Day 401 October 5, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 88. The weather improves, with some sunny periods, and Luftwaffe resumes bombing raids up to 150 aircraft (mainly fighters supporting smaller numbers of bombers). Between 9.30 AM and 4 PM, 4 raids cross the Straits of Dover into Kent and there are raids across the Channel towards Southampton at 1.30 PM and 5.15 PM. Luftwaffe loses 2 bombers and 20 fighters while RAF has 9 fighters shot down (only 2 pilots killed). There is again widespread bombing on a small scale overnight (including Portland Naval base which is bombed at 8.35 PM). London is heavily bombed, starting a large fire at the West India Dock on the River Thames in the East End of London.

Italian submarine Nani sinks British armed boarding trawler HMT Kingston Sapphire in the Atlantic, 20 miles South of Cadiz, Spain (3 killed, survivors rescued by a Spanish trawler and landed at Huelva, Spain). Lieutenant Commander Browne, captain of British submarine HMS Regent, uses the unusual technique of ramming to sink Italian steamer Maria Grazia in the Adriatic Sea, 10 miles off the coast of Italy near Bari. Submarine HMS Tigris attacks an Italian submarine (possibly Glauco class submersible torpedo boat Otario) without success in the Bay of Biscay.