Thursday 13 February 1941

"Two members of the 'Shitfa' - Abyssinian patriots - with rifles, Kenya, 13 February 1941." © IWM (E 1959).

Italian/Greek Campaign: While the front is quiet on 13 February 1941, the Italians are preparing a major effort in the Klisura Pass region for the 14th. This has become the focal point for the entire campaign, as the Greeks, despite some successes, have been unable to advance beyond it to take the vital Italian port of Valona. The RAF raids airfields at Durazzo and Tirana.

The Greek I and II Corps are combined into Epirus Army. Western Macedonia Army controls units to the north.

Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, having broken his journey from Melbourne to London in Cairo, meets with British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell. Menzies observes (in his diary) that the general is "clearly contemplating the possibility of a Salonika (Greece) expedition." This seems to be news to Menzies of at most casual interest as if Wavell has mentioned it only as side operation, not a major strategic initiative.

The implication is that Menzies - the national leader of the Australian troops now carrying the brunt of the fighting during Operation Compass - has been kept "out of the loop" on the wrangling about whether to send Middle East troops to Greece. Such moves are imminent, and RAF units already are being switched to Athens. This seems like something that the Prime Minister of Australia should be kept informed about, given that his troops are directly affected. However, it is the only reference in Menzies' entire diary about discussions with Wavell regarding any such "expedition."

East African Campaign: Operation Composition begins. Fourteen Fairey Albacore from HMS Formidable sink 5723-ton Italian freighter Monacalieri at Massawa in Italian East Africa. They also cause minor damage to several other ships. The RAF loses two Albacores, the six aircrew becoming POWs.

This is the first of several raids, the second on 21 February and the third on 1 March, all usually lumped under the "Operation Composition" codename (which technically only applies to this raid). HMS Formidable is en route from Vice Admiral R. Leatham's East Indies Fleet to Alexandria to replace the damaged HMS Illustrious, but the crew has time on its hands because the Suez Canal remains closed due to Luftwaffe mining.

Separately, aircraft from HMS Eagle torpedoed and damaged 590-ton German freighter Askari, one of the ships fleeing from the advancing British in Italian Somaliland, on the 12th. The crew managed to get the Askari back to Kismayo and beach it today, but the ship is written off. The Eagle's aircraft also combine with heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins and HMS Shropshire to sink 6268-ton Italian freighter Pensilvania. Just like Askari, Pensilvania is hit off Mogadishu, beached, and declared a total loss and broken up. Italian freighters Erminia Mazzella, Manon and Savoia, other refugees from Kismayu, also are captured.

At Keren, Eritrea, Lieutenant-General William Platt decides to pause his Indian troops' attacks on the Italian troops defending Dongolaas Gorge. He reduces his troop count in order to ease the supply situation by sending the 5th Indian Division back to the railhead at Kessala. The British begin assembling troops on all sides of Keren. It will take some time, however, for other forces to assemble and threaten Keren from the rear. Undeniably this has been an Italian defensive victory, but all it promises to do is buy some time, not stop the British offensive rolling through East Africa.

British advances continue elsewhere without too much hindrance from the Italians. Bulo Erillo, Somalia (south of Mogadishu) falls to the Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade.

"Soldiers of the King's African Rifles (KAR) during the British advance into Italian Somaliland, 13 February 1941." © IWM (E 1968).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe mounts its first major raid in weeks, attacking London after dark. The attacks in residential districts cause heavy casualties, as many people have been lulled into a false sense of security by the recent quiet period and have returned to their homes at night. During the day, Bf 109s again have some fun with the Dover barrage balloons, and one Messerschmitt is damaged by a Spitfire while doing so.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-96 (Kptlt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) is stalking Convoy HX 106 and spots a straggler. Lehmann-Willenbrock torpedoes 7987-ton British freighter Clea at about 15:00. A single torpedo snaps the freighter in two, but they remain afloat. U-96 surfaces and gets in some artillery practice on the two hulks, sinking them.

