Sunday 19 January 1941

German Flak in action along the French coast, 19 January 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign:  The front has stabilized for the time being on 19 January 1941, as much due to the weather as by Italian resistance to the continuing Greek offensive. The RAF bombs Berat, while the Luftwaffe performs reconnaissance over Athens and Piraeus - the main supply port being used by the British.

Hitler and Mussolini agree that the Wehrmacht will not assist the Italians in Albania - at least not directly, or right away. Hitler tells Mussolini that, while the ground war, for now, remains in his hands, he will invade Greece at the first sign of danger to the vital Romanian oil fields. The safety of the oil fields remains a priority for Hitler throughout the war and informs many of his major - and most disastrous - decisions.

East African Campaign: Today generally is considered the beginning of the East African campaign. British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell has been assembling large forces in Sudan. He plans attacks from three directions: an advance from Sudan; an offensive from Kenya; and amphibious landings to retake British Somaliland. They face 17,000 Italian troops along the border.

The British send the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions, along with elements of the Sudan Defence Force (all under Major General William Platt) across the border Sudan/Ethiopian border in force. The 4th Indian had participated in the opening stages of Operation Compass in Egypt during December. The ability by the British to mount offensives at the same time on two completely separate axes is an indication of growing British military might; but, more significantly, it is a sign of abject Italian military weakness (as proven by British military failures against the Germans in Greece a few months hence). It also is a complete vindication of Winston Churchill's edgy decision in August 1940 to start sending his Winston Special convoys carrying troops from England to the Middle East despite the looming threat of a German invasion.

The Italians under Lieutenant-General Luigi Frusci having abandoned the key rail junction of Kassala, Sudan, the British take possession without any fighting. This opens a path for a thrust toward Ethiopia. Another thrust is started in Kenya. The aim is the complete expulsion of Italian forces from Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and British Somaliland. The RAF is active, bombing Italian assets in the region.

The British have been studiously breaking Italian codes and thus have major advantages in the fighting. Italian commander and Viceroy of Italian East Africa the Duke of Aosta is competent, but his forces are completely out-matched and the British know his orders almost as quickly as his own troops do. The British also are using newly arrived Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie to stir up the natives against the Italians who had deposed him.

Following up on a story from the 17th and 18th, the Royal Navy finally gets a launch (the Lerwick lifeboat) to Fair Isle, Orkney to pick up three downed Luftwaffe airmen. They were shot down on the 17th whilst on a reconnaissance mission. The pilot, Karl Heinz Thurz, turns 21 today. The boat takes them back to the Scottish mainland for processing.

Battle of the Atlantic: Dutch 312 ton freighter Diana hits a mine and sinks in the Bristol Channel south of Cardiff. This area has seen numerous vessels sunk by mines recently. There are two survivors, the rest of the crew perishes.

The Luftwaffe hits 4909-ton British freighter Bonnington Court in the Thames Estuary near the Sunk Light Vessel. There are two deaths and the ship is sunk. Another ship, 2294 ton British freighter Zelo, also is damaged in this attack.

The Luftwaffe damages destroyer HMS Boreas during an attack on London. The Boreas already is under repair for an earlier incident.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Honeysuckle hits a mine off the Bar Light Vessel in the Thames Estuary and proceeds to Liverpool for repairs.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Galatea returns to the fleet after being under repair at Chatham since 17 October 1940.

Convoy OG 50 departs from Liverpool, Convoys FN 387 and 388 depart from Southend, Convoy BS 13 departs Suez, Convoy SLS 63 departs from Freetown.

British battleship Prince of Wales (Captain John Leach), a member of the King George V class, is commissioned. This is done prematurely by normal standards, as numerous tests have not yet been done on her (compartment air tests, ventilation tests and thorough testing of her bilge, ballast and fuel-oil systems). The main guns also have many issues that need to be worked on but are not yet apparent. The Admiralty is rushing ships into service due to the looming presence of German battleships Tirpitz and Bismarck.

U-77 (Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Schonder) is commissioned.

Italian submarine Neghelli, sunk today.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British and Australian troops surrounding Tobruk continue their preparations for the conquest of Tobruk. This operation originally was scheduled to begin on the 20th but was postponed for 24 hours due to sandstorms. The weather forces the Royal Navy to cancel Operation IS 1, the bombardment of Tobruk by Monitor HMS Terror, gunboat HMS Aphis, and several other ships. The weather damages Aphis, which has to be escorted to Port Said for repairs.

The Illustrious Blitz continues. The Luftwaffe's Fliegerkorps X once again attacks Malta's Grand Harbour. It is a fierce attack conducted by 80 aircraft in two separate raids. The Luftwaffe scores two misses on Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious and causes it some further damage below the waterline. This damage includes damage to the port turbine and flooding of a boiler room. The shock of the concussions throws the Illustrious up against the wharf, likely damaging it, too. Afterward, the carrier settles down at the stern. Extensive damage is done to the port itself, with the Germans using 1000 kg high explosive bombs, twice the heaviest used previously. A couple of destroyers, HMS Imperial and Decoy, also sustain inconsequential damage.

Fliegerkorps X is under direct orders from Hitler to sink Illustrious, and its presence at Malta has incurred the full fury of the recently arrived Stukas and Junkers Ju 88s based at Catania, Sicily. Senglea suffers more damage, with the church of Our Lady of Victory completely wrecked, and a priory of the Dominican Fathers at Vittoriosa also is destroyed. The Luftwaffe has done more damage in furtherance of the Axis cause to Malta in its first week in the Mediterranean than the Italians have done since entering the war.

The RAF has hits hands full on Malta. A Fairey Fulmar of No. 806 Squadron - part of Illustrious' complement, now based on Malta - shoots down a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka during the attack, but then is itself shot down (two crew rescued). Governor Dobbie says in his daily report:

We can take it and enemy morale is visibly affected.

