The Battle of Britain 1940

Order of Battle on September 15th 1940

During the Battle Of Britain, Fighter Command lost 507 aircrew killed (of 14 different nationalities) and 500 wounded, but for the loss of 915 aircraft they destroyed 1733 German planes.

In all the praise given to the Allied pilots who preserved Britain and the free world from Nazi conquest, there has been no more eloquent tribute than that paid by Winston Churchill....,

" Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." 

The Royal Air Force

11 Group / Air Vice Marshal Keith Park / Uxbridge Middlesex

SECTOR

SQN

AIRCRAFT

BASE

COMMANDER

Biggin Hill 72 Spitfire Biggin Hill S/L A.R.Collins
 . 92 Spitfire Biggin Hill S/L F.J.Sanders
  . 66  Spitfire Gravesend S/L R.H.A.Leigh
 . 141 Defiant Biggin Hill S/L W.A.Richardson
North Weald 249 Hurricane North Weald S/L J.Grandy
 . 46 Hurricane Stapleford S/L J.R.MacLachlan
 . 23 Blenheim North Weald S/L G.F.W.Heycock
 . 23 half Beaufighter North Weald S/L G.F.W.Heycock
Kenley 253 Hurricane Kenley S/L E.R.Bitmead
 . 501 Hurricane Kenley S/L H.A.V.Hogan
 . 605 Hurricane Croydon S/L W.M.Churchill
Hornchurch 603 Spitfire Hornchurch S/L G.L.Denholm
 . 41 Spitfire Hornchurch S/L R.C.Lister
 . 222 Spitfire Hornchurch S/L L.H.Hill
 . 600 Blenheim/Beaufighter Hornchurch S/L H.L.Maxwell
Tangmere 213 Hurricane Tangmere S/L D.S.Wilson-McDonald
 . 607 Hurricane Tangmere S/L J.A.Vick
 . 602 Spitfire Westhampnett S/L A.V.R.Johnstone
 . 23 half Blenhein/Beaufighter Ford S/L G.F.W.Heycock
Debden 17 Hurricane Debden S/L A.G.Miller
 . 73 Hurricane Debden S/L M.L.Beytagh
  257 Hurricane Martlesham S/L R.Stanford-Tuck
  25 half Blenheim Martlesham S/L W.W.Loxton
Northolt 1 RCAF Hurricane Northolt S/L E.A.McNab
 . 229 Hurricane Northolt S/L H.J.Maguire
. 303* Hurricane Northolt S/L R.Kellett  
  264 Defiant Northolt S/L G.D.Garvin
  504 Hurricane Hendon S/L J.Sample

* 303 Squadron was the famous and very successful Polish squadron
 

10 Group / Air Vice Marshal Sir Christopher Brand / Box, Wiltshire

 SECTOR

SQN 

AIRCRAFT 

BASE 

COMMANDER 

Filton 79 Hurricane Pembury S/L J.H.Heyworth
Middle Wallop 238 Hurricane Middle Wallop S/L H.Fenton
 . 609 Spitfire Warmwell S/L H.Darley
 . 604 Blenheim/Beaufighter Middle Wallop S/L M.Anderson
 . 152 Spitfire Warmwell S/L P.Devitt
  56 Hurricane Boscome Down S/L H.M.Pinfold
  23 half Blenheim Middle Wallop S/L G.F.W.Heycock
St Eval 234 Spitfire St Eval S/L M.V.Blake
 . 247 Gladiator Roborough F/L H.A.Chater
Exeter 87 Hurricane Exeter/Bilbury S/L R.S.Mills
  601 Hurricane Filton S/L Sir Archibald Hope

 
 

12 Group / Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory / Watnall, Nottinghamshire

SECTOR

SQN

AIRCRAFT

BASE

COMMANDER

Duxford 242 Hurricane Duxford S/L D.Bader
 . 302 Hurricane Duxford S/L W.A.J.Satchell-S/L M.Mumler
  310 Hurricane Duxford S/L G.D.M.Blackwood-S/L A.Hess
  19 Spitfire Fowlmere S/L B.J.E Lane
Coltishall 74 Spifire Wittering S/L A.G (Sailor) Malan
Kirton-in-Lindsay 616 Spitfire Kirton S/L W.Burton
 . 264 half Defiant Kirton S/L G.D.Garvin
Digby 151 Hurricane Digby Not known at this stage
 . 611 Spitfire Digby S/L J.McCoomb
 . 29 Blenheim/Beaufighter Digby S/L S.Widdows
Wittering 1 Hurricane Wittering S/L D.A.Pemberton
 . 266 Spitfire Wittering None. S/L P.Jamison 17-9-40
Church Fenton 85 Hurricane Church Fenton S/L P.W.Townsend
 . 306* Hurricane Church Fenton Not known at this stage
 . 64 Spitfire Leconfield S/L D.McDonnell

* 306 Squadron flew only one squadron that was operational.
 

