Dark Earth: The Second World War

Dark Earth: The Battle of Britain (v 1.0)

July 1940

July 8th: OKW planning for Operation Sea Lion, an amphibious invasion of Britain, begins. It is thought that the overwhelming strength of the Royal Navy would make such an operation very, very difficult.

July 11th: The Battle of Britain commences with the first Luftwaffe attacks on British convoys in the English Channel. 13 German aircraft (4 He-111, 3 Do-17 and 6 Me-109) are shot down for the loss of 2 Hurricanes and one ship sunk.

July 12th: RAF medium and light bombers and dive bombers attack Luftwaffe airfields in the Netherlands. 27 British aircraft are lost, with 18 German planes being destroyed on the ground.

July 12th: Luftwaffe Stuka dive bombers and fighters are engaged by Hurricanes and Spitfires of 601 and 609 Squadrons off Portland. 6 Stukas, 3 Me-109s, 1 Spitfire and 2 Hurricanes are lost.

July 13th: German air attacks on British ports and shipping in the English Channel continues, with 2 Spitfires, 2 Hurricanes, 3 He-111s, 2 Do-17s, 4 Stukas and 2 Me-110s lost.

July 14th: Sir Winston Churchill, in a worldwide broadcast, proclaims the intention of the British Empire to fight alone against Germany whatever the outcome: "We shall seek no terms. We shall tolerate no parley. We may show mercy. We shall ask none."

July 14th: 10 German bombers (5 Ju-88, 3 Ju-87, 1 Do-17 and 1 He-111) are shot down over the Channel for the loss of 2 Spitfires and 1 Hurricane.

July 15th: 3 He-111s, 2 Do-17s and 3 Me-109s shot down over the Channel for the loss of 2 Hurricanes and 1 Spitfire.

July 16th: Bad weather prevents any major German air raids on Britain. Fire is exchanged by heavy gun batteries at Calais and Dover, with German Army artillery experts increasingly convinced that the British guns must be in region of 30-32” and fire shells of 12000lb out to distances of 49 miles.

July 17th: 6 German bombers (3 Ju-88s, 1 Do-17 and 2 He-111s) are shot down without any loss to the RAF.

July 18th: The Luftwaffe bombs Bristol and Aberdeen, losing 23 bombers (10 He-111s, 9 Do-17s, 4 Ju-88s) and 4 Me-110s for the cost of 4 Hurricanes and 3 Spitfires.

July 19th: Adolf Hitler makes a peace appeal to Britain in an address to the Reichstag. Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax flatly rejects peace terms in a broadcast reply on 22 July.

July 19th: German air raids on the Channel Ports results in a heavy dogfight between Fighter Command Spitfires and Hurricanes and German Me-109s. 8 Hurricanes and 4 Spitfires are lost in exchange of 20 Me-109s and 4 He-111s, 4 Ju-88s and 2 Do-17s.

July 20th: 8 Boulton Paul Defiants and 3 Hurricanes are shot down in a convoy battle off Folkestone for the loss of only 2 Me-109s.

July 21st: The Luftwaffe attacks several Channel convoys, sinking three ships, damaging two destroyers and losing 4 Ju-88s and 3 Me-109s for 4 Hurricanes and 2 Spitfires.

July 22nd: In the latest battles over the Channel, the RAF loses a Hurricane and a Spitfire in the course of shooting down 5 Do-17s and 2 Me-109s.

July 23rd: Intense fighting takes place over the Channel, with 6 RAF fighters (3 Spitfires and 3 Hurricanes) and 4 He-111, 3 Ju-88, 1 Do-17 and 4 Me-109s lost.

July 24th: Rerouting of convoys from the Channel leads to a quiet day with no operational losses for either the Luftwaffe or the RAF.

July 25th: Sir Winston Churchill delivers a speech to Parliament on the end of the Battle of France, featuring the famed rallying cry Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour.

July 25th: The Luftwaffe launches a major raid on the Thames estuary, with 50 Me-109s escorting 36 bombers. Seven RAF fighter squadrons intercept the German aircraft, with 10 Me-109s, 3 Do-17 and 4 He-111 shot down for the loss of 6 Spitfires and anti aircraft guns claiming a further 2 Messerschmitts and 3 He-111.

