It is a satellite of Haston. The first aircraft are a detachment of four Sea Hurricanes of 880 Sqn. which land on.
Posts from April 1940
Small raid on Scapa Flow deterred by barrage
12 He 111 bombers approach Scapa Flow at dusk but the formation breaks up when it encounters the Scapa Barrage AA defenses. The attack lasts 10 minutes and does no damage.
Raid detected approaching Orkney
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curlew's radar plot shows unidentified aircraft approaching, 80 miles from Orkney at 12,000 to 20,000 feet.
(HMS Curlew will be sunk by Ju 88 bombers of Kampfgeschwader 30 near Narvik on 26 May.)
Source: @Ness_Battery
Hurricanes take off from Wick
Hurricanes of 43 Sqn. take off from Wick to intercept German aircraft heading for Scapa Flow. Estimates vary - at least 24 raiders. 8.20pm Orkney: Air Raid Warning RED
OSDef HQ (Stromness Hotel) - CO Brigadier Kemp very unwell - has spent day in bed but "got out by raid 8.15. Dressed and saw whole show."
Source: @Ness_Battery
First wave of attacks on Scapa Flow
They are targeting booms across Hoxa and Switha Sounds. AA guns open barrage fire.
Flotta: Buchanan Coast Battery hit by bombs - no casualties - battery still under construction and not manned.
'Scapa Barrage' HAA fire over Scapa Flow proves effective - attacking planes make no attempts at dive-bombing against ships.
Source: @Ness_Battery
Hurricanes intercept He 111s over Orkney
Hurricanes from Wick intercept 6 enemy aircraft 40 miles E of Copinsay. Formation broken up, one shot down into sea. Heinkel 111 lands at Wick, 2 crew dead, pilot & wireless operator taken prisoner. Great difficulty for pilots - planes attacking from West, no light.
HMS CURLEW estimates 24 planes in attacks, 6 turned away by fighters. "the objective appeared to be the Hoxa and Switha booms. High level bombing against a floating boom could hardly be expected to achieve success. No bombs fell particularly close to the target."
The raid is made up of He 111 and Ju 88.
Source: @Ness_Battery
Skuas sink Königsberg
Skuas from 800 & 803 Sqns (from Hatston, HMS SPARROWHAWK) attack & sink Königsberg in Bergen - first major warship ever sunk by aerial attack.
Lieutenant William Lucy, Officer Commanding 803 Sqn. has read intelligence reports of a German cruiser in Bergen harbour and persuades Major R T Partridge, Officer Commanding 800 Sqn. to take part in a dive bombing raid.
All but one of the Skuas made it back. But only just... There's an account of the attack and some stunning images on a page dedicated to the attack.
Source: @Ness_Battery
Radar plots show numerous planes all around Orkney
Luftwaffe recon flights over Hoy, Flotta, S Ronaldsay. Air raid warning RED.
Source: @Ness_Battery
804 and 605 Sqn. scrambled to intercept aircraft over Orkney
804 Sqn. (Gladiators) patrolling Copinsay intercept Do 17 at 16:40.
804 Sqn's diary, quoted in Sky over Scapa, reads:
A tremendous day for HMS Sparrowhawk, the first and we hope by no means the last. 804 Squadron began their fun at 16.05 hours when Yellow Section flew off to Copinsay. There were a great many plots on the board, the weather fine with layers of cloud varying in density up to about 10,000 feet. about 16.40 hours P/O Sabey saw a Do17 and the section gave chase. Sub.Lt. Fell got in a burst at about 500 yds. as the Do17 disappeared into the cloud but followed him in.P/O Peacock went in above the cloud and as he came out so did the Do17, 400 yds. away. Peackock got in a burst before the enemy aircraft dived away back into the clouds. We were later informed that Do17 was crying SOS with a leaking petrol tank and did not reach his base.
Flotta AA guns open fire on single plane
AA guns open fire on single plane, which is later shot down by fighters.
Flotta: Heavy anti-aircraft battery 'F1' machine-gunned by German plane. No casualties.
Flotta: 99 LAA Battery report that fluted nails were dropped by German plane from c. 3500ft. When examined, they are thought to be fragments from a plane "as they cannot be considered as an effective missile." No bombs dropped in 1st raids. More raids expected - enemy aircraft off Wick was sending detailed reconnaissance and weather reports to Germany."
Source: @Ness_Battery