Thursday 31 October 1940

British Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft (bottom) flying past a German Heinkel He-111 bomber (top) during the Battle of Britain. Since the Spitfire is trailing smoke, it may be in trouble itself. Bombers shot down a lot of fighters.

Overview: Today, 31 October 1940, is when the British officially view the Battle of Britain as ending (date first established by a British Air Ministry pamphlet published in 1941). Just as their start date of 10 July 1940 is somewhat arbitrary, so too is this date. The Luftwaffe attacks continue, and the Germans retain the initiative throughout the winter. On the other hand, the likelihood of an invasion in 1940 has ended long ago, and there are few prospects for one in 1941. Hitler's wandering eye and strategic obligations to his allies, and the continuing inability of Fighter Command to subdue the Royal Air Force, rules out any kind of a repeat of the opportunities so briefly afforded during the summer of 1940. There was a brief window of opportunity to conquer England, and he walked right by it.

The ironic thing about the battle ending now is that the Germans finally have figured out a coherent strategy which, if pursued long enough and with enough vigor, conceivably could turn the battle in their favor. Fighter-bomber (Jabo) raids during the day and medium bomber waves at night is a winning formula - given the right targets. Combined with a heightened U-boat campaign, the battle conceivably could still turn in Germany's favor. Churchill always maintains that the real threat to England, the thing that worries him the most, is the economic strangulation posed by the U-boats. However, Hitler knows that his strength lies on land, not at sea and that quite accurate belief, ironically, will be his downfall.

This is a mapping based on data from original bomb census maps of bombs dropped on London during the Blitz. For the map's purposes (and not the RAF's) the Blitz is calculated to last from 10 July 1940 through 6 June 1941 (which is far more representative of damage caused than ending it at the end of October 1940). The map is interactive and shows the entirety of London, quite good fun to play with if you are interested in the Battle of Britain.

Estimates for losses during the Battle of Britain (as defined by the British) vary wildly. If you were to take accounts from the media of the day, German losses would be several times what their records establish them to be. However, there is no question that the RAF soundly trounced the Luftwaffe over England.

• Luftwaffe losses (approximate): 1733-2200 planes, 3893 men
• RAF losses (reasonably certain): 544-828 planes 1007 men

These figures, incidentally, are constantly changing. I have seen figures as high as 1100+ for RAF planes lost. Generally, more recent figures have the loss ratio much closer than earlier figures. Eventually, historians easily could conclude that both sides lost the same numbers of planes - the figures have changed that much. If I can make a parenthetical observation, it is extremely unlikely that the Luftwaffe lost 2000 planes, considering that they only began the campaign with about that many planes (some estimates say 2800) and the German factories were hardly producing fast enough at this time to cover those kinds of losses. Many planes made it back to France smoking like a chimney but were repaired and sent up again. So, to be realistic, it is probably wise to take any official estimates and ratchet up the RAF losses and ratchet down the Luftwaffe ones.

However - and this is a huge "however" - the Luftwaffe lost the vast majority of pilots and aircrew that were shot down (yes, some were picked up by the very efficient Luftwaffe He-59 air-sea rescue crews). The RAF lost a much smaller fraction of its personnel to death and severe injury. This was the real damage to the Luftwaffe, not the number of planes lost (many of which would soon have been replaced by better models anyway). The Luftwaffe was never really short of planes, even during the war's last days: the constraining factors were trained pilots and, most importantly, fuel. Losing all those great pilots was the real cost to Germany of the battle - well, that and the anger from Hades unleashed upon them by killing so many civilians essentially to no purpose.

To the British side of the loss-ledger should be added the cities ruined, the civilian lives lost, the businesses destroyed, the families separated, the ships sunk, the bombers lost over Europe, and many other costs to which the war summaries pay lip service. The Luftwaffe dropped over 35,000 tons of bombs on Great Britain. London was attacked 19 times by 18,800 tons of bombs, razing 16,000 houses, damaging 130,000 others and making 60,000 uninhabitable. The worst area hit was the East End. All of this damage to England evens the "score" between the two sides somewhat, but destroying houses and killing women and children brought the Luftwaffe no closer to victory and made any talk of peace talks political suicide in England.

