Friday 1 August 1941

A Finnish soldier with a Carcano rifle on August 1, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

Eastern Front: In the Far North sector on 1 August 1941, Finnish II Corps continues its new offensive toward Lake Ladoga. The defending Soviet 198th Motorized Division is in full retreat. The Finns have benefited from having captured a copy of Soviet plans for a counteroffensive. The first Finnish objective is the town of Lahdenpohja on the extreme northern shore of Lake Ladoga. Capturing it will cut the preferred retreat route for Soviet forces still holding out to the northwest and force them to fall back on Leningrad - if that route is not also cut by then.

The Germans are still determined to cut the Murmansk railway in the "waist" of the country despite the fact that its offensive has stalled east of Salla. The goal is Kandalaksha (Belomorje), which does not appear very far away on the map but requires crossing rough terrain full of positions favoring the defense. General von Falkenhorst is pressuring XXXVI Corps commander, General Hans Feige, to get moving. Feige takes a calculated risk and thins his front in order to make a flanking thrust east with the Finnish 6th Division in the south. As the Soviets withdraw, Feige plans to take all of the German 169th Division and create a pincer from the north. The plan depends upon the Soviets being caught by surprise and being leveraged out of their prepared defenses by the threatening Finnish flanking move.

In the Army Group North sector, the German 16th Army (Colonel-General Ernst Busch) continues attacking toward Staraya Russa south of Lake Ilmen.

In the Army Group Center sector, fierce fighting continues in the vicinity of the Smolensk pocket of trapped Soviet troops. The trapped Soviets bitterly defend Orsha and Vitebsk, while also continuing fierce counterattacks against the advanced Panzer Group 2 position at Yelnya. Soviet attacks along the northern edge of the Pripet Marshes are beaten off. German XXIV Armeekorps (General Geyr von Schweppenburg) advances from a bridgehead on the Sozh River and against the eastern flank of the trapped 28th Army and Group Kachalov. General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 is attacking toward Roslavl.

In the Army Group South sector, the Germans are getting closer to encircling the massive Soviet troop concentration at Uman. Panzer Group 1 (General von Kleist) is advancing to meet advance elements of the 17th Field Army. A secondary meeting between the German 16th Panzer Division and Hungarian Mechanized Corps (Gyorshadtest) also is nearing completion. The Soviets are forbidden to retreat, and at least are buying time for the Stavka to form a defensive line on the far side of the Dnieper River.

Soviet General Kirponos launches a counterattack by the 5th Army against the flank of the German Sixth Army (General von Reichenau). The attack is centered around Malin south of the Pripet Marsh. The German line bends but does not break, while advances to the east continue at Dubossary on the far side of the Dniester and elsewhere.

German fighter squadron JG 54 gets its 1000th victory when Lt. Max-Hellmuth of 7./JG 54 downs a Russian DB-3 near Luga.

F-32 Armed KV-1 Model 1940 knocked out and ready for a tow in Korkino in the Tosnensky District, Leningrad Oblast in August 1941. Note the numerous shell hits.

European Air Operations: Operations continue to be light after an extended period of poor flying weather. The RAF resumes Operation Channel Stop with a Circus attack by three Blenheim bombers with heavy fighter escort on shipping off Nieuport. The attack is unsuccessful and the RAF loses two bombers.

RAF No. 133 Squadron becomes active. It is to be composed of volunteer American pilots and is one of the "Eagle" squadrons (the first two being Nos. 71 and 121 Squadrons). 133 Squadron actually is an old World War I squadron that was disbanded on 4 July 1918. The squadron becomes the third of the Eagle Squadrons. At first, it is based at RAF Coltishall but quickly moves to RAF Duxford.

Uffz. Hugo Dahmer, of 1./JG 77 based in Norway, is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet motor torpedo boats attack the German 1st torpedo boat flotilla off Cape Domesnes, Latvia. The Germans sink Soviet MTB TK-122. Soviet torpedo boat TK-74 sinks German minesweepers RA-53 and 55, though it is unclear if this is during the same engagement. The Soviets also lose torpedo boat No. 123 on this date.

Before dawn, Luftwaffe KG4 lays 38 LMB imines in the mouth of the Triigi River, while later the German 2nd S-Boat Flotilla lays 24 TMB mines off Dago Island and Muhu (Moon) Island.

German coastal guards at Dieppe, 1 August 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: Operation FB, a Royal Navy attack on Spitsbergen, continues as oiler HMS Oligarch refuels the ships at Spitsbergen.

Operation EF, the Royal Navy raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes, is largely concluded. Aircraft carrier Furious and its support vessels depart the area for Scapa Flow, while carrier Victorious remains in the area roughly 40 miles northeast of Bear Island. Minelayer Adventure, detached from the force, arrives safely in Archangel carrying a cargo of parachute mines.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 4317-ton Royal Navy submarine HMS Trident in the Tyne. The entire crew has time to abandon ship and be rescued before Trident sinks on 2 August.
U-331 (Kptlt. Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen) joins the list of U-boats refueling from "interned" German supply ship Thalia in Cadiz.

US Task Group TG 2.5 is on patrol out of Hampton Roads, Virginia. It is led by aircraft carrier Yorktown (CV-5).

US transport USS West Point (AP-23) arrives safely in New York from Lisbon carrying American and Chinese consular personnel who have been ordered to leave Germany, Italy and occupied Europe.

The German B-Dienst naval intelligence service identifies the location of Convoy SL-81 and sends the information to the U-boat command in Paris. The Germans set up a U-boat picket line to intercept the convoy.

Convoy HX-142 departs from Halifax bound for Liverpool, Convoy SC-39 departs from Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada bound for Liverpool.

Canadian armed yacht HMCS Vencedor is commissioned (formerly Exmouth II).

US Navy submarine USS Marlin (Lt. George A. Sharp, Jr.) is commissioned, anti-aircraft cruiser Reno is laid down.

U-154 (K.Kapt. Walther Kölle) is commissioned, U-198, U-226, and U-266 are laid down.

Cruiser Mk V Covenanter III tanks of British 9th Queen's Royal Lancers on exercise, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, 1 August 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian submarine Delfino shoots down an RAF Short Sunderland flying boat of No.230 Squadron boat north of Bardia while the plane is dropping six depth charges at it. The Royal Navy sends out destroyers HMS Jackal, Jervis, Kingston, and Nizam to search for the submarine, but it escapes. This is the first time a submarine shoots down a flying boat. The Delfino picks up four survivors of the downed flying boat.