U-103 (Kptlt. Viktor Schütze) also finds a straggler of Convoy HX 106 in the shipping lanes south of Iceland. It is 10,516-ton tanker Arthur F. Corwin, and Schütze puts some torpedoes into it. Tankers, however, are difficult to sink due to their compartmentalized construction and does not sink. However, it is on fire and trailing heavy plumes of smoke.

U-96, perhaps attracted by the smoke from the burning tanker, comes across the Corwin later in the day. The tanker is still under power, but has fallen further behind its convoy. Lehmann-Willenbrock puts two more torpedoes into the tanker, which is a burning wreck. This does the trick, sending the ship to the bottom. All 59 men on board perish. The HX 106 convoy escorts come back to investigate and spot U-96 later, attacking it without success.

The Luftwaffe (I,/KG 40) bombs and sinks 320-ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Rubens. Rubens is an escort of convoy OG 52, but through a misunderstood signal has separated from the convoy. All 21 onboard perish.

The Luftwaffe attacks Glasgow. Along with shoreside damage, the destroyer HMS Anthony receives some minor splinter damage from exploding bombs on the docks.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 1900-ton British freighter Westcliffe Hall near the Whitby High Light. The ship's steering gear is damaged, but the crew manages to get the ship to the River Tees.

The Luftwaffe damages 4512-ton British freighter Cape Rodney off Girdle Ness, Aberdeen.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Ripley collides with the fellow destroyer HMS Burwell and anti-submarine trawler HMS Notre Dame de France while they are at sea-trials. These are all destroyers acquired under the destroyers-for-bases deal of September 1940. The damage is moderate, and Ripley sets off for three weeks of repair at Devonport.

Convoy OB 286 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 109 departs from Halifax.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Alisma (K 185, Lt. Commander Maurice G. Rose) is commissioned and boom defense vessel HMS Barrymore is launched.

U-557 (Oberleutnant zur See Ottokar Paulshen) is commissioned and is assigned to U-boat Flo1, based at Kiel.

Pan American Airways Boeing 314 Flying Boat NC18603 c/n 1990. The plane, named "Yankee Clipper," is sold to the US Navy on 13 February 1941 as bureau number 48224 (crashes in the River Tagus, Portugal, 22 February 1943).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The second convoy of ships bringing the Afrika Corps to Tripoli arrives. The German 5th Light Division and the Italian Ariete Division are assembling in Tripolitania. While the overwhelming mass of the Italian military is under-equipped and lacks motivation, the units attached to the Afrika Korps will continually fight at a very high level.

The Luftwaffe continues planting magnetic mines in Benghazi harbor. The Royal Navy, however, has opened the port for convoys despite numerous sinkings at Tobruk from such mines.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Charles Portal telegrams Commander-in-Chief Arthur Longmore of the RAF's Middle East Command. Portal directs Longmore to render "such immediate help as [he is] able." Portal specifically mentions transferring a Wellington bomber unit, RAF No. 33 Squadron, to Athens. Longmore is unenthusiastic about sending units to Greece, and in fact, believes that more RAF units are needed in Egypt and Libya. However, Prime Minister Winston Churchill is adamant about transferring units to Greece as soon as possible. Portal is courteous, but he makes it plain that Longmore had better not drag his feet, saying that he would be "glad to hear...what immediate help [you can] send."

Many in the British Middle East Command are quite upset about the halt of operations imposed by Whitehall on the 12th. Admiral Cunningham notes that he is "most bitterly disappointed at the turn this Libya campaign has taken." He takes some comfort from the fact that "I know it was not due to any naval shortcomings (we had just landed just landed 2,500 tons of petrol and over 3,000 tons of other stores at Benghazi and had doubled the amount we had guaranteed to land daily at Tobruk)." In light of later events, it is instructive to see that commanders at the time viewed the diversion of resources away from a continuing victorious campaign in Libya as questionable. It is fair to point out that the British military leadership in both London and Egypt uniformly wish to continue Operation Compass all the way to Tripoli.

