by JoeyCape » Tue Feb 07, 2006 1:23 am
Found the following "Home Security Reports" from the summer of 1940 on the RAF website.
Date: 17 July 1940
Four raids were plotted off the Scottish Coast and Orkneys. One crossed from Peterhead to the west Coast and dropped bombs at Ardeer ICI factory doing little damage. Of the remainder two carried out a reconnaissance of the Orkneys at 0721 hours and were intercepted but without successful results.
Considerable damage was done to the ICI works at Ardeer (Ayrshire) but there is no serious interference with production.
Date: 19 July 1940
One raid of two Do17s crossed the coast north of Aberdeen and bombed Glasgow at 1013 hours. 42 people were injured.
Several raids appeared north of Harwich as far as Aberdeen and minelaying is suspected at various places along the coast including the Hull area, Firth of Forth and a number of aircraft crossed to the Firth of Clyde, presumably minelaying. Bombs are reported dropped north west of Kilmarnock and Abbotsinch.
At about 1040 hours on the 19th July, 8 HE were dropped in the Govan and Scotstoun areas of Glasgow. Tenements were seriously damaged and an occupied communal shelter was blown up. Windows of the Royal Ordnance Factory, Cardonald, were broken by splinters and blast, but the factory was not otherwise damaged.
At 0120 hours on July 20th bombs were dropped at Abbotsinch Aerodrome (Renfrew).
Date: 24 July 1940
At 0630 hours, hostile aircraft appeared over Glasgow and bombed the Hillington district where a printing works was seriously damaged. Some windows of the Rolls Royce factory were broken and a few minor casualties are reported. This aircraft was intercepted and it is reported that the rear gunner was killed and one engine put out of action. The enemy aircraft dived into clouds and was lost but it is doubtful if it will reach home. In the afternoon, several reconnaissances were plotted in the Aberdeen area.
At 0640 hours, an attack was made by a single enemy aircraft on the Scottish Industrial Estate, Hillington, Glasgow, where 4 HE and 40 Ibs did considerable damage. A small printing and stationary factory was almost destroyed and a sugar and oilcake factory was damaged. Many windows were broken. Casualties were confined to 18 injured, one seriously.
With reference to the report of 24th July, it is now reported that a further six HE bombs one unexploded were dropped in the Glasgow area in open fields by an aircraft which had arrived without being plotted. This was at 0640 hours on the 24th July. On the previous day an unidentified aircraft was over Glasgow and not plotted until over the city.