successive waves of Dorniers swept across Eastchurch, dropping more than a hundred high-explosive and incendiary bombs. Five Blenheims were destroyed and a Spitfire of No. 266 Squadron was damaged on the ground. The Operations Room received a direct hit, while hangars, accommodation, ammunition stores and equipment were badly damaged. At least fourteen servicemen were killed or subsequently died from their wounds, with many more injured.

The Dorniers now had to fight their way home. Spitfires of No. 74 Squadron and Hurricanes of Nos. 111 and 151 Squadrons repeatedly attacked the withdrawing formations across north Kent and the Thames Estuary, breaking them apart and exposing individual aircraft.

At 07:25 hours, Flight Lieutenant H.M. Ferriss and Sergeant J.T. Craig of No. 111 Squadron, together with Flying Officer R.M. Milne of No. 151 Squadron, brought down a Do 17Z (U5+DS) of 8./KG 2. The aircraft crashed on the mudflats at Seasalter. Oberleutnant G. Müller and W. Morich were killed after baling out too low, Oberfeldwebel C. Langer later died from his wounds, and Feldwebel R. Haensgen was captured severely wounded.

Five minutes later, Do 17Z U5+FR of 7./KG 2 was brought down by Flying Officer R.M. Milne and Pilot Officer A.G. McIntyre and crashed at Birchington. Feldwebel F. Dannich and K. Schwerdtfeger, Obergefreiter E. Nitzsche and Gefreiter A. Beck were killed.

The fighting continued as the surviving Dorniers struggled towards the Channel. A further aircraft, Do 17Z U5+KA of Stab./KG 2, was shot down by Pilot Officer J.A. Walker of No. 111 Squadron and crashed across the Canterbury–Folkestone railway at Pherbec Bridge, Barham. All four crewmen—Oberleutnant H. Schlegel, G. Ozwald, Obergefreiter G. Babbe and E. Holz—were captured.

Despite Luftwaffe claims that ten Spitfires had been destroyed on the ground, no RAF fighter aircraft were lost at Eastchurch. German intelligence nevertheless continued to regard the Coastal Command station as an important fighter base.

11:10–12:55 Hours: Bf 110s over Portland

At 11:10 hours, twenty-three Bf 110s of V.(Z)/Lehrgeschwader 1, led by Hauptmann Friedrich Liensberger, took off to escort bombers of KG 54. However, the bomber formation was recalled after the Bf 110s were already airborne, and the message failed to reach Liensberger’s formation. The German fighters therefore continued alone towards Portland.

Shortly after midday, Hurricanes of Nos. 238 and 601 Squadrons intercepted the German fighters near Portland and Swanage. The Bf 110s formed defensive circles as the Hurricanes attacked from above.

The engagement proved costly for the Luftwaffe. Five Bf 110s were lost and a further four damaged, while Fighter Command lost one Hurricane and suffered damage to four others.

Among the German losses were two Bf 110Ds of 13./LG 1 shot down west of Bournemouth. Unteroffizier G. Lammel was killed and Feldwebel H. Datch rescued after their aircraft was brought down; Lammel’s body was recovered and buried in the Royal Navy Cemetery at Portland. Leutnant G. Beck was killed in the loss of a second aircraft, while Unteroffizier K. Hoyer was reported missing. Beck’s body later washed ashore at Portland and was also buried in the Royal Navy Cemetery.

A third aircraft, Bf 110D L1+FZ of 15./LG 1, was shot down by Sergeant H.J. Marsh of No. 238 Squadron over Lulworth at 12:35 hours and crashed at Swalland Farm near Kimmeridge. Unteroffizier W. Schumichen and Obergefreiter O. Giglhuber baled out and were captured.

Pilot Officer Howard Mayers of No. 601 Squadron was also shot down. His Hurricane, P2690, crashed into the Channel off Weymouth Bay shortly before 13:00 hours. Mayers baled out approximately three miles from Portland and was subsequently rescued by a Royal Navy motor torpedo boat.

The unsupported and poorly coordinated operation achieved little and resulted in heavy losses, further exposing weaknesses in German tactical communications that would continue to hamper Luftwaffe operations throughout the campaign.

