So it Began.....Their Finest Hour

No Fatal Fighter Command Losses

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Spitfires
2 Blenheims

2 in Combat - 2 in Accidents/Weather

2/KG76
Do 17Z. Destroyed in accident at La Boessie aerodrome when bomb exploded prematurely. Four NCOs killed. Aircraft a write off.

 

74 Sqd, Hornchurch
Spitfire P9398.
Shot down in flames off Folkestone Pier 4.00pm. Sgt F.W. Eley killed. Believed that claimed by Hptmn Tietzen of 4/JG51. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 Blenheims (two Blenheims collided during test of AI radar system - six men lost)
4 Spitfires
3 Hurricanes

5 in Combat - 5 in Accidents/Collisions

2/KG30
Ju 88A-1. Destroyed in attack on Aalborg aerodrome by RAF aircraft. Two NCOs killed and one wounded. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 FH 104
1 Do 215
1 Me 109
3 He 111
2 Ju 88
1 Me 110

 

Figures from 10th - 31st
RAF Lost/Damaged for July 130 in Combat - 88 in Miscellaneous

The days with the biggest losses/damaged to both combat and miscellaneous were the 19th with 18, the 25th with 19 and the 29th with 16.

 

Pilot Officer BRYAN MARTIN McDONOUGH

42137, 236 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 23
on 01 August 1940
Son of John Martin McDonough and Nellie McDonough.
Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

P/O B.M.McDonough was an Australian flying with No 236 Squadron in Blenheim's during the Battle of Britain. He was killed on the 1st of August 1940 along with the gunner (F.A.P.Head) of the Blenheim IV (R2774) during an attack on Querqueville, France at 17:15hrs.

 

145 Sqd, Westhamptnett
Hurricane P3155.
Shot down by return fire during attack on Hs 126 and crashed in Channel ten miles south of Hastings at 3.00pm. Sub-Lt I.H. Kestin missing. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 Hurricanes
3 Spitfires
3 Blenheims (See Clive's post above for one of those losses)

5 in Combat - 3 in Accidents/Weather

9/KG4
Ju 88A-1. Shot down by RAF fighters during sortie over the English east coast. Crashed in North Sea. Oblt Geisler, Oblt Wagner and two NCOs missing. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 He 115
1 Ar 196
1 Hs 126
1 He 59
2 Me 109
2 He 111
7 Ju 88

 

65 Sqd, Hornchurch
Spitfire R6799.
Crashed on take off from base on night patrol 11.35pm and burned out. Sqd Ldr H.C. Sawyer killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 Spitfires
1 Hurricane
1 Blenheim

0 in Combat - 5 in Accidents/Unknown

3(F)/121
Ju 88A-1. Crashed at Dinard on operational sortie. Cause unknown. Oblt Viefhues, Lt Taubert and two NCOs killed. Aircraft a write-off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

2 He 115
1 He 59
3 Ju 88
2 Me 109
4 Do 17
2 Ju 87
2 He 111

 

No Fatal Fighter Command Losses

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Spitfire
1 Blenheim

0 in Combat - 2 in Accidents/Unknown

7/KG55
He 111P. Failed to return fron operational sortie over Bristol. Shot down by AA fire over English Coast. Oberfw Geissler killed, Uffz Ohmann, Uffz Weber, Uffz Thieme and Uffwz Westphal all missing. Aircraft G1+IR lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 He 59
2 Do 17
3 Me 109
4 He 111

 

Although post #1 limits your listings to Fighter Command it does give a bit of a narrow view on the cost to the RAF of anti-invasion tasks. In particular, rather than no fatal RAF casualties.

No.139 Sqn had a Blenheim missing from attacking the Cherbourg Aerodromes, No.53 Sqn had 3 crew killed on raid to Emden Harbour from Detling in the evening and No.206 Sqn had 4 crew missing from Bircham Newton on a Patrol SA.4 also early evening.

Patrol SA.4 had been operating since 16th July and was designed to ensure that no enemy force was sufficenty close to UK shores to land forces at night or the following dawn.

There are other RAF fatalties but the above are from units directly connected with operations against the German forces either massing for Sealion or part of it's support.

Only 10 days later the units at Detling will be subject to air raids to reduce their effectiveness against the invasion preperations.

