Date: 14th October 1940
- Weather: Occasional rain or drizzle spreading to the south-east.
- Day: Widespread limited attacks.
- Night: Serious and widespread damage to London. Coventry also damaged.
Enemy action by day
Enemy activity, which was on a small scale, consisted of scattered raids by individual aircraft and one attack by a formation of 34 bombers in the Portsmouth area. Hostile patrols and reconnaissances were maintained in the Channel and Straits of Dover. Our fighters damaged 3 enemy aircraft, without loss to themselves.
North-East and East
At 1015 hours a raid of 1+ originating from the Dutch Islands flew up the Blackwater and penetrated inland as far as St Albans. A few isolated raids crossed the East Anglian Coast and reconnoitred aerodromes. Between 1500 and 17100 hours three reconnaissance flights were plotted over Kirton-in-Lindsay.
South-East
From 1015 hours onwards small raids crossed the Coast between Selsey Bill and the Thames Estuary and penetrated inland. During the morning some 45 raids were plotted, but after 1300 hours less than 20 raids crossed the Coast. Isolated aircraft penetrated inland as far as London, Hatfield, Aylesbury, Upper Heyford, and in some cases to the South Midlands.
South and South-West
Apart from isolated raids during the morning, the only attack of any strength occurred at 1635 hours when 34 enemy aircraft, identified as Dorniers, flying at 20,000 ft flew to Selsey Bill, where thy split, one formation to the Portsmouth area, and the remainder fanned out over an area about 12 miles inland. By 1645 hours these raids had turned back towards France.
Reconnaissances
At 0645 hours the first reconnaissance flight was plotted in the Straits. Slight activity continued in the Channel, the Straits and the Thames Estuary throughout the day.
Night Operations - 14th / 15th October 1940
Enemy activity was on a reduced scale and was concentrated chiefly on London, but Birmingham and Coventry were also attacked, and a few raids were active over East Anglia. The first raids were plotted leaving the Dutch Islands at 1830 hours, and the Somme at 1850 hours.
1900 Hours to 2100 Hours
About 27 raids from the Dutch Islands entered the Thames Estuary and crossed the Coast between Shoeburyness and Orfordness. The majority flew over London from the north, but a few appeared to be active over East Anglia. About 40 raids from the direction of the Somme and Fecamp Crossed the Coast between Shoreham and Dungeness and flew to the London area. Raids from the Channel Islands crossed the Coast between Poole and Portland and flew to the Birmingham and Coventry areas. Isolated raids were plotted over Liverpool, Blackburn and Preston.
2100 Hours to 2300 Hours
About 6 raids came in from the Dutch Islands, but after 2200 hours no fresh raids originated from this area. About 30 raids from the French Coast between Dieppe and the Somme area crossed between Shoreham and Dungeness. London was still the main target, but raids continued to cross between Portland and Poole and fly to Birmingham and Coventry. Slight activity was noticeable in East Anglia.
2300 Hours to 0100 Hours 15.10.40
Reduced activity from the French Coast continued towards London, and a few raids were still being plotted towards Birmingham. Isolated raids appeared over Peterborough, Wittering and East Anglia.
0100 Hours to 0400 Hours
After 0100 hours incoming raids concentrated on London and the South-East, and from 0230 hours the rest of the Country was clear.
0400 Hours to 0600 Hours
Solitary raids from the French Coast continued to London until 0533 hours, when the Country was clearing of raiders.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 14th October 1940
- Blenheim - 41
- Spitfire - 222
- Hurricane - 391
- Defiant - 19
- Gladiator - 8
- Total – 681
Casualties:
Enemy Losses By Fighters Destroyed Probable Damaged 2 Ju88 1 Do17 Nil Nil 3 - Own:
- Nil.
Patrols:
- Own
- During the night of 13th / 14th October - 19 patrols involving 19 sorties.
- During the day of 14th October - 81 patrols involving 253 sorties.
