Date: 23rd August 1940 
- Weather: Showers with bright intervals. Cloudy in Straits, Channel and Thames Estuary.
- Day: Single raids in the south and reconnaissance flights.
- Night: Main attacks in South Wales.
Enemy action by day
Enemy activity was on a restricted scale. In the morning a few reconnaissances were reported off the East Coast and a few raids penetrated inland, bad weather conditions prevented interception.
In the afternoon, a number of single raids crossed the South Coast and attacked isolated targets causing little damage.
North and East
A meteorological reconnaissance was plotted east of Scotland. One raid penetrated inland to the Rugby and Warwick areas and attacked targets with bombs and machine guns at these towns, causing slight damage.
A number of reconnaissances were plotted off the East Coast, probably looking for shipping; weather conditions were bad in this area.
One He111 was destroyed by fighters near Sumburgh.
South Coast
One reconnaissance, which crossed the coast at Clacton, was brought down by AA at Duxford and the crew of five made prisoners.
Two reconnaissances flew over the Walton, Harwich and North Foreland areas and attacked objectives near Harwich without result.
South and West
During the morning, five reconnaissances were reported in the Bristol Channel.
In the afternoon, nine raids of single aircraft, one of which was reported to be a meteorological flight, approached the coast between Selsey Bill and Lyme but turned away. Later, eleven individual aircraft penetrated inland and attacked scattered targets in Devon and Hampshire.
One Ju88 was destroyed in the Weymouth area by fighter action.
By night
Enemy activity was widespread although not on the scale of the previous night.
The largest of the raids were in the Bristol and South Wales area, Cardiff receiving several visits.
Raids were reported over East Anglia and northwards along the coast to Middlesborough, Harrogate and York. Kent was also visited.
Five raids were also plotted in the Birmingham area where AA guns were in action.
Convoys off Wick and Cromer were visited.
Five raids were plotted between Land's End and Falmouth. Minelaying was suspected in areas Portsmouth, Lizard-Land's End, Bristol Channel and Carmarthen Bay.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 23rd August 1940
- Blenheim - 55
- Spitire - 236
- Hurricane - 410
- Defiant - 26
- Gladiator - 6
- Total – 733
Casualties:
Enemy Losses By Fighters Destroyed Probable Damaged 1 He111 1 Ju88 2 By Anti-Aircraft Destroyed Probable Damaged 1 Do17 1 - Own:
- Nil.
Patrols:
- Own
- 200 patrols involving 507 aircraft.
- Enemy
- 320 aircraft, of which 250 between 2100 hours on 22nd August and 0900 hours on 23rd August, and 70 between 0900 hours and 2100 hours on the 23rd.
Balloons:
- Flying 1442, casualties 63 (50 repairable, 12 written off and 1 by enemy action).
Aerodromes:
- Filton, Hartlepool, Abbotsinch, Manston and Exeter are unserviceable during the hours of darkness.
Organisation:
- No 141 Squadron moved from Prestwick to Montrose and Dyce.
- No 603 Squadron moved from Montrose and Dyce to Turnhouse.
- No 253 Squadron moved from Turnhouse to Prestwick.
Air Intelligence Reports
- Nil.
Home Security Reports
- Date: 23rd/24th August 1940
- General Summary
- The approximate number of HE bombs dropped in this country from 3rd September 1939 to 3rd August 1940 inclusive is 5,800. These figures are based on reports received from all sources and where later reports indicate that the original figures were incorrect, necessary adjustments have been made. Of these, between 2% and 4% were 250-kilo, the remainder being 50-kilo. This figure does not include bombs dropped on convoys or other ships at sea.
- The majority of daylight raids were carried out in the South and the Midlands and damage on the whole was slight. There are several reports of machine-gunning by enemy aircraft, which resulted in little damage. It is reported that Birmingham and South Wales were attacked by night.
- Detailed Summary
- 23rd August
- It was reported from Durham that enemy aircraft machine-gunned a searchlight and wardens' post at Whitburn (360 degrees Sunderland, 3½ miles). It was reported from the same area that an enemy aircraft was shot down by AA fire at 0056 hours on the 23rd.
- Daventry. The BBC wireless station was machine-gunned at 1150 hours. One person was injured.
- A factory in the progress of being built at Kites Hardwick, near Rugby, was machine-gunned resulting in several workmen being wounded. The village of Grandborough was also machine-gunned by the same aircraft.
- Witney, Oxon. Leafield wireless station was machine-gunned with no damage reported.
- Bridlington in Yorkshire was bombed at 0250 hours and suffered considerable damage, particularly to a café where several people were trapped. Casualties - 4 killed and one injured.
- Bristol area was raided three times during the night of 22nd/23rd over a period of 2½ hours. Property suffered considerable damage and the main road (the A38) was blocked between Almondsbury and Woodlands Lane.
- New Milton (Hampshire) was attacked in the early evening and serious damage was done. Telephone and high-tension cables were damaged, putting the air raid siren out of order. Casualties - 23 killed and 20 injured.
- 24th August
- Birmingham. It has been reported that at 0315 hours enemy aircraft attacked the city and IB were dropped near the Nuffield Factory at Castle Bromwich.
- At 0535 hours, HE fell on Fort Dunlop, causing damage to buildings, steam and gas mains. It is reported that the fire has been extinguished. Two casualties.
- It is also reported that HE fell on the Repairable Equipment Depot No 1, Castle Bromwich. Some damage, no casualties.
- Casualties on Ground by Enemy Action:
- To RAF Personnel - nil.
- To others - 34 killed, 107 injured