Sunday 1 December 1940

Two members of the Home Guard in Surrey, 1 December 1940. One has a "Tommy Gun," the other a Bren light machine gun. Dorking, Surrey (Imperial War Museum).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greeks on 1 December 1940 continue reinforcing their troops on the Albanian front. Today, III Corps receives 17th Division, while the 13th Division is pulled out of the line for a rest.

Greek II Corps begins attacking beyond Pogradec, but Italian resistance is stiffening.

Greek I Corps opens a new attack against the Italian 11th Army in the important southern sector.

A major battle is developing around Argyrokastro. The Greeks approached the city fairly easily, but the Italians have decided to make a stand there. Much of the battle takes place as artillery duels.

Pogradec has become somewhat of a symbol for the Italians. Its partial loss on the last day of November has caused a crisis in the Italian hierarchy, and Mussolini is making it plain to everyone that if the troops don't start fighting, heads will roll - and they may roll anyway.

The RAF continues its support operations in Albania. It attacks Italian communications in southern Albania.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Southampton for the second time in a row, this time with 120 bombers. This continues the recent German strategy of causing heavy damage to one moderate-sized town after another. Previous victims have included Coventry and Birmingham.

RAF Bomber Command raids Wilhelmshaven with 10 bombers, while RAF Coastal Command makes a daylight raid on the U-boat pens at Lorient. There are other RAF attacks on Kristian and Esbjerg, Denmark.

Werner Mölders claims his 55th victory, while Adolf Galland is promoted to the rank of Oberst. The third of the Luftwaffe's top aces, Helmut Wick, recently perished in combat.

Two members of the Home Guard manning a Vickers machine gun in Surrey, 1 December 1940. (Imperial War Museum).

Battle of the Atlantic: There are several convoys during this period that suffer quite heavily. Convoy HX 90 takes some of the worst losses, and they begin today while the convoy is about almost 1000 km south of Iceland. Ultimately, the convoy loses 11 ships over three days. When the attacks begin, Convoy HX 90 still does not have any escorts from the Western Approaches due to rough weather, though they begin arriving late today.  U-101 spots Convoy HX 90 today and its captain, Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen is ordered to shadow it after reporting its position.

U-101 torpedoes and sinks 8826-ton British tanker Appalachee. There are seven deaths and 32 survivors.

U-101 also torpedoes 4958-ton British freighter Loch Ranza. The freighter makes it to shore (apparently while in tow), is beached at Rothesay Bay, and is later repaired.

U-101 is not done with its attacks for the night, but the remainder occurs in the early hours of the 2nd. We'll get to them on that day's entry.

U-37 (Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen), on its ninth patrol out of Lorient, spots a straggler from Convoy OG 46. It is 1578 ton British freighter Palmella. The U-boat torpedoes and sinks it. There is one death, and 28 crew survived, rescued by a Spanish trawler. This is Clausen's first patrol on U-37, placing Kptlt. Victor Oehrn, and this gets him off to a good start. For U-37 itself, this is its 45th victim.

Italian submarine Argo shadows Convoy HG 47 about 500 km west of Ireland. Rather than attack a freighter, it chooses to torpedo Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay. The Saguenay makes port under its own power Barrow in Furness for repairs. There are 21 deaths. The Saguenay is the first Canadian warship U-boat victim of the war.

German raider Admiral Scheer, still on its mission in the Atlantic, sinks 6242-ton British freighter Tribesman, which is on a voyage from Liverpool to Calcutta. The ship sinks in the mid-Atlantic mid-way between Mauritania and the Caribbean. There are eight deaths, and the 14 survivors become POWs on Admiral Scheer. The Royal Navy has numerous ships out searching for Admiral Scheer, including the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, but they are all either slightly east or south of it.

During its attacks on Southampton, the Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 235-ton British paddle steamer Her Majesty. The 250-ton Dutch freighter Friso and 1936 ton Yugoslavian freighter Cetvrti also are damaged in the bombing. The ship is unmanned at the time.

The RAF bombs and sinks German freighter Santos in the North Sea off Ostend, Belgium. The ship sinks in shallow water and can be re-floated and repaired.

