Tuesday 24 September 1940

Adolf Galland is greeted back at the airfield in Wissant by his mechanic, Unteroffizier Gerhard Meyer, after recording his 40th victory. He shot down a Hurricane of RAF No. 17 Squadron over Rochester at 10:45 on 24 September 1940.

Operation Menace: The Allies on 24 September 1940 remain offshore of Dakar during Operation Menace, with the Vichy French sitting tight. Both sides are lobbing shots at each other, but the basic situation remains unchanged. During the day, the British battleship HMS Barham, sitting 13,500 yards (about 8 miles) offshore, lobs in some 15-inch shells that strike the French battleship Richelieu sitting in port. The Richelieu, unfinished, also has issues with its guns, with 380mm guns 7/8 in Turret 2 going out of service today when a shell explodes. However, the port defense guns aren't fully manned, so some Richelieu crew just switch to coastal guns, where they have success. The biggest problem for the Vichy French is ammunition, as they are using an old powder which causes problems.

The Vichy French have submarines in the area, and shortly after sunrise the British force their submarine Ajax to surface. This is a joint exercise between Swordfish operating from the Ark Royal and patrolling destroyers. The Swordfish bomb the submarine and force it to surface. The Vichy French crew then scuttles the badly damaged sub. Destroyer HMS Fortune rescues the 61-man crew. There are different versions of this action in which the destroyer, and not the planes, cause the sub to surface and scuttle, and likely it was some combination of forces.

The freighter Tacoma under fire at Dakar, 24 September 1940. The Tacoma was bombarded in the harbor, then towed out to sea where she sank. (Tentative credit: Frederick Milthorp, Frederick Milthorp Collection).

The British fleet approaches the port in the morning but retreats under fire around 10:00. It then approaches in the afternoon again, then retreats again. British battleship HMS Resolution, for its part, takes damage which eventually requires it to be put under tow down to Cape Town, South Africa. Barham and two British cruisers are damaged by coastal defense guns manned by the Richelieu crew.

The Vichy French retaliate for the attack by sending 64 aircraft based in Morocco and Algeria over Gibraltar. They drop 150 bombs on the British base and cause damage to the dock area, especially the South Mole area. This attack is somewhat unusual because heretofore the Armée de l'Air de Vichy bombers have made perfunctory runs and dropped many of their bombs out at sea. Somewhat perversely, this is the largest air raid of the war to date by the French Air Force, including the Battle of France.


Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks classic 1815 ship of the line HMS Wellesley at its dock on the Thames. The ship sinks in shallow water and can be salvaged, but it is damaged beyond repair. HMS Wellesley has the distinction of being the last ship of the line to be lost in enemy action and the only one lost by air attack. Its figurehead now graces the entrance to Chatham Dockyard.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 169-ton British trawler Bass Rock about 40 km southwest of County Cork, Ireland. Four crew perish and four perish, that's the lottery of the Battle of the North Atlantic, pick your number and take your chances.

German torpedo boat S-30 torpedoes and sinks 555 ton Continental Coaster off Happisburgh, Norfolk (off Great Yarmouth) in the North Sea. Four crew perish.

Royal Navy 20 ton motor torpedo boat HMS MTB 15 hits a mine and sinks 56 km northeast of North Foreland, Kent (Thames Estuary) in the North Sea. These carry a complement of 9-12 men, and it is unclear if there are any survivors.

HMS Tuna torpedoes and sinks 1280 ton submarine tender ("catapult vessel") Ostmark southwest of Saint-Nazaire in the Bay of Biscay. The Ostmark is a Deutsche Lufthansa vessel on its way to Germany for commissioning into the Kriegsmarine, and the plan is to use the Ostmark to launch long-range reconnaissance aircraft from Brest (contemplated as the new main U-boat base in France). So, technically, it is not a loss for the Germany Navy. However, the loss is noticed in Berlin and is an early indication to the Germans that the Atlantic coast shipping area is vulnerable and security there needs to be upgraded - a turn to the defensive. The Tuna, for its part, is having an excellent patrol, having sunk the Tirranna on the 22nd.

The Luftwaffe damages anti-submarine trawler HMT Loch Monteith operating in the Channel. Seven crew perish.

British submarine Cachalot spots an unidentified U-boat in the southwest approaches and fires torpedoes but misses.

Convoy OA 219 departs from Methil, Convoy FN 290 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 289 departs from the Tyne, Convoys OB 218 and OL 4 depart from Liverpool, Convoy SL 495 departs from Freetown.

German cruiser Admiral Hipper leaves Wilhelmshaven to attempt to break out into the Atlantic but soon loses all engine power due to a fire in the engine oil feed system. It drifts aimlessly for several hours before repairs are effected and the ship can return to Hamburg for more permanent repairs.

U-106 (Oberleutnant zur See Jürgen Oesten) is commissioned.

Harold 'Birdie' Bird-Wilson, RAF No. 17 Squadron, RAF Debden. He becomes Adolf Galland's 40th victim today. Birdie takes two months to recover from his burns but then returns to service. His nose is one of the first reconstructed by pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe. (Via WW2 Colourised Photos, Colourised by Doug UK).

Battle of Britain: The morning is foggy, but clears up rapidly. While bombing is fairly light and mainly on secondary targets, there is intense fighter activity throughout most of the morning.

