Date: 10th September 1940 
- Weather: Generally cloudy, some rain.
- Day: Single-aircraft raids on airfields during the afternoon.
- Night: Main attacks against London. Some lesser raids on Merseyside and South Wales.
Enemy action by day
Small scale attacks on Portsmouth, Tangmere, Poling and West Malling. Only isolated aircraft appeared in the London area also scattered raids along the South Coast and over Kent. Reconnaissance flights over Convoys.
East
One early morning reconnaissance of Humber and Digby and out over Yarmouth. Two reconnaissances of convoys off Norfolk and Lincolnshire, of which one crossed the coast near Mablethorpe. Two raids, of which one identified as a Ju88 along Norfolk Coast, Yarmouth to Harwich, and a further raid reported to have attacked Yarmouth. Cloud conditions prevented fighter contact. At 1550 hours, one aircraft flew West, North of Thames Estuary, crossed London from North to South and then out over Sheppey.
South
One early raid penetrated inland near Tangmere. Fighters failed to intercept. Two raids just inland near Hastings and Shoreham during the morning. At 1230 hours one Dornier crossed the coast near Hastings, penetrated to Central London, and flew out East near Clacton. At 1715 hours six small raids coming in between Beachy Head and Dungeness approached London area. Fighters intercepted and two enemy aircraft were destroyed and one probable. The remainder flew out by the same route to Dieppe area.
1740-1835: Three small raids via Poole to Middle Wallop where track faded.
Between 1700-1800 hours some raids originating from Cherbourg appeared to attack Poling, Tangmere and Portsmouth, but only two penetrated inland to any extent.
By night
Enemy activity commenced with an attack of about 12 raids, coming from Cherbourg via St Catherine's Point and Selsey to Hampshire, some of which penetrated to London area. This wave had all dispersed by 2200 hours.
A further wave of six raids came from the Somme area crossing the coast between Dungeness and Beachy Head, over Kent and Sussex up to London area. There was a lull in hostile activity between 220 and 2230 hours, at which time raids again came in between Selsey and Dungeness. Between 2100 and 0100 hours, it is estimated that 80 raids crossed the South Coast. Enemy raids gradually ceased to come in over the South Coast, but by 0100 hours a stream of about 30 raids started to come in from the Dutch Islands up the Thames Estuary into the London area, thence out over the South Coast. By 0430 the last of these raids had left the cost by the North Foreland and the whole country was then clear.
In the West several raids entered between the Needles and Portland, proceeding to South Wales, Western Midlands and Liverpool. One raid reached Liverpool area flying East from the Irish Sea and a further raid came in near Whitby and flew West as far as Kendal, then out East over Hartlepool.
Minelaying is suspected in the Mersey, South of the Isle of Man, Harwich, Portsmouth area and Thames Estuary.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 10th September 1940
- Blenheim - 47
- Spitfire - 225
- Hurricane - 375
- Defiant - 21
- Gladiator - 8
- Total - 676
Casualties:
Enemy Losses By Fighters Destroyed Probable Damaged 1 Do17 1 Do215 1 Do215 2 1 - Own:
- 1 Spitfire, pilot safe.
Patrols:
- Own
- During the night of 9th/10th September - 34 patrols involving 41 sorties.
- During the day of 10th September - 73 patrols involving 224 sorties.
- Enemy
- It is estimated that about 200 enemy aircraft operated over Great Britain during the night 9th/10th September and 50 during the day of 10th September.
Balloons:
- No report.
Aerodromes:
- No report.
Organisation:
- No 66 Squadron from Kenley to Gravesend.
- No 510 Squadron from Gravesend to Kenley.
Home Security Reports
- General Summary
- Date: Night of 9th/10th September (supplementary)
- Further information on damage done by enemy bombs on this night shows that apart from attacks on railways, bombing appeared wholly indiscriminate and extensive damage was done to private property. Large fires were caused in the City and other fires elsewhere. Charing Cross Station and Fenchurch Street Station were both put out of action and lines were blocked in other places. There was a serious fire at Woolwich where Greenwood & Batley's Ltd cordite shed was blown up and the Royal Arsenal a large building fired. At Westminster part of the Embankment had to be closed and major damage is reported from Lambeth, Southwark, East Ham and West Ham. There were also large fires at warehouses at the Docks.
- Date: 10th September
- Enemy air activity was confined during daylight to scattered raids and bombs were dropped at a few places mostly on the coast, in the South East of England. Damage was done to the Southern Railway's Electricity sub-station at Newhaven and bombs were also dropped at Yarmouth, Hastings and West Malling Aerodrome.
- Several enemy aircraft passed over the London area at different times during the day but except at Woolwich it does not appear that any bombs were dropped.
- An enemy aircraft machine-gunned Tangmere Aerodrome.
- Date: Night of 10th/11th September 1940
- Prolonged raids were again carried out by enemy aircraft. Whilst the London area was again the main target, South and South Eastern England and Cardiff were also visited.
- Reports indicate a great deal of major damage and many serious fires in and near London.
- Detailed Summary
- RAF Stations
- Date: 9th September 1940
- Cambridge: At 2250 hours three incendiary bombs were dropped on the South East side of the landing ground and two KB in open fields outside. No damage.
- Date: 10th September 1940
- West Malling: Bombs were dropped on the Aerodrome at 1732 hours; a slight fire resulted and there was one casualty to personnel.
- Tangmere: At 1605 hours an enemy aircraft Me110 or Do17 fired a few machine-gun rounds along the tarmac.
- Elsewhere
- Date: 10th/11th September 1940
- The major damage in the London area caused by bombs during this night, is reported to be St Katherine's Dock where a raging fire is reported to be out of control, at Islington, in the City (Golden Lane and Aldgate Avenue) at Shadwell where East End Maternity Hospital set on fire, at Stepney a major fire in Cable Street, at London Docks (2 large warehouses on fire), at Milwall (Hydraulic Mains burst), in the Mile End Road a major fire at Durrell's Timber Yard, at Paddington, St Marylebone and Bayswater Road.
- At Brentwood over 1,000 incendiary bombs are reported to have been dropped and serious fires were started at a Convent and a Woolworth's Store.