Convoy raids off North Foreland and Dover.

Night: The east coast, home counties and western Scotland attacked.

Weather: Showery in south-east England and Channel. Continuous rain elsewhere.

Enemy Action by Day

Wednesday, 10 July 1940, dawned under a leaden sky, typical of a British summer, with a persistent, driving rain from the northwest. This uninviting weather, known to fighter pilots as Harry clampers, did little to deter the unfolding drama. This day would mark the true beginning of the Battle of Britain, as the Luftwaffe launched its first major offensive, primarily targeting vital Channel convoys.

The early hours were characterised by routine German weather and reconnaissance flights. Dornier 17s, Dornier 215s, and Junkers 88s, often utilising cloud cover to evade detection, crisscrossed the skies, photographing previous targets, scouting future ones, and reporting on meteorological conditions. These missions frequently escalated into direct attacks on convoys when opportunities arose. London, remarkably, remained untouched during this initial phase. The convoys, laden with indispensable coal, raw materials, machinery, and foodstuffs, were critical lifelines for Britain’s very existence. Germany’s strategy was clear: by sinking these merchant vessels, they aimed to cripple the British war effort and starve its populace.

Beyond the immediate destruction, the Luftwaffe harboured a secondary, more strategic objective: to draw out the Royal Air Force’s fighter squadrons. This tactic, it was hoped, would allow German command to assess the RAF’s strength and determine the speed and efficiency with which its squadrons could be deployed. General Lörzer’s II. Fliegerkorps and General von Richthofen’s VIII. Fliegerkorps were tasked with securing air superiority over the Channel. A dedicated shipping strike force, led by Oberst Johannes Fink, known as the Kanalkampfführer, was assembled, though it was not yet at full operational strength, thus limiting initial targets to Channel convoys.

05:15–05:57 Hours: Early Morning Aerodrome Raids

In the early morning, a series of Luftwaffe raids targeted RAF aerodromes across East Anglia. At 05:15 hours, seventeen high-explosive bombs fell on or around Martlesham Aerodrome, though no damage was reported. Two minutes later, at 05:17 hours, Honington Aerodrome was struck by two bombs. At 05:44 hours, West Raynham Aerodrome was hit by seventeen bombs, which caused minor damage to station infrastructure and ignited a hangar. Three Ansons and a Gladiator (N5580) were destroyed in the fire, while three Battles and one Tutor sustained superficial damage. Finally, at 05:57 hours, fourteen bombs fell into a cornfield approximately 300 yards north-east of Marham Aerodrome, severing nearby utility lines but leaving the station itself unscathed. The RAF’s first fighter casualty of the battle occurred at dawn off the Humber, when Sgt Ian C. C. Clenshaw of No. 253 Squadron crashed into the sea in poor weather while on patrol.

06:15 Hours: Dornier Interception

The first recorded engagement of the day took place at approximately 06:15 hours, when a lone Dornier Do 17Z of II./KG 3, flying a reconnaissance mission at 10,000 feet, was intercepted by Spitfires from No. 66 Squadron. The section, led by Pilot Officer Charles Cooke, caught the bomber off the East Coast between Yarmouth and Harwich. During the attack, Cooke’s Spitfire sustained a hit in the windscreen, though he was uninjured.

The Dornier, piloted by Oberleutnant Bott, immediately began a series of evasive manoeuvres—weaving and banking in a determined attempt to escape—while its three gunners returned fire with sustained bursts. One Spitfire pressed in and raked the cockpit and nose with all eight machine guns, killing the pilot, Oberleutnant Bott, and his observer, Leutnant Schroeder. Trailing smoke, the crippled aircraft entered a shallow glide before crashing into the sea between Great Yarmouth and Harwich. There were no survivors, and the bodies of Bott and Schroeder were recovered the following day after washing ashore.