The first Luftwaffe attacks begin around 08:30. This time, it is 200+ plane formation that includes a large formation of Junkers Ju 88s. RAF Fighter Command sends up 11 squadrons, which intercept the Luftwaffe planes over the Thames Estuary. The bombers turn back, some badly damaged, and the fighters engage in dogfights which result in some RAF losses.

Around 11:00, the Luftwaffe sends over more planes. One force attacks coastal towns, but Adolf Galland's JG 26 is hunting for RAF fighters over the Thames Estuary and finds them. Both sides lose a plane.

An eerie calm descends around noontime. Luftwaffe pilots jokingly praise the "Anglo-Saxon custom of lunch" for such a quiet period. However, things heat up again soon thereafter.

The Luftwaffe sends more fighters over during the early afternoon. RAF No. 41 Squadron loses a couple of planes. Some Bf 110s of  I./Epr.Gr 210, 4./ZG 76 and III./ZG 76 then raid Southampton and Portsmouth, bombing the Woolston Spitfire factory. A "lucky" hit on a shelter there kills 100 workers, but the factory itself is unscathed. For some reason, Fighter Command does not intercept this formation, accounting for its great success, but anti-aircraft fire downs three of the fighter-bombers.

Around 16:00, another formation crosses near the Isle of Wight. This time, Fighter Command intercepts and downs four bombers.

After dark (which is coming much earlier now), the Luftwaffe targets London, Shoreham, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Hull, Humberside, Newcastle, Manchester, Middlesborough, and South Wales. The London West End takes some damage, as does Westminster. The attacks are widespread and scattered, causing fairly random damage. The largest raid is in Liverpool, which is bombed by II,/KG 27 from midnight until first light. RAF Feltwell takes some damage during the final raids of the night.

Overall, losses are fairly light on both sides. The Luftwaffe loses about 10 planes (depends how you count the several bombers heavily damaged but which make it back to France), while the RAF loses about half that number.

Adolf Galland gets credit for his 40th claim. The victim is ace Harold Bird-Wilson of RAF No. 17 Squadron (baled out badly burned into the Thames, picked up by a riverboat). Galland is hot on the trail of Werner Mölders, who has a few more victories at this point. This victory entitles Galland to the Oak Leaves, which he receives at the hand of Adolf Hitler. Hitler, aware of Galland's somewhat impertinent comment to Reichsmarschall Goering in August, jokes with Galland about also wanting a squadron of Spitfires.

Staffelkapitän Oblt. Hans 'Assi' Hahn, 4./JG 2, receives the Ritterkreuz.

Charlie Chaplin has to explain why he made fun of Hitler in "The Great Dictator" in the 24 September 1940 Look Magazine.

European Air Operations: RAF Coastal Command attacks the ports of Zeebrugge and Brest, while Bomber Command attacks Berlin with 20 bombers, Frankfurt, the German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, and the usual ports and airfields in northwest Europe. By far the greatest effort is made against the invasion ports, where the barges are gradually dispersing.
Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian submarine Scirè departs La Spezia, Italy carrying three special manned torpedoes. Its mission is to drop off the torpedoes, which then will penetrate Gibraltar Harbour and sink large Royal Navy ships (which, apparently unknown to the Italians, are operating off Dakar). Prince Junio Valerio Borghese, who has trained with U-boats in the Baltic, is in command of this prestige assignment. Italy leads the world in the area of manned torpedoes.

At Malta, it is a quiet day with no air raids. The island receives word that three warships are on the way (arrival date unknown) carrying supplies, so unloading parties are put on standby throughout the day. Arriving ships must be docked and unloaded immediately so they can depart again to avoid air/naval attack.

Anglo/US Relations: The formal transfer of the third tranche of US destroyers is made pursuant to the destroyers-for-bases deal at Halifax. The destroyers are:

• USS Mackenzie > HMCS Annapolis, 
• USS Haraden > HMCS Columbia, 
• USS Williams > HMCS St. Clair, 
• USS Thatcher > HMCS Niagara, 
• USS McCook > HMCS St. Croix
• USS Bancroft > HMCS St. Francis.

French Indochina: The Japanese 5th Infantry Division seizes Lang Son, where the French briefly held out due to the airfield there. Fighting continues further south.

Australia: General Gordon Bennett now commands the Australian 8th Infantry Division.

The 24 September 1940 issue of Look Magazine contains a photo-story on starlet Lucille Ball.

US Military: President Roosevelt establishes the Defense Communication Board, headed by Director of Naval Communications Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes.

British Homefront: The German blockade is biting. Petrol prices rise to 2 shillings 2 pence per gallon.

The government announces that 444,000 children have been evacuated from London and plans to evacuate more.

American Homefront: Jimmie Fox, 32, of the Boston Red Sox hits home run No. 500 in a game against the Phillies. He is only the second man to do so and trails Babe Ruth, retired since 1935, by 214 home runs. He is the youngest to reach 500 home runs until Alex Rodriguez in 2007, but Foxx has health issues of one form (exactly what and why is controversial) which impair his skills going forward.