The British take comfort in the losses they are extracting on the attacking German aircraft. The loss in morale that Governor Dobbie references shown in less aggressive Stuka attacks. It would make sense that, as the air battle over Malta progresses, the most aggressive pilots would tend to get killed first. However, it appears that British claims of downed Luftwaffe aircraft greatly exceed actual losses - which invariably is the case and nothing special regarding Malta. The RAF has lost just five aircraft so far, while the British claim to have downed over 50 Luftwaffe planes either in aerial combat or by ground fire - an extremely inflated figure similar to wild claims made during the Battle of Britain.

Hurricane pilot Flight Lieutenant Jay MacLachan becomes an ace today, downing his fifth enemy aircraft.

Italian submarine Neghelli spots Convoy AS 12, a Piraeus to Alexandria convoy. It attacks Greek destroyer Psara (D 96) in the Aegean off Crete. The destroyer survives the attack, apparently, the torpedo misses. The Neghelli then torpedoes 7264-ton British freighter Clan Cumming near San Giorgio Island. The freighter makes it back to Piraeus. Destroyer HMS Greyhound (Commander W.R. Marshall-A'Deane) then sinks the Neghelli (46 deaths).

"Parachute troops on parade in front of a Whitley bomber pressed into service in the airborne role, RAF Ringway, Manchester, January 1941." © IWM (H 6527).

German/Italian Relations: Hitler continues his current round of diplomatic meetings (he likes to schedule meetings with all of his allies/vassals in succession). Mussolini arrives for two days of meetings at Berchtesgaden - a location into which some read some significance because previous meetings have been at intermediate locations such as Florence (and others will be in the future, too, depending on how the war is going). Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano - always a useful source because of his comprehensive diary - records that Mussolini is "frowning and nervous" on the ride up over the Alps (a scenic ride through Innsbruck). Hitler is friendly, an attitude he retains throughout their relationship. He does not have many peers who are his allies or friends, so Hitler appears to take particular pains to preserve the relationship with Mussolini - the only one that he does have.

They discuss Hitler's initial plans to send forces to the Mediterranean - outlined in Hitler's most recent Fuhrer Directive, though Mussolini presumably doesn't know about that, or at least technically shouldn't unless Hitler personally gives him a copy or tells him about it verbally. Mussolini is planning his own offensive to retake the Klisura Pass, to take place in about a week's time.

This conference continues the gradual shift in the relationship between the two men. In the 1920s, Mussolini was dismissive of the Germans and rarely even bothered to meet with Hitler's emissaries, such as Hermann Goering (who waited months for meetings). Germany's early military victories in Poland, France, and Scandinavia completely leveled that playing field, and now the Italian reversals in North Africa and particularly Albania have turned Italy into little more than a German satellite. Italy remains independent and Mussolini capable of independent action, but largely because Hitler still views Italy as his most significant ally which is better to have at his side than helping the British.

No. 98 at Brookhaven, Mississippi, pulling Train No. 1, January 19, 1941. Photo by C.W. Witbeck/Collection of Louis R. Saillard (Wilmington and Western Railroad).

German/US Relations: Secretary of State Cordell Hull quickly responds to German Chargé d'Affaires Hans Thomsen's complaint yesterday about the "flag incident" at the German consulate in San Francisco. In diplomatic terms, this is like traveling at the speed of light. Hull promises a complete investigation (which will conclude and whose results will be communicated to the Germans on 25 May 1941).

Romania: The Iron Guard (Legionnaire) has been conducting a series of "lectures" throughout Romania to its adherents that conclude today. These have inflamed tensions. It would not take much to set off a major revolt against the Antonescu government. The Iron Guard has been agitated since the reburial of its founder in November, and they view Antonescu as part of the forces that are oppressing them. Horia Sima remains effectively in charge of members of the Iron Guard rather than the government; they populate large proportions of the Security Police and the Bucharest police and follow his orders even though he is not in the government's chain of command. The Iron Guard also has a firm hold of the media and widespread support in the countryside.

Indonesia: Despite the recent French naval victory at Koh Chang, the Thai forces retain the initiative on land. The French retreat behind the Mekong River in the north.

China: The Nationalist Chinese, following an order from Chiang Kai-shek, disband the Communist New 4th Army near Maolin in the Yangtse Valley.

The Mississippi delegation for the inauguration of President Franklin Wallace and Vice President Henry Wallace in Washington, D.C., 19 January 1941 (Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History).

January 1941

January 1, 1941: Muselier Arrested
January 2, 1941: Camp Categories
January 3, 1941: Liberty Ships
January 4, 1941: Aussies Take Bardia
January 5, 1941: Amy Johnson Perishes
January 6, 1941: Four Freedoms
January 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor Plans
January 8, 1941: Billions For Defense
January 9, 1941: Lancasters
January 10, 1941: Malta Convoy Devastation
January 11, 1941: Murzuk Raid
January 12, 1941: Operation Rhubarb
January 13, 1941: Plymouth Blitzed
January 14, 1941: V for Victory
January 15, 1941: Haile Selassie Returns
January 16, 1941: Illustrious Blitz
January 17, 1941: Koh Chang Battle
January 18, 1941: Luftwaffe Pounds Malta
January 19, 1941: East African Campaign Begins
January 20, 1941: Roosevelt 3rd Term
January 21, 1941: Attack on Tobruk
January 22, 1941: Tobruk Falls
January 23, 1941: Pogrom in Bucharest
January 24, 1941: Tank Battle in Libya
January 25, 1941: Panjiayu Tragedy
January 26, 1941: Churchill Working Hard
January 27, 1941: Grew's Warning
January 28, 1941: Ho Chi Minh Returns
January 29, 1941: US Military Parley With Great Britain
January 30, 1941: Derna Taken
January 31, 1941: LRDG Battered

2020

Friday 1 November 1940

A9 Cruiser tanks in the Western Desert, 1 November 1940. Two separate "Winston Special" convoys are in motion today to supply British forces in the Western Desert for forthcoming operations. Meticulous preparation is the most important part of battles.

