Wednesday 6 November 1940

Hurricane Mk Is of No 245 Squadron, based at Aldergrove, November 1940

Italian/Greek Campaign: In the coastal sector on 6 November 1940, the attacks against the Kalpaki front continue. The Italians continue trying to re-take the Grabala heights, without success. Nearby, Italian troops take Igoumenitsa on the coast, where the natural barriers are less formidable.

The Italian Julia Division continues being slaughtered in the Pindus sector. The Greek troops of the 2nd Army Corps continue pressing in on them. All attempts at the relief of the Italian troops in the Vovousa Valley fail.

The RAF raids Italian airfields in Albania.

The British government gives the Greek government £5,000,000.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe raids Southampton during the day, causing casualties and property damage. They hit two churches, one of which has 600 people sheltering in the crypt, but there are no casualties. This is estimated to be the 175th raid against Southampton. During the night, the Luftwaffe sends 190 bombers to London and surrounding areas.

During the day, RAF Bomber Command attacks a convoy off Den Helder and oil installations at Salzbergen, Cuxhaven, and the airfield at Haamstede, Zeeland. After dark, the bombers attack Spandau, Berlin and nearby locations.

Major Helmut Wick, commander of JG 2 "Richthofen," shoots down a Hurricane flown by Hubert Adair. The plane comes down at Pigeon House Farm, Widely, Hampshire. The plane is excavated on 6 October 1979 and the pilot's remains removed. His loss is listed on the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede, Surrey.

There are dogfights over the Isle of Wight, one of which leads to the death of Ofw. Heinrich Klopp of 5./JG 2.

Overall during the day, the Luftwaffe loses about 6 planes and the RAF loses four.

Battle of the Atlantic: During the night, the Germans send seven E-boats on a sweep of the east coast of Scotland during the night. The area is heavily mined, however, and T6 hits one and sinks. The other torpedo boats then return to their base.

Italian submarine Comandante Faà di Bruno attacks Convoy HX 84. It makes a surface attack, using its deck gun, on freighter Melrose Abbey. However, its attack is unsuccessful, and the submarine, in turn, is attacked by Royal Navy destroyers HMCS Ottawa and HMS Harvester. The Faà di Bruno is sunk southwest of Ireland and all 57 aboard perish. It is an unusual situation, not just because of the brazen surface attack in the face of escorts, but because the zone of operations for Italian submarines lies much further to the south.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Sturgeon torpedoes and sinks 1294 ton Norwegian freighter Delfinus in the North Sea west of Varhaug, Jæren. Everybody survives. The Sturgeon fires two torpedoes, one of which hits the Delfinus and the other which misses and hits the beach.

In a "friendly fire" incident, Royal Navy destroyer HMS Encounter misidentifies and rams submarine HMS Utmost off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal. The submarine makes it back to port.

The Luftwaffe has a good day against shipping.

A Heinkel He 115 seaplane (KG 706) attacks Convoy WN 31 in the North Sea off Noss Head, Caithness. It bombs and sinks 6418-ton British freighter Clan Mackinlay. Five crew perish.

In the same attack, 5415-ton British freighter Harborough also is hit. Tugs take it back to port.

A Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor (1,/KG 40) bombs and sinks 7206-ton British freighter Nalon west of Ireland. Everyone survives.

Royal Navy 253 ton whaler HMS Sevra (T/S.Lt. Francis Brooks Richards, RNVR) hits a mine and sinks off Falmouth, Cornwall in the English Channel.

Royal Navy 63 ton trawler (drifter) HMT Girl Helen hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea off Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. There are two deaths of men serving with the Royal Naval Patrol Service.

Swedish 52 ton fishing ship Elly hits an air mine and sinks in the Skagerrak about 37 km west of the Pater Noster Lighthouse. There are five deaths. It is the third Swedish fishing vessel lost to mines in the area in the past month.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Elgin hits a mine and is damaged. Fellow minesweeper Gossamer tows it to Harwich.

British minesweepers HMS Teviotbank and Plover, along with destroyers HMS Icarus and Impulsive, lay minefield BS 45.

Convoy FN 328 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 329 departs from Methil, Convoy BS 7 departs from Port Sudan.

Tanker San Demetrio arrives in port. This tanker was shelled by the German cruiser Admiral Scheer on 5 November 1940. The crew abandoned ship, but then saw the tanker intact on the 6th. They reboarded it on the morning of the 7th and got it running again, making it to port under its own power. The crew was awarded salvage rights. In the picture of it above, you can see the "SOS" signs the crew has put on the sides.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British under General Slim, accompanied by Sudanese and 10th Indian Brigade troops, counterattack the Italian troops at Gallabat and Metemma. Gallabat falls. The frontier post of Gallabat on the border of Sudan/Abyssinia has changed hands a couple of times, most recently in July.