Operation Style, a Royal Navy convoy mission to Malta, continues. Before dawn, aircraft carrier Ark Royal launches nine Swordfish against Alghero airfield on Sardinia as a diversion. One of the Swordfish crashes while returning to the carrier, killing the 3-man crew and two men on the flight deck. The main body of the convoy continues toward Malta unmolested.

The RAF sends nine Blenheim bombers to attack German army vehicles at Sidi Omar. The RAF continues night attacks against the harbors at Benghazi and Derna.

Operation Guillotine, the British reinforcement of Cyprus, continues with corvette HMS Hyacinth escorting transport Salamaua from Port Said to Famagusta.

Royal Navy troopship Glenearn, damaged in the Luftwaffe raid of 14 July 1941 on Suez, Egypt, is taken in tow by 6169-ton freighter City of Kimberley for repairs at Bombay, India.

The nightly supply run to Tobruk is by destroyers Decoy and Hero.

Royal Navy submarine Thunderbolt departs from Gibraltar carrying a load of aviation fuel for Malta.

At Malta, three RAF No. 82 Squadron Blenheim bombers attack Lampedusa. One is hit by anti-aircraft fire and crash-lands in the sea. Everyone survives.

Battle of the Black Sea: The Red Air Force attacks Constanza, Romania, causing damage to harbor and oil facilities. This is the first use during the war of airplanes - where bombers are modified to carry fighters and launch them near a target to extend their range. Tupolev TB-3 bombers are used to carry modified Polikarpov I-16 fighters. In this mission, two Zveno-SPB (a variant of the TB-3 aircraft), each carrying two I-16 fighter-bombers, destroy an Axis oil depot in Constanta County, Romania. All Soviet aircraft return to base safely.

This is the culmination of a decade-long Soviet preparation of such forces. While the operation concludes successfully, the use of such parasitic aircraft in an offensive role is never repeated by the Soviets, perhaps because it makes more sense just to have the bombers themselves bomb the targets.

A P-40 formation over Oahu, 1 August 1941 (Hawaii Aviation).

War Crimes: German General Alexander Andrae, the new commander-in-chief on Crete, approves of further repressive measures against the population of Crete in retaliation for its opposition to Operation Mercury in May. Accordingly, today the Germans conduct the second wave of executions at Alikianos, which previously saw dozens of civilians executed in June. The Germans gather 118 civilians at a bridge over the Keritis River near Alikianos, force them to dig their own graves, and then shoot them.

The dead are from Aliaknos (12) and nearby villages Fournes (Greek: Φουρνές), Skines (Σκηνές), Vatolakos (Βατόλακκος), Koufo (Κουφό), Prases (Πρασές), Karanou (Καράνου), Lakkoi (Λάκκοι), Orthouni (Ορθούνι), Nea Roumata (Νέα Ρούματα) and Hosti (Χωστή).

A monument commemorating this execution stands near the Keritis bridge.

Spy Stuff: The Japanese Imperial Navy changes its operating code from B.6 to B.7 of JN.25. This requires US Navy cryptographers to seek ways to break this new code, which they have difficulty doing.

The Japanese continue keeping a close eye on US military activities throughout the Pacific. Today, the Manila embassy reports the arrival of US liner President Coolidge.

Experimental Lockheed XJO-3 in 1938.

Applied Science: United States researchers begin testing a specially modified Lockheed Electra XJO-3 that has been equipped with an AI-10 microwave radar installed for airborne testing. The radar has been developed by Radiation Laboratory from MIT. The flight tests are made out of Boston Airport. The radar includes a PPI (Plan Position Indicator) for display. During testing, which continues until 16 October 1941, the microwave radar detects aircraft at a range of 3.5 miles and ships at 40 miles (64 km). Among the advantages of this radar is that it enables pilots to plan approaches on aircraft from miles away in all weather conditions.

Anglo/Finnish Relations: Following the British raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes on 31 July, Finland completely severs relations with the UK and closes the British legation in Helsinki. The British do likewise. Finland previously had "paused" relations, but with some prospect of restoring them. The raid, however, ends that possibility despite the fact that the British achieved very little by it. From the Finnish perspective, the raid was completely unjustified, as it views the Continuation War as separate and apart from Operation Barbarossa. The West, however, views the Finnish Army as nothing but an arm of the Wehrmacht seeking world domination. The move pleases the Germans, who have been pressuring Finland to terminate relations with the UK.

Anglo/Soviet Relations: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sends a message to Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin that is received today. This is one in a long line of such messages to which Stalin does not respond. This one states that "Following my personal intervention," the UK is sending 10,000 tons of rubber by sea. This, Churchill adds, is in addition to 10,000 tons already on its way.

US/Soviet Relations: Having completed his talks with Stalin to set up lend-lease deliveries, President Roosevelt's personal emissary, Harry Hopkins, departs from Moscow and heads back to the United Kingdom by air.

German crew sighting the 20mm cannon on a Bf 109F fighter of JG 54 'Grünherz' fighter wing, near Leningrad, Russia, Aug 1941 (Federal Archive, Bild 101I-390-1220-19).

US/Japanese Relations: The Japanese Foreign Office opens discussions with the US State Department on ways to resume passenger service between the US and Japan.

The Japanese Board of Information publishes an article in the Tokyo Gazette that justifies the recent Japanese advance into French Indochina. It calls the situation in the country "complicated and chaotic" and claims that the Nationalist government in Chungking had its own designs on Indochina. The French simply have come to recognize the "ring of hostile nations" surrounding Indochina which is "jeopardizing its self-preservation and defense." The Japanese "reinforcement" of Indochina thus was "no more than an action calculated to remove the menace" posed by China and its allies Great Britain, the United States, and the Netherlands.

The US imposes an oil embargo against Japan for being an aggressor state in Asia.

Japanese/Thai Relations: Japanese Foreign Minister Toyoda is negotiating with the Thai government to set up a funding mechanism for Japanese purchases of Thai goods despite the recent British fund-freezing of Japanese accounts. The two sides reach a tentative agreement today by which Thai currency laws would be revised to permit a large loan by Thailand to finance Japanese purchases. All that remains to be settled are the rate of interest and time limit on such a loan, and that is soon overcome. The 10,000,000 baht loan is finalized on 2 August.

Thailand officially recognizes the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.