Italian/Greek Campaign: In the central sector in the Pindus Mountains on 1 November 1940, Italian Division Julia (Italian divisions are named for where they are recruited from) of about 11,000 troops faces 2000 Greek troops commanded by Colonel Konstantinos Davakis. The Italians are strung out along narrow roads marching through the Vovousa Valley, with the Greeks looking down on them from the ridgelines and mounting harassing attacks. The Italians are making slow progress in the snow and icy rain - the word almost universally used to describe this is "plodding" - and are approaching the village of Vovousa. This village, though, is inconsequential, the real prize is Metsovo 30 km to the south. Taking that key supply transit center would unhinge both the northern sector - there the Italians are not moving forward at all - and the Greek line that stretches west to the coast.

On the less important coastal sector, the Italian troops finally close up with the dug-in Greeks at the Thyamis River. They capture Konitsa. The Greeks, under Major-General Nikolaos Lioumbas, are behind excellent natural defensive features. Further inland, the Greeks are dug in on the Kalpaki Line and tie in with the Greek troops defending in the Pindus Mountains.

On the fairly quiet northern sector of the front, the Greek 4th and 9th Infantry Divisions mount some probing attacks across the border toward Koritsa. Greek bombers attack the Koritsa airfield.

The Italian high command (Commando Supremo) realizes that it will need more troops in Albania. It orders the Bari and Trieste infantry divisions shipped to Albania forthwith.

The Italian Regia Aeronautica mounts major strategic bombing operations on Greek cities, including:

• Piraeus
• Salonika
• Larissa
• Corfu
• Corinth
• Candia (on Crete)

The Italian bombing kills some civilians (59 in Salonika) but otherwise accomplishes little of military value. The Greek air force responds with an attack on the Italian base at Koritsa, Albania.

Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano, who has led bombing missions previously in Abyssinia (and received his appointment as Foreign Minister as a result), volunteers and leads a bombing mission against Salonika. Also in his flight are bombers piloted by Bruno and Vittorio Mussolini. While obviously a publicity stunt, the more fervent fascist supporters (which at this point still number Ciano) are full of manly vigor and the martial spirit and do want to participate in stunts like this as an example.

Winston Churchill tells Mideast Command to send some bombers to Greece. About half the RAF bombers head north. Churchill is thinking strategically, wishing other neutral countries to see that Britain will stand behind them if attacked.

Turkey announces its neutrality in the conflict. However, Turkey is having an outsized influence on the campaign because it has threatened to intervene in some fashion if Bulgaria - a very tentative German ally - intervenes. This Turkish threat, based on a previous treaty (the Balkan Pact of 1935), keeps the Bulgarians from attacking Greece, which would dilute the Greek defense and cause them many military problems. Knowing that Bulgaria has been neutralized allows the Greeks to put all of its troops in the mountains to oppose the Italians.

Greek destroyers Spetsai and Psara continue bombarding Italian positions along the coast.

Just because the Battle of Britain officially is over does not mean the fighting is completed. Flying Officer William Henry Nelson of Montreal, Quebec is killed in action on November 1, 1940. PHOTO: Courtesy of the Battle of Britain London Monument.

German/Greek Relations: The Metaxas government inquires whether it would consider RAF bases in Greece as a reason to declare war. Hitler is not ready to invade yet and replies, through his ambassador, in the negative. The planes arrive shortly thereafter.

German Government: General Enno von Rintelen, the military attaché in Rome, submits a report to Hitler which describes the slow pace of Italian operations in Greece. This is hardly a secret; media outlets around the world already are describing the Italian invasion as an incompetent sideshow.

The report, though, sets Hitler off. He explodes into a raging tantrum about the military incompetence of the Italians. He decides to put any plans to insert German troops into Libya to assist the Italian advance into Egypt on indefinite hold and expresses an unwillingness to participate in any joint military operations with Mussolini in the future. Hitler also for the first time tells the head of OKW operations, General Jodl, that an offensive from Bulgaria to the Aegean may be necessary to conquer Greece - something he previously appears not to have contemplated. This ultimately becomes Operation Marita.

Hitler characterizes this as a "second rate substitute" to an Italian victory but figures that it is the only way to continue the "peripheral strategy" in the Mediterranean and convince the British - the real target of such an operation - that they had lost the war. In other words, in the strained reasoning of Hitler, since England could not be invaded, Greece would be substituted and (presumably) have essentially the same effect - force the British to accept defeat. He orders a meeting of senior officers to be held on the 4th at the Reichskanzlei (Reich Chancellery) to discuss the Peripheral Strategy.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks Berlin railway targets during the night, causing heavy casualties. Other targets include the Krupp factory at Essen, railway installations at Osnabruck, oil installations at Magdeburg, the coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, and various airfields in northwest Europe.

The Luftwaffe mounts some isolated raids during the day, hitting London and points to the east and southeast. Most of the attacks are against shipping, which is particularly effective because they include Stuka dive-bombers. After dark, the main targets are London, Coventry, the Liverpool area along the Mersey, and various points in the Midlands. Total losses are about seven RAF planes and about twice that number for the Luftwaffe.

The Italians based in Belgium send ten BR 20 bombers escorted by forty CR 42 fighters to attack the dockyards at Harwich, which is their favorite target. The Italians lose a number of the bombers - the RAF claims eight. The CR 42 fighters are simply outclassed on the Channel front.

Adolf Galland, who became Kommodore of JG 26 in August, is promoted to Oberstleutnant in honor of his recent 50th victory. There is a lot of misinformation about this promotion on the Internet, but he himself pins this information down in an interview.

The Bf 110 squadrons have taken a beating during the Battle of Britain. One group, 1,/ZG 2, is broken up to form a new night fighter outfit, 4./NJG 2. Changing times.

Joseph and Rose Kennedy at the Colony restaurant in New York, November 1, 1940. Joseph Kennedy is the US Ambassador to the Court of St. James.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe launches major attacks on British shipping in the Thames Estuary and elsewhere along the coast, with some success (see below). The big German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez join in but don't score any hits.

