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COMBAT REPORT

Name:
Date:
Flight, squadron:
Number of enemy aircraft:
Type of enemy aircraft:
Time attack was delivered:
Place attack was delivered:
Height of enemy:
Enemy casualties:
Our casualties:
General report:
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COMBAT REPORT

Name: Sqn. Ldr. Yan Vaillancourt
Date: 7 Septembre, 1940
Flight, squadron: A Flight, 610 Squadron
Number of enemy aircraft: 400+
Type of enemy aircraft: Ju88, Me110
Time attack was delivered: 17:00
Place attack was delivered: Crawley
Height of enemy: 12 000"
Enemy casualties: 6 Me110 destroyed; 2 Ju88 destroyed, 1+ damaged (by 610 Squadron)
Our casualties: 1 Spitfire lost, 6 damaged.
General report:

Scrambled to intercept raid on London. Could not reach target before it had turned back to France, but intercepted raid near Crawley.

Enemy raid was largest raid ever seen. At least 400 aeroplanes in an elongated formation. 200+ Me110 were providing escort for 100+ Ju88. Me109s were reportedly present, but did not see them. At least 10 RAF squadrons intercepted alongside 610 Squadron.

As we made contact, could see 3-4 squadrons of Me110 engaging similar number of RAF squadrons, leaving rear of enemy formation mostly uncovered. Decided to engage the Ju88s as no other was attacking the bombers (this was rectified soon as more RAF squadrons attacked).

Made several extremely high speed passes through the formation, in order to minimize exposure to gunners. Took some damage to my right wing but with full left rudder trim was able to continue attack. Expended my ammunition in a last pass, causing its left wing to explode and shear off.

As our petrol was getting low, I ordered the RTB. Enemy raid had reached the coast by then.

Returned to Coltishall without incident. Green 3 did not return, having been killed by an Me110.

Final Tally:

- 6 Me110 destroyed; 2 Ju88 destroyed, 1+ damaged (by 610 Squadron)
- 1 Spitfire lost, 6 damaged.

Notes:

Those bastards have done it, they bombed London today in 2 massive late afternoon raids. I have never seen so many aeroplanes in the sky at once. At least 400 Messerschmitts and bombers, and at least 10 RAF squadrons. It was both breathtaking and terrifying.

London is still burning as I write this, and the death toll is still mounting. The war has definitely reached a new level. To think I was in the city only this morning, and now half of it is in flames. It is monstruous.

At least we made them pay for it. We shot down 8 aeroplanes, and at least 40 more were destroyed by other squadrons, for minimal losses in the air. Nobody is celebrating, however.

Still, Hitler is wrong if he believes this will break our spirit; my boys are now more ready than ever to stop the Luftwaffe. No doubt it is the same throughout Great Britain.

But I must go. I've been summoned to Group HQ. No doubts plans are already in place to counter this new offensive.

We take off at 1730pm and head south. Immediately though we see at least half a dozen formations above. But much lower there is fighting too,

We are immediately mixing with 110s all over the shop. I do hit one hard and see him dive vertically with one engine smoking. I see an explosion, but it's impossible to know whether it's mine or not.

The squadron are delighted. 10 shot down for no casualties at all! We are in top spirits. But we are also concerned about Jerry's tactics.

This was a truly enormous raid. They appear to have attacked London itself for the first time.

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COMBAT REPORT

Name: P/O Cyril Walter
Date: 7th September 1940
Flight, squadron: B Flight, Number 32, from Hornchurch.
Number of enemy aircraft: 500+
Type of enemy aircraft: Me109, Me110, Do17, He111
Time attack was delivered: 1740pm
Place attack was delivered: NE London
Height of enemy: 13000 feet
Enemy casualties: 32 Squadron only: 10. 4xMe110, 6xMe109
Our casualties: nil

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Struggling for height. Watching my back along the way.


Blimey, will never catch them. 100+


Someone's in contact, all right.


Another Jerry down.



This is a bad turn. Jerry has done it now!

‘Whenever the weather is favourable waves of German bombers, protected by fighters, often three or four hundred at a time, surge over this Island, especially the promontory of Kent, in the hope of attacking military and other objectives by daylight. However, they are met by our fighter squadrons and nearly always broken up, and their losses average three to one in machines and six to one in pilots.
This effort of the Germans to secure daylight mastery of the air over England is of course the crux of the whole war. So far it has failed conspicuously. It has cost them very dear, and we have felt stronger, and actually are relatively a good deal stronger, than when the hard fighting began in July. There is no doubt that Herr Hitler is using up his fighter force at a very high rate, and that if he goes on for many more weeks he will wear down and ruin this vital part of his Air Force. That will give us a great advantage.