The Battle of Britain was won by the pilots, and they came from throughout the British Empire. 595 of the RAF pilots were non-British:

• 145 pilots from Poland
• 127 from New Zealand
• 112 from Canada
• 88 from Czechoslovakia
• 28 from Belgium
• 32 from Australia
• 25 from South Africa
• 13 from France
• 10 from Ireland
• 7 from America
• 1 from each of Jamaica, Palestine, and Rhodesia.

It should be noted that virtually everyone then and now agrees that the best RAF pilots during the Battle of Britain were the Polish pilots who escaped before their country's surrender.

The most successful pilots of the Battle of Britain were Werner Molders and Adolf Galland of the Luftwaffe, both of whom had 50 victories to their credit (some earned previously) by the battle's conclusion. On the RAF side, Eric Stanley Lock had 21 victories by 31 October 1940 (he wound up with 26 confirmed and 8 probable kills). James Lacey - often erroneously reported as the top ace of the Battle of Britain - only shot down 18 during the battle itself. He wound up with 28 kills and four probable kills by 1945. Lacey's greatest feat was, like Galland, to be on duty on both the first day of the war and the last.

Eric Stanley Lock. This photo was taken sometime between 14 July 1941 and 3 August 1941; on the former date, Lock was credited with his 26th kill, and on the latter, he went missing off Calais after being forced down in the Channel by ground fire. Most likely, he had this photo taken immediately after his 26th victory to commemorate it.

Battle of Britain: During the day itself, the weather is rough and little takes place. In fact, it is one of the quietest days since the campaign began. The day is occupied by reconnaissance and occasional raids, primarily on airfields at Bassingbourn, Poling, Lawford Heath, and Martlesham. The raids are primarily by lone "pirate" bombers and don't accomplish much.

The Royal Ordnance Factory at Glascoed, the British Portland Cement Company, and The Repairable Equipment Ltd Factory all took damage. The raids are so scattered and sparse that Fighter Command can't even vector in any fighters for a confrontation - the bombers slip in and out.

After dark, London and the Midlands are bombed, and mines are dropped in the Thames Estuary. The winds are so bad that they blow the German bombers off course. This causes most of the bombers to miss London - which shows how strong the winds. Other attacks on Birmingham also achieve little. London is bombed throughout the night, but sporadically, and only by a handful of bombers at a time.

For the first time in four months, neither side takes any combat casualties. The weather, though, does take something from both sides, so generally, it is accepted that the Luftwaffe lost 2 planes today in weather-related incidents and the RAF one.

A Spitfire making a pass by a Dornier Do 17 during the Battle of Britain.

Italian/Greek Campaign: In the vital Pindus Mountains sector in the center of the line, the Italian troops struggle forward through the snow and icy rain. Their first objective (40 km off their initial front) is the town of Vovousa, which they have not yet reached and is only a stepping-stone to the key Greek supply crossroads of Metsovo. The Greek line is stabilizing and giving ground grudgingly. On the coastal sector, the Italians are still moving forward to reestablish contact with the Greeks who have withdrawn to the Kalpaki Line. At this point, the Italians are still giving the North African front priority over the Albanian one.

Most histories state that this is the day that the Italian advance "stalls." That is a little premature. Greek resistance is stiffening, but the Italians are still moving forward in the central and coastal sectors.

The British land forces on the islands of Lemnos and Crete.

Greek destroyers Spetsai and Psara, operating out of Patras, cruise up to Albania and bombard Italian positions there using their 120 mm guns. This incident and the looming presence of the Royal Navy (the British Mediterranean Fleet is operating to the south) helps to cause Italy to scrub its projected operation to occupy Corfu (there are other reasons as well, such as troops being diverted to other operations).


European Air Operations: There is no bombing activity by the RAF out of England owing to the poor weather. RAF Bomber Command in Egypt, however, stretches its operations to the maximum (so far) and bombs oil installations in Naples, Italy. Coastal Command attacks enemy shipping off Norway.

