Tuesday 8 October 1940

No. 71 Squadron RAF, "Eagle Squadron" is formed, comprising American volunteers. October 8, 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather is good on 8 October 1940, and there is constant action throughout the day. However, the Luftwaffe mounts primarily very small raids and not the large raids which have provided it with such mixed results. Once again, though, the Luftwaffe uses medium bombers during the day - which is counter to the supposed new policy of relying on fighter-bombers (Jabos). The Battle of Britain is petering out, but it does so in fits and starts. The whole conclusion simply reinforces the utter formlessness of Luftwaffe strategy throughout the entire affair.

During the morning, there are Jabo attacks on London that begin around 08:30. Around that time, over 50 aircraft cross near Dungeness and hit London and the nearby airfields such as Biggin Hill, Hornchurch and Kenley. These Jabos can fly high, so Fighter Command has difficulty intercepting them. The flip side, of course, is that their bomb loads are small and thus can't cause much damage. The bombs cause the most damage around Tower Bridge, Whitehall (Paymaster General's Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Great Scotland Yard), Charing Cross Station, BBC House and houses in Bermondsey, Lewisham and West Ham.

Around 11:00, Dornier Do 17 bombers cross near Lympne. After an early RAF interception, the bombers drop their loads at random and scatter back to France.

After lunch, Junkers Ju 88 bombers cross over the Sussex coast at 13:00. They hit RAF West Hampnet and destroy a Boston bomber and damage a Blenheim. The raid is particularly effective and puts the airfield out of action. Other targets are Shoreham, West Malling and the Thorney Island airfield.

More small-scale raids continue throughout the afternoon. The most interesting incident is a special bombing mission against the Rooters aircraft factory at Speke by one specially equipped Junkers Ju 88 (M7+DK of KG 2,/806). It has four 250 kg bombs and has a Photographic War Correspondent (Bildberichter) on board. RAF No 312 (Czech) squadron based at Speke intercepts the plane, forcing it to make a crash landing at Bromborough Dock around 16:15. The plane is in good condition, is put on display, paraded through Liverpool, and then scrapped.

After dark, the Luftwaffe raids London, Portsmouth, Southampton, Liverpool, the Midlands, and East Anglia. It also conducts minelaying off the northeast coast. There is random damage to various factories and railway lines, but nothing major. There are large fires at the docks and warehouses of Bermondsey.

Losses for the day are about 14 for the Luftwaffe and 4 by the RAF.

The German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez (Hellfire Corner) fire upon a couple of convoys during the afternoon, but accuracy at the distance is difficult and no hits are scored.

Sergeant Josef František, 27, the Czech fighter pilot flying with the Polish Squadron of the RAF (No. 303), perishes in a plane crash while landing at RAF Northolt in Cuddington Way at Ewell. He is the top scorer in the Battle of Britain with 17 kills. He receives numerous posthumous decorations.

Luftwaffe fighter pilots have small dinghies, worn on the pilot's back, and one accidentally inflates during a mission today. Lt. Heinz Escherhaus of 1./JG 77 is forced forward against the throttle, which blows out the engine and forcing him to force-land in Kent. It is the only recorded incident of a plane being brought down by a dinghy.

RAF No. 309 (Polish) Squadron begins forming at RAF Renfrew near Glasgow. The unit has used Westland Lysander Mk III two-seater reconnaissance planes.

Wing Commander John Harvey Hutchinson hits a barrage balloon cable at Langley, crashes and perishes.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command is active during the night over the north German ports of Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. It makes other raids over various other places in northwest Europe, including the Channel ports. During the night, 17 bombers take off from Waddington, Lincolnshire to attack the Tirpitz under construction, with no effect.

A boy sits amid the ruins of a London bookshop following an air raid, reading a book titled "The History of London." October 8, 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: German raider Thor, operating in the South Atlantic, spots 8715-ton British refrigeration ship Natia. Using its deck guns, the Thor disables the ship quickly, though the Natia gets off radio messages with its position. One (maybe two) of the crew is killed, the other 84 survive and are taken as prisoners. The Thor now is overloaded with 386 prisoners, outnumbering the crew and putting a strain on its supplies.