German/Japanese Relations: Japanese Ambassador to Germany Oshima cables to Tokyo that a "reliable German source" has told him that Soviet casualties had reached 2.5 million men. The Germans also tell Oshima that the Wehrmacht already has reached Leningrad, but that can't be revealed publicly until the city actually is taken. Furthermore, the Germans claim to have destroyed 10,000 Red Air Force planes. The Germans claim that negative reports about fighting in the USSR are due to Allied attempts to woo neutrals such as Turkey. The Hess flight to Scotland is explained away as a failed attempt to gain British assistance in the fight against communism in the Soviet Union.

The Germans clearly are feeding Oshima lies or at least exaggerations in an attempt to create the impression that the Soviet Union is closer to defeat than it actually is. For instance, the Wehrmacht is still far away from Leningrad and is not in the practice of "withholding" news of military achievements.

Danish/Japanese Relations: Denmark establishes diplomatic relations with the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.

P-40s over Oahu (Hawaii Aviation).

US Military: Naval Air Station Midway is established on Midway Island. While geographically a part of the Hawaiian chain, Midway heretofore has been used primarily as a way-station for commercial flying boats crossing the Pacific. NAS Midway run by Commander Cyril T. Simard.

The first mass-produced military jeep is completed at Willy's Overland factory in Toledo, Ohio. This is generally considered the jeep's "birthday," though it has been in development for some time.

Major General Jacob L. Devers is named by General Marshall as Chief of the Armored Force. Devers' new headquarters is at For Knox, Kentucky. He replaces Major General Adna R. Chaffee, Jr., who is terminally ill with cancer. General Devers has the 1st Armored Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana, the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Knox, and an independent tank battalion at Fort George Meade, Maryland, the 70th Tank Battalion. Devers quickly takes up planning for a large-scale wargame called the Louisiana Maneuvers to begin later in August 1941.

Japanese Military: Imperial Japanese Navy 6863-ton seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru completes her conversion at Kure, Japan. It embarks six "Jake" reconnaissance floatplanes with two in reserve and is assigned to the Sasebo Naval District.

Soviet Military: Stalin, impressed by tests of rocket-powered fighters, issues an order dated today that calls for a prototype to be developed within a month.

Stalin appoints General Vasilevsky Head of the Operations Directorate for the General Staff General Pavel Batov is appointed Deputy Commanding Officer of the 51st Army.

Sheet music for "Too Many Blondes," released 1 August 1941 and starring Rudy Vallee and Helen Parrish. Vallee will enlist in the United States Coast Guard and become a Lieutenant in charge of a 40-piece band.

German Military: The 5th Light Division, serving with the Afrika Korps, is redesignated 21st Panzer Division.

Walter Grabmann becomes commanding officer of the prestigious Zerstörerschule 2 training unit based in Memmingen, Germany.

Around this time, Joachim Peiper returns from Heinrich Himmler's personal staff to an informal position within the SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). Peiper previously served with the LSSAH as a platoon leader during the Battle of France but returned to Himmler's staff as his first adjutant thereafter. Throughout the war, Peiper alternates between the LSSAH and Himmler's staff, often working on both at the same time. Officially, Peiper does not formally transfer to the LSSAH until October, but he appears to "free-lance" as an observer there with Himmler's approval. Thus, he likely is lurking around the LSSAH during this time though not officially within the chain of command there.

New Zealand Military: Lieutenant General Edward Puttick, commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division serving in Egypt, is chosen as the new Chief of the General Staff by Prime Minister Peter Fraser, who is visiting Puttick's headquarters in Cairo. He cannot take up the position until he returns to New Zealand in September 1941.

Australian Military: The RAAF No. 20 Squadron forms at Port Moresby, New Guinea. It is equipped with Catalina and Empire flying boats.

Cecilia Parker and Gale Storm in "Gambling Daughters," released on 1 August 1941 (Producers Releasing Corporation).

China: The Japanese launch the "Three All" campaign ("Loot all, Kill all, Burn all") against Communist Chinese troops in the Shansi-Chahar-Hopeh border area. This is a controversial campaign in the sense that widely varying estimates of the number of people killed have been put forth, from one million killed up to many multiples of that. It is undeniable that the Japanese kill large numbers of civilians while engaging in a "scorched earth" policy.

The Japanese also are attacking in Yunnan Province and further south.

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Nationalist government at Chungking, issues an order establishing the American Volunteer Group ("Flying Tigers"). It provides in part:

Col. Chennault will organize this group with the American Volunteers now arriving in China to participate in the War.

Claire L. Chennault, the AVG leader, reports directly to Chiang Kai-shek. He cooperates with the Chinese Air Force and takes support from it but does not take operational orders from anyone but Chiang. Since Chiang does not speak English and Chennault does not speak Chinese, all communications flow through Madame Chiang. Incidentally, the "Colonel" in the Chiang order appears to be an honorific, as Chennault is not a member of the Chinese Air Force (at least according to any known documentation) and at this time is a retired Captain of the USAAF (cashiered out in 1937 due to deafness). Chennault himself simply calls himself a civilian advisor or contractor operating under a contract for pay, a forerunner of such arrangements that become widely used decades later. He is an old "China hand" who has been there since leading the USAAC in order to train Chinese pilots.

Holocaust: The Germans establish ghettos at Lviv and Bialystok. The Bialystok Ghetto, which is divided by the Biala River, quickly has a population of 50,000 people, and has two gates, with a third added later.

At Kishinev, Romania, executions proceed of at least 1000 Jews.

Shmuel Verble, chairman of the Jewish Council (Judenrat) in the Ukrainian village of Kamien Koszyrski (Kamen-Koshirsk), volunteers for death after discovering an execution list with the names of 80 ghetto residents. Joining the 80 Jews being executed, he instructs his children: "Children, be good Jews. If you can, take revenge!"

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable and a Vermont State Police trooper before the official ceremony commemorating the joining of the Portland–Montreal Pipe Line. August 1, 1941 (Credit: National Film Board of Canada. Photothèque / Library and Archives Canada).

American Homefront: New York Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez beats the St. Louis Browns 9-0. He sets a mark for most walks given in a shutout with 11. He gets the shutout by stranding 15 Browns baserunners.

Senator Gerald P. Nye of North Dakota gives a radio address from St. Louis in which he decries the "madness" of current US policy toward the current conflicts around the world. He argues that "any emergency confronting our country is immeasurably less than it was a year ago" due to increased US preparedness and "potential enemies growing weaker with every hour of war abroad." He concludes that it is time for "freedom from foreign influence" and that the United States should not be "waiting for the cue that Churchill gives."