The Luftwaffe attacks Malta multiple times throughout the day. The attacks are spread out across the island. A Wellington and a Whitley bomber are damaged during the attacks, and three bombs apparently intended for Ta Qali airfield fall on Imtarfa Hospital, killing three patients, seriously wounding six, and lightly wounding another six. Many of the patients are military personnel.

Battle of the Pacific: The Marine 3rd Defense Battalion completes its move to Midway Island aboard three cruisers and a store issue ship.

Vichy French/Spanish Relations: After winding up his talks with Mussolini (Italy), General Franco (Spain) meets Petain (Vichy France) at Montpellier. The three nations basically have nothing whatsoever in common, but Hitler has high hopes that the three dictators will find some kind of common ground in fighting the British.

German/Vichy French Relations: The Germans have gotten wind of Marshal Petain's backdoor negotiations with the British. In no uncertain terms, the Germans tell the French to stop it.

German/Italian Relations: Grand Admiral Erich Raeder meets with his Italian counterpart, Admiral Arturo Riccardi, at Merano. They discuss naval cooperation in the Mediterranean, a matter of urgency due to the new Afrika Korps in Libya. Shipping from Naples to Tripoli will be a major determinant in the limits of General Erwin Rommel's success in North Africa.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the porch at Top Cottage in Hyde Park, NY, February 1941. With him is Ruthie Bie and Fala (FDR Presidential Library & Museum photograph by Margaret "Daisy" Suckley).

Anglo/US Relations: Churchill intervenes directly with Secretary of State for War David Margesson regarding Kermit Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt's son and President Franklin Roosevelt's fifth cousin, once removed. In 1939, Kermit enlisted in the British Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment, but the doctors have indicated that he should be disqualified from serving on health grounds. Churchill writes that his case is a "matter of political consequence" and "if he wishes to go on with us he should be allowed to do so." The issue of Presidential relatives serving in the military will recur at several points throughout the war, and anything having to do with the Roosevelt name is of extreme sensitivity. Kermit does, in fact, have serious health problems, but they relate to depression as much as anything physical.

Anglo/Bulgarian Relations: The British recently have broken off relations with Romania due to the presence of German troops there. Today, the British warn the Bulgarians that the same could happen to them if the same circumstances arise. The British minister in Sofia, George Rendel, states:

If the Germans occupy Bulgaria and make it a base against our ally, obviously we shall have to break off relations with Bulgaria and take whatever measures the situation requires.

British Military: Continuing his extreme skepticism about the necessity to maintain a large force in North Africa, Churchill memos General Ismay about a convoy being formed, of whose composition he writes "I do not approve." This is a continuation of Churchill's outspoken concern about the "tooth to tail" ratio in the Middle East Command, which he implies repeatedly at this stage of the war is full of unnecessary useless mouths. He points out specific units being carried in the convoy (apparently a Winston Special convoy, though it is not identified in the memo) that he views as "non-combatants" due to lack of equipment and thus dead weight. Churchill proposes sending fewer troops in such convoys and more equipment, given that there are troops already on the ground in Egypt that are at loose ends due to lack of equipment.

Soviet Military: General Nikolai Vatutin becomes Deputy Chief of the General Staff (Stavka).

US Military: American Samoa Governor Captain Laurence Wild recommends:

the establishment of a Native Insular Force separate and distinct from the Fita Fita Guard, which was to function under and to be paid by the Government of American Samoa.

The issue of US commitment to overseas bases in the Pacific is quite controversial in congress. Some feel that they should be built up, others that they are indefensible. In this case, the suggestions lead to the establishment of the First Samoan Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Construction on the approaches to Rainbow Bridge on Highway 420 near Niagara Falls, 13 February 1941. The bridge is the second level crossing between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, connecting the US and Canada above Niagara River (the first bridge collapsed in 1938). This section connects the bridge to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW).

