Plus a special guest map from Michael Kordas, With Wings Like Eagles, showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.
PEACE AT HOME - OR - WAR ABROAD?
It seems like they are advocating building our defenses, being stingy and not helping Britain, and sticking our head in the sand.
Did I get that right? Be strong, don't help our friends in need, and pretend Hitler wouldn't come after us later?
Date: 3rd October 1940
Enemy action by day
There were no attacks by enemy formations, probably due to adverse weather conditions, but in place especially after mid-day, a fairly continuous succession of raids by single aircraft crossed the coast and in some cases dropped bombs in various parts of the country. Many of the places have no military importance.
No enemy aircraft were brought down by Fighters not did we suffer any casualties.
Light AA shot down one Ju88.
North and North East Coasts
Two meteorological flights were plotted in the afternoon 100 miles East of Firth of Forth.
East Coast
From 0630 to 1230 hours some nine reconnaissances by single aircraft were made between the Yorkshire Coast and Harwich. In two cases aircraft penetrated far inland, one flying to Worcester, where bombs were dropped, to Birmingham and Wellingborough which was also bombed. The second crossed the coast at Bawdsey, flying to North Weald and Debden. Bombs were dropped near North Weald from 1000 feet.
Between 1300 and 1500 hours fifteen raids were plotted between Harwich and the Estuary. Two aircraft in one raid flew across England to South Wales.
South East Coast
Between 0630 and 1000 hours, one aircraft approached London from the Estuary and flew to Oxford and back, while other reconnaissances were made in the Estuary and at Hornchurch.
At 1126 Light AA shot down a Ju88 which had bombed an Aircraft factory at Hatfield.
Between 1300 and 1500 hours a succession of raids by single aircraft crossed the Coast from Isle of Wight to Skegness, the principal lane of entry being Kenley - Biggin Hill, Northolt - North Weald, and Debden.
Twelve raids coming from Le Havre crossed between Selsey Bill and Beachy Head and six raids from Dieppe and Calais flew mostly to the London area.
Between 1500 - 1700, sixteen raids coming from Dieppe and crossing between Beachy Head and Dungeness flew to London and the Estuary.
South and West Coast
At about 0700 hours enemy aircraft attacked St Eval from a low height but little damage was done either by bombs or machine gun fire.
Reconnaissances were made by aircraft flying from the South West towards the Bristol Channel, Filton and then to Bournemouth, from Poling to Swindon and back, and off the Anglesey Coast.
From 1500 hours raids crossed the Coast between Beachy Head and Selsey Bill flying inland and in one case to the Bedford area. This aircraft on its return flight located a convoy near Selsey which it bombed. A further track was plotted near Fishguard flying North East to Speke thence via Wales and the Bristol Channel to Dorset.
Weather
East of Portland, it was overcast with rain or drizzle. Cloud 500-1000'. Visibility poor. Wind slight to moderate.
West of Portland, mainly cloudy 5/10 - 9/10, 2000' to 3000'. Visibility good, wind light to moderate, North East.
Night Operations - 3rd/4th October 1940
Enemy activity was on a very reduced scale compared with previous nights.
Up to 2100 hours only eleven raids of single aircraft had entered the country, nine from Dieppe to the London area, and two from Calais to North of London and on to Bedford.
At 2100 hours there were no hostile raids inland, but between 2130 and 2300 hours, seven aircraft from Dieppe covered most of South East England penetrating to London. One raider also flew from the Dutch Coast to over Norfolk.
Between 2300 hours and 0100 hours a further eighteen enemy aircraft from Dieppe flew to the London area, one of which proceeded past London as far as Debden.
Later three more enemy aircraft visited London and Northolt. At 0200 hours the country was again entirely clear.
Complete inactivity continued, not a single enemy aircraft being plotted over this country between the hours of 0200 and 0530, when a single aircraft flew from Cherbourg to Selsey Bill and on toward Biggin Hill, but turned South again and by 0605 hours the country was again free of enemy raiders.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 3rd October 1940
Casualties:
Enemy Losses | ||
By Fighters | ||
Destroyed | Probable | Damaged |
Nil | Nil | Nil |
By Anti-Aircraft | ||
1 Ju88 | ||
1 | Nil | Nil |
Patrols:
Balloons:
Serviceability of Aerodromes:
Organisation:
Home Security Reports
Herman Goering once said if one bomb falls on Berlin you can call him meyer. MEYER! MEYER!
Interesting that a World Series game between two non-NYC teams is above the fold on p. 1. Baseball is not the cultural force it once was.