Showing posts with label Gibraltar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gibraltar. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

January 4, 1942: MacArthur on His Own in the Philippines

Sunday 4 January 1942

Kittyhawk that crashed near Msus, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A Kittyhawk that crashed at Msus, Libya, shortly after takeoff because its engine cut off on 4 January 1942. The pilot, Sgt Albert Thomas Crocker, 1259818, RAFVR,  RAF No. 112 Squadron, did not survive (RAF 112 Squadron).
Battle of the Pacific: Following the announcement of the new ABDA (American-British-Dutch-Australian) command in the southwest Pacific, Major General George Brett assumes command of all United States forces in Australia and surrounding areas on 4 January 1942. The most urgent matter is what to do about the Allied position in the Philippines, where US and Filipino troops have been forced into the Bataan Peninsula. Brett immediately takes a cautious stance and orders two naval transport ships already heading from Brisbane, Queensland, en route to the Philippines with reinforcements to turn around. The ships divert from Bataan to Darwin in northern Australian. There are no further attempts to reinforce General Douglas MacArthur and his tens of thousands of American troops in the Philippines.

Albacore aircraft in the Western Desert, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"Western Desert, North Africa. 4 January 1942. Three armorers bombing up an Albacore aircraft on a desert landing ground. One of the ground staff 'puts his back into it', using his back to help lift the bomb into place." Australian War Memorial MED0269.  
The Japanese pour into Manila, which the Americans evacuated during the last week in December. Japanese Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma, Commanding General 14th Army, meets with Manila Mayor Jorge Vargas and imposes strict restrictions, including a curfew, blackout, martial law, and the surrender of any radios and firearms. Homma, however, is no martinet and orders his 43,110-man army to respect the Filipinos' religion and customs and treat them as friends. Some of Homma's subordinates, led by Colonel Masanobu Tsuji, disagree with this leniency and send negative reports about Homma to General Count Hisaichi Terauchi, commander of the Southern Army. Terauchi, in turn, passes on his own negative reports about Homma to Tokyo. Emperor Hirohito prevails upon Army Chief of Staff Hajime Sugiyama to reinforce Homma in order to conquer the remaining Allied troops in Bataan quickly, who in turn tells Homma to aim for a quick victory. This leads Homma, who prefers a more patient strategy, to launch direct and costly assaults on the American lines.

Admiral Cunningham, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, KCB, DSO, broadcasting from his cabin in HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH." 4 January 1942. © IWM (A 7967).
The American and Filipino troops are holding a line across the neck of the Bataan Peninsula anchored at Porac and Guagua. The Japanese take Guagua and continue along Route 7 toward Lubao. Further west, the line is quiet, but with Guagua lost, the entire line is now untenable. After dark, the Filipino 11th and 21st Divisions begin falling back into the Bataan Peninsula. The US Provisional Tank Group continues to hold open the road from San Fernando to Dinalupihan at the neck of the peninsula despite taking heavy losses. Meanwhile, Japanese aircraft continue to pound Corregidor Island in Manila Bay against feeble opposition. The US Army Air Force continues to withdraw its few remaining fighters in the area to Mindanao.

Captured German gliders, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"Western Desert, North Africa. 4 January 1942. One of the many German glider aircraft on the ground which was destroyed over Libya. The utilization of this form of air transport was unsuccessful, the gliders falling easy prey to Allied fighters and ground fire." The Luftwaffe used this for bringing supplies from Naples due to the many losses in convoys. Australian War Memorial MED0272.
On Java, eight B-17 Flying Fortresses based at Singosari Airdrome attack Japanese shipping in Malalag Bay, Davao, Mindanao Island. While level bombing has not been particularly successful to date, the bombers display an accurate aim from 25,000 feet and damage Japanese heavy cruisers Myoko and Nachi. They also hit Japanese aircraft carrier Chitose off Davao City but cause little damage.

Factory workers at Bridgend, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"War workers knit, read magazines and chat in the workers' lounge at ROF Bridgend. Matron is on hand to answer any of their questions and offer any advice they may need." This is a Royal Ordnance Factory, January 1942. © IWM (D 6242).
In the Bismarck Archipelago, the Japanese have their eyes on the Australian naval base at Rabaul on New Britain Island. They begin an aerial campaign against the base on 4 January 1942 using carrier-based aircraft. The Australians only have 5400 men on the base from the Australian 2/22d Battalion, 8th Division, an RAAF detachment, 100 men of the New Guinea Volunteer Reserve, and a few Royal Australian Navy officers. While Rabaul has a fighter strip at Lakunai and a bomber strip at Vunakanu, the Australians have few planes available. Of more interest at Rabaul to the Japanese than the airstrips is the fine port which the Japanese Navy wants as a major fleet base.

The Stalingrad Truth, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Stalingrad Truth: The organ of the Stalingrad regional and city committees of the CPSU, 4 January 1942.
In the Malay Peninsula, the Japanese have closed upon the Commonwealth line along the Slim River in western Malaya and are attacking it with their aircraft. The Japanese bypass the line through the jungle and move south along the coast. When they reach the Selangor River near Kuala Selangor, they turn east to advance in the direction of Rawang. This threatens the Allied line because Rawang is the last major communications junction north of Kuala Lumpur, so the Indian 6/15th Brigade moves to Batang Berjuntai to block it. The Japanese are preparing a major attack on the Slim River line and hope to block the escape of the Commonwealth troops at Rawang.