Operation Coat gets underway. It is a fleet operation out of Gibraltar and part of overall Operation MB8. It is an attempt to ferry Hurricane fighters to Malta. This is the second such operation to ferry fighters (the first was Operation Hurry in August 1940). HMS Argus carries the 12 Hurricanes. The entire operation will continue over the next ten days.

At Malta, there are rumors that the BBC has broadcast that the recent air attacks on Naples have come from Malta. The bombers' base is supposed to be a secret as if the Italians believe that Malta is an offensive threat, that would make them more likely to invade it. This also is a particularly bad time to antagonize the Italians because of the extensive Royal Navy fleet operations in motion, including convoys to Malta.

Battle of the Pacific: German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin lays another 40 mines off southern Australia, this time in the Spencer Strait near Melbourne. It is now finished with its minelaying activities and departs for a rendezvous with converted minelayer Passat.

German Military: Colonel Adolf Heusinger, chief of the operations department at the army high command (OKH), submits his first draft of the proposed invasion of Greece from Bulgaria. General Franz Halder, OKH Chief of Staff, reviews it - the plan is based on his general instructions - and decides to beef up the motorized troops involved. He adds the 60 Motorized Division and the SS Adolf Hitler Division to the 40th corps which forms the backbone of the invasion. This effectively doubles its strength. He also adds 30th corps, which has to be taken from Army Group B in Poland, giving that corps the 5th and 6th mountain divisions.

In effect, Halder doubles the size of the forces involved. Taking some of these top units from forces based in Poland that otherwise would be available later for Operation Barbarossa leads some historians to reach the conclusion that this operation - which eventually becomes Operation Marita - dilutes the forces for that more important invasion.

By Illingworth, 'The Daily Mail', November 6, 1940, At Stake: "The sovereignty of the Mediterranean."

Gabon: The Free French remain on the move. They take Lambarene.

South Africa: Former Prime Minister General J.B.M. Hertzog, who some have accused of having Hitlerite sympathies, resigns as leader of the Nationalist Party. The reason is Hertzog's loss of support by his coalition partners due to his platform of equal rights between British South Africans and Afrikaners.

Chile: The country makes a claim to some territory in the Antarctic region.

Today's papers are full of the election results.

German Homefront: The first Canadian prisoners arrive at the new Oflag IV-C POW camp at Colditz Castle.

British Homefront: The government takes another step toward regularizing the Home Guard by authorizing the commissioning of Home Guard officers. The British Under-Secretary for War promises to provide the Home Guard troops with better equipment.

American Homefront: Professor F. Bert Farquharson at the University of Washington, who recently has completed a study of the "Galloping Gertie" Tacoma Narrows Bridge, meets with Bridge engineer Clark Eldridge and PWA engineer L. R. Durkee. Farquharson tells them that they will have to modify the brand-new bridge in order to make it more streamlined to eliminate or at least dampen a "twisting motion" which his scale models had shown were caused by high winds. The engineers agree and tell their superiors that they need to contract with suppliers to install wind deflectors on the south side of the bridge. State authorities being drafting the contracts.

Fats Waller and His Rhythm records "Tain't Nobody's Biz-Nezz If I Do."

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

Tuesday 10 September 1940

The remains of a double-decker city bus in the City of London. September 10, 1940.

Overview: There is no question that Germany has the initiative on 10 September 1940. It has a free hand with Great Britain - Germany can attack it directly, or it can attack the Empire indirectly through its overseas possessions and military infrastructure. Since Italy now is taking on the latter task with its developing attack on Egypt from Libya, that presumably frees the Wehrmacht to make a maximum effort against England directly and finish it off once and for all.

However, the German high command is full of hopes and dreams, scattered objectives that have no coherent relationship to one another. Their own estimation of German power is sky-high - though only for land-based forces - and this leads to a situation akin to a child with too many toys with which to play. The plethora of choices induce a numbing effect which prevents success with any of the choices.

Recent successes in the field justify German confidence to a point: Germany has spent 20 years trying to defeat France, and now it is done. The army (Heer) always has been the heart of German military strength. However, Germany has gone from a standing start to its current military posture in just seven years due to the extreme restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles (and really less time than that, since Hitler only gradually ramped up his military effort over the several years after he took power in 1933). Thus, Germany is powerful, but its power is only relative to the countries it has defeated, which all to one extent or another have been easy prey due to the surprise of the German onslaught. There are other world powers remaining that far, far outclass Germany in military potential. In sports terms, the Wehrmacht has a strong starting team composed of recent acquisitions, but its bench is not deep. This fact, however, eludes the German elite, blinded by quick, cheap successes with its elite units.