U-124 (Kptlt. Georg-Whilhelm Schulz) continues stalking Convoy HX 82 - it sank freighter Rutland yesterday - and picks off another straggler in the shipping lanes west of the Outer Hebrides. This time it is 5612-ton freighter Empire Bison, which U-124 torpedoes and sinks quickly as it is carrying heavy scrap steel and 94 trucks. There are only four survivors (31 dead), and they play dead in their lifeboat when the U-boat comes over to them so as not to be captured. They are later picked up by Danish merchant Olga S.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British lightship East Oaze Lightship in the Thames Estuary.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy FS 22 in the Thames Estuary and bombs and sinks 1317 ton British collier Letchworth. There is one death.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 279 ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Tilburyness in the Thames Estuary. There are ten deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 83 ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Torbay II in The Downs, Kent.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages patrol sloop Pintail, an escort of Convoy FS 323, in the Thames Estuary. There are ten deaths (including Lt Cdr T. H. Hill-Walker) and three wounded.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages sloop Black Swan near the Firth of Forth. It makes it to port with no casualties.

Norwegian freighter Hundvaag hits a mine and sinks in the English Channel off Dover. There are 14 survivors and one death.

Dutch coaster Santa Lucia hits a mine and sinks in the Belfast Lough. Four crew perish. This was in German minefield "Alfred."

German 690 ton schooner Dietrich Hasseldieck hits a mine and sinks in the Baltic off Tallinn, Estonia.

The Italians have 9 submarines operating from their base at Bordeaux. The Italian submarine fleet is large, but inefficient, sinking far fewer ships than U-boats per patrol. They also sink far more neutral shipping than the U-boats.

The British mine the Bay of Biscay, a key transit point for U-boats going to their stations on the convoy routes.

Convoy WS 4A (Winston Special) departs the Clyde and Liverpool. It has 8 troopships and 8 freighters, with a heavy escort lead by cruiser HMS Cornwall. It carries troops and weapons bound for the Middle East. Convoy WS 3C, meanwhile, departs Capetown for Suez via Aden.

Convoy FS 325 departs from Methil, Convoy HX 85 departs from Halifax, Convoy BHX 85 departs from Bermuda, Convoy SLS 54 departs from Freetown.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Heather (K 69, Commander James G. C. Gibson) is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy light cruiser Ajax lands troops of the 2nd Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment at Suda Bay. The Italians bomb the Royal Navy ships in the harbor and almost hit the Ajax.

RAF bombers from Malta and the Fleet Air Arm bomb Naples and Brindisi, as well as Italian supply ports in Albania. The Malta-based bombers target Naples seaport, industrial zones, and railway installations. Italian fighters attack two Short Sunderland flying boats of RAF No. 228 Squadron based on Malta, one of which is performing normal reconnaissance over Sicily. That flying boat is lost, the other, on a search and rescue mission is badly damaged.

Dean Martin performing on 1 November 1940. It is Martin's opening night at the Vogue Room at the Hollenden House in Cleveland with Sammy Watkins and His Orchestra.

Battle of the Pacific: Auxiliary minelayer Passat completes its operations in the Bass Strait. The Pinguin continues laying mines nearby.

German Military: General Paul Ewald von Kleist takes command of the 1st Panzer Group (Panzergruppe).

British Military: The government institutes the Military Medal for women. The first three winners are members of the WAAF.

A shot from "Li'l Abner." Shown are Jeff York and Buster Keaton.

Japanese Military: Japanese carriers begin using the marine version of the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighter. The Zeros already are serving with distinction in China.

Chuichi Nagumo becomes commandant of the Japanese naval war college. Captain Shunji Izaki becomes commanding officer of old battleship Settsu. Rear Admiral Keizo Tanimoto replaces Rear Admiral Isamu Takeda as chief of staff of Vice-Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya (Ryojun Military Port, northeastern China).

Battleship Musashi, the largest fighting ship in the world (then and now), is launched.

New Zealand Military: The New Zealand 8th Infantry Brigade begins arriving in the Fiji Islands.

The War Illustrated, Vol 3 No 61, November 1, 1940.

US Military: A typhoon hits Guam and damages US installations there.

US General Jonathan Wainwright arrives in Manila aboard US transport Grant to command the Phillippines Division under General MacArthur.

The Submarine Force, Scouting Force is split up into:

• Submarines Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet (Admiral Wilhelm L. Friedell) 
• Submarines, Atlantic Fleet. 

China: Claire Chennault departs from Hong Kong for the States to begin recruiting for his American Volunteer Group.

At the continuing Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army continues its withdrawal to Hainan Island.

Inside Vogue, 1 November 1940.

German Homefront: The famous "officers prison camp" Colditz Castle is redesignated from a transit camp to an Oflag IV-C holding camp for Polish prisoners. Soon, British and eventually American officers considered high-risk prisoners (due to attempted escapes and so forth) will be sent there.

American Homefront: "Li'l Abner" is released. Based on the famous comic strip by Al Capp, it is directed by Albert S. Rogell and stars Jeff York, Martha O'Driscoll and Buster Keaton. Milton Berle helps to write the title song.

In Brooklyn, New York, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives a campaign speech in which he discusses the Third Reich:

Those forces hate democracy and Christianity as two phases of the same civilization. They oppose democracy because it is Christian. They oppose Christianity because it preaches democracy… We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality… 

Whoever seeks to set one nationality against another, seeks to degrade all nationalities. Whoever seeks to set one race against another seeks to enslave all races… So-called racial and religious voting blocs are the creation of designing politicians who profess to be able to deliver them on Election Day… But every American citizen…will scorn such unpatriotic politicians. The vote of Americans will be American – and only American.

Franklin Roosevelt would not recognize modern American politics.

Future History: Barry Allen Sadler is born in Carlsbad, New Mexico. He enlists at 17 in the US Air Force, then enlists in the US Army. He joins the Special Forces and is shipped to South Vietnam, where he is badly wounded in the knee. While recovering, he records "The Ballad of the Green Berets," which tops the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks in March/April 1966. The song sells a million copies, as does a related album that he records. He also records "The A Team," which also charts that year (and in the '80s becomes the name of a popular military-themed television series). Sadler later is convicted of voluntary manslaughter in a dispute over a woman, and then is shot in Guatemala City, which causes brain damage. Sadler passes away in November 1989.