Paramount releases "Kiss the Boys Goodbye," a comedy directed by Victor Schertzinger based on a play by Clare Boothe Luce. While this sounds like a service film, in fact, it is loosely based on the search for the lead role in "Gone With The Wind" in 1939. Mary Martin stars as Cindy Lou Bethany, while Don Ameche and Oscar Levant play supporting roles.

Monogram Pictures releases "Bowery Blitzkrieg," the latest (sixth) in the East Side Kids film franchise. As with the others in the series, it stars Leo Gorcey. This is Huntz Hall's first East Side Kids film ("Introducing Huntz Hall"). Hall is a veteran of Universal's Dead End Kids and Little Tough Guys series, which also feature former Dead End Kids, so he is a familiar face in this type of film even though technically this is his first film in the series. He appears as "Limpy," though that changes to "Gimpy" in subsequent films in the series. Keye Luke also makes an appearance.

Universal releases "Too Many Blondes" starring Rudy Vallee, Helen Parrish, and Lon Chaney, Jr.

Producers Releasing Corporation releases "Gambling Daughters." Starring Cecilia Parker, "Gambling Daughters" revolves around college girls forced to steal from their parents to feed their gambling addiction - until they take revenge upon the gamblers.

Future History: Ronald Harmon Brown is born in Washington, D.C. He goes on to become US Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton in January 1993. Brown perishes on 3 April 1996 a few kilometers north of Dubrovnik Airport when his US Air Force CT-43 (a modified Boeing 737) crashes into a mountainside in Croatia.

Francine Canovas is born in Oujda, Morocco. Francine becomes a top French model and actress and marries actor Alain Delon. She is better known as Nathalie Delon and is retired as of this writing in 2018.

Braunschweig.- Alley in the old town with half-timbered houses (suitcase and leather goods business Habermann). In the background is the Church of St. Katharine (Proietti, Ugo, Federal Archive, Bild 212-268).

July 1941

July 1, 1941: US TV Broadcasting Starts
July 2, 1941: MAUD Report
July 3, 1941: Stalin Speaks
July 4, 1941: Pogroms in Eastern Europe
July 5, 1941: Germans on Schedule
July 6, 1941: Australians Attack Damour
July 7, 1941: US Marines in Iceland
July 8, 1941: Flying Fortresses In Action
July 9, 1941: British Take Damour
July 10, 1941: Sword and Scabbard Order
July 11, 1941: Cease-fire in Syria and Lebanon
July 12, 1941: Anglo/Russian Assistance Pact
July 13, 1941: Uprising in Montenegro
July 14, 1941: Katyusha Rocket Launchers in Action
July 15, 1941: Smolensk Falls
July 16, 1941: Stalin's Son Captured
July 17, 1941: Heydrich Orders Mass Executions
July 18, 1941: Twin Pimples Raid
July 19, 1941: V for Victory
July 20, 1941: The Man Who Wouldn't Shoot
July 21, 1941: Moscow in Flames
July 22, 1941: Soviet Generals Executed
July 23, 1941: Secret Plan JB 355
July 24, 1941: Operation Sunrise
July 25, 1941: US Naval Alert
July 26, 1941: Italian E-Boat Attack on Malta
July 27, 1941: MacArthur Returns
July 28, 1941: Auschwitz Exterminations
July 29, 1941: Rescue From Crete
July 30, 1941: Raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes
July 31, 1941: Final Solution Order

August 1941
August 1, 1941: More Executions on Crete
August 2, 1941: Uman Encirclement Closes
August 3, 1941: Bishop von Galen Denounces Euthanasia
August 4, 1941: Hitler at the Front
August 5, 1941: Soviets Surrender at Smolensk 
August 6, 1941: U-Boats in the Arctic
August 7, 1941: Soviets Bomb Berlin
August 8, 1941: Uman Pocket Captured
August 9, 1941: Atlantic Conference at Placentia Bay
August 10, 1941: Soviet Bombers Mauled Over Berlin
August 11, 1941: Rita Hayworth in Life
August 12, 1941: Atlantic Charter Announced
August 13, 1941: The Soybean Car
August 14, 1941: The Anders Army Formed
August 15, 1941: Himmler at Minsk
August 16, 1941: Stalin's Order No. 270
August 17, 1941: Germans in Novgorod
August 18, 1941: Lili Marleen
August 19, 1941: Convoy OG-71 Destruction
August 20, 1941: Siege of Leningrad Begins
August 21, 1941: Stalin Enraged
August 22, 1941: Germans Take Cherkassy
August 23, 1941: Go to Kiev
August 24, 1941: Finns Surround Viipuri
August 25, 1941: Iran Invaded
August 26, 1941: The Bridge Over the Desna
August 27, 1941: Soviets Evacuate Tallinn
August 28, 1941: Evacuating Soviets Savaged
August 29, 1941: Finns take Viipuri
August 30, 1941: Operation Acid
August 31, 1941: Mannerheim Says No

2020

Friday 29 November 1940

"Shelterers read the paper and prepare for sleep in a dimly-lit tunnel of the London Underground network, probably at Aldwych in November 1940. More shelterers can be seen further down the tunnel, past a pile of ladders visible on the left." © IWM (D 1680). (Photo: official government photographer Bill Brandt).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek forces continue grinding forward on 29 November 1940. Italian forces in Pogradec to evacuate the town. The Greek 13th Greek Division captures a key defensive point outside the town, Point 1292, forcing the Italians to withdraw. Some advance Greek troops enter Pogradec. Greek 2nd Infantry Division captures Sucha Pass.

The Italians, realizing the danger to the southern ports, are now transferring stocks of supplies from Valona and Durazzo to San Giovanni di Medua (Shëngjin).

The RAF, supporting the Greeks, raids Tepelene.

Greek submarine Papanicolis attacks 6168-ton Italian freighter Chisone off Durazzo but causes no damage.

Italian submarine Delfino attacks two Greek destroyers twelve miles east of Kalojeri, but also cause no damage.

General Bernard Freyberg of New Zealand disposes the accumulated British and New Zealand troops on Crete to protect naval bases and strong points.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe does little during the day, with only scattered raids on the south coast by fighter-bombers. It focuses on London during the night. It is a heavy raid involving 300+ bombers. Among the areas damaged to one extent or another are:

• Cloisters/crypt of Houses of Parliament;
• St. James' Church in Piccadilly;
• The Old Bailey and Tower of London;
• St. Martin's Ludgate.

The Italian CAI sends 9 bombers to attack the Ipswich/Lowestoft/Yarmouth region.