The British also have wild-card advantages that will take time to play out, but eventually can trump any effort by Germany. For starters, the Americans are fast becoming de facto if not de jure allies. The United States military potential dwarfs anything that Germany ever can achieve. The Germans do not recognize any time pressure aside from the seasons, but time is their greatest enemy: the more threatening their posture toward US ally Great Britain, the sooner actual US intervention which would make a German victory over England impossible.

If Germany is to defeat Great Britain, it must do so quickly, taking advantage of the lingering effects of the surprise factor that led to its victories to date. In other words, it must attack before the US and Great Britain work through their diplomatic issues to pose a united - and unbeatable - front. Another factor in the balance is Vichy France, which is quite unstable in its political alliance with Germany and could at any time cause huge distractions for the Wehrmacht. A third factor is Italy, which is led by a regime whose rhetoric is not matched by military ability. Internal problems there also would greatly decrease Axis pressure on Great Britain's enormously important positions in the Mediterranean. The German position is powerful, but it is in large part built on an eroding edifice, not an expanding one as the German hierarchy sees it.

Thus, since it is still at war with powerful Great War enemy Great Britain, having it on the ropes should lead German leadership to the logical conclusion that the Wehrmacht's first priority is to finish the English off before taking on any new exertions, and do it now. That unquestionably should be the top military priority. An objective analysis suggests that this is achievable as of 10 September 1940 given proper focus and effort: Germany can defeat Great Britain, although it may take horrendous losses. However, from this point forward, there is a huge difference between an objectively wise military strategy and what Germany actually does.

Winston Churchill inspecting bomb crater in London, 10 September 1940 (Bridgeman Art Library).

German Military: Adolf Hitler previously has set 10 September 1940 as his date for deciding whether or not to approve Operation Sealion, the invasion of England. Now that the day has arrived, he postpones his decision until the 14th. Since Hitler has promised his service chiefs 10 days from his approval to the actual invasion date, that moves the earliest possible start date for Operation Sealion from 20 September to 24 September, with actual landings on the 25th.

Hitler's main requirement for approving Operation Sealion is that air superiority is achieved over England. The Luftwaffe came extremely close to achieving that by 6 September. However, the decision taken in early September to switch attacks from RAF infrastructure to major population centers, implemented as of 7 September, has degraded the Luftwaffe's burgeoning air superiority. By now, the Luftwaffe has had enough time to complete its mission against Great Britain according to the original timetable, but the RAF remains intact. The seasons are about to change, requiring a quick final decision on Operation Sealion.

Meanwhile, the Wehrmacht is busy increasing the number of panzer divisions. Hitler, obsessed with the Soviet Union, orders a doubling of the ten existing panzer divisions before the invasion of the USSR. The Wehrmacht does this in different ways: usually by taking units from existing divisions and building around them; and sometimes by converting infantry divisions into panzer divisions. For instance, around this time the 15th Panzer Regiment is taken from the 5th Panzer Division and forms the core of the new 11th Panzer Division, based in Poland; and the 2nd Infantry Division is reorganized completely and becomes the 12th Panzer Division, based at Stettin.

This process radically changes the Panzerwaffe. Whereas panzer divisions previously have had one tank regiment, one separate tank battalion, and one or two infantry regiments, the new structure of the typical panzer division (there are variations) is changed so that each now has one tank regiment and two motorized regiments. These changes are not all bad: in some ways, they make the panzer divisions more mobile and efficient. However, they show that the Wehrmacht is preparing, not for an invasion of England - there are plenty of panzers to cover that already - but for events in the East.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering appears at times to be the only member of the High Command actually interested in defeating Great Britain. Admiral Raeder, stating the obvious, writes that "There is no sign of the defeat of the enemy's Air Force over southern England or the Channel areas." Of course, Raeder has no faith in the Kriegsmarine's ability to support an invasion and would be happy to blame Goering's Luftwaffe for cancellation of Operation Sealion rather than attempt an invasion and have his entire fleet sunk out from under him.

Goering continues fine-tuning Luftwaffe operations on an almost daily basis. Today, he authorizes Pirateneinsatze, or Pirate Attacks, which involve solo or small-scale attacks by specially trained bomber crews in iffy weather conditions against British aircraft factories. Elite formations Epr.Gr 210 and ZG 26 are assigned this task and placed under the control of Sperrle at Luftflotte 3. However, Goering's ruinous (for the German side) attacks on London continue.

Winston Churchill inspecting bomb damage in Battersea, South London, 10 September 1940.

British Military: Faced with scores of ships lying half-sunk at London ports, the Admiralty bans all ocean-going vessels from London ports for the remainder of the year.