Battle of the Atlantic: Convoy stragglers are ships that have difficulty maintaining convoy speed (which already is slower than many captains would like, usually 5-10 knots). The convoy system is having a Darwinian effect on shipping, eliminating older and poorly maintained ships at the expense of newer, faster ships.

U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz), the "Edelweisseboot," is on its second patrol out of Lorient when it finds a straggler to Convoy HX 82 west of the Outer Hebrides. She torpedoes and sinks 1437 ton British bauxite/sundries freighter Rutland. There are 25-29 deaths (accounts vary) - all of her crew.

Royal Navy trawler HMT Wardour hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea. The 12 crew survive and are picked up by HMS Douglas.

Royal Navy motor torpedo boat MTB 16 (Lt P. F. S. Gould) hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. Another motor torpedo boat, MTB 22, is damaged.

British 1535 ton collier Hillfern hits a mine (apparently, or maybe it was a Luftwaffe attack, in the foul weather nobody is sure) and sinks about 35 miles off Kinnaird Head/Buchanness. There are 8 deaths.

German 433 ton trawler Aldebaran hits a mine and sinks in the Baltic near Liepāja, Estonia.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 5702-ton British freighter Starstone.

German raider Widder (Captain Helmuth von Ruckteschell), running on greatly reduced power due to issues with its engines, arrives at Brest after a long journey home. The Widder has had a very successful cruise, sinking 10 ships of 58,645 tons.

There are a couple of incidents that illustrate the complicated nature of Anglo/Gallic relations at the moment.

French destroyers Brestois, Bordelais, Simoun, Tempete and L'Alcyon sail through the Straits of Gibraltar to the Atlantic. HMS Griffin shadows the French flotilla, and Force H, led by battleship HMS Barham, leaves Gibraltar. The Admiralty is concerned that they might turn north toward England, but instead, they turn south and Force H returns to port.

French 5205 ton transport Congo, having departed on the 24th, is en route from Fort de France bound for Casablanca. It has aboard 1206 French naval officers and 53 other passengers. Royal Navy AMC Moreton Bay intercepts it and orders it to Freetown. The 1259 men on board, though, eventually are allowed to proceed to Casablanca by other means.

German battlecruiser Admiral Scheer leaves Stavanger, Norway to break out into the Atlantic.

German supply ship Rio Grande departs from Rio de Janeiro to replenish raider Thor and then head for France. She has to elude the Neutrality patrols and the Royal Navy.

Convoy OB 237 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FS 324 departs from Methil, Convoy HG 46 (51 ships) departs from Gibraltar.

During the month of October 1940, Allied losses due to U-boats and mines increase, while losses to surface raiders and aircraft decrease:

• Sunk by U-boat: 352,407
• Sunk by Aircraft: 8752
• Sunk by Raider: 32134
• Sunk by Mine: 32548

There is one U-boat lost. The month of October is considered perhaps the height of the first U-boat "Happy Time" of the war, exemplified by the catastrophes of Convoys SC 7 and HX 79.

To the Atlantic losses should be added 4 Allied ships of 24,721 tons lost elsewhere (including the Mediterranean).

At the end of the month, the Royal Navy has 50 destroyers under repair at various facilities including Portsmouth, Plymouth, the Tyne, the Humber, Rosyth, and Malta. This, coincidentally, is the same number of destroyers obtained from the US in the destroyers-for-bases deal.

U-74 (Kapitänleutnant Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat) is commissioned.

Royal Navy corvette HMCS Trillium (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Harris, RCNR)  is commissioned.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder (Lt. Malcolm D. Wanklyn) is commissioned.

Nehru in prison.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian bombers attack the British base at Mersa Matruh with 26 bombers escorted by 37 fighters. The RAF also attacks Italian airfields.

South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts is flying home from a conference in Sudan when RAF fighters mistake his plane for Italian and attack it. The plane lands safely in Kenya.

The British establish the Combined Bureau in Cairo. It is staffed by specialists from Bletchley Park to handle Ultra decrypts, which are closely guarded.