British Government: Minister of Labour and National Service Ernest Bevins has been trying to make the shipbuilding process more efficient. British merchant shipping losses have been horrendous, and yesterday's sinking of seven merchant ships by German cruiser Admiral Hipper is symptomatic of the challenges facing the convoys. Today, Bevins receives a proposal to decasualize the ports in order to make them work more efficiently. However, as with Bevins' other attempts at reform, this proposal is resisted and gets nowhere. This leaves shipping, Britain's lifeblood, dependent upon US ships and shipping production.

Indochina: The Japanese "show the flag" operation (Operation S) continues. Having visited Bangkok, heavy cruisers IJN Suzuya, IJN Mikuma, IJN Mogami, and IJN Kumano visit Saigon. The Japanese are currently mediating talks between the French and Thais to close out their border war, and this show of force is designed to move the French toward making concessions.

Italian Homefront: The Italians have worked extremely quickly to repair the damage to the aqueduct on the Tragino River caused during Operation Colossus on 11 February. Today, the aqueduct goes back in service. Throughout World War II, the British will obsess about attacking dams and other water infrastructure, with extremely mixed results.

Dutch Homefront: Unrest in Amsterdam continues. The German occupation forces in Amsterdam complete their closure of the Jewish Quarter with barbed wire, barring it to all gentiles. Checkpoints are in place so that nobody goes in or out without permission.

A train (569 Armstrong) in British Columbia, 13 February 1941.

February 1941

February 1, 1941: US Military Reorganization
February 2, 1941: Wehrmacht Supermen
February 3, 1941: World Will Hold Its Breath
February 4, 1941: USO Forms
February 5, 1941: Hitler Thanks Irish Woman
February 6, 1941: Operation Sunflower
February 7, 1941: Fox Killed in the Open
February 8, 1941: Lend Lease Passes House
February 9, 1941: Give Us The Tools
February 10, 1941: Operation Colossus
February 11, 1941: Afrika Korps
February 12, 1941: Rommel in Africa
February 13, 1941: Operation Composition
February 14, 1941: Nomura in Washington
February 15, 1941: Churchill's Warning
February 16, 1941: Operation Adolphus
February 17, 1941: Invade Ireland?
February 18, 1941: Panzerwaffe Upgrade
February 19, 1941: Three Nights Blitz
February 20, 1941: Prien's Farewell
February 21, 1941: Swansea Blitz Ends
February 22, 1941: Amsterdam Pogrom
February 23, 1941: OB-288 Convoy Destruction
February 24, 1941: Okuda Spies
February 25, 1941: Mogadishu Taken
February 26, 1941: OB-290 Convoy Destruction
February 27, 1941: Operation Abstention
February 28, 1941: Ariets Warns Stalin

2020

Saturday 7 December 1940

Boeing 314 Clipper NC 18606 lands at Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, December 7, 1940. © Whites Aviation / Alexander Turnbull Library Image WA-00412-G via P. Sheehan Collection - 1950-095.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italians on 7 December 1940 continue retreating on the southern and middle sectors of the line. Most of the action takes place in the air, where the RAF bombers based near Athens raid Italian shipping and the ports of Durazzo and Salona.

European Air Operations: Apparently due to rough weather, the Luftwaffe bombers stay on the ground today, giving England its first full day without any air raids since 7 August 1940. When the weather is sketchy, both sides make different evaluations of whether to mount missions. However, Luftwaffe fighter-bombers and torpedo bombers are operational during the day. After dark, RAF Bomber Command decides to go and sends bombers against Düsseldorf.

RAF No. 263 Squadron is equipped with the new Westland Whirlwind twin-engine fighter. It has a good range and will be used on convoy duties.

In a carefully scripted series of photos released to the propaganda outlets, the German police on 7 December 1940 stage a raid. The man in front has been apprehended and forced, under interrogation, to reveal the hiding place of his comrades in a Lublin cellar (Ang, Federal Archive).