11:00 Hours: Convoy Bread Sighted off Manston

At 10:00 hours, Convoy CW.3, codenamed Bread, rounded North Foreland, having departed the Thames Estuary earlier that morning. The convoy consisted of twenty-five small coastal steamers, all in ballast, bound south-east through the Dover Straits under naval escort. A lone Dornier from 4.(F)/121, escorted by ten Bf 109s of I./JG 51, located the convoy and promptly transmitted the convoy’s position, size, and course to Kanalfront headquarters. In response, Spitfires of No. 74 Squadron were scrambled from RAF Hornchurch and intercepted the formation over the Channel. The Spitfires initially focused their attack on the Dornier, but the escorting Messerschmitts quickly reacted. Two Spitfires were hit in the opening exchange, though neither was seriously damaged, and both continued to press home the attack. As they closed on the bomber, a concentrated burst struck the cockpit and forward fuselage, which erupted in smoke and flame. The Dornier went into a steep descent, trailing smoke, before crashing into the sea.

A dogfight then broke out between the Spitfires and the Bf 109s. Two Messerschmitts were claimed destroyed by No. 74 Squadron, with one probable and four damaged, while No. 610 Squadron claimed two probables. Three Spitfires were damaged during the engagement but all force-landed without injury to their pilots. German claims significantly exceeded actual RAF losses, with JG 51 reporting six Spitfires destroyed for the loss of one pilot, Fw Wolfgang Stocker of 5./JG 51, who was killed.

13:50 Hours: Attack on Convoy Bread

At approximately 13:50 hours, British radar stations detected a substantial German formation crossing the French coast west of Calais, heading toward Folkestone. It was the largest concentration of enemy aircraft yet observed over the Channel. The main formation consisted of twenty-six Dornier Do 17s of III./KG 2, escorted by thirty Bf 110s of I./ZG 26 and twenty Bf 109s of III./JG 51. Additional top cover was provided by Bf 109s of I./JG 3, and the total engagement would eventually involve over one hundred aircraft.

In response, Fighter Command scrambled Hurricanes from Nos. 32, 56, and 111 Squadrons, along with Spitfires from No. 74 Squadron. Later in the engagement, Kenley despatched six Spitfires from No. 64 Squadron to reinforce the action. Meanwhile, as a diversionary measure, a single Ju 88 of II./LG 1 was sent toward Bristol but aborted the mission shortly after take-off.

As the British fighters climbed to intercept, the Dorniers turned toward the convoy between Dover and Dungeness. Spitfires of No. 74 Squadron and Hurricanes from Nos. 32 and 56 Squadrons engaged the escorting Bf 109s and Bf 110s, while Hurricanes of No. 111 Squadron went directly for the Dorniers. The Bf 110s quickly adopted a defensive circle formation, leaving the Bf 109s of III./JG 51 to protect the bombers. Reinforcements from II./JG 51 soon joined the fray, bringing the total to around seventy German aircraft battling thirty RAF fighters. The skies off Folkestone soon became a chaotic maze of snaking vapour trails.

It was a fierce and confused dogfight, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Hauptmann Hannes Trautloft of III./JG 51 later recalled:

“Suddenly the sky was full of British fighters. Today we were going to be in for a rough time.”

Leutnant Bechtle of 3./KG 2 described the spectacle as:

“a magnificent dogfight. From a distance, the aircraft looked like bunches of grapes…!”

Werner Kreipe, serving as Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 2, later provided a vivid account of the engagement:

“The Channel was bathed in brilliant sunshine. A light haze hung over the English coast, and there, far below us, was the convoy—like so many toy ships with wispy wakes. As soon as we were observed, the merchantmen scattered, and the warships increased speed. AA shells peppered the sky. The RAF arrived, and the sky turned into a twisting, turning melee of fighters.”

As the aerial combat raged, the Dornier formation began to break apart under the relentless harassment of the British fighters. Flying Officer Peter Higgs of No. 111 Squadron became the first RAF fighter pilot to be killed in combat during the Battle of Britain. While flying Hurricane P3671, Higgs engaged a Dornier Do 17Z of 3./KG 2 at approximately 6,000 feet. As he closed in for the attack, he was momentarily distracted by the appearance of a Bf 109E from 7./JG 51, flown by Oberleutnant Walter Oesau. While attempting to take evasive action, Higgs’s Hurricane collided with the bomber, tearing off one of his own aircraft’s wings. Both the Hurricane and the Dornier spun out of control and crashed into the sea near the Dungeness Buoy. A rescue launch quickly arrived, recovering the Dornier’s pilot and one crew member, but there was no sign of the remaining bomber crew or F/O Higgs.