July 26th: The Luftwaffe carries out large raids on shipping around Dover, Portsmouth and Portland. 18 bombers (8 He-111, 6 Do-17 and 4 Ju-88) and 7 Me-109s are shot down for the loss of 4 Spitfires and 2 Hurricanes.

July 27th: RN destroyer HMS Brazen sunk by Luftwaffe bombers near Dover.

July 27th: Aerial skirmishes over the Channel result in the loss of 3 Me-109s and 1 Hurricane.

July 28th: 27 Stuka dive bombers attack a convoy off East Anglia, sinking one RN destroyer. The German aircraft are then intercepted by two Hurricane squadrons which shoot down 12 Stukas and damage four for the loss of 1 Hurricane. In a separate battle near Dover, 36 Me-109s clash with 25 Spitfires; 12 German fighters are lost in exchange for 5 Spitfires

July 29th: 46 He-111s escorted by 80 Me-109s attempt to cross the Straits of Dover to raid British naval facilities and long range gun emplacements. They are engaged by 62 Hurricanes and 45 Spitfires in the heaviest aerial battle for the month of July. 25 German bombers (8 Do-17, 9 He-111 and 8 Ju-88) and 19 fighters (15 Me-109 and 4 Me-110) are shot down in exchange for 13 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires. Damage to Dover and surrounding facilities is negligible, with Dover still open as an operational destroyer base during daylight hours.

July 30th: OKW’s initial report on the viability of Operation Sea Lion concludes that it would be impossible in light of British and Allied troop strength in the British Isles and the naval dominance of the RN Grand Fleet. The Luftwaffe would need to eliminate the RAF and RN as threats to the German Army prior to any invasion. The report recommends that the threat of invasion be maintained for as long as possible in order to pin down British land, sea and air forces. It further recommends that further mobilization of industrial production take place in order to counter growing British strength.

July 30th: 48 Stukas raid Dover escorted by 54 Me-109s. 32 Spitfires and 40 Hurricanes attack, shooting down 15 Ju-87s and 9 Me-109s for the cost of 4 Spitfires and 6 Hurricanes, with anti aircraft guns shooting down a further 6 Stukas and 2 Messerschmitts.

July 31st: An intense air battle over the Straits of Dover rages for much of the day, with 125 RAF fighters (76 Hurricanes and 49 Spitfires) engaging a strong German raid of 164 bombers and 82 Me-109s. The Germans lose 15 Do-17s, 6 Ju-88s, 8 He-111s and 21 Me-109s, with the RAF losing 12 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires.

Over the course of the Battle of Britain thus far, the Luftwaffe has lost 342 aircraft (58 Do-17s, 63 He-111s, 41 Ju-88s, 46 Ju-87s, 124 Me-109s and 10 Me-110s) with RAF Fighter Command losing 127 (67 Hurricanes, 52 Spitfires and 8 Defiants).

August 1940

August 1st: A strong raid by 42 He-111s and 18 Me-110s on Norwich is intercepted by 29 Spitfires. The Germans lose 7 Me-110s and 14 Heinkels for the loss of 2 Spitfires. Action over Dover sees 156 RAF fighters (84 Hurricanes and 72 Spitfires) engaging 124 bombers and 78 Me-109s, with 5 Hurricanes, 4 Defiants and 9 Spitfires lost in exchange for 20 Me-109s, 12 Ju-88s, 10 Do-17s and 12 He-111s.

August 1st: The Dover Guns conduct an extremely heavy bombardment of the Pas de Calais throughout the night and early morning, with 71 rounds being fired, doing substantial damage to several German supply dumps and airfields.

August 1st: A decision is made by the Air Council to move the Hampden and Blenheim bomber force to the Mediterranean, with the modern Avro Manchester to be fielded by Bomber Command as its main medium bomber. Development of the Armstrong-Whitworth Winchester twin engine medium bomber continues at a rapid pace, with the type scheduled to enter initial production in late 1940. Production of trainers and support aircraft is to be reduced in order to produce more fighters.

