Battle of Britain diary

[stona]

Monday 29 July

Finally, some summer weather. Despite an early morning mist on the Cannel coast this was a bright and sunny day.

At 07.45 the Luftwaffe started the day with another large attack on Dover. 50 Ju 87s, escorted by 80 Bf 109s made for the port. They were met by 16 Spitfires and 20 Hurricanes. In a sign of things to come, the Ju 87s took casualties. 2 from 11(St)/LG1 were shot down into the sea off Dover killing their crews. Another, of 5./StG1 was also shot down, the pilot was rescued unhurt, the radio operator/gunner wounded. 2 more Ju 87s made it back to France, 1 with 30% damage, the other written off in a crash landing. In addition, 3 damaged Bf 109s staggered back to France, 1 crashed on landing, killing Hptm Erwin Eichele. For its part, the RAF lost 1 Spitfire of No. 41 Squadron, shot down off Dover with the loss of F/O D R Gamblen, and another 6 Spitfires landed with various damage.

At 14.00 4 Hurricanes of No. 145 Squadron shot down a Ju 88 off Worthing.

Later in the afternoon a series of attacks developed on shipping off the coast of East Anglia. 2 He 111s were shot down and a Do 17 damaged. Obltn Genth, Gruppenkommandeur of III./KG 76 was killed in the Do 17. P/O L W Collingridge of 66 Sqn crash landed his damaged Spitfire on the beach at Orfordness after attacking an He 111 but was unhurt.

At 17.15 11 Bf 110s of Epro Gr 210, eight with bombs, escorted by 30 Bf 110s of ZG 76 were intercepted by 9 Hurricanes of No. 151 Squadron. 1 Bf 110, S9+RH, returned to St Omer damaged and with the radio operator, Ogefr Heinrich Diemer wounded. Pilot Ltn Erich Beudel was not hurt. 2 Hurricanes were also damaged, landing at Martlesham Heath and Rochford aerodromes, both pilots safe.

This picture shows some of the damage to Beudel and Diemer’s Bf 110, and it is not hard to see why Diemer was wounded.




Of note is that this is the day that a series of well known official photographs were taken at the time of a Fox film unit’s arrival at Hawkinge. On this day Nos. 32 and 610 Squadrons had flown in from Biggin Hill (Hawkinge was a satellite field). There are a series of photographs taken of the 610 Squadron pilots after their return from action over the Channel and some of more relaxed 32 Squadron pilots (particularly A Flight) relaxing on the grass at readiness. There is also a famous long shot showing nine Hurricanes dispersed on the aerodrome.

[stona]

More interesting stuff. Seems to me that the most dangerous job in the Luftwaffe was recon crew......
As to shooting up the ASR, the aim of the fighter pilot was to destroy aircraft or kill crew so they could not come back and do the same to you or yours at a later date. There are a lot of reports of bailed pilots being shot at on the way down by parachute, and this is really no different. Doesn’t make it right, but war isn’t right in the first place. You can’t put people into an inhumane situation and expect them to act humanely....that the majority do anyway is a testament to the human condition.

The issue was that the ASR aircraft were clearly marked in accordance with international law. They were unarmed and the crews were registered with the International Red Cross in Geneva. The British knew all of this after the very first He 59 was forced down on 9 July. The crew of that aircraft believed that a mistake had been made by the British, and their interrogation reports show that they were keen explain their organisation so that future mistakes might be avoided. There was no mistake, the British targeted these aircraft, despite the reluctance of some of their own pilots.
The justification was that the aircraft carried a two way radio, and that they were reporting the position of British shipping. This was always vehemently denied by the Luftwaffe and there is absolutely no evidence that they ever did any such thing.

We must be careful how we judge events with the benefit of hindsight, but the decision to go after these aircraft, which incidentally rescued British airmen too, was marginal at best. Personally, I do not consider it one of the best decisions taken during the Battle.

[Tim Marlow]

Thanks for the thorough explanation Steve. I didn’t realise it was an official decision. As you say though, it’s hard to rationalise from a view of eighty years in the future. I suppose that if you’re fighting for your existence anything that gives you a slight edge is seen as acceptable ....

