Friday 15 November 1940

The Warsaw ghetto blocking a major thoroughfare. — US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Dwight D. Eisenhower Library.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek offensive gathers steam on 15 November 1940. Advancing through the valley of the Devoll River (also Devoli River), the Greeks continue to make progress against light resistance. Advances are swift around Mount Morava. The Greek 8th Infantry Division attacks in the Kalamas and Negrades sectors, the Greek 1st Infantry Division attacks in the Pindos sector, while the Greek 9th, 10th and 15th Infantry Division attacks in the Koritsa sector.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe's Operation Moonlight Sonata, a massive air attack against the industrial city of Coventry, concludes in the early morning hours. Aside from the devastation to the city, it is a major propaganda coup for the German news services. The Reich media coins and uses the verb "Coventrate" for the destruction of British cities, as in, "We will Coventrate all of England."

After dark, the Luftwaffe launches another major raid, this time against London with 358 bombers.

RAF Bomber Command sends 67 Wellington, Whitley and Hampden bombers against Hamburg.

Feldwebel Karl Hier of JG 76 is shot down and killed by Spitfires over London. He had 15 victories.

A couple at their destroyed Coventry home, 15 November 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-65 (K.Kapt. Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen), on an extended fifth patrol near Freetown, Sierra Leone, torpedoes and sinks 5,168-ton British steam merchant vessel Kohinur. There are 68 survivors and 17 men perish.

The survivors of the Kohinur are picked up by 7,614-ton Norwegian tanker Havbør. However, U-65 then torpedoes and sinks the Havbør, too. The Havbør's oil spreads over the water and catches fire, incinerating men struggling in the water. In this sinking, 31 men from the Kohinur and 28 men of the Havbør perish. The tanker takes seven hours to sink, and only four men survive. Accounts of the number of men saved and lost on these two ships vary greatly, as things get confused when two ships go down near each other.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy FN 34. It bombs and badly damages 263-ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Dungeness in the North Sea off Haisborough, Norfolk. The ship remains afloat but is written off.

In the same attack, the Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks 712-ton British coaster Blue Galleon. There are three deaths.

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors (1,/KG 40) operating out over the Atlantic sea lanes attack Convoy SL 53. They bomb and sink 9333-ton British passenger ship Apapa west of Achill Head, County Mayo, Ireland. There are 24-28 deaths, while 230 people survive. The ship is carrying £19,188 worth of gold.

British 297-ton coaster Amenity hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea off Spurn Head, Yorkshire. All seven men on board survive.

British 102-ton tug Guardsman hits a mine and sinks off North Foreland. There are two deaths.

British 143-ton coaster Penryn collides with another ship in the Liverpool approaches and sinks.

United States destroyer USS Plunkett is on Neutrality Patrol off Tampico and observes German freighter Orinoco and tanker Phrygia as they begin to leave the area to return to Germany.

Convoy FN 335 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 336 departs from Methil, Convoy AN 7 departs from Alexandria and Port Said (bound for Piraeus).

Royal Navy corvette HMS Delphinium (K 77, Commander Robert L. Spalding) is commissioned.

United States submarine USS Trout (SS 202, Lt. Commander Frank Wesley Fenno, Jr.) is commissioned.

Cleanup and fire-dousing have only begun at Coventry on 15 November 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean:  A large convoy of nine Greek troopships departs from Suda Bay, bound for Salonika. They are escorted by four cruisers and other ships in Operation Barbarity.

The Italians send a strafing mission against Mersa Matruh with 25 CR 42 biplane fighters.

Force H, split up into Forces A and B, departs from Gibraltar on Operation White. This is a convoy to fly Hurricanes to Malta.

At Malta, the government warns the public not to send postcards abroad with pictures of Malta that might be useful to the Italians.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin rendezvouses with converted minelayer Passat at their prearranged meeting spot several hundred miles west of Australia. Both ships have completed extensive minelaying operations off Australia.

Commonwealth Day, Quezon City, November 15, 1940. From the Manila Bulletin microfilm of the University of the Philippines Main Library.

German/Italian Relations: General Keitel and Marshal Badoglio conclude their talks at Innsbruck. Badoglio promises that the Italian offensive in Albania will be resumed in mid-February with 20 divisions. However, no further advance in Egypt is contemplated.

