Reconnaissance mainly in the Portsmouth – Southampton area.
Night: Widespread attacks on industry and airfields from Lincolnshire to Portsmouth.
Weather: Rain in central and eastern England. Some cloud in the Channel and haze over Dover Straits.
Enemy Action by Day
A damp and overcast morning curtailed Luftwaffe operations, providing Fighter Command with a brief respite. While pilots took the opportunity to rest amid wet and waterlogged airfields, several reconnaissance flights were still attempted along the south coast, particularly in the Portsmouth – Southampton region. Spitfires and Hurricanes scrambled from southern sector stations managed to intercept a few of these aircraft, with one Do 17 from a photo-reconnaissance mission shot down by Hurricanes of No. 238 Squadron after being engaged over the Channel and crashing near Tavistock, Devon. Another Dornier was intercepted by Spitfires of No. 222 Squadron in the same region.
Around midday, weather conditions began to clear, prompting the Luftwaffe to increase its activity. A formation of Ju 88s was detected crossing the Channel from Cherbourg, triggering an interception by 10 Group. No. 152 Squadron was scrambled from Warmwell and succeeded in damaging two of the bombers off the coast of Portland. One Ju 88 crash-landed upon return to base. In the engagement, Major Wolfgang Schellmann of Stab./JG 2 shot down a Spitfire to bring his tally to ten kills.
Meanwhile, a heated debate continued within Fighter Command headquarters. Air Vice Marshal Keith Park and Air Vice Marshal Sholto Douglas met to discuss persistent disagreements with Air Vice Marshal Leigh-Mallory over the Big Wing strategy. Park criticized 12 Group’s delayed response the previous day, arguing that by the time Leigh-Mallory’s fighters were airborne from Duxford, the German bombers had already attacked Debden and were returning home. Park contended that smaller, rapidly deployed formations – as favored by 11 Group – were more effective. He cited 310 Squadron’s timely interception from Duxford as evidence, contrasting it with the broader failure to protect Essex airfields.
Enemy Action by Night
As darkness fell, Luftwaffe bombing operations resumed on a wider scale. Although not as extensive as the two previous nights, raids stretched across southern and eastern England. Three Dorniers were intercepted and destroyed by 10 Group squadrons over the southwest, while others scattered and returned to France. By 2300 hours, two formations attacked the Bristol area. Around midnight, eleven Do 17s from KGr 606 struck military targets, followed by He 111s of III./KG 27 dropping bombs across the city.
Elsewhere, small-scale raids occurred across East Anglia, the Midlands, Kent, South Wales, and as far north as the Aberdeen district. Hull was hit by three high-explosive bombs, damaging a maternity home and goods station. Near Grimsby, Ofw. Merbach of Stab I./NJG 2 claimed a Hurricane at 21:30. High explosives also fell on Port Clarence, County Durham, leaving deep craters; a tragic incident the following year saw a young girl drown in one of them.
False reports of parachute landings in West Hartlepool and Stockton prompted local Home Guard alerts, including the ringing of church bells in Norton. An air raid also briefly interrupted play at Lord’s cricket ground in London.
RAF losses were largely accidental: a Blenheim of No. 219 Squadron crash-landed at Catterick in a rainstorm, but the crew escaped unharmed. A Spitfire from No. 72 Squadron was written off in a landing accident at Acklington, though the pilot was uninjured.
German Losses:
Airmen: 12 | Aircraft: 11
British Losses:
Airmen: 4 | Aircraft: 7
Blenheim, No. 248 Squadron
P/O C.J. Arthur listed as missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ArthurCJ.htm
Sgt. E.A. Ringwood listed as missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Ringwood.htm
Sgt. R.C.R. Cox killed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/CoxRCR.htm
Crashed into the sea while on routine flight.
Hurricane N2336, No. 213 Squadron
Sub/Lt W.J.M. Moss listed as missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/MossWJM.htm
Believed lost control of his aircraft during patrol and crashed into sea.
Photo Descriptions
- The controlled detonation of a German bomb, which fell on the parade ground at RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire, on 27 August 1940. The bomb did not explode, but buried itself deep in the ground where it was subsequently destroyed by the Station Armament Officer. © IWM (CH 1300)
- The remains of Heinkel He 111H-2 (Werke/Nr. 5367 V4+CD) of Stab III./KG 1, which crashed into houses at Manor Avenue in Caterham, Surrey on the night of 26/27 August 1940 after suffering a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire during a night mission to bomb factories in the Coventry area.