Regards
Ross

 

Flying Officer IAN WELSH SUTHERLAND

72508, 15 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 21
on 04 August 1940
Son of Duncan Welsh Sutherland and Eva Sarah Elizabeth Sutherland, of Great Crosby, Liverpool.
Remembered with honour
HALTON (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD

On the 4th Sutherland was a passenger in Blenheim R3771 of 15 Squadron, engaged in a fighter affiliation exercise with Hurricanes of 1 Squadron. Whilst taking evasive action at low level, the Blenheim crashed at Norbury, near Whitchurch, Shropshire killing Sutherland and the three other crew members, these were P/O M Hohnen, Sgt. HN Beard and Sgt. W Watson.
Battle of Britain London Monument - F/O I W Sutherland


Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Blenheim
1 Spitfire

1 in Combat - 1 in Unknown

IV/LG1
Ju 87B. Flew into the ground near Tramecourt during practice flight. Circumstances unknown. One NCO killed, one seriously injured died later. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

6 He 111
1 Do 17
1 Ju 87
1 Ju 88

 

Although post #1 limits your listings to Fighter Command it does give a bit of a narrow view on the cost to the RAF of anti-invasion tasks. In particular, rather than no fatal RAF casualties.

No.139 Sqn had a Blenheim missing from attacking the Cherbourg Aerodromes, No.53 Sqn had 3 crew killed on raid to Emden Harbour from Detling in the evening and No.206 Sqn had 4 crew missing from Bircham Newton on a Patrol SA.4 also early evening.

Patrol SA.4 had been operating since 16th July and was designed to ensure that no enemy force was sufficenty close to UK shores to land forces at night or the following dawn.

There are other RAF fatalties but the above are from units directly connected with operations against the German forces either massing for Sealion or part of it's support.

Only 10 days later the units at Detling will be subject to air raids to reduce their effectiveness against the invasion preperations.

Regards
Ross

To be fair, Ross, you are right in putting no 'RAF casualties' for a certain day is misleading but you are also right in it only deals with Fighter Command during the Battle as I have no time to expand. If you wish to take part then please feel free to post in the thread.

 

5th August 1940

No.206 Sqn Hudson loss on search Op. All 4 crew killed.
P/O R T Kean DFC
P/O R Rustom
Sgt F H Hull
Sgt D Mannion

No.206 Sqn Hudson crashed collecting urgent spares needed because of increased flying hours. Crew safe.

Summary of Cat E for Coastal Command this day:
1 on Op: 1 on transit

Since the 12th May 1940 this was 11th Cat E Hudson loss for the Squadron operating over the North Sea and Hamburg. This amounted to 1 aircraft short of turning over the entire squadron IE of 12 aircraft in just over 2 months.

 

64 Sqd, Kenley
Spifire L1029.
Failed to return from Sqd sortie following surprise attack by enemy fighters over the Channel 8.50am. Sgt L.R. Isaac missing. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

4 Spitfires
2 Blenheims

3 in Combat - 3 in Accidents/Unknown

1/JG51
Me 109E-4. Shot down by RAF fighters in combat over the Channel. Oberfw Schmitt killed. Aircraft lost.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 He 59
1 Ar 196
8 Me 109
1 Do 215
2 Ju 87
5 Do 17
2 Ju 88
1 He 111

 

Sergeant LEWIS REGINALD ISAAC

748158, 64 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 24
on 05 August 1940
Son of James and Blodwen Matilda Isaac, of Llanelly, Carmarthenshire.
Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Sgt. L.R.Isaac of No 64 Squadron was shot down and killed in his Spitfire I (L1029) by a Bf 109 off Folkstone on the 5th of August 1940 at 08:50hrs.
I-pilots

 

17 Sqd, Debden
Hurricane N2456.
Crashed and burned out in Debden Park shortly after take off on routine air test 10.15am. Cause unknown. P/O H.W.A Britton killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

3 Hurricanes
5 Spitfires
1 Blenheim

6 in Combat - 3 in Accidents/Unknown

2/Erprobungs Gruppe 210
Me 110. Crashed into sea off Denain during dive bombing practice. Cause unknown. Lt Prokop and one NCO killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Hs 126
1 Ar 196
3 Me 110
4 Me 109
1 Do 17
1 Ju 88
2 He 111

 

6th August

No.206 Sqn loss. It's 12th Hudson since May 12 when aircraft landing back from Op Patrol SA.4/A crashes and bomb load explodes. Crew safe.