On 24 September 1940, former World Heavyweight champion James Joseph "Gene" Tunney meets with competitors of the American Institute of New York's science fair at the Westinghouse Pavilion, New York World's Fair. Tunney, always considered a scholarly boxer, was there to give a speech at the official sealing of a time capsule. Shown with Tunney, left to right: Irving Lazarowitz, Alan Bernstein, Theresa Zinghini, and Jack Zimmer. The Science Talent Search became an annual event the following year.

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

Saturday 21 September 1940

A Heinkel He111 tactical bomber of KG/54's commanding officer (Geschwaderkommodore) Oberstleutnant Ernst Exss strafes 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards Headquarters, late morning, September 21, 1940. ​

Battle of the Atlantic: With the Battle of Britain winding down on 21 September 1940, the real action shifts out to sea. It is a busy day for the U-boat fleet. In two separate areas, they cause the Royal Navy problems. The Royal Navy, for its part, also has plans in the works for a major operation.

The wolfpack assembled by Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien in U-47 and U-boat Control (BdU) shadows Convoy HX 72 throughout the night. The convoy, about 400 miles west of Ireland, has over 40 ships, temporarily, no escorts.

U-99 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) gets things rolling with a series of attacks between 03:12 and 04:47. It torpedoes and sinks 9154-ton British tanker Invershannon. There are 32 survivors and 16 perish.

U-99 then torpedoes and sinks 3668-ton British freighter Baron Blythswood. All 34 aboard perish.

U-99 then torpedoes and sinks 5156-ton British cargo ship Elmbank. There are 54 survivors and 2 men perish.

U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) then torpedoes and sinks 4409-ton British timber freighter Blairangus at 06:14. There are 28 survivors and 6 men perish.

The five escorts from England for Convoy HX 72 - sloop Lowestoft, destroyer Shikari and 3 corvettes, Calendula, Heartsease, and La Malouine - arrive during the afternoon to find a convoy in ruins. However, the newly arrived escorts don't do much good. The wolfpack continues to shadow the convoy, waiting for darkness.

U-100 (Kptlt. Joachim Schepke) takes its turn later in the morning. At 23:10, it fires off several torpedoes in quick succession.

U-100 first torpedoes and sinks 8286-ton British refrigerated freighter Canonesa (Master Frederick Stephenson). There are 62 survivors and one man perishes.

U-100 then torpedoes and sinks 4608-ton British freighter Dalcairn (Master Edgar Brusby). All 42-48 (sources vary) on board survive.

U-100 also torpedoes and sinks 10,364-ton British tanker Torinia, which has a full load of fuel oil (13,815 tons). There are 50 survivors, five crewmen perish.

Shortly afterward, U-48 finds another target. At 23:38, it torpedoes and damages 5136-ton British freighter Broompark, carrying lumber and metal. One man perishes. Most of the crew abandon ship, but the master and mate shift ballast and bring it back to an even keel. This enables them to restart the engines and make port. Master Olaf Paulsen receives the OBE and Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at Sea.

U-138 (Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Lüth), meanwhile, is still shadowing Convoy OB 216 further east. At 02:27, it torpedoes and badly damages 5145-ton British freighter Empire Adventure. The crew abandons ship, but the burning hulk remains afloat. It sinks on the 23rd after being taken in tow. There are 18 survivors and 21 men lost.

Elsewhere, Canadian sailing ship Imogen runs aground in rough weather on the east coast of Nova Scotia and is lost.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tuna (Captain "Ginger" Cavenagh-Mainwaring) torpedoes and sinks 7230 ton captured Norwegian freighter Tirranna near Bordeaux. The Tirranna had been captured by the German raider Atlantis in the Indian Ocean. It carries 274 crew from the British freighter Kemmendine and other ships sunk by the Atlantis. There are 86 deaths of the captured British crewmen (sources vary) and one death among the 19-man prize crew. News of the sinking of the Tirranna is picked up by the Atlantis a week later and seriously damages morale.

The Royal Navy sets its ships in motion in final preparations for Operation Menace, the attack on Dakar. Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, battleships HMS Barham and Resolution, and cruiser HMS Devonshire lead an armada of smaller ships out of Freetown, Sierra Leone. Included are French sloops Commandant Domine, Commandant Duboc and Savorgnan De Brazza. Already at sea patrolling off Dakar are cruisers HMS Cumberland and Dragon and HMAS Australia. The Cumberland returns to Freetown on a quick stop to refuel, and cruiser HMS Dorsetshire also is on the way to Freetown from Simonstown. All of the ship movements are intended to come together on the 22nd to form the greatest striking force of the Royal Navy in the war to date.

Convoy FN 287 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 288 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 217 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 75 departs from Halifax, Convoy BHX 75 departs from Bermuda, Convoy BM 1 departs from Bombay.

F/O Francis N "Fanny" Brinsden undertakes a cockpit check of Spitfire Mk I QV-B prior to takeoff from RAF Fowlmere. 21 September 1940.

Battle of Britain: The subject of the Polish pilots comes up over dinner conversation at 10 Downing Street. The No. 303 Polish Squadron has been leading the RAF in victories, and it is not a particularly close race. Everybody tries to quantify just how good they are. Prime Minister Winston Churchill ventures that one Polish pilot is worth three French pilots. Lord Gort, however, demurs, along with Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding. The ratio is not 3:1, they opine, but more along the lines of 10 to 1. The Polish pilots are more "seat of the pants" flyers who do not rely on radio and radar, and they also are a little older and better trained.

