UK Airfield attacks during WWII

Lincolnshire was far from exempt. North Coates about half a dozen times and Donna Nook at least twice

Wombleton was also attacked during Operation Gisela 3/4th March 1945:-

Wombleton

4.3.45

17 Aircraft detailed for day flying from 1666 H.C.U. 4 A/S. and bombing, 3 dual and solo F/A, 1 initial bombing, 2 radar dems., 7 cross countries. Six aircraft detailed for night flying – 3 dual and solo, 1 N.F.A. 2 check solo bombing.

Excitement during the early morning hours ran high at Wombleton when the Luftwaffe paid us a visit. An intruder warning came at 0055 hours and we managed to get all aircraft down but two before the scram warning was given. The red warning lasted for two hours. During this warning at 0120 hours one intruder made one pass at the airfield and let off a burst of cannon fire, but inflicted no damage. Hostile pilots crossed over the airfield on several occasions and there was considerable firing around the boundaries.

The white warning came at 0245 hours, one of the sweepstake aircraft was returning to base and the other was to return from Leeming where it had landed. About two minutes after the former aircraft landed a lone intruder jumped us and made four passes at the control tower and the landmark beacon. All lights were doused between the first and second pass. The first burst of cannon fire cut all outside telephone lines. There were no other incidents after this and our second aircraft remained at Leeming overnight.

We amassed a grand total of 7 hours flying to-day. The programme was very light and cross countries were cancelled. Telephone wires broken in the early morning were repaired during the afternoon. We had an intruder warning shortly after 2000 hours but this district was not affected and the night was very quiet.

The AHB nomograph on the BoB lists the following (I’ve omitted the RDF attacks and some aerodromes were attacked several times in a day)

Chief Attacks on airfields 12 Aug – 6 Sept

Lympne 12 August
Manston 12 August
Hawkinge 12 August

Eastchurch 13 August
Detling 13 August

Middle Wallop 14 August
Sealand 14 August

Lympne 15 August
Hawkinge 15 August
Martlesham 15 August
Driffield 15 August
Middle Wallop 15 August
West Malling 15 August

West Malling 16 August
Gosport 16 August
Tangmere 16 August
Brize Norton 16 August

Croydon 18 August
Thorney Island 18 August
Ford 18 August
Gosport 18 August
Kenley 18 August

Manston 24 August
North Weald 24 August

Driffield 25 August
Warmwell 25 August

Debden 26 August
St Eval 26 August

Eastchurch 28 August

Biggin Hill 30 August
Detling 30 August

Debden 31 August
Eastchurch 31 August
Detling 31 August
Croydon 31 August
Hornchurch 31 August
Biggin Hill 31 August

Debden 1 Sept
Biggin Hill 1 Sept
Detling 1 Sept

Gravesend 2 Sept
Lympne 2 Sept
Eastchurch 2 Sept
Detling 2 Sept
Eastchurch 2 Sept
Hornchurch 2 Sept

North Weald 3 Sept

Eastchurch 4 Sept

Biggin Hill 6 Sept

Regards
Ross

I also have a brief report of raids on my local RAF station Henlow detailed in a booklet from the station itself:

first raid of the war on 3pm 11th September 1940, ten bombs dropped but little damage and no casualties. Other raids took place but only one with any casualties: 26th September 1940 by a twin-engine aircraft, in which 6 servicemen where killed.

Anyone have any more information on these raids on Henlow?

E

As it hasn’t yet been mentioned by those better qualified than I to provide details, may I suggest the inclusion of RAF Filton? Several raids were suffered during WW2, the most notorious being that of 25 September 1940, which resulted in 141 deaths and 438 serious injuries. This raid was carried out by 57 Heinkel 111s, which dropped 350 HE and 24 oil bombs and was said to have lasted just 45 seconds.

Filton was, of course, a multiple target for the Luftwaffe due to the location of the Bristol Aeroplane Company works, but it also housed a Sector Ops Room within 10 Group of RAF Fighter Command. Several air raid shelters from the period still survive within the boundary of the (sadly) now-closed Filton Airfield.