Battle of the Atlantic: The weather remains rough. Many ships stay in port, while those that venture out are at increased risk of sustaining damage or grounding.

British 1827 ton freighter Lormont, operating as a guard ship and fitted with deck guns, collides with Royal Navy 213 ton minesweeping trawler Cortina near the mouth of the Humber, likely in part due to the weather. Both ships sink

Dutch 2489 ton freighter Stolwijk, part of Convoy SC 13, runs aground in County Donegal, Ireland and is lost. There are 10 deaths and 18 survivors. This loss is directly attributable to the weather, as the storms damage her rudder. She breaks up on the rocks off Tory Island. The Irish lifeboat crew earns medals from the Netherlands and the British for their heroic rescue of the crew.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sabre attempts to rescue the crew of the Stolwijk during the storm and sustains heavy damage to her superstructure. She must put into Derry for repairs.

Canadian 1747 ton freighter Watkins F. Nisbet runs aground and is lost in the Bristol Channel. The date on this is unclear, it may have run aground on the 6th and then been written off today. The stern section is salvaged.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sabre is damaged by the weather while returning from escort duties and puts in at Belfast for repairs.

Destroyer HMS Broadway is damaged in a collision at Scapa Flow, likely in part due to the weather, and sails to the Humber for repairs.

U-99 (Kplt. Otto Kretschmer), on its 7th patrol out of Lorient, sights Convoy OB 252 southwest of Ireland and torpedoes and sinks 5237-ton Dutch collier Farmsum. There are 12 deaths in the sinking, 4 crewmen perish of exposure in the lifeboats, and 15 survive. The weather is bitter, and the survivors all have severe frostbite when picked up by HMS Ambuscade.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Sunfish torpedoes and damages 1715-ton Norwegian tanker Dixie in the North Sea.

The Luftwaffe attacks the Humber area and damages 827-ton British freighter Yewarch.

Royal Navy 219-ton minesweeping trawler Capricornus hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary near the Nore Light Vessel.

German raider Admiral Hipper departs from Kiel to enter the North Atlantic as Operation Nordseetour.

German battleship Bismarck enters the Kiel Canal.

U-66 refuels and restocks at sea from German supply ship Nordmark, enabling it to prolong its voyage.

Four Royal Navy minelayers operate east of Iceland, laying minefield SN 10A.

Convoy FN 353 departs from Southend, Convoy FN 354 remains in port, Convoys SLS 58 and SL 58 departs from Freetown.

German troops roust Jewish men living in a cellar in Lublin on 7 December 1940 (Ang, Federal Archives).

Battle of the Mediterranean: General O'Connor's 50,000 men involved in the Operation Compass raid complete their march from Mersa Matruh to the front lines. The plan is to attack the Italians from the rear. Included in the force are 275 tanks, held further back. The Italian reconnaissance planes do not spot the advancing British forces, which are supplied by depots deposited in the front lines well in advance. The British troops, who think they are on an exercise, finally are told that they are going to be involved in a major offensive. The Western Desert Force includes the 7th Armoured Division, 4th Indian Division, and the 16th Infantry Brigade. Selby force (Brigadier A.R. Selby) prepares dummy tanks to confuse Italian reconnaissance.

As part of the preparation for Operation Compass, RAF Wellington bombers based on Malta raid the Castel Benito airfield in Libya. They destroy 29 Italian planes.

The Royal Navy also is involved in Operation Compass. Monitor HMS Terror, gunboat HMS Ladybird, and minesweeper HMS Bagshot form Force A from Alexandria and head for positions off the Italian bases in Egypt. They bombard Sidi Barrani.

German police escorting Lublin Jewish men away to an unknown fate, 7 December 1940 (Ang, Federal Archive).

Battle of the Pacific: British 10,923-ton freighter Hertford runs into a mine and is damaged in the Spencer Gulf off Kangaroo Island in the vicinity of Adelaide. These are mines laid in November by German raider Pinguin.