RAF Bomber Command raids the ports of Bremen, Hamburg, Cologne, Boulogne, and Le Havre.

Liverpool Street Underground Station Shelter: Masses of people lie huddled together on either side of an arched tunnel in the station. © IWM (D 1573). November 1940. (Photo: official government photographer Bill Brandt).

Battle of the Atlantic: The Germans conduct another destroyer sweep off the coast of southern England. These actions tend to be short and sharp, and this one is no exception. Kriegsmarine destroyers Beitzen, Galster, and Lody depart their base in Brest and come upon some ships about 20 miles (30 km) south of the Lizard, which they promptly attack. These include:

• 134-ton British tug Aid (sunk, 5 survivors, 5 deaths);
• 290-ton Barge B.C.H. 10 (sunk, 5 survivors, 3 deaths);
• Dutch/British pilot boat Stroomloodsvartuig 4;
• 126-ton French tug Abeille 14 (damaged).

The Royal Navy has its ships on patrol nearby, and they quickly come to intervene. German destroyer Lody puts two torpedoes into destroyer HMS Javelin, first on the scene. These destroy her bow and stern but do not cause the Javelin to sink. There are 46 deaths on the British ship. Javelin is later towed to Devonport and is under repair until December 1941. Lord Mountbatten is aboard the Javelin and unharmed. This action is a fine example of his fighting spirit.

Royal Navy destroyers HMS Jupiter, Kashmir, Jersey and Jackal arrive shortly after the Javelin is hit. They save the Javelin, but the Kriegsmarine ships make good their escape, though with varying degrees of minor damage.

Elsewhere, 95-ton British drifter Young Fisherman runs aground at Oban, Scotland and is written off.

Royal Navy 214-ton minesweeping trawler HMT Calverton hits a mine and sinks at the mouth of the Humber. There are two deaths. This area has been heavily mined and this is the second ship claimed there recently (the other being HMT Manx Prince on the 28th).

In Convoy HX 88, 4872-ton British freighter Parthenia collides with another ship (the Robert F. Hand) in rough seas and sin about 13 km southwest of Sandra Lightship.

The German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez (Hellfire Corner) score another minor success when they damage 759-ton British freighter Fermain at Dover.

Convoy FS 346 departs from Southend, Convoy HX 92 departs from Halifax, Convoy BHX 92 (from Bermuda) is canceled for lack of ships and the freighters directed to Halifax to join the next HX convoy.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Orchis (K 76, Lt. Arthur D. White) is commissioned.

USS Grenadier is launched.

Liverpool Street Underground Station Shelter: A group of men occupies their time by playing a game of draughts on the station floor. © IWM (D 1581). November 1940. (Photo: official government photographer Bill Brandt).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The weather is stormy in the Mediterranean as winter starts to bite. The large Royal Navy ships, including aircraft carrier Ark Royal and battleship Ramillies, from Force H engaged in Operation Collar return to port at Gibraltar. Convoy ME 4 from Malta and its accompanying escort arrive at Alexandria. This concludes Operation Collar.

New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Leander attacks Banda Alulu, near Cape Guardafui, Italian Somaliland. It fires 98 6-inch rounds and damages a factory and radio station. The Italian Aero Aeronautica attacks the Leander without success.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Olympus departs from Malta after completing repairs incurred in part during an air raid on 6 July. Otherwise, the day is fairly quiet and routine at Malta.

Rising young starlet Lucille Ball and touring Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz elope on 29 November 1940 (this photo is from much later).

Thai/French Conflict: In a little-remembered campaign, Thailand takes the opportunity of French weakness to infiltrate disputed territory west of the Mekong River. In addition, they issue an order for French nationals to evacuate the area immediately. Thailand has ancient grievances against France - well, as ancient as 1893, at least - and its leaders feel that Thailand is entitled to large areas of Laos and western Cambodia. The key areas are the Cambodian provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap, Lao Sayaboury, and west-bank Champassak. While the Vichy French have been defeated in Europe, they remain a potent force in the region. This is the beginning of an opportunistic border war. The Japanese, who themselves now occupy part of Indochina, look on bemused.

US/German/Anglo Relations: German freighters Idarwald (6031 tons) and Rhein (5181 tons), which made an abortive attempt to return to Occupied Europe a month earlier, make another try. They depart from Tampico, Mexico. US destroyers USS Simpson and Broome are on Neutrality Patrol outside the harbor, knowing that the German ships may try again. The US destroyers, as is usual in such cases, follow the two German freighters but do not stop them. However, they broadcast the German ships' position in the clear so that the British are sure to learn about the situation. The two German freighters once again return to port, but their captains remain determined to run the blockade.

Adolf Hitler, incidentally, mentions this series of incidents involving the United States Navy in his declaration of war on 11 December 1941. There is no question that the US ships are aiding the British war effort even if technically acting within the scope of international law.

The Black Eye Peas are appearing at the Lexington Casino. Trenton Times, 29 November 1940.

US/Mexican Relations: US Vice President-elect Henry A. Wallace meets with President Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico City. He is there to attend the upcoming inauguration of President-Elect Manuel Avila Camacho on 1 December. Wallace faces protesters at the US Embassy because the country is still divided over the controversial election that elected Camacho over General Juan Almazan. Wallace's visit is a show of support for the incoming President.

German Military: Having reviewed and discounted Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov's proposed agreements of 25 November, the German leadership continues its planning for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. A draft completed today enlarges upon earlier attempts. It sets forth three more-or-less equal axes of attack, one through the Baltic States to Leningrad, the second on the high road to Moscow, and the third in the south aiming toward Kyiv. The front will be 1800 miles long - earlier drafts foresaw a much smaller front only in the north. This is not the plan's final form, but it is the first draft that closely resembles the framework of the actual invasion in June 1941.

BRC-1007, the seventh Bantam BRC built, is delivered on November 29, 1940, along with 21 others. This Jeep was used until 1944 and has 15,941 miles showing. The BRC is displayed at Pittsburgh's Heinz Museum by way of the Smithsonian.

US Military: The US Army Air Corps is so certain about the quality of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver bomber design that it orders mass production before the first test flight. However, the USAAC requires modifications, including self-sealing and enlarged gas tanks. While the military is extremely enthusiastic about the plane, all of the changes will take an extended amount of time to work out. The Helldiver is intended the replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless but, despite this early order, the Helldiver will not enter combat until 11 November 1943. The entire production process becomes a matter of great controversy and investigations that many blame for the eventual collapse of the Curtiss Corporation.