Japanese Military: Isoroku Yamamoto, considered an expert on the US military, is promoted to the rank of Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Hiroaki Abe takes charge of Japanese Navy Destroyer Squadron. Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu takes command of the Ryojun Military Port at the port formerly known as Port Arthur. Rear Admiral Shigeki Ando becomes chief of staff of the Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea.

Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Ryujo returns to service after repairs. The Ryujo joins the 3rd Carrier Division of the 1st Fleet. The Ryujo has sixteen A5M4 fighters and eighteen B5N1 carrier attack planes. The aircraft carrier Akagi is posted to the Yokosuka Naval District. Japanese cruiser Tenryū undergoes repairs to her boilers and upgrading her armament. Captain Yuji Takahashi takes command.

US Military: US flying boats begin patrol operations from Bermuda. These are new bases obtained from the British in the destroyers-for-bases deal.

Heavy cruiser USS Louisville arrives in Santos, Brazil as part of its "Show the Flag" operation.

Gabon: Free French leader Charles de Gaulle arrives in Libreville and makes a personal appeal to the captives of the battles of Libreville and Port Gentil. Very few respond positively, and the men are sent to become POWs at Brazzaville, French Congo. The French now focus on Libya. Gabon is the first territory controlled by the Free French.

Holocaust: The Germans seal off the Warsaw Ghetto. It contains 400,000 Jews in a very restricted space. While there are numerous dates that are available as the "start" of the Warsaw Ghetto, this is when it actually becomes a walled prison.

"Popeye the Sailor with Poopdeck Pappy #89."

American Homefront: "One Night in the Tropics" is released. It stars comedians Abbott and Costello, who have a successful radio show.

"Three Men From Texas" starring William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy premieres today.

"Popeye the Sailor with Poopdeck Pappy #89" premieres today.

Future History: Robert Cavalli is born in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He becomes a leader in the fashion industry, making his breakthrough by inventing and patenting a printing procedure on leather. He remains a powerful force in the fashion industry.

Samuel Waterston is born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He becomes a stage actor and makes his film debut in 1965. After starring in many popular films, Waterston becomes a popular regular on television series Law & Order from 1994-2010. Waterston continues to act and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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

Thursday 14 November 1940

Civilians recover after the 14 November 1940 bombing of Coventry.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greeks open their first major offensive of the war on 14 November 1940. Known as the Battle of Morava-Ivan, the battle is launched by the Greek 9th, 10th and 15th Divisions in III Corps (Lieutenant-General Georgios Tsolakoglou). They are opposed by the Italian XXVI Corps, composed of the Parma, Piemonte and Venezia Divisions. Both sides have reinforcements handy. The objective is the capture of the Korçë plateau, which is strategically important because it provides a route into central Albania via the Devoll River Valley.

The Greeks launch the attack early in the morning and achieve surprise, not using artillery. The Greeks make good gains on the first day across the Albanian border. Some claim this represents the first Axis land defeat of the war, but that is a bit melodramatic, as the Germans were pushed back here and there during the invasions of France and Norway, too.

The British continue ferrying troops to Piraeus using four cruisers from Alexandria. Many of these are in support of the new RAF presence there, led by Air Vice-Marshal John H. D'Albiac.

German reconnaissance photos of Coventry after the attack soon appear in Axis publications.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe mounts one of the most controversial, long-remembered and devastating raids of World War II. Operation Moonlight Sonata (Mondscheinsonate) is the climax of a rather late decision by the Luftwaffe to target Coventry. Whereas the Germans began targeting cities such as London, Liverpool, and Bristol early in the campaign, Coventry has not become a prime target until much later. Coventry is an industrial city, with numerous factories such as a Daimler plant, nine aircraft factories, and two naval ordnance stores. Thus, it has military value and is not just a "terror target" like most of London.
The British have prior warning of the attack. A downed Luftwaffe airman reveals under interrogation several days previously that a "massive attack" on Coventry by "moonlight" is planned "between 15-20 November." The attack will include "every Luftwaffe plane." Winston Churchill (alone) apparently has advance warning of the attack from Ultra intercepts as well. Thus, the attack is not a big surprise - except for the people actually bombed, killed and wounded.