In order to try to spot any invasion fleet before it reaches UK waters Coastal Command are averaging 40 visual search patrols a day over the sea areas between Cherbourg and Norway.

Summary of Cat E for Coastal Command this day:
1 on Op

Ross

 

Pilot Officer ARTHUR VIVIAN FISHER

43702, Royal Air Force
who died age 23
on 06 August 1940
Son of Arthur and Emily Judith Fisher, of Paeroa, Auckland, New Zealand.
Remembered with honour
BENSON (OR BENSINGTON) (ST. HELEN) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION

 

7th Aug 1940

No.206 Sqn daily losses continue. Hudson overshot landing on return from Patrol SA.4/A u/c collapsed slewing aircraft into another aircraft before bombload exploded. Crew escaped safely.

No.224 sqn Hudson shot down by Feldwebel Ladwein of II/ZG76 off Bergen, Norway after attacking escort ship. All onboard killed.
P/O R B Forbes
Sgt J M Oliver
Sgt G D Tennant
Sgt S Grant

No.248 Sqn Blenheim ditched after being lost in bad weather and running out of fuel on recce to Trondheim. Crew picked up by trawler and landed at South Shields.

Coastal Command visual searches also included daily tasking to detect threat of invasion towards Shetland and North of Scotland.

On 4th July a review of Bombing Policy had set down Coastal Command priority as:
1. Recce for invasion forces at sea
2. Bombing of major barge, small craft and shipping concentrations at sea, in enemy ports and waterways.
3. A wide variety of land targets as secondary objectives.

With the majority of the force overstretched by the Recce task, AOCs of Coastal Command tasked their patrol aircraft with also attacking shipping targets where found during the recce patrols.

This meant aircraft taking off and returning with full bomb loads and an increase in landing accidents due to the high all up weights and FTR losses due to flak and fighters.

Summary of Cat E for Coastal Command this day:
3 on Ops

Ross

 

616 Sqd, Leconfield
Fighter Command Losses lists one fatal
ATB lists no fatal Fighter Command losses for this day

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 Whirlwind (P6966)
3 Spitfires
3 Hurricanes
1 Blenheim

0 in Combat - 8 in Accidents/Unknown/Collisions

3/Erprobungs Gruppe 210
Me 109E-4. Crashed into the sea of Denain on local flight. Circumstances unknown. Hptmn Valesi killed. Aircraft a write off.

Aircraft lost/damaged (repairable):

1 He 115
1 Hs 126
4 Me 109
1 Do 17
1 Ju 52
1 Ju 88

 

8th August 1940

No.59 Sqn Blenheim lost on afternoon Op to Cherbourg, All three crew killed.
P/O H L N Davis
Sgt G H Coulton
Sgt B W Beaumont

Failure of the Botha in squadron service had delayed the replacement of Vildebeest torpedo strike aircraft until April 1940. The two squadrons (No.22 and No.42) were working up with Beaufort but engine problems had led to further delays and the first squadron would not be strike ready until 11th Sept..

This left a ship strike capability gap that was being filled by FAA Swordfish and a combination of FAA Divebombers and bombing Hudsons while on visual recce.

No.59 Sqn had been transferred to Coastal Command for Recce duties but AOC-in-C Coastal deemed that long range fighter/bomber duties on the South Coast was a greater need. This allowed the neglected secondary bombing task to also be addressed.

The Secondary objectives would see 58 tons of bombs from Coastal Command in August 1940 and included the Oil Tanks at Cherbourg.

Ross

 

Pilot Officer JOHN CRUTTENDEN

40895, 43 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died
on 08 August 1940
Son of John and Elizabeth Gertrude Cruttenden.
Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

43 Sqd, Tangmere
P/O J.Cruttenden joined No 43 Squadron in late June. He baled safely out of a Hurricane I on the 9th of July after attacking a Do 17 near Beachy Head. He was shot down in combat ten miles south of the Isle of Wight on the 8th of August 1940 at 16:45hrs in his Hurricane I (P3781) and reported as "Missing", aged 20.