Monday 18 November 1940

As published in the 18 November 1940 Life Magazine, this picture shows air raid wardens preparing for work. The man on the phone is receiving the "yellow warning" of Luftwaffe planes approaching England. This is Churchill, England, a village about 20 km from Bristol, a prime target during this stage of the war.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek offensive continues on 18 November 1940, but it is not without problems of its own. The "K" Group of Divisions (OMK), which is III Corps, is now added to the 11th Division, so it now has the original III Corps, 11th and 13th Divisions. It is commanded by Lieutenant-General Georgios Kosmas. K Group is advancing on the Korçë plateau against the Italian 9th Army toward the valley of the Devoll river, which would give access to central Albania and ultimately the ports on which the Italians rely for supplies. The main Greek objectives are the city of Korçë and the summit of Morava, which provides the key to the valley.

The K Group's newly added 13th Division has a bad baptism of fire when certain elements within it panic under fire. An attack, poorly coordinated, stalls, and the Italians almost regain the initiative in the sector. Kosmas replaces the 13th Division's commander with Major-General Sotirios Moutousis, who manages to hold the line. The Greek advance continues after this brief interlude.

The Greeks now have captured Kortytsa, but the Italian 9th Army by-and-large has escaped along the roads because the Greeks are traveling on foot and have restricted mobility - though this does help them with their penetrations along the craggy mountains.

On the coastal Thesprotia sector, the Greek Liuba Detachment levers the Italians out of Igoumenitsa and back across the Kalamas River. The Greek 8th Division continues hammering away at the Kalams Sector.

European Air Operations: During the night, the RAF raids the Scholven/Buer hydrogenation plant at Gelsenkirchen. This is a key part of the fuel chain for aviation fuel. The bombers also raid the Gelsenberg-Benzin-AG plant, a synthetic oil installation. Another target, hit by 11 bombers, is the Leuna synthetic oil facility in Merseburg.

The Luftwaffe sends 70 bombers against London and other targets during the night.

The Daily Mirror quotes Arthur Greenwood, Minister without Portfolio of the War Cabinet (deputy leader of the Labour Party), as saying that Germany is suffering fifty times as much from night bombings. After the devastation of Coventry, many in England are concerned that the air war is going poorly.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-65 (K.Kapt. Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen), on its extended fifth patrol, torpedoes and sinks 5056-ton British tanker Congonian in the mid-Atlantic. The first torpedo hits at about 18:02, the second at 18:12. There are one death and 35 survivors, with British cruiser HMS Devonshire picking up the survivors and taking them to Freetown.

Italian submarine Maggiore Baracca (Entico Bertarelli) torpedoes and sinks 4866-ton British freighter Lillian Moller (Skipper William Fowler), dispersed from Convoy SL 53, west of Ireland at 17:04. There are no survivors among the 49-man crew. Fowler and half a dozen other crew members are commemorated on Tower Hill. The ship is notable for having, aside from officers, an entirely Chinese crew, who are commemorated on the Hong Kong War Memorial.

A Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor (1,/KG 40) bombs and sinks 4274-ton British freighter Nestlea in the Celtic Sea south of Ireland. Everybody aboard survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 293-ton British coaster Ability, on its way from London to Great Yarmouth and carrying cement bags, about 5 km off Clacton-on-Sea. Everybody aboard survives.

The Luftwaffe (Heinkel He 115 seaplanes of 506 Küstendliegergruppe) bomb and sink 2569 ton Free French freighter S.N.A. 8 in the North Sea off Barrow Sand (near Swin Light Vessel).

The Luftwaffe also damages 5298-ton British freighter Biela, 4908-ton British freighter Langleetarn, and 2826 ton Norwegian freighter Favorit in various actions.

British 100-ton naval trawler/drifter HMT Go Ahead sinks after a collision at Sheerness, southeast England.

Royal Navy sloop HMS Lowestoft, escorting Convoy FS 336, shoots down a Heinkel He 111 bomber.

The Royal Navy sends five minelayers to extend the SN1 and SN2 minefields in St. Georges Channel. This new effort becomes SN3.

Convoys OB 245 and OG 46 depart from Liverpool, Convoy FN 337 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 338 departs from Methil, Convoy BN 9 departs from Aden, Convoy BS 9B departs from Port Sudan.

Italian officers and a soldier at Agrinio, Italy. 18 November 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy continues shuttling troops between Egypt and Greece. Today, the cruiser HMS York departs from Port Said with a battalion of troops to reinforce the British presence at Suda Bay, Crete, and also some anti-aircraft artillery bound for Piraeus to protect RAF airfields near Athens.

The Royal Hellenic Air Force bombs and sinks Italian freighter Ardita IV at Vlorë, Albania.

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Alexandria again and damages 323-ton British tanker El Nawras.

In Operation Rope, heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire bombards Dante, Italian Somaliland.

At Malta, the government removes restrictions on shop hours (stores have had to open later and close earlier than they would prefer in honor of the civilian curfew from 20:30-06:00 curfew). However, it retains civilian curfews. This news is welcomed by shop owners whose customers have had difficulty shopping on their to and from work.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin is still traveling in company with captured Norwegian freighter Storstad, which was temporarily renamed Passat during minelaying operations south of Australia. Storstad, acting as a scout ship, spots a large freighter at night. Pinguin comes up and puts a warning shot over its bows, and the men of the Pinguin boards it. The ship is the 7920-ton British freighter Nowshera (named for a city in India) on its way from Adelaide to Durban and thence the UK, and it carries zinc ore, wheat, wool, and similar items.

The Pinguin takes what it needs from the Nowshera - which is armed with a 4-inch gun on its stern and a Lewis gun on its bridge - and then scuttles it. The 113-man crew - 103 Indian crew - is transferred to the Pinguin. The Europeans on board become POWs and ultimately wind up at Stalag XB (Marlag und Milag Nord) near Westertimke, Germany.

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy, knowing that the Ole Jacob has been sunk by a surface raider, has been searching for the Pinguin. However, the Indian Ocean is vast, and the Pacific even vaster. With no leads to go on, Australian heavy cruiser Canberra returns to port.

Applied Science: A Sunderland flying boat fitted with experimental Air-to-Surface-Vessel (ASVI) radar equipment uses it to locate a U-boat approaching a convoy. This is a first for the equipment.

Hitler meets with Count Ciano, 18 November 1940.

German/Italian Relations: Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano travels to the Obersalzberg for a meeting with Adolf Hitler. It is not a happy meeting. Hitler is irate that the Italians have invaded Greece and thus brought that country into the war. His real concern, though, is always the British.

The problem for Hitler with the invasion of Greece is not the failed Italian offensive itself; it is that the Italian/Greek war now has given the British a reason to set up air bases in Greece. This Hitler cannot abide, because they are within range of the Romanian oil fields. Hitler's absolute priority at all times is the protection of the oil fields centered around Ploesti, Romania because they essentially fuel the entire Wehrmacht and are irreplaceable. The new RAF presence on mainland Greece threatens those oil installations, he tells Ciano.