Axis shipping losses for October 1940 in the Mediterranean are:

• 6 Axis ships (all Italian);
• 19,968 tons

The government of Malta reports on the results of the war during its first four months of the war with Italy. It finds that there have been distinct phases in the battle:

• First Stage: Italian SM 79 bombers attacked without escorts;
• Second Stage: Italian fighters made sweeps without bombers;
• Third Stage: Day bombings resumed with fighter escorts, including by Stuka dive-bombers.

Air activity, the reports also states, died down completely in October.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Pinguin continues laying mines between Australia and Tasmania. It lays 40 mines off Hobart. Meanwhile, converted minelayer Passat lays another 40 mines in the Bass Strait.

India: The British government continues to crack down on Nationalists who are engaging in coordinated nonviolent protests. Jawaharlal Nehru gives a speech, is arrested, and ultimately is sentenced to four years of hard labor.

China: At the continuing Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army is under pressure and retreats to Chinhsien for evacuation to Hainan Island.

President Franklin Roosevelt dedicates the new National Institute of Health campus at Bethesda, Maryland.

October 1940

October 1, 1940: Wait Daddy October 2, 1940: Hitler's Polish Plans
October 3, 1940: British Cabinet Shakeup
October 4, 1940: Brenner Pass Meeting
October 5, 1940: Mussolini Alters Strategy
October 6, 1940: Iron Guard Marches
October 7, 1940: McCollum Memo
October 8, 1940: Germans in Romania
October 9, 1940: John Lennon Arrives
October 10, 1940: Führer-Sofortprogramm
October 11, 1940: E-Boats Attack!
October 12, 1940: Sealion Cancelled
October 13, 1940: New World Order
October 14, 1940: Balham Tragedy
October 15, 1940: Mussolini Targets Greece
October 16, 1940: Japanese Seek Oil
October 17, 1940: RAF Shakeup
October 18, 1940: Convoy SC-7 Catastrophe
October 19, 1940: Convoy HX-79 Catastrophe
October 20, 1940: Convoy OB-229 Disaster
October 21, 1940: This Evil Man Hitler
October 22, 1940: Aktion Wagner-Burckel
October 23, 1940: Hitler at Hendaye
October 24, 1940: Hitler and Petain
October 25, 1940: Petain Woos Churchill
October 26, 1940: Empress of Britain Attack
October 27, 1940: Greece Rejects Italian Demands
October 28, 1940: Oxi Day
October 29, 1940: US Draft Begins
October 30, 1940: RAF Area Bombing Authorized
October 31, 1940: End of Battle of Britain

November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020

Thursday 11 July 1940

Ju 87 B Stuka of 9/StG 77, Flers, France, July 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather on 11 July 1940 is iffy, quite overcast in the morning. The Luftwaffe begins its raids at first light, sending lone raiders across the coast between Yarmouth and Flamborough at 06:00. These appear to be probing attacks to stretch out the defense and find any weakness. There are dogfights throughout the day.

At 11:00, the Luftwaffe begins its main attacks. It sends 50 planes - Stukas and Bf 109Es -  against the naval base at Portland and ships offshore near there. The RAF sends up five squadrons. Losses are about equal at 1 Hurricane, 2 Spitfires, 2 Bf 109s, and 2 Stukas.

At 17:00, the Luftwaffe sends in another raid against Portsmouth, causing fires.

At 21:00, yet another raid occurs in South Wales, Somerset, Bristol, Portland, Dorchester, and Plymouth sector.

RAF Bomber Command attacks French airfields.

The RAF chalks up its losses for the day as 3 Hurricanes and 2 Spitfires. Luftwaffe losses are much higher, estimated at 10-12 fighters and 13-25 bombers. Actual numbers of victories and losses is never clear-cut, almost always disputed, and virtually impossible to establish with precision, so estimates vary.


Battle of the Atlantic: U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) continues its successful patrol, torpedoing and sinking independent 2,197-ton Norwegian freighter Janna about 115 southwest of Cape Clear at 07:00. All 25 aboard survive after they sail almost all the way to Ireland when they are spotted by British decoy ship HMS Beauty. The Jannai is a straggler from Convoy HX-54 and was trying to rejoin another convoy but was unable to in deep fog.

Kriegsmarine torpedo boat S.26 sinks 332-ton freighter Mallard off of St. Catherine's Point. Three crew survive and become POWs, six perish.