The increasing intensity of raids has caused a large fraction of Coventry residents to abandon the city at night and find lodgings in the countryside. This proves wise, as this entirely rational fear keeps the number of deaths and casualties due to Moonlight Sonata much lower than it would be otherwise. Anti-aircraft defenses have been concentrated in London and other larger targets, and only 24 3.7 inch and 12 40 mm Bofors guns - insufficient to disrupt a major attack - are available in Coventry. Fortunately, there are few casualties in shelters.

Some 400-515 Luftwaffe bombers from Field Marshal Sperrle's Luftwaffe 3, guided by 13 special Heinkel He 111 radar-equipped bombers of KG 100, begin the attack not long after sunset at 19:20. The KG 100 bombers are guided by X-Gerät radio beams that the British have not yet figured out how to disrupt. The bombs rack up successes early, with the Coventry Cathedral ablaze in less than an hour. Hit by numerous bombs, the cathedral soon is a wreck, a roofless shell which becomes the symbol of the attack. The bombing intensifies until midnight and then tapers off as daylight approaches.

There are well over 500 deaths (nobody knows precisely), over 1000 other casualties, and destroys over 4300 homes. German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels coins the word "coventriert" ("Coventried") to describe the utter devastation (as in, "Next, Southhampton will be Coventried!"). The use of pathfinder bombers is validated, and also the use of blockbuster bombs mixed with massive numbers of incendiaries.

The controversial aspect of the raid arises from the belief that the British could have vastly reduced the number of casualties due to their foreknowledge of the attack. In fact, the author of the book that revealed the Ultra secret in 1974, "The Ultra Secret," Group Captain F. W. Winterbotham, tacitly blamed Churchill for the deaths because Churchill (supposedly) refused to authorize precautionary measures lest the war-winning Ultra secret is revealed. There are vociferous and highly credentialed people on both sides of that argument - the deniers claim that Churchill actually had limited knowledge from Ultra of the operation and did not know that Coventry was the target (other military intelligence besides Ultra, however, did pinpoint Coventry). The "avoidable tragedy" due to Churchill's supposed silence and inaction has become part of the lore of the event and, to some extent, the common view about Operation Moonlight Sonata.

The RAF, for its part, does make use of the non-Ultra intelligence about Operation Moonlight Sonata. It has been mounting Operation Cold Water. This is an attempt to disrupt the coming Luftwaffe attack by taking concrete steps. Operation Cold Water, initiated at 03:00 on 11 November due to military intelligence, includes:

• monitoring German radio
• interfering with the Luftwaffe radio navigational beams
• patrolling over Luftwaffe airfields
• attacking the KG-100 airfields
• attacking the German navigational beam transmitters near Cherbourg
• mounting a massive counter-raid against "a selected city in Germany"
• maximum night fighters and anti-aircraft defenses.

These countermeasures, while perhaps appropriate from an abstract, intellectual perspective, do nothing to diminish the actual Luftwaffe raid. The RAF puts up 121 night fighters, but they do not score any victories because most are concentrated around London.

RAF Bomber Command, as part of these countermeasures, raids Berlin and other targets with 82 bombers. It suffers unusually heavy casualties, losing 13 bombers.

During the day, the RAF had more success, dispersing an attack by 30 Junkers Ju 87 Stukas over Dover. The RAF loses a Hurricane and a Spitfire.

Greek gunners during the Battle of Morava-Ivan.

Battle of the Atlantic: There is poor weather around the British Isles at sea, causing heavy swells.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British 1216-ton freighter St. Catherine off Aberdeen. There are 15 deaths (14 crew, one passenger). Some accounts place this on the 13th, so we put it on that date's page, too - but it only sank once. ;)

The Luftwaffe damages 4960-ton British freighter Fishpool, then is towed to harbor by corvette HMS Gardenia.

British 92 ton drifter The Boys founders in the Downs due to heavy seas.

Royal Navy minelayers HMS Teviotbank and Plover lay minefield BS 46 in the North Sea. The Luftwaffe notices these minelaying operations and attacks the Teviotbank, but it is undamaged.

The Royal Navy attempts to refloat sunken destroyer HMS Fame, but the weather is bad and the destroyer is too damaged, so the operation is unsuccessful.

Convoy FN 334 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 335 departs from Methil, Convoys HX 87 (16 merchantmen) and HX 88 depart from Halifax.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy ships that participated in Operations Judgement and Coats make port in Alexandria. Aircraft carrier HMS Argus arrives in Gibraltar for Operation White.

