Tuesday 19 November 1940

Bomb damage in Leicester due to the Luftwaffe attacks of 19 November 1940.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek advance, which sputtered a bit on the 18th, resumes on 19 November 1940 in the Korçë plateau area. The Greek K Group under Lieutenant-General Georgios Kosmas makes progress in capturing the summit of Moravia, which provides a commanding perspective over the surrounding region. The Italians fight hard to keep the summit but give ground.

In northwestern Greece, the Greeks push the Italians back across the Kalamas River. The Greek Liuba Detachment begins crossing the Kalamas River in the Thesprotia sector. In the Kalamas Sector, the Greek 8th Division continues on the offensive. In the Negrades sector, the Greek 2nd Infantry Division captures Agios Kosmas.

The Greek and Italian air forces engage in heavy combat over the Koritsa fighting.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe is fairly quiet during daylight hours. The Germans have realized that night-time operations are much less costly. They also can be devastating, as proven today.

The Luftwaffe sends 350 bombers from KG 26, KG 54, KG 55 and KuFlGr 606 against Birmingham in a first wave, then 116 in a second. They drop 403 tons of high explosives and 810 incendiary bombs. There are about 900 killed and 2000 injured. The Luftwaffe loses five planes, one of them brought down by a Beaufighter of RAF No. 604 Squadron that makes the first radar victory of the war.

While this attack is not given nearly as much prominence in accounts of the war as the 14 November 1940 attack on Coventry, it kills and injures many more people. In addition, Birmingham Cathedral is damaged, just as Coventry Cathedral was. The Luftwaffe has honed its nighttime bombing technique, using pathfinders from KG 100 that drop flares and sophisticated guidance techniques that the British continue to have difficulty jamming.

The Luftwaffe also bombs Leicester, England. They drop 150 high explosives which destroy 255 homes, 56 businesses, kill 108 people and seriously injure another 284.
The RAF bombs the Skoda armaments plant at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, but bombing accuracy is poor.

A Heinkel He 111 being repaired with a captured RAF crane, November 1940 (Federal Archive).

Battle of the Atlantic: The weather is rough in the English Channel throughout the day, restricting shipping attacks.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 276-ton Royal Navy trawler HMT Fontenoy (T/Skipper John Couch Coaker, RNR) in the North Sea off Lowestoft, Suffolk. Everyone survives. The Fontenoy is a converted fishing boat taken over by the Admiralty in February 1940.

Destroyers HMS Campbell and Garth ambush Kriegsmarine E-boats S-7, S-38, and S-54 whilst on patrol in the Thames Estuary. One of the destroyers rams and sinks 115-ton S-38.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy WN 40 in the North Sea, but the defending cruiser HMS Curacoa and escorting RAF Blenheims drive off the attacking planes.

The Luftwaffe damages 1166-ton British freighter Folda in the North Sea.

Convoy OG 46 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FS 339 departs from Methil, Convoy SLS 56 departs from Freetown and rendezvouses with Convoy SL 56, Convoy BS 9 departs from Suez bound for Aden.

Canadian corvettes HMCS Collingwood (K 180), Freesia (K 43) and Hollyhock (K 64) are commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: A light cruiser, HMS Newcastle, arrives at Malta carrying supplies and 200 airmen. This is part of Operation White, which saw only 4 of 12 Hurricanes make it to Malta from HMS Argus on the 18th. The Newcastle proceeds on to Alexandria.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS York arrives at Suda Bay, Crete with a battalion of British troops. This frees up Greek troops for the fighting in the north.

An inquiry is launched into the loss of the 8 Hurricane fighters that had been launched from HMS Argus on the 18th but failed to make it to shore. The "emergency investigation" led by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Dudley Pound blames the weather for missed communications but also notes that the planes had too small a margin of fuel. The report also notes that the planes flew off from the aircraft carrier 40 miles further west from Malta than during Operation Hurry due to fears of Italian fleet operations.

Spy Stuff: Noor Inayat Khan, of an Indian Muslim family by way of Russia, joins the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and, as an aircraftwoman 2nd class, is sent to be trained as a wireless operator.

German/Spanish Relations: In meetings with Spanish Foreign Minister Serrano Suner, Adolf Hitler presses for Spain to join the Axis so that they can mount Operation Felix, the assault on Gibraltar. Serrano, however, responds that Spain would require 400,000 tons of grain before entering the war. This is a continuation of tactics that the Spaniards employed at Hendaye in October which show they are not ready to join the war.

As described in the 19 November 1940 Look Magazine, the Panoram is the trademark name of a visual jukebox. The jukebox plays a closed-loop 16 mm film reel projected on a glass screen, and you can see it after putting in a coin. This is an early form of music video. The idea was stunted due to the outbreak of World War II, but similar machines finally reappeared during the 1960s. President Roosevelt's son James is one of the backers of the Panoram in RCM Productions. Some of these shorts survive on youtube.