On the other hand, for him to try to invade this country without having secured mastery in the air would be a very hazardous undertaking. Nevertheless, all his preparations for invasion on a great scale are steadily going forward. Several hundreds of self-propelled barges are moving down the coasts of Europe, from the German and Dutch harbours to the ports of Northern France, from Dunkirk to Brest, and beyond Brest to the French harbours in the Bay of Biscay.

Besides this, convoys of merchant ships in tens and dozens are being moved through the Straits of Dover into the Channel, dodging along from port to port under the protection of the new batteries which the Germans have built on the French shore. There are now considerable gatherings of shipping in the German, Dutch, Belgian and French harbours, all the way from Hamburg to Brest. Finally, there are some preparations made of ships to carry an invading force from Norwegian waters.

Behind these clusters of ships or barges there stand large numbers of German troops, awaiting the order to go on board and set out on their very dangerous and uncertain voyage across the seas. We cannot tell when they will try to come; we cannot be sure that in fact they will try at all; but no-one should blind himself to the fact that a heavy full-scale invasion of this Island is being prepared with all the usual German thoroughness and method, and that it may be launched now — upon England, upon Scotland, or upon Ireland, or upon all three.

If this invasion to going to be tried at all, it does not seem that it can be long delayed. The weather may break at any time. Besides this, it is difficult for the enemy to keep these gatherings of ships waiting about indefinitely while they are bombed every night by our bombers, and very often shelled by our warships which are waiting for them outside.

Therefore we must regard the next week or so as a very important period in our history. It ranks with the days when the Spanish Armada was approaching the Channel, and Drake was finishing his game of bowls; or when Nelson stood between us and Napoleon’s Grand Army at Boulogne. We have read all about this in the history books; but what is happening now is on a far greater scale and of far more consequence to the life and future of the world and its civilisation than those brave old days.’

WS Churchill, Sept 1940

Pilots Log
P/O Axle Grease
74 Squadron
10 Group
Middle Wallop
7 Sep 1940



The Jerry s are hitting London again. I had the duty so made both patrols as Yellow 3. Bangor Regis at 0920 hrs and
Ventor at 1514 hrs. No Joy. The Squadron has 19 Pilots and 9 Serviceable Spitfires. The Flight and the
Errks and replacing aircraft parts and getting everything ship shape for the next fight. My Total Flight Time on
Spits is 12 1/2 hrs. HQ 10 Group notified the C.O. of my confirm He 111 Kill.

Combat Report pending
504 Sqn attack large raid on London

combat report pending

603 scrambled to defend agaist huge raid on London

September 7th 1940

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Today’s duty:

Red Section: Sqn Ldr SH, Sgt JL, P/O LC
Blue Section: F/O JH, Sgt HA, F/O PC
Yellow Section: F/O RNH (self), Flt Sgt HS, P/O DS
Green Section: F/O AE, Sgt LB, P/O SS

We thought we were going to get off lightly today. It was as quiet as a mouse all day – but when the balloon went up, it went up good and proper!
All three squadrons at Kenley were scrambled, and as we climbed out, we were joined by three more squadrons from Biggin, and another two from Croydon. At least another 7 squadrons could be seen at a distance.
We continued to climb while heading south, and it wasn’t long before we found out what the fuss was about. Observer Corps estimates were for 800+ enemy aircraft.



The escorts fell onto us like a rain storm and in an instant, 99% of RAF Fighter Command made a defensive break simultaneously.
For whatever reason, I was able to break through the fighter screen without firing a shot, and found myself in the middle of the bombers at 20000ft+ along with 3 or 4 other RAF squadrons. I couldn’t make contact with anyone else from 615 at all for some time, even my 2 & 3 were nowhere to be seen.
I made multiple passes at speed at the rear most section of Ju88s, along with a Spit squadron, and succeeded in knocking 4 of them down. One of these exploded, two caught fire, and a third spun out of control. The crews were seen to jump from the last three.
Once my guns were empty, there was little else to do except make a run for it. I returned to Kenley as various other fighters were gathering in the circuit.



Along with my 4 bombers, the rest of the lads took out 8 Me109s, but at a severe price. We lost Sgt JL, F/O AE and P/O SS to the overwhelming force of Messerschmitts.

Kills scored:
F/O RNH: 4 Ju88
F/O PC: 2 Me109
Sgt LB: 1 Me109
P/O SS (KIA): 1 Me109
Flt Sgt HS: 1 Me109
P/O DS: 1 Me109
P/O LC: 1 Me109
F/O JH: 1 Me109

We’ve been left with 6 Hurri’s serviceable, and 10 u/s. It’s not looking good for tomorrow.

F/O RNH