Friday 22 August 1941

General Heinz Guderian at a forward headquarters of a panzer unit, August 1941 (Huschke, Federal Archive, Bild 183-L19885).

Eastern Front: On 22 August 1941, having received the Fuhrer Directive of 20 August 1941 which provides that Moscow is not a top priority, OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder writes in his war diary that "It is decisive for the outcome of this campaign." The directive provides that

The principal objects that must be achieved yet before the onset of winter is not the capture of Moscow but rather, in the South, the occupation of the Crimea and the industrial and coal region of the Donets, together with isolation of the Russian oil regions in the Caucasus and, in the North, the encirclement of Leningrad and junction with the Finns.

Field Marshal von Bock, commander of Army Group Center, calls Halder in the afternoon and once again, as he has many times in the past, complains that he must remain on the offensive in order to "maintain his front." However, all across the 2000-mile Eastern Front, the German advance has slowed to a crawl.

Finnish and Waffen-SS troops heading to the front near Kiestinki on or about 22 August 1941 (sources vary on the date of this photo). Note the soldiers in SS camouflage on the right with Suomi KP-31.

In the Far North sector, the Finns continue advancing on the Karelian Isthmus as the Soviet defenders have trouble forming a defensive line. Having captured the town of Käkisalmi (Priozersk) on the northwest shore of Lake Ladoga on 21 August, the Finns advance toward the village of Taipale, which had been the scene of a fierce battle in December 1939. Much farther to the north, Finnish Group J resumes its offensive toward Ukhta (Kalevala) on the shores of Ozero Sredneye Kuyto lake. The most important Finnish advance in a strategic sense - toward the Murmansk railway line at Loukhi - is bogged down as both sides have fed in reinforcements.

"Jewish women forced to sweep the streets of Riga after its fall to the Germans, 22 August 1941. Note they are already forced to wear Star of David patches on their clothes." © IWM (HU 8966).

In the Army Group North sector,  the Germans advance south of Lake Ilmen. General Erich von Manstein's LVI Corps reaches the Lovat River and pushes into the Valdai Hills.

In the Army Group Center sector, there are minor attacks on both sides as the German formations regroup after recent successes. Panzer Group 3 (General Hoth), back in action after refitting, advances toward Velikiye Luki.

In the Army Group South sector, German troops occupy Cherkasy after hard fighting. There also is hard fighting at Dnepropetrovsk. German Sixth Army continues to pursue the retreating Soviet Fifth Army around Kyiv. Panzer Group 1 continues advancing into and occupying the Dneipr bend. Soviet 9th Army and 18th Army withdraw behind the Dneipr River. In an unusual incident, large elements of Soviet 436th Infantry Regiment of 155th Rifle Division deserts to the Germans and is reformed eventually as the Don Cossack unit within the Wehrmacht.

"A Jewish woman forced to sweep the streets of Riga after its fall to the Germans, 22 August 1941. Note she is already forced to wear a Star of David patch on her clothes." © IWM (HU 8967).

European Air Operations: After several quiet days, the RAF gets back into action today. During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 18 Blenheim bombers on a routine coastal sweep from France to the Netherlands without incident. After dark, the RAF sends 56 Wellington bombers and 41 Hampdens to Mannheim. At a cost of 1 Hampden, the bombers start many fires in the city. One house is destroyed and five are badly damaged. There is one casualty, an air-raid officer hurt in a truck accident on his way to the scene of some damage. In addition to the Mannheim raid, 23 RAF bombers (11 Whitleys, 10 Wellingtons, and 2 Stirlings) raid Le Havre without loss.

Irish freighter Clonlara is torpedoed and sunk on 22 August 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-564 (KrvKpt. Reinhard Suhren), on its second patrol out of Brest, is operating in the sea lanes west of Port, Portugal when it spots Convoy OG-71. Two ships are hit and sink:

• 484-ton British freighter Empire Oak (13 dead, 8 survivors)
• 1203-ton Irish freighter Clonlara (6 dead, 13 survivors)

In one of those tragedies that happened often along the convoy routes, six of the 13 lost on the Empire Oak were survivors from an earlier sinking from freighter Aguila that the ship had picked up at sea on the 19th. Eleven other survivors from another sunk freighter, Alva, however, survive and are taken aboard corvette HMS Campanula.

U-564 also notifies U-boat command (BdH) of the location of Convoy OG-71, which directs U-201 to the vicinity. In addition, eight Junkers Ju-88 bombers attack, led by (Hptm Heßling), who is killed as a result of the attack.