Luftwaffe crews claimed heavy RAF losses and significant damage to British shipping, reporting one cruiser and four merchant vessels sunk, another damaged, and eleven RAF fighters destroyed or damaged. In reality, only one ship from Convoy Bread—a 700-ton sloop—was confirmed sunk. On the RAF side, one Hurricane was lost following a mid-air collision, while three Hurricanes and four Spitfires sustained varying degrees of damage.

German losses were more substantial than reported. Three Dornier Do 17s were confirmed destroyed, with a fourth crash-landing heavily damaged. In addition, three Bf 110s were shot down, and three Bf 109s were either destroyed or forced to crash-land upon returning to France. Despite the Luftwaffe’s inflated claims, the convoy continued its passage with minimal disruption.

15:30 Hours: Luftflotte 3 Bombs Swansea and Falmouth

Later in the afternoon, at approximately 15:30 hours, sixty Junkers Ju 88 bombers from Luftflotte 3 were dispatched to strike strategic targets in South Wales and the West Country. Their primary objectives were Swansea and Falmouth. At this stage in the campaign, No. 10 Group had not yet been formally established, leaving the western approaches largely unprotected. No. 92 Squadron, based at Pembury, was scrambled in response but arrived too late to intercept the incoming bombers.

The raids inflicted notable damage. In Swansea, a major ammunition factory was hit, halting production and destroying nearby housing. At Falmouth, Ju 88s struck dock facilities, damaging port infrastructure and setting several vessels ablaze. The British tanker Tascalusa (6,499 GRT) was sunk in the harbour, igniting the Greek steamer Mari Chandris (5,840 GRT), which had been towed to Falmouth weeks earlier. The SS Waterloo (1,905 GRT) was also lost, and the tanker Chancellor (7,085 GRT) sustained bomb damage offshore. The salvage tug Zwarte Zee was sunk by bomb splinters. Civilian casualties reached thirty dead, with many more injured.

By the end of the day, the RAF had lost two fighters—one during the convoy engagements and another earlier in the morning under poor visibility conditions. Several additional aircraft were damaged, primarily in the course of intercepting attacks on Channel shipping. Among those claiming victories during the day’s operations were experienced Luftwaffe pilots, including Oberleutnant Walter Oesau, Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 51, as well as Lt. Erich Hohagen, Lt. Heinz Tornow, and Uffz. Otto Tange (all of 4./JG 51), Hauptmann Horst Tietzen and Lt. Hans-Otto Lessing (5./JG 51), and Oblt. Josef Priller of 6./JG 51. While Luftwaffe crews filed numerous combat claims—many significantly overstated—the German losses were considerable: at least fourteen aircraft were confirmed destroyed.

Enemy Action by Night

Between 21:30 hours and 05:30 hours, twelve enemy raids were plotted along the coast from the Firth of Tay to Beachy Head. Due to adverse weather conditions, British fighters were unable to scramble for interception. Bombs were reported to have fallen on Guisborough, Canewdon, Hertford, the Isle of Grain, Tobermory (Isle of Mull, Western Scotland), Colchester, Welwyn, and Ely.

German Losses:
Airmen: 29 | Aircraft: 14

British Losses:
Airmen: 2 | Aircraft: 2

Hurricane P3359, No. 253 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
Sgt I.C.C. Clenshaw killed. Lost control in bad visibility.
https://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Clenshaw.htm

Hurricane P3671, No. 111 Squadron. Aircraft destroyed.
F/O T.P.K. Higgs killed. Collided with Do 17 off coast near Folkestone.
https://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Higgs.htm

Photo Descriptions

1. Do 17Z-2s over France, Summer 1940. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-341-0456-04 / Folkerts / CC-BY-SA 3.0
2. Supermarine Spitfire Mk Is of No. 610 Squadron on patrol during the Battle of Britain.
3. Concertina wire defences along the sea front at Sandgate, near Folkestone in Kent, 10 July 1940. © IWM (H 2187)