Vogue, 1 November 1940.

October 1940

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

November 1940

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

2020

Friday 25 October 1940

This picture is from Holborn, London on 25 October 1940. The London bus system takes a beating throughout the Blitz, not just from bombs falling on them, but from drivers not seeing fresh bomb craters in the dark. (Imperial War Museum).

Battle of Britain: After an extended period of poor flying weather, on 25 October 1940 the skies clear and the Luftwaffe gets back into action. It is a busy day, with raids throughout and a return to large numbers of planes lost. As has been the case for a couple of weeks, the Luftwaffe emphasizes daylight fighter-bomber (Jabo) attacks, which are particularly difficult to prevent because the Jabos fly high and fast. The RAF, meanwhile, now has standing patrols over key sectors which make interception quicker and more effective.

The Luftwaffe fighter squadrons all fly three (or more) missions during the day, as is usually the case on days of maximum effort. The ratio of Jabos to fighters is usually 2 bomb-less Bf 109s per Jabo (which also, of course, are often Bf 109s).

The raids begin around 09:00, when JG 26 and JG 51, the two premier formations on the Channel coast, head for the South London area. Other Luftwaffe formations head toward Hastings and Dungeness, still others toward Central London. RAF Biggin Hill takes a beating despite fierce defense. The RAF fighters take a beating over Madstone, losing three fighters to one Bf 109.

Another large effort takes place around noontime. Once again, it heads for Maidstone and RAF Biggin Hill/Hornchurch. This is a large raid of over 100 planes crossing at Dover. As it flies inland, the formation breaks up to attack different targets. No. 12 Group has three squadrons in the air on patrol which lie in wait around London. The Jabos drop their bombs more or less over their targets, and then both sides take losses.

Another large formation crosses at around 13:00. This time, RAF Fighter Command has planes ready to confront the attackers near the coast. The Luftwaffe formation splits up, some remaining to tangle with the RAF fighters and the others heading west for Westminster, Blackfriars Road and areas nearby. This raid causes casualties at the Air Provost Marshal's department at Westminster (four dead, 8 others wounded). Both sides take losses as the Jabos fight their way through to their targets.

The next large raid is around 15:00, and once again the main target is London and nearby areas. Fighter Command is late off the mark and makes few interceptions and the few RAF fighters that do take a beating. Two Hurricanes collide, killing one of the pilots.

Around dusk, RAF Montrose in Scotland suffers a rare raid from KG 26 Heinkel He 111s based in Norway. Five men are killed and 21 wounded in this raid, which is completely unexpected and causes a lot of damage. Perhaps as a result of poor bombing accuracy, nearby towns also suffer damage.

A 20-plane Luftwaffe formation attacks a convoy off North Foreland around 17:45. This results in one ship sunk.

After dark, the population centers of London, the Midlands, South Wales, Pembroke, Cardiff, and Liverpool are the primary targets. Airfields at Wittering and Middle Wallop also suffer damage. London is hit by about 150 bombers. The Luftwaffe continues its extensive recent mining operations (see below), dropping mines off Aberdeen, Liverpool, East Anglia and along the northeast coastline.

Overall, it is a day of moderate losses for both sides. The Luftwaffe loses roughly 15 planes while the RAF about 10. RAF No. 610 Squadron also loses two Hurricanes in a mid-air collision during training off Exmouth around 15:00 (this is in addition to the collision described above).

Maj. Werner Mölders of JG 51 downs a Spitfire off Dover for his 51st victory.

The British Air Ministry issues a statement noting that airmen from numerous countries are contributing to the defense of Great Britain, including the United States, Poland, France, Belgium, Holland, and Czechoslovakia. The US pilots are part of the Eagle Squadron of volunteers.

Shown is Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 (W.Nr. 1988) ‘Black 7’ of 5./JG54. It crash-landed at Broom Hill, near Lydd, Kent at 09:30 on 25 October 1940. Pilot Oberleutnant Schypek was captured.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command focuses on the coast today. Targets include the coastal guns at Hellfire Corner and the Kriegsmarine ports, such as Kiel, Bremen, Hamburg, Cuxhaven, Amsterdam, Den Helder, and Ostend. Some of the raids target oil installations in northern Germany. Berlin and Hamburg are recovering after the massive raid on the night of 24/25 October.

Battle of the Atlantic: The U-boats that have been on patrol in the Atlantic, having gorged on Convoys SC 7 and HX 79 earlier in the week, make port in France to re-stock their torpedoes and other supplies. This period thus marks a lull in U-boat successes, but the Germans have other ways to keep the pressure on Allied shipping. These make their mark today in the form of mines and the Luftwaffe.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks the South Goodwin Lightship off St. Margaret's Bay, Kent.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 89-ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Duthies at Montrose, Angus. Everybody aboard survives.

In the same attack at Montrose, the Luftwaffe damages 25-ton fishing boat Janet.

Royal Navy 338 ton trawler HMT Lord Inchcape hits a mine and sinks near Plymouth, Devon. The ship sinks in shallow water and is later salvaged.

British 45 ton trawler Encourage also hits a mine and sinks off  Plymouth. All four men on board perish.

British coaster Buoyant hits a mine and blows up at the mouth of the Humber.

British 207 ton trawler Carlton also hits a mine at the mouth of the Humber and sinks. There are seven survivors and three men perish.

British 222 ton fishing boat Windsor also hits a mine in the Humber, just south of Spurn Point, Yorkshire. One crew member perishes.

British freighter Kyle Skye runs aground on the Isle of Arran, Bute. The ship is lost, but the crew survives.

British freighter Blairsprey, part of Convoy SC 7 and torpedoed on the 18th by U-101 and on the 19th by U-100, makes it under tow to the Clyde in Scotland, where it is beached. The ship will be repaired.

U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass), still on patrol in the Atlantic after its numerous victories against the convoys earlier in the week, is attacked by three RAF Lockheed Hudson bombers. The submarine gets away, but one crew member (Matrosengefreiter (Able Seaman) Plaep) perishes from his wounds on the 26th.

