Plus a special guest map from Michael Kordas, With Wings Like Eagles, showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.
Date: 20th August 1940
Enemy action by day
Enemy action was again on a reduced scale, consisting mostly of reconnaissances and a number of raids by single aircraft which attacked targets in East Anglia.
One raid of 190 aircraft penetrated to the Thames Estuary where it was successfully driven off.
Manston was attacked without success by twelve enemy fighters at 1455 hours.
North and East Coasts
In the morning, one raid of 3+ flew to Orfordness and attacked objectives near Chelmsford and Lowestoft. This raid was intercepted and one Me110 destroyed.
In the afternoon, four small raids approached East Anglia some of which penetrated inland. Interceptions were not favoured by weather conditions. Later, a convoy East of Dunwich was attacked and also objectives at Great Yarmouth, Southwold and Wattisham. Two raids were intercepted and one Ju88 destroyed.
South East Coast
During the morning a number of small raids, mostly reconnaissances, were plotted in the Straits of Dover and the Thames Estuary.
At about 1445 hours, 80+ aircraft were concentrated behind Calais and this was plotted as 190 aircraft when it crossed the coast between Dover and Manston and flew to the Estuary and Canterbury areas. It was intercepted and five aircraft were destroyed. It has not been reported that this raid dropped any bombs.
At 1550 hours, 12 Me109s attempted to make a dive machine-gunning attack on Manston. They were successfully driven off by ground defences and three Blenheims.
South and West Coasts
A number of reconnaissances were plotted during the day in the Channel off the South and West Coasts and in the Bristol Channel, and a single aircraft attacked targets in Llanreath (Pembroke), Neath and Port Talbot.
An enemy aircraft attacked a ship off Anglesey with two aerial torpedoes at 1840 hours.
By night
Weather was cloudy with poor visibility round most of the coast. Enemy activity was negligible. A few raids were plotted off the South West Coast and one of these penetrated several miles inland north of Portland.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 20th August 1940
Casualties:
Enemy Losses | ||
---|---|---|
By Fighters | ||
Destroyed | Probable | Damaged |
2 Me109 | 1 Me109 | 1 Me109 |
1 Me110 | 2 Ju88 | 1 Do17 |
3 Do215 | 1 unknown | 2 Do215 |
1 Ju88 | 1 Ju88 | |
7 | 4 | 5 |
Patrols:
Balloons:
Aerodromes:
Organisation:
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