British 6990 ton British tanker British Officer hits a mine and sinks at the mouth of the Tyne. There are five deaths. Demonstrating the resiliency of tankers, despite the fact that the ship breaks and two, the forepart remains afloat and is successfully towed to port.

Norwegian 18,673-ton troopship Oslofjord hits a mine and towed to shore, where it is beached south of South Tyne Pier. There is one death and 179 survivors. The ship's back is broken and is a total loss, but remains on the beach - voluntarily manned by some crew for a week, who retrieve 9000 bags of mail - until broken up in a storm on 21/22 January 1941. It is one of the largest ships lost.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Castleton collides with a freighter while escorting Convoy HX 90 in the Atlantic in the shipping lanes west of Ireland and requires repairs.

Royal Navy sloop HMS Hastings collides with freighter Limslade in the English Channel and requires repairs.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS Calvin Castle, operating in the South Atlantic, stops and searches Brazilian passenger ship Itape. The British arrest and remove 22 Germans.

Admiral Hipper is on its way to another raiding mission from its port of Kiel. This is Operation Nordseetour.

Admiral Sir John Tovey is promoted to commander-in-chief of the British Home Fleet. He replaces Admiral Forbes.

Lord Mountbatten reassumes command of HMS Kelly at Hebburn (it is almost finished with repairs) after his more recent command, HMS Javelin, was damaged in a night action off Plymouth.

U-171 laid down.

Battle of the Mediterranean: At Malta, the dockyard workers and all staff of the Inspecting Ordnance Office hurriedly unload and stockpile ammunition brought to the island during Operation Collar. The freighters, Clan Forbes and Clan Fraser constitute a hazard so long as they are full of ammunition and exposed at the docks in Grand Harbour.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin dispatches captured freighter Storstad to Europe, filled with a prize crew and many prisoners.

British/Irish Relations: Two issues are coming to a head for the British: they are running out of money to buy goods from the Americas, and they are ranked by the Irish refusal to be more helpful in the war effort. Prime Minister sends a memorandum to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Kingsley Wood:

The straits to which we are being reduced by Irish action [at denial of the Southern Irish ports] compel a reconsideration of the subsidies [to Ireland]. Surely we ought to use this money to build more ships or buy more from the US.... let me know how these subsidies can be terminated, and what retaliatory measures the Irish may take.

Churchill obviously believes in playing tough. In his view, the Irish are being disloyal and freeloading off of the British defense against Hitler. However, the Irish have a very long history of the British use of their resources during recurrent conflicts and really are trying to practice absolute neutrality this time - without any new British "use" of their land.

Martin PBM-1 Mariner assembly line, December 1940.

Anglo/US Relations: Joseph P. Kennedy announces his resignation as Ambassador to the Court of St. James. He has annoyed both the British and President Roosevelt with intemperate comments in the Boston Globe and his general attitude regarding war prospects.

German Military: The SS forms its 5th SS Panzer Division. Hitler renames it to "Wiking" on 21 December 1940. Its first commander is SS-Gruppenführer Felix Steiner. The division is formed from the Germania regiment and two regiments of volunteers.

British Military: The Army Co-operation command begins operations under commander Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barrett.

RAF Station Maryborough is established.

Farm Credit Bulletin, 1 December 1940. This issue talks about scientific soil improvement and mechanized harvesting, at this time new concepts.

US Military: Major General Thomas Holcomb begins a second term as Commandant of the US Marine Corps.

Mexico: Manuel Ávila Camacho is sworn in as the 45th President of Mexico. The event is attended by US Vice President Henry Wallace in a pointed gesture of support, as many in Mexico remain upset about what they see as a fraudulent election over the summer.

Romanian Homefront: The fascist Iron Guard remains stirred up by the reburial of their founder Codreanu and numerous other reasons. There is rioting in the vicinity of the Ploesti oil fields. Ion Antonescu is not specifically the target, but the Iron Guard clashes with government forces. The Iron Guard gradually is pulling Antonescu to a more warlike position, as his government increasingly needs a steady partner like Germany in the face of these types of internal disturbances - and Germany wants a war partner.