Convoy OL 9 departs from Liverpool, Convoy Fn 319 departs from Southend, Convoy SLS 53 departs from Freetown, Convoy BN 8 departs from Bombay bound for Suez.

Avro Lancaster B Mk.I. The second production Lancaster is delivered on 25 October 1940 to No. 207 Squadron at Waddington (Wing Commander Hyde). Production has been slow due to numerous modifications to the original design. The Squadron will receive 20 machines by the end of the year.

Battle of the Mediterranean: A large portion of the British Mediterranean fleet, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, departs from Alexandria to launch raids against Italian bases. It intends to patrol as far north as the Dardanelles.

British gunboat HMS Aphis bombards Italian troop positions 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani. The RAF bombs Tobruk.

The war on Malta is causing serious morale problems that result from safety measures. One of these today is the closing of a cemetery, Addolorata Cemetery, which lies on a direct path between Grand Harbour and Luqa Airfield. The cemetery has become a hot spot for bombs, so public access is restricted. While this in normal times might seem a minor inconvenience, local citizens have paid an unusual amount of attention to gravesites of their ancestors since the start of the war - perhaps because they know they might soon be joining them. Also, a new bomb disposal course concludes, the first one for men on the island.

German/Italian Relations: Ribbentrop's rushed letter to Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano, completed from start in France to hand delivery in Rome in about 18 hours, is greeted with joy by Ciano when ambassador Mackensen hands it to him around noontime. Ciano sees it as a tacit agreement by Germany that Italy is entitled to additional territory in southern France - which is not the intent behind the letter. Ciano off-handedly proposes a date of 3 or 4 November for the meeting between Mussolini and Hitler that Ribbentrop proposes in it. Ribbentrop calls immediately after German ambassador Mackensen has left and proposes an even earlier date. They agree on 28 October - only three days hence - for the meeting, to be held in Florence. Hitler redirects his train "Amerika" from its scheduled return to Berlin to go over the Alps for the meeting. It all fits perfectly into his schedule.

The timing of all this frantic activity has become a matter of historical debate. The 28th also just so happens to be the planned start date for Mussolini's invasion of Greece. The theory is that Hitler suddenly changes his plans and hurries down to Italy to try to stop the invasion of Greece. However, there is doubt whether the Italians have actually told the Germans the actual start date of the invasion, which Ciano previously has indicated would be 23 October but obviously has been postponed. The better view appears to be that Hitler was not planning to interfere with the Italian attack at all - he had not when informed of it previously - but instead decides to visit with Mussolini in Florence simply to smooth things over after the agitation caused by his visits to Spain and France. In other words, Hitler did not suddenly rocket down to Italy in a panic to try to stop the Italian offensive, but instead as a quick show of support to Mussolini and the alliance with Italy.

Hitler's quick schedule change also may fit into some broader themes. For security purposes, he likes to vary his itinerary on the fly. This, in fact, already has saved his life at least once (at the Braun Haus in Munich in late 1939). His visit to Paris in June also was unplanned. One never knows when the RAF or some lone wolf terrorist might want to try to bomb his train (and an awful lot of people know his general itinerary by this point).

Hitler also likes to take care of diplomatic visits all at once, in quick succession. An example of this is on D-Day, 6 June 1944, when he spends the day with such visits rather than reviewing the dire war situation. Since Hitler already is on his train, with all of his necessary staff close at hand, it makes sense to just do a quick jog over the mountains rather than disrupt his entire schedule to get his train ready at some future point. He also has the Molotov visit approaching, and it would be better to get his own house in order before making big decisions with the USSR. Finally, winter is approaching, and better to get this kind of travel over the Alps out of way now.

On 25 October 1940, acting F/L Charles BF "Brian" Kingcome is awarded the DFC, the citation attesting him leadership "with judgment, skill, and keenness," for his command of No 92 Squadron RAF. Between 20 September and 2 October, the 23-year-old pilot often ignored the controller's instructions, instead of gaining height by turning north before heading south. Pouncing in a vertical dive from head-on often split up a portion of the bombers before the fighter escort could interfere.

Anglo/French Relations: While Hitler is gallivanting across Europe meeting foreign leaders to little purpose, Marshal Petain in Paris is reaching across the Channel. His man Louis Rougier is in London meeting with Churchill and Foreign Minister Lord Halifax. Halifax, always a dove in such matters, is sympathetic, but Churchill, an adamant war hawk, is suspicious about Petain's motives in light of his recent meeting at Montoire with Hitler. Churchill says vaguely that he would support an anti-German regime in North Africa under overall French auspices, which Petain takes as a willingness to ally with Vichy France - which is a bit further than what Churchill intends. Anglo/French relations remain murky.

German Military: General Johannes Blaskowitz is appointed commander of the German 1st Army. He takes over from Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben, who remains in good standing but is a silent opponent to the regime. Von Witzleben will receive future appointments of significance, but for now, it is on to the reserve rolls for him.

British Military: Air Marshal Charles Portal officially takes over as RAF Chief of Staff. He takes the temporary rank of air chief marshal. Issues confronting him include a desire by the Royal Navy to absorb RAF Coastal Command and the wishes of the British Army to form its own air force. Air Chief Marshal Richard Peirse remains in charge of Bomber Command, but there is some grumbling that bombing operations should be more aggressive.

The War Cabinet decides to continue the battleship construction program due to concerns about developments in the Far East.

Italian Military: Commando Supremo forms the Forza Navale Speciale (FNS). The first commander is Vice Admiral Vittorio Tur.

General Davis in August 1944.

US Military: Benjamin O. Davis becomes the first African-American in the US Army, becoming a Brigadier General.

Light cruiser USS St. Louis leaves Hamilton, Bermuda for Norfolk, Virginia. It carries the Greenslade Board, which is inspecting bases acquired in the destroyers-for-bases deal with the UK.

Indochina: The Japanese 5th Infantry Division is withdrawing in northern Indochina, and the French re-occupy the territory around Lang Son. The French also launch operations against nationalists who have been taking over local governments in the area.