German/Belgian Relations: Hitler continues with his round of diplomatic meetings by receiving King Leopold of Belgium. Many in Belgium are growing unhappy with the King, feeling that he is a bit too comfortable with the Germans.

German Military: Following his meeting on the 18th with Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano, Adolf Hitler refines his plans for an invasion of Greece (Operation Marita). Previously, he had been thinking of simply occupying the northern portion of the country, securing the Aegean coast and as a means of rescuing the Italians advancing (or now retreating) in the northwest. Now, he decides to expand the scope of the invasion to include the entire mainland. This requires a great expansion in the forces allocated to the operation, which up to this point have been only a little more than a strengthened corps.

While this may seem like a relatively obvious and almost natural change - Hitler always expands the scope of operations when he can - the change causes grumbling within the Wehrmacht. The Army (Heer, led by the OKH) is far along with its plans for an invasion of Greece from Bulgaria and feels as if it is being given unclear directives by the Military Staff (OKW) which complicate its task. This OKH/OKW tension will remain throughout the war. OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder begins revising the plans for the Greece invasion while complaining in his diary about the "deficient connections between ourselves and OKW."

Not everybody thinks that new commitments in the Balkans would be a good idea. One thing weighing in favor of invading Greece in Hitler's mind is the new presence of RAF bases in Greece, which threaten his Romanian oil supply. Isolating Great Britain is at the heart of all this planning. There are many ways to do this: Hitler also expresses some renewed interest in Operation Sealion, which would be a more direct way of getting at the British Empire than a time-consuming march through the Balkans (and, later, the Soviet Union and North Africa, because all of these operations will flow from the same wellspring). However, the Italian disaster in Albania requires some sort of solution that Operation Sealion could not provide.

The Rose Room Ballroom in Oakland, California. It was a taxi dancing hall at 409 12th Street. Taxi dancers were paid by the song.

US Military: Cruiser USS Houston arrives in Manila to serve as the US Asiatic Fleet's flagship.

British Military: De Havilland completes prototype E0234, the Mosquito bomber at Hatfield. This prototype undergoes successful engine runs (two Merlin 21 two-speed single-stage supercharged engines driving three-bladed de Havilland Hydromatic constant-speed, controllable-pitch propellers. The prototype remains to be flight-tested. This is not the final form of the aircraft, as it has Handley Page slats on the outer leading wing edges.

Canada: The Canadian government approves the start of germ warfare production.

Switzerland: Federal Police close down Kellers NBS, including its 160 chartered cells involving nearly 4,000 members. Kellers NBS is a far-right organization led by Dr. Max Leo Keller and Rolf Henne which wishes to see Switzerland annexed by Germany. The group, working through its cells and financed by Heinrich Himmler's SS, continues to work underground.

Look Magazine, 19 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

Sunday 10 November 1940

Franklin Roosevelt and Fala.

Italian/Greek Campaign: With the Italians having gone over to the defensive by 10 November 1940, the Greeks focus on massing troops for a counter-offensive. In the coastal sector, the Greek 8th Division continues launching local counterattacks to pressure the Italians into giving up their bridgehead over the Kalamas River.

European Air Operations: During the day, the RAF attacks shipping in Boulogne and Calais. The weather is terrible during the night, with heavy storms and icing, but RAF Bomber Command sends its planes to attack several targets within Germany. These include industrial facilities in Dresden, Danzig, Essen, and northern Italy. The RAF loses five bombers. This is the first RAF attack on Danzig, which is at the outer limits of the RAF's current bombers.

During the day, the Luftwaffe mounts fighter-bomber (Jabo) raids on some towns along the Kent and Sussex coasts. Some of the Jabos strafe the Scilly Isles. The Luftwaffe also is operational after dark despite the weather. After dark, it puts 170 bombers in the air with London as the main target.

Battle of the Atlantic: Royal Navy 550 ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Kingston Alalite (Skipper R. A. Read RNR) hits a mine and sinks off Plymouth in the English Channel. There are six deaths.

Royal Navy 64 ton boom defense ship HMT Marcelle hits a mine and sinks in the Bristol Channel. There are four survivors and one death.

The Luftwaffe damaged destroyer HMS Cattistock in the English Channel, but the damage is minimal and the ship is repaired in one day.

Convoy OB 239 departs from Oban (rerouted from Liverpool due to the Admiral Scheer attack), Convoy FN 331 departs from Southend, Convoy HX 86 (previously delayed due to the Admiral Scheer attack) departs from Halifax, Convoy BH 87 departs from Bermuda. Convoy BH 87 later joins Convoy HX 86 at sea, the numbers not matching because of the latter's delay in Halifax. Convoy AS 5 departs from Piraeus for Port Said. Today's convoys give a nice illustration of the hidden benefits of having a surface raider at large.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Unbeaten (N 93, Lt. Edward A. Woodward) is commissioned.