De Havilland Tiger Moths, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
An Air Training Corps cadet secures his parachute, before an air experience flight in a de Havilland Tiger Moth at Biggin Hill, Kent, 4 January 1942." © IWM (CH 5030).
Eastern Front: The Germans have completed their retreat from the Tikhvin salient in the Army Group North sector, and the Red Army has made some exploratory crossings of the Volkhov River. However, the commander of the army group, Field Marshal Ritter von Leeb, today reports his first quiet day since the offensive began. The Soviets have brought in the 2nd Shock Army for offensive operations. The army's commander, Lieutenant General Sokolov, is a former NKVD commissar with no military training. Front commander General Kirill Meretskov decides that Sokolov is incompetent and replaces him with the former commander of the 52nd Army, Lieutenant General Klykov.

Coastal gun at Gibraltar, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"A 9.2-inch coastal gun on the Rock of Gibraltar, 4 January 1942." © IWM (GM 278).
Battle of the Mediterranean: Things have quieted down recently in North Africa, but Germany and Italy still want to subdue Malta to solve their convoy problems across the Strait of Sicily. Around 10:00, the Luftwaffe mounts a major attack on the island after circling around to the southeast. First, a Junkers Ju 88 escorted by ten fighters performs reconnaissance over the island. The RAF sends up half a dozen Hurricanes from Hal Far airfield, and two Hurricanes and one Bf 109 are damaged. Later, the main attack comes in. This is composed of Junkers Ju 88 bombers with fighter escort. Due to cloudy weather, the bombers are able to attack Luqa airfield. They lose one bomber to anti-aircraft fire and another to a Hurricane. The attack causes a lot of damage to Luqa airfield, but frantic efforts by army troops level the craters by 14:00.

Radio Times, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Radio Times, Journal of the British Broadcasting Corporation, programming for January 4 - 10 1942.
British Homefront: Anthony Eden, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, gives a dramatic radio broadcast recounting his recent visit to Moscow to meet Joseph Stalin and Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov. He assures the audience that Britain has an "identity of views" with the Soviet Union that is the "literal and absolute truth."

USS Alabama, 4 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
USS Alabama (BB-60) under construction, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 4 January 1942.
American Homefront: Paranoia about potential Japanese attacks and subversion is running wild on the west coast. The Commanding General Western Defense Command, Lieutenant General John DeWitt, is uneasy about provoking Japanese-Americans in the area, but also feels the need to exclude them from sensitive areas. Today, he meets with the Chief of the War Department's Aliens Division in order to map out areas from which anyone defined as an enemy alien is to be excluded.

The National Football League holds its fourth All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds in Brooklyn, New York City. As is customary at this time, the recent Championship Game winning team faces an all-star team composed of top players from the remaining teams. The champion Chicago Bears win, 35-24.


1942

January 1942

January 1, 1942: Declaration By United Nations
January 2, 1941: Manila Falls to Japan
January 3, 1942: ABDA Command Announced
January 4, 1942: MacArthur on His Own in the Philippines
January 5, 1942: Soviets Plan General Offensive
January 6, 1942: US Army in Europe
January 7, 1942: Soviet General Offensive Opens
January 8, 1942: Hitler Sacks Hoepner
January 9, 1942: Battle of Dražgoše
January 10, 1942: Building the Jeep
January 11, 1942: Japan Takes Kuala Lumpur
January 12, 1941: Rommel Plans Counterattack
January 13, 1942: First Ejection Seat Use
January 14, 1942: Operation Drumbeat First Sinking
January 15, 1942: U-Boat Off NYC
January 16, 1942: Carole Lombard Crash
January 17, 1942: British Take Halfaya Pass
January 18, 1942: Soviet Paratroopers in Action
January 19, 1942: FDR Approves Atomic Bomb
January 20, 1942: The Wannsee Conference
January 21, 1942: Parit Sulong Bridge Battle
January 22, 1942: Parit Sulong Massacre
January 23, 1942: Japan Takes Rabaul
January 24, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
January 25, 1942: Kholm Surrounded
January 26, 1942: GIs Land in Europe
January 27, 1942: Battle of Endau
January 28, 1942: Rommel Takes Benghazi
January 29, 1942: First US Coast Guard Ship Sunk
January 30, 1942: Singapore Isolated
January 31, 1942: Army Group South Averts Disaster

2020

Monday, January 21, 2019

November 2, 1941: Manstein Isolates Sevastopol

Sunday 2 November 1941

Home Guard 2 November 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"Home Guard soldiers in York prepare a roadblock by inserting metal girders into pre-dug holes in the road, 2 November 1941." © IWM (H 15191).
Eastern Front: Erich von Manstein is one of the few generals that Adolf Hitler respects - though he doesn't particularly like him. Because of this respect, earned through conceptualizing such brilliant strategies as the Panzer advance through the Ardennes in May 1940, von Manstein has enjoyed rapid promotions. Having begun the war as Chief of Staff for General Gerd von Rundstedt, von Manstein now is in command of 11th Army, which is tasked with a mission dear to Hitler's heart: conquering the Crimea. The Crimea, in Hitler's view, is essential in order to prevent the Red Air Force from using it to bomb the Romanian oil fields - although the Soviets have rarely done that. Hitler also sees the sunny Crimean beaches as a sort of Riviera of the East for top German officials. So, even though militarily the Crimea is of distinctly secondary importance in terms of German grand strategy, it is an area that Hitler has very definite feelings about.

German bomber crashing, 2 November 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
German bomber crashing, November 1941. Location and exact date unknown.
On 2 November 1941, von Manstein takes a major step toward his current objective when his 11th Army forces - mostly infantry - reaches the Black Sea coast south of Simferopol. This cuts the key Soviet Naval Base at Sevastopol from any land reinforcement or supplies, effectively encircling it. There are still large Red Army forces on the Crimea, but they are far to the east on the Kerch Peninsula and unlikely to break through the Wehrmacht forces flooding south through the Perekop Isthmus While the Soviets can still send ships to Sevastopol, it is a hazardous journey from the nearest base at Novorossisk in the Caucasus. Sevastopol is crowded with both army and civilian refugees from Odesa so another evacuation will be a massive undertaking. Evacuation from Sevastopol is not contemplated at this time - in fact, Soviet transports are bringing troops into the port for its defense.