RAF Bomber Command’s Costly Raid on Aalborg

While Fighter Command was engaged over southern England, Bomber Command suffered one of its most serious daylight reverses of the period. Twelve Blenheims of No. 82 Squadron had taken off from Watton and Bodney that morning to attack Aalborg airfield in Denmark.

The formation reached the target around midday, where it encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire and Bf 109s of 5./JG 77. Eleven of the twelve Blenheims were lost. Twenty aircrew were killed and thirteen taken prisoner; only the aircraft that had turned back earlier after indicating a fuel shortage returned safely.

14:00 Hours: The Main Afternoon Offensive

By early afternoon, the weather had improved sufficiently for the Luftwaffe to mount the concentrated offensive that had failed to materialise that morning. From bases across northern France, large formations began taking off for targets stretching from Dorset and Hampshire to Kent and the Thames Estuary.

15:30–17:00 Hours: Dorset and Hampshire

At 15:30 hours, approximately fifty-eight Ju 88s of I., II. and III./Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1), escorted by Bf 110s of ZG 2 and Bf 109s of JG 53, took off to bomb RAF Boscombe Down, Worthy Down and Andover. At the same time, fifty-two Ju 87s of StG 1 and II./StG 2, covered by Bf 109s of JG 53 and Bf 110s of III./ZG 76, were dispatched to attack RAF Warmwell and Yeovil. Hurricanes of Nos. 213, 238, 257 and 601 Squadrons, together with Spitfires of Nos. 152 and 609 Squadrons, were scrambled to intercept and engaged the German formations over the English coast.

Once again, cloud disrupted the German plan. Several formations struggled to locate their assigned targets, and the carefully organised attack dissolved into a series of engagements over Dorset, Hampshire and the Channel.

Around 16:00 hours, Spitfires of No. 609 Squadron intercepted Ju 87s of II./StG 2 over Lyme Bay and Portland. The Spitfires tore into the dive-bombers, inflicting severe losses in an action that would become celebrated within the squadron as its “Glorious 13th.”

Among the losses suffered by 5./StG 2, one Ju 87B was shot down by Flying Officer H. McD. Goodwin and crashed at Rodden, Portesham, killing Unteroffizier O. Lindenschmid and Feldwebel H. Eisold.

A second aircraft was brought down off Lulworth and crashed into the sea. Oberfeldwebel H. Leesch was reported missing, believed killed, while Feldwebel H. Schulz was captured.

A third Ju 87B was destroyed over the Channel, killing Feldwebel E. Ott. His body washed ashore at Portland on 30 August; the body of his gunner, Unteroffizier R. Göbel, was recovered at St Malo the same day.

A fourth aircraft crashed near Grimstone Viaduct, killing Oberfeldwebel E. Haack and Unteroffizier H. Haselmayer. Both were subsequently buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery.

The German fighter escort was also drawn into the fighting. Flying Officer T. Nowierski of No. 609 Squadron shot down Bf 109E-4, coded 9+-, of 5./JG 53 during combat over the Channel near Weymouth; Feldwebel H. Pfannschmidt was captured. Pilot Officer D.M. Crook brought down another Bf 109E-4 near Poole Harbour, its pilot, Unteroffizier W. Hohenseldt, being captured, while Pilot Officer M.J. Appleby accounted for a third; Oberfeldwebel A. Trutwin was killed.

During the same engagement, a Bf 110C-4 of 1./ZG 2 was shot down by Sergeant L.N. Guy of No. 601 Squadron near North Baddesley. Leutnant W. Münchmeyer was captured, while Unteroffizier F. Labusch was killed.

Fighting continued around Portland throughout the afternoon. No. 213 Squadron lost Sergeant Philip Norris in Hurricane P3348 during combat south of Portland, while No. 238 Squadron lost Sergeant Henry Marsh later in the afternoon. Marsh was attacked by several Bf 109s while protecting the naval base and crashed into the Channel at 16:30 hours. Neither he nor Hurricane P3177 was recovered.

16:23–17:00 Hours: Southampton and Andover

I./LG 1 abandoned its intended attack on Boscombe Down and diverted to bomb Southampton. At 16:23 hours, Ju 88s struck industrial targets in the city, damaging Pickford’s Depository, Raleigh Cycle Works and a cold storage depot at the Old Docks. Fires broke out but were quickly brought under control, and civilian casualties were relatively light.

