Posted on 10/02/2010 5:41:44 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Plus a special guest map from Michael Korda’s, “With Wings Like Eagles,” showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.
Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/oct40/f02oct40.htm
RAF disrupts Luftwaffe raids
Wednesday, October 2, 1940 www.onwar.com
Over Britain... There are numerous raids over southeast England by high-flying German Me109 fighter-bombers. British Spitfire fighters disrupt most of the attacks. A few bombs are dropped over southeastern London. Many retiring German planes jettison their payload over Kent and Sussex.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/02.htm
October 2nd, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain:
Bf109s operating at altitude over south-east England. Mixture of fighter and fighter-bomber variants to bomb London before RAF can react.
50 daylight raiders also relied upon cloud and rain cover to mask their approach to London. One Do17 was shot down by the Hurricanes of 17 Squadron near RAF Pulham.
Losses: Luftwaffe, 10; RAF, 1.
Destroyer HMS Zetland laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
USS Mason (DD-191), commissioned as HMS Broadwater (H-81), part of the destroyers-for-bases deal. (Ron Babuka)
GERMANY: U-136 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The Royal Navy completes a sweep of the eastern Mediterranean, during which additional forces are landed on Malta. Today, destroyers HMS Havock and HMS Hasty sink submarine ‘Berillo’ off Sollum.
CANADA: Armed yacht HMCS Wolf commissioned.
Armed yacht HMCS Vison arrived Halifax from conversion and arming at Pictou, Nova Scotia. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: Baseball.
Submarine USS Tuna launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-32 sank SS Kayeson. After attacking Kayeson, the submerged U-32 collided with the ship and sustained damage to her bow. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 398 October 2, 1940
Battle of Britain Day 85. A Ju88 leaves Amsterdam at 3 AM on a reconnaissance flight but gets lost and lands at 6.30 AM at Brightlingsea, Essex, Southeast England. From 9 AM to 4.30 PM, Luftwaffe sends 6 raids of Messerschmitt Bf109 and Bf110 fighters (some carrying bomb loads) to harass Kent and London but bombers are only present in 1 attack. A few bombs fall on Kent and London. RAF shoots down 5 bombers and 5 Bf109 fighters. RAF loses only 1 fighter (pilot safe). Overnight, London is bombed again as well as Manchester and Newcastle.
British destroyers HMS Havock and Hasty sink Italian submarine Berillo 50 miles south of Crete (all 45 crew rescued). Cruisers HMS Orion and Sydney bombard the port of Maltezana on the Italian-held Greek island of Stampalia (now Astypalaia).
At 6.25 PM, 400 miles West of Ireland, U-32 sinks British steamer Kayeson (carrying 2800 tons of general cargo and 3900 tons of coal from Liverpool) with the last torpedo. All 38 crew abandon ship in the lifeboats, but are never found.
Looks like Roosevelt is starting to turn his stormtroopers loose.Things probably would have gotten really nasty if the election had been close.
I didn't notice that story. Wish I'd gotten the rest of it.
[President Roosevelt, at his press conference yesterday, denounced as reprehensible the hurtling of missiles at the Willkie party. He said the criminal laws of the States shold be used and declared that the woman who threw furniture from a hotel window at Detroit, injuring a spectator, should lose her federal job. . . .]
Date: 2nd October 1940
Enemy action by day
Six sweeps by enemy fighters (Me109 and Me110) were made through Kent towards London, and during these operations, although bombing is reported to have taken place during some of these raids, in only one were bombers (6) identified as taking part.
Very considerable reconnaissance activity continued throughout the day in the Channel.
Our fighters destroyed 10 enemy aircraft (plus 1 probable and 2 damaged).
We lost one aircraft, pilot safe.
First Attack
At 0900 hours, 30 aircraft crossed the coast at Dungeness and flew towards Central London, twelve of them penetrating to the Inner Artillery Zone but all quickly made for home. During the raid thirty aircraft were patrolling round Dover and joined up with the inland formation when they recrossed the Coast at 0920 hours.
Eight fighter squadrons were sent up to intercept.