The Luftwaffe sins 139-ton ship Providentia and damages freighter Kylemount about 10 miles west of Dartmouth and damages British freighters Peru, Eleanor Brooke, and City of Melbourne in Portland Harbor. The German planes also damage Dutch freighter Mies about 7 miles off of Portland.

The British lay a minefield in the North Sea by minelayer Teviotbank assisted by destroyers HMS Express and Esk.

Convoy SL 39F departs Freetown, Convoy HX 57 departs from Halifax.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian submarine Tarantini torpedoes and sinks Panamanian freighter Janna about 60 miles south of Cyprus. The submarine rescues the entire crew.

At Malta, churchgoers spot a "miraculous" result of a recent air raid. A famous statue that is known as "Behold the Man" has its head blown off, sending it to a spot peering out from a hole in the road. It is a rare day without any air raid alerts.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: About 400 miles south of Ceylon, German raider Atlantis sinks 7506-ton British freighter City of Baghdad with gunfire. All but two of the 83 men on board survive and are made prisoners. There is a bit of payback in this sinking because the City of Baghdad was a German ship taken as reparations after World War I.

The Atlantis sends a boarding party to the ship before sinking it which discovers valuable information, including a copy of the British codes and a report showing that the Admiralty knew about the Atlantis. This causes Captain Rogge to have his crew erect two new masts to the Atlantis to alter its appearance.

German/Spanish Relations: German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop asks Spanish leader Francisco Franco to detain the Duke of Windsor, who is heading for the Bahamas via Lisbon but may still be in Spanish territory. The Duke of Windsor is widely suspected of having fascist sympathies, and regardless would be a valuable hostage. It appears, though, that Ribbentrop is a day late and a reichsmark short.

British/Irish Relations: Lord Craigavon announces that Ireland has rejected British overtures for a joint defense arrangement.

British/Ethiopian Relations: British Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Rab Butler announces to the House of Commons that the government recognizes exiled Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie as the legitimate head of state and will restore him to his throne. This contrasts sharply with the government's treatment of exiled King Zog of Albania, recently denied recognition.

Romania: The government quits the League of Nations.

Soviet Union: General Golikov is named to the Head of the Intelligence Directorate of the Stavka (General Staff).

French Government: Prime Minister Philippe Pétain, using the plenary powers granted him by the legislature on the 10th, replaces President Albert François Lebrun with himself as head of state. Rather than appoint himself President, though, Pétain simply abrogates Article 2 of the French Constitutional Laws of 1875, removing the office of President completely.

Former President Lebrun is not formally dismissed, does not resign, and is simply discarded. President Lebrun, uncertain where all this will lead, flees to Vizille. Pierre Laval becomes the new Prime Minister. Pétain also formally abolishes the Republican Constitution of 1875, thereby eliminating the Third Republic, and dismisses the legislature sine die. He also appoints 12 ministers and 12 governors of French provinces.

Pétain begins his "reign" oddly, with a proclamation that begins "Nous, Philippe Pétain." This sort of styling is reminiscent of Louis XIV. This is only the beginning of Pétain's eccentric, autocratic regime. He retains deep affection with the populace, and in any event, they no longer have any say in their own government, as they are not Philippe Petain. One can speculate that in a time of great national distress, Pétain at least provides the appearance of rock of strength juxtaposed against the menacing Germans. In some respects, that is true, too, as Hitler wants to coerce and cajole the French leader into cooperate, not anger him into defiance and outright opposition.

German Government: Kriegsmarine Admiral Erich Raeder confers with Hitler at Berchtesgaden about Operation Sealion and Norwegian naval bases, such as the U-boat hub at Bergen. Raeder is of the opinion that the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine alone can defeat Great Britain, and Hitler views an invasion as only a "last resort."

British Government: Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, announces that purchases of US aircraft will be virtually unlimited, with costs coming to about £2 million per day.

Generals Bernard Montgomery and Richard O'Connor are knighted, becoming Companions of the Order of the Bath.