Hitler at this point still is uncertain what to do about Greece: either pledge neutrality or invade. In particular, he hopes to avoid invading Yugoslavia. However, something will have to be done eventually. Planning for Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece from Bulgaria continues in the OKW.

German/Spanish Relations: Hitler, who likes to combine diplomatic events in one or two days, also meets with Spanish Foreign Minister Serrano Suner. As usual, Serrano Suner is noncommittal about Spain entering the war on the side of Germany.

German/Bulgarian Relations: Hitler also meets with King Boris. Bulgaria is a somewhat shaky ally of Germany, but Hitler needs Bulgarian cooperation for Operation Marita.

US/Vichy French Relations: The US is displeased with Vichy France's refusal to sell its battleships. Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles asks Chargé d'Affaires ad interim H. Freeman Matthews to reiterate the US concerns about the battleships - the Jean Bart and Richelieu - and that the US would be willing to buy them "as well as any other vessels of the French Navy."

Holocaust: The Wagner-Bürckel-Aktion is generally considered to have been concluded on or about this date. It expelled about 7000 Jews from 137 Baden communities in the Lorraine region of France to concentration camps - particularly the Gurs camp - in southern France.

"Phantom of Chinatown" starring Keye Luke opens on 18 November 1940.

American Homefront: "Phantom of Chinatown" is released, starring Keye Luke as Mr. Wong. Directed by Phil Rosen and produced by Paul Malvern.

Future History: Qaboos bin Said al Said, future Sultan of Oman, is born in Salalah, Oman.

FDR is on the cover of Life Magazine, 18 November 1940.

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

Friday 18 October 1940

Air raid warden Mary Couchman, 24-year-old, shields three little children as bombs fall. October 18, 1940.

Battle of Britain: Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, perhaps gilding the lily a bit too much, on 18 October 1940 continues his lavish praise of the Luftwaffe's lackluster campaign during the Battle of Britain. He thanks his pilots for "reducing the British plutocracy to fear and terror." This statement smacks of overkill, but the Luftwaffe's success or failure reflects directly upon him, so the better he makes their failures sound, the better he looks as well.

The fickle weather of 1940 once again puts many flying operations to a stop. The increased strength of the RAF is shown as it successfully prevents the usual reconnaissance flights over England during the morning.

There are no large-scale raids. Instead, there are numerous small-scale intrusions. The largest incident involves some Junkers Ju 88s that Fighter Command intercepts over Kent on the way to London. However, that is the exception.

After dark, the Luftwaffe swings back into action. It bombs London, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Southampton, and East Anglia.  A direct hit on the Rose and Crown Pub results in 42 killed and 6 injured. The night's activity ends early, though, by 01:45, giving Londoners a chance to get some good rest. The Luftwaffe also lays mines in the Thames Estuary.

The Luftwaffe manages to lose 15 planes and the RAF only four. In the foul weather, pilots get disoriented and planes head off in the wrong direction. This happens on both sides. The RAF loses four Hurricanes when RAF No. 302 (Polish) Squadron becomes disoriented over Surrey and runs out of fuel and the planes have to land with dead sticks. This leads to four Hurricanes lost, along with their pilots. The Luftwaffe also has two planes crash back in France, killing the pilots.

There is an exchange of gunfire by the big coastal guns at Hellfire Corner (Straits of Dover), with little consequence.

Sergeant Michael Gibson is killed while defusing a bomb that fell on Coventry city center. After taking it to the Whitley Common, the bomb explodes, killing him and his squad of seven. Gibson is awarded the George Cross (posthumously) for an earlier incident on 18 September - obviously, he was a very brave man. The medal later sells at auction in 2012 for £93,000. Collectors view the George Cross as less valuable than the Victoria Cross, but fewer have been awarded and thus it is rarer.

European Air Operations: Poor weather restricts operations. RAF Bomber Command attacks the ports of Duisberg, Kiel and Hamburg, warehouses at Schwerte, Osnabruck, and Dortmund (also a factory there), and an aluminum factory at Lunen.

Major Werner Streib replaces Hptm. Radusch as Gruppenkommandeur of night fighter unit I./NJG 1. Meanwhile, a night fighter Do 17Z-10s of 4./NJG 1 shoots down an RAF Wellington bomber over the Zuider Zee in Holland.

Battle of the Atlantic: Convoys, by and large, and relatively speaking, have been unmolested until now. U-boats have been picking off stragglers and "independents," ships traveling alone. There have been various attacks on convoys, but they have been uncoordinated affairs that have not sunk more than a few ships at a time. That changes today with the first true wolfpack, directed and coordinated by U-boat headquarters in France. This marks a new phase in the naval war.

Half a dozen U-boats have been shadowing Convoy SC 7, which is an eastbound convoy that left Sydney, Nova Scotia on 5 October bound for Liverpool, for several days. SC 7 is composed of 35 ships but has had only a few escorts: destroyer HMS Scarborough, sloop HMS Fowey and corvette HMS Bluebell. Today, a couple of more escorts arrive from Great Britain: sloop HMS Leith and corvette HMS Heartsease. These five escorts, however, are outnumbered by the shadowing U-boats.

U-38 (Kptlt. Heinrich Liebe), operating out of Lorient, starts things off today, already having sunk the Greek freighter Aenos on the 18th. At 02:04, U-38 torpedoes and damages 3670-ton British freighter Carsbreck. The Carsbeck is carrying timber and thus is buoyant, and the ship manages to make port escorted by HMS Heartsease. The Leith and Heartsease attack U-38 without success, and then Heartsease joins Carsbeck as Convoy SC 7 sails on.

U-38, meanwhile, stumbles upon Convoy OB 229 in the same area. It torpedoes and sinks British freighter Sandsend. There are 34 survivors and five crew perish.

Now back down to four escorts, Convoy SC 7 heads into the night knowing it is in trouble. It is about 300 km northwest of Rockall.

Now, with U-38 out of the picture, five U-boats make a joint attack:

• U-46 (Oblt.z.S. Peter-Ottmar Grau)
• U-99 (Kplt. Otto Kretschmer)
• U-100 (Kptlt. Joachim Schepke)
• U-101 (Kptlt. Fritz Frauenheim)
• U-123 (Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle)

This is not a seat-of-the-pants operation, where everybody just "does their thing." Strict control is maintained throughout by Konteradmiral Karl Dönitz at his headquarters in Lorient. The convoy escorts are completely ineffective and do not prevent any attacks - though they are instrumental in saving a lot of lives of merchant marine sailors. The night becomes a wonderland of flaming and sinking ships, with one torpedoed after another going down in flames, drifting onto other torpedoed ships, and generally causing chaos over many square miles of the open sea.