China: The Japanese (13th Kokutai) bomb Chungking again, which they have been doing regularly for months. This raid is different because the bombs fall close to US Navy gunboat Tutuila and the US embassy. The bombs fall within 300 yards of the US assets. The Japanese later blame the incident on faulty bomb-release mechanisms.

American Homefront: The US Presidential campaign is in the home stretch. Republican candidate Wendell Willkie campaigns today in Lackawanna Station.

Future History: Robert Montgomery Knight is born in Massillon, Ohio. Knight plays on the 1960 Ohio State NCAA Championship team (and also the team that played in the Championship game in 1961), then begins coaching JV basketball at Cuyahoga Falls High School. After joining the US Army, he becomes an assistant coach with the Army Black Knights team at West Point. One of his players is Mike Krzyzewski. In 1971, he joins Indiana State as head coach. He coaches some of the best college basketball teams of all time, including going the entire 1975-76 season without a single loss - the only time in history that has happened. Known as "Bobby Knight" for much of his career, he later indicates a preference for Bob Knight or, in most circumstances, Coach Knight. Bob Knight remains active to this day as both a coach and a broadcaster and dabbled in politics in 2016.

Wendell Willkie speaks to a huge crowd at the Lackawanna Station on October 25, 1940. Present are Mrs. Willkie, Supreme Court Justice George W Maxey, Mrs. Joseph F. Gunster, wife of the Republican nominee for congress. J. Russell Phillips, GOP candidate for representative in the Second Legislative district is standing at the extreme left of the photograph. (Times-Tribune Archives).

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

Saturday 19 October 1940

Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien has a terrific 48 hours as he participates in the attacks on Convoy HX 79 on 19 October 1940 (Schulte, Federal Archive).

Overview: With the Battle of Britain winding down on 19 October 1940, the real action is moving out to sea. The period 18-20 October 1940 is one of the most devastating of the war for the British due to huge losses at sea. Air raids can be handled, though of course they inflict great punishment; but Britain relies on imports for its very survival. Winston Churchill later comments that the war at sea was always his greatest concern during the war's early years, and, as discussed below, today is an extreme example of why that is.

Battle of Britain: The poor weather continues, restricting flight operations. There are scattered reconnaissance flights and an occasional "pirate raid," with some houses destroyed in Coventry.

At 14:00, some fighter-bombers (Jabos) set out for London, but they don't accomplish anything. At 15:00, the day's major daylight raid takes place. About 60 aircraft, including some Dornier Do 17s and Junkers Ju 88s, head for London. The RAF sends up five squadrons to intercept them. The RAF loses a couple of Spitfires.

The poor weather continues into the night, but the Luftwaffe attacks the usual targets: London, Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol, and South Wales. London takes the brunt of the attack, with the rail lines and dockyards suffering greatly. In the silver lining department, so much has been destroyed in the dockyards area that the bombs only stir up old debris. Eastbourne also takes damage to its gas works, where the gasometer is damaged.

Overall, it is a quiet day and a rare "victory" for the Luftwaffe. It loses two planes to the RAF's five. The Luftwaffe tends to do well on days with little action, whereas it gets its head handed to it when it mounts massive daylight attacks.

Pips Priller, 6./JG 51, gets his 20th victory and is awarded the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz). Pips Priller is known for a flamboyant lifestyle, driving a fancy red car, and dressing well.

European Air Operations: The weather remains poor today. RAF Bomber Command carries out only a few operations on airfields in northwest Europe and railway installations at Osnabruck.

U-100 on the final approach to the German base at Lorient.

Battle of the Atlantic: Convoys SC 7 and HX 79 begin to merge in the Western Approaches to Liverpool. A U-boat wolfpack has been attacking SC 7 on the night of 18/19 October, and the convoy's survivors begin to recede to the east. Today, an entirely new convoy, HX 79, hoves into view from the west. The wolfpack begins stalking Convoy HX 79 as well. Yesterday we summarized the attacks on SC 7, which continue through the morning of the 19th; today, we summarize the attacks on HX 79.

Convoy HX 79 is composed of 49 ships that sailed out of Halifax on 8 October. It is about four days from landfall at Liverpool. It had been several days behind Convoy SC 7 but has since almost caught up to it. While originally the convoy had no escorts in the mid-Atlantic, the Admiralty, realizing by reports from Convoy SC 7 that U-boats are in the area, quickly sends 11 Royal Navy vessels (LCdr. Russell) out to protect it. These consist of:

• Destroyers HMS Whitehall and HMS Sturdy
• Corvettes HMS Hibiscus, HMS Heliotrope, HMS Coreopsis, and HMS Arabis
• A/S Trawlers HMS Lady Elsa, HMS 
• Blackfly, HMS Angle
• Minesweeper HMS Jason
• Submarine O-14

The U-boats had savaged Convoy SC-7 during the night of 18-19 October. Some U-boats depart the scene after that, due to running out of torpedoes or under instructions to stalk another target, Convoy HX 72. Those left are:

U-47 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien);
 U-100 (Joachim Schepke);
U-46 (Engelbert Endrass);
U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt); and
U-38 (Heinrich Liebe).

Everything is being coordinated and controlled by Konteradmiral Karl Dönitz at his U-boat headquarters in Lorient. Doenitz relays instructions through Prien, who spotted the convoy originally. The sequential attacks on Convoy SC 7 and HX 79 are the first classic wolfpack action of the war, though there has been some small-scale cooperation previously.

The U-boats wait throughout the day as Convoy HX 79 approaches from the west. As darkness falls, they approach on the surface. Prien brazenly sails into the middle of the convoy from the south, Endrass from the north. This is Prien's favorite tactic, and Endrass had been Prien's second before receiving his current command, so they know what the other is likely to do without communicating. The convoy escort is completely ineffective, as was the one for Convoy SC 7.

Location of the attack on Convoy HX 79.

After the U-boats are in position, all blazes break loose. The battle continues past midnight into the 20th, but we will look at the entire night's results here.