RAF West Raynham was another airfield to come under attack from the Luftwaffe during WW2, and one of the hangar doors still bears the scars to this day.
I also believe one of the attackers was downed by the bases own anti aircraft gunners ?!

Rob

An attack on East Kirkby:-

“At 01:45 hours on the 4th March 1945 a Luftwaffe JU-88 intruder aircraft joined the circuit, moments after four Lancasters had landed safely following a raid on Ladburgen. With a ‘scram’ order issued to any remaining aircraft in the area and the runway lighting switched off, the JU-88 was left with no airborne targets and decided to strafe the base with canon and machine gun fire, hitting the Motor Transport section and the 57 Sqn briefing room, where sadly five personnel were severely wounded, one subsequently dying of his injuries.”

http://silksheenphotography.co.uk/resident-aircraft/lancaster-just-jane-gallery-history/

Regards Boscombe Down ; Action Stations 5 : Military airfields of the South West states that the airfield was attacked five times in late 1941 but does not give any specific dates only stating that at least one A&AEE aircraft was destroyed on the ground .

I’m pretty sure Boscombe Down had a visit from the Luftwaffe during World War 2 but have struggled to find anything on net for some reason.

On the day of the Dieppe landing in August 1942 the Luftwaffe sent some aircraft across the channel.

Ford aerodrome was attacked several times by a few bombers and a Fw190. One Boston destroyed, two damaged and two Beaufighters slightly damaged.

A battle damaged Spitfire that had force landed at Shoreham airfield was bombed and strafed but it survived the attack.

“I wonder if many of the Lincolnshire bases had visits from the Luftwaffe ? I imagine range was an issue for
raids without escorting fighters ? In daylight hours anyway.”

I’m pretty sure that Scampton was attacked and bombed and that a German crew who were shot down are buried close-by ?

My local airfield

Feltwell was not without attention from the Luftwaffe, the first recorded attack coming on October 27, 1940 when a hangar was hit. There were five more attacks durmg the first half of 1941 and another hangar was set on fire during a night raid in May. This could well have resulted from enemy intelligence establishing that Feltwell was one of the Bomber Command stations frequently despatching Wellingtons to attack Reich targets.

Thanks for the replies.

I wonder if many of the Lincolnshire bases had visits from the Luftwaffe ? I imagine range was an issue for
raids without escorting fighters ? In daylight hours anyway.

I don’t think there were even that many intruder attacks on returning bombers once they crossed the coast…..possibly due to the state of our night defences later in the war?

But mainly due to the fact that Hitler forbade intruder attacks for much of the war; he felt that German civilian morale would be improved if Bomber Command aircraft fell on Nazi occupied territory.

Wasn’t the worst airfield attack during the Battle-of-Britain the attack on Ford airfield on 18th August 1940…

…at the time Ford was a training airfield for torpedo aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm.

North Weald bombed on the 24th august 1940, 3rd September 1940 and again on the 29th of October.

In Yorkshire Driffield , Linton On Ouse and Thornaby were all attacked and bombed , Driffield very badly on the 15 August 1940 during a large attack on the north east coast of England .

Brooklands (Vickers factory) bombed, 4th September 1940; approx 90 people killed

As a partial (very) 1940 ‘snapshot’, RAF airfields bombed during Battle of Britain:

13/8/40

Eastchurch, Detling

14/8/40

Middle Wallop, Sealand.

15/8/40

Lympne, Hawkinge, Martelsham, Driffield, Middle Wallop, West Malling, Eastchurch

On 16/8/40 (apart from significant attack on Tangmere) we have West Malling, Gosport, Brize Norton

They certainly happened, though I don’t think to a major extent. Gosfield in Essex was actually bombed on the day of its official opening, which must have wound the yanks up a bit. I wonder whether the Kenley raid of August 1940 made the Luftwaffe reluctant to target airfields thus in future – though, of course, that was a special attack in itself.

I don’t think there were even that many intruder attacks on returning bombers once they crossed the coast, though at least some caused real chaos (there’s one such described in “The Last Blitz”) – possibly due to the state of our night defences later in the war?

Will be interesting to watch this thread…

Adrian