Editing Battle of Britain (section)

====Raids on British cities====
On the afternoon of 15 August, ''Hauptmann'' [[Walter Rubensdörffer]] leading ''Erprobungsgruppe'' 210 mistakenly bombed [[Croydon Airport|Croydon airfield]] (on the outskirts of London) instead of the intended target, [[RAF Kenley]].<ref>{{harvnb|Korda|2010|pp=197–198}}</ref> German intelligence reports made the Luftwaffe optimistic that the RAF, thought to be dependent on local air control, was struggling with supply problems and pilot losses. After a raid on [[London Biggin Hill Airport#History|Biggin Hill]] on 18 August, Luftwaffe aircrew said they had been unopposed, the airfield was "completely destroyed", and asked, "Is England already finished?" In accordance with the strategy agreed on 6 August, defeat of the RAF was to be followed by bombing military and economic targets, systematically extending up to the Midlands.{{sfn|Overy|2013|pp=81–82}}

Göring ordered attacks on aircraft factories on 19 August 1940.<ref name="Taylor and Mayer p.74">{{harvnb|Taylor|Mayer|1974|p=74}}</ref> Sixty raids on the night of 19/20 August targeted the aircraft industry and harbours, and bombs fell on suburban areas around London: [[Croydon]], [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]] and [[Municipal Borough of Malden and Coombe|the Maldens]].{{sfn|Overy|2013|p=82}} Night raids were made on 21/22 August on [[Aberdeen]], [[Bristol]] and [[South Wales]]. That morning, bombs were dropped on [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] and [[Wealdstone]], on the outskirts of London. Overnight on 22/23 August, the output of an aircraft factory at [[Filton]] near Bristol was drastically affected by a raid in which Ju 88 bombers dropped over {{cvt|16|LT}} of high explosive bombs. On the night of 23/24 August over 200 bombers attacked the [[Fort Dunlop]] tyre factory in [[Birmingham]], with a significant effect on production. A bombing campaign began on 24 August with the largest raid so far, killing 100 in [[Portsmouth]], and that night, several areas of London were bombed; the [[East End of London|East End]] was set ablaze and bombs landed on central London. Some historians believe that these bombs were dropped accidentally by a group of [[Heinkel He 111]]s which had failed to find their target; this account has been contested.<ref name="19-24aug">Putland, Alan L. [http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0029.html "19 August – 24 August 1940."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091210220107/http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0029.html |date=10 December 2009 }} ''Battle of Britain Historical Society''. Retrieved: 12 August 2009.</ref>

More night raids were made around London on 24/25 August, when bombs fell on Croydon, [[Banstead]], [[Lewisham]], [[Uxbridge]], [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] and [[Hayes, Hillingdon|Hayes]]. London was on red alert over the night of 28/29 August, with bombs reported in [[Finchley]], [[St Pancras, London|St Pancras]], [[Wembley]], [[Wood Green]], [[Southgate, London|Southgate]], [[Old Kent Road]], [[Mill Hill]], [[Ilford]], [[Chigwell]] and [[Hendon]].{{sfn|Overy|2013|pp=82–83}}