18 August 40 - Ju 87 attack Thorney Island

[andy bird]

Hi
A Ju. 86P flight covered Thorney Island, Tangmere, Ford, Gosport on the 15 August 1940.
These flight photographs revealed the composition of Coastal and Fighter aircraft at the above mentioned aerodromes, this intel showed front-line fighter aircraft after which Thorney Island, Ford, Gosport were attack on 18 August by Sperrle’s Luftflotte 3.
Was this the main reason for the attack?
Kind Regards
Andy Bird

[Chris Goss]

On 18 Aug 40 between 1147-1151 hrs a Do 17 P of 3/121 carried out a photo recce sortie of those airfields and reported 27 ac at Ford, 8 single-engined ac at Thorney Island, 40 single-engined ac at Tangmere. At 1530 hrs, 2 Bf 110s of 2/11 were over Portsmouth. At 0900 hrs, a Do 17 from 2/123 overflew Selsey. I have no evidence that any Ju 86s were involved despite what is said in 'The Hardest Day' (something Alfred Price agrees with)-where did you get 15 Aug 40? Bottom line is there were all sorts of German recce ac over southern UK that day and they knew what they were after-Thorney Island, Ford, Littlehampton radar station and Gosport

[bearoutwest]

If my memory serves me correctly, Price's book also makes an oblique reference to the Coastal Command Blenheim fighter squadron(s) scrambling to join the air battle. Is there any further information available on their involvement?

Regards,
...geoff

[Chris Goss]

It was 235 Sqn hence Andy's query