German raiders Komet and Orion are operating off Nauru west of the Gilbert Islands. The weather is poor, preventing their plan to bombard the phosphate operations on the island. However, during the evening, Komet, disguised as Japanese freighter Manyo Maru, encounters and sinks 5264-ton Norwegian freighter Vinni about 10 km south of the island. The disguise, incidentally, works perfectly, and although the Komet is spotted from the shore, it is believed to be a harmless Japanese freighter. Everybody on board the Vinni is taken aboard the Komet.

German/Italian Relations: Following his interview with German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop on 6 December, Italian Ambassador Dino Alfieri meets with Adolf Hitler. Alfieri is there to plead for German assistance with the campaign in Albania, and perhaps diplomatic overtures by Germany to end the conflict. Hitler agrees to authorize fifty transport planes for use by the Italians in moving troops across the Ionian Sea. He also urges Mussolini to implement harsh measures, including courts-martial and executions to get his men to fight.

Italian Military: Mussolini continues his purge of the top leadership of the Italian military, dismissing General Cesare de Vecchi, Governor of Dodecanese Islands, and replacing him with General Ettore Bastico.

The USS Paducah, a training ship of the Duluth, Minnesota Naval Militia. It arrives in Brooklyn, New York on 7 December 1940 as its new homeport. She often sails to the Chesapeake Bay to train Naval Armed Guard Gunners until 1945.

German/Spanish Relations: Admiral Canaris, head of the German military intelligence service Abwehr, meets with Franco in Madrid. Canaris conveys Hitler's desire that Franco declare war on Great Britain in January and allow passage of Wehrmacht troops from France. Franco demurs, giving his standard reply that Spain is not prepared for war. He has an extensive laundry list of items that he would require in advance, particularly grain, before entering the war.

British Military: The prototype Fairey Barracuda has its first flight. It is intended to replace the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes. The test flight goes well, but the plane as currently equipped is underpowered and suffers from a poor rate of climb.

The 100th Beaufighter is completed at  Filton, South Gloucestershire, England.

Canadian Homefront: The Ottawa Rough Riders defeat the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers, 12-5, in the second of the two-game series for the 28th Grey Cup of Canadian football.

American Homefront: The American Federation of Labor (AFL) estimates that there are 8.13 million unemployed workers in the United States.

Future History: Gerald Michael Cheevers is born in St. Catharines, Ontario. At the age of 16, Cheeves joins the St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey Association, then in 1965 is drafted by the Boston Bruins. He goes on to become their starting goaltender, winning two Stanley Cup championships and set a record of 32 undefeated consecutive games in 1972 that still stands. Gerry Cheevers retires in 1980, later becomes the Bruins' coach, then becomes a broadcaster.

Santa Claus and an artillery piece in Columbus, Georgia, outside of Fort Benning. December 1940. Marion Post Wolcott/LC-USF34-056550 via Library of Congress.

December 1940

December 1, 1940: Wiking Division Forms
December 2, 1940: Convoy HX 90 Destruction
December 3, 1940: Greeks Advancing
December 4, 1940: Italian Command Shakeup
December 5, 1940: Thor Strikes Hard
December 6, 1940: Hitler's Cousin Gassed
December 7, 1940: Storms At Sea
December 8, 1940: Freighter Idarwald Seized
December 9, 1940: Operation Compass Begins
December 10, 1940: Operation Attila Planned
December 11, 1940: Rhein Wrecked
December 12, 1940: Operation Fritz
December 13, 1940: Operation Marita Planned
December 14, 1940: Plutonium Discovered
December 15, 1940: Napoleon II Returns
December 16, 1940: Operation Abigail Rachel
December 17, 1940: Garden Hoses and War
December 18, 1940: Barbarossa Directive
December 19, 1940: Risto Ryti Takes Over
December 20, 1940: Liverpool Blitz, Captain America
December 21, 1940: Moral Aggression
December 22, 1940: Manchester Blitz
December 23, 1940: Hitler at Cap Gris Nez
December 24, 1940: Hitler at Abbeville
December 25, 1940: Hipper's Great Escape
December 26, 1940: Scheer's Happy Rendezvous
December 27, 1940: Komet Shells Nauru
December 28, 1940: Sorge Spills
December 29, 1940: Arsenal of Democracy
December 30, 1940: London Devastated
December 31 1940: Roosevelt's Decent Proposal