[AlanG]

Thanks for the thorough explanation Steve. I didn’t realise it was an official decision

Fighter Command issued the order ignore the red crosses and to shoot down/force down the ASR aircraft on 14th July. On the 29th the Air Ministry pronounced that the aircraft were 'being employed for the purposes which the HM Government cannot regard as being consistent with the privileges generally accorded to the Red Cross'. and that any of them flying in operational areas would do so 'at their own risk and peril'.

[stona]

Thanks Alan. I knew that it was an official policy/order, but couldn't find the date.

[stona]

Among the papers discovered when the He 59 was forced down on 9th July was a log belonging to another Red Cross aircraft (D-AGUI).

"30/4/40 Verbal orders 19.50 hrs, search for Englishmen shot down about 10Km west of Stavanger. Weather perfect. Visibility 50 Km, wind 130 degrees, 25 Km. Start at 19.52 hrs. At 20.15 hrs oil spots in Grid Ref.3125. Sighted man drifting in rubber dinghy, beside him a man swimming. We landed beside them 22.00 hrs. Sea strength 2. The dinghy drifted between the floats and was made fast. Both Englishmen hauled into machine. The first, who was in the dinghy, was slightly wounded on his chin - protested that he did not need First Aid. We made him fast to the 'Tragbahn'. The second was already drowned. Artificial respiration in the machine had no effect...It turned out later that the rescued Englishman was a Staffelfuhrer, with the rank of Major, the other who had been unable to get into the dinghy was his observer."

The rescued man was Squadron Leader KC Doran, his crew both perished, Sgt. R H J Batsrick and P/O F M N Searle. Their Blenheim IV, L9242 of No. 110 Squadron, had been shot down during bombing operations in the Stavanger area. Doran owed his life to the Germans. If that doesn't make you think...

[AlanG]

I can see the logic on both sides Steve. As you say. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But in those days we now know what our brave populous were fighting against and we needed to win at almost any cost. War is a horrible thing that has been too glorified by hollywood. But that's a whole different thread topic.

[stona]

Tuesday 30 July

The brief summer weather passes with low cloud, showers and drizzle over the entire UK.

At 13.05 my friends at No. 603 Squadron, still up in Scotland, shoot down yet another raider, an He 111 of 8./KG 26 approximately 40 miles SE of Montrose. The crew are all lost.

At 15.30 2 Bf 110s of ErprGr 210 on a reconnaissance mission off the Suffolk coast located convoy Pilot, but were intercepted by 3 Hurricanes of No. 85 Squadron. 1 of the Bf 110s was shot down, killing Ltn Hand Herold and Ogefr Lotar Lilienthal.

Of note is a tale of survival. Ju 88 F6+BK of 2(F)/122 suffered a port engine failure and ditched into the sea off the Norfolk coast at approximately 09.00 hours today. The crew survived the ditching and took to their dinghy. They were finally rescued at about 16.00 on 3 August having spent more than 100 hours at sea. They were all classified as ‘injured’ by the British authorities, probably as a result of exposure, and became PoWs.

[JR]

A fascinating thread, some very brave men on each side by these accounts.

[stona]

Wednesday 31 July

July ends with a nice day, warm and summery with some haze over the Channel.

The first significant action of the day took place at tea time when, at 16.00, 12 Spitfires of No. 74 Squadron intercepted at least 15 Bf 109s of JG 51. B Flight were scrambled after A Flight and were bounced by the Bf 109s as they climbed for altitude. The Spitfire of P/O H R Dunn was shot down off Folkestone and Dunn was killed. Sgt F W Eley was also shot down and killed. He was just 21 and had joined No. 74 Squadron directly after training in February. F/Lt D P D G Kelly returned safe, but with a badly damaged Spitfire. There were no Luftwaffe losses.