An air attack on Alexandria damages 8299-ton Egyptian freighter Zamzam.

In Malta, improved radio direction finder (RDF) equipment brought on the recent convoy from Alexandria significantly improves the RAF's ability to spot Italian air attacks.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis has been refueling from 6750-ton Norwegian tanker Teddy since capturing it on 8 November. Today, the German crew has no further use for the tanker and scuttles it.

Street damage in Coventry.

German/Soviet Relations: Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov departs from Berlin by train around noontime. He has made clear to the Germans that the USSR continues to focus on Europe and not elsewhere, as the Germans would prefer. The Germans view the meeting as a complete and utter failure. Molotov goes back to Moscow with the intention of following through with some written proposals, but at this point the whole exercise is pointless.

German/Italian Relations: German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, chief of OKW, meets at Innsbruck with his opposite number in the Italian military, Marshal Pietro Badoglio. Badoglio, who has been chief of staff since 1925, knows the Italian military inside and out, and he makes clear to Keitel that the Italians in Egypt would advance no further. In addition, he has no plans to occupy southern Greece. These talks continue on the 15th.

German Government: Admiral Raeder confers with Hitler. He recommends postponing an invasion of the Soviet Union until the Kriegsmarine blockade of Great Britain diminishes its strength. Hitler, however, is of the opposite view: that destroying the Soviet Union will diminish Great Britain's strength. Hitler sees the USSR as easy prey.

Canada: The first graduates from the Imperial training scheme in Canada begin to embark on passage to Great Britain.

Singapore: Air Marshal Brooke-Popham arrives in Singapore. He is the new British Commander in Chief for the Far East.

German Homefront: The government makes it legal to consume dog meat.

British Homefront: Neville Chamberlain's funeral is held at Westminster Abbey, with Churchill giving the eulogy.

American Homefront: In New York City, The Queens-Midtown Tunnel opens to traffic. It remains in operation today, connecting Long Island to Manhattan.

Searchlights at the star-studded Los Angeles premiere of Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" at Carthay Circle on 14 November 1940. The film earlier had its world premiere in New York on 15 October. There are searchlights beaming bright around the world... for vastly different reasons relating to the film's theme.

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 12 November 1940

Hitler and Molotov at their meeting in Berlin.

Soviet/German Relations: Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov arrives on 12 November 1940 at the Berlin train station at midday. German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop meets him there and they then sit down for a meeting. They then proceed to the Reich Chancellery, where Molotov meets Adolf Hitler.

At the first meeting, Ribbentrop sets forth the New World Order which he has outlined in his letter of 14 October (delivered several days later). He states that the Axis Powers will divide the world, with the Soviet Union to possess India and Southeast Asia to the Persian Gulf. Basically, Germany will possess Europe, while the Soviet Union will take the remainder of the Eurasian landmass with the exception of areas in the Far East (primarily China) claimed by Japan. Italy would have, well, Italy, as well as parts of Africa where it had historic interests (but Hitler undoubtedly had desires for at least the restoration of the old German colonies in Africa, that was a common desire in Germany after World War I).

At the meeting with Hitler, the two reach some surface agreement about German/Soviet relations as benefiting from peace between the two nations - though both secretly are dealing in bad faith: Germany and the Soviets both are in the process of drawing up invasion plans against the other. The gist of Hitler's remaining remarks is that the Soviet Union's future lies in the East, not in Europe. Molotov, for his part, is not impressed by Hitler. Personal impressions aside - Molotov has some smart remarks to make about that later - Molotov is not impressed by Hitler's attempt to focus the Soviet Union on Asia and the Indian sub-Continent. Instead, he zeroes in on issues in Europe, such as recent German agreements for troop movements in Finland which the USSR sees as threatening.

The essence of Molotov's argument is that it is much too early to worry about Asia, as there are many issues in Europe that need to be resolved first. He is adamant that the Soviet Union has an interest and security concerns in the region. Molotov also finds it of concern that the Soviet Union is being left with areas that have yet to be conquered, such as British India.

Molotov will be in Berlin for another two days, so the talks adjourn after this meeting, with more meetings scheduled on the morrow.