Royal Navy submarine Trident (Cdr Sladen) torpedoes and sinks 3030-ton German troopship Ostpreußen north of Tromsö in the Kvanangenfjord, Norway.

HMS Tonbridge bombed and sunk on 22 August 1941 by the Luftwaffe.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 683-ton Royal Navy net-layer Tonbridge just off near Scroby Elbow Buoy off Yarmouth. There are 35 deaths.

At Reykjavik, US destroyer USS Charles F. Hughes (DD-428) collides with 5445-ton British freighter Chumleigh and is damaged.

Soviet cargo/liner Pomorie hits a mine and sinks in the White Sea off of Kandalaksha. There are 20 survivors and 60 deaths (accounts vary).

Soviet Submarines D-3 and M-172 (Lt. Cdr. Israel Fisnovich) are on patrol off the coast near Petsamo Fjord. M-172 attempts an attack on German hospital ship Alexander von Humbolde - which would be a war crime under most interpretations of international law - but misses.

After having been damaged by its own torpedoes on 21 August, Free French submarine Rubis gets a message to the Admiralty about its situation. The Admiralty directs several warships to go to its aid off the Norwegian coast.

The government of Brazil seizes 23,861-ton Italian liner Conte Grande at Santos, Brazil. The ship eventually is converted into US troopship USS Monticello (AP-61).

After undergoing repairs in the United States, battleship HMS Rodney departs from Newport, Rhode Island on a working-up cruise.

Royal Navy minesweeper Agamemnon lays minefield SN-22B in the North Sea.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Snowflake and minesweeper Worthing are launched.

Canadian minesweeper HMCS Clayoquot (J-174, Lt. George A. V. Thomson) is commissioned and minesweeper Lockeport is launched.

Australian auxiliary minesweeper HMAS Birchgrove Park is commissioned, destroyer HMAS Derwent is launched.

German Merchant Ostpreussen torpedoed and sunk by HMS Trident on 22 August 1941 north of Tromsö in the Kvanangenfjord.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder attacks an Italian convoy between Palermo and Tripoli. Upholder sinks 3958-ton Italian transport Lussin near Cape St. Vito.

Operation Treacle, the replacement of Australian troops at Tobruk by Polish units of the Carpathian Brigade, continues. Destroyers Hasty, Jervis, and Kimberley and minelaying cruiser Abdiel carry troops successfully to Tobruk and return to Alexandria without incident.

The Luftwaffe bombs Tobruk and damages 1009-ton Greek freighter Lesbos.

Italian 5232-ton tanker Strombo, previously torpedoed in the Zea Channel on 10 July 1941 by Royal Navy submarine Torbay, is completely destroyed in an explosion in Skaramanga Bay.

Royal Navy minelaying cruiser Manxman departs from Gibraltar as part of Operation Mincemeat. Its objective is to lay mines in the Gulf of Genoa in the Livorno area.

Australian destroyer Stuart returns to Australia from Alexandria due to engine problems that require repair. It arrives in Fremantle, Australia on 16 September. Due to its departure, 10th Destroyer Flotilla (known as the "Scrap Iron Flotilla") of the Mediterranean Fleet disbands.

Royal Navy submarine P-33 is reported officially missing at Malta after failing to return from its patrol on 21 August.

RAF Maryland bombers patrol over Lampedusa and attack shore targets, destroying some vehicles.

Italian transport Lussin, sunk on 22 August 1941 by HMS Upholder.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Panamanian freighter Cascade catches fire and sinks in the Bay of Bengal off Sandeads, India.

Partisans: Repercussions from the assassination in Paris at the Barbes-Rochechouart railway station continue. Otto von Stülpnagel signs a decree stating that any further incidents will result in the reprisal killing of French hostages who have committed any crimes whatsoever.

A German soldier ties the hands of partisan Franc Sešek of Bukovica prior to being shot by the Germans on Mala Poljana mountain in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, 22 August 1941.

War Crimes: At least one Waffen SS unit is ordered to execute Soviet prisoners in reprisal for "inhuman atrocities" committed by Soviet troops. By one account (that in the published memoirs of Erich Stahl), 4000 Soviet POWs are executed within a few days. As with executions of Jews and others, the POWs are lined up in front of pits eight at a time and shot, with the POWs falling into the pit and quickly replaced by 8 more POWs.

