Date: 29th August 1940
- Weather: Showers and bright intervals. Cloud in the Channel and Straits.
- Day: Quiet in the morning, airfield attacks in the south and south-east later in the day.
- Night: Further attack on Liverpool with diversionary raids in the Midlands.
Enemy action by day
During the afternoon, the enemy made one major raid. Although the objective appears to have been the South London aerodromes, no reports of bombing have been received. This raid was followed a few hours later by a smaller raid to the Rochester area.
Nine enemy aircraft were destroyed; our casualties being nine aircraft and two pilots.
North and East
One meteorological and one reconnaissance aircraft were plotted east of the Firth of Forth and Spurn Head respectively.
South East
Soon after midday, a single aircraft made a reconnaissance of the line Shoreham to Stanmore and returned by approximately the same route.
Two separate aircraft reconnoitred the Thames Estuary.
At 1510 hours, nine enemy aircraft flew over Dover towards Tangmere; this raid was immediately followed by about 170 aircraft which appeared to head for Biggin Hill. These raids were intercepted and driven off, four aircraft being destroyed by our fighters and one anti-aircraft. Strong hostile patrols were maintained off Calais until 1725 hours.
At 1725 hours, a raid of twenty plus aircraft passed over North Foreland and flew towards Rochester. It was intercepted and four enemy aircraft were destroyed.
South and West
During the morning, hostile aircraft reconnoitred the Guildford area and Weymouth Bay and a small raid attacked Warmwell Aerodrome.
In the afternoon, one aircraft reconnoitred Portsmouth and shortly afterwards twelve plus aircraft flew towards this area, but, when fifteen miles south of Selsey Bill, turned back on sighting our fighters.
At 1600 hours, a small raid attacked a RAF establishment in the Scilly Isles causing little damage.
By night
Enemy activity was again heavy, Scotland being the only area neglected.
Dusk raids penetrated East Anglia, main objectives apparently being Debden and Duxford, but from 2300 hours onwards, there was singularly little activity east of a line Brighton to Flamborough Head until 0230 hours when fresh raids appeared along the East Coast, apparently minelaying, but a few crossing inland.
Three main areas were attacked:
- i. South West and up to South Wales.
- ii. Industrial Midlands up to Liverpool and Manchester - a few raids going as far as Carlisle.
- iii. Tees and Tyne area.
The raids on items (i.) and (ii.) crossed the coast in a steady stream, mostly one aircraft each, but between Shoreham and Lyme Bay some were of greater strength. A few of these appeared to concentrate on the Portsmouth area.
Minelaying is suspected off Plymouth.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 29th August 1940
- Blenheim - 53
- Spitfire - 230
- Hurricane - 412
- Defiant - 18
- Gladiator - 7
- Total – 720
Casualties:
Enemy Losses By Fighters Destroyed Probable Damaged 6 Me109 7 Me109 1 Me109 2 Me110 1 Me110 2 Me110 2 Do215 2 Do215 8 10 5 By Anti-Aircraft Destroyed Probable Damaged 1 Me109 1 - Own:
- 9 aircraft with 2 pilots killed or missing.
Patrols:
- Own
- 125 patrols involving 524 aircraft.
- Enemy
- Night 28/29th August - estimated 200 aircraft. 29th August - estimated 360 aircraft of which no more than 200 appear to have crossed the coast, and of these, only a few penetrated any distance inland.
Balloons:
- Flying 1541, casualties 55 (49 repairable, 4 written off, 2 by enemy action).
Aerodromes:
- Rochford temporarily unserviceable owing to delayed-action bombs.
- Manston unserviceable for fighters.
Organisation:
- No 253 Squadron moved from Prestwick to Kenley.
- No 615 Squadron moved from Kenley to Prestwick.
- No 222 Squadron moved from Kirton-in-Lindsey to Hornchurch.
- No 264 Squadron moved from Hornchurch to Kirton-in-Lindsey.
Air Intelligence Reports
- Nil.
Home Security Reports
- Date: 29th August 1940
- General Summary
- There was little enemy aircraft activity during the day with the exception of two raids over the Kentish Coast.
- At 2100 hours, activity recommenced when the following areas were visited: South-West England, South Wales, the Midlands industrial areas as far north as Liverpool and the Tyne and Tees districts.
- Detailed Summary
- RAF Stations
- 28th August
- At 0855 hours, Eastchurch Aerodrome was attacked when two Battles were destroyed and two were damaged.
- 28th/29th August
- Bombs were dropped near the following stations:- Debden, Duxford, Grantham, Weston-on-the-Green and Felixstowe.
- London Area
- 28th/29th August
- London suburbs were bombed in many places, but generally speaking damage was not of a serious nature with the exception of Cricklewood (already reported in August 28th summary).
- Gas and water mains were damaged in Enfield and East Ham and a road was blocked by a crater at Lambeth.
- Elsewhere
- Coventry was bombed between the hours of 2136 and 2210 on the night of 28th August, as a result of which major damage is reported. Thirteen HE and many IB were widely distributed over the town causing considerable damage to 31 working class houses and minor damage to other shop and houses property. Water and gas services were affected.
- At about 0200 hours on the 29th August, several IB and HE bombs were dropped on Liverpool, when some houses were demolished and damage caused to electricity and water mains. Fires were started but soon brought under control.
- Tresco in the Scilly Isles was attacked at 1558 hours on the 29th August, when HE and IB were dropped by low flying aircraft who also used machine guns. Several fires broke out and two casualties occurred. The public are reported to be showing signs of panic and expressing strong desire to be evacuated.
- Churchdown (Gloucestershire) was bombed at 2330 hours on the 28th August, when an important water main was damaged affecting Gloucester city seriously and the RAF station at Quedgeley.
- The main Liverpool - Exeter railway line was damaged between Silverton and Bradnich making it necessary to suspend traffic.
- 29th/30th August
- Manchester and Liverpool were severely bombed - property, gas and water mains being severely affected. IB and HE bombs are reported to have been dropped in many places including the factory of Messrs Rootes Ltd and others in the Speke district.
- Casualties on Ground by Enemy Action: (The details given below are quoted with considerable reserve owing to the lack of accurate information).
- To RAF Personnel - nil.
- To others - 20 killed, 257 injured.