US Government: The government solicits prototypes for a new generic light motor vehicle - what we now call a jeep - from automotive manufacturers. Prototypes must be submitted within 45 days and a pre-production run completed in 75 days.

The USS Witchita continues its "show the flag" trip in Brazil, departing Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil for Santos, Brazil.

Republican William Frank Knox takes over as Secretary of the Navy.

War Crimes: RAF attacks on hospital craft continue. Six Spitfires shoot down a Heinkel seaplane bearing appropriate Red Cross markings off the coast of Kent.

German Homefront: Food flows into the Reich from the occupied territories, easing years of privation.

British Homefront: The government continues imposing the pettiest economy measures, underlining the extremely dire nature of the U-boat blockade. Already it has banned women's high heels and rationed tea; today, Lord Beaverbrook appeals for housewives to contribute aluminum pots and pans "to build spitfires." These measures are not always absolutely necessary given the current economic situation, and certainly not for fighter production, but they gradually impose a sense of wartime discipline on the populace.

British guidebooks and maps are banned, and all in possession of the same must turn them into their local constabularies. This is for fear of spies and parachutists using them.

Ju 87 B Stuka of 9/StG 77, Flers, France, July 1940.

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020

Wednesday 10 July 1940

A No. 19 Squadron Spitfire, 10 July 1940.

Battle of Britain: Today, 10 July 1940, is considered by the British to be the first day of the Battle of Britain. This is despite the fact that there have been growing Luftwaffe attacks since mid-June, and that the "official" Luftwaffe operation did not begin until 13 August. The intensity of the Luftwaffe raids definitely do pick up today, with more mass attacks as opposed to scattered penetrations by small groups of bombers at individual targets.

Up to now, losses of aircraft have been fairly even. On many days, the Luftwaffe has shot down more planes than it lost. However, the scales begin to tip against it now with its new aggressive tactics. This is a day of massive dogfights with the sky full of planes.

A single Luftwaffe Dornier Do 17 escorted by 10 Me109s attacks a convoy off Manston at about 11:00 but is driven off by the RAF. This may be some sort of decoy operation.

There is a Luftwaffe raid by about 25 Dornier Do 17s at about 13:30 on a convoy near Dover. They sink one ship in Convoy "Bread." There is a massive fighter presence by both sides, the RAF sending 5 squadrons to the defense against about dozens of Bf-109Es (sources vary). British lose seven fighters, the Luftwaffe 13 (sources vary, Luftwaffe losses may be significantly lower). There is some cynical belief that this big (and unusual given past results) RAF victory leads to the 10th of July being chosen by the British as the start of the Battle of Britain. Another factor is a change in the weather to clear skies, leading to increased opportunities for attacks.

Another raid sends 60 Junkers Ju 88 bombers against the Falmouth and Swansea docks and the Royal Ordnance Factory at Pembrey in South Wales. The raid kills 60 people. This is a large escalation in the Luftwaffe's land attacks against England.

The Falmouth raid is particularly successful. The damage to the key Falmouth docks is extensive and disrupts merchant operations. 7085-ton British freighter British Chancellor is badly damaged at Falmouth, eventually sinking. The 6499-ton British tanker Tascalusa is sunk at Falmouth, and freighter Mari Chandris, alongside the blazing Tascalusa, apparently was damaged or sunk.

There also is an attack on Martlesham airfield, near Ipswich.

RAF Squadron 310, which is composed of the First Free Czech fighter squadron, forms at Duxford. It will become operational on 17 August, led by Squadron Leader František 'Dolly' Dolezal.

The New York Times, 10 July 1940; "Massed German Planes Raid Britain." Due to the time difference, US publishers can get the "same day" events of Europe into their papers, especially in "Late City Editions" such as this one.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks airfields at St. Omer and Amiens during the day.

The British examine the Bf 109Es which landed in England on the 9th and learn about their armament (they have 2, not 3, cannon as originally thought).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) torpedoes and sinks 4,596-ton Finnish freighter Petsamo just off the Irish coast near Cork at 14:26. There are 34 survivors, and 4 stokers perish in the explosion. The U-boat spends 6 hours getting into firing position and does so just in time before the ship makes landfall.