Le Vostre Novelle Magazine, 2 November 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Le Vostre Novelle Magazine [Italy] (2 November 1941).
Following customary Wehrmacht practice of the "no guts, no glory" variety, Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich's 132nd Infantry Division attempts to take Sevastopol in a coup de main. The Germans make it near the town of Bakhchisaray before being stopped by Soviet 8th Naval Brigade and salvos from the 305mm guns at 30th coastal battery. After losing 428 casualties, 40 trucks, and several armored vehicles, von Manstein halts the foolhardy attack and turns his attention to conquering as much of the rest of the Crimea as he can. The Soviet Black Sea Fleet is busy taking troops off at Yalta, Yevpatoria, Feodosiya, and other Crimean ports and taking them to Sevastopol. The Luftwaffe is active, with Junkers Ju 88 bombers damaging light cruiser Voroshilov with two 250 kg bombs, which jam the rudder, flood a magazine, and start a fire in No. 3 turret. The only thing that prevents greater damage to the Black Sea Fleet is that the Luftwaffe maintains a very light presence in the Crimea - a fact about which von Manstein often complains. However, in the grand scheme of things, the Crimea is a sideshow and the real action is to the north at Moscow and to the east at Rostov-on-Don.

East End Londoners enjoying their evacuation in Blackpool, 2 November 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"A number of mothers and children, bombed out of their homes in the East End of London are now settling down in their new homes in Blackpool. The photo shows: A group of East End child evacuees enjoys a donkey ride along the beach in front of Blackpool Tower." 2 November 1941 © IWM (HU 69019).
The Wehrmacht is continuing its advance on Tikhvin to the north of Moscow. This campaign is a lot less flashy than surrounding Sevastopol but could be of real strategic significance. General Rudolf Schmidt’s 39th Army Corps (motorized) has made good progress since its leap across the Volkhov River in late October, but it has had to pause to regroup and restock. The Soviets today counterattack it in two places. On the north flank, what are effectively two Soviet divisions hit General Josef Harpe's 12th Panzer Division hard. However, the divisional artillery inflicts massive casualties and the Red Army attack falters. In the south, a separate Red Army force composed of 60th Tank Division and 4th Guards Rifle Division has a little better luck, but the divisional artillery is able to beat off this attack, too. These failed attacks open the gateway to Tikhvin, which is one of the most vital spots on the entire Eastern Front because it controls the roads and railways that are supplying Leningrad via Lake Ladoga.

HMS Victorious, 2 November 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"The 4.5" guns on the flight deck of HMS VICTORIOUS. In the background can be seen the cruiser HMS CUMBERLAND." This photo was taken on the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious at Scapa Flow between 30 October and 2 November 1941. © IWM (A 6179).
The much-maligned Italian troops on the Eastern Front also have a good day. In combination with the XLIX Gebirgskorps (General of the Mountain Troops L. Kuebler), the Italians capture Horlivka. This has been a key strong point on the Soviet line in southern Russia, and its capture is a reflection of the troubles that the Soviet 12th Army is having. Plus, Italian successes in Russia are so rare that they are always worth mentioning. The German 15th Infantry Division also captures Aremovsk, another town that the Red Army has been defending fiercely.

Gibraltar, 2 November 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"A bulldozer and steamroller being used during the construction of a new aerodrome on Gibraltar, November 1941." © IWM (GM 121).
Both sides believe that the end is near for Moscow, and thus for the entire Soviet Union. General Georgy Zhukov, in command of the Western Front, gives a frank appraisal to Commissar Zhdanov in Leningrad:
We are now operating in the West [the Western Front] - on the approaches to Moscow. The main thing is that Konev and Budenny are missing all of their armed forces. I received from them only a trace - a headquarters and 98 men from Budenny and a headquarters and two reserve regiments from Konev.
Meanwhile, at Rautenberg, Hitler meets with Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, the head of the Abwehr (military intelligence). As Hitler is wont to do, he looks far beyond the messy battles that still have to be won and confides in Canaris - who secretly does not think much of Hitlerism - that he plans to cleanse Slavic cities and "Germanize" them with new German inhabitants and names. Of course, it is nice and warm in the Fuhrer's headquarters, but things are a little different at the Front.

Japanese Military: The manhood assigned to the conquest of Malaya was Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita is appointed the commander of the 25th Army, based on Hainan Island. Yamashita is a burly officer who has served as military attaché in Switzerland and as commander of the Kwantung Army in China. The 25th Army is destined to invade Malaya and take Singapore.

Aleppo, Syria, 2 November 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"Aleppo, Syria. 2 November 1941. Martini Nabih Bey (Mouhafez D'Alep) places a wreath from the officers of the French Garrison on the grave of Sergeant D. W. Davies, of the Royal Air Force, in the French War Cemetery on French Remembrance Sunday 1941." (Australian War Memorial 030025/01).

