Battle of Britain

Day 91

Weather - Cloudy but fair in most areas.

Combat - The first combat of the day sees Blenheims of No: 235 Squadron, scrambled from Manston, intercept and shoot down two He-59's over the Channel during a patrol mission.

Throughout the morning many small raids are made over southern England, mainly by Me-109's and small numbers of He-111's, which penetrate as far as Biggin Hill, Hornchurch and Kenley areas. One such raid is met with force, at about 1030hrs, by the Spitfire squadrons of Biggin Hill (No: 72 and 92 Squadrons) and Hornchurch (No: 41 and 222 Squadrons) along with Spitfires of No: 66 Squadron from Gravesend.

Just after 1100hrs another small raid of Do-17's and Me-109's crosses the Kent coast at Lympne. Spitfires of No: 41 Squadron intercept the raid over Folkstone as the Do-17's turn back to France.

At about 1300hrs, Ju-88's and Me-109's make a raid along the Sussex coast at Hastings, Eastbourne and Bexhill. Hurricanes of No: 145 Squadron are scrambled from Tangmere to intercept.

As small reconnaissance and bombing raids continue during the afternoon in the southeast and along the coastline to Dorset, a raid by a Ju-88 on the Merseyside area is intercepted by the Hurricanes of No: 312 (Czech) Squadron, scrambled from Speke, at about 1630hrs.

Sadly on this day Sergeant Josef Frantisek, flying a Hurricane of No: 303 (Polish) Squadron, crashes and is killed whilst on a lone patrol over Surrey. The Czech pilot had successfully shot down 17 Luftwaffe aircraft during September and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for his bravery. He remained Fighter Commands highest scoring pilot during the Battle of Britain.

During the night bombing raids continue on London with further raids made on Portsmouth, Southampton, Liverpool, the Midlands and East Anglia. Mines are dropped off the Northeast coast, the Humber and Thames Estuary.

R.A.F. Losses: 11 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 4 pilots killed and no wounded.

Luftwaffe Losses: 30 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 35 pilots and aircrew killed or missing and 5 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-58 badly damages the British steamer Confield (4956t), a straggler from Convoy HX-76, about 90 miles west of Barra Head. 1 crewman is lost, but there are 36 survivors. The British sloop Weston scuttles the ship with gunfire the next morning.
• The British steamer Bellona II (840t) is lost by German bombing 4 miles east of Gourdan, Kincardineshire. 9 are lost from the steamer.

The Blitz

In the bombing of London 300 fires are started. Major fires begin at Chiswick and at Hay's Wharf. St Clement Danes Church is also damaged by bombs.

A boy sits reading in a bombed bookstore, London, October 8 1940

London Bomb Damage

The British take cover during a bombing raid

Underground Shelter

Aldwych Underground Station London during the Blitz Oct 8 1940

Aldwych Underground Station

China

The request by the Japanese to close the 'Burma Road' is refused by the British. The 'Burma Road' is used to send Western supplies to the army of Chiang Kai-shek.

German Raiders

The German armed merchant cruiser Thor sinks the British steamer Natia (8715t) in the South Atlantic with the loss of 2 crewmen. 84 of the crew are made prisoners of war.

United States, Policy

U.S. citizens are advised by Washington to leave the Far East 'in view of abnormal conditions in those areas'.

The naval reserve is called up.