US/Japanese Relations: Talks between the Japanese and Germans continue, shielded from both the public and allies. The Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs informs Ambassador Joseph Grew in Tokyo that the Germans have made inquiries about the nature of the talks. The Japanese tell Grew that they told the Germans that they were simply talking about "specific cases of difficulties experienced by Americans in Japan and China," which is not the case. Grew further notes in a separate wire that the bellicose statements by the United States press about the "encirclement" of Japan by the Allies are having a negative effect on talks.

US Military: The US Marine Detachment, 1st defense Battalion, arrives at Wake Island from Oahu, Hawaii.

Major General Adna R. Chaffee Jr., sometimes called the "Father of the Armored Force, passes away in Boston, Massachusetts of cancer at the age of 56. The M24 Chaffee light tank will be named in his honor, and also Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.

Italian tanker Strombo, sunk on 22 August 1941.

Soviet Military: The military high command, Stavka, forms Soviet Karelia Front, commanded by General Frolov, and Leningrad Front, commanded by Vasily Popov (whose Northern Front is disbanded). At Leningrad, Popov controls 8th, 23rd, and 48th Armies.

Joseph Stalin decrees that Red Army soldiers should receive 100 grams of vodka each per day.

Romanian Military: King Michael promotes Romanian leader Ion Antonescu to the rank of Field Marshal.

Vichy French Military: The third convoy of French troops being repatriated to France departs from Haifa. It carries 4952 troops.

Japanese Military: The Imperial Japanese Navy begins converting 10,383-ton oiler Kuroshio Maru into a warship at Tama Zosen shipyard.

US Military: Thomas Richard Pardue of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Battalion begins the "A" Company Diary. It lasts until 10 November 1945. "Start: 22 August 41. Cpt. Billingalea first Commander of Company “A”, Deavours as 1st Sgt. and company completed by other volunteers."

Farmers at Tregear Farm, Nanstallon, Cornwall on 22 August 1941.

Danish Homefront: The German occupation authorities pass the "Communist Law," which bans the Communist Party of Denmark and all other communist organizations.

American Homefront: In Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees have a 15-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the American League, while in the National League the Brooklyn Dodgers maintain a one-and-a-half game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Future History: Duane Charles Parcells is born in Englewood, New Jersey. He plays football in college at Colgate University and the University of Wichita (later Wichita State University) and is drafted by the Detroit Lions. However, he does not make the team and goes into coaching instead. As Bill Parcells, he goes on to a top coaching career at the college level and then, beginning in 1979, with the National Football League. Parcells becomes the head coach of the New York Giants, the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, the Dallas Cowboy. Among his other accomplishments, Bill Parcells is the first NFL head coach to guide four different teams to the playoffs. Bill Parcells remains involved with the NFL, and at the time of this writing, he is a courtesy consultant with the Cleveland Browns.

The wedding of Leading Seaman Nils Henry Wiig, RNN, a Norwegian sailor to Miss Ivy May, 22 August 1941 (© IWM (A 5216)).

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

2020

Sunday 6 October 1940

The great Legionnaire (Iron Guard) manifestation in Bucharest, October 6,1940.

Overview: Both sides have incidents of Friendly Fire on 6 October 1940 that unnecessarily take the lives of men simply doing their jobs in a routine way. These things happen in war, and they happened a lot more during World War II than either side ever acknowledged until many years later.

Battle of Britain: The poor weather returns, with more clouds and rain over England. In fact, the Luftwaffe actually begins a large raid at one point, but it turns back due to the weather. Instead, the day is characterized by lone "pirate" raiders conducted by specially trained crews who make hit-and-run raids on selected targets.

Late in the morning, a raider bombs Middle Wallop, while at 12:45 it is the turn of RAF Biggin Hill. Another raid on Eastbourne damages gas/water lines.

The Luftwaffe attacks the same convoy at 13:30 and then again an hour later. This is the largest raid of the day, with maybe a dozen bombers, but it accomplishes nothing. At 16:19, a bomber from Chartres starts to come across but turns back. A little while later, a Junkers Ju 88 strafes RAF White Waltham and Farnborough, and a bomber scores some minor hits on the Hawker Aircraft Factory at Stough. Another strafing attack on RAF Northolt catches a Hurricane about to take off and destroys it and kills the pilot, while the Junkers Ju 88 is hunted down and destroyed at Leatherhead, Surrey. Other attacks during the afternoon take place at Biggin Hill and Croydon.

London does have a few minor attacks during the day, but after dark, everything is very quiet. An occasional bomber crosses over, such as one at 20:00 and another at 21:00, but they don't accomplish much. There are a couple of more lone raiders before midnight, then the remainder of the night is peaceful.

Overall, losses are in the single digits for both sides. The RAF loses two planes, and the Luftwaffe about nine.