November 1941

November 1, 1941: Finns Attack Toward Murmansk Railway
November 2, 1941: Manstein Isolates Sevastopol
November 3, 1941: Japan Prepares to Attack
November 4, 1941: German Advances in the South
November 5, 1941: Last Peace Effort By Japan
November 6, 1941: Stalin Casts Blame in an Unexpected Direction
November 7, 1941: Stalin's Big Parade
November 8, 1941: Germans Take Tikhvin
November 9, 1941: Duisburg Convoy Destruction
November 10, 1941: Manstein Attacks Sevastopol
November 11, 1941: Finland's Double Game Erupts
November 12, 1941: T-34 Tanks Take Charge
November 13, 1941: German Orsha Conference
November 14, 1941: German Supply Network Breaking Down
November 15, 1941: Operation Typhoon Resumes
November 16, 1941: Manstein Captures Kerch
November 17, 1941: Finland Halts Operations
November 18, 1941: British Operation Crusader
November 19, 1941: Sydney vs. Kormoran Duel
November 20, 1941: The US Rejects Final Japanese Demand
November 21, 1941: Germans Take Rostov
November 22, 1941: Kleist in Trouble at Rostov
November 23, 1941: Germans Take Klin, Huge Battle in North Africa
November 24, 1941: Rommel Counterattacks
November 25, 1941: HMS Barham Sunk
November 26, 1941: Japanese Fleet Sails
November 27, 1941: British Relieve Tobruk
November 28, 1941: Rostov Evacuated, German Closest Approach to Moscow
November 29, 1941: Hitler Furious About Retreat
November 30, 1941: Japan Sets the Date for its Attack

2020

Friday, September 23, 2016

September 25, 1940: Filton Raid

Wednesday 25 September 1940

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com gun camera footage
A dogfight over England. "This camera gun film still shows tracer ammunition from an RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mark I, flown by Flight Lieutenant J H G McArthur, hitting a German Heinkel He 111. These aircraft were part of a large formation which attacked the Bristol Aeroplane Company's works at Filton, Bristol, just before noon on 25 September 1940." © IWM (CH 1823).

Operation Menace: With the British/Free French invasion frustrated, the French turn to the attack on 25 September 1940. The Vichy French Air Force (Armée de l'Air de Vichy), based in Morocco and Algeria, launches another, larger strike on Gibraltar than on the 24th. This is in retaliation for the Operation Menace attack on Dakar by the British and Free French. It is even larger than the attack on 24 September, this time including 80-100 aircraft dropping some 300 bombs. This is the largest air raid of the war to date on Gibraltar, causing extensive damage to the dockyard facilities. British 550 ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Stella Sirius is sunk by direct hits in the harbor with 12 deaths. Some accounts state that four Vichy French destroyers also bombard the port.

The British fleet again bombards Dakar at first light. French submarine Bévéziers, the only one remaining at Dakar after two have been sunk, manages at 09:00 to evade detection by the assembled fleet and torpedoes British battleship HMS Resolution. It loses power and must be towed back to Freetown, Sierra Leone, by HMS Barham, which also takes damage from the French battleship Richelieu. This forces the Royal Navy to end the operation, which has been accomplishing nothing anyway.

The affair has been a fiasco for the Allies. Long in the planning, involving extensive Royal Navy movements throughout September, Operation Menace accomplishes nothing but further poison relations with the Vichy French. General Charles de Gaulle suffers a huge loss in prestige, as his assumption of the mantle of resistance to his former French bosses turns out to have less appeal than he has claimed. It is easier now to portray de Gaulle as nothing but a tool of British interests. The Royal Navy itself does not come off well, either.

In a wider sense, Operation Menace is a learning experience. It is the first in a series of Allied raids along the length of the Atlantic Coast that will grow in intensity over the coming years. While a shaky start, it sets the foundation for later efforts at Dieppe, in Norway, and ultimately at Normandy. However, there is no question whatsoever that, in the short run, this is a major Vichy French victory.

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com U-48 Lorient
U-48, with commander Heinrich Bleichrodt, returns to base at Lorient. 25 September 1940. Note the numerous victory pennants.
Battle of the Atlantic: A Coastal Command flying boat flying over the shipping lanes in the mid-Atlantic spots a lifeboat and vectors in destroyer HMS Anthony. It turns out to be from the City of Benares, sunk on the 18th. Lifeboat 12 contains about 40 survivors, including six boys from the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) program. Also on board are Mary Cornish and Father Rory O'Sullivan, the children's escorts, along with numerous crewmen.

U-32 (Oblt.z.S. Hans Jenisch) torpedoes and sinks 6694-ton British freighter Mabriton 500 hundred miles west of Ireland at 03:25. There are 25 survivors and 12 crew perish. The Mabriton was sailing with Convoy OB 216, which had dispersed.

U-43 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Ambrosius) torpedoes and sinks 5802-ton British freighter Sulairia about 400 miles out in the Atlantic west of Ireland around 13:30. There are 56 survivors and one fatality. The Sulairia was sailing with Convoy OB 217, which had dispersed.

U-29 (Kptlt. Otto Schuhart) torpedoes and damages 6223-ton British freighter/passenger ship Eurymedon (John Faulkner Webster) west of Ireland around 14:00. The ship stays afloat for two days before sinking. There are 66 survivors (42 crew and 22 passengers) and 29 perish (9 passengers and 20 crew). Captain Faulkner, who survives, later receives the Lloyd's War Medal for bravery at sea. The Eurymedon was part of Convoy OB 217, which had dispersed.

Italian 569 ton cargo ship Rina Croce hits a mine and sinks about 6 nautical miles west of Capo di Torre Cavallo (near Brindisi). The HMS Rorqual laid the minefield on 14 June 1940.

British 79 ton naval trawler HMT White Daisy founders in the North Sea near Lerwick.

The Royal Navy seizes Vichy French 1344 ton ocean-going trawler Finland near the Vichy French base at Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Canada. They transfer it to de Gaulle's Free French movement.

The Royal Canadian Navy AMC Prince Robert captures 9170-ton German freighter Weser off Manzanillo, Mexico just before midnight. The Weser is a supply ship for German raider Orion. The Canadians, approaching in the dark, get aboard before the crew can scuttle the freighter. The Canadians put aboard a prize crew who sail it to Esquimalt, where it is renamed Vancouver Island.