August 2nd: German Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers attack shipping in the English Channel, sinking four ships. 9 Stukas are shot down by RAF fighters with no losses. Three major bombing raids are launched on Dover, Portsmouth and Southampton, with a total of 226 bombers and 105 Me-109s taking part, opposed by 136 Hurricanes and 87 Spitfires. 18 Me-109s, 10 Ju-88s, 9 Do-17s and 8 He-111s are shot down by RAF fighters and anti-aircraft guns for the loss of 13 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires.

August 2nd: The first Halifax heavy bomber is produced by the London Aircraft Production Group.

August 4th: Sporadic low altitude raids by small numbers of German bombers results in the loss of 3 Ju-88s and 1 Hurricane.

August 5th: In a quiet day, there is only sporadic aerial skirmishing over the English Channel, with two Do-17s shot down by Hurricanes.

August 6th: A large attack by 280 Stukas escorted by 170 Me-109s on a Channel convoy of 25 ships is met by 180 Hurricanes and 108 Spitfires. 37 Stukas, 29 Me-109s, 19 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires are shot down.

August 8th: The Luftwaffe commences concentrated attacks on radar stations and Fighter Command airfields around the South East of England, with five major raids launched. 31 Me-109s, 24 Do-17s, 16 Stukas, 15 Me-110s, 11 Ju-88s, 9 He-111s are shot down by RAF fighters and anti aircraft guns, with 25 Hurricanes, 18 Defiants and 12 Spitfires lost.

August 9th: The Luftwaffe launches a raid on 84 Do-19 heavy bombers escorted by 76 Me-110s on Birmingham. They are intercepted by 10 squadrons of RAF fighters, with 40 bombers and 21 fighters being shot down for the loss of 16 Hurricanes and 9 Spitfires.

August 10th: The Luftwaffe launches attacks on Dover and Portsmouth by 110 bombers and 100 Me-109s, losing 34 bombers (10 He-111, 8 Ju-88, 7 Ju-87, 7 Do-17) and 17 fighters at a cost of 11 Hurricanes and 7 Spitfires.

August 11th: The Luftwaffe attacks coastal radar stations along the south coast of England, with 26 Stukas, 12 Ju-88s, 9 He-111s and 18 Me-109s shot down for the loss of 12 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires.

August 12th: Large scale air raids on Fighter Command airfields are launched in what is called Adlertag (Eagle Day). However, the aerial offensive is treated roughly with many bomber raids going beyond the range of their fighter support. 20 He-111s, 17 Do-17s, 14 Ju-88s, 9 Me-110s and 18 Me-109s are shot down for the loss of 11 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires.

August 13th: Major raids on RAF airfields occur, with over 500 German aircraft taking part. 12 He-111s, 10 Do-17s, 6 Me-109s and 5 Me-110s are shot down for the loss of 7 Spitfires and 5 Hurricanes.

August 14th: Almost 1200 Luftwaffe aircraft cross the Channel and split up, heading for different airfields around Kent. Heavy damage is done to several airfields and radar stations, but at an appalling cost to the Germans. 52 Me-109s, 29 He-111s, 28 Me-110s, 26 Ju-88s and 13 Do-17s are shot down for the loss of 23 Hurricanes and 12 Spitfires.

August 15th: The Luftwaffe attacks targets around the Thames and Kent, losing 21 Me-109s, 18 Ju-87s, 13 Do-17s, 12 Me-110s and 8 He-111s, with the RAF losing 14 Hurricanes and 10 Spitfires.

August 16th: Only a few light reconnaissance flights occur over England during the day, with two Ju-88s shot down. Night raids occur against the Midlands cities of Coventry, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Chester and Liverpool, with RAF Beaufighter and Defiant night fighters claiming 16 aircraft (7 He-111s and 9 Do-17s) and anti-aircraft guns shooting down a further 13 bombers (4 Ju-88, 5 He-111 and 4 Do-17).

August 17th: The Luftwaffe attacks Kenley and Biggin Hill with strong formations of bombers, but are beaten back by the RAF. 27 Me-109s, 18 Ju-88s, 10 He-111s, 8 Do-17s and 7 Me-110s are shot down for the loss of 21 Hurricanes and 12 Spitfires.

