The Blitz began on 7th September 1940, ‘Black Saturday’, when German bombers attacked London, leaving 430 dead and over 1,600 injured. London was then bombed for 57 consecutive nights, and often during daytime too. While London was bombed more heavily and more often than anywhere else in Britain, the Blitz was an attack on the whole country. By the time this article was published on the 18th October 1940, London had endured 42 days of attacks by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). Air Battles over S.E. England Several…
Tag: Air battle
Ten Planes Brought Down during 1940 air battle
Another week of heavy bombing was felt over London in early Autumn 1940. While thousands of people travelled to work in London one Friday morning, enemy aircraft and British fighters fought in the skies overhead. The Bromley & District newspaper reported that 10 German planes were brought down in the London area. This report was published on 4th October 1940 and the Friday mentioned is possibly be the previous Friday – the 27th September. Over Chislehurst ad Orpington Two near Biggin Hill It was officially announced that ten German planes were brought…
The Hardest Day – WW2 Air Battle
The Bromley & District Times published this photograph of a German plane which had been brought down close to Biggin Hill airfield during a fierce air battle between the German Luftwaffe and British Royal Air Force (RAF) on Sunday 18th August 1940. The Luftwaffe had chosen this particular day to make an all-out effort to destroy RAF Fighter Command. The air battles that took place on the 18th August were amongst the largest aerial engagements in history to that time, with both sides suffering heavy losses. In the air, the British shot…