Air Operations, Europe

The dry docks at Wilhelmshaven, housing the Tirpitz, are attacked by the RAF.

Battle of Britain

Day 92

Weather - Cloudy and overcast with rain.

Combat - During the morning reconnaissance raids are made by single Ju-88's, one of which is intercepted and shot down by Hurricanes of No: 1 Squadron, scrambled from Wittering, over the Wash just before 1130hrs.

From 1100hrs raids of 20 to 30 aircraft cross the Kent coast at high altitude and reach southern areas of London. These raids are made over southeastern areas throughout the day by bomb carrying Me-109's and prove difficult to intercept by fighter Command. Spitfires of No: 92 Squadron have been scrambled from Biggin Hill to patrol at high altitudes in order to meet such raids and succeed at about 1230hrs when they engage Me-109's of JG51 over Kent.

During early afternoon, at about 1300hrs, Hurricanes of No: 601 Squadron, scrambled from Exeter, intercept a small raid of He-111's near Dartmouth and successfully claim two of the raiders before they could reach a convoy off Lands End.

At 1430hrs a larger raid of over 150 aircraft crosses the Kent coast near Lympne and succeeds in bombing targets in east London. Hurricanes of No: 73, 249, 253, 303 (Polish) and 605 Squadrons along with the Spitfires of No: 41, 66, 72, 74, 92, 222 and 602 Squadrons are scrambled to intercept. Over the following hour fierce dogfights ensue over Kent, the Thames Estuary and Channel areas.

During the night London is heavily bombed along with Manchester, Liverpool and Derby. Mines are dropped off the coast from the Thames Estuary up to Scotland.

R.A.F. Losses: 6 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 6 pilots & aircrew (Blenheim) killed or missing and 1 wounded.

Luftwaffe Losses: 25 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 21 pilots and aircrew killed or missing and 5 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-103 attacks ships in Convoy SC-6 and sinks the Greek steamers Zannes Gounaris (4407t) and Delphin (3816t) and badly damages the British steamer Graigwen (3697t) 37 miles north-northwest of Rockall. 1 crewman is lost from the Zannes Gounaris and the entire crew of the Delphin is rescued. The British steamer is sunk on the 10th by U-123 with the loss of 7 of her crew.
• The British steamer Alderney Queen (663t) is sunk by German bombing off Grassholm Island, North Wales. The entire crew is rescued.

The Blitz

In the attack on London a bomb penetrates the roof of St Paul's Cathedral making a 25 x 12 foot hole and destroying the High Altar.

St. Paul's Cathedral Bombed

The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral was pierced by a Nazi bomb, leaving the high altar in ruin. It was one of the few occasions that the 17th-century cathedral suffered significant damage during Germany's nearly ceaseless bombing raids on London in the fall of 1940.

Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral Pierced by Bomb

Milk delivery, October 9 1940, business as usual at the height of the Blitz

Business As Usual

Britain, Politics

Following Chamberlain's resignation Churchill is chosen as the new leader of the Conservative Party. This is an impressive achievement because he was little liked by many in the party at the time of his selection as prime minister. He has succeeded in winning their loyalty despite the hard times he has presided over. His attention to party affairs illustrates his concern for the forms of parliamentary democracy.