u ary ▁to ▁attack ▁R AF ▁Horn ch urch ▁on ▁the ▁Es sex ▁shore : ▁the ▁ra id ▁was ▁broken ▁up ▁by ▁ 2 8 ▁and ▁ 3 7 ▁AA ▁B de , ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁f igh ters ▁of ▁No . ▁ 1 1 ▁Group ▁R AF ▁attacked . ▁Follow - up ▁ra ids ▁were ▁marked ▁for ▁the ▁f igh ters ▁by ▁' pointer ' ▁r ounds ▁of ▁H AA ▁fire . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁September ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁German ▁aircraft ▁attacked ▁Ma id stone , ▁Big gin ▁Hill , ▁Ken ley ▁and ▁Ch ath am ; ▁operating ▁in ▁coord ination ▁with ▁the ▁f igh ters , ▁the ▁guns ▁broke ▁up ▁the ▁form ations ▁and ▁claimed ▁four ▁aircraft ▁shot ▁down , ▁but ▁the ▁air fields ▁at ▁Big gin ▁Hill ▁and ▁Ken ley ▁were ▁badly ▁hit . ▁Next ▁day ▁a ▁mass ▁ra id ▁arrived ▁over ▁the ▁Med way ▁and ▁fle w ▁up ▁the ▁Th ames ▁towards ▁Horn ch urch . ▁They ▁came ▁under ▁heavy ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁ 3 . 7 s ▁and ▁ 4 . 5 s ▁of ▁ 2 8 ▁and ▁ 3 7 ▁AA ▁B des ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁were ▁claimed ▁as ▁shot ▁down ▁before ▁the ▁f igh ters ▁took ▁over . ▁On ▁ 7 ▁September ▁heavy ▁ra ids ▁up ▁the ▁est u ary ▁attacked ▁oil ▁wh ar ves ▁at ▁Th ames h aven , ▁T il bury ▁D ock s ▁and ▁W ool wich ▁Ar sen al : ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 5 ▁German ▁aircraft