August 18th: The Luftwaffe shifts the Stuka force from regular bombing raids over Britain and dispatches a large number of single bomber raids. 2 Me-109s and 4 Ju-88s are shot down for the loss of 1 Spitfire.

August 19th: 235 Luftwaffe aircraft attack Marston and Biggin Hill, with anti-aircraft guns claiming 6 Ju-88s, 4 Me-109s and 2 Me-110s and the RAF shooting down a further 11 Me-109s, 8 Me-110s and 4 Ju-88s for the loss of 6 Hurricanes and 4 Spitfires.

August 20th: Small scale raids take place over the south of England, with 7 Ju-88s and 5 He-111s lost at a cost of 2 Hurricanes and 1 Spitfire.

August 20th: RAF Beaufighters with airborne interception radar now equip 16 squadrons of Fighter Command, spread across 11 and 12 Groups, with four around London alone. London is also protected by no less than 1248 3.75” and 324 5.25” anti-aircraft guns, with a further 1524 3.75”, 1052 3” and 256 5.25” guns covering other major cities and industrial facilities across the rest of Britain. The Royal Navy operates 432 4.5” guns protecting Portsmouth, Plymouth, Scapa Flow, Rosyth, Chatham and London, with further regiments scheduled for Newcastle, Glasgow, Belfast and London by early 1941.

August 20th: Sir Winston Churchill pays tribute to the fighter pilots of the Royal Air Force in the House of Commons: ‘The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’

August 21st: 60 German bombers attack Dover and are driven off with the loss of 4 Me-109s and 3 Ju-88s at the cost of 2 Spitfires.

August 22nd: German bombers attack Channel convoys and Dover with limited success. 5 He-111s, 4 He-115s and 2 Me-110s are shot down by anti-aircraft guns and the RAF for the loss of 2 Hurricanes.

August 23rd: Heavy raids on RAF airfields by 460 Luftwaffe aircraft. 19 Me-109s, 5 Me-110s, 12 Ju-88s and 5 He-111s shot down at a cost of 10 Hurricanes and 6 Spitfires.

August 24th: Two heavy raids on Fighter Command airfields. German losses are 32 Me-109s, 12 He-111s, 10 Me-110s and 9 Ju-88s bombers shot down plus 6 He-111 and 4 Ju-88s downed by anti-aircraft fire for the loss of 18 Hurricanes and 9 Spitfires.

August 24th: 156 German night bombers attack London, inflicting light damage on parts of North, West and East London and losing 12 He-111 bombers to extremely heavy anti-aircraft fire. RAF Bomber Command is ordered to respond on the following night

August 25th: Three major Luftwaffe raids are launched over the course of the day, with 170 bombers and 80 fighters attacking Biggin Hill and Kenley, 150 bombers and 60 fighters attacking Debden and Manston and 120 bombers and 40 fighters attacking Tangmere. In one of the heaviest days of fighting in August, 36 Me-109s, 15 Ju-88s, 12 He-111s, 12 Do-17s and 12 Me-110s are shot down for the loss of 32 Hurricanes, 14 Spitfires and 5 Defiants.

August 25th: RAF Bomber Command raids Berlin with 754 heavy and medium bombers, inflicting moderate damage on railyards and industrial targets and wrecking Tempelhof Airport. 34 bombers are lost to night-fighters and anti-aircraft guns.

August 25th: The Dover Guns conduct a heavy bombardment of German fortifications and airfields in the Pas de Calais, causing moderate damage.

August 26th: Heavy rain and cloud prevents major Luftwaffe raids. Night attacks on Manchester and Sheffield are largely ineffectual, with 5 Ju-88s being shot down by anti-aircraft fire, whilst raids on Fighter Command airfields suffer significant losses to Beaufighter night fighters and concentrated AA guns, with 6 He-111 and 4 Do-17s lost.

August 27th: Heavy Luftwaffe attacks on Fighter Command airfields results in 25 Me-109s, 11 Me-110, 6 Ju-88, 6 He-111, 3 Do-17 lost for 14 Hurricanes, 9 Defiants and 10 Spitfires. Night raids on the Midlands largely ineffectual, with 12 Ju-88 shot down by night fighters.