2020

Friday 12 July 1940

A Heinkel He 111 P of Stab/KG 55 which crash-landed at Hipley in Hampshire on 12 July 1940. It was shot down by Hurricanes of ‘B’ Flight, No. 43 Squadron over Southampton Water. Crashed Luftwaffe bombers are still a novelty at this stage of the war.

Battle of Britain: 12 July 1940 is the third day of the "official" Battle of Britain. The weather is poor, overcast and rainy, and prevents many RAF fighter interceptions.

There is one major RAF interception around the Thames estuary when Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 and Dornier Do 17 bombers attack convoy "Booty" off the Norfolk/Suffolk coast. The RAF loses two Spitfires and a Hurricane but prevents any ship losses.

The Luftwaffe also attacks Portland and Exeter with Stukas covered by Bf 110s. The Bf 110s, evocatively nicknamed "destroyers," are extremely well thought of by the Luftwaffe hierarchy and considered capable fighters on a par with the nimble and fast Bf 109. Today's action shows that this confidence is misplaced, as the twin-engine planes have difficulty protecting the vulnerable Stukas, two of which are shot down.

The Luftwaffe launches a day raid on Aberdeen, killing 60 people.

During the night, the Luftwaffe raids Bristol and Cardiff. There are other small raids at Newport and Highbridge. In addition, there are scattered attacks at Billingham, Thornaby, Cupar, Dunfermline, and Helensburgh.

The RAF raids the northern ports of Emden and Kiel with 23 bombers.

Some sources state that during the day, the Luftwaffe loses about 10 planes, the RAF 3 Hurricanes - other sources say it is six RAF fighters and 7 Luftwaffe bombers.

A Boeing 314 used on US Foreign Air Mail (FAM) routes.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-99 torpedoes and sinks 4860 ton Greek freighter Ia about 200 miles west of Cape Clear in the Southwest Approaches in the Atlantic at 02:48. There are 27 survivors and 3 perish.

At 22:31, U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) spots 2136 ton Estonian freighter Merisaar and attempts to torpedo it, but fails due to rough weather. Kretschmer crew then disembarks the freighter's crew and has a talk with the ship's master. Unable to sink it due to rough weather, the crew of the Merisaar is allowed to reboard the ship under the condition that they sail it to Bordeaux.

U-56 (Oblt.z.S. Otto Harms) spots the British liner Dunera, which is carrying 2,542 Axis prisoners, German sympathizers and Jewish refugees to Australia. The Dunera is engaged in a very controversial journey during which the passengers are mistreated by the conditions and the British guards. The U-boat's torpedo strikes the ship but glances off and fails to explode. The Dunera sails on.

The Luftwaffe sinks British freighter Hornchurch off the Aldeburgh Light Vessel. Everybody survives when picked up by sloop HMS Widgeon.

The Luftwaffe sinks 255-ton British trawler Volante 20 miles west of Hvalbam, Faroe Islands. There is one death, the ship's master.

Kriegsmarine S-boat S-23 hits a mine and eventually sinks.

The Luftwaffe damages British freighter Josewyn about 8 miles off the Isle of Wight.

US liner Manhattan leaves Lisbon, Portugal for the US carrying about 800 Americans.

Kriegsmarine aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, incomplete, reaches Gotenhafen/Gdynia, Poland in tow.

Convoy OA.183 departs from Methil, Convoy OG 37 forms at Gibraltar.

