On This Day ... in 1857 & Others
At Oonao in India, Lieutenant Bogle led an assault on a house heavily defended by mutineers, which was holding up the advance of his regiment. The house was cleared successfully, but Bogle suffered a severe wound. He received the Victoria Cross.
1940: A large Luftwaffe formation of Stukas sent to attack Dover harbour early in the morning was roughly handled by Fighter Command.
Date: 29 July 1940
Weather: Fair all over Britain. Thames Estuary and Dover hazy.
Day: Convoy off Dover raided.
Night: Activity on a reduced scale over land.
Enemy action by day
The main activity was as follows:
a. At 0730 hours, Dover Harbour was heavily attacked.
b. In the afternoon, a hostile reconnaissance aircraft was shot down off Portsmouth.
c. Of two enemy aircraft making a shipping reconnaissance east of Southwold, one was shot down and a second is possibly a casualty.
d. A raid which was attacking a convoy off Harwich was intercepted and driven off.
Region
South and West
At 0906 hours, a raid was plotted a few miles west of Varne Light Vessel. The number of aircraft varied from 20+ to 2+ but no attack materialised.
Several enemy reconnaissances were plotted in the Channel, and of these, one Ju88 was shot down off Portsmouth by No. 145 Squadron.
At about 1815 hours, some 30-40 aircraft flew from Cherbourg towards Lyme Bay but turned away when 20 miles out. Part of this raid turned north-west again to within ten miles of Portland where it is reported to have bombed a naval unit. Fighters were despatched but did not intercept.
East and South-East
At 0718 hours, preceded by one sortie over Dover at 24,000 feet, four raids assembled in the Calais-Boulogne-St Omer area and at 0734 hours were consolidated as one raid of 80+ aircraft which flew from just east of Cap Gris Nez to attack Dover. Reports received indicate that the damage was comparatively light with few casualties. One merchant vessel (already damaged) and one small yacht were sunk and one naval unit was damaged. The actual number of bomber aircraft engaged in the attack is estimated at 40 Ju87s, and these approached in two waves of 20 aircraft each, covered by approximately the same number of Me109s. Four fighter squadrons were sent up and shot down eight Ju87s (confirmed) and seven Me109s (confirmed) and five Ju87s (unconfirmed) and two Me109s (unconfirmed). AA accounted for two Ju87s. Our losses were two Spitfires and one Hurricane.
At 1300 hours, trawlers were bombed off Dungeness and No 610 Squadron probably accounted for one Do215.
Several enemy reconnaissances were plotted off the East Coast and one of these, one He111 which was reconnoitring a convoy off Harwich, was shot down by No 17 Squadron and one Do17 is a probable casualty by No 85 Squadron.
At about 1720 hours, 32+ aircraft were plotted as approaching a convoy off North Foreland. Seven squadrons were despatched to intercept this raid, but only one (No 151) made contact and this squadron accounted for two Me110s (confirmed) and another probable. One Hurricane crashed on landing. The convoy suffered no casualties through air action.
North and North-East
Two raids approached the Aberdeen area during the morning. One of these was intercepted and fighters engaged two Heinkels which, however, evaded them in clouds.
France
The usual patrols were flown in the Calais-Boulogne-Gris Nez areas and several reconnaissance flights took place in the Channel. No interceptions were effected.
By night
Enemy activity appeared to be on a reduced scale inland, but there was considerable minelaying activity on the Dover, Thames Estuary and Harwich areas. Observer Corps posts report that seaplanes were operating.
Later, nine raids of small numbers approached the East Coast between Scarborough and St Abb's Head. Some of these raids crossed the coast. Minelaying operations are reported along the coastline from Hartlepool-Newcastle-Firth of Forth.
Bombs are reported to have been dropped at Brigg, Gilestone (about a mile south of St Athan), near Leys, east of Highbridge and at Acklington.
At 0010 hours, one Ju88 crashed just north of Bury St Edmunds. This aircraft was plotted in over Bristol as an unidentified raid but later it was stated to be friendly and Bedford ceased plotting. 16 bombs are reported dropped near Norwich.
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Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 29 July 1940
Blenheim - 66
Spitfire - 241
Hurricane - 328
Defiant - 20
Total - 639
Casualties:
Enemy: Fighters - 7 confirmed, 2 unconfirmed; Bombers - 15 confirmed, 8 unconfirmed.
Own: 2 Spitfires (Nos. 41 and 64 Squadrons; 1 pilot), 2 Hurricanes (Nos. 56 and 151 Squadrons).
AA at Dover claims 2 confirmed bombers in above totals. Also includes the Ju88 crash near Bury St Edmunds.
Patrols:
205 patrols involving 798 aircraft.
Balloons:
Flying - 1445 Casualties - 35.
Aerodromes:
All serviceable.
Organisation:
No changes.
Air Intelligence Reports
A Do18 with a moveable cannon in forward position has been encountered.
Home Security Reports
28th / 29th July 1940
General Summary
Further raids have been reported during the early hours of July 29th, which did little damage.
Except for a big raid on Dover, there was no enemy activity on July 29th during the hours of daylight. Few fresh raids have been reported during the morning of July 30th.
Detailed Summary
With reference to the report of 28th July, it is now reported that 25 HE bombs were dropped at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and six houses were destroyed, and a school and other houses damaged. There were few casualties.
Referring to the same report, it is now reported that 115 incendiary bombs fell in Newcastle-under-Lyme with a radius of 1/4 mile. Nineteen houses were set on fire but the damage caused was slight and there were no casualties.
During the early morning of July 29th, bombs were dropped at Altcar (Lancashire), near Crewe, in Essex, Gloucestershire, Cheshire, Midlothian and Berwickshire, causing little or no damage.
Bombs were also dropped near the aerodromes at Yatesbury and Hawarden.
The only raid reported during daylight on 29th July was at Dover, where a naval auxiliary was sunk, and the oil pipeline broken. Buildings were damaged by splinters and blast.
There was only slight enemy activity during the night of 29th/30th July and no damage has been reported.
It is reported that Acklington aerodrome was bombed at 0235 hours on 30th July.
1943: Bomber Command returned with 777 aircraft to Hamburg for the third raid in Operation Gomorrah, aiming for those parts of the city which had escaped the devastating firestorm two nights previously. Two-thirds of the city's population had fled, and the raid caused further widespread damage. 28 aircraft failed to return.
Comments
See what sort of changes three years can bring?
Posted by: Beausaber | July 29, 2009 4:13 AM