The British prepare Operation Lucid, which is designed to use obsolete warships as fire ships against the invasion barges in Channel ports. The operation is set for the 26th. It is a throwback to the use of fireships against the Spanish Armada and during the Napoleonic Wars. Escorted by destroyer forces, the fire ships are old tankers Nizam and Nawab. The tankers are packed with various flammables including heavy fuel oil, gasoline, and diesel oil. The force leaves port today (Sheerness and Portsmouth) - the old fire ships are very slow. En route, the Nizam breaks down less than 10 miles from Boulogne Harbor and the operation is canceled.

Royal Navy submarine Cachalot fires torpedoes and U-138 in the Bay of Biscay but misses. The British submarines like to lie in wait on the typical routes taken by U-boats from their main bases to and from their Atlantic patrol stations.

British minelayers Plover and Willem van der Zaan run aground on the Goodwins but are brought off by a tug. They are prevented from laying their mines.

Convoy FS 290 departs from the Tyne, Convoy FN 291 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 219 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SLS 49 departs from Freetown.

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Gerrman freighter Weser
German freighter Weser is captured on 25 September 1940.
Battle of the Mediterranean: On the desert front, the RAF attacks Tobruk, while the Royal Navy shells Sidi Barrani. The RAF raids Berbera in British Somaliland and the port of Assab in Ethiopia.

A Royal Navy destroyer flotilla operating out of Alexandria bombards an Italian land convoy west of Sidi Barrani, causing extensive damage to the vehicles.

At Malta, there is an air raid around noontime which drops some bombs on the countryside. The Italians lose one Macchi C. 200 Saetta ("Arrow") fighter. The soldiers at Malta already are occupied defusing unexploded bombs at Hal Far and Luqa airfields which have been dropped over the previous two weeks.

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Spitfire Mk. 1 crashed
Leading B Flight of No. 152 Squadron from RAF Warmwell took off just before 11:30 on 25 September 1940 to intercept KG55. 29-year-old S/L Peter K Devitt claims a Ju 88 damaged south of Bristol during the Filton Raid. However, he sustains hits to the fuel tank of his Spitfire Mk I UM-A by return fire. Temporarily blinded, Devitt somehow makes a belly landing at Skew Bridge, Newton St Loe. He is lucky: Spitfire UM-C in his flight crashes at 12:00 near Church Farm, Woolverton, killing Sgt Kenneth C "Ken" Holland (see picture below)
Battle of Britain: Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering continues fine-tuning his aerial assault on England. This time, he cuts back on raids against London and shifts his focus toward British aircraft factories. These are primarily located in the western half of Britain, and Luftlotte 3 (Sperrle) is given primary responsibility. While perhaps justified by changing priorities, these types of changes are demoralizing to Luftwaffe crews who see no lasting results from all their efforts. These changes do, however, catch the RAF off guard now and then, and this happens today, to England's detriment.

The weather is good, but nothing much happens until about noontime. Then, a large raid targets the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton, a favorite target of the Luftwaffe which it has attacked over and over. About 80 bombers of KG 55 cross at Weymouth and bomb the factory and also oil installations at Portland. Fighter Command vectors its fighters to an expected target that turns out to be wrong, and thus the defending fighters get a late start on the Heinkel He 111s escorted by 52 Bf 110s of ZG 26.

The bombers reach their targets without much interference aside from anti-aircraft fire, even if the ride home is hot. RAF Nos. 152, 229, 234 and 238 Squadrons defend and bring down eight bombers, most on the way back to France. Canadian pilot John Urwin-Mann gets two of the planes. The raid causes extensive damage, including to shelters hit by bombs that kill and injure many inside. The Luftwaffe also destroys 8 fighters on the ground, including two Beaufighter night-fighters. There are 132 deaths, 91 of them factory workers, and 315 other casualties. It is a major Luftwaffe victory.

The Germans are fully aware of their success after reconnaissance flights confirm it, and KG 55 Gruppenkommandeur Major Friedrich Kless later is awarded the Ritterkreuz for it. The British are alarmed and shifts RAF No. 504 Squadron from Hendon to Filton to guard against future attacks.

The next big raid is at 16:00, and it targets the Isle of Wight area. Fighter Command does a better job of intercepting this raid, shooting down a bomber at no cost, but the bombers drop their bombs at random and destroy a lot of homes and underground infrastructure.

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Filton Raid
A still from camera gun footage taken from a Supermarine Spitfire Mark I of No. 609 Squadron RAF flown by Pilot Officer R.F.G. Miller. It is an attack on a He 111 of KG 53 or KG 55 taking hits in the port engine (which appears to be out now) from Miller's machine guns. This was during the raid on the Bristol Aeroplane Company's factory at Filton, Bristol on 25 September 1940.
The night-time raids begin around 19:30, and as usual, they focus on London. Later raids from Luftflotte 3 target Liverpool, South Wales, and the Midlands. Several hits on the rail lines around London destroy the railway bridge across Thames Road, Chiswick and the yards at Kensington. Large fires are started in the Wandsworth, Edmonton, Tottenham, Old Kent Road and Hammersmith areas of London. The raids continue all night and only end just before first light at 05:30.

Losses for the day are usually given as 13 for the Luftwaffe and 4 for the RAF. These figures, however, do not include the numerous brand new RAF fighters destroyed on the ground at Filton. Once those are factored in, it is a roughly even day.

The Tubes set an all-time record for people sheltering in them from the Blitz.

Feldwebel Walter Scherer of III,/ZG 26, with 7 victory claims, is shot down and he becomes a POW during the Filton raid.

The Italians are fulfilling Mussolini's promise to participate in the Battle of Britain - even though it is virtually over. They are transferring 2 Gruppos to Melsbroek airbase in Belgium northeast of Brussels. The total projected Italian force:
  • 36 CR 42 Falco ("Falcon") biplane fighters;
  • 36 Fiat G.50 Freccia ("Arrow") fighters;
  • 72 Fiat BR.20 Cicogna ("Stork") bombers;
  • 5 Cant Z 1007 Alcione ("Kingfisher") bombers.
While it is a large number of planes, the Italian models are mid-1930s designs (or earlier) which set records during that decade, but now are deathtraps on the highly competitive Channel front. The bombers are slow, ponderous and poorly armed, while the fighters are completely outclassed by much faster Spitfires and Hurricanes.