Molotov and Hitler on 12 November 1940.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greeks begin reorganizing their troops for a counteroffensive against the Italian invasion into two field armies, Ninth Army (Korçë sector) and Eleventh Army (Epirus sector). In the Epirus sector, I Army Corps under Lieutenant-General Panagiotis Demestichas takes over, with its troops including the Greek 8th Division. Along the coast, the independent Lioumabas Detachment takes over. The Greeks on the coast are still pushing the Italians back to the Kalamas River, attacking toward Igoumenitsa.

The Greeks are assembling overwhelming power against the Italians. Due to the absence of other threats and the assistance of the British, who are landing troops in Crete and near Athens, the Greeks can assemble their entire military to oppose the Italians. Greek commander-in-chief Alexander Papagos now has over 100 infantry battalions facing fewer than 50 Italian battalions.

The RAF bombs energy facilities in the Italian supply port of Durazzo in Albania.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks oil installations in Cologne and Gelsenkirchen, an inland port at Duisburg-Ruhrort, and railway installations both near Cologne and in the Ruhr industrial region. In addition, it attacks the U-boat pens at Lorient, the ports of Flushing and Dunkirk, and airfields in northwest Europe.

The Luftwaffe sends numerous small attacks against England during the day. At night, a large raid against London hits a movie theater, two American ambulance centers, and working-class areas. Other attacks take place in the Liverpool area and the Midlands.

Der Adler ("The Eagle"), 12 November 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: British 661 ton coaster Argus hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary northeast of the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. There is one death, and 34 men are rescued.

British 91 ton trawler Lord Haldane sinks in or near the Bristol Channel, perhaps due to mines (many other ships have been lost to mines in the area).

Dutch naval tug Witte Zee runs aground at Oxwich Point, Glamorgan and is wrecked.

Five Royal Navy minelayers create minefield SN 43, another minelayer (HMS Adventure) puts down mines east of Inishtrahull.

Convoy FS 334 departs from Methil, Convoy BN 88 departs from Bombay (it has the troops from Convoy WS 3 in 11 transport ships, plus additional freighters carrying supplies), Convoy SL 55 departs from Freetown, Convoy BS 8A departs from Suez.

Royal Navy Anti-Submarine Warfare trawler HMS Rumba (T 122, Lt. Norman E. Hendy) is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: In the Battle of the Strait of Otranto, an Allied naval squadron is in the Adriatic as a diversion from the Royal Naval attack on Taranto completed on 11 November. Around 01:00, Vice Admiral Henry Pridham-Whipple in the light cruiser HMS Orion leads Vice Admiral Henry Pridham-Whipple in the light cruiser HMS Orion between Bari and Durazzo. They stumble upon six Italian ships of unknown composition. The Royal Navy ships open fire at a distance of 11 km. They inflict damage as follows:

• Freighter Catalani - sunk
• Freighter Premuda - sunk
• Freighter Capo Vado - sunk
• Freighter Antonio Locatelli - sunk
• Torpedo boat Fabrizi - damaged (11 dead, 17 wounded)
• auxiliary cruiser Ramb III - undamaged.

The Royal Navy ships sink all four merchantmen in the convoy and suffer no damage to themselves. The Regia Marina suffers 36 dead and 42 wounded. Two Italian torpedo boats rescue 140 survivors after daylight; it is unclear how many perish.

The Royal Navy considers a second strike on Taranto by aircraft from HMS Illustrious during the night, but Admiral Cunningham cancels it due to poor weather at 17:00. The Italians, meanwhile, disperse their shipping them to the ports of Naples, Messina, and Palermo until defenses at Taranto can be improved. The remaining Italian naval forces remain formidable, including three intact battleships, but the Italians apparently do not even consider sending them out against the Royal Navy.

Separately, RAF bombers raid Bahir Dar in the Horn of Africa (Italian East Africa).

At Malta, reinforcements received in Convoy MB 8 of the 11th are put into position. The island now has six British battalions, two batteries of 25-pounder artillery, and a company of light I-tanks. The British War Cabinet considers these troops adequate for the time being and views Malta as a strategically important base from which to interdict possible Wehrmacht troop movements to North Africa. In part, the ongoing occupation of Crete is viewed as a bridge to Malta, which operates as a forward base against Axis troop movements across the Sicilian Narrows.