Adalbert Schnee, Karl Dönitz and Eberhard Godt at the Kriegsmarine Headquarters in Berlin, Germany. January 1943.

U-101 torpedoes and sinks 3913-ton British iron ore cargo ship Creekirk at 21:12. Loaded with 5900 tons of iron ore, it sinks quickly with all 36 men perishing in the dark.

U-101 also torpedoes 4155-ton British freighter Blairsprey at 23:08. With a load of timber, the Blairsprey is buoyant and, while abandoned, remains afloat. Another U-boat, U-100, torpedoes it at 02:50 on the 19th, but that doesn't sink Blairsprey, either. The ship eventually makes the Clyde in tow and is beached, and later repaired.

U-101 also torpedoes 2962 ton British freighter Assyrian (the convoy commodore's ship). The Assyrian is out of formation because earlier it had spotted another U-boat and chased it in order to ram it - unsuccessfully. U-101 sends a torpedo into its starboard side, which puts out its lights and engines but leaves the crew enough time to abandon ship. There are 34 survivors and 17 men perish. Captain Kearon later was awarded Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea and the OBE.

U-101 had fired four torpedoes in rapid succession, one of which sank the Assyrian. While two miss, another hits and sinks Dutch freighter Soesterberg. There are 19 survivors and 6 men perish.

Kptlt. Fritz Frauenheim of U-101.

U-99, led by legendary captain Kretschmer on his fifth patrol, has an epic night. It sinks in rapid succession:

• British 6055 ton freighter Empire Miniver (35 survive, 3 dead)
• British 4815 ton freighter Fiscus (38 dead, 1 survivor)
• Greek 3854 ton freighter Niritos (27 survive, one death)
• British 5154 ton freighter Empire Brigade (35 survive, 6 dead)
• Norwegian 1643 ton freighter Snefjeld (all survive)
• Greek 5875 ton freighter Thalia (22 perish, 6 survive)
• British 3106 ton freighter Clintonia (damaged, later sunk by gunfire from U-123) (34 survive, one death).

U-123 torpedoes and sinks 5556-ton British freighter Sedgepool. There are 36 survivors and three men perish.

U-123 torpedoes and damages British freighter Skekatika, which has grown tired of the slow pace of Convoy SC 7 and run ahead of it. This is one of those situations where those who figure that the faster ships should just go at their own pace are proven wrong. Skekatika's crew of 36 all survive and are taken on board HMS Fowey.

U-46 torpedoes and sinks 4885-ton British freighter Beatus in Convoy SC 7. All 37 men aboard are rescued.

U-46 also torpedoes and sinks 1996 ton Swedish freighter Convallaria in Convoy SC 7. Everybody aboard survives and is taken on board HMS Fowey.

U-100 torpedoes and damages Dutch freighter Boekelo. U-123 later comes along and finishes her off. All 25 men aboard survive.

U-46 torpedoes and sinks 1572 ton Swedish freighter Gunborg. All 23 men aboard survive and are taken aboard HMS Bluebell.

Locations of ships lost in Convoy SC 7.

Just to sum up, the ships lost in Convoy SC 7.

• Trevisa (1,813 grt. ca.)
• Languedoc (9,512 grt. br.)
• Scoresby (3,843 grt. br.)
• Aenos (3,554 grt. gr.)
• Beatus (4,885 grt. br.)
• Convallaria (1,996 grt. sw.)
• Creekirk (3,917 grt. br.)
• Empire Miniver (6,055 grt. br.)
• Gunborg (1,572 grt. sw.)
• Niritos (3,854 grt. gr.)
• Fiscus (4,815 grt. br.)
• Assyrian (2,962 grt. br.)
• Soesterberg (1,904 grt. nl.)
• Boekelo (2,118 grt. nl.)
• Empire Brigade (5,154 grt. br.)
• Sedgepool (5,556 grt. br.)
• Thalia (5,875 grt. gr.)
• Snefjeld (1,643 grt. nw.)
• Shekatika (5,458 grt. br.)
• Clintonia (3,106 grt. br.)

Meanwhile, Convoy HX 79 also is about to get devastated. This also is an eastbound convoy of 49 ships which left Halifax on 8 October 1940. This is a case of two convoys merging as they funnel into the Western Approaches, making one formless mass with ships exposed to attack everywhere the U-boats can look. Prien, in fact, initiated the entire attack because he spotted HX 79 and informed U-boat headquarters about it. However, those attacks occur on the 19th and 20th, which is where we will address them.

There is also U-boat action elsewhere.

German patrol craft (U-Jäger) UJ 116 and UJ 118 of the 5th German anti-submarine flotilla are operating in the North Sea off Texel when they spot British submarine HMS H49 ((Lt R. E. Coltart). They depth-charge and sink it. There are 21-25 deaths (accounts vary), and only one man, Leading Stoker George William Oliver, survives. He winds up in Marlag M as a POW for the rest of the war. This is a known war grave off Terschelling. Divers visiting it have been prosecuted by the Dutch government.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Argus sails to Reykavik, Iceland to take aboard planes of RAF No. 701 Squadron.

Royal Navy 448 ton anti-submarine trawler Kingston Cairngorm, in tow since being mined off Portland on the 17th, sinks at 03:18.
The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 159-ton British trawler King Athelstan about 20 km off Mizzen Head.

Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall seizes Vichy French freighter Indochinois off Casablanca. It boards it with a prize crew and sends it to Freetown.

Convoy OA 231 departs from Methil, Convoy SL 52 departs from Freetown.

Royal Navy escort destroyer HMS Exmoor (L 61, Lt. Commander Robert T. Lampard) is commissioned.


Battle of the Mediterranean: General de Gaulle meets with General Catroux. This is a relationship fraught with intrigue because technically Catroux outranks de Gaulle (though technically they both no longer serve in any nation's army). De Gaulle is known to fear that the British will replace him with Catroux. This meeting allays some of de Gaulle's fears on that score, but this will not be the last time that a possible battle for supremacy of the Free France movement arises.

A Royal Navy operation including two Saunders-Roe London Flying boats of RAF 202 Squadron and destroyers HMS Firedrake, HMS Vidette, and HMS Wrestler find Italian submarine Durbo 120 miles east of Gibraltar (off Alboran Island). The British forces torpedo and sink the Italian submarine, with everybody on board surviving. The 48 Italians become POWs (ultimately in the US). This sinking has lasting consequences because, before sinking the sub, Royal Navy sailors get aboard and grab documents that will be helpful in tracking down other submarines.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Regent, having collided with a caique in the Ionian Sea, arrives at Malta for repairs with damage to its forward hydroplanes.

The South African Air Force, based in Sudan, attacks the Italian airfield at Barentu. The RAF attacks various Italian bases, including Benghazi, Sollum, Gura, Diredawa, Rhodes (an airfield) and the Dodecanese Islands.

