Since the early hours of 8 August 1940, Convoy CW9 ‘Peewit’ had been harried by E-Boats and Stuka attacks in the English Channel. In late afternoon, off the Isle of Wight, the convoy came in for more Stuka punishment – although not without cost to the raiders, as Andy Saunders explains.
SECOND WORLD WAR
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
When an incoming raid was plotted off Le Havre by the Chain Home radar system at 15:34 hours on 8 August 1940 it was clear that, once more, the Luftwaffe’s intentions were directed towards Convoy CW9 ‘Peewit’ which had been attacked and harried relentlessly since the early hours by both E-Boat and air attack. Immediately, the fighter controllers sent off the Hurricanes of 43 Sqn from Tangmere and Spitfires of 152 Sqn from Warmwell, with orders for 43 to proceed at once to convoy ‘Peewit’ with 152 headed for Weymouth Bay.
As the threat grew more immediate, so the controller bolstered his forces over ‘Peewit’ by sending off 145 Sqn at 16:00, with 238 Sqn being called on at 16:20 – the former being sent towards the Isle of Wight and 238 Sqn following 152 Squadron down into Weymouth Bay. Earlier that day, the controller had got caught getting squadrons in place over the convoy early enough…