Italian Military: The Italian Commando Supremo begins transferring the Greek Expeditionary Corps (40,310 men, with 7728 horses, 701 vehicles, and 33,535 tons of material) from Brindisi to Albania. This is in preparation for an upcoming invasion of Greece, which Mussolini is keeping secret not only from the Allies but from his military partner Hitler.

Battle of Britain: It is around this time that Fleet Street newspaper writers - who came up with the term "Blitzkrieg" - shorten it to "Blitz" to describe the bombing campaign against London.

The day is rainy and overcast over much of northwestern Europe. It gives the RAF another day to recover, and the Luftwaffe only makes a few isolated penetrations during the day. Reconnaissance Dornier Do 215s operate sporadically, and there is an incident today where one fights with a Spitfire and both go down (the Spitfire to a forced landing).

After dark, the bombing raids resume. Aside from London, where 150 bombers drop bombs, the attacks focus on the western half of Great Britain, from Liverpool south to Wales and over to Bristol. Within London, the bombers damage the docks, the City of London (East Maternity Hospital burns), and Brentwood (hit by 1000 incendiaries), among other areas. Despite the rain, huge fires break out across the city.

Nurses salvage equipment from their hospital, September 1940.

A delayed-action bomb explodes in the northwest wing of Buckingham Palace, seriously damaging it. King George reveals later that his view at the time is that this is of tremendous benefit to the war effort because it shows shared sacrifice between the uppermost and lowest classes of society.

The Corpo Aereo Italiano (CAI), the Italian contribution to the Battle of Britain, forms in Belgium under the command of Generale sa (Air Marshal) Rino Corso-Fougier. The force includes both bombers and fighters, along with a large transport force of a dozen Caproni 133Ts, one Savoia-Marchetti S.75, and nine Ca164s. In all, the Italians have 200 aircraft ready to enter combat. The planes are largely obsolete and are limited to daylight operations due to limited crew training. The Luftwaffe establishes close liaison with the CAI, but it operates independently. The entire force is under the command of 1a Squadra Aerea di Milano.

It is fair to say that many recognize from the start that the Italian equipment is not up to the standards of the Channel Front, and the Luftwaffe really doesn't need the help. The planes would do much more good in the Mediterranean, particularly supporting Italian operations in North Africa. However, Mussolini wants to appear as an equal partner to Germany so that Italy will get a larger share of the (inevitable) war spoils.

The Manchester Guardian, 10 September 1940.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids Berlin again. Hits are made on the Reichstag (still gutted and unusable since the 1933 fire which burnt it out) and Potsdamer Railway Station. Bomber Command makes other raids on barge concentrations all along the Channel coast, from France to Holland, against the German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, Brussels, rail installations in Duisberg, and north German ports Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. The major Luftwaffe field at Eindhoven receives a visit from Blenheims which destroys 8 Heinkel He 111s and damages three more.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks the 4332-ton Norwegian freighter Eli about 12 miles (22km) off the Skerryvore Lighthouse in western Scotland. There are 28 survivors and 2 crew perish.

British submarine HMS Sturgeon spots U-43 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Ambrosius) transiting from its port in Bergen, Norway and fires torpedoes at it, but misses. British submarines have taken to lying in wait outside the harbor, knowing that U-boats transit the area on their way to and from their stations in the Atlantic.

German battleship Bismarck gets more target practice, firing off half a dozen 3.7cm anti-aircraft shells without hitting anything.

In the Channel, three British destroyers (HMS Malcolm, Wild Swan, and Veteran) depart Harwich for a patrol off Ostend, where there are reports of an enemy convoy. It is a fairly typical offensive sweep, and if the reports are true, there could be some action during the night.

A major British troop convoy, AP 3, departs from Liverpool. It consists of 8 transport ships (converted liners) carrying 6050 troops to the Middle East, along with two freighters. There is a large escort consisting of half a dozen destroyers. The first stop is Freetown. This is the last part of Operation Apology, reinforcement of the Middle East/Asian Command.

Convoy MT 165 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 277 departs from the Tyne, Convoy OB 211 departs from Liverpool, Convoys SC 4 and SHX 72 depart from Sydney, Canada, Convoy BN 5 departs from Bombay.

U-105 (Kapitänleutnant Georg Schewe) is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Italian 10th Army continues assembling and slowly slogging toward the Egyptian frontier, which it has not yet reached (accounts vary on when it actually crosses the frontier, and it really doesn't matter in the endless deserts anyway). The main striking force, the Maletti Group composed of the Italian armor, has great difficulty with the desert conditions, suffering numerous equipment breakdowns and getting lost in the desert. The Italian armor retreats, and the British sow mines in their path and do whatever else they can to harass them.

