The Battle of Britain
July to October 1940

A Chronology

Explanatory Notes:

The following is a synopsis of the battle and not a complete account.

1. Airfields attacked are indicated in Deep Red.

2. Two German words, "Freijagd" and "Jabo" are used as they provide better descriptions than their English counterparts. Freijagd was the highly successful use of Bf109s in free-ranging fighter sweeps across southern Britain. Their purpose was to draw RAF fighters into combat away from the bomber streams. Jabo raids were composed of Bf109s fitted with shackles to carry a 250Kg bomb. Deployed in conjunction with Freijagd tactics these caused enormous damage in fast, fleeting attacks which resulted in Fighter Command having to revise its counter measures.

3. Losses recorded are in two forms. Total losses of operational aircraft are shown in the left hand columns for each air force and include losses due to non-operational causes such as training accidents, poor weather conditions and engine failure. The right hand column, with figures given in bold type, indicates losses incurred while the aircraft was in some way involved in combat. This includes anti-aircraft fire but in neither case the destruction of aircraft on the ground as a result of enemy action.

4. Losses are hard to define. The term in this case means that the aircraft was destroyed or damaged on that day. Whether or not that same aircraft was later repaired and returned to operational use is almost impossible to say.

5. RAF losses given are only for those of Fighter Command, the defending force, whereas those for the Luftwaffe include Kampf, Zerstörer and Jagd geschwader as well as Aufklärungs Groups, these together comprising the attacking force. Were one to include Coastal, Bomber, Training and Reserve Command losses resulting from Luftwaffe attacks, it would only serve to confuse an already disordered situation.

6. Comments on the weather are those for Britain and not for Occupied France, Belgium, Holland or Norway.

7. All Royal Naval vessels included were presumed lost, whether by mines or bombs, as a result of Luftwaffe, rather than Kriegsmarine, activity.

July 1940

Date

Action

Weather

RAF
Losses

Luftwaffe
Losses

1 July

Luftwaffe reconnaissance sorties over southern Britain.
Convoy JUMBO attacked. Wick and Hull bombed.

2

1

12

11

2 July

Luftwaffe reconnaissance sorties over Britain. 238 Sqn operational.

Poor weather

0

0

8

5

3 July

249 Sqn operational.501 Sqn (night-fighters) operational.
Guildford bombed. Airfields at Manston, Kenley and Lympne attacked

3

2

10

6

4 July

Merchant tanker at Weymouth sunk. AA Ship HMS Foyle Bank sunk
Dover straits convoy attacked.
RAF Hampdens attack naval installations at Kiel, Emden, Hamburg, Bremen and Willhelmshaven.

Poor weather

7

5

9

6

5 July

Luftwaffe and RAF reconnaissance

Poor weather

5

2

12

3

6 July

609, 87 and 236 squadrons become operational.
Minor redeployment of fighter squadrons to 10Gp.
Goldaming, Aldershot, Farnborough and Hazlemere bombed at night.

Poor weather in South

2

0

6

3

7 July

Luftwaffe increases frequency of raids and reconnaissance
Freijagd along south coast to draw fighters.
Convoy attacked in Dover straits.

Poor weather

10

7

14

7

8 July

Convoy attacked in Bristol Channel.
Convoy attacked in Dover straits
Rochford airfield attacked at night
Battle bombed

Improved weather

8

5

13

9

9 July

Portland Naval Base bombed
Bomber Command attacks Luftwaffe bases in Norway

10

7

17

13

10 July

Convoy BREAD attacked
Raids on Falmouth and Swansea
Pembrey airfield and surrounding area attacked
Scattered bombing over UK.

7

5

19

16

11 July

Luftwaffe reconnaissance continues
Portland Naval Base bombed #2
Portsmouth bombed
Other scattered bombing
Convoy attacked HMS Warrior II sunk

8

7

25

20

12 July

Rochester and Chatham raided at night
Convoys BOOT and AGENT attacked
Night raids increase
Bristol and Cardiff bombed as well as towns in Northumberland and Yorkshire

11

5

11

10

13 July

Convoy attacked off Portland

Poor weather

8

1

20

18

14 July

Luftwaffe rescue and ambulance aircraft declared valid targets
Convoy attacked off Eastbourne

Poor weather

2

1

5

4

15 July

Convoy in Thames Estuary attacked
Bomber Command mounts attacks on barges and communications through to October

Poor weather

5

0

8

5

16 July

Fuhrer Directive 16 announced for invasion of Britain.
Indications that Bf110 is too vulnerable

Poor weather. Fog

0

2

6

3

17 July

ICI factory at Ardeer attacked.
Very little activity

Poor weather.

2

2

6

18 July

Convoys attacked in south west and off Aberdeen
Bomber Command Blenheims help with convoy protection
East Goodwin lightship sunk

12

9

9

7

19 July

Glasgow raided.
7 out of 9 Defiants of 141 Sqn shot down
Dover and Portland attacked
HM Trawler Crestflower foundered
HM Tanker War Sepoy salvaged

Weather.improving

13

13

6

4

20 July

Luftwaffe minelaying increased.
Convoy BOSOM attacked
Bridlington attacked
Destroyer HMS Brazen sunk

8

6

22

19

21 July

West bound convoy attacked

4

3

14

8

22 July

Leith and Firth of Forth raided at night
Luftwaffe minelaying

6

0

5

3

23 July

Convoy PILOT attacked

4

0

7

3

24 July

Convoys off Dover and in the Medway attacked.
Weybridge raided
HM Trawlers Fleming, Kingston Galena and Rodino sunk

5

3

14

10

25 July

Convoy repeatedly attacked in Dover straits
HMS Destroyers Boreas and Brilliant damaged
Strong fighter sweeps along south coast

11

8

21

21

26 July

Attacks on small convoys

Very Poor weather.

