Further heavy airfield attacks.

Night: Liverpool bombed once again. Harassing raids on South Wales and the south-west coast.

Weather: Fine and warm. Some cloud and drizzle in the north, haze in the Channel and Straits.

Enemy Action by Day

At approximately 08:30 hours, a high-flying German reconnaissance aircraft was observed over Kent, flying at 22,000 feet from North Foreland along the coast to Eastchurch, then out via Dungeness. This early pass set the stage for a more significant effort that was forming south and east of Calais. By 09:15, more than twenty aircraft were tracked heading toward Deal, though these were intercepted off North Foreland and forced to turn back.

A larger formation followed shortly after. Around eighty aircraft flew up the north side of the Thames Estuary at 25,000 feet, preceding a coordinated attack comprising approximately forty Dornier Do 17s of KG 2, sixty Bf 110s of ZG 2 and ZG 26, and a high-altitude escort of forty Bf 109s from JG 26. The primary target was RAF North Weald.

The Attack on North Weald

Fighter Command scrambled eleven squadrons to meet the threat. In an effort to avoid early contact with the escorting Bf 109s, RAF units delayed their takeoff to engage the main bomber stream, hoping the German fighters would exhaust fuel and be forced to return to base. However, the plan was only partially successful. One RAF squadron had just landed at North Weald and was refueling when the Luftwaffe struck, unable to get airborne in time to engage.

The attack was devastating. More than 150 bombs—many of them delayed-action—were dropped across the airfield. Two hangars belonging to Nos. 25 and 151 Squadrons were severely damaged by fire. Several MT vehicles, two Hurricanes, and one Blenheim were either destroyed or damaged. The old Operations Room was partially demolished, although a direct hit on the newly constructed Ops Room caused no functional damage. Portions of the southern landing ground were left cratered and unserviceable due to unexploded bombs, but the airfield remained operational.

To reinforce the defense, No. 310 (Czech) Squadron was sent south and arrived over the area as the engagement intensified. Simultaneously, twelve Hurricanes of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron took off from Northolt at 10:28 hours and made contact near Dungeness. Sgt. Wojtowicz was hit and force-landed near the coast; F/O Henneberg’s Hurricane took damage to the tail but remained controllable. The rest of the squadron made limited contact with the enemy.

As the Luftwaffe bombers withdrew from the London area, Spitfires of Nos. 19 and 222 Squadrons, alongside Hurricanes of No. 310 Squadron, engaged them over Essex and the Thames Estuary. The Czech pilots, known for their aggressive flying, surprised the Bf 110 crews with a sudden and direct assault. Four Bf 110s were claimed by No. 310 Squadron, including two that collided mid-air while evading RAF attacks. One crashed at Harlow, the other at Epping.

Additional Bf 110s fell across the region. A Zerstörer (3M+BK) was downed by No. 222 Squadron over Reculver, with the crew captured near Herne Bay. Another was jointly claimed by P/O J.M.V. Carpenter (No. 222), Sgt. Furst (No. 310), and Sgt. G.C. Unwin (No. 19), crashing at Stow Maries. A final Bf 110 (3M+EL) came down at Canewden, likely destroyed by F/O Count Czernin of No. 17 Squadron. Further action saw a Bf 110 damaged over Southend, finished off by F/O van Mentz of No. 222 Squadron and crashing at North Shoebury House. During the same engagement, Squadron Leader A.G. Miller of No. 17 Squadron made a forced-landing at North Weald, unhurt, after his Hurricane was attacked by a Bf 110.

Oblt. Hans-Joachim Jabs of 6./ZG 76 attempted to limp home across the Channel in a damaged aircraft but was forced to ditch. He survived and was later rescued.

Attacks on Hornchurch and Debden

Splits from the main raid veered off toward RAF Hornchurch, Debden, and Thames Haven. Hornchurch received a direct hit on the edge of the airfield but suffered only light damage. Eight Spitfires of No. 603 Squadron, based there, climbed to engage what they believed to be fifty enemy aircraft above Margate. As they gained altitude, they were bounced by Bf 109s from II./JG 26 diving from superior height. Hptm. Erich Bode of Stab II./JG 26 claimed two Spitfires during the action—his first victories.

Oblt. Eckhardt Roth, adjutant of II./JG 26, was killed in the engagement. Three RAF fighters were lost in the fighting, including one piloted by P/O Richard Hillary of No. 603 Squadron. His aircraft was hit during the chaotic dogfight with Bf 109s over Margate. Hillary survived, badly burned, and was rescued from the sea by the Margate lifeboat. He would go on to describe the encounter in vivid detail in his book The Last Enemy.

Amidst the confusion, two RAF Blenheims returning to North Weald were mistakenly identified as enemy aircraft by Hurricanes and were shot down—an unfortunate instance of friendly fire during a chaotic day.

Continued Raids and Afternoon Engagements

By 11:15 hours, as the raiders withdrew toward France, two further raids—around thirty aircraft in total—crossed the coast near Deal and North Foreland but did not penetrate far inland. At 11:40, Manston was bombed by three aircraft dropping five bombs. One unexploded bomb landed in the center of the aerodrome, but no damage was reported.

Shortly after 13:00 hours, two small formations approached Foreness but were driven off by a single RAF squadron. At 14:00 hours, six raids formed off the Kent coast. Although these mimicked the earlier morning attack routes, the scale was lighter, and Fighter Command—now fully prepared—met the threat with determined interception. Many of the German formations were turned back before reaching land, and no damage was recorded.