Unfamiliar with Doc Strange? Well, the way Hollywood runs through comic book heroes, someday you may. Incidentally, there has been a Marvel character named "Doctor Strange," but he is not related to this Doc Strange. There are similarities to other comic book heroes, such as Batman (both have a teenaged sidekick, for instance). Thrilling Comics #10 (November 1940), cover by Alex Schomburg.

Battle of the Mediterranean: At Malta, there are air raid alerts, but no actual attacks - the Italian planes have a well-established pattern now of approaching the island but then veering off and returning to base.
The seesaw campaign between the Italians and the British over the insignificant border town of Gallabat in southern Sudan continues. The British push the Italians out again.

Before dawn, Royal Navy gunboat HMS Aphis bombards Italian positions at Sidi Barrani during the night.

The RAF loses two Swordfish today, and three in two days from No. 815 and 819 Squadrons, under mysterious circumstances unrelated to enemy action from HMS Illustrious. An investigation reveals the cause is contaminated fuel. All of the crews are saved, but the Royal Navy is out three planes.

Italian submarine Capponi spots the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet south of Malta and attacks. However, it misses battleship HMS Ramillies. Other Italian submarines vector in on the British ships. Italian submarine Barbarigo also attacks a destroyer but similarly misses.

The British continue beefing up their presence at Suda Bay, Crete. Monitor HMS Terror arrives there today.

Doc Strange is called upon to fight "this Fascistic terror."

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis is posing as armed merchant cruiser HMS Antenor in the Bay of Bengal and having great success intercepting various cargo ships. Today, it stops and captures 830-ton Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob. The Norwegian ship manages to get off distress signals, and the Australians dispatch HMAS Canberra, Capetown, Durban and Westralia to hunt the Atlantis down. The crew of the Atlantis, meanwhile, renames the Ole Jacot as "Benno" and later sends the ship to Kobe, Japan. It is the start of a long journey for Benno which ultimately takes it to Bordeaux on 19 July 1941.

Spy Stuff: There is a legend that Walt Disney begins serving as an informer for the Los Angeles office of the FBI on this date. His role is to tell the G-Men anything that he learns about Hollywood subversives. Disney supposedly is helping to fight Communism. This allegation is made in the Marc Eliot book, "Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince," which says:

On November 10, 1940, Disney apparently struck the following deal with the Bureau. It appears that in exchange for its continuing assistance in his personal search to find out the truth of his own parentage, Walt agreed to assist Hoover's crusade against the spread of communism in Hollywood by becoming an official informant of the FBI.

This allegation remains highly controversial. It may or may not be true. It is known that Disney had many labor troubles in his studio caused by communist agitators around this time and later testified about that. He also had certain arrangements with the government in the 1950s. However, Eliot's "proof," to the extent that it exists, about this 1940 agreement remains suspect. Some consider the whole issue to be a hoax, alongside Errol Flynn's supposed German sympathies, cooked up by a biographer looking to create a stir.


Anglo/US Relations: A flight of seven Lockheed Hudson bombers departs from Gander, Newfoundland. It will land on the morning of the 11th at Aldergrove, Northern Ireland. The flight lasts 10 hours and 17 minutes. This is the first such flight by bombers over the Atlantic, which heretofore had to be transported, disassembled, by ship.

US Ambassador to the Court of St. James Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., back in the states on holiday, gives an infamous interview to the Sunday Boston Globe. Always pessimistic about Great Britain's chances in the war, and breaking ranks a bit with his friend Franklin Roosevelt's government, he is quoted as saying, "Democracy is finished in England. It may be here." He elaborates a bit further:

It's all a question of what we do with the next six months. The whole reason for aiding England (sic) is to give us time ... As long as she is in there, we have time to prepare. It isn't that [the UK is] fighting for democracy. That's bunk. She's fighting for self-preservation, just as we will if it comes to us..... I know more about the European situation than anybody else, and it's up to me to see that the country gets it.

This is not an isolated view within the United States, as many people are pessimistic about England's chances in the war. However, it is undeniably Isolationist at a time when President Roosevelt is becoming increasingly interventionist. Needless to say, these comments do not go over well either in Washington or in England. Repercussions will follow in the coming weeks.

US Military: The US Marine Corps Reserves joins the regular US Marine Corps.

British Military: The Avro Manchester formally enters service with newly reformed No. 207 Squadron of Bomber Command. The Squadron Leader is Noel Challis Hyde, and the squadron is based at RAF Waddington. However, it will be some time before they actually engage in combat missions.

Gabon: The Vichy French forces in Libreville formally surrender to General Koenig's Free French Foreign Legion troops. Next up is the Vichy base at Port Gentil, under the command of Governor Masson.


