KG 2 bomb Eastchurch

At Eastchurch five Coastal Command Blenheims of 32 Sqn, 266 Sqn's ammunition and one of their Spitfires - on loan to CC - were destroyed. There is as direct hit on the Operations Room. 12 people are killed and 40 injured. There are 50 bomb craters on the field.

As the raiders made for home 111 and 151 Sqns attacked them, downing five and damaging several more. Involved in this action was Flt/Lt R.L. Smith of 151 Sqn in the first experimental Hurricane armed with 20mm cannon (L1750) who claimed one kill and one damaged.

DATE	(C)	13th August
FLIGHT & SQN & SECTION	(D)	??? 151 - Blue One
No of E/A and Type	(E & F)	Fifty Plus - Dorner 215s & 17s
Time of attack	(G)	06.45
Place "  "	(H)	15 miles ENE of Manston
Height of Enemy	(J)	8,000 ft approx
Enemy Casualties (and classification)	(K)	One Dornier 215 (caught fire) ????? confirmed by Sgt Clarke
Our Casualties (A/C)	(L)	Nil
(Pilots)	(M)
Fire from fighters estimated	(P)	2 Cannons only Range opened 300yds Length of Burst 4secs Range Closed 100yds No. of rounds Unknown
General Report	(R)
I was leading three sections of 151 Squadron (Blue, Yellow, Green) - the C.O & Reds having been separated coming through the clouds from Rochford due to the turning to get into the patrol, which was was ordered for 12 miles South of Manston. The clouds were from 3000 to 5000 ft, with continuous layers everywhere, with a small gap over towards Dunkirk, ??? ??? so that it was difficult to maintain position. At approximately 06.25 (guessed) I heard ??? base(?) tell the CO to make for E/A which were 20 miles S.E. of Manston, so proceeded there myself with ??? ??? Red section. P/O Ramsey reported "aircraft at 4 o'clock after 5 minutes and I saw 3 formations of aircraft stepped up at abut 5 miles to starboard, going North ??? 8,000 ft. Assuming the rear of the squadron to be twin-engine fighters, I ??? spent ten minutes or more positioning myself ??? into the sun and at 16000 ft and about two miles astern. I ordered the attack, telling my aircraft (which I hoped were all there, although one section was not visible in my mirror, and my no. 3 could not keep up) to dive through the enemy formation and into the clouds, (as I assumed the rear squadron were Me 110's, and ¾ of my pilots were new) I opened fire at 300yds with my cannons, firing into the general mass, as the enemy were in exceptionally close formation. One immediately burst into flames and another ??? started smoking when my windscreen front panel was completely shattered by enemy fire, and I broke away downwards & returned to North Weald. R.L.Smith F/Lt.

Taken from AIR 50/63/98 which is a low quality scan of a handwritten report that in places is hard to decipher.