Bowing to the inevitable, the British government officially recognizes the London Tubes as air-raid shelters. The subway trains shut down at night anyway, so the stations are quiet. The stations, which usually close during the night, already have been converted into makeshift aid stations, bunk beds, pantries and other accouterments of civilization. The government itself already is using the tunnel on the Aldwych branch to store antiquities from the British museum, such as the Elgin Marbles. The British also have constructed many massive underground bunkers in discreet locations to protect government officials in case of an invasion.

The weather is fine again, but the Luftwaffe, as has been its practice recently, gets a late start. The morning is occupied with reconnaissance flights and an occasional lone "pirate" raider, such as a single Junkers Ju 88 of LG 1 which attacks the Hawker Aircraft Factory and leaves some unexploded bombs. There are small raids on RAF Biggin Hill and RAF Kenley, but the defending fighters from those fields and RAF Croydon prevent any damage.

Around 18:00, a large force of about 200 aircraft attacks in the waning daylight. They focus on Fighter Command fields south of London. The Duxford "Big Wing" rises in response, along with the usual squadrons of AVM Keith Park's No. 11 Group.

London and Liverpool are hit during the night. The London East End and the docks, as usual, suffer the worst.

Handling unexploded bombs has turned into a major project for the British. At Ipswich, a 1000kg "land mine" has to be blown up where it lands, creating a crater 50 feet wide and 25 feet deep. It destroys an estimated 70 houses and damages 750 more, with a lot of broken glass. At the Hawker Aircraft Factory, Lt. John MacMillan Stevenson Patton of the Royal Canadian Engineers tows a bomb to a nearby bomb crater to detonate it. He receives the George Cross. Lt-Cdr Richard John Hammersley Ryan and CPO Reginald Vincent Ellingworth perish as they are trying to defuse a magnetic mine in a warehouse (both earn the George Cross posthumously). Another man, Leonard John Miles, also earns the George Cross when he perishes while warning others of a nearby unexploded bomb.

Overall, it is one of the quieter days of the battle. Losses on both sides are in the single digits. Adolf Galland of JG 26 downs a No. 92 Squadron Spitfire west of Ashford for his 37th victory. He is just behind Werner Mölders, who receives the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal for being the first fighter pilot to achieve 40 victories on the 20th

Parts of a Dornier Do 17 lie on a London rooftop near Victoria Station. 21 September 1940.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command continues attacking the Channel ports as the Germans disperse their barges. They have been quite successful in decimating the barges, sinking just over 10% of the total assembled. Coastal Command also attacks shipping near Boulogne and near Borkum and Ameland.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The RAF bombs Sidi Barrani and makes reconnaissance flights across the desert. The South African Air Force chips in as well. The Italians, for their part, raid Alexandria and Haifa, with the latter a particularly productive raid.

At Malta, the police are instructed to investigate shops for hoarding. These spot checks are authorized by The Food and Commerce Control Officer (FCCO). Shortages, the FCCO reports, are appearing in common staples despite supplies of these items on hand that are known to be adequate. The theory is that the owners of stores that have large hoards figure they will be able to charge high black-market prices in the event of real shortages. Homeowners, too, are stockpiling staples.

Bulgarian/Romanian Relations: The Bulgarian 3rd Army takes possession of Southern Dobruja, incorporating it into Bulgaria per the agreement with Romania.

The New York World's Fair parking lot, 21 September 1940. It is in its final weeks and remains busy. The Fair is widely considered to be a creative success, drawing a total of 45 million visitors and generating $48 in revenue. Financially, however, the Fair is a failure, losing tens of millions of dollars, and the Fair Corporation declares bankruptcy. Many Pavilions of combatants such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union left the fair after the first season, and Germany did not participate at all. Many European staffers cannot return home at the Fair's end and seek employment in the United States. This results in the founding of several excellent restaurants.

Australia: General elections are held. The results announced in October reveal that Prime Minister Robert Menzies has increased vastly his own personal popularity, perhaps as a show of support for the war. Overall, the results are:

• United Australia Party, 24 seats; 
• Country Party (allied with UAP), 14 seats; 
• Labour, 32; 
• Non-Communist Labour, 4. 

One imagines that PM Winston Churchill in England draws some comfort from these results as a show of support for the war, although technically Labour is the largest party in both the House and the Senate.

In addition, the government announces that another division, the 9th Australian, will be raised.

American Military: The Greenslade Board, reviewing the new US bases obtained from the British in the destroyers-for-bases swap, departs from Boston for Argentina aboard the cruiser USS St. Louis.

American Homefront: The James Cagney flick "City for Conquest" opens. It also stars Ann Sheridan and Arthur Kennedy.

The Carolina Times, 21 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

Saturday 14 September 1940

A Japanese bomber (I am guessing a Mitsubishi G3M Nell) attacks Chungking (now Chongqing), China at a bend in the Yangtze River, The light little puffs below it are from exploding bombs. 14 September 1940.

German Military: Adolf Hitler meets with his top cronies from the three services on 14 September 1940. After much blather, he postpones the date of Operation Sealion again. This is typical, as Hitler tends to postpone invasion decisions multiple times until he feels the time is just right. This has worked - so far.