Elsewhere, elements of III./LG 1 mistakenly dropped bombs near RAF Middle Wallop, while the remainder of the formation attacked RAF Andover. Around 17:00 hours, twelve bombs struck the airfield, damaging offices, destroying one aircraft and killing two personnel.

The Ju 88 formations came under attack from RAF fighters as they crossed Hampshire and Sussex, and several aircraft were lost or damaged. Among them was Ju 88A-1 L1+BS of 8./LG 1, shot down by No. 257 Squadron at 16:35 hours while approaching Andover. The aircraft crashed at Sidlesham, killing Leutnant zur See K.-W. Brinkbaumer, Gefreiter O. Roger, Gefreiter J. Dietl and Hauptmann A. Scheuplein.

16:00 Hours: The Attack on RAF Detling

While the battle raged across Dorset, Hampshire, and Sussex, another series of raids was sweeping towards Kent and the Thames Estuary.

Soon after 16:00 hours, Ju 87s of IV.(St)/LG 1 struck RAF Detling. The Stukas swept across the Coastal Command station, hitting the Operations Room, hangars, workshops and accommodation buildings and starting fires across the airfield.

The attack was devastating. At least twenty-four RAF personnel were killed and forty-five wounded, while three civilians working at the station also lost their lives. Among the dead were the Station Commander, Acting Group Captain Edward Peverell Meggs Davis, and Squadron Leader James Henry Lowe.

Six Blenheims of No. 53 Squadron and three Ansons of No. 500 Squadron were destroyed, with several more aircraft damaged.

Although Detling was temporarily rendered inoperative, it was not a key station within Fighter Command’s No. 11 Group, and its loss had limited strategic impact on RAF command, control and interception capability.

Rochester, Eastchurch and Southend

During the same period, eighty Dornier Do 17s of KG 3, escorted by fighters of JG 26, JG 51, JG 52 and JG 54, crossed the coast on a mission targeting Eastchurch airfield and the Short Brothers factory at Rochester. While III./KG 3 bombed Eastchurch, II./KG 3 attacked Rochester, inflicting significant damage on the Short Stirling production line. Nos. 3, 64, 111, 151, 234, 249, 601 and 609 Squadrons were scrambled in response but made little impact on the bomber formations. Three Bf 109s of JG 51 were nevertheless lost in the ensuing engagements.

Elsewhere, Erprobungsgruppe 210, supported by Bf 110s of ZG 26, attempted to bomb targets near Southend but, unable to locate their objectives through the cloud, instead released their bombs over Canterbury. II./StG 1, likewise tasked with attacking airfields near Rochester, failed to locate its targets and returned to base without incident.

The air fighting across the Thames Estuary was intense. Hurricanes of No. 56 Squadron, operating forward from Rochford, became heavily engaged with Bf 110s over Essex, Sheppey and Kent. Flying Officer P.S. Weaver shot down a Bf 110C of 3./ZG 26, which exploded over Warden Bay, Sheppey. Oberleutnant K. Fuchs and Unteroffizier W. Ebben were killed. Weaver’s own Hurricane N2440 was hit in the port aileron but remained repairable.

No. 56 Squadron paid heavily in return. Pilot Officer Charles Joubert abandoned Hurricane P3479 after its radiator was hit east of Rochford and landed wounded in an apple tree near Faversham. Flying Officer Peter Davies baled out over Kent with severe burns after P2692 was shot down, the Hurricane crashing at Hampton Farm near Brook, east of Ashford.

Sergeant Peter Hillwood was shot down in Hurricane R4093 during a head-on attack by a Bf 110 between Rochford and Eastchurch. He baled out into the Thames Estuary about two and a half miles from Sheerness and swam for around two hours before reaching the Isle of Sheppey. Flying Officer Richard Brooker escaped injury when Hurricane P3587, damaged during the same fighting, was wrecked in a forced landing at Hawkinge.

Farther south, a Bf 109E of 5./JG 26 was brought down over Folkestone and crashed at Denton. Unteroffizier H. Wemhöner baled out with a broken leg and was captured.