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Matruh and Khartoum, while the RAF attacks the Italian bases and harbors in eastern Libya where the Italian invasion force is massing. The RAF also attacks Massawa, Asmara, and Dessie.

The Vichy French flotilla which left Toulon on 9 September continues its journey to Dakar, which requires passage through the Straits of Gibraltar. The French finally inform the British Naval Attaché in Madrid that the ships are going to pass by Gibraltar, but still the British do nothing. During the night, the flotilla approaches Gibraltar, but the British do not know where they are yet. The presence of the three Vichy French cruisers in the Atlantic is not actually prohibited by any previous communications between London and Vichy - the two countries are not officially at war, and England previously has said that the French could keep their warships in the Caribbean since that would keep them out of the hands of the Germans - but it would seriously complicate the upcoming British Operation Menace if they head south to Dakar.

At Malta, a French crew takes General de Gaulle's representative Commandant Robert back to Tunisia. The day's poor weather extends all the way south to the Mediterranean, so the airmen barely make it back (and cause an air raid alert when they do). Otherwise, the foul weather prevents any attacks.

Damage to royal property, 10 September 1940.

Battle of the Pacific: Having completed an epic transit across the north of Russia with the help of Soviet icebreakers, German raider Komet is operational in the Pacific.

Spy Stuff: Danish citizen Wulf Schmidt parachutes into Oxon, England as a spy for the Abwehr. He is known to the Germans as Agent Leonhard. The German spy who had parachuted in a few days previously and been caught, Gösta Caroli, turned him in, and Schmidt is captured immediately. Schmidt quickly agrees to become a double agent (known to the British as Agent Tate) for MI5 under Operation Double Cross.

German/Hungarian Relations: Hitler meets with the Hungarian ambassador.

US Military: The cruiser USS Wichita departs Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for its last stop on its "Show the Flag" mission to Latin America.

The Greenslade Board, reviewing the new British bases in the Atlantic, makes port at Norfolk.

China: The Chinese Communists, operating independently of Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist regime, launches its "Hundred Regiments Offensive." This is a guerilla operation against infrastructure in Japanese-occupied Hebei and Shansi provinces.

The King and Queen pose in front of damage to Buckingham Palace, 10 September 1940.

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

Monday 2 September 1940

Time-exposure shot at Fleet Street of searchlights. 2 September 1940.

Battle of Britain: The Battle of Britain indisputably is reaching its climax on 2 September 1940. The Luftwaffe has found its groove, and it is driving the RAF into the ground with effective, relentless attacks. With the seasons moving along, this provides at least the possibility that Hitler will approve Operation Sea Lion for later in the month. However, it is not just a question of airpower, the state of the Kriegsmarine versus the Royal Navy also is a huge part of the equation (as shown by today's sinking of a German troopship by a Royal Navy submarine with the loss of 1,000 lives). Hitler is still considering his options, and nobody knows what he will decide, but the decision must be made soon.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering meets with the fighter commanders in France, including Major Adolf Galland of JG 26 and Major Werner Mölders of JG 51. When Goering asks Galland what he needs, Galland makes the famous response:

Ich bitte um die Ausrüstung meines Geschwaders mit Spitfire. (I should like an outfit of Spitfires for my squadron).

Goering recognizes the implied insult, but he has just enough of a sense of humor to let it pass and get even later in a clever way. When the Luftwaffe captures an intact Spitfire due to a disoriented RAF pilot landing by mistake in France, Goering has it sent to JG 26:

He wanted Spitfires – Hah! Here is his first, let us see what Galland can do with it!

Flying a Spitfire for the Luftwaffe at this point would be tantamount to suicide. Galland, for his part, has the Spitfire given Luftwaffe markings and sends a thank you note to Goering. It is unclear, though, if Galland ever actually used it in combat. More importantly, Galland and Goering now have established a relationship, each taking the measure of the other. Goering - a former fighter pilot himself - shows in later interactions with Galland that he actually likes this kind of swaggering machismo.

The Luftwaffe gets an early start again today. The first major operation is at around 08:00 over Dover. One arm of the force heads for RAF airfields at Eastchurch, North Weald, Rochford, and Biggin Hill - the usual targets. The other arm of the raid heads toward RAF Hawkinge. The RAF has slightly changed its tactics and is focusing more on protecting the airfields than looking for bombers to attack. Fighter Command disperses many of the attacks, but the Short Brothers aircraft works at Rochester is hit, and a Wellington factory on the grounds of the former racetrack at Weybridge takes damage. RAF Gravesend is hit with 11 high explosive bombs that sever all utilities.