U-58 (Oblt. zur See Heinrich Schonder), on her 11th patrol heading from Lorient to her new base at Bergen, spots the 4956-ton British freighter Cornfield, which is a straggler from Convoy HX 76, west of the Outer Hebrides (straggler due to issues with her cargo shifting). The U-boat torpedoes the Cornfield, causing the crew to abandon ship. There are 36 survivors, and one crewman perishes. The Cornfield stays afloat and eventually is spotted by Royal Navy sloop HMS Weston, which takes aboard the survivors (along with HMS Periwinkle). The Weston uses its deck gun to sink this hazard to navigation on the 9th.

The Luftwaffe bombs 839-ton British freighter Bellona II about 4 miles (7 km) off Gordoun, Kincardineshire. The crew abandons ship and there are 18 survivors, while 9 perish. The Bellona II is full of ice (300 tons) in order to bring fish back from Iceland, and three fish workers are among the dead. The ship is a total loss, but, perhaps buoyed by the ice, the derelict eventually drifts ashore at Streathlethan Bay, Aberdeenshire.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 451 ton Royal Navy barrage balloon vessel HMS Borealis about 4 miles (7 km) south of the Isle of Wight. The Borealis is Dutch vessel leased after the fall of Holland.

German 222 ton trawler Hecht is sunk "by enemy action." I can't find much on this one.

British submarine HMS Trident spots U-31 transiting from its French base in France and fires torpedoes at it, but they miss. The two submarines then exchange gunfire, with the U-31 lightly damaged.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages troopship 20,043-ton troopship Oronsay, which is traveling with Convoy WS 3. The liner makes it back to Lough Foyle.

Royal Navy gunboat HMS Locust hits a mine north of northwest Shingles Beacon and is seriously damaged. She makes it to Tilbury in tow.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Kellet is involved in a collision in the West Pier at Granton. The Kellet makes it back to Rosyth for repairs.

Convoy FN 303 departs from Southend, Convoy OA 226 departs from Methil, Convoy HX 79 departs from Halifax.

U-107 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Hessler) is commissioned.

King's College London quad after the 8 October 1940 bombing. The crater is 27 feet deep and 58 feet long.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy fleet based at Alexandria, led by battleships HMS Warspite, Valiant, Malaya, and Ramillies and aircraft carriers Eagle and Illustrious, sorties to cover convoy MF 3. This is Operation MB 6, a supply operation to Malta. A submarine spots HMS Malaya and fires a torpedo at it, but the range is too great and falls short (spotted by destroyer HMS Hyperion). The Italian fleet, including four battleships, also is at sea but is unaware of the British fleet.

The RAF bombs Italian bases at Sollum and Bardia in Libya, and also at Aden and Assab.

At Malta, there is an air raid around Delimara at 19:35, but most of the bombers drop their ordnance at sea or at random. Two bombers are brought down.

Battle of the Pacific: German raiders Orion and Komet meet and begin operating together.

Anglo/Japanese Relations: The British re-open the Burma road (Lashio, Burma to Kunming, China). It has been closed pursuant to an agreement between the Japanese and the British since July. Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government needs supplies along that route, and the Japanese would greatly prefer that it remain closed.

Anglo/US Relations: Another tranche of destroyers is transferred from the US Navy to the Royal Navy pursuant to the destroyers for bases deal. These destroyers are in US Destroyer Divisions 68 and 71:

• USS Satterlee -> HMS Belmont
• USS Mason -> HMS Broadwater
• USS Hunt -> HMS Broadway
• USS Branch -> HMS Beverley
• USS Aulick -> HMS Burnham
• USS Laub -> HMS Burwell
• USS McLanahan -> HMS Bradford
• USS Edward -> HMS Buxton

Separately, British scientist Henry Tizard returns from the US to England.

German/Romanian Relations: German troops pour across the Romanian border - with the acquiescence of Ion Antonescu - to occupy various key points throughout the country. Their ostensible mission is to train Romanian troops - which don't really need much training. However, the Germans (Hitler) want them there to protect the oil fields (from the Soviets and British sabotage), while Antonescu wants them there to tighten ties with Germany and protect the country - which has been losing territory to all of its neighbors - from the Soviets. Many accounts state that the Germans now "occupy" Romania, but that is an immense exaggeration - they only secure specific points important to Hitler and, presumably, Antonescu.