An airman refueling a Hawker Hurricane I aircraft of No. 1 (F) Squadron, RCAF. Northolt, England, October 6, 1940. Photographer unknown.

The RAF suffers a friendly fire incident when a Hampden bomber of RAF No. 106 Squadron shuttling between bases on a quiet day is mistakenly attacked by a pair of Hurricanes. A quick burst of fire kills the bomber's navigator, Sgt K.S Powers, but then the Hurricane pilots recognize their mistake. The bomber lands intact and without any great damage, but the man is dead. These kinds of things can happen on days of low visibility such as this, but generally, there is little tolerance for such incidents within the RAF. The Hurricane pilots hear about it with great emphasis from their commander when they land.

Sergeant Frederick Fenton Vinyard, flying a Spitfire for RAF No. 64 Squadron, has some kind of mechanical or weather issue and crashes into the sea near Beverley, Yorkshire. It is a typical incident, no glory, an accident, just another casualty of the war. However, sometimes we remember an individual now and then. His name is listed at the Air Forces Memorial, or Runnymede Memorial, in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England.

Hauptmann Helmut Wick receives the Oak Leaves for his 40th victory on the 5th.

Oblt. Werner Streib, Gruppenkommanduer of I./NJG 1 is awarded the Ritterkruez. He is instrumental in developing the Luftwaffe's night fighter force.

Perhaps the biggest news of the day is that the Luftwaffe has a new version of the Bf 109 to play with. Geschwaderkommodore Werner Mölders of JG 51, the top scorer in the battle, is given the honor of being the first to fly the new Bf 109 F-1 WNr. 5628 'SG+GW' in action. The weather is so bad that he makes no interceptions.

European Air Operations: During the day, RAF Bomber Command bombs several ports along the Channel coast, including Boulogne, Calais, and Ostend. along with the airfield at Diepholz. Coastal Command attacks a German convoy off the Dutch coast and loses a Hudson.

HMS Poulmic.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle), U-103 (Kptl. Viktor Schütze)  and U-37 (Victor Oehrn) are all operating in the general area of the trade routes about 400 miles west of Ireland. This is becoming a favored spot by the U-boats based in France and Norway.

U-123 torpedoes and sinks 5943-ton British cargo ship Benlawers at 13:04. The Benlawers is loaded with trucks and other goods destined for British forces at Cairo. There are 27 survivors and 24 men perish. The Benlawers is a straggler from Convoy OB 221.

U-103 torpedoes and sinks 6123-ton Norwegian tanker Nina Borthen in the same general area as U-123's success at 22:04. The tanker refuses to sink, so the U-boat puts two more torpedoes into it at 22:14 and 22:38 - but it remains afloat. Finally, a fourth torpedo at 23:30 does the trick. There are no survivors, all 35 onboard perish. The Nina Borthen had been dispersed from Convoy OA 222.

U-37 (Kplt. Victor Oehrn), also operating in the same area, spots 6989-ton British tanker British General. Tankers are notoriously difficult for U-boats to sink due to their internal structures, and the British General has deck guns. The tanker also is empty, which gives its crew some flexibility in counter-flooding. U-37 puts one torpedo into it at 18:55 and the second at 23:10, but the tanker remains afloat and the U-boat cannot surface to use its deck gun due to the British General's armament. This is one instance where a deck gun plays a vital role in assuring a merchant ship's survival for a while. The ship remains afloat as the day ends, but the U-37 is waiting patiently to finish it off. The British General has been dispersed from Convoy OA 222.

British 910 ton freighter Jersey Queen hits a mine laid by German destroyers and sinks a couple of miles from St. Anthony Point in the English Channel. Two crewmen perish. This sinking is uncertain, and some sources claim it was sunk by the Luftwaffe.

British 300 ton auxiliary minesweeper HMS Poulmic (Le Poulmic, seized from France) also hits a mine and sinks in the same general area off Penlee Point, Cornwall. Divers describe the wreck - a popular dive spot - as being all strewn about as if caused by a particularly violent explosion.

British 84 ton coastal freighter Scotch Thistle runs aground in the Thames Estuary and is written off.

Swedish trawler Hugin hits a mine and sinks in the Skagerak.

Convoys OA 225 and Convoy FS 302 depart from Methil, Convoy FN 301 departs from Southend, Convoy OL 6 departs from Liverpool.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, as he is wont to do, conducts a surprise snap inspection of army units in northern Italy. The Roman press drops hints about "big things" in the offing.

