A German Heinkel He 111 bomber over the Surrey Commercial Docks

A German Heinkel He 111 bomber over the Surrey Commercial Docks 1940 United Kingdom Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London » Southwark » Surrey Docks

This striking aerial photograph—likely taken by Royal Air Force reconnaissance—captures the silhouette of a Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 as it crosses over the Surrey Commercial Docks on the south bank of the Thames. The curved arms of the docks and rows of quayside warehouses lie laid out below the bomber’s dark outline, underscoring the strategic importance of London’s riverside trade infrastructure during the early Blitz. The image freezes the moment when industrial heartlands became targets in the Battle of Britain, reminding us of the high‑stakes cat-and-mouse between German raiders and British observers above the city.