Separately, the Antonescu government establishes diplomatic relations with the Japanese puppet government of Manchukuo. It is one of the very few that do.

Swiss Homefront: The government imposes rationing of soap, detergent, shoes, and textiles.

Italian Homefront: The government imposes rationing of flour, macaroni, rice, and spaghetti.

American Homefront: The Gallup poll shows that US public opinion gradually is turning in favor of entry into the European war. The ratio now stands at 59-41 in favor of US entry.

George Cukor's "The Philadelphia Story," starring James Stewart, Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and Ruth Hussey opens. Stewart, Hepburn, and Hepburn all get nominated for their performances.

Future History: Richard Pryor is born in Peoria, Illinois. Pryor serves in the US Army but spends much of his time in prison due to an attack on a fellow soldier over what he (and some friends) see as a racial slight. After mustering out, he moves to New York City and begins performing in comedy clubs. This leads to appearances throughout the 1950s on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, and other top venues. He begins making comedy albums, signs with Stax Records in 1973 and wins the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Comedic Recording. Around this time, Pryor begins appearing on television shows and gets his own show, The Richard Pryor Show, in 1977, but it is not a success. He also appears in feature films such as "Uptown Saturday Night," "Silver Streak" and "The Toy." Pryor remains a top star until his passing in 2005.

Down Beat magazine - December 1, 1940. Volume 7, No. 23.

November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

December 1940

December 1, 1940: Wiking Division Forms
December 2, 1940: Convoy HX 90 Destruction
December 3, 1940: Greeks Advancing
December 4, 1940: Italian Command Shakeup
December 5, 1940: Thor Strikes Hard
December 6, 1940: Hitler's Cousin Gassed
December 7, 1940: Storms At Sea
December 8, 1940: Freighter Idarwald Seized
December 9, 1940: Operation Compass Begins
December 10, 1940: Operation Attila Planned
December 11, 1940: Rhein Wrecked
December 12, 1940: Operation Fritz
December 13, 1940: Operation Marita Planned
December 14, 1940: Plutonium Discovered
December 15, 1940: Napoleon II Returns
December 16, 1940: Operation Abigail Rachel
December 17, 1940: Garden Hoses and War
December 18, 1940: Barbarossa Directive
December 19, 1940: Risto Ryti Takes Over
December 20, 1940: Liverpool Blitz, Captain America
December 21, 1940: Moral Aggression
December 22, 1940: Manchester Blitz
December 23, 1940: Hitler at Cap Gris Nez
December 24, 1940: Hitler at Abbeville
December 25, 1940: Hipper's Great Escape
December 26, 1940: Scheer's Happy Rendezvous
December 27, 1940: Komet Shells Nauru
December 28, 1940: Sorge Spills
December 29, 1940: Arsenal of Democracy
December 30, 1940: London Devastated
December 31 1940: Roosevelt's Decent Proposal

2020

Wednesday 27 November 1940

An Italian battleship (probably the Vittorio Veneto) firing at the Battle of Cape Spartivento, 27 November 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy is engaged on 27 November 1940 in one of their typical supply convoys to Malta - Operation Collar - but they go to the well once too often. Trying to pull the same trick as in August, with the successful Operation Hurry, Force H goes to the well once too often. The Italian Navy, meanwhile, regains a small measure of self-respect after the disaster at Taranto two weeks ago.

The Italian intelligence service has spotted the Royal Navy south of Sardinia. The British force is seen to be of moderate size. Two Italian battleships and supporting ships set out to intercept. Italian torpedo boat Sirio spots the British fleet late on the 26th and reports its position. The Royal Navy ships then steer north to put open water between them and the freighters. At 09:45, an Italian IMAM Ro.43 floatplane from cruiser Bolzano spots the Royal Navy ships. RAF planes spot the Italian fleet nine minutes later, and the game is on.

Admiral Somerville in command of Force F splits his force, which now fortuitously is joined by Force D from Alexandria, into two main battle groups. The forces are fairly evenly matched. The fire between the two fleets commences at 12:22 at a range of 23,500 meters.