U-61 (Oberleutnant zur See Jürgen Oesten) fires two torpedoes and sinks 4,533-ton Dutch freighter Alwaki about 10 miles northeast of Cape Wrath, Scotland. All 51 aboard survive. The U-boat is positioned in the middle of two columns of Convoy OA-180. The torpedoes do not explode because the target ship is only 200 meters away, but the inertia of the torpedoes sends them through the hull anyway. Due to the odd nature of the attack, with the U-boat's presence masked by passing ships, the convoy does not even realize that the ship was torpedoed. Sabotage is put down as the likely cause of the holes created in the ship's side.

German raider Widder sinks 6333-ton British freighter Davisan in the middle of the Atlantic about 500 miles off Guadalupe. The Widder takes the crew captive.

The Luftwaffe sinks 1905 ton British freighter Waterloo about three miles off Smith's Knoll Buoy in the North Sea. All aboard survive.

The Luftwaffe damages Dutch freighter Bill S. a few miles from Dungeness. It later sinks. All aboard survive.

British aircraft carrier Hermes collides with AMC HMS Corfu about 130 miles northwest of Freetown. The Hermes had recently been participating in Operation Catapult, the destruction of the French fleet in North Africa. Everybody survives, the Hermes continues on to Freetown, and the Corfu is towed into Freetown. Hermes is put out of action and must be repaired.

The Orkneys-Iceland-Greenland is established by the Royal Navy. This is to narrow the key breakout point to the North Atlantic by German raiders.

Five U-boats leave for patrol from Bergen, which has become a major U-boat hub.

German raider Pinguin meets up with U-UA and resupplies it.

Convoy OA 182 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 181 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 38 departs from Gibraltar.

Helen Donath, a US soprano with a career spanning fifty years, on 10 July 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: HMS Eagle launches an air attack by 9 Swordfish against Augusta, Sicily. They sink Italian destroyer Leone Pancaldo in shallow water (later refloated). They also damage an Italian oiler and sink a hulk used as a storeship.

Italian submarine Scirè sinks French ship Cheik, then rescues the crew. Just who is on whose side is getting very tricky to figure out in the Mediterranean.

At Malta, there is an air raid against Grand Harbour at 07:45. There is one death, three wounded. The attackers lose three aircraft. Another raid at 21:55 near the entrance to Grand Harbour and nearby locations also causes some damage.

The convoy which had sailed from Malta and which led to the Battle of Calabria on the 9th reaches Alexandria. A second, slower convoy departs from Malta today at about 21:00, escorted by HMS Kirkland, Masirah, Novasli, Tweed, and Zeeland.

North Africa: The Italians continue their air raids on the King's African Rifles at Moyale, Kenya.

The Italians also continue their air raids on Sidi Barrani, this time with a dozen SM-79 bombers.

The RAF sends Blenheim bombers against Tobruk, hitting oil storage tanks. The British also attack Macaac airfield.

Western Front: British Lieutenant Hubert Nicolle returns to England from his spy mission on Guernsey. He has accumulated valuable intelligence about the estimated 469 Wehrmacht troops on the island, most of whom are concentrated in St. Peter Port. Gubbins begins planning a commando raid (Operation Ambassador) for a few days hence.

2-pounder anti-aircraft gun aboard HMCS Assiniboine firing in exercise en route between Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and Britain, 10 Jul 1940.

Spy Stuff: Highly placed sources in a neutral country report to the British that the German High Command is growing leery about an invasion of Great Britain. One of the problems is the successful attacks by RAF Bomber Command on the invasion barges being assembled in Holland and Belgium. This intelligence, in hindsight, appears accurate but perhaps a bit premature.

British Prime Minister Churchill, of course, is right on top of this. In a "secret" memorandum to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, circulated to the War Cabinet, he concludes that the prospects of a German landing depend upon the strength of the Royal Navy. In the memo, he notes that the battleships HMS Nelson and HMS Barham would soon be ready for sea and would enable the creation of further battle groups that could break up any invasion force. He further states that the largest German ships are under the close surveillance of the RAF and would be unable to stage a surprise breakout. For these reasons, he concludes that an invasion is unlikely. His only worry is the need for the ‘strong air support’ necessary to protect the Royal Navy during daylight hours.