The Italians pull one of the two Royal Navy Swordfish bombers lost in the Taranto Raid out of the harbor.

Spy Stuff: Under interrogation, a downed Luftwaffe airman reveals that a "colossal raid" on Coventry or Birmingham by:

…every bomber in the Luftwaffe….will take place by moonlight between November 15 and 20.

Interesting, the official code name for the attack (unknown to the interlocutors) actually is Operation Mondscheinsonate (Moonlight Sonata).

The intelligence staff passes along the information, which it considers likely to be false. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, however, has the benefit of Top Secret Ultra decrypts. He knows the information to be true and also knows that the target will be Coventry. However, Churchill feels that he cannot say anything about this for fear of revealing the critically important Ultra operation.

Japanese/Dutch Relations: The Japanese and Dutch authorities - the Dutch remain a major power in the Far East - conclude an agreement regarding oil supplies to Japan. The agreement provides that the Japanese will receive 1.8 million tons of oil annually. This will partially make up for the Japanese shortfall due to the American oil embargo.

Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov at the Berlin train station, shaking Heinrich Himmler's hand. Ribbentrop is behind him.

German Military: Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 18. It summarizes staff discussion of the previous two weeks which reflect the disaster of the Italian invasion of Greece and the need to seal off the Mediterranean. The Directive outlines Operation Felix, the conquest of the British base at Gibraltar. The plan is set out in four phases:

1. Isolation of Gibraltar by mobile troops;
2. Luftwaffe attacks from French bases;
3. Army attack on Gibraltar and, if necessary, Portugal;
4. Closure of the Straits of Gibraltar, and operations in the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Madeira, and Azores.

In addition, this far-reaching directive states that German troops will only cross to North Africa after the Italians take Mersa Matruh, the Wehrmacht will invade Greece "if necessary," and that planning for Operation Barbarossa is to continue - "all preparations for the East for which verbal orders have already been given will be continued." The order also curiously states that Operation Sealion might be "possible, or necessary" in the Spring - making it clear that such an invasion is not, at present, necessary.

Fuhrer Directive 18 is notable for its lengthy treatment of operations with virtually no chance of occurring - Operation Felix and follow-up operations dependent upon it - and the short shrift it gives to truly monumental and looming issues - invasions of England and the Soviet Union. Fantastically, Hitler issues this order on the very day that Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov arrives in Berlin, revealing that Hitler expects nothing from those talks. In the event, the operations mentioned in Directive 18 that are never carried out make a whole lot more sense than the ones in it which do take place.

Separately, Adolf Hitler notices that his staff is making contingency plans to secure Molotov in an air raid shelter in case of an RAF attack (plans which come in quite handy). This sets him to thinking. He decides that he has no protection himself in the Reich Chancellery. He directs that plans be drawn up for a personal command bunker behind the Chancellery - which would become known as the Fuhrer Bunker.

US Military: U.S. Secretary of the Navy William “Frank” Knox asks his Special Naval Observer in London, Rear Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, to find out more details about the successful Royal Navy raid on Taranto. Everyone in the US military is extremely happy about the raid and the effectiveness of torpedo destruction of fleets at anchor in fortified harbors. The Japanese are also quite interested in the technical aspects of the raid and will let the Americans know how much on 7 December 1941. This goes into the special file marked "Be careful what you wish for."

Heavy cruiser USS Louisville departs from Buenos Aires, Argentina for Santos, Brazil on its "Show the Flag" mission.

Canadian Military: The Chief of the General Staff rejects for the second time a proposal from Colonel Tommy Burns that it form a parachute unit.

Gabon: The Free French under Generals de Gaulle and Koenig complete the capture of Libreville and Port Gentil, which is 70 miles south of Libreville. Vichy French Governor Georges Pierre Masson surrenders without a fight, then commits suicide.

American Homefront: The US Supreme Court decides Hansberry v. Lee, 311 U.S. 32 (1940). This case limits res judicata ("a thing decided") to the parties to a case. Of course, the previous case can serve as a precedent, but not as a bar to further litigation. The case involves a racially restrictive covenant in a Chicago neighborhood; the defendants argued - unsuccessfully - that a different plaintiff cannot also challenge the covenant because an earlier court already found it valid.

The US is digging out of the Armistice Day Blizzard.


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