Heavy cruiser USS Louisville makes port in Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil as part of its "Show the Flag" mission.

India: Subhas Chandra Bose, in prison for protesting against the British rule in India, begins a hunger strike. It will last until 5 December.

China: In Hubei, the Japanese Han River operation has been blunted by the Chinese 5th War Area. The Japanese 11th Army withdraws, and the Chinese recover some ground unopposed.

A postcard sent by Bela Lugosi to his sister, 29 November 1940.

French Homefront: Charles de Gaulle broadcasts to France from London. He is quite uncomplimentary to the Vichy regime, opening his speech by saying:

It has now been proved beyond any shadow of doubt that though the sword of France has been shattered by unworthy leaders, the nation refuses to submit to disaster.

He later adds:

Yes, the flame of French resistance, briefly smothered under the ashes of treason, is once again alight and burning. And we, the Free French, have the glorious duty and supreme dignity of being the soul of the nation's resistance.

De Gaulle also goes out of his way to emphasize that he is not just talking through his hat, but commands serious forces:

Well, at this very moment we have 35,000 men under arms, twenty warships in commission, sixty merchantmen at sea, a thousand airmen, a number of technicians engaged on armament work, territories active on behalf of our cause in Africa, French India, and the Pacific, important centres in all parts of the world, growing financial resources, newspapers, wireless stations, and, above all, the certain knowledge that at every minute of the day we are present in the hearts and minds of all our fellow-countrymen in France.

This is but one in a series of speeches by Charles de Gaulle. Recently, his appeals in-person to captured Vichy soldiers in Gabon have not produced many converts. As a national leader, de Gaulle remains a creation of the British government. However, he is a brilliant orator and is fine-tuning that skill with each speech.

American Homefront: Universal Pictures releases classic W.C. Fields comedy film "The Bank Dick" (aka "The Bank Detective" in England). Directed by Edward F. Cline and written by "Mahatma Kane Jeeves" (aka W.C. Fields himself), the film is full of edgy puns for the era and slapstick. It is considered by many to be WC Field's best work (alongside "My Little Chickadee" with Mae West). Shemp Howard of The Three Stooges makes a cameo appearance as a bartender. Also starring Una Merkel and Cora Witherspoon.

Also released today is the film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Men." It nominally stars Kay Francis, but everyone familiar with the film knows the real draw is the famous Elsie the Cow playing Buttercup.


November 1940

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

2020

Thursday 15 August 1940

A Luftwaffe raid on RAF Middle Wallop, on or around 15 August 1940.

German Military: Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering is no fool, but he completely fails at crafting a successful aerial strategy against the British. Partly this is due to poor German military intelligence, partly to grandiose notions he has of what the Luftwaffe can accomplish, and partly to the simple fact that the Luftwaffe equipment is not up to the task before them - something that he, of course, cannot admit. A huge part of the problems, though, is that he has an uncanny knack for drawing the wrong conclusions from known facts.

At his estate north of Berlin named after his dead wife (and not his living one), on 15 August 1940 Goering conducts a critical morning review of the situation with the commanders of the three Luftflotten facing England. Kesselring, Sperrle, and Stumpff have little positive to say about the outcome of Adler Tag on 13 August, but they can't put the blame where much of it belongs: on Goering's own meddling. Goering listens to what they have to say and then issues a lengthy order (see below)  More than anything, it expresses his own frustrations at the course of the battle. The order is the clearest expression of aerial defeat during the entire battle. It also has a remarkably grumpy tone for a top German directive.

The order is full of phrases such as "I have repeatedly given orders" and those fighter tactics "must be readjusted" which evidence obvious anger at the failures to date. There is classic blame-shifting, as he explicitly blames "certain unit commanders" for the failures on Adler Tag. It also is full of observations that are incredibly basic, such as that night attacks on shipping only succeed when the pilots can see their targets - something that local commanders should be well aware of, but apparently are not. Most of all, it appears to be an attempt to cover his own heinie, something that he can always point to as proof that these problems are not his own fault because he was always right.

Basically, the order is a study in scapegoating. Goering knows that Hitler receives summaries of the foreign press every morning, and the London newspapers are making him look the fool for the (extremely overstated) Luftwaffe losses being reported there.

The essence of the order, after you wade through all the whining about the faults of others, is that the vulnerable bombers have to be better-protected, and attacks must be focused on destroying the RAF. With this order, Goering creates the doctrine of close escorts, something which is innovative and adopted by all air forces.

He also draws one of the worst possible conclusions from a factually true statement: the British radar stations have not been destroyed, thus they are not worth attacking. That not only shows phenomenally poor judgment, it also reveals that Goering, the head of the Luftwaffe, now realizes that his force is not up to the job.

A Polish groundcrew writes to the enemy on a bomb at RAF Hemswell, 15 August 1940. The message appears to be something along the lines of "Warsaw then, Berlin now." IWM (HU 111733).

Battle of Britain: The weather is poor during the morning, so little takes place then. A fast Dornier Do 17 of 3(F)/31 tempts fate by flying reconnaissance over the damaged radar station at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight but is shot down. Things heat up remarkably when the weather clears, leading to the most Luftwaffe sorties (about 1800) of the entire Battle of Britain.

The day's strategy is to draw Air Marshall Dowding's fighters to the south, leaving the north of Great Britain wide open to attacks from Luftflotte 5 in Norway. This is necessary because Luftwaffe Bf 109s cannot make the 1100-mile distance from Norway to Great Britain and back.

When the weather clears shortly before noon, II./StG 1 and IV (St)./LG 1 of Luftlotte 2 send 45 Stukas, accompanied by escorts from JG 26. The formations split after reaching the coast, with some bombing Folkestone and the others toward Kent. They score a major success by putting the airfield at Lympne out of action. However, RAF No. 54 Squadron metes out punishment over the airport, shooting down two Stukas. The elite JG 26 formation, however, quickly steps in and shoots down two Spitfires in return. Adolf Galland gets two victories during this action.

About two hours later, at 13:30, Luftflotte 5 in Norway sends across 65 Heinkel He 111s from I./KG 26 and III./ KG 26 toward airfields at Dishforth, Usworth, and Linton-upon-Ouse. The only escorts are long-range Bf 110s, which on their best day are no match for Spitfires, but the distance from Norway prevents the use of Bf 109s. An innovation is that Gruppenkommandeur's Bf 110 - Hptm. Werner Restemeyer's plane is outfitted with special radio gear to listen in on RAF radio transmissions vectoring the fighters towards them. A major navigational foul-up, though, nullifies any advantage of surprise, as the Bf 110s mistakenly make landfall right where a supposedly diversionary attack by Luftwaffe seaplanes is taking place. The RAF fighter thus is ready and waiting for the vulnerable Heinkels and Bf 110s, leading to an epic catastrophe for the Luftwaffe in which Restemeyer, five other Bf 110s, and 8 Heinkels are shot down.