Hitler is enthusiastic about Operation Sealion. However, he decides that the Luftwaffe just needs another four or five days of good weather to finish off the RAF. Thus, he gives Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering carte blanche to act as necessary to eliminate the RAF as a bar to the operation. However, time also is limited because the tides will be best only on the 27th, and the invasion forces need 10 days to prepare. Unless Hitler is willing to risk beginning the operation deep in autumn, September 17, 1940, will be the drop-dead date for Operation Sealion.

There are two main problems:

1. Winter is approaching;
2. The Luftwaffe has not achieved air superiority.

In a sense, the two problems are related. The weather has been miserable all summer long, and the Luftwaffe's equipment requires good weather to achieve its objectives. Obviously, nobody can blame the weather alone for the Luftwaffe's issues, but this shows that the state of the art of airpower - at least in the Luftwaffe, but everywhere else as well - is not advanced enough to achieve the German objectives with the tactics that the Luftwaffe has adopted.

The only time the Luftwaffe seemed to be making progress was when it was attacking RAF airfields and infrastructure exclusively in early September. Hitler and Goering, however, ruined the momentum with the switch to bombing London on 7 September. Now that Hitler has given Goering freedom of action, he may have one last chance to vanquish the RAF, but only by learning from experience and returning to the earlier tactics.

Looking at this incident in retrospect, it is easy to be cynical. Hitler appears to be putting on an act for his own hidden purposes. While he in effect gives the service chiefs a pep talk, in fact, he is not enthusiastic about the invasion at all (as we know from subsequent events). It is impossible to read motivations based on the thin evidence and at this distance, but one can always make some guesses. Hitler may be "playing" Goering and the other commanders to get one last good effort from them before he shelves Sealion for good - at which point they will almost certainly slack off. However, he has a few more days before he has to decide anything.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, tour the grounds of Buckingham Palace on September 14, 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather remains poor, with rain and clouds. However, there are openings in the clouds here and there that permit operations.

The morning sees only a few reconnaissance and weather flights, the norm since the change in strategy on 7 September. Finally, at about 15:30, the Luftwaffe mounts a major operation. About 150 Luftwaffe planes cross the coast near Deal, heading toward London. Another 100 aircraft follow and also attack the center of London. At this point, the center of the capital is ringed by artillery in what is known as the Inner Artillery Zone, and the anti-aircraft fire is intense. However, the RAF remains the main defensive force.

Fierce air battles develop over the Thames Estuary. The bomber escort is especially thick, and the Bf 109s have a good day. RAF No. 73 Squadron, on the other hand, loses three aircraft and has four others badly damaged. The Luftwaffe pilots put in 25 claims, but actual RAF losses are 12 fighters lost and another 9 damaged.

The damage to the city is concentrated in Battersea, Lambeth, and Camberwell. Burst water main in Lambeth stops traffic, and other underground infrastructure takes a beating. There is minor damage to power stations and the Southern Railway Bridge.

At 18:10, the Luftwaffe sends another large force across Dover. This catches the RAF fighters on the ground, but they get up quickly and frighten off many of the bombers. Only a few bombers reach London and they don't cause much damage.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sends over a few raids which are not very successful. They hit various widely dispersed targets in the North Midlands, Essex, and throughout southern England. Kingston, Wimbledon, Brighton, Eastbourne, Ipswich and in Northwestern England all take damage, but usually only randomly dropped bombs that miss anything vital.

Overall, despite the weather, it is a very good day for the Luftwaffe. Losses are even at 14 apiece. The pilots return to base full of enthusiasm about the apparent weakness of Fighter Command.

The Experten of elite fighter formation JG 26 have a great day. Adolf Galland of JG26 gets his 31st victory, a Hurricane over London. Oblt. Joachim Müncheberg of 7./JG 26 gets his 20th victory - entitling him to the Ritterkreuz. Hptm. Rolf Pingel of Stab 1,/JG 26 gets his 15th victory and also is awarded the Ritterkreuz, perhaps in sympathy with all the successes elsewhere in the squadron.

Other top pilots also have a good day. Kommodore of JG 51 Major Werner Mölders gets his 37th victory, a Spitfire over London. Walter Oesau of Stab III./JG 51, meanwhile, shoots down two Spitfires to reach 26 victories.

Douglas Bader of Group 12 is awarded the D.S.O. RAF No. 302 "Polish" Squadron moves to Duxford to join Bader's "Big Wing."

Luftwaffe pilot Oberstlt. Walter Grabmann receives the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

One obscure incident illustrates what is going on with the RAF. A Hurricane of No. 43 Squadron crashes on landing because the pilot, C.K. Gray, is flying with injuries to his arm sustained on 26 August. The RAF remains strained, and cold figures on force tables cannot capture the wear and tear on the front-line men.

RAF Bomber Command attacks the German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, without success.

Hurricane fighter planes take off from Gravesend after being refueled and rearmed during the cloudy afternoon to take on the next wave of bombers. 14 September 1940.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command continues its attacks on the northwest European ports harboring invasion barges and airfields. In addition, it bombs various points along the supply chain to those ports, including Osnabruck, Mannheim, Aachen, Hamm, Krefeld, and Brussels. The major British theme of attacking railway installations continues, with stations attacked at Rheine, Ahaus, Sundern, Husten, and West-Hofen. It launches a particularly heavy attack on Antwerp, where German re-supply efforts would originate.