At Malta, Governor Dobbie responds to a recent memorandum from the Chief of the Imperial Staff which suggested that additional forces need not be stationed on the island to repel an invasion, as forces could be transported in quickly. This degenerates into an argument over tactics - Dobbie wants the ability to attack the landing zones, while the Imperial Staff feels a counter-attack after a four-day delay (the minimum amount of time to bring in new forces) would suffice. Dobbie is probably right because the islands are so small that any delay likely would result in quick defeat.

North Judah streetcar, San Francisco, California. October 18, 1940.

Battle of the Pacific: US schooner Director II runs aground off Gladstone, Queensland and is lost.

German raiders Orion and Komet, operating in tandem, rendezvous with supply ship Kulmerland at Lamotrek Atoll in the Caroline Islands.

Italian/German Relations: Having made his decision to invade Greece on the 15th, Mussolini has been studiously quiet about it. Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano has told neither the German ambassador nor his German counterpart. The decision has immense implications for Germany, but Mussolini throughout the war occasionally allows his annoyance at being the junior partner in his relationship with Hitler to manifest itself.

Finally, word starts seeping out today. First, Lt. General Emil (Enno) von Rintelen, Wehrmacht liaison to Rome, tells the OKW that Mussolini has decided to attack Greece on the 26th. In this sense, he is almost acting in the role of a spy, as perhaps the Italian Generals don't even realize this is still top secret information. The information is outdated because army commander Marshal Badoglio already had convinced Mussolini to postpone the attack for two days, until the 28th. However, it is the first information Germany receives about Mussolini's intentions at all.

Then, Ciano sends an odd telegram to German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop stating that army commander Marshal Badoglio had opposed any Greek invasion and even Mussolini had been hesitant. Ciano professes himself enthusiastic about it, which is at odds with his usual attitude toward military entanglements. The telegram does not even say that such an invasion has been planned - it comes out of the blue as if the Germans already should know about the operation. All of this rather casual communication creates an appearance of insincerity or deception, to put it mildly.

All of this information sends the German command at Zossen and the Foreign Ministry into a whirlwind of activity. They contact their agents from Belgrade to Ankara to Tirana to Rome to get confirmation, and General von Pohl (liaison to the Italian Air Force) confirms that he has heard the same thing. Ribbentrop, meanwhile, remains in the dark about the status of the projected Italian operation, as the Italians are being cute about divulging the information.

Italian/German/Greek Relations: Germany and Italy begin ratcheting up pressure on Greece, submitting demands to the Greek government which they do not expect to be met.

The War Illustrated, Vol. 3 No 59, October 18, 1940.

Japanese/Dutch Relations: There are reports that the Japanese and the government in the Dutch East Indies in Batavia have reached a "concrete understanding" on oil deliveries to Japan. The actual agreement will be signed on the 19th.

Anglo/Japanese Relations: The British in India suspend indefinitely the export of scrap iron to Japan. This follows upon a similar ban imposed by the United States and appears to be tied to the re-opening of the Burma Road.

US Military: Heavy cruiser USS Louisville arrives in Rio de Janeiro as part of the continuing "Show the flag" operation.

China: The Chinese announce that in the first 18 hours of the re-opening of the Burma Road, more than 1500 tons of cargo have embarked on the long journey from Lashio (the start) to Kunming (the terminus). The truck convoys travel at night and a mile apart to avoid attacks. The trucks are described as "the latest American types."

The Japanese also have noticed the Burma Road's opening, and today the Japanese South China Seas Fleet Command announces that they sent 36 planes to bomb sections of the road (Bunna Road) at and near Kunming. This included a bridge which they "seriously damaged." Naval Air Force Commander Chikao Yamamoto (not the famous Yamamoto), noting bad weather over the target, states:

Heaven helped us by enabling us to sight and bomb the bridge. We saw no enemy aircraft and no anti-aircraft fire. 

There is some confusion about how the road will be used; the Colonial Secretary (N.L. Smith) issues, then retracts, a statement that gasoline and some other prohibited items under the July Anglo-Japanese agreement would be sent over the road. The Japanese would not be happy with that, and they retain the ability to pressure the British enclaves in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

French Homefront: The Vichy government publishes the new anti-Semitic laws (Statute of 4 Oct 1940) that it has recently announced. This specifies that Jews who are not French citizens are no longer protected by French laws and will be housed in new "Special camps." Now, where could they have gotten that idea?

British Homefront: Another evacuation of London children begins. Some 2000 depart every day for the more rural parts of the country. In fact, many Londoners now are living in caves in Kent. Most, however, have relocated to places such as Reading, Basingstoke, and Oxford.

An ad in The Pilot (Vass, N.C.), 18 October 1940.

October 1940

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

2020

Friday 4 October 1940

Bombs dropping on Tillbury, England. This port is the source of London's food supply. The bomb cluster on the left will hit ships, the second to the right will hit the docks. 4 October 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather remains lousy on 4 October 1940, and air operations remain minimal. In any event, given the pattern of the battle so far, this probably would have been an "off" day for the Luftwaffe anyway, which has alternated periods of attacks and quieter days since June.

RAF Fighter Command, for its part, is focusing on developing more lead-time for its fighters. These measures, championed by Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, include a new reconnaissance squadron based at Gravesend. The new guidelines are that Spitfires are to assemble at 25,000 feet and Hurricanes at 20,000 feet before embarking on patrol.

The new pattern of using primarily fighter-bombers by day and regular bombers by night continues, but especially on days like this with heavy clouds and rains, the Luftwaffe does sneak a fair number of Junkers Ju 88s, Dornier Do 17s and Heinkel He 111s into the mix.

The morning is occupied with lone bombers seeking out specific targets. Some hit London, others various other targets in the southeast. Among the areas hit are RAF Penrhos, which destroys some buildings, and Fairlight (home of the Air Ministry). Some bombers are intercepted at sea before they can even make land.

Around 13:00, the Luftwaffe sends over some Bf 109E-7 Jabos (fighter-bombers) and Bf 110s. This is the first organized raid, but does not accomplish much in the muck.

Another raid at 17:00 crosses the coast apparently heading for London. A timely interception by RAF No. 605 Squadron Hurricanes, though, sends them running.

The weather clears up a bit after dark, just in time for the Luftwaffe to get to its main task, the bombing of English cities. Airfields around Abbeville send out a steady stream of bombers beginning around 19:00. The aircraft are in parade formation, regularly spaced in true Germanic precision. These raids last for about two hours and all head for London, which is fairly easy to find even in the poor weather conditions. Southwest and Northwest London take the brunt of the attack, with some bombers hitting the RAF stations at North Weald and Debden. The most significant damage to infrastructure is at the Hawkers Aircraft Factory at Kingston, the New Cross Telephone Exchange, and the railroad track near Crews Hill Station. This last attack stops all rail traffic on the line in both directions for a while.

The Luftwaffe also mines all along the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.

Losses are light today. The Luftwaffe loses about 10 planes, the RAF about 3.