US/Japanese Relations: The US State Department, reacting to the Tripartite Agreement between Japan, Germany, and Italy, issues an advisory for all US citizens in the Far East to return to the United States.

US Military: Naval Reserve Officers graduating from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps are now commissioned in the regular Navy.

British Military: Already a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order since 23 January 1937, Air Marshal Hugh Dowding becomes a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

Free France: General de Gaulle meets with General LeClerc in Cameroon. They discuss using the territory to conduct air attacks on the Italians in North Africa. There remains a strong Vichy French presence throughout the region.

French Indochina: Inspector General of Colonies Cazaux sends a telegram to General de Gaulle indicating his sympathies for Free France. However, at this point, General de Gaulle has no ability to take advantage of this, and French Indochina is dominated by the Japanese.

American Homefront: "The Long Voyage Home," starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford, premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City.

The Cincinnati Reds win the World Series 4 games to 3 over the Detroit Tigers, winning 2-1. This is a very rare case of a team coming back from a 3-2 deficit in games to win.

Aerial view of Spartan Stadium in San Jose in 1940, looking north. Spartan Stadium is in the foreground, surrounded by open land. Collection: Historic Photograph Collection (SJPL California Room). October 8, 1940.

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

2020

Friday 2 August 1940

Using a bomb trolley to load up a Handley Page Hampden, 2 August 1940.

Battle of Britain: The rainy summer of 1940 continues its wayward way on 2 August 1940, with low cloud cover and occasional light rain over southern England. The Luftwaffe sends over small attacks on Forth Bridge in Scotland, Halton and Christchurch in Hampshire, and mining operations along the east coast.

Both sides lose planes for a variety of causes. Several Luftwaffe bombers fail to return for unknown reasons. The RAF losses, on the other hand, are a sign of a strained air force. For instance, a Spitfire of RAF No. 504 Squadron flips over on take-off at Hornchurch, a Blenheim bomber of RAF No. 219 Squadron overshoots the runway at Leeming airfield, and a Spitfire crashes on take-off whilst on night patrol at Rochford Airfield, killing pilot Squadron leader Cecil Sawyer of No. 65 Squadron. Pilots are tired, training hours have been cut, there are insufficient lighting and support for night operations, and sorties must be conducted despite extreme conditions that would never be tolerated in peacetime.

The official tally from some sources is four lost RAF planes with two pilots lost, and about a dozen Luftwaffe planes lost with 19 pilots missing or dead. However, aircraft losses during the Battle of Britain are an extremely sensitive topic, and also can be imprecise for very innocent reasons. For instance: do you count losses during the RAF bomber raids on the Continent, "accidental" losses, planes which land but are greatly damaged? If so, the figures shift appreciably.

A group of Heinkel He 111s attack shipping off Yarmouth, but are shooed away by Spitfires of RAF No. 19 Squadron based at Duxford.

A formation of Heinkel He 115 seaplanes later attacks the freighter Highlander off Stonehaven. The planes make strafing runs when their bombs miss, and one of them accidentally hits the ship in an unintended Kamikaze-style incident, spinning onto its poop deck after striking a lifeboat davit. The Highlander is only lightly damaged and returns to port with a largely intact He 115 on its deck. The formation also loses another plane to anti-aircraft fire from escort sloop HMS Weston. It is unknown what happened to the crews.

At night, the Luftwaffe continues its pattern of sending an assortment of solo raiders. The raids focus on the west coast of England and Wales and the midlands. There is minelaying in the usual spots such as the Thames Estuary, Aberdeen and elsewhere along the northeast coast, and East Anglia.

While planes do not attack London, some do come into the central area there (known as the London Artillery Zone) apparently for reconnaissance purposes. Swansea gets hits, causing five casualties. The Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton, a favorite Luftwaffe target, is bombed.

There are some isolated German successes. The Luftwaffe sinks Royal Navy anti-submarine trawler HMS Cape Finisterre traveling in a convoy off Harwich. One crewman perishes.

