It was the greatest assault that the Luftwaffe has yet thrown at Britain – waves of Junkers 87 dive-bombers escorted by singled-engine Messerschmitt 109 and twin-engine 110s – but the RAF sent the attackers back to Europe with their tails between their legs. Fighter Command claimed that 53 German planes were shot down, though this figure may be revised.

The attack on the convoy, codenamed Peewit, which was sailing from Southend in Essex to Swanage in Dorset, began before dawn yesterday when a gang of German E-boats launched their torpedoes into the heart of the convoy. A number of vessels were lost in this attack and those that followed.

Peewit made its way along the south coast in the morning and the first wave of dive-bombers attacked the convoy. Around midday, when Peewit was just south of the Isle of Wight, approximately 60 dive-bombers attacked the convoy guarded by a further 50 German aircraft. Pilot Peter Parrot was among the first of the Hurricanes to intercept the German force.

‘Our first view of the convoy near St Catherine’s point was of Ju 87s in their bombing dives,’ he said. ‘Above the Ju 87s were the escorting Me 109s and further to the south-east were two more large formations of enemy aircraft approaching the convoy – a formidable sight.’

There were at least three main waves that came in to attack the convoy during the afternoon, each one consisting of approximately 100 aircraft.

A Squadron Leader of one of the Hurricane squadrons sent to intercept the enemy aircraft, said that the sky over the convoy was ‘literally black’ with German bombers and fighters.

Spitfires and Hurricanes intercepted them and local observers saw dog-fights all over the sky. Enemy losses were first estimated as being 53 planes, though later estimates suggest that 16 were definitely shot down and a further 18 badly damaged. 16 RAF aircraft were shot down, though four pilots from these aircraft survived.

This joint Admiralty and RAF communiqué was issued last night:

‘Enemy attacks on one of our convoys in the Channel were made in the dark hours early this morning by E boats. During these attacks one E boat was sunk and another damaged. Three coasting vessels in the convoy were struck by torpedoes and sank.

‘Air attacks on this convoy began this morning and were renewed at intervals throughout the day. The results of the enemy bombing attacks are not fully known, but several ships have received considerable damage, the extent of which it has not yet been possible to ascertain.

‘A number of survivors and injured have already been landed.

‘The attacking enemy forces consisted of large numbers of dive bombers accompanied by single and twin-engine fighters. As each attack developed, the enemy formations were heavily engaged by squadrons of RAF fighters.’