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Churchill Clementine London docks
Winston Churchill and wife, Clementine, onboard a naval auxiliary patrol vessel, tour the London docks. 25 September 1940.
European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks Berlin again. It targets Tempelhof Airport, a munitions factory, power stations, and the railway. Other raids are launched on Kiel, warehouses at Osnabruck, Ehrang, Hamm, Mannheim and Hanover, and invasion ports including Flushing and Antwerp. Coastal Command chips in with a raid on Brest, which sets the oil tanks there alight.

Spy Stuff: The US Signals Intelligence Service has been hard at work on breaking the Japanese military codes. Today, it reads the Japanese Purple Code for the first time.

German/Soviet/Japanese Relations: German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop informs the German embassy in Moscow that Japan is joining the German-Italian alliance (Axis). He emphasizes that this is not directed against the Soviet Union - which is absolutely true. Germany has other plans for the USSR. Ribbentrop instructs the Chargé d'affaires to tell Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov about the coming agreement on the 26th and explain that the alliance is directed against "American warmongers."

German/Spanish Relations: Adolf Hitler meets with Spanish Interior Minister - and Franco's brother-in-law - Serrano Suner. It is likely that the topics discussed include arranging a meeting between Hitler and Franco. Hitler's objective is to bring Spain into the war on his side in order to capture the British naval base at Gibraltar, while Franco demands an exorbitant price for his cooperation.

US/Chinese Relations: The US grants a $25 million loan to China that is designed to help stabilize the Chinese currency.

US Military: Heavy cruiser USS Louisville departs from Colon in the Panama Canal Zone on another "Show the Flag" tour. Its first stop will be Recife, Brazil.

The Greenslade Board investigating new US bases acquired from the British in the destroyers-for-bases deal arrives in Norfolk, Virginia.

Norway: Pursuant to decisions taken earlier, the German Reich-Commissar for Norway (Reichskommissar für die besetzten Norwegischen Gebiete), Josef Terboven, dissolves all political parties except for the pro-German Nasjonal Samling. He appoints 13 commissars to govern the country. As the leader of Nasjonal Samling, Vidkun Quisling forms the new collaborationist government. In addition, the King and his former government are formally deposed.

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com RAF pilot Ken Holland
Sgt Kenneth C "Ken" Holland of No 152 Squadron RAF, KIA 25 September 1940. He opened fire on He 111P-1 G1+EP of KG55 at 400yds from astern and slightly to the port side in the morning. He was seen turning for a second burst at 2000ft. His Spitfire Mk I UM-C was hit by the rear gunner still in the stricken bomber. Both aircraft were strewn across the fields of Church Farm, Woolverton when crashing less than 500yds apart at 12:00. The 20-year-old Australian was found to have been shot in the head. See below for another related photo.
French Homefront: The Vichy French begin court-martial trials for the various government officials arrested for alleged misdeeds which led to to the loss of the Battle of France.

French Indochina: The Japanese invasion of French Indochina continues. The Japanese have aircraft carriers off the coast in the Gulf of Tonkin that are launching raids on French bases. The French shore batteries remain under orders to repel any invasion. The French have sent a special envoy to Tokyo to negotiate. The Japanese are primarily interested in northern Indochina in the Haiphong area, not as much in the area further south by Saigon. The Japanese 5th Infantry Division consolidates its hold on Lang Son, site of a key airfield.

New Caledonia: The government of Noumea reaffirms that it is siding with Free France.

American Homefront: Eleanor Roosevelt attends the American Newspaper Guild meeting in New York City (of which she is a member, with voting privileges). At issue is whether to approve a report critical of President Roosevelt as trying to force the United States into the European War. She votes against the report, but it passes 140-85. Afterward, she meets with the Guild's leaders and expresses her disagreement. The incident is an early foray by Mrs. Roosevelt into politics and an indication of the widespread isolationist sentiment in the country.

25 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Luftwaffe pilot Helmut Brandt
The only survivor of He 111P-1 G1+EP when bailing out following hits by Sgt Kenneth C "Ken" Holland (see above ) of No. 152 Squadron RAF near Woolverton on the morning of 25 September 1940 was pilot Hptm Helmut Brandt of KG55. He stated on interrogation that the first burst had already crippled the bomber and that there was no need for Holland to go in for a second attack. Holland failed to heed a basic lesson: take out the rear gunner first, then the engine.
September 1940

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

2020

Friday, September 9, 2016

September 11, 1940: British Confusion at Gibraltar

Wednesday 11 September 1940

11 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com London Blitz
Firefighters battle a gas explosion from the previous night's air raid, Kingsway, London, September 11, 1940.
Battle of Britain: While Prime Minister Winston Churchill is sanguine on 11 September 1940 about prospects of a German invasion, he still thinks they might be stupid enough to try (see below). He sees the coming week as the period of maximum danger - which may be the result of good military intelligence because that is when Hitler will make his final decision one way or the other.

Since 7 September 1940, the Luftwaffe has changed its tactics from staggered morning and afternoon raids against airfields to massive raids against cities beginning in the late afternoon and continuing well past midnight. The RAF issues orders that Hurricanes, which are the true workhorses in Fighter Command, are to attack the bombers, while higher-performance Spitfires take on the escorts flying above.

The weather is good, and the weather is good. While we can always second-guess Luftwaffe tactics, today it has a very good day despite doing actually what all the armchair Generals (like us) say is the wrong thing.