13 Group / Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul / Newcastle, Northumberland

SECTOR

SQN

AIRCRAFT

BASE

COMMANDER

Catterick 54 Spitfire Catterick F/L F.P.L.Dunworth
 . 219 half Blenheim/Beaufighter Catterick S/L J.H.Little
Usworth 43 Hurricane Usworth None. S/L T.Dalton from 16-9-40
 . 32 Hurricane Acklington S/L M.N.Crossley
 . 610 Spitfire Acklington S/L J.Ellis
  219 half Blenheim Acklington S/L J.H.Little
Turnhouse 3 Hurricane Turnhouse S/L S.F.Godden
 . 65 Spitfire Turnhouse S/L A.L.Holland
 . 141 Defiant Turnhouse S/L W.A.Richardson
  111  Hurricane Drem S/L J.M.Thompson
  263 Hurricane/Whirlwind Drem S/L T.P.Pugh
Dyce 145 Hurricane Dyce/Montrose S/L J.R.A.Peel
Wick 232 Hurricane Sumburgh F/L M.M.Stephens
Aldergrove 245 Hurricane Aldergrove S/L E.W.Whitley

*This squadron later converted over to Whirlwind aircraft.

The Luftwaffe Order of Battle at 7th September 1940  

LUFTFLOTTE 2 based in France north of the Seine, Belgium and Holland

 

Messerschmitt Bf 109 single engined fighter 

GRUPPE

AIRCRAFT

AVAILABLE

BASE

1/JG 3 Bf 109E 14 Pas de Calais
11/JG 3 Bf 109E 21 Pas de Calais
111/JG 3 Bf 109E 23 Pas de Calais
1/JG 26 Bf 109E 20 Pas de Calais
Stab JG 1 Bf 109E 3 Pas de Calais
Stab JG 3 Bf 109E 3 Pas de Calais
Stab JG 26 Bf 109E 3 Pas de Calais
11/JG 26 Bf 109E 28 Northern France
111/JG 26 Bf 109E 26 Northern France
Stab JG 27 Bf 109E 4 Etaples
1/JG 27 Bf 109E 27 Etaples
11/JG 27 Bf 109E 33 Montreuil
111/JG 27 Bf 109E 27 Sempy
Stab JG 51 Bf 109E 4 St Omer
1/JG 51 Bf 109E 33 St Omer
11/JG 51 Bf 109E 13 St Omer
111/JG 51 Bf 109E 31 Pas de Calais
1/JG 52 Bf 109E 17 Laon/Couvron
Stab JG 52 Bf 109E 1 Laon/Couvron
11/JG 52 Bf 109E 23 Pas de Calais
111/JG 52 Bf 109E 16 Pas de Calais
Stab JG 54 Bf 109E 2 Northern France
1/JG 54 Bf 109E 23 Southern Holland
11/JG 54 Bf 109E 27 Southern Holland
111/JG 54 Bf 109E 23 Southern Holland
1/JG 77 Bf 109E 40 Northern France

 

Messerschmitt Bf 110 twin engined fighters

GRUPPE

AIRCRAFT

AVAILABLE

BASE

Stab ZG 2 Bf 110 N/A Not Known
1/Zg 2 Bf 110 10 Amiens and Caen
11/ZG 2 Bf 110 10 Guyancourt/Caudran
Stab ZG 26 Bf 110 3 Not Known
1/ZG 26 Bf 110 14 Abbeville
11/ZG 26 Bf 110 17 Crecy-en-Ponthieu
111/ZG 26 Bf 110 17 Barley and Arques
V(Z)LG 1 Bf 110 19 Ligescourt
Erprobungsgruppe 210 Bf 110 / Bf 109E 17 Denain

 

Long Range Reconnaissance Aircraft

GRUPPE

AIRCRAFT

AVAILABLE

BASE

1(F)/ 22 Do 17 and Bf 110 9 Lille
1(F)/ 122 Ju 88 3 Holland
2(F)/ 122 Ju 88 and He 111 9 Brussels/Melsbruek
3(F)/ 122 Ju 88 and He 111 10 Einhoven
4(F)/ 122 Ju 88, He 111 and Bf 110 9 Brussels
5(F)/ 122 Ju 88 and He 111 11 Haute-Fontaine

 

Luftwaffe Bomber Units

GRUPPE/AIRCRAFT

AIRCRAFT

AVAILABLE

BASE

I/KG 1 He 111     Montdidier
II/KG 1 He 111     Montdidier
III/KG 1 He 111     Rosieres-en-Santerre
I/KG 2 Do 17     Epinoy
II/KG 2 Do 17     Arras
III/KG 2 Do 17     Cambrai
I/KG 3 Do 17     Le Culot
II/KG 3 Do 17     Antwerp/Deurne
III/KG 3 Do 17     St Truiden
I/KG 4 He 111     Soesterberg
II/KG 4 He 111     Eindhoven
III/KG 4 Ju 88     Amsterdam/Schipol
I/KG 53 He 111     Lille
II/KG 53 He 111     Lille
III/KG 53     Lille
I/KG 76 Do 17     Beauvais
II/KG 76 Ju 88     Creil
III/KG 76     Cormeilles-en- Vexin

 
 
 

 

 

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