Bomber Heinkel He 111 during Battle of Britain 1940
The Heinkel He 111 played a pivotal, yet ultimately ill-fated, role as the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s bomber arm during the Battle of Britain in 1940. This campaign marked the “swansong of the He 111 as a daylight bomber over Western Europe”, as its inherent weaknesses were brutally exposed against the formidable RAF Fighter Command.
Following significant losses during the French campaign, where nearly 300 He 111s were lost or written-off between May 10 and June 22, 1940, the aircraft’s “inherently weak armament and armour” were already identified as its “Achilles’ heel”. Despite some measures to increase defensive armament to six machine guns and add armor protection for the pilot and gunners, these proved insufficient.
The Battle of Britain “officially” commenced on July 10, 1940, and the He 111s were primarily employed in armed reconnaissance sweeps and small-scale raids on British southern and eastern coastal areas and major ports. Casualties began almost immediately, with a machine of 7./KG 53 shot down by Hurricanes on July 10, becoming the campaign’s first Heinkel victim. Further losses occurred on July 11 during an attack on Portsmouth, where two KG 55 machines were downed by Hurricanes, and a pair of KG 1 aircraft were also lost. July 12 was the costliest day of the month for Heinkel Gruppen, with five aircraft lost across all three air fleets involved, including machines from KG 26, KG 53, and KG 55 due to Spitfires and Hurricanes.
As the battle progressed, particularly during the critical period of mid-August, He 111 units continued to suffer. On “Adlertag” (Eagle Day), August 13, the sole He 111 loss was a III./KG 27 machine shot into the Channel by Hurricanes. The following day, III./KG 27 faced further attrition, losing five aircraft to Spitfires and Hurricanes over Wales. August 15, known as the “Hardest Day” of the Battle, saw Luftflotte 5’s He 111s from I. and III./KG 26, operating from Norway, “savagely mauled” by RAF fighters, resulting in eight He 111s failing to return, all disappearing into the North Sea. This day, with a total of 12 Heinkel casualties (including three from KGr.100 and one from KG 53), is believed to represent the highest number of Heinkel losses in any single 24-hour period of the Battle. Losses continued in the following days, with KG 55 and KG 53 suffering significantly in raids on Home Counties airfields. By the end of August, 27 more He 111s were lost from day and night operations, with KG 53 bearing the brunt of casualties.
A pivotal moment occurred on the night of August 24/25, when ten He 111s, navigating incorrectly, dropped bombs on London, which Hitler had strictly forbidden as a target. This prompted Churchill to order a retaliatory attack on Berlin, leading to Hitler’s decision to authorize the bombing of London. This strategic shift from targeting RAF airfields to London inadvertently relieved pressure on Fighter Command, which was “near breaking point”.
With the focus shifting to London, He 111 P/H variants began to transition more and more to night operations, a role for which they were considered “far more suited” due to Britain’s initially inadequate nocturnal defenses. Specialized “Pathfinder” units like KGr.100, equipped with He 111H-3s, used advanced radio equipment such as the Knickebein navigation system and later X-Gerät to guide follow-on bombers. The devastating raid on Coventry on November 14, 1940, where 18 He 111H-3s of KGr.100 marked the target for subsequent bombers, was a defining moment of this night Blitz, resulting in massive damage and casualties.
He 111 losses fell significantly during the closing months of 1940 as night operations became more prevalent, as they no longer faced RAF day fighter squadrons. However, some losses still occurred due to crashes, forced-landings, anti-aircraft fire, and blundering into balloon barrages or being intercepted by fledgling British nightfighters. For example, on October 16, a minelayer of 2./KGr.126 was downed by a Defiant nightfighter in the Thames Estuary, and another machine from the same Staffel was brought down by the balloon barrage near Harwich. November 1940 saw a KG 26 He 111’s wing torn off by a balloon cable near London during a mission to Birmingham, killing the entire crew.
By May 1941, as Britain’s night defenses improved, Heinkel losses began to climb again. For instance, during the heavy raid on London on May 10/11, ten He 111s failed to return, with at least half claimed by RAF nightfighters, illustrating the progress of British nocturnal defenses.
Overall, while the He 111 was an integral part of the Luftwaffe’s early successes and adapted to various roles, its vulnerability as a daylight bomber became critically apparent during the Battle of Britain. The heavy attrition forced a strategic shift to night operations, where, supported by advanced navigation aids, it continued to be a significant threat, though eventually facing improving British countermeasures. The campaign ultimately demonstrated that the He 111, despite continuous modifications and its reliability, had been “overtaken by events” and more dangerous opponents.