Date: 27th August 1940
- Weather: Rain in central and eastern England. Some cloud in the Channel and haze over Dover Straits.
- Day: Reconnaissance mainly in the Portsmouth - Southampton area.
- Night: Widespread attacks on industry and airfields from Lincolnshire to Portsmouth.
Enemy action by day
During the day hostile activity was limited to a number of reconnaissance flights chiefly in the Portsmouth - Southampton area.
Three of these reconnaissance aircraft were interrupted and destroyed by our fighters.
North and East
Reconnaissance flights by single aircraft were plotted east of Kinnaird's Head, near a convoy off Harwich and in the North Sea. One of these aircraft was shot down near Chelmsford.
South East
In the morning a small formation crossed North Foreland and turning south, was interrupted near Dover and one Do215 was destroyed.
Later, reconnaissances passed over Dover and Ramsgate.
South and West
During the day, six reconnaissances appeared in the Portland - Portsmouth areas, one of which is suspected to have been on a photographic mission and also two reconnaissances over Plymouth. One enemy aircraft was destroyed near Warmwell.
By night
Enemy activity, although considerable, was not on the extensive scale of the two previous nights. There were scattered raids on the greater part of the country, except in the North where activity was slight.
Raids were reported throughout the Midlands, on East Anglia, Kent and Surrey, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, South Wales, Middlesborough, the Aberdeen district and at Chatham and Portsmouth.
London Central received two read warnings.
AA guns are reported in action at Southampton, Tangmere, Driffield, Tees, Bristol, Falmouth, Cardiff, Derby, Nottingham, Leeds and Manchester.
The only minelaying suspected is between the Wash and the Tees.
Addendum
Six to eight raids were reported in the Thames Estuary between 0400 and 0440 hours, possibly minelaying.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 27th August 1940
- Blenheim - 55
- Spitfire - 228
- Hurricane - 420
- Defiant - 18
- Gladiator - 7
- Total – 728
Casualties:
Enemy Losses By Fighters Destroyed Probable Damaged 2 Do215 1 Me110 1 He111 1 Ju88 3 1 1 By Anti-Aircraft Destroyed Probable Damaged 1 He111 1 Own:
- 1 aircraft. No pilots killed or missing.
Patrols:
- Own
- 134 patrols involving 303 aircraft.
- Enemy
- Estimated during the night of 26th/27th August - 280 aircraft. Estimated during the day of 27th August - 75 aircraft.
Balloons:
- Flying 1538, casualties 25 (18 repairable, 7 by enemy action).
Aerodromes:
- No reports.
Organisation:
- No 603 Squadron moved from Turnhouse to Hornchurch.
- No 65 Squadron moved from Southend to Turnhouse.
- No 32 Squadron moved from Biggin Hill to Acklington.
- No 79 Squadron moved from Acklington to Biggin Hill.
Air Intelligence Reports
- Nil.
Home Security Reports
- Date: 26th/27th August 1940
- General Summary
- Enemy activity was small during the day. Bombs were again dropped in the Scilly Isles and in the Isle of Wight.
- During the evening, London and the South East Coast were attacked and it appeared that these increased later and extended to the Midlands.
- Detailed Summary
- 26th August
- Further to yesterday's report, St Eval Aerodrome was under intermittent bombing attack between 2100 hours 26th August and 0410 hours on the 27th. The only damage reported was a stack of timber ignited.
- North Coates was attacked twice on the night of the 26th. Fires are under control.
- Bagington, Cleave and Somersham, near Wyton were also raided but there is no damage to report.
- Birmingham. Further details show that the city was raided continuously from 2323 hours until 0354 hours of the 27th. Casualties appear to be 10 killed and 51 injured. Surprisingly little damage was done except in the case of BSA (Small Arms), Smallheath which burnt fiercely. The following factories and works were hit: Dunlop Rubber Company, Castle Bromwich Aero Factory, Humber Works, James' Cycle Works, BSA Tools, Nuffield Factory, Daimler Works and Smith's Stamping Works. All fires were reported out at 0655 hours on the 27th, apart from damping down. Later, it was reported that James George Ltd of Lionel street Foundry was hit by IB. the works were entirely gutted and loss of production is 100%.
- Plymouth. Further details show that the city was raided at frequent intervals between 2135 hours of the 26th until 0400 hours of the 27th, and it was estimated that over 50 HE's were dropped on the co-ordinated area. Minor damage to Millbay Dock was reported but the fire soon put out.
- Over 380 IB were dropped in Cornwall during this attack but little damage done.
- 27th August
- RAF Stations
- Bombs were dropped on or near the following, but damage, where known, is slight: Edzell, Montrose, north of Dyce, Gravesend, Cranfield, Biggin Hill, Bentley Priory, Cottesmore, Kirton, Catfoss and Harlaxton which is the relief landing ground of Grantham where three bombs fell, two in the flare path and one on the beacon.
- Elsewhere
- Bombs are also reported to have fallen on Edgeware near Hendon.
- The Scilly Isles were again attacked, but no damage to report.
- Portsmouth was attacked by a single enemy aircraft which machine-gunned the dockyard signal tower - no casualties.
- Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham districts were attacked and dive-bombing resulted in damage to houses. Sixteen fires were started and are reported to be under control. It is learned that this attack was made at 0145 hours on the 28th, Gillingham apparently being the chief objective. Hundreds of IB bombs were dropped, the casualties so far are nine killed together with seven believed killed.
- Casualties on Ground by Enemy Action:
- To RAF Personnel - none.
- To others - 37 killed, 102 injured.