- Enemy
- It is estimated that about 90 enemy aircraft operated over or near our coasts during the day of 14th October.
Balloons:
- No report.
Serviceability of Aerodromes:
- Leconfield is unserviceable at night.
Organisation:
- 14th October 1940
- No 232 Squadron (B Flight) moved from Castletown to Skitton.
- No 3 Squadron moved from Wick to Castletown.
Home Security Reports
- General Summary
- Date: 14th October 1940
- During the day, small numbers of enemy aircraft operating singly or in small groups, dropped bombs in many scattered regions in Southern England. Apart from an attack on Luton, in which a Hat Factory was damaged, and some damage to residential property at Canterbury and Bournemouth, these raids had little effect, and the enemy did not penetrate to Central London.
- A full scale attack on the capital was launched after dark, and bombs were falling in most districts including the West End until an early hour on October 15th. Fires were caused by Oil Bombs, and the Railway system again suffered track damage by HE bombs; a factory was gutted and another damaged by fire and an electricity supply failure occurred at Ealing. Most of the damage, however, was of a minor character.
- Outside London, the attack was concentrated upon Coventry, where damage was done to utility services, and many fires started; vital industrial plant, however, appears to have escaped serious damage. Elsewhere scattered bombing took place in rural districts in South England, but no important targets were hit.
- Detailed Summary
- RAF Stations - 14th October 1940
- Brize Norton: Was attacked at 1504 hours but damage was confined to out buildings. Seven Service casualties, one serious, were caused.
- Duxford: Three HE bombs were dropped adjacent to the aerodrome, which was not damaged at 1324 hours.
- Hawkinge: The aerodrome is reported to have been bombed at 1530 hours but there are no details of damage.
- St Eval: At 2111 hours, 6 HE bombs and 20 Incendiary bombs were dropped on the Station, but reports of damage are not yet available.
- Weston-Super-Mare: HE and Incendiary bombs were dropped near the Station at 2120 hours without causing damage.
- Factories
- The Gretti and Zambra factory at Barnesbury, N1 was gutted by fire caused by an oil bomb.
- Rollasons Aircraft Instruments Ltd, Mitcham was severely damaged by HE bombs at 2155 hours; the plant and machinery is involved and production will be suspended for some days.
- Radio Transmission Equipment Ltd, Wandsworth was set on fire by bombs and the South Wing was damaged.
- One section of the Siebe Gorman factory, Old Kent Rd, was destroyed by fire, and a fire also occurred at Austins (Metal Refiners) Factory at Hackney.
- Public Utilities
- HE bombs fell at the Croydon Gas works at 2115 hours causing one large and two small fires and demolishing one gas holder. The adjacent electricity works was undamaged.
- The Electricity Distributing Station, Popes Lane, Ealing, was hit by HE bombs at 2100 hours, and part of the switchgear and some transformers were damaged, causing a temporary failure in the electric light supply to the whole of the Ealing area.
- Railways
- A HE bomb fell in Balham High Road at 2115 hours and penetrated to the Tube Station below. There are 12 known fatal casualties.
- At 0139 hours, October 15th, a HE bomb fell at Lismore Circus, St Pancras, through the crown of a tunnel exploding on the LMS line which is blocked.
- Other damage
- A serious fire was started at Houndstone Camp near Yeovil by HE and Incendiary Bombs at 1900 hours. Several huts, a garage and part of the YMCA were destroyed. The ammunition store was fired, but all the ammunition was removed safely and no casualties resulted.
- The attack on Coventry was made by relays of enemy aircraft which dropped HE bombs in the first wave, following up with incendiary and oil bombs. Man fires were started, and direct hits were made on Forde Hospital and a large store with public shelters in the basement. A 24 inch gas main was badly damaged by HE and caught fire; it will be necessary to reduce the pressure considerably which will affect industrial production and civil supplies. Triumph Engineering and Alfred Herbert Factories were amongst those damaged by fire, but the full extent of the damage and the number of casualties is not yet known.