7

2

8

4

27 July

Convoy BACON attacked
East coast convoys attacked
Destroyers HMS Wren and HMS Coddington sunk

Stormy

6

1

7

4

28 July

Dover raid aborted
HM Trawler Staunton mined

Weather clear

6

4

16

15

29 July

Dover bombed
2 convoys attacked
Shipping off Portland attacked
Destroyer HMS Delight and HM Yacht Gulzar sunk

11

10

17

15

30 July

Convoy attacked off Aberdeen
Scattered raids in Suffolk

1

0

11

6

31 July

Dover bombed
40,000 tons of shipping lost in July

6

3

7

3

On to August

Date	Action	Weather	RAF Losses			Luftwaffe Losses
1 July	Luftwaffe reconnaissance sorties over southern Britain. Convoy JUMBO attacked. Wick and Hull bombed.		2	1	12	11
2 July	Luftwaffe reconnaissance sorties over Britain. 238 Sqn operational.	Poor weather	0	0	8	5
3 July	249 Sqn operational.501 Sqn (night-fighters) operational. Guildford bombed. Airfields at Manston, Kenley and Lympne attacked		3	2	10	6
4 July	Merchant tanker at Weymouth sunk. AA Ship HMS Foyle Bank sunk Dover straits convoy attacked. RAF Hampdens attack naval installations at Kiel, Emden, Hamburg, Bremen and Willhelmshaven.	Poor weather	7	5	9	6
5 July	Luftwaffe and RAF reconnaissance	Poor weather	5	2	12	3
6 July	609, 87 and 236 squadrons become operational. Minor redeployment of fighter squadrons to 10Gp. Goldaming, Aldershot, Farnborough and Hazlemere bombed at night.	Poor weather in South	2	0	6	3
7 July	Luftwaffe increases frequency of raids and reconnaissance Freijagd along south coast to draw fighters. Convoy attacked in Dover straits.	Poor weather	10	7	14	7
8 July	Convoy attacked in Bristol Channel. Convoy attacked in Dover straits Rochford airfield attacked at night Battle bombed	Improved weather	8	5	13	9
9 July	Portland Naval Base bombed Bomber Command attacks Luftwaffe bases in Norway		10	7	17	13
10 July	Convoy BREAD attacked Raids on Falmouth and Swansea Pembrey airfield and surrounding area attacked Scattered bombing over UK.		7	5	19	16
11 July	Luftwaffe reconnaissance continues Portland Naval Base bombed #2 Portsmouth bombed Other scattered bombing Convoy attacked HMS Warrior II sunk		8	7	25	20
12 July	Rochester and Chatham raided at night Convoys BOOT and AGENT attacked Night raids increase Bristol and Cardiff bombed as well as towns in Northumberland and Yorkshire		11	5	11	10
13 July	Convoy attacked off Portland	Poor weather	8	1	20	18
14 July	Luftwaffe rescue and ambulance aircraft declared valid targets Convoy attacked off Eastbourne	Poor weather	2	1	5	4
15 July	Convoy in Thames Estuary attacked Bomber Command mounts attacks on barges and communications through to October	Poor weather	5	0	8	5
16 July	Fuhrer Directive 16 announced for invasion of Britain. Indications that Bf110 is too vulnerable	Poor weather. Fog	0	2	6	3
17 July	ICI factory at Ardeer attacked. Very little activity	Poor weather.	2	2	6
18 July	Convoys attacked in south west and off Aberdeen Bomber Command Blenheims help with convoy protection East Goodwin lightship sunk		12	9	9	7
19 July	Glasgow raided. 7 out of 9 Defiants of 141 Sqn shot down Dover and Portland attacked HM Trawler Crestflower foundered HM Tanker War Sepoy salvaged	Weather.improving	13	13	6	4
20 July	Luftwaffe minelaying increased. Convoy BOSOM attacked Bridlington attacked Destroyer HMS Brazen sunk		8	6	22	19
21 July	West bound convoy attacked		4	3	14	8
22 July	Leith and Firth of Forth raided at night Luftwaffe minelaying		6	0	5	3
23 July	Convoy PILOT attacked		4	0	7	3
24 July	Convoys off Dover and in the Medway attacked. Weybridge raided HM Trawlers Fleming, Kingston Galena and Rodino sunk		5	3	14	10
25 July	Convoy repeatedly attacked in Dover straits HMS Destroyers Boreas and Brilliant damaged Strong fighter sweeps along south coast		11	8	21	21
26 July	Attacks on small convoys	Very Poor weather.	7	2	8	4
27 July	Convoy BACON attacked East coast convoys attacked Destroyers HMS Wren and HMS Coddington sunk	Stormy	6	1	7	4
28 July	Dover raid aborted HM Trawler Staunton mined	Weather clear	6	4	16	15
29 July	Dover bombed 2 convoys attacked Shipping off Portland attacked Destroyer HMS Delight and HM Yacht Gulzar sunk		11	10	17	15
30 July	Convoy attacked off Aberdeen Scattered raids in Suffolk		1	0	11	6
31 July	Dover bombed 40,000 tons of shipping lost in July		6	3	7	3
	On to August