Date: 1st October 1940
- Weather: Mainly fair, but generally cloudy.
- Day: London is the main target with additional raids on Southampton and Portsmouth.
- Night: London, Liverpool and Manchester are the main targets.
Enemy action by day
Three attacks were made in the Kent area and one towards Poole and the Isle of Wight, in each case the numbers of aircraft employed were fewer than of late. Reconnaissance flights and patrols were less active.
Our fighters destroyed 4 enemy aircraft (plus one probable and 5 damaged). Our losses were 5 aircraft with 4 pilots killed or missing.
North and North-East Coast
Between 0900 and 1300 hours three reconnaissances were made off the Aberdeenshire Coast and three in the Moray Firth.
East Coast
One reconnaissance off the Norfolk Coast and of a convoy was reported between 1630 and 1730 hours.
South-East Coast
Between 0600 and 1300 hours some 16 raids by single and in one case by 6 aircraft, were made in the Estuary and round the coast to Beachy Head.
At 0613 hours one of these flew inland from Sheppey to Croydon and bombed and machine-gunned the latter place.
1st Attack
At 1312 hours two raids numbering 50 enemy aircraft crossed the coast at Dover. Of these 30 flew to Maidstone and Biggin Hill. The attack, against which 11 Squadrons were sent up, was of short duration by at 1403 a second attack developed.
2nd Attack
50 enemy aircraft appeared flying North West towards Biggin Hill. A second formation of the same strength followed but withdrew very soon. The first formation returned to France shortly after but single aircraft maintained patrols in North Kent and North Surrey until 1520 hours. 13 Squadrons were detailed to the attack.
3rd Attack
At 1610 hours 70 enemy aircraft in three successive waves flew towards Kenley. 40 of these approached the South East edge of the Inner Artillery Zone but immediately turned South East. The remainder turned away before reaching London. The aircraft had recrossed the Coast by 1640 hours.
During this attack reconnaissance aircraft were active along the Coast from Selsey Bill Eastwards and continuous patrols were maintained in the Straits until 1800 hours.
South & West Coasts
At 1045 hours 20 enemy aircraft flew to Swanage and over Poole and inland for 10/15 miles. They were met by three Squadrons from No 10 Group and recrossed the Coast at 1100 hours.
At the same time 50 enemy aircraft approached the Needles and were met over the sea by 5 Squadrons from No 11 Group. The enemy aircraft did not cross the coast and withdrew.
During the morning a single enemy aircraft flew from North Wales to Bristol Channel, Exeter and St Malo.
In the late afternoon 1 aircraft flew North from NNW of Lands End to Milford Haven.
Night Operations - 1st October / 2nd October 1940
Enemy activity was on a reduced scale, but raids were scattered over a wide area during the earlier part of the night.
The first night bombers came out of Le Havre and Cherbourg area and crossed the Isle of Wight at 1940 hours. Raids from Dieppe and the Somme crossed the coast between Beachy Head and Dungeness with London as their objective. A number of raids originating from Cherbourg crossed at Portland and flew to Bristol Channel whence they spread to South Wales, West Midlands and up to Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston areas. A few raids were plotted over East Anglia and inland as far as Leicester.
At 2145 hours there was a marked lull in the number of fresh raids entering the country. Central London was clear for a time, but at 2340 hours fresh raids approached from the East and a number were plotted in and out of the Thames Estuary. Some minelaying was suspected.
At 0145 hours a raid was plotted in the Glasgow area but apart from this the activity was almost entirely confined to London and the South East Counties.
Raids continued to come out of Dieppe and cross near Beachy Head, but appeared to be active more over the suburbs than over Central London itself.
Reduced activity continued over South East England and East Anglia until 0528 hours when the last raids were leaving the country.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 1st October 1940
- Blenheim - 37
- Spitfire - 225
- Hurricane - 368
- Defiant - 17
- Gladiator - 8
- Total – 655
Casualties:
Enemy Losses By Fighters Destroyed Probable Damaged 1 Me109 1 Me109 3 Me109 3 Me110 1 Me110 1 He111 4 1 5 - Own:
- 5 aircraft with 4 pilots killed or missing.
Patrols:
- Own
- During the night of 30th September / 1st October - 48 patrols involving 50 sorties.