U-47 sinks (damages) the following ships:

• 4966-ton Uganda
• 6023-ton Shirak (damaged)
• 4947-ton Wandby
• 5185-ton La Estancia
• 5026-ton Whitford Point
• 8995-ton Athelmonarch (damaged).

U-100 sinks the following:

• 8230-ton Caprella
• 6218-ton Sitala
• 5452-ton Loch Lomond

U-46 sinks:

• 4548- ton Ruperra
• 9965-ton Janus

U-38 sinks:

• 7653-ton Matheran
• 6856-ton Bilderdijk

U-48 sinks:

• 6023-ton Shirak (U-47 damages her first)

Altogether, the U-boats sink 12 ships of 75,069 tons and damage two others of 15,018 tons. The Allied escort not only is ineffective, it also trips all over itself, as the surface escorts mistake their own submarine O-14 for a U-boat and attack it without, fortunately, sinking it.

It is a classic U-boat attack. Just like on the previous night, there are burning ships, sinking ships, derelicts getting in the way, lifeboats, U-boats, flotsam, jetsam, explosions, men drowning left and right, ships careening at full speed into the night - everything. The U-boats make a clean getaway, though an armed merchant ship takes a few potshots at U-1010 and misses.

The British take losses elsewhere, too.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Venetia (Lt Cdr D. L. C. Craig), on a patrol with two other destroyers in the Straits of Dover, hits a mine and sinks off Margate, Kent. There are 34 deaths and 18 other casualties.

Royal Navy 290 ton trawler HMS Velia hits a mine and sinks off the Kentish Knock Lightship. Everyone survives.

British coaster Aridity hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary.

There is a violent storm in eastern Canada. Canadian 221 ton auxiliary minesweeper Bras D'Or sinks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence as a result while engaged in traveling with Romanian freighter (Ingner N. Vlasspol) from Quebec to Sydney, Nova Scotia. There are no survivors among the 29 crew.

Polish submarine Wilk attacks Danish freighter Norge in Lister Fjord but misses.

Convoys OB 231 and OL 8 depart from Liverpool, Convoys FN 312 and FN 314 depart from Southend, Convoy FS 314 departs from Methil.

Winnipeg Ukrainians (note native dress) gather to promote a concert they are giving on the 23rd to raise money for the war effort. Among the performers: radio artists The Dirty Dozen. Winnipeg Free Press Archives.

Battle of the Mediterranean: On the 18th, the Royal Navy obtained documents from Italian submarine Durbo before sinking it. Today, the Royal Navy uses that information to hunt for Italian submarine Lafole operating off Cape Tresforcas.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS Ajax is in port at Alexandria getting repairs for shell holes suffered in its encounter with Italian destroyers on 12 October.

Brazilian 8265 ton freighter Ipanemaloide (formerly the Cuma) sinks in the Mediterranean south of Sicily. This is usually ascribed to a torpedo hit, but there are numerous minefields in the area and that may have been the cause.

The RAF attacks Italian positions at Benghazi, Berka, Halfaya, Maritza (in the Dodecanese), and Diredawa, Abyssinia. The Italians respond during the night with attacks on Cairo, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, targeting British ARAMCO oil installations. There are reports in the press that the Italians are sending out patrols in anticipation of a continuation of their offensive, but the Italian Commando Supremo has its eyes on Greece, not North Africa.

At Malta, Governor Dobbie once again complains about the mail and newspaper service to the island. Everything comes around Africa and takes weeks, if not months, to reach soldiers stationed on Malta. This is creating a real morale problem. For instance, at this time, the latest mail received by the troops is from August, and some just recently received is from as far back as May. This was before the start of the bombing of London, so there is increasing anxiety about the safety of relatives and property.

General Sir Alan Cunningham becomes commander of British forces in East Africa.

Military men have very practical reasons for wanting to get news from home. Saturday Evening Post, 19 October 1940.

Italian/German Relations: While the Germans are frantically trying to uncover Italian intentions toward Greece using their own sources, Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano continues to dribble out information. Today, he sends a telegram summarizing the planned invasion but puts the start date as 23 October. In fact, the projected start date is 28 October, as he should know. Shortly after, German Ambassador to Rome Hans Georg Mackensen telegrams that Ciano has informed him that Hitler has approved Mussolini's plan to attack Greece. This is news to Ribbentrop, who was present at the Brenner Pass meeting and has no inkling that this was supposedly discussed. Upon being informed of these communications, Hitler tells Ribbentrop to do nothing regarding the matter - which some interpret as approval of the invasion by silence. However, the entire affair is muddled and subject to interpretation.

Spanish/German Relations: The OKW completes planning for Operation Felix. This, however, requires the participation of Spain, and thus Spanish entry into the war.

Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler travels by train to Spain to meet with Franco and get in a little tourist time devoted to his mystical beliefs about German ancestors.

German Government: Hitler decides to meet with French leader Petain and Spanish leader Franco. He will depart on his train Amerika late on the 20th.

Actress Anne Nagel shows how to celebrate the upcoming US holiday of Halloween, 1940.

US Military: The US Army Air Corps establishes the Hawaiian Air Force at Fort Shafter.

Light cruiser USS St. Louis departs from Guantanamo Bay Naval Station for San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is carrying the Greenslade Board to examine British bases received in the destroyers-for-bases deal.

Soviet Military: The Stavka plans a major ship-building program.

Spain: Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot and Foreign Minister Spaak have been interned in Barcelona since the fall of Belgium in May. They elude their captors and escape to neutral Portugal hidden in a truck. Technically they can also be interned there, too, but the Portuguese government is notorious for not doing so.

Australia: A convoy, US 6, carrying the Australian 7th Division, Australian Imperial Air Force, 20th Infantry Brigade and 21st Infantry Brigade sets sail for the Middle East.

Future History: Michael Gambon is born in Cabra, Dublin. He becomes a British television actor, later a famous Hollywood actor, and throughout a respected stage actor. He remains active, though he has retired from the stage.

Early snow in Delaware, USA signals the change of seasons.

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