Squadron Leader M. Lister Robinson, DSO, DFC, becomes commanding officer of RAF No. 609 Squadron.

Hauptmann Walter Adolph becomes Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26.

A Wehrmacht man enjoying wine and some artichokes. This is why France is one of the most sought-after billets in the German Army. Dieppe, 4 October 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Royal Navy once again tries to implement Operation Lucid, the fireship attack on Channel ports. Once again, creaking old tankers Nizam and War African, loaded with volatile fuel oil, diesel oil, and petrol, head across the Channel. The previous time the Royal Navy attempted this, the Nizam broke down within sight of the target. This time, a massive force of 11 destroyers, 6 minesweepers and various torpedo boats escorts the tankers toward France. However, this time it is the weather that does not cooperate (the tankers are barely seaworthy), and once again the operation is scrubbed.

British paper mill tug HT Sirdar hits a mine and sinks in The Swale near Kent. Some accounts state that the Luftwaffe sank it, but an oral history by local Keith Chisman states that it hit a mine, with the loss of all three crew. The Luftwaffe story is unlikely due to the foul weather, but memories can be shaky 70 years later, too.

Convoys OA 224 and FS 300 depart from Methil, Convoy FN 299 departs from Southend, Convoy HX 78 departs from Halifax.

British patrol ship HMCS Otter is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Due to the foul weather in the Atlantic, all of the action at sea today is in the Mediterranean for a change - where the weather also is cloudy and rainy. It is a very mixed day for British submarines in the Mediterranean. Despite some successes, it is a sad day for the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet.

British submarine HMS Rainbow (Lt. Colonel Moore), operating in the Adriatic 20 miles north of Brindisi, gets too close to 6860-ton Italian freighter Antonietta Costa, which is on a supply run to Durazzo. The sub is rammed and sunk, with all 55 crew perishing. This is a very rare instance of a freighter "evening the score" with the submarines that terrorize them.

British submarine HMS Triton approaches Genoa and uses its deck gun to get in some target practice and shell Savona and Vado Ligure. During this action, it sinks passing 1854 ton Italian passenger ship Franca Fassio about 30 km off Capo Noli, Liguria (Vado Roads, Gulf of Genoa).

British submarine HMS Tetrarch is operating in the same general area as Triton and attacks another (unknown) Italian freighter, but misses.

British submarine Rorqual lays mines off neutral Portugal.

At Lisbon, British troopship Neuralia takes off various refugees and Polish troops who failed to escape over the summer. The troopship makes it back to Gibraltar escorted by destroyer Wishart - which is only a marginally better location for the people aboard, and perhaps worse.

Italian 2180 ton freighter Nina Bianchi collides with fellow freighter Veloce near Brindisi. The Nina Bianchi sinks.

The RAF sends raids against railway infrastructure serving Italian bases in Eritrea and Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Force H, which participated in Operation H, returns to Gibraltar.

At Malta, there is a sustained Italian air raid shortly after 10:00. The formation is composed of fighters, and the defending Hurricanes only rise to defend when they attack Luqa and Hal Far airfields. The Italians lose one Macchi C.200 Saetta ("Arrow") and the pilot perishes.

Hitler and Mussolini exchange a few last words through the window of his Führersonderzug "Amerika."

German/Italian Relations: Hitler and Mussolini meet in the Brenner Pass, which is convenient for their command trains. They talk for three hours. The main subject apparently is new plans in the Mediterranean, as the Germans have given up on Operation Sealion. This pleases Mussolini militarily because his priority always is the "Italian Lake." However, there may be more to Mussolini's good humor than merely a convenient military decision. Foreign Minister Count Ciano confides to his diary that Mussolini appears to be delighted by this setback for the Germans, happier than at almost any other time. This is an attitude that Mussolini reprises throughout the war even as it can't be good news for himself personally in the long run.

However, Hitler also is in an expansive mood and declares "The war is won" - which somewhat contradicts the topic of the conference, to change the Axis' focus away from the country that he cannot defeat, Great Britain, to the Mediterranean. Hitler states that the British people are about to "crack" - a constant refrain of his about his accumulating enemies throughout the conflict.

Hitler offers his support for Italy's (now stalled) drive into Egypt. Mussolini, however, indicates that he doesn't need the help yet, perhaps during the final drive into Alexandria and Cairo. Mussolini still sees his armed forces as capable of defeating Allied resistance and Italy being an equal partner in the relationship. Perhaps Mussolini feels it would be a slight to Italian prestige to require German help. This is one of Mussolini's quirks - perhaps fantasies is a better word - that leads him into a lot of difficulties and actual loss of prestige.

Another major issue at this conference is France. Hitler wants to upgrade Vichy France to virtually a full partner in the war. Mussolini, however, adamantly opposes any French rearmament, perhaps because he has his eyes cast in a completely different direction. France recently has shown its potential value in the successful defense of Dakar against Charles de Gaulle's and the Royal Navy's Operation Menace, and Hitler wants to build upon that. Vichy France occupies vast overseas dominions such as Madagascar and could be a big help to the Axis. The outcome of the discussion on this point is unclear, but Hitler seems to have succeeded in keeping Mussolini from interfering with his plans for Vichy France.

What is most significant about this meeting is what is not said. Hitler does not bring up Operation Barbarossa - which is consuming Wehrmacht planning. Mussolini also (apparently) does not mention that he also has plans of his own. These involve perennial Italian nemesis Greece, Italy's ancient enemy stretching back before even Roman times. Mussolini has a springboard against Greece in Albania - the traditional European route of the Middle Ages to attack Constantinople/Istanbul - and he intends to use it, and soon. In Mussolini's defense, these meetings according to accounts of other meetings usually turn into Hitler monologues, with Mussolini probably trying to stay awake in a comfortable chair.

Little is known about this meeting, and there are some subtle indications that maybe the topic of an Italian invasion of Greece did come up, at least tangentially. It is known that Mussolini speaks at the meeting with contempt of Greek "double-dealing," but Hitler may not "take the hint." Hitler's later reaction to the Italian invasion suggests that this meeting at least did not bring him completely on board. Immediately after this meeting, Mussolini quickly gives up plans to invade Yugoslavia as well - which is almost always overlooked by historians - so Hitler and Mussolini may have made some kind of deal on that score.

Back in Berlin, one of the Foreign Ministry's tasks is to brief neutral governments (such as the United States) about what is going on with things like the Mussolini/Hitler meeting. A spokesman says that the discussion at the Brenner Pass was about reaching a peace deal with Great Britain - which is far-fetched because Great Britain would need to be interested, or at least consulted, and it isn't. The Italian newspaper Il Popolo di Roma harps on the fact a German invasion of Great Britain is impossible in 1940. There is always an underlying resentment during World War II of the Italians at their military domination by the Germans, who in the 1920s were seen as little more than beggars across the Alps.

