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Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 28 July 1940

Weather: Fine early. Fair for the rest of the day, clouding over in the evening.
Day: Shipping attacked off Dover and south coast ports.
Night: Minelaying from Thames Estuary to Humber. Scattered raiders over England and Wales.
Enemy action by day
There was less enemy activity in the morning, and it was not until the afternoon that the major engagement of the day took place in the Straits, off Dover.
Our fighters shot down seven enemy aircraft at a cost of two Spitfires.
Other raids approached shipping and ports on the south and west coasts, either doing no damage or retiring before our fighters could intercept.
North and North-East
At 1029 hours, one aircraft was plotted 15 miles north-east of Montrose but a section of fighters sent to investigate did not make contact.
At 1522 hours, a further raid was plotted in this area.
South and West At 0640 hours, a raid was plotted out of Cherbourg in the direction of Plymouth but our fighters failed to make contact.
At 1110 hours, a raid of three aircraft was plotted from Baie de la Seine to Swanage, where sound plots were recorded overland. Fighters were despatched without effect and the raid eventually faded south in mid-Channel at 1250 hours.
Another raid approached Portland with no results and no interception.
At 1237 hours, three aircraft appeared 15 miles north of Cherbourg and approached Bournemouth. No contact was effected.
Off Dover
At 1204 hours, a large number of aircraft assembled and circled over the Calais-Boulogne district and then set course for Dover. When the enemy aircraft had reached a position half way across the Straits they turned back to the French coast where they gradually dispersed.
At 1335 hours, five raids involving approximately 100 aircraft, crossed the Straits and were engaged by four Squadrons of our fighters off Dover. No 74 Squadron accounted for three Me109s (confirmed) with the loss of two Spitfires. No 41 Squadron shot down two Me109s (confirmed) and No 11 Squadron shot down two He59s (confirmed).
At 1552 hours, one raid was plotted 40 miles south of Dungeness to within 30 miles of Selsey Bill where it turned south-east and faded in the Le Havre area at 1630 hours.
At 1708 hours, two raids involving 9+ aircraft where plotted flying east from the direction of Portland. These raids turned north and approached Swanage, but retired on approach of our fighters. Another raid originated over Portsmouth and faded in Baie de la Seine without interception.
At 1735 hours, a "help" signal was received by a convoy near Milford Haven; fighters were despatched without result.
East and South-East
At 0620 hours, a hostile aircraft approached Cromer but was not intercepted.
At 1424 hours, a possible meteorological flight was plotted sixty miles east of Haisboro flying north-west.
At 1503 hours, another raid was plotted eighteen miles east of Bawdsey and faded over Foreness.
At 1600 hours, a raid of 1+ was plotted fifty miles east of Mablethorpe, turned south and appeared to orbit in an area about fifty miles east of Cromer. A "help" signal was received from the naval unit which this raid had attacked.
At 1853 hours, a hostile reconnaissance of 3+ aircraft started from Dunkirk and flew to within fifteen miles east of Lowestoft where it turned south on the approach of our fighters and faded inland of Gris Nez. The aircraft appeared to return to St Inglevert.
At 1948 hours, seven raids assembled in the Gris Nez area and at one time one of these raids was plotted at not less than 40 aircraft on a ten-mile front at 30,000 feet. Six squadrons were detailed to meet this attack, which, however, did not materialise.
France
The usual patrols were flown over the Calais-Boulogne area.
By night
There was considerable enemy activity in most areas. The main feature of the earlier part was the intense activity of the minelaying type from the Thames Estuary to the Humber, extending later as far north as Aberdeen. Inland raiding over the south and east coasts was very pronounced and nearly all areas of England, Scotland and Wales were involved. By 0130 hours, raids were mostly withdrawing and at 0145 hours the country was clear north and east of a line from Chester to London. By 0245, all inland raids had withdrawn to the coast.
During the night about 150 hostile, or "X" tracks were plotted. Bombs were reported to have been dropped in the following places: - Edinburgh district, Perth, Rochford, Tyne, Thames Estuary, Crewe, Newcastle, Alnwick, Hungerford, Staplehurst, near Long Eaton, Holywell (Flintshire), Sealand, north of Gatwick aerodrome, Edenbridge, west of Beachy Head, north-east of Maldon (Essex), Glenkindie, near Sittingbourne, Seaford, near Neath, Brixham, Shaeftesbury, near Lydd, south of Colchester, Otmore (Vivinity), Lichfield, near Derby, Salford, near Swansea and other locations in South Wales.
At Staplehurst a searchlight post was bombed and put out of action.
Fighters were despatched in some instances but results are not reported.
An enemy aircraft is reported to have crashed at Wooton Hill (4 miles south-west of Newbury) at 0200 hours. Occupants baled out and are still at large.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 28 July 1940
Blenheim - 66
Spitfire - 245
Hurricane - 328
Defiant - 26
Total – 665
Casualties:
Enemy: Fighters - 5 confirmed; Bombers - 2 confirmed 1; Floatplanes - 2 confirmed.
Own: 3 Spitfires 1 Hurricane.
Patrols:
Day: 220 patrols despatched involving 840 aircraft.
Night: 35 sorties.
Balloons:
Flying - 1437 Casualties - 28.
Aerodromes:
Sherburn is unserviceable.
Organisation:
No changes.
Air Intelligence Reports
None.
Addendum - information which arrived too late for yesterday's report.
One Ju88 landed intact north of Bexhill at 0520 hours owing to a shortage of petrol. The crew are unwounded and are prisoners. All instruments are intact. The aircraft carried five guns - one in the nose and four free.
Another Ju88 was shot down east of Plymouth at about 0520 hours by Spitfires of No 234 Squadron.
Home Security Reports
27th/28th July 1940
General Summary
During the early morning of July 28th, raids were reported over south-west England and Wales but did practically no damage.
There were no enemy raids reported during the hours of daylight but Kent and Sussex were bombed late at night on July 28th.
Further raids took place early in the morning of July 29th over Cornwall, Essex, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Kent, South Wales and various scattered positions. Little damage was done anywhere and few casualties caused.
Detailed Summary
It is now reported that Dover Harbour was raided twice on July 27th. At 1435 hours, one bomb was dropped in Camber and one in the Harbour without effect. Between 1755 hours and 1847 hours, a further attack was made when a naval vessel was severely damaged and a store ship holed. Some bombs fell near the Marine Railway Station and the Survey Dock without doing damage.
Early in the morning of July 28th, bombs were dropped in Cornwall, in the neighbourhood of Truro and Penzance, but did no appreciable damage.
During the same period, bombs were also dropped near Cardiff and Newport (Monmouthshire) but did no damage.
Late in the evening of July 28th, numerous small villages in the Weald of Kent were bombed but no damage has been reported. Near Edenbridge, houses and gas and water mains were slightly damaged.
During the early morning of July 29th, bombs were dropped at Glenkindie (Aberdeenshire), and in Essex without causing damage.
Newcastle-on-Tyne was bombed at 0030 hours on July 29th and some damage is reported to houses and gas and water mains, but few casualties.
Bombs were also dropped at Newcastle-under-Lyme, near Brixham and Shaftbury without causing any damage.
South Wales was also bombed on July 29th and the railway track near Neath was damaged, and a road blocked at Pontaliw near Swansea.
It is also reported that Sealand Aerodrome was bombed at 0230 hours on July 29th. No report of damage has been received.
Battle of Britain