The next formation crosses the Kent coastline around noontime, and it is a big one, well over 200 planes. The Luftwaffe fighter escorts successfully occupy the RAF fighters, and the bombers get through. They attack RAF airfields at Biggin Hill, Hornchurch, Croydon, North Weald, Debden, Detling, Eastchurch, and Hawkinge, with Debden taking the most damage. As with Biggin Hill in recent days, the operations center has to be moved outside under the sky when the building housing it is destroyed. There are other bombs dropped at random which destroy numerous civilian residences.

A third major raid develops at around 16:00, again crossing at Kent. Hornchurch airfield takes damage from Dornier Do 17s, Detling loses a hangar, and there is random damage at Eastchurch.

An hour later, yet another formation crosses near Calais. This leads to a massive dogfight over the Thames estuary, but the bombers get through and hit RAF Eastchurch and Detling again. Detling takes the worst of it, receiving 100 bombs and putting the station out of operation for the rest of the day. The attack on Detling has a lucky strike when a bomb dump explodes, causing a tremendous explosion. This puts Eastchurch out of operation, and the Germans notice.

RAF Hornchurch also takes damage. RAF No. 603 Squadron, defending the airfield, disrupts the attack on this vital airfield and causes many of the bombers to turn back.

Yet another raid develops about an hour later around Dungeness at 18:00, but it turns out to be either reconnaissance or a feint, and they head back to France without bombing anything in particular.

The German attacks continue into the night. The Luftwaffe conducts mine-laying operations in the Thames estuary, and attacks are made on Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Manchester, and Sheffield. While many bombers pass over London, they do not bomb it. The attacks are scattered far and wide over the length and breadth of England. An attack on freighters off of Kinnairds Head, Scotland around 22:30 leaves two of them damaged.

RAF Bomber Command bombs oil plants at Flushing and Ludwigshafen, Ostend Harbour, munitions plants at Leverkusen and Cologne, the Bosch auto parts plant at Stuttgart, the Dortmund Ems canal, U-boat installations at Lorient, military targets in Genoa, and the German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez. The British drop incendiaries on the Black Forest in an unsuccessful attempt to start forest fires.

The day is terrible for the RAF, one of the worst of the entire battle. Estimates place the losses for both sides in the 30s, with slightly more Luftwaffe losses. The Bf 110s again take a beating, with elite formation Epr.Gr. 210 losing eight planes. The RAF, though, loses a number of very scarce experienced pilots.

Luftwaffe pilot Hans-Joachim Marseille gets his second kill over Kent, England, but then runs out of fuel and barely makes it back to crash-land on a beach near Calais. Czech pilot Josef Frantisek gets his first victory while serving in the RAF.

A Bf 109 of III,/JG54 piloted by Oblt. Ekkehard Schelcher is shot down over England. His body is found in 1979 and helps lead to the passage of the Protection of Military Remains Act of 1986. Schelcher is buried in the German war cemetery at Cannock Chase.

RAF Nos. 25 and 29 Squadrons receive deliveries of the new Beaufighter fighters.

The cockpit of a Dornier Do-17 Z-7 of 2/NJG, operating as a night fighter, 2 September 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: British submarine HMS Sturgeon scores a huge success with possible widespread ramifications. The submarine is patrolling as dusk settles when it spots 3624 ton Kriegsmarine troopship Pionier, complete with torpedo boat escorts, northeast of Skagen, Denmark. The ship appears to be a standard transfer of troops between Norway and Denmark. Sturgeon pumps three torpedoes into the troopship and it goes down quickly, assisted by exploding ammunition. There are roughly 1,000 deaths. This sinking comes at a propitious time, as Hitler is in the latter stages of deciding whether to risk his troops on troopships heading to England. The sinking becomes a central story in the later history of the Battle of Britain, "Their Finest Hour."

The Kriegsmarine's troubles do not end there. Submarine chaser UJ-121 "Jochen" hits a mine and sinks as she approaches Ostend Harbour, West Flanders, Belgium. There are 13 deaths. The sunken ship blocks the Channel used by the 2nd S-Flotilla and has to be cleared.

German raider Widder uses its deck guns and a torpedo to sink 6317-ton British tanker Cymbeline hundreds of miles west of the Canary Islands. The Widder takes 26 of the crew prisoner, but the Captain, First Officer, and Third Engineer escape in a lifeboat to be picked up two weeks later by another passing tanker. There are seven deaths. One of the crew, a 14-year-old deck-boy, later joins the Waffen SS unit "British Free Corps."

U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass) torpedoes and sinks 4261-ton British collier Thornlea around 22:00 about 200 miles northwest of Ireland. There are 34 survivors, 3 crew perish.

U-47 (K.Kapt. Günther Prien) is on its seventh patrol in the North Atlantic south of Iceland when it spots 7,463-ton Belgian passenger ship (either no passengers or very few, carrying food as cargo) Ville de Mons. Prien fires three torpedoes and one hits, sinking the Ville de Mons at 17:01. All 54 onboard survive.

