31 August 1940 - Biggin Hill Attacks - Which Luftwaffe Units

[Peter Cook]

I am tring to establish which Luftwaffe unit took part in the two bombing raids on Biggin Hill at approximately 13.00 and at 18.00 on 31st August 1940. The first raid included He 111s and Ju 88s from unidentified units, while the second also included unidentified Ju 88s, plus He 111s of III/KG1 (identified in He 111 Kampfgeschwader in the West, by John Weal, p. 65). The loss listings for the day include Ju 88 w.n. 6075 of II/KG51, which returned to Orly with combat damage, possibly from one of the two raids?
The other units that attacked airfields on this date all flew Do 17s: KG2 (Debden/Duxford), KG3 (Hornchurch), and KG76 (Detling/Eastchurch and Hornchurch). It is possible that Ju 88s of II/KG76 also took part in the Eastchurch raid.

[robert]

Hi,

Duxford
09.30 hrs 16 Do 17Z of II./KG2
Debden
09.40 hrs 21 Do 17Z of III./KG2
Eastchurch
approx. 11.15 hrs 9 Do 17Z of 3./KG3
Hornchurch
14.00 hrs 31 Do 17Z of II./KG3
Croydon
14.00 hrs 12 Bf110 and 7 Bf109 of Erp.Gr.210
Biggin Hill
18.25 hrs 36 He 111s of KG1
Hornchurch
19.00 hrs 17 Do 17Z of I./KG76
All attack times relating to German time. All attacks will be richly described in a coming book.

Regards

Robert

[leonventer]

Hi Robert,

Originally Posted by robert

... All attacks will be richly described in a coming book.

That coming book looks interesting -- any more details available?

Regards,
Leon Venter

[Chris Goss]

Another of the plethora of new BofB books expected including BofBT&N which is up to at least 4 volumes? Then you have Dilip Sarkar's 7(?) volumes and isn't Brian Cull continuing his books? BofBCA is up to 16 volumes. I am intrigued what else is out there!

[Peter Cook]

Thank you for your input in the Do 17 attacks Robert.

I am still perplexed by the reports of Ju 88s and He 111s taking part in the first attack on Biggin Hill at 13.00. With claims for He 111s and Ju 88s made by P/O Clifton, P/O Nowak and S/L Gleave of 253 Squadron, and by S/L Heyworth of 79 Squadron, P/O Ellacombe of 151 Squadron, and P/O Witorzenc of 501 Squadron. I find it hard to believe that these six pilots misidentified Do 17s as He 111s or Ju 88s – twin tail versus single rudder. A Ju 88 was also claimed at 18.25 during the second attack on Biggin Hill by Sgt Proctor of 602 Squadron.
The second raid is described in RAF Biggin Hill – the Other Side of the Bump, p. 288-9 by Peter Osborne, who reproduces the following account:

Diary of F/L R J B Jackson, Biggin Hill Sector and Station Engineering Officer
Saturday August, 31st
18.00 hrs.
High level pattern bombing attack by aircraft followed immediately by dive bombing attack with J.U. 88's and 109's by aircraft, and ground strafing with Cannon fire by 109's. Further severe damage by direct hits on Hangars and other buildings... etc.

Any thoughts?

Peter

[Roundway]

Dare I ask Peter, if you have the right date?

According to the Biggin Hill Operations Record Book the airfield experienced only one raid on the 31st. That was from high level at 1730 hours British Summer Time (BST) = GMT+1.

The airfield was attacked twice on the 30th; the first a high level attack at 1200 BST, the second a low level attack at 1800 BST - times which fit your query. Various sources are in disagreement as to the number/type of aircraft involved in the low level attack, but Ogley's Biggin on the Bump, describes it as being by 9 Ju88s which had followed the Ashford-Reigate railway line at low level, before swinging north to catch the airfield unawares.

Brian

[Roundway]

Since the question has already been asked in respect of the 31st, which units probably made the attacks on the 30th, and especially the one at 1800 BST?

Brian

[Peter Cook]

Thank you for the responses Roundway,

I have also doubted the evidence for the first raid on Biggin on the 31st, but the following extract from the RAF Fighter Command Battle of Britain Campaign Diary - Saturday, 31 August 1940, clearly describes two attacks, with Biggin Hill suffering 'some damage' in the first.

"At 1235 hours fifty plus aircraft approached Dover of which thirty aircraft flew inland towards Biggin Hill and Kenley at 10,000 feet. The remaining twenty turned back at Dover but reappeared at Deal as fifty aircraft and crossed the Coast in three waves followed by two smaller formations flying towards Biggin Hill and Kenley. Biggin Hill suffered some damage. At about 1320 hours fifty plus aircraft were over Hornchurch and Debden plus aircraft were over Hornchurch and Debden at 15/20,000 feet. Two further raids followed in Kent and two in the Thames Estuary. By 1350 hours the attackers began to disperse.

...At 1800 hours six raids crossed the Coast between North Foreland and Hastings. One of these attacked Hornchurch and the others Biggin Hill, Northolt, Kenley and other objectives in Kent. Another raid of fifty aircraft flew into the Estuary. Altogether some two hundred enemy aircraft wee involved. The raids drew off at 1900 hours."

Peter

[Roundway]

Thank you Peter, that saves me from belatedly accessing your reference myself.

My interest arises from the fact that three of the four meteorological observers at Biggin Hill were killed during the 1800 BST raid on the 30th. The three were in an air-raid shelter which received a direct hit. Ironic in a way as the met office itself was largely undamaged although blast effects wrecked the instrument enclosure.

The following day the survivor, Rowland Jessop, (I don't know where he was during the raid) established a rudimentary office in a house just outside the airfield boundary and continued providing basic meteorological support to the airfield until relief arrived 10 days later. That's by the by, but his meteorological observations for the 31st include the comment at 1400 BST "Air Raid warning in operation", unfortunately there is no indication as to when it started or stopped. The timing does, however, fit with your account above.

Jessop died in 1994, but I think I can trace his family, my hope being he might have left a record of events. I've already traced the families of two of the three fatalities, so one can but live in hope.

Brian

[Peter Cook]

Thanks for the update Brian, very useful information. I will let you know if I discover any more details of the earlier raid.

Peter