Italian submarine Tricheco mistakes her fellow submarine Gemma for an enemy and torpedoes and sinks it five miles south of Karpathos (near Leros) in the Dodecanese. Everyone aboard perishes. The Italian Naval Command (Supermarina) fails at notifying both crews of the others' presence.

Yugoslavian 1919 ton freighter Vido hits a mine about 18 km off of Sulina, Romania in the Black Sea. The crew beaches the ship.

At Malta, there are no air raids, continuing a lengthy pause in operations. There are various patrols by Short Sunderland Flying Boats that spot an Italian hospital ship and a Greek freighter, but otherwise, it is a very uneventful day.

Anglo/US Relations: The US destroyers that arrived in Halifax on the 5th are turned over to the Royal Navy pursuant to the destroyers-for-bases deal.

• USS Branch -> HMS Beverley, 
• USS Hunt -> HMS Broadway, 
• USS Mason -> the HMS Broadwater, 
• USS Satterlee -> HMS Belmont, 
• USS Laub -> HMS Burwell, 
• USS Aulick -> HMS Burnham, 
• USS Edwards -> HMS Buxton, and 
• USS McLanahan -> HMS Bradford.

Horia Sima, Antonescu and King Michael I of Romania, 1940

Romania: Ion Antonescu presides over a massive rally by the Iron Guard in Budapest. He thereby skillfully creates the appearance of being in charge of the Iron Guard, when in fact that position is still held by Horia Sima. In fact, Antonescu, for now, continues a relatively moderate policy of tolerating the opposition parties (PNT and PNL) without massive reprisals or persecutions.

The Iron Guard pledges allegiance to Antonescu and Sima. The Iron Guard has gained a poor historical reputation for fascism and violence, but at least its ethos has a mystical, heroic quality that transcends current politics:

Walk only on the path of honour. Fight and never exhibit cowardice. Leave to lesser men the ways of infamy. Better to fall in battle, struggling on the path of honour, than to win the battle through the ways of infamy.

 - Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, leader of the Iron Guard in "Cărticica şefului de cuib."

American Homefront: Game 5 of the World Series. The Detroit Tigers win, 8-0, and lead the series 3-2 (best of 7).

The Tigers' Dick Bartell heads home in the first inning of Game 5 of the World Series. Center fielder Mike McCormick throws him out.

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 6 September 1940

Faith, the church cat at St. Augustine's in London. On 6 September, 1940, Faith moves her newborn kitten Panda from a comfortable upper floor to the cold basement. The next day, the Blitz begins and the church is flattened. Faith survives in the basement - as does Panda. Faith receives a medal for "steadfast courage in the Battle of London."

British Military: The Home Forces Headquarters under General Sir Alan Brooke on 6 September 1940 issues preliminary Alert No. 3. It cautions that an invasion is probable within three days.

Air Vice-Marshal Dowding does something that the Germans will have to do in a few years: he begins categorizing Fighter Command units by their level of combat-worthiness. In an alphabetical scheme, "A" units are those in the front line, "B" units are those held in reserve for the "A" units, and "C" units are those which are no longer fit for combat. This kind of categorization is a sign of a military on the verge of collapse, as losses in some units simply cannot be made up with the resources available. It is military triage, with assets moved to the units in the best shape and those in the worst shape not helped.

Dowding cannot know it, but today, 6 September 1940, is the Luftwaffe's peak in the Battle of Britain.

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding accompanying HRH King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on an inspection tour, September 1940.

German Military: Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, operating from his command train Asia parked near Cap Gris Nez, announces that he is taking personal command of Luftwaffe operations against England. He makes a radio broadcast during the evening stating this and adds, and not in a shy way, that it is a "historic" moment. This is because Hitler has decided to retaliate against the attacks on Berlin with a "mighty blow" against London. Goering, of course, wants to be seen as being in charge of this "mighty blow."

One must assume that Goering makes such a big show of taking command today because he assumes the Battle of Britain is all but won. All that remains is the Luftwaffe's destruction of English cities against diminishing RAF operation - he would never act so boldly and publicly if he thought the Luftwaffe was in any danger of losing the battle.

In fact, the decision to bomb London that he announces a few breaths later assures the Luftwaffe's ultimate defeat. This is a major turning point in World War II.

Battle of Britain: The RAF bombs Berlin during the night and this is an obvious attempt to bait Hitler into retaliating. There is fine weather, which leads to a full day of air combat.