At the same time, I., II. and III./KG 30 from Luftlotte 5 attack RAF Driffield - also without escorts - with 50 Junkers Ju 88s. The theory is that by massive attacks, the RAF fighters will be preoccupied elsewhere - which is a very hopeful theory. In fact, the RAF is ready and waiting for them, and, though they do bomb the airfield, the Ju 88s lose 6 planes. However, the attack turns into a success despite the losses because the bombs set off an ammunition dump that destroys a dozen Whitley bombers.

Luftflotte 3 based in Belgium has the next crack. KG 3 sends 88 Dornier Do 17s toward Rochester and Eastchurch airfields in southeast England. This formation, though, has a massive fighter escort of some 130 Bf 109s from JG 26, 51 and 52 - all premier formations. The large force loses only four Bf 109s and two Dorniers, with the bombers doing major damage to the airfields and a nearby aircraft factory developing the Stirling bomber and some other targets as well.

Galland of JG 26 then conducts another mission, this time a pure fighter sweep over the Canterbury region. The RAF fighters are still in the air from the Luftflotte 3 attack, and Galland's fresh fighters go to work. Walter Oesau gets two Spitfires and a barrage balloon, Pips Priller gets one, and generally, the Bf 109s get some payback for the horrendous losses further north.

There also are some minor attacks that are designed to take advantage of the air fleet actions which are preoccupying the defending RAF fighters. I,/LG 1 bombs RAF Middle Wallop, and II,/LG 1 bombs RAF Worthy Down. Some bombers also head for Swanage and Southampton late in the afternoon. The attacks have varying degrees of success depending upon the degree of RAF involvement. There are reports that radar stations at Rye, Dover and at Foreness on the Isle of Wight are put out of action temporarily.

In one of these late-afternoon attacks, Epr.Gr 210 attempts to bomb RAF Martlesham Heath but hits RAF Croyden by mistake (62 dead). Croyden is in the middle of built-up London suburbs, and some mark this as the first attack on London - though apparently unintentional.

KG 27 winds up the day by attacking Bristol. Once again, III,/KG 27 bombs the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and the nearby docks.

RAF Bomber Command continues its attacks on typical targets such as the aircraft works in Turin and Milan, industrial targets in Genoa, oil installations at Gelsenkirchen and Reisholz, various ports, Ruhr ammunition plants, and various airfields throughout northwestern Europe.

The day is another big RAF victory, and within the Luftwaffe, it becomes known as "Black Thursday." The estimated losses for the Luftwaffe are 75, for the RAF 35 (sources vary widely, the newspapers claim 161 Luftwaffe planes lost but that is highly unlikely). The RAF does lose about 18 pilots, but the Luftwaffe loses many times that many aircrews. Major Galland, who has a great day personally, later recalls that, by this point, the wear and tear on the Luftwaffe have become overwhelming and is magnified by the lack of success. The lesson of the day is that bombers absolutely must be escorted, Bf 110s themselves must be escorted, and only well-planned raids that are well-protected can succeed. Luftflotten 5 is taken out of the battle completely because it is too far away for its fighters to make the crossing from Norway.


Battle of the Atlantic: U-51 (Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Knorr) torpedoes and sinks 5709-ton British tanker Sylvafield about 150 miles west of Rockall. There are 36 survivors and three crew perish. The tanker is full of badly needed oil. Tankers are hard to sink, and Knorr has to use two torpedoes.

U-A (Kapitänleutnant Hans Cohausz) torpedoes and sinks 4211 ton Greek ore freighter Aspasia in the eastern Atlantic. All 19 crewmen perish.

British freighter Brixton hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea.

Convoy OA 199 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 198 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SC 1 departs from Sydney, Nova Scotia,.

With the Battle of Britain going poorly, the Kriegsmarine issues orders for the construction of 86 new U-boats. It is getting ready for a long war.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italy does not want Greece to enter the war. On the feast day of the Assumption of Mary, it tries a little intimidation. The attacks are a complete surprise, including to the Italian Foreign Ministry which must come up with denials about something it knows nothing about.

Greek light cruiser Helle (aka Elli) sinks off the island of Tinos while at anchor. The instant assumption is that an Italian submarine sank it, but nobody knows for sure. This becomes the "Helle Incident." In fact, the cruiser is sunk by Italian submarine Delfino. There are 9 deaths and 24 wounded.

Royal Navy submarine Osiris sinks Italian freighter Morea in the Adriatic.

Greece goes out of its way to simply note that it was an "unknown attacker" in order to not provoke Italy, but it is pretty clear what happened. The incident could have been far more serious, as the Delfino unsuccessfully attacks passenger liners M/V Elsi and M/V Esperos anchored nearby.

Italian bombers also attack Greek destroyers Vasilissa Olga and Vasilevs Georgios I - apparently mistakenly - in the same area.

The RAF attacks the harbor at Bomba, Libya, and also points in Eritrea and Abyssinia. The Italians raid Alexandria.

After a long period with no raids or only light attacks, the Italians mount a major attack on Malta at 13:44. Ten bombers escorted by 25 fighters attack Hal Far airfield, destroying infrastructure and a Swordfish torpedo plane. One of the buildings hit was housing scarce supplies for the Hurricanes. The Italians lose no planes, while the RAF loses one of its precious Hurricanes, with the pilot (Sgt. R. O'Donnell) KIA.

British submarines HMS Pandora and Proteus set off on another supply mission to Malta.

All ice cream sales in Malta are banned.

British commander General Wavell boards his plane in London for the flight back to Alexandria.

Squadron Leader E. A. McNab becomes the first RCAF pilot to record a kill in the Battle of Britain. McNab is Commanding Officer with No 1 (RCAF) Squadron.

British Somaliland: The Italians take another of the four remaining British hills defending the coast road to Berbera. With Observation Hill lost, the British defenders begin pulling back toward the capital. The next blocking position is at Barkasan, about ten miles further down the road.

Major General Godwin-Austen receives a reply to his 14 August request to evacuate; the request is granted. The British will now evacuate the entire country.