The first major raid comes across at 14:45 from the Calais region, crossing the British coast at Ramsgate. There are two staggered formations, one ahead of the other. After following the Thames toward London, one group heads toward central London and the other toward Brooklands. Due to heavy RAF opposition, only 36 bombers actually bomb London, primarily on the docks, particularly the Surrey Commercial Docks. RAF Nos. 41, 249 and 609 Squadrons intercept bombers over north London and shoot down eight bombers, with 12 others damaged.

Another attack coming up from the south at Cherbourg hits Southampton and Portland. The RAF gets an early crack at this formation over the ocean, but the bombers get through and cause significant damage. There are 28 killed and 70 other casualties at the Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft factory at Eastleigh, and the Eastleigh Naval Air Station is attacked but receives no damage due to fierce RAF opposition.

After that, the remainder of the day is taken up with scattered raids over Kent until the usual massive raids on London after dark. The Luftwaffe fighters amuse themselves with shooting down barrage balloons over Dover while the bombers deliver the most powerful raid on it to date. These hammer the dock areas and central London, including Buckingham Palace.

Losses for the day are roughly even in the mid-20s, with many accounts putting RAF losses slightly higher for a change. While the Luftwaffe bombers suffer heavy losses over London, the British fighters and bombers also incur losses. The RAF loses half a dozen Spitfires and 19 Hurricanes, which is a pretty bad day. Worst of all for the RAF, it loses a dozen pilots killed and another four badly wounded.

While the Luftwaffe has a good day, more troublesome facts about its equipment are becoming apparent. The Bf 109 fighters, the only air superiority fighter in the Luftwaffe, operate at the extreme limits of its range over London. Many fighter pilots find they must choose between combat or returning back to France before their fuel runs out. Landings on French beaches by fighters that have run out of fuel or sustained damage are not uncommon.

Elite Squadron JG 26 has a good day, as Oblt. Joachim Müncheberg of 7./JG 26 gets his 19th victory, a Spitfire over Ashford, and Lt. Gustav Sprick of 8,/JG26 gets his 17th. Gerhard Schöpfel, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 26, shoots down a Blenheim for his twentieth victory. This earns him the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross).

Both Major Werner Mölders of Stab./JG 51 (Spitfire) and Major Adolf Galland of Stab./JG 26 (Hurricane) claim victories. Hans-Joachim Marseille scores his third victory, a Hurricane over the French coast. He receives damage, though, and has to crash-land on the beach at Wissant.

The coastal guns at "Hellfire Corner" open up again, exchanging bombardments that hit Dover and Cap Gris Nez.

11 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Battle of Britain RAF Pilot Alec Lindsay
P/O Alec I Lindsay reports to flying duties with No 72 Squadron RAF at RAF Croydon on 11 September 1940. He has not yet flown any combat missions.
European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command bombs Berlin again, damaging railway installations and the airfield. Other targets are the north German ports (Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Hamburg), warehouses at Hamm, Cologne, Coblenz, Ehrang and Mannheim), a munitions plant in Frankfurt, oil installations at Monheim, and the usual airfields in northwestern Europe.

During the late afternoon, RAF Coastal Command sends a dozen Blenheim bombers to attack the German barges assembling for the invasion in Calais. No. 826 Squadron loses an Albacore and has two others damaged, with one death and several wounded airmen.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-28 (Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke) stalks Convoy OA 210 about 200 miles northwest of Ireland. During the middle of the night, it strikes quickly. He lets loose three torpedoes and hears three explosions - apparently two on the same ship.

At 03:26, U-28 torpedoes and sinks 1234 ton Dutch freighter Maas. There are 20 deaths and two survivors.

At 03:28, U-28 torpedoes and damages British freighter Harpenden. The torpedo strikes kill one crewman, but the Harpenden just makes it back to the Clyde in tow, where it is beached at Kilchattan Bay and can be salvaged.

U-99 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) torpedoes and sinks 2468 ton British iron ore freighter Albionic in the Atlantic southeast of Rockall (northwest of Ireland). All 25 crew on board perish.

The Luftwaffe attacks Royal Navy 209 ton trawler HMT Beathwood while it is at anchor in the North Sea just east of Montrose Coastguard lookout (east coast of Scotland). The planes attack at 22:00 and sink it. It is unclear how many perished aboard it, but local newspapers noted that "Most of the crew were below deck when the plane attacked."

British destroyers HMS Malcolm, Veteran, and Wild Swan, on a more-or-less routine patrol off of Ostend, encounters a German convoy on the radar. The destroyers contact the RAF for assistance, which sends planes to drop flares over the convoy. The destroyers open fire and sink an escort ship, two trawlers towing barges, and a large barge.

Kriegsmarine tug Escaut sinks off the French coast of unknown reasons, perhaps due to hitting a mine.

Kriegsmarine freighter Cordoba hits a mine in the English Channel and is towed to Le Havre. The Cordoba is beached, but is a total loss and, after some preliminary repairs, ultimately scuttled in September 1944 to avoid capture by the Allies.

The Luftwaffe attacks convoy CW 11 and damages destroyer HMS Atherstone in the English Channel off Ramsgate.

In the Luftwaffe attacks on Dover, British motor torpedo boats MTB 29 and 71 are damaged, the latter severely.

In London, the Luftwaffe damages Swedish freighter Torkel and British freighter Norman.

Convoy FN 278 departs from Southend, Convoy MT 166 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 278 departs from the Tyne, Convoy OB 212 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 47 departs from Freetown.

British submarine HMS Porpoise lays minefield FD 26 in the North Sea, while several minelayers operating out of Loch Alsh lays mines in Operation SN 41.

Corvette HMS Asphodel (K 56, Lt. Commander Kenneth W. Stewart) is commissioned.

