London and airfields bombed.

Night: Heavy raid on London.

Weather: Cloudy in the Channel with rain in northern France and the Straits of Dover.

Main Activity:

Targets in Kent and London were again on the Luftwaffe’s agenda and from 11 a.m. until 1.15 p.m. 120 Bf 109s flew in. By 2.20 p.m. they had returned in greater numbers.

Between 160 and 180 aircraft were involved and the damage they did to some of the airfields was as serious as that inflicted during August and September.

Over 400 Hurricane and Spitfire sorties were flown. Nine German planes were destroyed for the loss of one British fighter.

In Berlin, meanwhile, Göring had consulted the calendar. As his Luftflotten were preparing for their night raids on Britain he issued directives for heavy attacks on London during the next full moon. The moon was then in its first quarter, which meant London could expect some exceptionally noisy nights from about October 15th.

Excerpt from The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood & Derek Dempster

German Losses
Airmen: 18 | Aircraft: 9

British Losses
Airmen: 5 | Aircraft: 3

Hurricane V7376, No. 1 Squadron
Sgt. S. Warren listed as ‘missing’. Failed to return from section cloud formation flight over the Wash.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/WarrenS.htm

Spitfire X4597, No. 92 Squadron
Sgt. E.T.J. Frith died of injuries 17/10/40. Shot down believed by Bf 109s. Pilot baled out badly burned.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Frith.htm

Blenheim N3530, No. 235 Squadron
Shot down by Bf 109s over the Channel.
P/O J.C. Kirkpatrick listed as ‘missing’.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Kirkpatrick.htm
P/O R.C. Thomas killed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ThomasRC.htm
Sgt. G.E. Keel killed.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Keel.htm

Photo Descriptions:

  1. A milkman delivering milk in a London street devastated during a German bombing raid, 9 October 1940.
  2. Armourers preparing belts of .303-inch ammunition for Hawker Hurricane Mk I L1926 DU-J of No. 312 (Czech) Squadron, Duxford. Flown by Alois Vašátko, it shared the shooting down of a Junkers Ju 88 on 8 October 1940. © IWM (CH 1434)