Italian destroyer Lanciere suffers serious damage (towed to port). Royal Navy cruiser HMS Berick takes an 8 inch (203 mm) shell to her Y turret that kills seven men and wounds nine others. Another shell destroys its remaining aft turret. Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Renown intervenes, but then Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto comes within range and opens fire. This forces the Royal Navy ships to retire, and the battle is over after 54 minutes. It is a minor Italian victory, both because of the damage to the British cruiser Berwick and the fact that the Royal Navy vessels are forced to retire.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is not happy. He believes that Admiral Somerville lacks the necessary aggressive spirit and should not have broken off the engagement. A board of inquiry exonerates Somerville. In fact, it is the Italians who had more cause to be upset, because the Vittorio Veneto could have pursued the British ships and perhaps dealt them more damage. Admiral Campioni in charge of the Italian fleet loses prestige as a result of this operation, which, in the absence of any RAF attacks, could have yielded better results.

Separately, Insect class gunboat HMS Ladybird bombards Italian bases in North Africa.

Bombs falling astern of HMS Ark Royal during an attack by Italian aircraft during the Battle of Cape Spartivento (photograph taken from the cruiser HMS Sheffield).

Italian/Greek Campaign: A blizzard hits the higher elevations. On balance, this helps the Italians, who are on the defensive now.

The Greeks continue advancing. II Corps, moving in the direction of Frashër, is reinforced with the 11th Division.

The western Macedonia sector was held by the Western Macedonia Army Section (TSDM), the Greeks complete the capture of the Korçë plateau. The TSDM has suffered 624 dead and 2348 wounded in this operation. The Greeks continue to move forward toward the center of Albania, with the 13th Division advancing on Pogradec.

The Greek Liuba Detachment continues its march along the coast toward the Bistritsa River.

The Italian Regia Aeronautica is in action, bombing Epirus, Corfu, Cephalonia, Patras, and Crete.

Mussolini is growing increasingly concerned about the Italian collapse in the mountains. Rumors continue to fly that he will seek a separate peace.

A Supermarine Walrus amphibious plane used for shell-spotting at the Battle of Cape Spartivento, 27 November 1940.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe continues its sustained assault on Bristol, attacking it for the fourth time in three days. Plymouth, though, receives the most attention, with 107 bombers. The new German strategy appears to be to focus on mid-sized towns and try to cripple them rather than just relentlessly beating against London (though it is bombed as well, by 57 bombers).
RAF Bomber Command attacks Cologne with 62 bombers and also Boulogne. A Blenheim bomber crashes due to pilot error while trying to land back at Swanton Morley, and another gets lost in the foul weather and its crew bails out over Manchester. Another dozen bombers are sent against Antwerp and Le Havre.

A Bf 109E piloted by Lt. Wolfgang Teumer is damaged and force lands at RAF Manston. It is repaired and joins the RAF "Ratwaffe."

HMS Renown firing its two forward (A +B) turret guns while underway at the Battle of Cape Spartivento, 27 November 1940 (Imperial War Museum).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-103 (Kplt. Viktor Schütze), on its second patrol out of Lorient, stalks Convoy OB 248 in the sea lanes 300 km west of Ireland. It torpedoes and sinks 4393-ton British freighter Glenmoor. There are two survivors and 31 deaths, the survivors picked up by escorts HMS Harvester and Havelock.

U-104 (Kptlt. Harald Jürst) stalks Convoy HX 87. The convoy also is close to Convoy HX 88 because the U-boat attacks ships from both in the same day, one from each convoy. The attacks take place in the sea lanes northwest of County Donegal, Ireland. Shortly after this, U-104 disappears and is presumed lost. Speculation is that it sinks in British minefield SN 44. Everybody on board U-104 is lost at sea.

U-104 torpedoes and sinks 8240-ton British freighter Diplomat, a straggler from Convoy HX 88. There are 39 survivors and 14 deaths.

U-104 torpedoes and damages 10,516-ton British tanker Charles F. Meyer in Convoy HX 87. Tankers are notoriously difficult to sink due to their compartmentalized structure, and the Meyer makes it to port.