August 27th: HMNZS New Zealand is commissioned at Halifax, with her South African and Canadian sister ships to follow by January. She is to work up in the Caribbean and then head for New Zealand and Singapore via the Panama Canal.

August 28th: German attempts at luring the RAF out into an attritional battle in the Channel come to naught, with 10 Me-109s and 2 Me-110s lost in isolated skirmishes for 6 Hurricanes and 4 Spitfires.

August 28th: Heavy German night bombing of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Sheffield by 220 bombers results in light damage, with 16 Ju-88s shot down by RAF night-fighters and anti-aircraft guns.

August 29th: Heavy aerial combat over all airfields in Southern England sees continuous dogfights throughout the day. 20 Hurricanes and 16 Spitfires lost for 27 Me-109s and 12 Me-110s, with 10 He-111s, 9 Ju-88s and 7 Do-17s.

August 30th: The Luftwaffe launches several raids on RAF airfields across the south of England. 24 Hurricanes and 15 Spitfires lost for 39 Me-109s and 13 Me-110s, 14 He-111s, 11 Do-17s and 9 Ju-88s.

August 31st: Heavy Luftwaffe raids occur on RAF airfields. 19 Hurricanes and 11 Spitfires lost for 23 Me-109s, 13 Ju-88s, 11 Me-110s, 8 Do-17s and 4 He-111s.

August 31st: Over the course of August, the RAF has lost 329 Hurricanes, 187 Spitfires and 36 Defiants shot down and a further 102 Hurricanes and 54 Spitfires destroyed on the ground. The Luftwaffe has lost 462 Me-109s, 240 Ju-88s, 239 He-111s, 192 Me-110s, 171 Do-17s, 113 Ju-87s, 40 Do-19s and 4 He-115s. The RAF has managed to shoot down just over 2 German aircraft for every 1 British aircraft lost with a tally of 1461-708. RAF Bomber Command has lost 169 bombers.

The RAF is clearly winning the battle of attrition, but both sides are running low on pilots and aircrew.

September 1940

September 1st: The Luftwaffe raids airfields around the Thames Estuary, with 28 Me-109s, 7 He-111s and 4 Ju-88s shot down for the loss of 11 Spitfires and 7 Hurricanes.

September 2nd: The Luftwaffe attacks North Weald, Hornchurch and Debden with a force of 80 Me-110s, 52 Do-17s and 44 He-111s, escorted by 60 Me-109s. The airfields are badly damaged but still able to function. 24 Me-109s, 12 Me-110s, 5 Do-17s and 4 He-111s are shot down in return for 9 Hurricanes and 7 Spitfires.

September 3rd: The Luftwaffe launches several strong air raids on Brooklands, Eastchurch, Lympne and Rochford, losing 16 Me-110s, 9 Me-109s and 4 He-111s, with the RAF losing 7 Spitfires and 5 Hurricanes.

September 4th: Attempted large Luftwaffe attacks on airfields across Kent are broken up around Dover by 12 RAF fighter squadrons. 21 Me-109s, 10 Me-110s and 7 He-111s are shot down for the loss of only 10 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires.

September 5th: Luftwaffe raids on the Thames Estuary turn into a bloody battle of attrition, with 32 Me-109s, 15 Me-110s and 9 Ju-88s shot down in exchange for 16 Hurricanes and 12 Spitfires.

September 6th: A very large Luftwaffe raid of 350 Heinkel and Dornier bombers, 200 Me-110s carrying bombs and 500 Me-109 fighters attempts to attack London. They are savaged by RAF fighters over the Channel, Dover and Kent and met by an unprecedented anti-aircraft barrage from the defences of London. Few get through to their targets of the Royal Arsenal, Silvertown and the London dockyards, with 40 Me-109s, 32 Me-110s, 20 He-111s and 17 Do-17s being shot down for the loss of 20 Hurricanes and 16 Spitfires.

September 6th: 300 Luftwaffe bombers return at night to raid London and are met with similarly furious opposition from five squadrons of RAF night-fighters and the anti-aircraft defences of the city. 15 Ju-88s, 11 He-111s and 10 Do-17s are shot down for the loss of 6 Beaufighters.

