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September 29th, 1940 (SUNDAY)

RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - oil plants at Magdeburg and Hanover.

58 Sqn. Ten aircraft to Magdeburg. Nine got off, four bombed primary with good results, one bombed an alternative, five failed to bomb.

77 Sqn. Ten aircraft to Magdeburg and Hanover. One returned early, remainder bombed primaries or alternatives. One returned on one engine from Amsterdam.

RAF Fighter Command: Some activity, reduced in south-east and East Anglia. Liverpool is bombed in daylight from the west, but raid intercepted. At night the usual targets of London and Merseyside are visited by the Luftwaffe.

The weather is fine at the start and end of the day, cloudy in-between. During the day, apart from a sweep by Luftwaffe fighters through Kent westwards, and as far as Reading by one element, the day's activities consisted of reconnaissances, attacks on shipping and some inland flights. In the East, reconnaissances were made throughout the day off East Anglia, and in one instance to Duxford, and between 1300 and 1700 hours one convoy was attacked and two inspected by enemy aircraft. Bombs are reported to have been dropped at Felixstowe. At dusk a German aircraft with British markings is reported to have been minelaying near Farne Islands and to have fired at a Naval Unit with a torpedo. In the morning in the South East, extensive reconnaissances took place off-shore in the East Kent and Thames Estuary areas. One Do 215 flew inland at Ramsgate to Maidstone and Northolt and was shot down at Taplow. At 1610 hours three formations of 50, 20 and 20 Luftwaffe

  aircraft crossed the Coast West of Dungeness at 10 minute intervals, while a further 12 aircraft went inland at Dover. The first raid flew westwards of the London area before wheeling South. A split however, flew towards Central London. The remainder penetrated only some 25 miles (40 kilometers) inland. All the German aircraft appeared to be fighters flying at a great height. Between 1700 and 1800 hours reconnaissances by single aircraft were made in Kent, in one case Eastchurch and Detling being visited. In the South and West at 0910 hours one aircraft crossed the Coast at Lyme Bay and flew through Somerset to Wiltshire. At about 1127 hours one convoy was attacked in the Portsmouth area, and at 1135 hours a "Help" message was received from another off the North Wales Coast. RAF Fighters failed to intercept. Between 1800 and 1900 hours three small raids of nine plus, three plus and three plus aircraft were plotted in St George's Channel, and intercepted.

     During the night of 29/30 September, the Luftwaffe again bombs London and Merseyside. At 1930 hours the first Luftwaffe raids were plotted approaching the Coast at Shoreham from the direction of Dieppe, France. From 2000 hours onwards, a steady stream of raids crossed the Coast between Portsmouth and Beachy Head, the majority having London as their objective. A few, however, coming in over Portsmouth, flew North-west to the Middle Wallop area. Between 2100 and 0200 hours, raids of one or one plus aircraft crossed the Coast between Poole and Start Point and flew to the South Wales area, some continuing North to Liverpool. A number of raids crossed the Coast at points between Clacton and the Wash. A few of these approached London from the North-east, whilst the others were active over East Anglia and the Midlands. Raids were also plotted off Kinnairds Head, in the Aberdeen area and in the Firth of Forth. At 0250 hours it was noticed that there was a definite tendency with the London raids to fly home Eastwards along the Estuary. After 0200 hours activity was almost entirely confined to the South Eastern Counties and the London area. At 0230 hours, raids were approaching London both from the South and from the East. Activity continued until 0305 hours when the last raids were plotted leaving this Country.

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