U-95 (Kptlt. Gerd Schreiber) is on its first patrol out of Kiel. It torpedoes and sinks 1860 ton British freighter Irene Maria in the Atlantic northwest of County Donegal (not far from where U-104 is operating). All 25 onboard perish.

French 2594-ton freighter Lisieux (seized at Portland, Oregon, the USA on 27 May 1940 and sailing under British flag), traveling in Convoy SC 13 from Halifax, founders in rough weather after the convoy is dispersed. Sixteen men are rescued by fellow freighter Bernhard, but an undetermined number, mostly French, are lost at sea. The sinking occurs because the ship's cargo - paper pulp and lumber - gets wet and inflates, cracking open the hull. This was her first Atlantic crossing after being seized.

Royal Navy 9600 ton auxiliary minesweeper HMS Port Napier explodes and sinks in Loch Alsh, Argyllshire due to an engine fire. The ship is loaded with mines for her first minelaying operation, and as a precaution, the ship is towed out to a safe distance from shore. A volunteer crew manages to jettison some of the mines and escape right before the ship and its mines and ammunition explode. The wreck is still viewable partly above water at low tide to this day and is a popular wreck dive.

Royal Navy 181-ton trawler HMT Elk hits a mine and sinks off Plymouth in the English Channel. Everybody survives.

Norwegian freighter Havborg is torpedoed and sunk in the Weser River by RAF aircraft. There are four deaths.

German 405-ton trawler Peter runs aground and is lost on the Swedish coast.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Wallace collides with the Newarp Light Float (off the Norfolk coast) and suffers minor damage. She is repaired within two days and back in service.

Royal Navy submarine HMS H.33 collides with corvette HMS Heather and requires repairs at Oban.

British 585-ton freighter Galacum hits a mine and is damaged.

Trawlers Rattray (182 tons) and Charmouth (195 tons) are damaged by the Luftwaffe off Milford Haven.

Some sources place the incident involving the Rangitane off New Zealand on the 27th. We discuss it on the 26th. There are going to be many discrepancies like that due to the global nature of the conflict.

Convoy FN 345 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 347 departs from Methil, Convoy BN 10 departs from Bombay.

U-150 (Hinrich Kelling) commissioned.

Soviet submarine K-3 is commissioned.

Escort carrier HMS Avenger, corvette HMS Lavender and submarine HMS Uproar are all launched, with corvette HMS Borage laid down.

HMS Renown at the Battle of Cape Spartivento, 27 November 1940 (Imperial War Museum).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Australian troop convoy US 7 departs from Fremantle. It includes 14287-ton Polish liner Batory, 23,371-ton British liner Orion, 23,428 ton Strathmore, and 23,722-ton Stratheden. There is a heavy escort of two cruisers for this convoy, bound for Suez.

Japanese/US Relations: Kichisaburo Nomura becomes the new Japanese ambassador to the United States.

British Government: Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood gives an accounting of the government's expenditures on the war. During the war's first year (beginning 3 September), the cost was £5,300,000/day. During the subsequent 17 days at the beginning of the second year, the cost has risen to £9,100,000/day. Clearly, the government cannot sustain these types of expenditures indefinitely. Ambassador to the US Lord Lothian already has broadly hinted to the Americans that the days of cash-and-carry are dwindling and likely to end in 1941. In addition, £475,532,981 has been raised for the war.

Middle East: The Battle of Cape Spartivento claims an unexpected victim when the plane carrying the new Vichy High Commissioner of Syria and Lebanon, Jean Chiappe, is shot down.

General Archibald Wavell, Middle East Commander, responds to Prime Minister Churchill's telegram of the 26th regarding Operation Compass, the planned attack on the Italian positions in Egypt. Wavell states that Operation Compass will proceed as planned and that he and the other service commands believe that landings behind the Italian forward lines would offer little benefit.

HMS Renown at the Battle of Cape Spartivento, 27 November 1940 (Imperial War Museum).