Second Attack
At 0955 hours about 50 enemy aircraft crossed the Coast at Dungeness, the leading formation of twenty aircraft coming into the Inner Artillery Zone. The remainder approached no further than Kenley. Meanwhile ten enemy aircraft flew inland at Brighton northwards to Biggin Hill, joining the other formations flying South at 1015 hours.
During the raid strong patrols were maintained in the Straits. Bombs were dropped at Woolwich and Hastings.
Third Attack
At about 1130 hours 12+ enemy aircraft approached Maidstone. These were followed by fifty aircraft flying towards Biggin Hill. Some of the latter approached the Inner Artillery Zone in the Crystal Palace area.
By 1220 all the aircraft were flying South of Maidstone returning to France.
Eight Fighter Squadrons were detailed to this attack.
Margate and Lympne were reported to have been bombed.
Fourth Attack
At 1320, two raids totalling thirty enemy aircraft flew towards Kenley - Biggin Hill from Dover and Dungeness, while a further fifteen aircraft approached Sheppey. Twenty aircraft reached the East of London.
By 1335 all the enemy aircraft were returning to France, although until 1400 hours considerable activity continued in the Straits with small raids penetrating into East Kent.
Bombs were dropped at various suburban places including Camberwell, and at Rochester.
Fifth Attack
At 1455 thirty enemy aircraft flew inland from Dungeness to Biggin Hill - Kenley but only one aircraft penetrated further towards Central London.
By 1518 the aircraft had turned away.
During the attack five enemy aircraft flew round North Foreland to Sheppey returning by the same route at 1520.
Camberwell was reported to have been bombed again.
Sixth Attack
At 1630 hours about seventy-five enemy aircraft following the same route as previous raids flew to Biggin Hill where they split, one formation of eight aircraft flying over South East London. The bulk remained in the Biggin Hill area but by 1650 hours had turned South.
Other Activity
Reconnaissances were made off Aberdeenshire, the East, South East and South Coasts, with very considerable activity throughout the day in the South East. In two instances convoys were approached. Inland flights were made over Somerset and South Wales, and in the late evening to Nottingham and Derby from the East.
During the course of these a Do17 was shot down near Dunwich at 0840 hours and at 1830 hours an He111, which had circled Digby was shot down near Skegness.
A Ju88 landed intact at 0630 hours at Brightlingsea (Essex Coast). It had left Amsterdam at 0300 hours on a Meteorological and reconnaissance flight and got lost.
At 2015 hours a convoy off Peterhead was attacked and interception was effected with the result that one He115 was destroyed and a further one badly damaged.
Night Operations -2nd/3rd October 1940
Enemy activity was again on a reduced scale. At about 1915 hours the first night raids left bases between Cherbourg and Dieppe to cross the coast between Selsey Bill and Dungeness to approach the London area. Between 2100 and 2200 hours London and the South East counties were clear of raids, but a steady stream originating from Cherbourg crossed the coast between the Isle of Wight and Bournemouth flying North to the Midlands and up to the Manchester area and in one case as far North as Newcastle. These raids continued until about 0100 hours and returned in most cases over Wales and the Bristol Channel.
Between 2200 and 2300 hours a fresh wave of raids approached London after crossing the coast between Selsey Bill and Shoreham.
At 0015 hours raids originating from the Dutch Islands approached the London area, some entering the Estuary and a few by way of the Norfolk Coast, but all these raids had withdrawn by 0230 hours and for a time the whole country was clear.
At 0300 hours fresh raids approached London from the Dutch Islands and a few from the Dieppe area.
A few early raids were plotted in the Aberdeen area and one raid was inland between Middlesborough and Newcastle. Minelaying was suspected at various points off the North East Coast between the Firth of Forth and the Humber.
Activity continued until 0600 hours when the last raids were leaving the country.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 2nd October 1940
Casualties:
| Enemy Losses | ||
| By Fighters | ||
| Destroyed | Probable | Damaged |
| 5 Me109 | 1 Me109 | 1 Me109 |
| 2 Ju88 | ||
| 1 Do17 | ||
| 1 He111 | ||
| 1 He115 | ||
| 10 | 1 | 2 |
Patrols:
Balloons:
Aerodromes:
Organisation:
Home Security Reports
Just thinking — Thanks to Franklin, today that woman would have the SEIU to protect here - from employers like him.
How things have changed.
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