Churchill, as a 2x former First Lord of the Admiralty, knows the overwhelming dominance of the Royal Navy prevents an invasion. That and the protection afforded by the RAF - a bit less certain - are the keys to the kingdom which Hitler does not have. However, Churchill tells his cabinet that he does not want to downplay the chances of invasion to the public, but rather wants war fears to remain strong so that the people remain motivated.

War Crimes: 2,542 persons, including Italian and German POWs and British citizens suspected of being German sympathizers and aliens interned in England, are sent on British troopship Dunera to Australia for internment. Among the 2,542 are 2,036 anti-Germans, mainly Jewish refugees. During the trip, the British guards mistreat the passengers savagely, leading to numerous court-martials. Conditions on the overcrowded ship are abysmal and lead to dysentery and other illnesses.

This is a very serious matter. It is easy for POWs to get word back to their own governments about mistreatment through the International Red Cross. Proper treatment of POWs is of intense interest to both sides throughout the war, and it is easy for one side to take reprisals against the other for violations of the Geneva Convention and other international agreements. As a general matter, POW treatment is one of the few areas where the warring sides (at least in the ETO) maintain close and continuing contact throughout the war, with generally satisfactory and humane results.

German/Hungarian Relations: Hitler and new Hungarian Prime Minister Count Teleki meet. Hitler agrees to support Hungarian territorial claims against Romania. Teleki has no desire to pursue those claims or enter the war at this time but instead is more concerned with establishing his own credentials back home as someone acceptable to the Germans. In return for German support and protection, though, Hitler wants a full alliance.

China: Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters (pre-series of 15 A6M2) go into operation with the 12th Rengo Kōkūtai in China on about this date.

French Government: Marshal Petain becomes a virtual dictator when the French National Assembly votes 569-80, with 17 abstentions, to grant him extensive plenary powers. This officially ends the Third Republic. After the vote, the Marshal adjourns the National Assembly.

US Government: President Roosevelt goes back to Congress for more defense appropriations. He sets an objective of 1.2 million men in the US Army and desires the procurement of an additional 15,000 planes for the USAAC and 4,000 for the Navy.

Republicans Henry L. Stimson becomes the US Secretary of War and Frank Knox the Secretary of the Navy.

Captain Laurence Wild relieves Captain Edward W. Hanson as Governor of American Samoa and Commandant of the Naval Station, Tutuila, Samoa.

British Government: The government bans the British Union Party, which is fascist.

Not everybody in the UK is certain about the wisdom of fighting the Germans, though of course, later accounts portray public opinion as monolithic. England is a land of long-standing class divisions, and some question fighting to preserve such privilege. The recent bans on spreading false rumors and defeatist talk are partially aimed at worries about this issue. A clerk, for instance, is sentenced to a year in prison for saying, "We are fighting to provide dividends for the ruling class." Free speech rights take a serious hit everywhere during the war.

This clerk conviction supports a pet theory of Hitler's, that the "plutocrats" are mistreating the workers who will rise up against their rich masters. There is a kernel of truth to this view, but only a kernel. Hitler wildly overestimates the degree of this sort of sentiment and plans bombing raids to heighten a sense of disproportionate sacrifice, such as by targeting worker tenements and not the mansions of the rich. This is detrimental to the overall Luftwaffe campaign.

The British government is aware of this undercurrent of sentiment and does not want to publicize this potential issue at all by passing laws directly aimed at it. Instead, it takes subtle steps to combat the appearance of privilege and excess, such as the ban on "false rumors." One of these is a new law that bans "luxury eating" at restaurants, which remain outside the ration limits. For instance, restaurant meals may have only one meat/fish course, and no iced cakes. This may seem petty, but there is a larger purpose behind such restrictions.

In a comment on this general topic that seems uncannily prescient for political rhetoric in the 21st Century, George Orwell comments about the wealthy that "Nothing will ever teach them that the other 99% of us exist."
American Homefront: The first group of British child evacuees arrives in New York.

The New Yorker, 10 July 1940.

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020