Romania: The wild political reverberations of the Vienna Awards continue in Romania. In a scenario reminiscent of the 1934 German Night of the Long Knives, the Iron Guard engages in a savage night of retribution against its political enemies. Known primarily as the Jilava Massacre, most of the events take place at the Jilava prison during the night of 26/27 November. Death squads are a common tool of the Iron Guard, and they kill 64 political prisoners, 46 officers and guards, and other political detainees. The political prisoners are supporters of exiled King Carol II.

Nicolae Iorga and Virgil Madgearu are killed as well. Iorga is kidnapped during the afternoon of 27 November by Traian Boeru and shot nine times outside Ploiești with different handguns. Madgearu also is kidnapped by Iron Guard members and killed. Iorga is a particularly high-value target because many Iron Guard members blame Iorga, a former anti-Fascist Premier, for the death of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, the Guard's founder. It does not pay to be known as an anti-Fascist in Romania at this time.

Kenya: The South African 5th Infantry Division arrives in Mombasa.

China: In Hubei Province, along the Han River, the Chinese counterattack the Japanese with the 27th, 31st and 44th Divisions. The Japanese 11th Army continues advancing in the region of Hoyuantien, Tangchianfan, and Huantanchen.

Future History: Lee Jun-fan is born in Chinatown, San Francisco. His parents are from Hong Kong, and he grows up in Kowloon. He becomes a child actor in Hong Kong beginning in 1946 and appears in several films. Lee moves to the US in 1949 to study at the University of Washington at Seattle. Around this time, Lee begins teaching martial arts. He continues to star in Hong Kong films and eventually breaks into the Hollywood film industry, adopting the stage name Bruce Lee. He first gains notice in television series "The Green Hornet" (1966-67). His films such as "Fists of Fury (1972) and "Enter the Dragon" (1973) become classic martial arts works and spark interest in the entire field that lingers on. Lee passes away suddenly in Hong Kong on 20 July 1973 at the age of 32. Many questions surround his death, with some speculating that it was partly the result of medications taken to soothe chronic back pain arising from his martial arts fighting.

Lee Jun-fan aka Bruce Lee is born on 27 November 1940.

November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020

Tuesday 23 July 1940

Spitfire Mk. Is of B Flight of No 609 Squadron RAF. They are preparing for take-off at RAF Middle Wallop in July 1940.

Battle of Britain: War nerves remain tight on 23 July 1940. There is a false invasion alarm at 19:58 when British aerial reconnaissance reports a large group of Kriegsmarine ships, including destroyers and possibly transports, heading northwest in the North Sea. The British Home Fleet makes ready to cast off, and RAF Skua and Swordfish torpedo planes are sent to attack.

There are indeed ships there, and the RAF planes go to work, with one plane sustaining damage but no hits made on the planes. In fact, it is just a relatively routine Kriegsmarine minelayer force out of Wilhelmshaven composed of the minelayers Kaiser, Konigin Luise, Roland, Cobra, and Hansestadt Danzig, escorted by a large formation of torpedo boats. The German ships lay their mines (minefield "NW 2") without further interference. The entire incident reveals how murky the entire situation is and how difficult it is for the Admiralty to know exactly what is going on.

Aerial operations remain light. The Luftwaffe continues to target British convoys in the English Channel, but the English are getting wise to the strategy. Air Marshal Dowding protests at the difficulty of adequately protecting the Channel convoys, so some are re-routed the long way around Scotland. This reduces the easy pickings in the Channel but also causes major air battles over the fewer convoys using that short route.

There are several Luftwaffe penetrations of English airspace, but few actual interceptions due to clouds and other factors. The scattered raids are mostly in the north along the coast, and the RAF shoots down a Heinkel He 111 and a Dornier Do 215. The RAF loses no planes - a first during the Battle of Britain - and the Luftwaffe loses up to 6 planes.

Polish F/L Franciszek Jastrzębski joins No 302 Squadron RAF at RAF Leconfield on 23 July 1940. He leads B Flight. He is a 34-year-old veteran of the Polish campaign with 3 enemy aircraft to his credit. KIA 25 October 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: British submarine HMS Narwhal sinks on or about this day. It is believed to have been sunk by a Dornier Do-17 flown by Lt. Karl Müller of 1/KF1Gr 606.