September 7th: 24 Do-17s and 50 Me-109s head towards London, but are turned back by over 100 RAF fighters, with 5 Dorniers and 3 fighters shot down without loss. 263 Luftwaffe bombers attack London at night, with 9 Ju-88s, 4 He-111s and 4 Do-17s shot down by Beaufighters and anti-aircraft guns. Small scale fires spread towards the East End, but are put out by morning.

September 7th: RAF Bomber Command begins large scale daytime attacks on German airfields in Northern France and Belgium with 360 light and medium bombers escorted by 120 Spitfires. 12 Blenheims, 8 Spitfires and 6 Manchesters are lost.

September 8th: Long range British artillery concentrated around Dover unleashes an unprecedented bombardment of German positions around the Pas de Calais.

September 9th: The RAF again intercepts several attempted German raids on London during the day, with 25 Me-109s, 16 Ju-88s and 13 He-111s shot down for the loss of 9 Hurricanes and 6 Spitfires. The East End is again bombed during the night, this time by 218 Luftwaffe bombers, which inflict minor damage and lose 6 He-111s and 6 Do-17s.

September 9th: No.379 Squadron is formed, the first of the Royal Air Force's 'Eagle Squadrons', made up of US citizens. A further five squadrons will be formed by the end of the year.

September 10th: A quiet day in the Battle of Britain, with only four small scale raids turned back by the RAF, with 5 Ju-88s, 3 Me-110s and 2 Me-109s shot down for the loss of 2 Hurricanes.

September 11th: 313 German bombers, escorted by 157 Me-109s and 102 Me-110s, attack London. 19 Me-109s, 12 Me-110s, 8 He-111s and 5 Ju-88s are shot down for the loss of 9 Hurricanes and 8 Spitfires. The London docks are heavily bombed, but fires fail to take hold. Night time raids see 163 German bombers attack the East End of London, with 9 Ju-88s, 5 Do-17s and 4 He-111s shot down by the London anti-aircraft guns and 54 Beaufighters.

September 12th: German air activity over Southern England is limited to reconnaissance flights and 70 bombers attacking London at night, with 9 shot down. German photographic reconnaissance reports that, far from the RAF being on its last legs, hundreds of fighters are in operation over 11 Group’s area alone.

September 13th: Sporadic raids over London by single bombers during the day sees 2 He-111s and 1 Me-110 shot down. The courtyard of Buckingham Palace is slightly damaged. Night raids by 175 German bombers on London are widespread, with 7 Ju-88s, 5 Do-17s and 4 He-111s shot down by anti-aircraft guns and Beaufighters.

September 13th: An Anglo-French naval squadron consisting of 5 battleships, 7 cruisers and 20 destroyers arrives at Dakar and, after brief negotiations with the governor, the city is peacefully occupied by 10,000 Free French troops. The occupation of the rest of French West Africa will last until November 4th, with over 45,000 Free French troops moving in from Algeria and Morocco.

September 14th: Cloudy conditions across Britain result in little bombing during the day, with two raids totaling 250 aircraft coming in the late afternoon and early evening. They fail to reach London, being turned back by over 360 RAF fighters. 3 Ju-88s, 3 He-111s and 18 Me-109s are shot down for the loss of 6 Hurricanes and 4 Spitfires. Leicester is bombed overnight by 110 bombers, with minor damage inflicted and 3 Ju-88s lost.

September 15th: The Luftwaffe launches a final all-out effort to break the RAF in daylight, with two major raids by 341 fighters and 267 bombers and 308 and 234 bombers being launched over the course of the afternoon. Over 750 RAF fighters from 11 and 12 Group engage the German aircraft and inflict terrific losses. By sunset, 67 Me-109s, 36 He-111s, 32 Ju-88s, 27 Do-17s and 25 Me-110s have been shot down for the loss of 29 Hurricanes and 17 Spitfires. This will prove to be the last major daylight raid on London.

September 15th: There are small scale night raids by the Luftwaffe on several British cities, with 3 Do-17s shot down by Beaufighters over London. RAF Bomber Command attacks the Channel Ports with over 600 heavy and medium bombers, destroying dozens of invasion barges.