11 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Amman Jordan parade Arab Revolt King Hussein
Amman celebrates the 24th anniversary of the Arab revolt under King Hussein & Lawrence of Arabia, Sept. 11, 1940 - Date Created/Published: 1940 September 11. - Library of Congress. 
Battle of the Mediterranean: The Italian advance from Libya toward Egypt continues. By most accounts, they have not yet crossed the border. There are air battles overhead as the RAF tries to slow them down.

The Vichy French flotilla (Force Y) heading from Toulon to Dakar (unknown to the British) is spotted at 05:15 in the Mediterranean 50 miles from the Straits of Gibraltar by destroyer HMS Hotspur. British battleship HMS Renown asks their destination, and in a friendly exchange, the French captain simply says they are southbound. The British tell the French to go no further south than Casablanca, Morocco.

It radios for instructions, but nobody is told to intercept the ships. The three cruisers and accompanying smaller ships speed through the Straits at high speed (25 knots), passing within sight of the British at 08:35. Long after the ships are out in the Atlantic, at 16:00, the Admiralty finally orders the battleship HMS Renown to pursue Force Y to make sure it goes no further south than Casablanca. Their presence at Dakar would cause problems for upcoming Operation Menace, the British attack on Dakar. The French ships put into Casablanca for the night by design, thereby avoiding a major confrontation with former ally Great Britain.

The fact that the British let the powerful flotilla pass through the straits without incident amazes both the French and British governments since the cruisers are easy targets without air cover and with minimal escorts. They easily could have been attacked by air, sea and land bombardment. Gibraltar commander Admiral Sir Dudley North is relieved of his command. Ultimately North is exonerated since the true blame lies with Whitehall. However, the smell of this incident lingers due to subsequent events, and North's career essentially is over.

The entire affair is confused. Ships on "opposing sides" sight each other and don't know whether to attack or wave hello. Whitehall also appears confused and conflicted - which actually may be appropriate under the circumstances, and certainly is understandable. Nobody really knows where the Vichy France/British relationship is headed, but it doesn't look good.

In Malta, it is a quiet day. Governor Lt. General Dobbie sends a request for more anti-aircraft guns in addition to the 60 already "on order," making a total request of 92 in all. He also requests searchlights and sound locators. A patrolling Skua reports spotting two Italian destroyers at Augusta, another destroyer outside Messina, and other small craft in Syracuse harbor.

11 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com King Queen England Buckingham Palace
The King and Queen of Great Britain inspect the damage to Buckingham Palace, 11 September 1940.
Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Italians bomb Convoy BS 4 in the Red Sea, without success.

Japanese/Vichy French Relations: The Vichy French, upset at the infiltration of French Indochina by Japanese troops in China, have been slow-walking further negotiations with the Japanese. Today, Japanese Army Major General Issaku Nishihara complains to the government in Tokyo about the impasse.

German/Norwegian Relations: Adolf Hitler meets with Vidkun Quisling and Reichskommissar for Norway Josef Terboven. With all political parties in Norway outlawed except for Quisling's pro-German party, Quisling has become a key player in maintaining peace in the country.

US/Japanese Relations: Okuda Ojiro becomes acting Japanese consul general in Hawaii. Part of his mission is to spy on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.

11 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Cowra Australia
"Cowra, NSW. 11 September 1940. Bren Gun Carriers of the 2/1st Australian Medium Regiment moving down the main street of Cowra during a parade. The street is lined with cars and people, some of whom are standing on the backs of trucks in order to get a better view. (Donor K. Warner)."
US Military: The US Navy continues its crash shipbuilding program, financed by the exorbitant fiscal year 1941 (the US fiscal year begins in September) appropriations that have just been approved. It orders six new Cleveland-class light cruisers, to be built by the William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

German Military: The Germans make their first expansion of the Schutzstaffel (SS) outside of the Reich: they form the Nederlandsche SS (Dutch SS).

Generalfeldmarshall Fedor von Bock begins taking his Army Group B headquarters east in preparation for Operation Barbarossa.

British Homefront: Winston Churchill addresses the nation in a radio broadcast. Soaring into his usual rhetorical heights, he says:
If this invasion is going to be tried at all, it does not seem that it can be long delayed. The weather may break at any time. Besides this, it is difficult for the enemy to keep these gatherings of ships waiting about indefinitely while they are bombed every night by our bombers and very often shelled by our warships which are waiting for them outside.
Therefore, we must regard the next week or so as a very important week for us in our history. It ranks with the days when the Spanish Armada was approaching the Channel and Drake was finishing his game of bowls, or when Nelson stood between us and Napoleon's Grand Army at Boulogne. We have read about all this in the history books, but what is happening now is on a far greater scale and of far more consequence to the life and future of the world and its civilization than those brave old days of the past. Every man and woman will therefore prepare himself and herself to do his duty whatever it may be, with special pride and care.
The Lord Mayor of London starts an Air Raid Relief Fund. It quickly receives massive support.

Future History: Brian De Palma is born in Newark, New Jersey. He begins filming documentaries in the 1960s which make money and receive good notices (such as "The Responsive Eye" exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in 1965). He turns to features and casts young actor Robert De Niro in "Greetings" (1968) and "Hi, Mom!" (1970). In the 1970s, he moves to Hollywood and has a major breakthrough with the film "Carrie," starring John Travolta and Sissy Spacek. De Palma also wins acclaim as a screenwriter. He goes on to become one of the top directors in Hollywood. Brian De Palma remains active in Hollywood today.

11 September 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com US Naval Air Station Lee Field Green Cove Springs Florida
On September 11, 1940, the U.S. Navy opens Naval Air Station Lee Field at Green Cove Springs, Florida. It was named after Ensign Benjamin Lee, a Great War soldier. It is used to train pilots for aircraft carrier landing operations and later is renamed Naval Air Station Green Cove Springs. It was used to store the "Mothball Fleet" after the war.


September 1940

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

2020