The Luftwaffe also bombs British submarine HMS Truant in the North Sea but escapes any damage.
Convoy FN 230 departs from Southend, Convoy MT 118 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 230 departs from the Tyne, Convoy HX 60 departs from Halifax.

In addition, a Canadian troop convoy, TC.6, also departs from Halifax with a destroyer escort, with one troopship destined for Iceland and the rest Scotland and England. The troopships are Batory, Antonia, Monarch Of Bermuda, Sobieski, Duchess Of York and Samaria, escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS Assiniboine and Saguenay and British cruiser HMS Emerald.

Former British submarine HMS Seal, which the Germans previously captured, is commissioned as U-B.

Soviet submarine M-99 is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Force H, which includes aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruiser Enterprise and destroyers Escapade, Faulknor, Foresight, and Forester. The objective is an air assault on Bordeaux. The weather turns poor and the operation is scrubbed.

At Malta, there are false air raid alerts during the day, but overnight the Italians raid Hal Far airbase and Kalafrana.

War Crimes: At Malta, an examination of downed Regia Aeronautica aircraft reveals that the Italians are using explosive bullets that have a detonator in the nose cap. Governor Dobbie sends a report to the War Office because such bullets - at least arguably - are prohibited by international treaties.

US/Soviet Relations: The Baltic States missions to the US protest against their Soviet absorption. The US refuses to recognize the Soviet annexation (pursuant to local "votes") of the Baltic States. Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles applies the 1932 Stimson Doctrine, which states that the US is under no obligation to recognize territorial changes undertaken by force. There are numerous benefits to the Baltics of this position, such as protection of Baltic States foreign assets and the right to maintain diplomatic missions.

The document is known as the Welles Declaration, and the US is a leader in this area which precedes similar stances by many other nations. This Welles Declaration, incidentally, outlives World War II and remains in effect until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990-91.

In Estonia, the Soviet puppet assembly rubber-stamps the Soviet takeover, transforming the nation into the Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR).

Hungary: Local Germans stage a pro-Hitler demonstration in Budapest.

Admiral Canaris (left) with good friend Reinhard Heydrich on the occasion of the latter's wedding in the 1930s.

Spain: Admiral Canaris, head of the German military intelligence service Abwehr, visits Madrid for consultations regarding the capture of Gibraltar. This, obviously, requires more than just military planning and any decision to do anything of the sort requires a Spanish war commitment.

Czechoslovakia: Britain recognizes the Czech National Committee as the Provisional Czech Government and forms a military alliance with it.

French Somaliland: The Vichy government continues replacing its administrators in colonies to prevent any more defections to the "Free French" of Charles de Gaulle. General Germain replaces Pro-Free French General Legentilhomme.

League of Nations: The League continues its collapse into irrelevancy with the announcement from Geneva that Secretary-General Joseph Louis Anne Avenol intends to resign.

French Homefront: The Vichy government states that former Prime Minister Daladier and three members of his Cabinet will be prosecuted for causing the war.

British Homefront: Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood presents the Third War Budget. It raises the income tax 24% to 8/6 and imposes additional sin tax levies on beer, wine, tobacco products, furs, makeup, amusement businesses, and similar non-essential goods.

The Local Defense Volunteers officially is renamed the Home Guard, which Prime Minister Winston Churchill believes is a more descriptive name. The Germans have announced that they will shoot any civilians acting against their troops.

American Homefront: The British are in desperate need of aircraft, so the British Purchasing Mission secures permission (Roosevelt must approve) to purchase up to 40% of U.S. aircraft production. The mission is headed by Scottish-Canadian Montreal businessman Arthur Purvis (head of Canadian Industries Ltd (CIL)), who had performed essentially the same function during World War I. Purvis also wants destroyers and torpedo boats. Generally, everyone in the US military cooperates with the British even though technically they could prevent sales of anything deemed necessary for national security. A notable exception is Admiral Stark, who is adamantly opposed to parting with the US Navy destroyer inventory even though many of the destroyers are virtually obsolete World War I types.

Dc Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau and Arthur Purvis, 1940.

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020