Cole sorghum mill near Camden, Tennessee, October 4, 1940. This sorghum mill belongs to John Cole, located about 5-6 miles south of Camden, Tennessee on Highway 69. Nelson Cole, grandson of John Cole, reports that the individuals in the photograph are Pauline Hargis, Rural Cole (son of John Cole), Fay Howe, Johnell Moore, Reba Nell Pace, and Harold Cole. Two mules are visible, "Bigun" and "Littleun." Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, Courtesy of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN (USA).

Anglo/US Relations: Churchill sends a message to President Roosevelt requesting a US naval presence in Singapore.
British Government: The re-shuffling of government and military posts that began on the 3rd continues. Sir Charles Portal takes over as British Chief of Air Staff from Sir Cyril Newall, who becomes Governor-General of New Zealand. This change is effective on 24 October 1940. Sir Richard Peirse takes over at RAF Bomber Command.

Free France: Charles de Gaulle (still referred to as a "General," but in fact no longer a member of any army) arrives in Douala, French Cameroon. His arrival fits into grand British strategy to wrest all of Africa from the Axis by picking off the low-hanging fruit first. While an overlooked part of World War II, control of central and southern Africa is of immense importance for many reasons, not least the ability it gives to extend the range and scope of U-boat and Luftwaffe operations against vulnerable British supply routes.

PM Weekly Magazine, 4 October 1940.

Vichy France: The Petain/Laval government continues the persecution of communists that has lasted ever since the first days of the German invasion and arrests communists in Paris.

China: The Japanese launch a typical raid by 27 G3M bombers escorted by 8 A6M Zero fighters against Chengdu, Sichuan. Half a dozen Nationalist Hawk 75 fighters intercept. The Zeros once again demonstrate their superiority and destroy three of the Hawks.

The Nationalists at Huangqiao attack the communist Chinese New 4th Army forces which have been advancing along the Yangtze. The communists struggle to hold the town.

American Homeland: "Knute Rockne, All American" premieres at four separate venues in South Bend, Indiana, the home of Rockne's alma mater, Notre Dame. The film stars Pat O'Brien and Ronald Reagan. Ticket prices range from $1.10 to $1.65 for reserved seating on the main floor (about $23 today).

Boxer Fritzie Zivic beats Henry Armstrong for the world welterweight title at Madison Square Garden.

Future History: Barbara-Maria "Barbi" Henneberger is born in Oberstaufen, Bavaria. Germany. She becomes a top alpine skier who competes in the 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics, winning the bronze medal in the Slalom in the former. She perishes in an avalanche accident not long after the latter Olympics.

The War Illustrated magazine, 4 October 1940. One of the reasons we have so many excellent photographs of World War II is that picture magazines were in vogue in the 1940s, much more so than today when television and other media has lessened their importance.

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

2020

Friday 27 September 1940

The Tripartite Pact signing ceremony, 27 September 1940. Left to right on the dais are Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano, Japanese Foreign Minister Kurusu, and Adolf Hitler.

Western Front: The 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles on 27 September 1940 is busy guarding Kent within their normal duty stations at the Sportsman Inn (pub) in Seasalter when they are informed that a German bomber has crash-landed down the road. It is a Junkers Ju 88 piloted by Uffz. Fritz Ruhlandt, shot down by RAF Nos. 66 and 92 Squadrons. The plane winds up at Graveney Marsh near the seawall and is in good condition.

Luftwaffe plane crews almost never try to escape capture - unlike scenes in some popular movies of the time - but this time is different. Rather than meekly surrender, the bomber crew opens fire with two machine guns and whatever other weapons they have on hand. What the crew thought could be accomplished under the circumstances is unclear - there were no other Wehrmacht ground troops within 20 miles - but they resist nonetheless.

Flabbergasted, the British soldiers deploy along the seawall and advance. The Germans wave a white flag, which the approaching soldiers take to mean surrender, but then the Germans open fire again. An exchange of gunfire takes place which injures one of the plane's crew - shot in the foot - and the Germans finally decide to surrender.

The 1st Battalion men then celebrate the victory with their captives back at the pub, while the authorities come to take the plane - which turns out to be a recent model with a new bombsight which is of great interest - to Farnborough Airfield. Captain John Cantopher of the 1st Battalion later receives the George Medal for disarming a demolition charge in the plane.

This is believed to be the last military action to date in the British Isles. A commemorative plaque now hangs in the pub. The moral of the story is that sometimes you can have your cake and eat it, too.

The Junkers Ju 88 shot down over Faversham (near Kent) which wound up in the Graveney Marsh. 27 September 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-31 (Kptlt. Wilfried Prellberg) sends two torpedoes into and sinks 4319-ton Norwegian freighter Vestvard at 11:30 about 300 miles west of Ireland. One sailor is killed as the ship sinks. There are 30 survivors who take to lifeboats and reach Slane Head Light, Galway, Ireland in about four days. U-31 had been sunk on 11 March 1940 in the Schillig Roads but later refloated. The Vestvard has been sailing in Convoy OB 218, but the convoy scattered on 24 September.

U-37 (Kptlt. Victor Oehrn), operating near U-31 and on her eight patrol, torpedoes and sinks 2555 ton Egyptian iron ore freighter Georges Mabro at 22:59. Everybody aboard perishes, it is unknown exactly how many were aboard. The sinking was quite dramatic, the ship splitting immediately in half and sinking within 30 seconds, and the crew had no time to react.

U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass), has been having a successful patrol, having just sunk two ships on the 26th. Operating far out in the Atlantic, suddenly experiences mechanical issues and dives unexpectedly, killing Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Schenk and Matrosenobergefreiter Wilhelm Reh. The U-boat recovers and returns to St. Nazaire, having been at sea for only a week (most patrols last about a month).

Norwegian 1155 ton collier Diana hits a mine and sinks near Lizard Point in the English Channel. All 17 crew on board perish. It is not absolutely certain what happened to Diana, since there were no survivors and there is nothing about her in the surviving German records. Diana had been sailing in Convoy OA 218 previously, but not at the time of her loss. Despite being lost near the coast, all that was ever found were a lifeboat and lifejacket with her name on it, along with scattered debris that may or may not have come from the Diana. The Germans have been using acoustic mines that detonate from the vibrations of propellers of passing ships and that is the likeliest cause of the sinking.

Royal Navy minesweeper 815 ton HMS Halcyon hits a mine off the River Tees, England. The badly damaged ship has several casualties but makes it back to port for extensive repairs.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sikh collides with tug Flamer and requires repairs.

Convoy FN 292 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 293 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 220 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SC 6 departs from Sydney, Canada, Convoy SL 49 departs from Freetown.

The majority of the force assembled off Dakar for failed Operation Menace, led by cruiser HMS Cumberland and Cornwall, makes port at Freetown.

Kriegsmarine cruiser Admiral Hipper, attempting a breakout into the Atlantic, has engine trouble, drifts aimlessly at sea for several hours at great risk to itself, then returns to port.