September 16th: 229 Luftwaffe bombers attack London, with 14 Ju-88s shot down by Beaufighters and anti-aircraft fire. Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Coventry, Birmingham and Bristol are attacked by small groups of bombers, causing minor damage for no losses.

September 16th: Operation Lucid: In the final major attack across Europe for the night, five converted oil tankers are sent into Boulogne harbour in the first fireship attack conducted by the Royal Navy since the Crimean War. Over 200 invasion barges are destroyed in the resultant conflagration, along with three torpedo boats and fourteen E-Boats.

The effect on British public opinion and morale is electric, with Admiral Cunningham of the Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral Fraser of the Grand Fleet, Admiral Ramsay of the Channel Fleet and Commodore Augustus Agar being hailed as heroes of the Empire. Newsreel footage of the attacks is rushed by flying boat to the United States, where the New York Times runs several excited stories calling for a military alliance with the British Empire.

September 18th: London is raided at night by 178 German bombers, with 12 He-111s being shot down. Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol are also attacked.

September 19th: Cloudy weather restricts Luftwaffe flights over Britain to single plane reconnaissance missions. 4 Ju-88s are shot down. A large German raid on London by 147 bombers is broken up by repeated night-fighter attacks and extremely heavy gunfire from the anti-aircraft defences of the capital, with 10 He-111s and 6 Do-17s being shot down.

September 20th: Dogfights between Luftwaffe and RAF fighters over the Channel result in 15 Me-109s being shot down in exchange for 4 Spitfires and 2 Hurricanes.

September 21st: No Luftwaffe bombing raids or fighter penetrations occur during daytime, with 132 bombers attacking London at night, with 5 Ju-88s, 4 He-111s and 2 Do-19s being shot down by anti-aircraft fire and 2 additional Heinkels being lost to Beaufighters.

September 22nd: The Luftwaffe once again does not attack any major targets in Britain during the hours of daylight. 215 Luftwaffe bombers attempt to attack London at night but many are decoyed by new electronic countermeasures as part of what will later be known as the Battle of the Beams. 23 German bombers are shot down, a rate viewed by the Luftwaffe High Command as unsustainable over the long term. A decision is reached to speed up the replacement of twin engine medium day bombers with four engine heavy night bombers for the strategic bombing campaign over Britain; this would have the negative side effect of reducing the extent of German bombing, given the current operational total of 189 heavy bombers

September 23rd: For the third day in a row, the Luftwaffe does not attempt daytime attacks on Britain despite clear conditions. London is bombed by 198 aircraft, with 14 shot down.

September 24th: Liverpool and London bombed at night by 88 and 174 aircraft respectively, with night-fighters and AA fire successfully breaking up both raids. 18 aircraft are shot down.

September 25th: London and Plymouth are bombed overnight by 226 and 94 aircraft, with 21 aircraft shot down for the loss of 2 Beaufighters.

September 25th: A request by General von Falkenhorst, commander of German forces in Norway, for permission to use poison gas to break British positions in Central Norway is refused.

September 26th: Sporadic bombing of London occurs overnight.

September 27th: Heavy bombing of London by 321 German bombers, with 25 aircraft shot down.

September 29th: The Royal Canadian Air Force establishes No.15 Group RCAF to control and coordinate its 15 fighter squadrons in Britain, consisting of 5 Hurricane and 10 Spitfire squadrons and No.16 Group RCAF to control its 10 bomber squadrons, consisting of 3 Wellington, 3 Manchester, 2 Hampden and 2 Blenheim squadrons. The RCAF operates ten squadrons of older fighters for home defence.
RAF Bomber Command currently has a total of 8 operational groups, with Fighter Command consisting of No.9 Group in Ireland, No.10 Group in South West England and Lyonesse, No.11 Group in South East England, No.12 Group in Wales and the Midlands, No.13 Group in Northern England and No.14 Group in Scotland.


- A few elements and events have been left out
- The general bones are in place: The early July Kanalkampf, followed by escalation over Hellfire Corner, then the Adlerangriff and finally the shift to night ops
- In the next revision, I want to increase the drama in September a bit more, particularly through the means of amplifying German success
- RNAS elements need to be included