One of the soldiers at Tug Argan, Eric Wilson of the British Somaliland Camel Corps, does not receive the order to retreat and continues firing his machine gun. Eventually, he is captured. He later earns the Victoria's Cross for the event.

Anglo/US Relations: As expected, British Prime Minister Churchill is ecstatic at the American offer of exchanging British bases for US destroyers. He replies to President Roosevelt's telegram of 13 Aug 1940, writing that the "moral value of this fresh aid from your Government and your people at this critical time will be very great and widely felt," and that "the worth of every destroyer that you can spare to us is measured in rubies."

Assistant Chief of Naval Operations Rear Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, Major General Delos C. Emmons (USAAC), and Brigadier General George V. Strong (USA) arrive in London for informal staff conversations with British officers. This presumably is related to the transfer of the destroyers.

Italian/Spanish Relations: Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain tells fellow dictator Benito Mussolini that he is preparing to join the Axis. However, he is watching the Battle of Britain and other military developments very closely.

US Military: Chrysler contracts with the US Army to construct the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant at Warren, Michigan. This is an innovation in military-industrial cooperation, as it is the first government-owned and contractor-operated facility.

The US Navy establishes a new Naval Air Station in Miami. The first commander is Gerald F. Bogan.

Destroyers USS Wake and USS Wainwright arrive at Bahia, Brazil.

Submarine USS Triton (SS 201,  Lt. Commander Willis A. Lent) is commissioned.

Soviet Military: Boris Shaposhnikov is named Deputy People's Commissar of Defense.

Applied Science: President Roosevelt approves the formation of the National Defense Research Committee, to oversee the activities of civilian researchers working on military projects.

Holocaust: Adolf Eichmann submits a memo proposing the forced deportation of European Jews to Madagascar, which is under Vichy French control.

Luxembourg: The new civil administration in Luxembourg establishes a customs union with Germany, the first step in its ultimate planned absorption.

A pilot of No. 64 Squadron RAF running towards his Supermarine Spitfire Mark 1A as the Squadron is scrambled at Kenley, 10.45 a.m. 15 August 1940. © IWM (HU 54420).

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering's Order of 15 August 1940:

1. The fighter escort defenses of our Stuka formations must be readjusted, as the enemy is concentrating his fighters against our Stuka operations. It appears necessary to allocate three fighter Gruppen to each Stuka Gruppe, one of these fighter Gruppen remains with the Stukas, and dives with them to the attack; the second flies ahead over the target at medium altitude and engages the fighter defenses; the third protects the whole attack from above. It will also be necessary to escort Stukas returning from the attack over the Channel.

2. Night attacks on shipping targets are only fruitful when the night is so clear that careful aim can be taken.

3. More importance must be attached to co-operation between members of individual aircrews. Seasoned crews are not to be broken up except in cases of utmost urgency.

4. The incident of V(Z)LGI on August 13 shows that certain unit commanders have not yet learned the importance of clear orders.

5. I have repeatedly given orders that twin-engined fighters are only to be employed where the range of other fighters is inadequate, or where it is for the purpose of assisting our single-engined aircraft to break off combat. Our stocks of twin-engined fighters are not great, and we must use them as economically as possible.

6. Until further orders, operations are to be directed exclusively against the enemy Air Force, including the targets of the enemy aircraft industry allocated to the different Luftflotten. Shipping targets, and particularly large naval vessels, are only to be attacked where circumstances are especially propitious. For the moment, other targets should be ignored. We must concentrate our efforts on the destruction of the enemy Air Forces. Our night attacks are essentially dislocation raids, made so that the enemy defenses and population shall be allowed no respite. Even these, however, should where possible be directed against Air Force targets.

7. My orders regarding the carrying out of attacks by single aircraft under cover of cloud conditions have apparently not been correctly understood. Where on one afternoon 50 aircraft are dispatched without adequate preparation on individual missions, it is probable that the operation will be unsuccessful and very costly. I, therefore, repeat that such sorties are to undertaken only by specially selected volunteer crews, who have made a prolonged and intensive study of the target, the most suitable method of attack, and the particular navigational problems involved. By no means, all our crews are qualified to undertake such risks.

8. KG2 100 (bombers) is also in the future, to operate against the enemy Air Force and aircraft industry.

9. It is doubtful if there is any point in continuing the attacks on radar sites, in view of the fact that not one of those attacked has so far been put out of operation.

10. The systematic designation of alternative targets would appear frequently to lead to certain targets being attacked which have absolutely no connection with our strategic aims. It must, therefore, be achieved that even alternative targets are of importance in the battle against the enemy Air Force.

11. The Commanders-in-Chief of the Luftflotten are to report to me on the question of the warnings to be given during enemy penetrations over the Reich. At present, the warnings are causing a loss of output whose consequences are far graver than those caused by the actual bomb damage. In addition, the frequent air raid warnings are leading to nervousness and strain among the population of Western Germany. On the other hand, we must take into account the risk of heavy loss of life should an attack be launched before a warning has been given.

Field Marshal Kesselring, known to the Allies as "Smiling Albert," probably isn't smiling too much on 15 August 1940.

August 1940


August 1, 1940: Two RN Subs Lost
August 2, 1940: Operation Hurry
August 3, 1940: Italians Attack British Somaliland
August 4, 1940: Dueling Legends in the US
August 5, 1940: First Plan for Barbarossa
August 6, 1940: Wipe Out The RAF
August 7, 1940: Burning Oil Plants
August 8, 1940: True Start of Battle of Britain
August 9, 1940: Aufbau Ost
August 10, 1940: Romania Clamps Down On Jews
August 11, 1940: Huge Aerial Losses
August 12, 1940: Attacks on Radar
August 13, 1940: Adler Tag
August 14, 1940: Sir Henry's Mission
August 15, 1940: Luftwaffe's Black Thursday
August 16, 1940: Wolfpack Time
August 17, 1940: Blockade of Britain
August 18, 1940: The Hardest Day
August 19, 1940: Enter The Zero
August 20, 1940: So Much Owed By So Many
August 21, 1940: Anglo Saxon Incident
August 22, 1940: Hellfire Corner
August 23, 1940: Seaplanes Attack
August 24, 1940: Slippery Slope
August 25, 1940: RAF Bombs Berlin
August 26, 1940: Troops Moved for Barbarossa
August 27, 1940: Air Base in Iceland
August 28, 1940: Call Me Meyer
August 29, 1940: Schepke's Big Day
August 30, 1940: RAF's Bad Day
August 31, 1940: Texel Disaster

2020