Pan Am airmail pilots on the Auckland, New Zealand route, 12 July 1940. Pan Am is awarded the prestigious route FAM-19 ("FAM" an acronym for Foreign Air Mail) to Auckland from Hawaii today. Typically, they fly a Boeing 314.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Italians attack British shipping in Alexandria Harbor, sending 112 sorties without success.

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Malta at 16:12 and drops a few bombs near Verdala. The Italians also resort to an odd tactic that they have used elsewhere and drop bags of candy, apparently to curry favor with the locals.

The Malta authorities put in place code words in case of an invasion. "Asia" means full war expected, "Europe" for attack unlikely. Lines of defense are established and a "last-ditch" citadel-type area around Valletta and the port facilities. The Maltese authorities chastise the populace for leaving air raid shelters before the "all clear" sounds. In particular, dog fights have become attractive bait for people to take risks to view them.

The Italians also attack British battleship HMS Warspite and cruiser HMS Liverpool at 08:50. The British lose one sailor, the Italians one plane.

Italian airplane losses are estimated to top 100 today. This is significant because the Regia Aeronautica neither has a large standing fleet nor factories which produce large quantities of planes quickly.

On 12 July 1940, Mrs Carter enjoys a Sunday lunch with her evacuated children Michael and Angela (seated either side of her at the table) during a day trip to their foster home in Hayward's Heath. The children had been evacuated from their home in London and are staying with several other evacuees in the home of Mrs Cluton, seen here serving potatoes to Michael. This is a common, touching and little-remembered type of scene in England during the war.

North Africa: The Italians in Libya send two columns against Fort Capuzzo, which the British repulse.

Soviet Government: Moscow's key Finnish lackey, Otto Wille Kuusinen, is appointed chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR. Kuusinen had been the head of the Finnish Democratic Republic aka Terijoki Government, the Soviet puppet government during the Winter War which was marginally effective as a propaganda tool and achieved nothing else. Kuusinen now governs over the extensive territory gained by the USSR during that war.

British Government: The British ships carrying gold from Great Britain arrive at Halifax pursuant to Operation Fish. They have US$1,750,000,000 worth of gold and securities from the Bank of England. The remainder of the journey will be by truck to the Bank of Canada's vault in Ottawa.

French Government:  Pierre Laval assumes his title of Vice Premier of Vichy France. He is Marshal Pétain's appointed successor, which is no small matter given the Marshal's advanced age. Laval has strong fascist tendencies and runs the day-to-day operations of the Vichy government.

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny becomes a Grand Officier of the Ordre national de la Légion d' honneur.

24-year-old Czech pilot officer Václav Bergman, here struggling into his flight suit, joins No 310 Squadron RAF on 12 July 1940, then being formed at RAF Duxford.

US/Latin American Relations: The light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL 46) visits Valparaiso, Chile on its "show the flag" mission.

Destroyers  USS Walke (DD 416) and USS Wainwright (DD 420) visit Pará, Brazil. They also are on a "show the flag" mission, but carry marines to join those in heavy cruisers USS Wichita (CA 45) and USS Quincy (CA 39) on their own "show the flag" mission.

Anglo-Japanese Relations: The British and Japanese reach an agreement closing the Burma Road over the Himalayas. The British use the Burma Road to supply Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces. The Japanese essentially are holding Hong Kong hostage, threatening to invade the defenseless territory if the British refuse to cave. Chiang is outraged at the British decision.

Holocaust: Vichy France bans Jews from holding civil service positions.

Turkey: The Prime Minister reaffirms its commitments to its allies.

China: Mao Tse-tung (Zedong) orders his troops to attack Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist troops in Jiangsu Province, China.

The Japanese raid Chungking again, continuing their fierce aerial campaign against the city.

American Homefront: "Stagecoach War, released on July 12, 1940, sees Hopalong Cassidy help capture a gang of singing stagecoach bandits led by a happy fellow called Smiley.

Joachim Peiper and Max Wünsche at the Berghof in Berchtesgaden, 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