Submarine HMS Unique (N 95, Lt. Anthony F. Collett) and light cruiser HMS Kenya (Captain Michael M. Denny) are commissioned.

RAF P/O Dennis Secretan transfers today from RAF No. 54 Squadron to No. 72 Squadron at Biggin Hill, which is back in operation. No. 54 Squadron, at RAF Catterick, has been withdrawn due to battle losses. While it is a bad day for the Luftwaffe, Fighter Command also takes heavy losses.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Two large formations of SM 79 bombers, about 9 bombers in all, escorted by at least a dozen CR 42 fighters, bomb Hal Far and Luqa airfields and surrounding vicinities starting around 17:00. Luqa takes the most damage, but operations are not curtailed. The bombs destroy a Hurricane on the ground and damage a Glen Martin. The defending Hurricane fighters scramble and reportedly down a fighter, with anti-aircraft fire damaging two bombers. One Hurricane sustains minor damage in battle.

The London Times writes a feature about Malta which calls it a "fortress." However, local soldiers realize their high degree of vulnerability.

 RAF bombers attack Jarabub, Libya. It contains an important water supply station and is considered one of the most sensitive spots in Libya. Marshal Graziani is very fearful of the interdiction of his supplies at Sidi Barrani.

Bomb damage in the West Brunswick section of Liverpool, 27 September 1940.

Battle of Britain: The Luftwaffe starts early on a fairly clear day, sending about 180 aircraft over Bristol around 09:00. Once again the primary target is aircraft factories, including the Parnall factory at Yale. About 100 of the planes are Bf 109s, with the rest largely Bf 110 fighter-bombers. Most of the Zerstörers scatter when the RAF intercepts and drop their bombs at random to escape, but a few do reach London and their other targets. The day is long remembered in Bristol for the vivid dogfights overhead.

Shortly before noontime, the Luftwaffe sends another raid across, this time totaling 300 aircraft. They head toward Chatham, and Fighter Command gets 20 Squadrons in the air. Due to poor coordination, the Dornier Do 17 and Junkers Ju 88 bombers arrive before the fighter escorts. Most of the bombers drop their bombs to no purpose and scramble for home.

Around this time, the Spitfire factory at Filton receives more attention after the heavy attacks of the previous two days. However, this is primarily a fighter raid which does not cause much damage. These fighters were supposed to rendezvous with the bombers but never do.

After dark, London again is the main target, with other raids on Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Nottingham. The London raids last all night long, clear up to daylight. The raid starts fires at the Thames Ammunition Works which are quickly put out. One bomber drops its bombs on Bristol.

It is a very bad day for the Luftwaffe. Due to the unescorted bomber formations being easy targets for Fighter Command, the Germans lose 55 planes to the RAF's 28.

It is a rough day for the Zerstörer pilots in particular. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Horst Liensberger of LG 1 is shot down and killed. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Martin Lutz of Epr.Gr 210 is shot down during the morning raid and killed. He and Staffelkapitän of 2 Staffel of Epr.Gr 210 Oblt. Wilhelm Rossiger is awarded the Ritterkreuz posthumously. Oblt. Werner Weymann replaces Lutz.

RAF aces Douglas Bader and James Lacey each claim Bf 109s.

Kommodore Werner Mölders of JG 51, back from his medal ceremony in Berlin and the visit to Reichsmarschall Goering's estate Carinhall, shoots down a Spitfire from RAF No. 222 Squadron for his 41st victory.

Hans-Joachim Marseille claims his 6th victory, a Hurricane over London. He abandons his flight leader and wingman, Staffelkapitän Adolf Buhl, who is shot down and killed over the English Channel. There is some uncertainty whether this happened today or on 23 September. Despite the victory claim, Gruppenkommandeur, Herbert Ihlefeld dresses Marseille down and tears up his outstanding flight evaluation from August in front of him for leaving Buhl. Marseille is gaining a reputation as a prima donna.

A record 172,000 Londoners take shelter in the underground tubes.

The Corpo Aereo Italiano (CAI) sends its bombers from San Damanio di Piacenza and Cameri di Novara airfields in Italy to their new bases on the English Channel front in Belgium. Due to inclement weather encountered while crossing the Alps, nine of them must land at German and Austrian airports.

On 27 September 1940, Sgt Frank "Itma" Usmar of RAF No. 41 Squadron bails out of his burning Spitfire and lands in an apple orchard near West Malling. His parents live nearby and watch his descent, not knowing who it is. Usmar winds up in the hospital with burns and an injured leg.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command bombs the port of Lorient, home to a new U-boat base, as well as other ports along the Atlantic coast. Raids also are sent against munitions plants in Dusseldorf and railway installations in Mannheim and Hamm.

German/Japanese/Italian Relations: The three nations formally sign a treaty of mutual defense and aid in the case of an attack by another on a signing country. This is known as the Tripartite Pact. Signing on behalf of their respective nations are Joachim Ribbentrop of Germany, Saburō Kurusu of Japan and Galeazzo Ciano of Italy. This event does not create the Axis, which already exists between Germany and Italy, but does greatly expand its scope. Other names for this treaty are the Berlin Pact and the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis.

One of the most misunderstood pacts in history, the Tripartite Pact is not a formal alliance in the sense that it makes the three countries allies in all endeavors. Japan's "leadership... in the establishment of a new order in Greater East Asia" is recognized, as is the same for Germany and Italy in Europe. It is a forward-looking pact, only obligating the parties in case of future events that trigger sections of the pact. Most significantly, the pact is not triggered when a signing part attacks another country.

The pact's ostensible goal, widely disseminated at the time, is to deter United States aggression. However, other prospective members of the "club" such as Romania cannot help but notice that its general language also would be triggered by attacks from other countries - such as the Soviet Union. In practice, the Tripartite Pact creates a military alliance among the member nations.

The Tripartite Pact of 27 September 1940 forms the foundation for the so-called "Axis powers" of World War II. "Axis" is a term coined by Italian prime minister Benito Mussolini in September 1923 in a preface written for Roberto Suster's "Germania Repubblica." Specifically, the passage is "there is no doubt that in this moment the axis of European history passes through Berlin." Mussolini and others later adopted the word to refer to any alliance or proposed alliance with Germany. Other nations signed over the next couple of years to form a power block in opposition to the Allied nations led by Great Britain and, later, the United States and the Soviet Union. The territories controlled by or allied with the Axis powers reached their peak in the summer of 1942. Numerous states joined and left the Axis throughout the war, and the remaining Axis powers all left the alliance with their defeats or defections in 1943-45.

US Secretary of State Cordell Hull issues the following statement:

The reported agreement of alliance does not, in the view of the Government of the United States, substantially alter a situation which has existed for several years. Announcements of the alliance merely makes clear to all a relationship which has long existed in effect and to which this Government has repeatedly called attention. That such an agreement has been in process of conclusion has been well known for some time, and that fact has been fully taken into account by the Government of the United States in the determining of this country's policies.