The first Luftwaffe attacks are at 08:00 when a Freie Jagd (bomber-less group) of Bf-109s attack industrial targets at Weybridge. RAF No. 609 Squadron tries to intercept, but can't find the Germans. Then, when the squadron returns to base, Bf 110s appear and bomb the Hawker factory at Brooklands, causing minor damage.

About an hour later, between 09:00 and 10:00, a huge Luftwaffe force of about 300 planes crosses the coastline around Dover. As usual, the planes split up to hit different targets, such as the Thames estuary region and points further up the river. The Germans attack the usual airfields, including Biggin Hill, North Weald, Kenley, Maidstone, Turnbridge Wells, and Rochester. The burning oil installations at Thameshaven hit on the 5th attract further attacks, and they are easy to find due to the smoke arising from them. RAF No. 303 Squadron has a very bad encounter with Bf 109s of III,/JG 27 around this time, losing seven Hurricanes.

During the early afternoon, another large attack, almost as large as the previous one around the same area. It no doubt includes many of the planes from the previous attack. This raid has less success, but Debden, Hornchurch and Biggin Hill receive damage. There are major dogfights during this raid, with elite Luftwaffe squadron JG 26 clearing the path for the bombers.

A third attack develops around 18:00, but this is much smaller than the previous two. The fifty aircraft cross the coastline at Maidstone but don't do much damage after being intercepted by RAF Nos. 111 and 222 Squadrons.

By day's end, RAF airfields at Lympne, Manston, and Biggin Hill are to one degree or another out of operation. Other airfields in the southeast are badly damaged. A few more weeks of similar attacks conceivably could force a general retreat of RAF forces to west and north of London, opening the way to invasion along the southern coast. The radar stations are taking a beating, and the Achilles heel of the RAF fighter network - ground communications - is coming apart as errant bombs around airfields hit underground communications cables, severing contact between stations. More ominously, the RAF is being shot out of the sky, with losses far outpacing production and experienced fighter pilots killed in action very difficult to replace.

A close study of changing RAF tactics by the Luftwaffe high command would reveal this pattern. Operations are much easier than they were early in the battle. However, the Luftwaffe intelligence staff (like the rest of the Wehrmacht) is wildly over-confident and draws extreme conclusions that are completely unwarranted. They look at the evidence of fewer RAF interceptions against the Freie Jagds and draw the conclusion that the RAF is completely beaten - rather than that the RAF has changed its tactics for self-preservation. The Luftwaffe staff conclude that the priority given to RAF installations can be reduced just at the moment when the RAF infrastructure is at its most vulnerable. In fact, the RAF is just hunkering down to protect its assets for the long haul, sort of like blood in a freezing person's body leaving the extremities to protect the heart and vital organs. The RAF is far from beaten, as assumed by the Luftwaffe.

The Luftwaffe bombs the HQ of No. 5 RAF Group at Grantham for the first time. For some reason, the Luftwaffe will continue bombing the town over and over in the coming weeks.

During the night of the 5th/6th, RAF Bomber Command sends a major raid against Berlin. Targets include a power station. Other targets include oil installations in Salzhof, Austria, railway installations in Krefeld, Hamm, Soest, Mannheim, and Ehrang, and the Black Forest again. Bombers attack the large German coastal guns at Pas de Calais without success.

The Luftwaffe superiority is shown by all the aces padding their totals against reduced opposition. Major Werner Mölders, Kommodore of Stab,/JG 51, gets his thirty-third victory, a Spitfire over Folkestone. Major Adolf Galland, commander of JG 26, gets his twenty-ninth victory, a Hurricane over Tonbridge. Oblt. Helmut Wick of 6,/JG 2 gets his twenty-fourth kill. Many other aces also get victories.

Uffz. Hans-Georg Schulte of 7,/JG 53 lands his Bf-109 at Hawkinge after staying too long over England and running out of fuel. He becomes a POW, and his plane is added to the RAF's "Ratwaffe."

Against all odds, the Luftwaffe is winning the Battle of Britain. In terms of Germany actually winning the battle, this is the high point.

HMS Godetia is lost on 6 September 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy SL 44A east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire in the North Sea. They bomb and sinks 4647-ton British freighter Saint Glen. Three of the crew perish. Another freighter, 1336 ton Gannet, is damaged in the attack and has to be towed into Peterhead.

An escort of Convoy OA 207 collides with British freighter Marsa in the Irish Sea near Altacarry Head, County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Royal Navy corvette HMS Godetia (925 tons) sinks, with the loss of 32 crew and 15 survivors. The Marsa makes it back to port.

Small Norwegian freighter O.C. hits a mine and sinks near the mouth of the Hemnfjorden in the general vicinity of Trondheim. There are two survivors, and five crew perish.