Canadian 987 ton sailing vessel Legatus runs aground off Parrsboro Road, Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy and is lost. Everybody survives.

In the Bay of Biscay, the Germans scuttle Norwegian freighter Tropic Sea to avoid capture by the British submarine HMS Truant. The Tropic Sea was captured by the German raider Orion in the Pacific.

British submarine Tigris spots U-58 off the coast of France but its torpedoes miss. The British know that the U-boats are operating out of the French ports and target them while they are transiting from there to the Atlantic.

Convoys OA 208 and MT 158 depart from Methil, Convoy FS 270 departs from the Tyne, Convoy SC 3 departs from St. Johns, Nova Scotia.

HMS Valiant enters Grand Harbour, Malta on 2 September 1940 (NWMA).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Hats, the involved serious of operations to re-supply Malta, is at its climax. Three supply ships (Cornwall, Volo, and HMS Valiant) of Convoy MF 2 make port at Grand Harbour, Malta and are quickly unloaded in case of air attack, with the men of the volunteer infantry brigades helping. The supplies include anti-aircraft guns, personnel and related supplies, and more general supplies such as food and fuel. After taking 4 hours to unload, the three cargo ships leave the harbor and rejoin the fleet, which has been waiting offshore to the south.

Force H launches a second air attack on Caligari as a diversion early in the morning, but poor weather aborts the strike.

Force F (led by battleship HMS Valiant and carrier HMS Illustrious) heads southeast to make contact with the Mediterranean Fleet heading west from Alexandria. Together, they plan to make strikes on targets in the Aegean. This concludes the bulk of Operation Hats.

Italian battleships Vittorio Veneto, Caio Duilio and Giulio Cesare at sea during British Operation Hats. They did not give battle and returned to port.

Italian aircraft shadow the proceedings throughout the morning, and in the afternoon attack the fleet south of Malta. HMS Illustrious launches its defending fighters, and they shoot down one SM 79 bomber and chase the others away. There are other attacks during the afternoon, but no ships are hit.

At Malta, there is a raid around noontime, but the bombers drop their bombs in the sea. The Hurricanes on the island scramble a few times to assist the fleet during its air attacks but make no contact.

The RAF bombs Assab, Eritrea.

Ellensburg, Washington Rodeo parade, 2 September 1940.

Anglo/American Relations: U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull and British Ambassador Lord Lothian conclude their agreement to exchange 50 old US destroyers to the UK in exchange for 99-year leases on British bases. These are in the Bahamas, Antigua, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Jamaica, and British Guiana. The bases at Newfoundland and Bermuda are permanent transfers.

German/Romanian Relations: Hitler sends a military mission to Romania.

German/Spanish/Portuguese Relations: Hitler meets with the Spanish and Portuguese ambassadors.

German/Iranian Relations: Hitler meets with the Iranian ambassador.

Free France: The French Settlements in Oceania (Polynesia), led by Tahiti, announces support for Free France.

British Homefront: The government cuts the butter ration from 6oz. to 4oz. This does not affect margarine.

American Homefront: It is the Labor Day holiday in the States. Workers have the day off, and there are public celebrations and events. President Roosevelt presides at a ceremony dedicating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Byron Nelson wins the PGA Championship. This completes his "Career Grand Slam."

Future History: Hans-Joachim Marseille's Bf-109 E-1 was recovered from the beach by the Luftwaffe and later flew operations in the Soviet Union. It was abandoned there, found in the 1990s, restored to flying condition, and occasionally goes up for sale (a few years ago for $4.5 million). It is the only flying example of this version of the plane, powered by a Daimler Benz DB601 engine. It currently is in private hands in Europe.

Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on 2 September 1940.

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

Monday 20 November 1939

A Heinkel He 115, used to drop magnetic mines.

Western Front: Adolf Hitler issues another order for Fall Gelb on 20 November 1939, Directive No. 8, "Further Preparations for Attack in the West." The important thing is that it does not specify an attack date anytime soon. It details the occupation of Holland and Belgium. Otherwise, the Front is quiet.

Battle of the Atlantic: The London agents of the Royal Netherlands Steamship Co. report that the number of fatalities in the mined Simon Bolivar was 83.

British submarine HMS Sturgeon sinks Kriegsmarine patrol vessel V-209 in the Heligoland Bight. It is the first success of a British submarine in the war. The crews later report that the U-boat opened fire without warning.

U-33 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky) happens upon a group of small fishing trawlers near Tory Island, north of Ireland. Fortunately for the crews, the area is a popular fishing spot and other trawlers later happen along to pick most of them up some hours later. In order:

U-33 also sinks 276-ton British fishing trawler Thomas Hankins in the morning. Everyone survives.

