Three large raids in the south-east, including London. Portsmouth and Southampton attacked. German invasion postponed again (till the 14th).
Night: London and Merseyside attacked.
Weather: Mainly fine with some local showers. Cloud in the Channel and Thames Estuary.
Main Activity:
After reconnaissance flights at lunchtime, Luftflotte 2 put up three big raids and Luftflotte 3 attacked Southampton. At 2.45 p.m. formations began building up over Calais and Ostend and aimed for London. At 3.45 another wave came in over Folkestone, and was shortly followed by a third. Bombs fell on the City, the docks, Islington and Paddington, and others on Biggin Hill, Kenley, Brooklands and Hornchurch.
Simultaneously two raids from Seine Bay and Cherbourg had linked up over Selsey Bill and despite harrying fighters dropped bombs on Southampton and Portsmouth.
An hour later waves of Bf 109s appeared over Kent, some attacking the Dover balloons. Another force attacked a convoy and single aircraft headed for Colerne, Kenley, Detling and Eastchurch. The convoy ‘Peewit’ was dive-bombed, its escort ‘Atherstone’ being disabled.
In all this widespread activity, Fighter Command flew 678 sorties. The scoreboard at the end of the day was in reality depressing, RAF losses being 29 aircraft, 17 pilots killed and 6 wounded, compared with German casualties for the 24 hours of 25 aircraft. KG 26 was the worst hit, with eight He 111s shot down. At the time it was estimated German losses were far higher, but the red in the British balance sheet on the final reckoning is accounted for by the fact that many squadrons became entangled with the escorting formations who attacked from above.
Excerpt from The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood & Derek Dempster
German Losses
Airmen: 35 | Aircraft: 29
British Losses
Airmen: 18 | Aircraft: 29
Hurricane P3525, No. 46 Squadron
Sgt S. Andrew killed. Crashed and burnt out for reasons unknown after an uneventful patrol.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Andrew.htm
Hurricane V7232, No. 46 Squadron
Sgt W.A. Peacock listed as missing. Failed to return after combat action. Presumed crashed into the sea.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/PeacockWA.htm
Hurricane P3770, No. 504 Squadron
P/O A.W. Clarke listed as missing. Crashed and burnt out near Newchurch after combat over coast.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ClarkeAW.htm
Spitfire P7298, No. 611 Squadron
Sgt F.E.R. Shepherd killed. Caught fire during combat. Pilot baled out but aircraft crashed into houses.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ShepherdFER.htm
Hurricane V6667, No. 213 Squadron
Sgt A. Wojcicki listed as missing. Shot down in Channel during combat with Bf 110s. Body never recovered.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wojcicki.htm
Hurricane V6665, No. 303 Squadron
F/O A. Cebrzynski died of injuries 19/9/40. Shot down during combat. Made a failed attempted crash landing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Cebrynski.htm
Hurricane R2682, No. 238 Squadron
Sgt S. Duszynski listed as missing. Last seen pursuing Ju 88 over Romney. Aircraft crashed at Lydd.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Duszynski.htm
Spitfire K9793, No. 92 Squadron
P/O F.N. Hargreaves listed as missing. Failed to return after combat action. Presumed crashed into the sea.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Hargreaves.htm
Hurricane V7240, No. 238 Squadron
Fl/Lt D.P. Hughes listed as missing. Last seen intercepting Ju 88s. Failed to return to base.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/HughesDP.htm
Spitfire N3282, No. 602 Squadron
Sgt M.H. Sprague killed. Shot down by Bf 110s over Channel. Pilots body washed ashore at Brighton 10/10/40.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Sprague.htm
Hurricane V7242, No. 303 Squadron
Sgt S. Wojtowicz killed. Crashed and burnt out at Westerham after being shot down by Bf 109s.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wojtowicz.htm
Blenheim L9396, No. 235 Squadron
Believed shot down by Bf 109 during escort mission to Calais.
P/O P.C. Wickings-Smith listed as missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wickings-Smith.htm
P/O A.W.V. Green listed as missing
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/GreenAWV.htm
Sgt R.D.H. Watts listed as missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/WattsRDH.htm
Blenheim Z5725, No. 235 Squadron
Failed to return from escort mission to Calais.
P/O N.B. Shorrocks listed as missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Shorrocks.htm
F/Lt F.W. Flood listed as missing
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Flood.htm
Sgt. B.R. Sharp listed as missing.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/SharpBR.htm
Spitfire P9464, No. 92 Squadron
P/O H.D. Edwards killed. Shot down by Bf 109 during combat action and crashed into woods.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/EdwardsHD.htm
Photo Descriptions:
- A late production Spitfire Mk I (X4382) of No. 602 Squadron, flown by Pilot Officer Osgood Hanbury, at Westhampnett, September 1940.
- The burning wreckage of Heinkel He 111H-2 ‘V4+RW’ (Wk-Nr 5364) of 6.Staffel/KG 1 at Broomhill Farm in East Guldeford, East Sussex on 11 September 1940. The aircraft was on a sortie to London Docks when it was attacked by Spitfires of Nos. 66 and 92 Squadrons, disabling both engines. All five crew members were captured.
- Firefighters battle a gas explosion from the previous night’s air raid, Kingsway, London, 11 September 1940.
- Messerschmitt Bf 110C-3 ‘U8+HL’ (Wk-Nr 1372) of 2.Staffel/ZG 26, shot down at 17:00 hrs on 11 September 1940. The aircraft crash-landed at Cobham Farm, Lenhem in Kent. The crew, Feldwebel Hermann Brinkmann and Unteroffizier Erwin Gruschow, were both captured.