British Submarine HMS Tribune spots a U-boat 15 nautical miles off of St. Kilda of the Outer Hebrides and launches torpedoes which miss. It turns out to be U-56  (Oblt.z.S. Otto Harms), transiting the area at the time. The U-56 does not notice and proceeds on its way back to Kiel.

The Luftwaffe damages trawlers Iwate and Ilfracombe off the west coast of England. Also damaged are British freighter Merchant Star and Greek freighter Aegeon.

German minelayers with heavy escort set up minefield SW 0 in the southwest North Sea. This is one of the few actual operations conducted in preparation for Operation Sealion, the invasion of England.

A flotilla led by the aircraft carrier HMS Furious and battleship Nelson departs from Scapa Flow to attack Axis shipping off Trondheim.

A wolfpack begins assembling in the mid-Atlantic to attack Convoy SC 2 out of St. Johns, Newfoundland. In all, four U-boats (U-28, U-47, U-65, U-99) will be involved. U-65 is the first boat there and guides U-47 there first. The two boats prepare to attack during the night.

A large flotilla from Force H departs Gibraltar as part of Operation Menace. It is led by the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and battleships HMS Barham and Resolution. Italian spies in Algeciras spot the flotilla and mistakenly report it as heading into the Mediterranean. The Italian fleet sorties out of its port of Taranto, led by battleships Veneto, Littorio, Cesare, and Duilo.

Convoys OA 210 and MT 162 depart from Methil, Convoy FN 274 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 274 departs from the Tyne.

British Corvette HMS Campanula (K 18, Lt.Cdr. Richard Vere Essex Case) is commissioned.

HMS Argus, with Swordfish flying overhead.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy attempts to cut the undersea cable between Syracuse and Tripoli across the Sicilian Narrows, but fails.

British carrier HMS Argus delivers 30 Hurricane fighters to Takoradi in the Gold Coast, from where they will fly to RAF Abu Sueir northeast of Cairo in Egypt. With the RAF under serious pressure in England, this is a gutsy move authorized by Prime Minister Churchill.

At Malta, a full day is spent disarming a German 500kg SD Spreng Dickenwand armor-piercing bomb at Kalafrana. Two RAF officers inspect the bomb, and then the authorities blow it up where it lays - effectively doing the Italian bombers' job for them. It creates a crater 12-feet deep and 25 feet in diameter.

A representative of General de Gaulle, Commandant Robert, arrives on Malta. After conferring with Governor Dobbie, he sends a telegram to the Spears Mission at Whitehall in which he suggests that some French in Tunis might be open to joining the Free French movement. However, he cautions that this might just lead to Italian intervention to support the Vichy commanders in Tunisia, which could lead to a large battle over the key territory. He further suggests that propaganda to Algeria and Morocco could pay dividends.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Italian submarine fleet scores a victory in the Red Sea when the Guglielmotti torpedoes and sinks 4008 ton Greek tanker Atlas. Everyone aboard survives. The Atlas is a straggler from Convoy BN 4.

Another attack in the Red Sea by Italian aircraft on Convoy BN 4 is beaten off, with two planes shot down.

German Government: Adolf Hitler meets with Grand Admiral Erich Raeder to discuss Operation Sealion. Raeder throws cold water on the whole idea, which he was the first to bring up months ago. Instead, he proposes a "peripheral campaign" against the British that targets Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, the Vichy French base at Dakar, Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde Islands

British Government: King and Queen travel to Bentley Priory, Stanmore in Middlesex to inspect RAF Fighter Command headquarters.

Spy Stuff: At 03:00, a Luftwaffe Dornier bomber drops a spy dressed in civilian clothes at Yardley, Hastings. He has a radio, is armed and has both Swedish and British identity cards. The only reason he is caught by a farmer around 17:20 - found sleeping in a ditch, heck he was up all night dropping into England - is because he injured himself during his parachute drop (landing on his radio). The man is Gösta Caroli, a Swede trained by Admiral Canaris' Abwehr to spy on British airfields. He is brought to London for interrogation, where he provides quite useful information, including the news that there is another spy like himself in England.

The Dunera.

War Crimes: British troopship Dunera arrives in Australia after a 57-day journey from Great Britain that began in early July. It carries 200 Italian prisoners of war, 251 German POWs, 55 British sympathizers of the Reich, and 2036 German citizens caught in Great Britain at the outbreak of the war. The British guards on the lengthy sea journey have engaged in vicious tactics against their charges, made all the worse in that many of the civilians are Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler. These war crimes lead to a series of courts-martial and convictions. The passengers are sent by train to a camp in Hay, New South Wales.

