For the Luftwaffe this was “Black Thursday”, as it deployed major forces to attack airfields and Chain Home stations, while seeking to bring up Fighter Command to battle. The Germans suffered casualties on a large scale.

Once again, faulty intelligence was part of the problem. Believing that Fighter Command was not in a position to resist in the area, a significant force was sent to north east England from airfields in Norway and Denmark. The mistake became apparent off the Farne Islands when Flight Lieutenant Ted Graham led the Spitfires of No 72 Squadron into action. Other squadrons joined in.

In the south the Stukas suffered. While trying to escape from RAF fighters, one struck power lines and crashed in Shornecliffe Crescent, Folkestone. Unteroffiziers Weber and Krauss died. A few years ago signs of the damage to property could still be detected.

A sense of great events reached 10 Downing Street. John Colville, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, noted that the reports of enemy losses “kept on mounting”. Eventually, that evening, Mr Churchill described today, 15 August as, “one of the greatest days in history.”