RAF and Luftwaffe Pilots: Claims and Losses

Several German aces claimed victories during the day’s fighting. Major Adolf Galland, now flying with Stab/JG 26, claimed his 28th victory. Lt. Gustav Sprick of 8./JG 26, Oblt. Gustav Rödel of 4./JG 27, and Oblt. Gerhard Homuth of 2./JG 27 each added to their totals. First victories were recorded by Uffz. Arnold Küpper, Lt. Johannes Naumann, and Oblt. Otto Meyer of JG 26.

By day’s end, the RAF had lost fifteen aircraft, including those lost in combat and two Blenheims mistakenly shot down by friendly fire. The Luftwaffe suffered heavier losses, with twenty aircraft destroyed—primarily Bf 110s and Do 17s brought down during the airfield assaults and subsequent engagements.

Enemy Action by Night

German night activity resumed around 21:00 hours, concentrated on Liverpool, South Wales, and Kent. Bombers from Brest and Cherbourg crossed the coast in a steady stream. Over ninety aircraft reached Liverpool, with some penetrating as far north as Barrow-in-Furness. The raids continued until nearly 03:00 hours.

In the southwest, twenty-one He 111s from Stab, I., and III./KG 55 attacked Avonmouth. Although conditions were clear, the raid was scattered. Four civilians were killed and five wounded at Portishead. In Warwickshire, bombs dropped near Dunchurch station caused a goods train to derail on the Leamington–Rugby line.

Elsewhere, mine-laying was suspected along the entire east coast from Aberdeen to the Thames Estuary, and along the south coast as far as Poole. Additional mines were believed to have been dropped in the Bristol Channel and Liverpool Bay.

Ground Damage and Civilian Impact

North Weald remained operational but suffered considerable structural and equipment loss. Hornchurch and Debden sustained light damage. In Birmingham, a delayed-action bomb near the Dunlop Rubber Company damaged telephone lines but did not halt production. Fires at the Llandarcy oil installation continued to burn, with one tank reported to be dangerously out of control.

In total, thirty-seven civilians were killed and 112 injured during the day’s raids. No RAF personnel were reported killed or injured on the ground.

High Command at The Hague: A Pivotal Misjudgment

Elsewhere, in The Hague, Reichsmarschall Göring convened a meeting with his Air Fleet commanders. Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring declared Fighter Command to be all but defeated and called for an immediate shift in Luftwaffe targeting. Feldmarschall Sperrle disagreed, arguing that the RAF still had substantial reserves. Oberst Josef “Beppo” Schmid gave a wildly inaccurate intelligence estimate, claiming the RAF might have as few as 100 fighters remaining.

Despite internal disagreement, Göring recommended a Zielwechsel—a change of objective—to Hitler. RAF airfields would no longer be the primary target; London would be bombed directly as the prelude to invasion. Hitler approved, setting 20 September as the provisional date for the Channel crossing. Unbeknownst to the Luftwaffe, this decision would mark a strategic turning point in the campaign, granting Fighter Command critical time to recover.

German Losses:
Airmen: 21 | Aircraft: 20

British Losses:
Airmen: 6 | Aircraft: 15

Hurricane P3064, No. 46 Squadron
Sgt G.H. Edworthy. Listed as missing. Believed to have crashed in river after combat over Essex coast.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Edworthy.htm

Hurricane P3518, No. 257 Squadron
P/O C.R. Bon Seigneur killed. Shot down by E/A. Baled out but died soon after landing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Bonseigneur.htm

Hurricane P3539, No. 17 Squadron
F/O D.H.W. Hanson killed. Shot down but baled out of aircraft at 100 feet. Killed on impact.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Hanson.htm

Blenheim L1512, No. 25 Squadron
P/O D. Hogg killed. Thought to have been Bf 110 and shot down by Hurricane. Sgt E. Powel baled out unhurt.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/HoggDW.htm

Hurricane P3782, No. 1 Squadron
P/O R.H. Shaw. Listed as missing. Crashed due to unknown circumstances. Pilot killed in aircraft.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ShawRH.htm

Hurricane P3044, No. 1 Squadron
F/Lt H.B.L. Hillcoat. Listed as missing. Failed to return from squadron patrol.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Hillcoat.htm

Photo Descriptions

1. The condensation trails from German and British fighter planes engaged in an aerial battle appear in the sky over Kent on 3 September 1940.
2. British soldiers retrieving part of the tail section belonging to Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4 ‘3M+EL’ (Wk-Nr 3113) of 3./Zerstörergeschwader 2, shot down at 11:18 hours on 3 September 1940. Both crew baled out and were taken prisoner. It was shot down possibly by F/O Count Manfred Beckett Czernin of No. 17 Squadron and crashed in fields at Canewdon in Essex.
3. F/O Brian van Mentz, second from right, reports to the Intelligence Officer after a sortie with No. 222 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch. On 3 September 1940, Van Mentz destroyed a Bf 110 and damaged another in Spitfire R6837.
4. Hawker Hurricane Mk I, R4224 YB-C, of No. 17 Squadron damaged after combat with Bf 110s on 3 September 1940. S/Ldr. Anthony Garforth Miller was forced to land near RAF North Weald.