Anglo/US Relations: The first tranche of US destroyers heading to England pursuant to the "Destroyers for Bases" deal arrives at Halifax, Nova Scotia. They are met there by Royal Navy seamen. This group of destroyers includes:

• USS Aaron Ward, 
• USS Buchanan, 
• USS Crowninshield, 
• USS Hale, 
• USS Abel P. Upshur, 
• USS Welborn C. Wood, 
• USS Herndon, and 
• USS Welles

Finnish/Soviet Relations: Under pressure, Helsinki grants the Soviets transit rights to their base at Hango, won during the Winter War. In practical terms, this means that Soviet soldiers will now be allowed to take the train from Vyborg to Hango.

HRH King Michael II of Romania.

Romania: King Carol II formally abdicates, and his 19-year-old son Michael ascends to the throne (as he had once previously) as Michael II. The ministers prepare a royal decree for Michael to sign which confers virtually unlimited powers on new Prime Minister Ion Antonescu and relegates the monarchy to a ceremonial role. The decree makes Antonescu "Conducător," which is comparable to Fuehrer in Germany or dictator in the rest of the world.

Former King Carol and his mistress Elena Lupescu wisely go into exile. Antonescu orders the royal train protected when the fascist Iron Guard attacks it.

It is easy to bemoan the fall of the monarchy and the horrible things done to the former king. However, it is widely believed that the regime of King Carol was one of the most corrupt in Europe. Carol can be characterized as escaping with - stealing - a large part of the nation's treasury. It is all deposited in numbered accounts in Switzerland. The Antonescu government tries to retrieve this money, to no avail. The lack of a treasury is a serious problem for Antonescu.

The Germans are thrilled. Via Ambassador Fabricius, they immediately endorse the change and laud Antonescu's working relationship with Horia Sima, the leader of the Iron Guard. No longer needing the title of Prime Minister, Antonescu has the king dissolve parliament. He rules as a dictator. The entire government is about to be restructured along dictatorial lines, with the Iron Guard effectively the only political party. However, it is not an ideal situation, as Antonescu - a member of the elite with a sense of fiscal responsibility and an intention to govern in a rational way - and the Iron Guard to not agree on everything. While fascist, there is a strong undercurrent of socialism in the Iron Guard, but you need money to be socialist.

King Michael, meanwhile, retreats to his new ceremonial role. Antonescu largely ignores him from this point forward. Michael is useful in this role, serving as a royal representative of Romania to Germany. He also retains an aura of legitimacy, something that Antonescu, widely viewed as an usurper, never will have.

Channel Islands: The new German military governor is Rudolf von Schmettow, replacing Oberstleutnant Albrecht Lanz. Lanz has just received the Knight's Cross (on 4 September) for operations surrounding the crossing of the River Lys in Belgium. A popular commander, Lanz eventually is headed for new commands in the East.

Palestine: The Italians raid Haifa, but, as with many of their raids on Malta, accomplish nothing but be annoying.

Vichy France: The authorities under Pierre Laval arrest General Maurice Gamelin under accusations of treason. Basically, the Vichy regime is charging all the leaders associated with the fall of France with treason - with the exception, of course, of Vichy France figurehead leader Henri Petain.

General Huntziger, who signed the peace treaties with Germany and Italy, becomes Minister of War.

An early Douglas SBD Dauntless.

US Military: The first production Douglas SBDs aka the "Dauntless" are delivered to US Navy units.

The US Army Air Corps issues contracts to Boeing for the first two B-29 (XB-29) and B-32 prototype bombers. These are originally intended to defend the United States by bombing hostile ships at sea, not operate on offensive missions.

The first flight of the Vultee P-66 Vanguard fighter. 144 of these have been ordered by Sweden, and there are no orders from the USAAC or British. These currently have the designation V-49C.

Cruisers USS Wichita and Quincy make port in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as part of the "Show the Flag" mission.

New US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox arrives in Pearl Harbor aboard an XPB2Y-2 patrol bomber for an inspection tour.

China: The large Communist forces heading south along the Yangtze River brush aside the Nationalist Chinese brigade sent to stop them in Jiangsu Province.

Future History: King Michael of Romania remains in power as of this writing, retaining his ceremonial role and also his legitimacy. We shall be hearing more about King Michael during World War II.

A Boeing B-32 Dominator bomber, much overshadowed by the B-29 but on a parallel construction track.

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