By 17:15 hours, Eastchurch was operational again, little more than ten hours after the first bombs had fallen. German intelligence, meanwhile, had already classified the station as destroyed.

Enemy Action by Night

After darkness fell, the intensity of Luftwaffe operations declined sharply. Scattered attacks were reported across the Midlands, Wales and the West Country, but there was no repetition of the massed formations that had dominated the daylight battle.

German aircraft also dropped wireless transmitters, maps, explosives and instructions intended for agents over parts of the English Midlands and Lowland Scotland as part of an attempt to foster fears that an airborne invasion might be imminent.

Summary

Luftwaffe records indicate that approximately 1,485 sorties were flown on 13 August, the long-awaited Adlertag—Eagle Day. In response, RAF Fighter Command launched around 727 defensive sorties. Although the German attacks inflicted significant damage at Eastchurch and Detling, neither airfield was critical to Fighter Command’s air-defence network.

Göring’s opening blow of the main offensive devolved into a disjointed and poorly coordinated effort, hampered by adverse weather, flawed intelligence and tactical missteps.

Rather than delivering a decisive blow, Adlertag exposed serious weaknesses in Luftwaffe planning and command. British air defences remained intact, and Fighter Command retained the strength necessary to continue the battle.

German Losses:
Airmen: 66 | Aircraft: 39

British Losses:
Airmen: 4 | Aircraft: 15

Hurricane. P3387, No. 87 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
F/O R.L. Glyde missing. Hit by gunfire from Ju 88 and crashed into the sea.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Glyde.htm

Hurricane P3177, No. 238 Squadron. Aircraft lost.
Sgt H.J. Marsh missing. Believed shot down by Bf 109. Failed to return to base.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MarshHJ.htm

Hurricane P3348, No. 213 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
Sgt P.P. Norris killed. Shot down off Portland and crashed into sea. Body washed ashore in France later.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/NorrisPP.htm

Spitfire R6766, No. 65 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
P/O F.S. Gregory killed. Night flying practice. Baled out too low for reasons unknown.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/GregoryFS.htm

Photo Descriptions

1. A formation of Dornier Do 17Z bombers, 1940. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-342-0603-25 / Ketelhohn [Kettelhohn] / CC-BY-SA 3.0.
2. The wreckage of Dornier Do 17Z ‘U5+DS’ of 8 Staffel./Kampfgeschwader 2 at Seasalter, near Whitstable in Kent. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by Hurricanes of Nos. 111 and 151 Squadrons on 13 August 1940. The flight engineer baled out wounded and was captured. The rest of the crew were killed.
3. Another view of the wreckage of Dornier Do 17Z ‘U5+DS’ of 8 Staffel./Kampfgeschwader 2 at Seasalter, near Whitstable in Kent.
4. Dornier Do 17Z ‘U5+KA’ of Stab./Kampfgeschwader 2 was shot down over Barham in Kent on 13 August 1940 by Hurricanes of No. 111 Squadron and ended up crashing onto the Canterbury-Folkestone railway line at Pherbec Bridge.
5. A policeman guards the wreckage of Dornier Do 17Z ‘U5+KA’ of Stab./Kampfgeschwader 2, shot down over Barham in Kent on 13 August 1940
6. Messerschmitt Bf 110C ‘M8+D?’ of Zerstörergeschwader 76, 1940. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-382-0211-011 / Wundshammer, Benno / CC-BY-SA 3.0.
7. Hawker Hurricane Mk I P3675 ‘UF-S’ of No. 601 (County of London) Squadron stands ready, August 1940.
8. Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1 of Oberleutnant Paul Temme, Gruppe Adjutant of I/ JG 2 ‘Richtofen’, which crashed near Shoreham aerodrome in Sussex on 13 August 1940. © IWM (HU 67701, HU 88398, HU 76146)
9. The pilots from No. 609 Squadron are still wearing their so-called ‘Mae West’ life vests as they line up for a group photo after the successful combat against II/StG 2 and II/JG 53 on the afternoon of 13 August 1940.
10. P/O Andy Mamedoff of No. 609 Squadron showing the damage to his Spitfire after an encounter with a Bf 110 on 13 August 1940.
11. Pilots and ground crew of No. 609 Squadron gather around the NAAFI wagon between sorties at RAF Warmwell, 13 August 1940.