Battle of the Atlantic: Italian submarine Emo (Captain Carlo Liannazza), which has passed through the Straits of Gibraltar en route to the new BETASOM base at Bordeaux, is north of the Azores when it torpedoes and sinks 5199-ton British cargo ship (former tanker) Saint Agnes. Saint Agnes is part of Convoy SL 46. Everybody aboard survives.

British submarine HMS Tuna torpedoes and sinks 1281 ton merchant catapult seaplane tender Ostmark (two seaplanes) southwest of St. Nazaire. It is torpedoed at 05:42 and sinks at 08:10. There is one death.

Vichy French ocean liner Flandre hits a mine and sinks south of La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, in the Bay of Biscay. It splits in two and sinks quickly.

Kriegsmarine trawler NM 11 sinks from fire at its anchorage at Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal, Norway. There are four deaths.

Two of the three Vichy French cruisers of Force Y make port at Dakar. The third cruiser, Gloire, experiences engine issues and falls behind. It is intercepted by British cruiser Australia which orders it return to Casablanca. The British fleet chasing the cruisers does not know where they are, but it gives up the pursuit anyway and heads to Freetown, West Africa.

At Freetown, the British fleet, led by battleships HMS Barham and Resolution and including French sloops Commandant Domine and Commandant Duboc, prepares for Operation Menace, the attack on Dakar. Offshore, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and other ships continue to patrol off Dakar, not realizing that the Vichy French cruisers are already there.

U-96 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) is commissioned.

British corvette HMS Honeysuckle (K 27, Lt. George W. Gregorie) is commissioned.

Sgt George CC "Titch" Palliser reported to No 249 Squadron RAF at RAF North Weald on 14 September 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Italian units in Halfaya Pass descend down to meet the Italians advancing along the coast. The British (11th Hussar squadron, the 2nd Rifle Brigade and cruiser tanks of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1st RTR)) delay the Italians as much as possible. The Italians on the coast make progress, pushing the British back to Buq Buq, where the British get reinforcements. The British establish a major fallback position at the railhead of Mersa Matruh, which is a major destination for both sides throughout World War II (during fluid battles, a standing joke amongst the British is that the latest "Mersa Matruh stakes" is on). Halfaya Pass, too, we will be reading more about.

At Malta, there is an air raid alert around 2030. However, the bomber over Grand Harbour drops its bombs in the water and fleets, while scattered bombs drop in the north. Meanwhile, the army has been installing beach obstacles to deter invasion. They are concrete pyramid blocks set at the one-fathom mark in two staggered rows. However, there now is a shortage of concrete, and the weather is making installation difficult.

Japanese/Vichy French Relations: With the French stalling negotiations in protest at Japanese incursions into French Indochina, the Japanese decide to take advantage of Vichy French weakness. The Imperial General Headquarters issues orders for troops to move into French Indochina beginning on 22 September.

Hungarian troops in Zalău, near Ip, 9 September 1940.

War Crimes: In Northern Transylvania, the Hungarians have completed their occupation of the territory ceded by Romania. At the village of Ip, Sălaj, Hungarian troops kill 55 civilians in the forest at Felsőkaznacs and Szilágcseres (present-day Cosniciu de Sus and Cerișa). The reason given is reprisals for guerrilla attacks on the occupying troops. Reports indicate that, in addition to the specific instances such as this one at Ip, the Hungarian soldiers simply march through towns killing people indiscriminately - and they do indeed find some guerillas, though only a fraction of the people killed. The number of people murdered will never be known, but it is assumed to be in the mid-hundreds. While there are killings throughout the region, this is generically known as the Ip Massacre.

This is one of a string of incidents in the region that inflame tensions between the Romanian inhabitants and the occupying force. Reports suggest that the troops are supported by local "vigilante groups" settling old scores with the Romanians who remain. This is a common theme throughout World War II, and not just in this region, with changes in control unleashing buried hatreds and resentments.

Posted to No 249 Squadron RAF on 14 September 1940, P/O Albert G "Zulu" Lewis (left) of No 249 Squadron RAF enjoys a game of L'Attaque at RAF North Weald.

Romania: Ion Antonescu proclaims the new National Legionary State. This transforms the Iron Guard into the country's only official political party. Antonescu officially becomes Premier and Conducător, while Horia Sima becomes Deputy Premier and remains the leader of the Guard. Antonescu orders all imprisoned Iron Guard members released.

Free France: General de Gaulle receives more potential followers when the Ex-Servicemen’s General Assembly of Saint Pierre and Miquelon - two small islands off Newfoundland that contain French bases - pledge their support. However, the local Vichy authorities quickly crush the group. The islands remain outposts of Vichy France in the Western Hemisphere, along with bases in the Caribbean.

Australia: Troop Convoy US 5 departs for the Middle East.

US Military: General Jonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV, just promoted to Major General (temporary) departs New York City aboard US Army Transport Grant for the Philippines. He is taking up his new command there as the commander of the Philippine Detachment. He is or becomes one of General MacArthur's favorite Generals, and, while MacArthur at this time is in retirement, he is a Field Marshal in the Philippine Army and his opinion matters.