Adolf Hitler at the Tripartite Pact signing ceremony, 27 September 1940.

Latin American Relations: The United States Senate formally ratifies the Havana Convention ("Provisional Administration of European Colonies and Possessions in the Americas") of 30 July 1940. However, the pact only takes effect upon ratification by two-thirds of the signatories, and that has not happened as of this date (and a handful never do). The Convention permits the signing parties to take control over European colonies whose mother states have been extinguished. In practice, the pact prevents Germany from taking over the colonies in the Americas of the countries that it conquers, such as France and Holland.

US Government: Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, always pessimistic to date about England's chances in the war, sends a message to that effect back to Washington.

President Roosevelt at the White House holds a meeting with A. Philip Randolph, Walter White (the head of the NAACP,) and T. Arnold Hill (an administrator for the Urban League), among others. The issue is hiring practices in the defense industry, which the attendees submit has been highly discriminatory against minorities. Roosevelt responds that opening up the armed services to minorities in the recent Selective Services Act was a big step. US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox resists integrating the US Navy, stating:

We have a factor in the Navy that is not so in the Army, and that is that these men live aboard ship. And in our history we don’t take Negroes into a ship’s company.

The meeting is inconclusive but starts the ball rolling to further integration of defense contracts and the military in general.

French Indochina: Emperor Hirohito orders the cessation of all Japanese offensive actions in French Indochina, as the objectives have been achieved. The Japanese presence in the south, around Saigon, and in the Mekong Delta, remains sparse.

There are more problems for the French than the Japanese, however. The Japanese previously called for local communists to rise up against the French. These nationalistic uprisings accelerate in the mountains west of Lang Son, a city now occupied by the Japanese.

Palestine: Italian planes try to raid Haifa but are intercepted and turned back.

Romania: The Antonescu government seizes all Jewish-owned land.

Vichy French: The German government requires all Jews in occupied France to carry identity cards that reflect their religion. The Germans require that the Vichy police conduct a census of all Jewish residents.

British Homefront: The Blitz has caused tremendous problems for the London rail service, but repairs are made as quickly as possible and lines put back into operation. Today, previously suspended services between Northfield and Hounslow resume at 08:52, and between Turnham Green and Richmond at 14:00.  However, a 250kb bomb lands near the Chalk Farm Northern line station directly above a train tunnel, and service is temporarily suspended. When the damage is examined and found to be no present danger, service is resumed. The railway workers are among the unsung heroes of the Battle of Britain.

American Homefront: The Detroit Tigers clinch the American League Pennant, ending the streak of the New York Yankees, which have won the four previous pennants.

MGM and Loew's Inc. release Busby Berkeley musical "Strike Up The Band" starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

Captain John Cantopher, the hero of Graveney Marsh.

THE BATTLE OF GRAVENEY MARSH

Spitfires, tearing through the sky,
turning like pipistrelles
squaring up to vie
with the Luftwaffe’s’ finest.
During those final throes of the Battle of Britain,
on September 27th,1940...
divesting Germany in a mid-air sortie
of technology much needed
for an island that stood alone

A Junkers 88, barely two weeks old
with the latest navigation aids
and bomb-sights aboard,
wounded,
falling like a dead leaf onto British soil…

At Graveney Marsh, near Whitstable, Kent
the 1st battalion London Irish were sent to
apprehend the luckless crew
who fought for their secret before being subdued
to Lancaster and Halifax went this new technology
to avenge London, Portsmouth,
Southampton and Coventry
This last fought battle on English turf
deserves far more than the obscure footnote
by which history has measured its worth

by Kevin Wells

Another view of the Graveney Marsh Junkers.

TEXT OF TRIPARTITE PACT

The Governments of Japan, Germany, and Italy consider it the prerequisite of a lasting peace that every nation in the world shall receive the space to which it is entitled. They have, therefore, decided to stand by and cooperate with one another in their efforts in the regions of Europe and Greater East Asia respectively. In doing this it is their prime purpose to establish and maintain a new order of things, calculated to promote the mutual prosperity and welfare of the peoples concerned. It is, furthermore, the desire of the three Governments to extend cooperation to nations in other spheres of the world that are inclined to direct their efforts along lines similar to their own for the purpose of realizing their ultimate object, world peace. Accordingly, the Governments of Japan, Germany and Italy have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1. Japan recognizes and respects the leadership of Germany and Italy in the establishment of a new order in Europe.

ARTICLE 2. Germany and Italy recognize and respect the leadership of Japan in the establishment of a new order in Greater East Asia.

ARTICLE 3. Japan, Germany, and Italy agree to cooperate in their efforts on aforesaid lines. They further undertake to assist one another with all political, economic and military means if one of the Contracting Powers is attacked by a Power at present not involved in the European War or in the Japanese-Chinese conflict.

ARTICLE 4. With a view to implementing the present pact, joint technical commissions, to be appointed by the respective Governments of Japan, Germany and Italy, will meet without delay.

ARTICLE 5. Japan, Germany and Italy affirm that the above agreement affects in no way the political status existing at present between each of the three Contracting Powers and Soviet Russia.

ARTICLE 6. The present pact shall become valid immediately upon signature and shall remain in force ten years from the date on which it becomes effective. In due time, before the expiration of said term, the High Contracting Parties shall, at the request of any one of them, enter into negotiations for its renewal.

The representatives of Italy, Japan, and Germany sign the Tripartite Pact.

September 1940

September 1, 1940: RAF's Horrible Weekend
September 2, 1940: German Troopship Sunk
September 3, 1940: Destroyers for Bases
September 4, 1940: Enter Antonescu
September 5, 1940: Stukas Over Malta
September 6, 1940: The Luftwaffe Peaks
September 7, 1940: The Blitz Begins
September 8, 1940: Codeword Cromwell
September 9, 1940: Italians Attack Egypt
September 10, 1940: Hitler Postpones Sealion
September 11, 1940: British Confusion at Gibraltar
September 12, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Approved
September 13, 1940: Zeros Attack!
September 14, 1940: The Draft Is Back
September 15, 1940: Battle of Britain Day
September 16, 1940: Italians Take Sidi Barrani
September 17, 1940: Sealion Kaputt
September 18, 1940: City of Benares Incident
September 19, 1940: Disperse the Barges
September 20, 1940: A Wolfpack Gathers
September 21, 1940: Wolfpack Strikes Convoy HX-72
September 22, 1940: Vietnam War Begins
September 23, 1940: Operation Menace Begins
September 24, 1940: Dakar Fights Back
September 25, 1940: Filton Raid
September 26, 1940: Axis Time
September 27, 1940: Graveney Marsh Battle
September 28, 1940: Radio Belgique Begins
September 29, 1940: Brocklesby Collision
September 30, 1940: Operation Lena

2020