The Luftwaffe badly damages 8006 British freighter City of Brisbane in the Thames Estuary. Run aground to keep it from sinking, the freighter blazes for days. There are 8 deaths.

RAF Bomber Command attacks the Channel Ports with Blenheim bombers, losing several planes. Victory claims are filed by pilots from 4,/JG54, 7,/JG54 and I,/JG2. Bomber Command also launches daylight raids on airfields and oil installations across northwest Europe.

RAF No. 303 (Polish "Kosciuszko") Squadron forms at Northolt from personnel of No. 111 and 112 Squadrons of the Pursuit Brigade. It is the second "Polish" Squadron (that is an informal, not RAF, designation). These "foreign" squadrons are not popular with the top RAF brass due to the unknown quality of their pilots, but they perform quite well. In fact, some consider the Polish Squadrons to be the most effective in the entire RAF. One of 303 Squadron's pilots, Sgt. Josef Frantisek officially joins the RAF and becomes a top ace.

Luftwaffe planes continue dropping copies of Adolf Hitler's 19 July 1940 "Last Appeal to Reason" speech. These at the time are becoming souvenirs and conversation pieces, and over time have become collector's items.

Sgt Eugeniusz Szaposznikow (far right) and others of No 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF at RAF Northolt at its formation on 2 August 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Hurry, the Royal Navy plan to ferry a dozen Hurricane fighters on carrier HMS Argus to Malta with Force H out of Gibraltar, is in motion under the command of Admiral Somerville. The overall operation is one of the most complex undertakings of the war, as the Admiralty is extremely cautious about entering into the Mediterranean with capital ships given Italian air and naval dominance (not to mention possible Vichy French attacks). A diversionary sortie by Admiral Andrew Cunningham's fleet in Alexandria also is at sea, with feints toward the Italian island of Kastellorizo and various points in the Aegean.

The large flotilla of ships in Force H (including battlecruiser HMS Hood, battleships HMS Valiant and Resolution, two cruisers and many destroyers) is at a vulnerable point south of Sardinia. At 02:30, the Argus launches the Hurricanes. As part of the diversionary strategy that includes Operation Spark off Minorca, the Ark Royal attempts to send nine torpedo bombers to attack shipping and airfields around Cagliari at the same time. However, the weather closes in and one plane is lost with its crew, scrubbing the mission until daylight. Several hours later, the attack proceeds, scoring hits on airfields and laying mines despite the intense anti-aircraft fire. They lose one more Swordfish.

The Hurricanes fly off and reach Hal Far airfield Malta around 08:30, greatly strengthening the island's defenses. One Hurricane crashes near the field with engine failure, and the airfield's commander personally drives at madcap speed to the scene and rescues the pilot, Pilot/Sergeant F N Robertson of 66 Squadron. An escorting Skua also crashes on landing but later returns to operation.

The Hurricanes from RAF No. 261 Squadron. Separately, the British submarines HMS Proteus and Pandora arrive in Malta with crews for anti-aircraft guns. There are no air raids during the day, the Regia Aeronautica perhaps distracted by the diversionary operations conducted by the Royal Navy throughout the Mediterranean.

Force H, its mission complete, scrambles back to Gibraltar, pursued fruitlessly by 8 Italian submarines. Some of its ships, including the battleships and HMS Hood, split off for further operations.

23-year-old P/O Witold "Tolo" Łokuciewski upon joining RAF No. 303 Squadron, 2 August 1940. He was among the "Four Musketeers," along with P/O Jan EL "Johnny" Zumbach, P/O Jan KM "Long Joe" Daszewski and P/O Mirosław "Ox" Ferić.

Battle of the Atlantic: Around this date, U-25 hits a mine and sinks off the coast of Norway. The Minefield had been laid by Royal Navy destroyers HMS Esk, Express, Icarus and Impulse. Called Barrage Field No. 7, it is expressly situated in the path of U-boats transiting from Bergen. U-25 is a small Type IA U-boat, not really up to current standards. All 49 men on board perish.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Thames is sunk around this date by a mine (exact dates for these types of incidents are uncertain).
The 94-ton British tug Embrace runs around off the western Scottish coast and is lost.