American Homefront: The draft is reinstated as President Roosevelt signs the Selective Service Act. For the first time in US history during peacetime, there is a draft - and it is very unpopular. All men between the ages of 21 and 35 must register with local draft boards pursuant to the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act.

One of the little-remembered portions of the Selective Service Act of 1940 is that, for the first time, African Americans are permitted to join any branch of the military. This is a key and little-noted moment in civil rights history and has widespread and unexpected effects on society. It arguably begins the Civil Rights movement.

Future History: Larry Brown is born in Brooklyn, New York. He becomes a professional basketball player in the 1960s, then a very successful college and professional coach. Brown becomes famous/notorious for numerous job changes and a high career winning percentage. He resigned his most recent job as the coach at SMU in July 2016 after the NCAA imposed sanctions on the program for alleged violations, and it is unclear if he has retired.

On 14 September 1940, refugees with their salvaged furniture and belongings linger in front of their damaged homes in the London area (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images).

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

Thursday 5 September 1940

Junkers Ju 87R Stuka over Malta.

British Military: RAF Fighter Command on 5 September 1940 is more concerned about its aircraft factories than about its airfields at this point. While it has numerous airfields spread far and wide, the factories are less numerous and more vulnerable. Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Dowding instructs Keith Park of No. 11 Group to give the factories special priority. Specifically, this meant coverage of the Supermarine factory at Southampton and the Hawker factories at Kingston and Brooklands. There are some shufflings of RAF Squadrons to meet this new threat.

Sergeant Pilot Malcolm Gray of No. 72 Squadron, KIA 5 September 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather is perfect for flying, and the attacks on RAF airfields continue. Pursuant to the decision announced at the Hague on 3 September, the Luftwaffe is preparing its bomber force for future raids against London and other large cities. However, it is still re-positioning its forces and so the RAF and its airfields continue taking the brunt of the attack for the time being.

KG 2 attacks Biggin Hill at 10:30, with diversionary raids on the Croydon, Eastchurch, Lympne and North Weald airfields. After the attack, Biggin Field is basically out of operation, with only one squadron of Hurricanes (No. 79 Squadron) based there.

To amuse themselves, some Bf 109s decide to destroy the Dover barrage balloons again. They lose one plane with another damaged.

Around 11:00, another formation of bombers attacks Biggin Hill. However, the attack on the largely worthless target is dispersed by the defending RAF No. 79 Squadron.

Shortly after noon, a large Luftwaffe formation flies up the Thames and hits the Thameshaven oil tanks. The bombs hit their mark, and the blaze serves as a beacon for future attacks. Detling airfield also receives damage. The RAF loses heavily during this operation, as four Hurricanes go down.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sends bombers over around 23:00. They bomb Manchester and Liverpool. The Mersey docks and surrounding area are hit by inaccurate bombing. London also is bombed, but the night's attacks are spread over a wide area.

RAF Bomber Command continues bombing German forests in hopes of starting a forest fire. The pretext is that there are military objectives hidden under the tree canopy. Elsewhere, they hit the normal targets of airfields in northwest Europe, oil installations at Stettin, Kiel, Hamburg and Regensburg, warehouses at Hamm and Soest, and the Emden docks. The Fiat works at Turin are bombed again. Other raids are launched on Boulogne, Calais, and the nearby coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez.

The score for the day is fairly even, with 23 German planes lost to 20 for the RAF. However, the Germans do not cause much significant damage, as their repeated attacks on RAF Biggin Hill are not really improving their position much. Bombing accuracy is particularly bad today, though stray bombs cause a lot of damage, too.

The RAF uses a Hurricane equipped with four cannons, V7360, for the first time during the afternoon raids.

German propaganda hero Oberleutnant Franz Xaver von Werra of II,/JG 3 is shot down over Kent after the morning Biggin Hill raid. He crash-lands his Bf 109E at Winches Hill and is captured by an unarmed cook of a nearby army unit. There is great controversy within the RAF at the time and later as to exactly who shoots von Werra down (some accounts name Pilot Officer J.T. Webster who was killed only minutes later). Von Werra is famous in German media for pictures taken of him in France with his pet lion cub. Without getting ahead of ourselves, this will not be the last that we hear about Oblt. von Werra. In fact, he soon makes his first escape attempt from the Maidstone barracks where he is put to work digging ditches.

Leutnant Heinz Schnabel of 1,/JG 3, an ace with 6 kills, also crash-lands at about the same time as Oblt. von Werra. He also has various adventures as a POW which we may come to later.

With Luftflotte 5 in Norway basically out of the Battle of Britain, KG 26, 30 and other units are transferred to the Channel coast so they can operate against England.

Oberleutnant Werner Machold of I,/JG 2 receives the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz) for his 21st confirmed victory claim.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 of Oblt Franz von Werra.

Battle of the Atlantic: It is a quiet day for the British. For a change, the Germans take the only damage. Two Kriegsmarine Vorpostenboote (flak ships) blunder into mines in separate incidents. 460 ton V 201 Gebrüder Kähler of 2 Vorpostenflotille blows up off Dunkerque, while 432 ton V 403 Deutschland of 4 Vorpostenflotille sinks in the Westerschelde off Vlissingen, Zeeland, Holland.

