Atlantic

The battleship Revenge bombards the docks at Cherbourg during the night.

Battle of Britain

Day 93

Weather - Generally showery with occasional bright intervals.

Combat - Reconnaissance raids are being plotted as early as 0600hrs and by 0700hrs a small group of He-111's attack and bomb Dover before returning to France without being intercepted. Within the hour a larger raid of Do-17's and Me-109's are approaching the Sussex coastline and are met by the Spitfires of No: 92 Squadron, scrambled from Biggin Hill to patrol the area, near Brighton. Three Spitfires are lost during the engagement.

At 1000hrs two raids of about 30 Me-109's cross over Kent, of which one is intercepted by Spitfires of No: 603 Squadron scrambled from Hornchurch.

Just after 1200hrs a raid is plotted approaching the Dorset coast. Hurricanes of No: 52, 56, 145, 213, 238 and 607 Squadrons and Spitfires of No: 152 and 609 Squadrons are scrambled to intercept. During the battles Hurricanes of No: 56 and 238 Squadrons suffer losses to the Me-109's over Wareham and Corfe areas.

The last main attack of the day crosses the Kent coast just after 1500hrs and heads for London. Hurricanes of No: 73, 229, 249, 253, 257, 303 and 615 Squadrons along with Spitfires of No: 41, 66, 72, 92 and 602 Squadrons are scrambled to intercept the raid.

During the night the bombing continues on London with further raids on Liverpool, South Wales, the Midlands, East Anglia, Gloucester area and to the airfields of Debden and Duxford. Mines are dropped in the Bristol Channel, Thames Estuary, off Harwich and the Northeast coast.

R.A.F. Losses: 8 aircraft damage or destroyed, 6 pilots killed and 1 wounded.

Luftwaffe Losses: 20 aircraft damage or destroyed, 13 pilots and aircrew killed or missing and 3 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.

Britain, Home Front

"Good night, children. Goodnight and good luck to you all." October 10, 1940. 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth giving her famous wartime radio broadcast to children evacuated oversees to escape the Blitz. Princess Margaret looks on.

Princess Elizabeth Radio Broadcast

Luxembourg

The Germans run a plebiscite in Luxembourg. When the results are counted they find that 97 percent of the population is opposed to their occupation. The experiment is not repeated elsewhere.