A Lockheed Hudson from RAF No. 220 Squadron spots U-37 and U-38 together on the surface in the North Sea at 15:08. It attacks without results. In addition, about an hour later after the U-boats split up, Royal Navy submarine O-21 spots one of them and fires two torpedoes at them from extremely long-range, missing.

Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer in U-99 stalks Convoy OB 191 in the Atlantic about 340 miles west of Ireland throughout the day. He has success, but heroic efforts by his victims' crews prevent him from gaining victories.

U-99 torpedoes Norwegian tanker Strinda amidships at 02:51. The crew abandons ship in the dark but reboards it four hours later after the morning light shows it still afloat. They manage to re-start the engines and bring the tanker to port. Tankers are difficult to sink due to their inherent design.

U-99 then torpedoes at 03:43 the tanker Lucerna. Kretschmer surfaces and shells the ship with gunfire when it doesn't sink quickly. However, the tanker manages to elude the U-boat and later makes port.

U-99 then tries again and torpedoes tanker Alexia. The same pattern asserts itself, with the tanker badly damaged but remaining afloat. Once again, Kretschmer surfaces to shell the ship, but it also remains afloat and proceeds on its way.

Convoy FN 240 departs from Southend, Convoy MT 128 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 239 departs from the Tyne, Convoy OG 40 departs from Liverpool, Convoys SL 42 and SLF 42 depart from Freetown.

The Royal Navy reorganizes its Home Fleet destroyers into four flotillas (Destroyer Flotillas 3, 4, 6 and 12) of about 7-8 destroyers each.

British corvette HMS Peony (K 40, Lt. Commander Martyn B. Sherwood) is commissioned.

Hurricanes of RAF No 32 Squadron fly into Biggin Hill,  August 1940.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Kriegsmarine raider Atlantis, disguised as Dutch freighter Tarifa, captures 6732-ton Norwegian freighter Talleyrand, uses it as a target ship, and eventually scuttles it. The 36-man crew becomes POWs.

The RAF bombs Italian positions at Zula, Eritrea and other locales in the vicinity.

US Government: President Roosevelt and his cabinet bruit about ways to transfer 50 or 60 destroyers to the British, which all agree is necessary and proper. It is all about finding some legal way to do it.

President Roosevelt says that the draft is necessary because there is a "real possibility the US will soon have to fight alone."

General Spaatz meets with "Wild Bill" Donovan in London about the status of the Battle of Britain.

Soviet/German Relations: Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov confirms the alliance with Germany despite strains in the relationship over Soviet territory grabs in Romania and various issues over trade.

German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop asks the German Ambassador to Moscow, Count von Schulenburg, to ask Molotov what it would be willing to give up in exchange for its desire (expressed on 13 July to the ambassador) to retain the strip of Lithuanian territory allocated to Germany under the secret protocols of the Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact of 23 August 1939.

German Government: Abwehr chief Admiral Canaris, back from his visit to Spain, discusses the prospects for invading Gibraltar with General Keitel (Operation Felix).

British Government: Canadian businessman William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook ("Lord Beaverbrook"), Minister of Supply for Aircraft Production, joins Prime Minister Winston Churchill's inner "War Cabinet."

"Photoflash" reconnaissance shows that RAF bombing accuracy is extremely poor. This is a subject that will occupy a lot of staff work and study during the war. The Luftwaffe's accuracy also is poor when the target is isolated factories and other industrial targets rather than large cities.

Vichy France: The trial against Free French General Charles de Gaulle concludes with a death sentence. They also seize his property.

Strict rationing imposed due to the British blockade.

Luxembourg: Germany appoints a civilian administrator over Luxembourg to replace the military governor.

USSR: The Moldavian SSR is formed from former Romanian territory in Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.

Holocaust: The restrictions on German Jews continue growing. Jewish Germans are now banned from owning telephones and may shop during certain hours in the afternoon. Jewish hospitals are not allowed to paint a red cross on the roof to deter bombing. The ironic thing from the German point of view is that many non-Jewish German citizens suffer due to such petty and ridiculous laws.

French soldiers pose for a tourist snapshot in front of the Arc de Triomphe some time during August 1940.

August 1940

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

2020