There was a confused action in which 2 Hurricanes of No. 501 Squadron, unable to raise their colleagues on the R/T attacked 2 Do 17s between Lymne and Hawkinge. Later one of the Hurricanes, flown by P/O R S Don, who had not attacked the Dorniers, was seen to be streaming white smoke and ordered to land. Don decided to bale out and landed near Worth uninjured. His Hurricane, P4026, was destroyed.

Nos. 111, 145, and 1 Squadrons all made various claims for German aircraft. 2 He 111s from I./KG 55 were lost when their crews baled out over France following combat damage.

[stona]

Thursday 1 August

New month, same bad weather. A very wet an overcast start to the day, improving slightly in the afternoon.

A Flight, 145 Squadron, 6 Hurricanes, left Westhampnett at 14.20 and were split up by the controller. Yellow section found and shot down an He 126, a recconnaissance aircraft rarely seen in the BoB. Red section sighted a Ju 88 and all attacked, the enemy aircraft was claimed as damaged.

The other notable event of the day was summed up in a contemporary newspaper headline, ‘British Steamer Brings Down Two Nazi Planes’.

SS Highlander, a passenger ship of 1,000 tons, was attacked by 3 He 115s of 3./506, a staffel of one of the Kustenfliegergruppen, still under the control of the Kriegsmarine. The Heinkels made a torpedo attack, but the first collided with the ship, leaving a wing behind on the deck before crashing. A second attack was made a few minutes later, and the crew of the ship somehow managed to shoot down one of the two surviving aircraft with a Lewis gun. Though not claimed by the British the third aircraft failed to return. The three aircraft pilots, Ltns zur See Stark and Richter and Obltn zur See Ballier perished with all six of their crewmen.

Here is the wing of He 115, H4+ML, manufactured by the Heinkel Flugzeugwerk Rostock, on the deck of Highlander.

[AlanG]

August 1 1940

Hitler issues Directive Number 17.

1. The Luftwaffe is to overpower the RAF in the shortest possible time
2. After achieving air superiority the air war is to be conducted against ports and food stores
3. The Luftwaffe is to be ready to take part 'in full force' in 'Sea Lion'.
4. D-day is to be from any time from August 5th, depending on Luftwaffe readiness and the weather

Goring emphasised the need for fighters to conserve fuel, and, in a significant change, ordered escorts not to move to far away from their charges (bombers) or to fly off in the pursuit of single enemy aircraft.

[stona]

August 1 1940

A quick update because I missed that Norwich was bombed today. 30 He 111s reached the city unmolested. Among the targets hit was the Boulton Paul factory. In all six people were killed and forty injured.

Overnight millions of leaflets with a translation of the text of Hitler's 'Appeal to Reason' were dropped. They certainly fell on Canterbury, because my grandmother told me that they made good toilet paper!

[colin m]

Thank you again for your great work gentlemen. Toilet paper, brilliant.

[stona]

Friday 2 August

Bad weather continued

19 Squadron made an interception with three Spitfires, two of which had the new cannon armament. F/Lt W G Clouston claimed an He 111 damaged near Cromer Knoll Lightship. If it was an He 111 it can only have been that of II./KG 55 which made it back to Chatres with 20% damage, but the crew safe.

It is often forgotten that night operations were being flown by Fighter Command during this period. Today, S/Ldr H C ‘Sam’ Sawyer of 65 Squadron died when he crashed his Spitfire R6779 trying to take off from Hornchurch for a night patrol. Spitfires did not have any exhaust shields fitted and it is thought that Sawyer may have been dazzled by the glow of his exhausts. There were several similar accidents during this period as pilots unfamiliar with night flying were sent out on nightime patrols in aircraft not designed or modified for such operations.

The relative lull in the campaign as the Germans made preparations to implement the new Fuhrer Directive allowed Fighter Command to replenish its squadrons. 720 aircraft were available, compared with 587 on 30 July and the number of aircrew grew to 1465 compared to 1200 at the end of July. Of course, not all these new men were operational or combat ready.

Today the US ambassador in London, Joseph Kennedy, reported to Washington that if German air power was as formidable as believed, it would shortly put the RAF ‘out of commission’, after which a British surrender would be ‘inevitable’. It just goes to show how wrong one man can be.