U-33 sinks 250-ton British fishing trawler Delphine with gunfire in the afternoon. All 13 crew survive.

U-33 also sinks 329 British fishing trawler Sea Sweeper with gunfire just before sunset. Everyone survives after the lifeboat makes land. The chief engineer exercises his extensive technical knowledge about engines and mechanics to block a hole in the lifeboat with his foot for 22 hours.

German liner Windhuk leaves Lobito, Portuguese East Africa, armed as a raider.

German He 115 seaplanes drop more magnetic mines in the English Channel shipping lanes and near the Thames estuary.

Kriegsmarine destroyers Z-21 Wilhelm Heidkamp, Z-19, and Z-11 Bernd von Arnim deposit more magnetic mines off the Thames estuary during the (preceding) night. The mines are moored but have a tendency to break free and drift.

British armed trawler HMS Mastiff T-10 blows up near the Thames estuary while trying to recover a German magnetic mine in a fishing net for further study. Six crew perish.

The German crew scuttles freighter Bertha Fisser rather than have it captured by Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser Chitral.

Swedish torpedo boat Munin intervenes in an inspection of a neutral vessel by Kriegsmarine minesweeper Hansestadt.

The British detain US freighter Exambion at Gibraltar.

Convoy OZ 38 departs from Southend and Convoy OB 38 from Liverpool.

German destroyer Z-21.

European Air Operations: There are numerous Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights, both over France (Rhone Valley, Normandy) and Great Britain (Kent, Essex, Thames estuary, the Orkneys). The Luftwaffe loses one Heinkel He 111 over England and another over Holland, shot down by Dutch fighters. It is the first Dutch kill of the war. The Luftwaffe makes an abortive raid on a British destroyer in the southern part of the North Sea.

Soviet Military: There is a planning conference for the anticipated campaign against Finland.

German Opposition: The local Prague authorities have called in the Waffen SS, the militarized formations of the Party's Schutzstaffel (SS, "Protective Squadron"). While some proto-Waffen SS formations participated in the Battle of Poland, they did not play a major role in the fighting. However, since then, the piecemeal SS regiments used there (Deutschland, Germania, and Der Führer regiments) have been combined into one unit, the SS-Verfügungs-Division. It gets useful practical experience suppressing the unarmed students and teachers in Prague and the SS quickly gains control of the city.

Anglo/Polish Relations: Colin Gubbins heads to Paris to be the UK's military liaison with the Polish Government-in-Exile.

Holocaust: All assets in banks within the Polish General Government are blocked.

American Homefront: Today marks the first appearance of two classic comic book heroes, Flash and Hawkman, in DC Comics Flash Comics #1 (the cover date is January 1940).

Focke-Wulf Fw 58 (a trainer) Weihe with passengers (Dutch fighter pilots) before leaving for Soesterberg on 20 November 1939. From left to right: Mr. Aarts, Ottes, Lub, Nijhuis, and Kuhn. The pilot was adjutant DH Lambermont (Royal Netherlands Air Force).

November 1939

November 1, 1939: The Jet Flies Again
November 2, 1939: The Soviets Devour Poland
November 3, 1939: Amending the Neutrality Act
November 4, 1939: Roosevelt Signs Neutrality Laws
November 5, 1939: The Spirit of Zossen
November 6, 1939: First Dogfight
November 7, 1939: More Lies About SS Athenia
November 8, 1939: Hitler Almost Killed
November 9, 1939: The Venlo Incident
November 10, 1939: Dutch Panic
November 11, 1939: Poignant Armistice Day
November 12, 1939: Peace Efforts Made and Rejected
November 13, 1939: First Bombing of Great Britain
November 14, 1939: The Dyle Plan
November 15, 1939: Elser Confesses to the Bürgerbräukeller Bombing
November 16, 1939: Martial Law in Prague
November 17, 1939: International Students Day
November 18, 1939: Magnetic Mines
November 19, 1939: Walls Around the Warsaw Ghetto
November 20, 1939: First RN Submarine Victory
November 21, 1939: Salmon & Gluckstein on the Prowl
November 22, 1939: British Recover A Magnetic Mine
November 23, 1939: HMS Rawalpindi Sunk
November 24, 1939: Japanese Enter Nanning
November 25, 1939: The Olympics are a War Casualty
November 26, 1939: Soviets Stage an "Incident" at Mainila
November 27, 1939: German Marriage Becomes Perilous
November 28, 1939: Judenrats in Poland
November 29, 1939: The Soviets Prepare to Invade Finland
November 30, 1939: Winter War Begins

2019