- During the day of 1st October - 122 patrols involving 673 sorties.
- Enemy
- It is estimated that about 250 enemy aircraft operated over or near our coasts during the night 30th September / 1st October and 450 during the day of 1st October.
Balloons:
- No report.
Aerodromes:
- No report.
Organisation:
- No 808 Squadron at Castletown released for embarkation.
- Further to the report on 30th September No 312 Squadron, No 308 Squadron and No 71 Squadron are non-operational.
Home Security Reports
- General Summary
- Date: 1st October 1940
- Several attacks were made during the day but only a small number of enemy aircraft were able to reach London.
- At about 0645 hours bombs were dropped in the Bromley area and in the afternoon an attack was made on Camberwell, Lambeth and Wandsworth.
- The Counties of Kent, Sussex and Essex were the main areas visited outside the Capital.
- Night activity commenced at about 2000 hours and whilst being on a reduced scale was spread over a wide area including London, South and South-East England, South Wales, the Midlands as far North as Manchester & Birkenhead and East Anglia.
- Glasgow was also visited.
- Detailed Summary
- RAF Stations - 29th/30th September 1940
- West Drayton: Two attacks were made, one at 2330 hours on the 29th September and the other at 0110 hours on the 30th September. Buildings were slightly damaged.
- RAF Stations - 30th September 1940
- Scampton: Five HE were dropped in a field near the Aerodrome at 2205 hours.
- St Eval: At about 2300 hours 5 HE were dropped, two landing on the aerodrome and three outside. No damage is reported.
- RAF Stations - 1st October 1940
- Carew-Cheriton: An attack was made by two aircraft at 0655 hours when one hangar was wrecked, two slightly damaged, one hut completely demolished, one defence post demolished, two Anson aircraft burnt out but the aerodrome is serviceable. The casualties amounted to 1 airman killed and ten injured. Nine unexploded bombs are reported.
- Factories - 1st October 1940
- Successful activity against factories appears to be considerably less during the period but it is reported that some damage was caused to the Works of the Standard Motor Co and the Sussex Rubber Co at Acton between 0110 and 0230 hours.
- Railway Communications
- Further details of damage are now available as follows:-
- An unexploded bomb fell through the platform at Leytonstone Station, causing the stoppage of all services.
- HE bombs were dropped at 0235 hours on the 1st October 1940 causing all lines to be blocked between Malden and Raynes Park but three have since been opened.
- An unexploded bomb at Shepperton Station has necessitated the termination of services at Sunbury and the services at Malden are terminated by the presence of an unexploded bomb at Norbiton.
- Both tracks of the West London Extension Railway (No 1 Branch) between Latchmore Road and Latchmore Grove have been completely wrecked.
- Early in the morning of 2nd October, oil and incendiary bombs were dropped at Streatham Common Station where the electric sub-station was completely burnt out.
- At 0145 hours on 2nd October, the lines between Canonbury and Western Junction were damaged by a bomb and all traffic has been stopped.
- Two unexploded bombs near the Maidenhead Signal Box has caused all traffic to be stopped.
- Early in the morning of 2nd October, the Whiteman Road Bridge between Crouch Hill and Harringay Park was bombed and collapsed on the Tottenham Line putting it out of action.
- Elsewhere - 1st October 1940
- Purfleet: At 2358 hours incendiary bombs caused a fire at the premises of the Anglo American Oil Co but no details are so far available.
- Tulse Hill: A fire is reported at the Telephone Exchange.
- Tower of London: At about 2118 hours, three HE bombs wee dropped causing damage to water mains.
- Birkenhead: At 1937 hours HE bombs were dropped in the Central district and near the entrance of the Mersey Tunnel, also near the No 3 Dock belonging to Cammel Laird Ltd. Casualties so far reported amount to 6 dead, and 56 injured.
- Manchester: Between 2130 and 2250 hours, @HE and incendiary bombs were dropped causing widespread damage in the Western, Southern and South-eastern districts of the City. Forty fires are reported are reported including one at a Joinery Works at Trafford Park. Casualties so far reported amount to 10 dead and 34 injured.
- Elsewhere - 2nd October 1940
- Wembley: Late information received states that at 0016 hours He bombs were dropped at the Berisford Depot where some personnel were trapped. The number of casualties is at present unknown.