U-47 (Korvettenkapitän Günther Prien), on its seventh patrol south of Iceland, loses a man overboard (Matrosenobergefreiter (Able Seaman) Heinrich Mantyk) during gunnery practice.

British submarine HMS Tuna spots a submarine in the North Sea. The two submarines fire at each other, neither hits. The identity of the other submarine is unclear.

The Luftwaffe damages two freighters, the Melbourne Star and the Greek freighter Aegeon, southwest of Holyhead.

A British flying boat experiences engine trouble and force-lands about 100 miles west of Morocco. A British destroyer, HMS Forester, finds it and tows it to Gibraltar.

There are Kriegsmarine minelaying operations in the Straits of Dover after dark, Operation Walther, undertaken by four torpedo boats of Torpedo Boat Flotilla 2.

Convoy FS 273 departs from the Tyne, Convoy OG 42 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 71 departs from Halifax, Convoy BHX 71 departs from Bermuda, Convoy BS 4 departs from Suez.

Destroyer USS Charles F Hughes (DD 428, Lt. Commander George L. Menocal) is commissioned.

Admiral Miklós Horthy leads Hungarian troops into Szatmarnemeti (Satu Mare), one of the cities just acquired from Romania as part of the Second Vienna Award, 5 September 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Italian air force attacks Suez, Sollum, and Matruh, but cause little damage. Italian bombers so far in the war tend to act very timidly and often dump their bombs out at sea rather than risk anti-aircraft fire and fighter patrols. However, the Italians are soon to get some help.

For the first time, the Luftwaffe appears over Malta. There are several air raid alerts at Malta during the day. In the morning, a large force of bombers escorted by fighters approaches the island, but anti-aircraft fire and Hurricane fighters chase them off. Around 18:00, an unusual raid of Junkers Ju 87 Stukas bombs several points on the island (including Marsaxlokk and Kalafrana), with the attackers losing at least two bombers and an escorting Italian CR 42 fighter. After dark, there are reports of Italian torpedo boats (MAS) operating offshore.

This first appearance of the Luftwaffe in the Mediterranean is an omen of things to come.

A British convoy arrives at Takoradi, Gold Coast. It is loaded with crates full of aircraft (Blenheims and Hurricanes) which are to be assembled there and flown across the continent to reinforce British positions in the Middle East.

The Italian Navy (Regia Marina) lays mines off Valletta, Malta.

Operation Hats concludes as the Mediterranean Fleet arrives back in Alexandria. It has been an extremely successful operation in the face of overwhelming, but absent, Italian opposition.

The Indian 5th Infantry Division arrives in Sudan. The forces include the 9th and 10th Infantry Brigades.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Regia Marina repeatedly attacks Convoy BS 3 in the Red Sea, but without result.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Komet successfully concludes its transit of the northern passage around the Soviet Union and emerges through the Bering Strait into the Pacific. The Komet was led through the ice-infested passage by Soviet icebreakers.

German/Norwegian Relations: Hitler meets again with Vidkun Quisling, who at this point is living quietly as a radio commentator.

US Military: New US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox departs San Francisco on an XPB2Y-2 patrol bomber for an inspection of Pearl Harbor.

The Greenslade Board arrives at Hamilton, Bermuda to begin its inspection of newly acquired British bases.

Romania: Ion Antonescu formally becomes invested as Romanian Prime Minister, with King Carol transferring virtually all of his dictatorial powers to him. Antonescu acts immediately to consolidate his position, forcing King Carol to abdicate in favor of his son Michael due to rumors of monarchist officers planning a coup. He also relieves Bucharest Garrison commander Gheorghe Argeșanu and replaces him with the more reliable Dumitru Coroamă. There are widespread divisions within Romania that Antonescu has to quell quickly, as some monarchists are quite ready to go to war with the Iron Guard. Gunfire from Iron Guard agitators can be heard in the palace from the streets outside.

New York City, looking towards the Queensboro Bridge, 5 September 1940.

Hungary: Hungarian troops occupy the areas in northern Transylvania ceded to Hungary under the terms of the Second Vienna Award.

Japan: Aircraft carrier Akagi, which has been supporting operations in central China, leaves Yokosuka, Japan for an overhaul. Koichi Shiozawa becomes the commanding officer of the Yokosuka Naval District.

French Indochina: While Vichy France has agreed to Japanese bases in French Indochina (Vietnam), they haven't agreed to an outright invasion by Japanese forces in southern China. However, that is what they do today. The Vichy French negotiator Maurice Martin suspends talks with the Japanese.

Australia: Australian servicemen begin leaving Sydney for Vancouver in order to participate in the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS).

Future History: Jo Raquel Tejada is born in Chicago, Illinois. She begins winning beauty contests in the mid-50s, then becomes pregnant and marries her high school sweetheart, James Welch. As Raquel Welch, she gets her big break in an Elvis Presley movie and comes this close to being cast as Mary Ann in "Gilligan's Island." Raquel then bursts into international stardom in "Fantastic Voyage" (1966) and then "One Million Years B.C. (1966). Raquel Welch remains active in the film business as of this writing.

Raquel Welch at school in the 1950s.

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