Romania: The Vrancea earthquake in the Bucharest/Ploesti region registers 7.7 on the Richter scale. It kills 1000 people and damages much property, including oil installations.

Canada: The government opens the Little Norway air training center in the Toronto bay area.

American Homefront: President Roosevelt receives a gift: a Scottish terrier named "Big Boy." The President renames him "Murray the Outlaw of Falahill," after one of his Scottish ancestors. Quickly nicknamed Fala because, well, try saying "Murray the Outlaw of Falahill" every time you want to take your dog for a walk, Fala finds a home at the White House.

The Copacabana nightclub opens in New York City at 10 East 60th Street (just off Central Park and two blocks from the Plaza Hotel, later home to Rouge Tomato restaurant until August 2014, then Avra Madison Restaurant). Mob boss Frank Costello is behind the club. The club is eccentric, with a Brazilian theme and pink-haired "Copacabana Girls" who greatly resembled later Las Vegas nightclub acts (before Las Vegas became full of them).

In an NFL game, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia play a rare penalty-free game.

President Roosevelt and Fala.

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

Saturday 9 November 1940

Standing in the car is Anton Mussert, founder and leader of the NSB Weerbaarheids Aldeling (Weerbaarheidsafdeling), typically called the WA. The WA is a paramilitary unit of the Dutch Fascist NSB party, somewhat similar to the German SA. They engage in violent attacks on their perceived enemies, including Dutch Jews. This is a parade of 5000 NSB members on Dam Square.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italians have stopped advancing into Greece on 9 November 1940, and in fact are withdrawing to their starting points in most areas. The Greek 8th Division on the Epirus sector begins launching local counterattacks to recover lost ground and push the Italians back over the Kalamas River. The Italian troops in the Vovousa Valley are trapped and gradually surrendering. The Greeks basically have recovered all the ground lost in this sector with the exception of areas still controlled by surrounded Italian formations, which are now little more than armed prison camps.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command and Coastal Command raid the U-boat pens at Lorient, the ports of Boulogne and Calais, and various airfields along the coast such as the one at Le Havre, where a Bf 109 is shot down.

The Luftwaffe only sends some lone raiders across the Channel during the day, with minor damage caused in London, the Home Counties, eastern areas of England, the Midlands, and Liverpool and nearby areas. After dark, the Luftwaffe hits the usual targets such as London and Liverpool.

The Luftwaffe continues consolidating its fighters in France. two groups of JG 77, 5 and 6, transfer south from Stavanger airfield to Brest. 4,/JG 77 also moves to Brest (from  Herdla and Mandal). All of JG 77 now is in France except for III,/ JG 77, which remains for the time being in Norway.

Dutch NSB members march in Amsterdam. These fellows would engage in such activities as forcing owners of restaurants and cafes to put up signs saying Jooden niet gewenscht ("Jews not welcome") and trolling inhabitants of neighborhoods with Jewish inhabitants. WA members are called "Blackshirts" due to their uniforms. November 9, 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: German acoustic mines - detonated by the sound of passing propellers - are becoming an increasing problem. The British adopt several countermeasures, including using modified jackhammers to set them off.

Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors attack 26,032-ton liner RMS Empress of Japan off the west coast of Ireland. They drop two 250 kg bombs that hit the ship but deflect off of a stern railing and a lifeboat, respectively. The planes also strafe the ship, forcing the helmsman, Ho Kan, to steer the ship in evasive maneuvers from a prone position. The ship sustains non-critical damage in the same region where the Empress of Britain had been bombed and sunk two weeks earlier. Captain Thomas receives the CBE, Ho Kan receives the BEM.

British 1699 ton freighter Baltrader hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea. There are two deaths. The minefield was "Alfred" laid by Kriegsmarine torpedo boats on 29/30 October.

Vichy 1970 ton French Navy colonial-service patrol boat (aviso) Bougainville is operating off Libreville in opposition to the Free French landings there when it is attacked and sunk by Free French sister ship Savorgnan de Brazza and sloop Commandant Dominé. This is known as the Battle of Gabon. The ship sinks in shallow water and is re-floated in March 1941.

The Commandant Dominé captures 3081 ton Vichy French armed merchant cruiser Cap Des Palmes off Libreville. The crew of the Vichy ship tries to scuttle it but fails.

British 1811-ton collier Gartbrattan collides with freighter Melrose Abbey to the west of Cape Clear, Ireland in the Atlantic. It sinks without any casualties. This was the ship's second collision during the war, clearly an unlucky ship.

Finnish 2139-ton freighter Minerva hits a mine and suffers severe damage off Borkum, Germany. The ship, en route from Jakobstad to Emden carrying pit props, is a total loss, but there are no casualties. The ship was built in 1889.

British 504-ton freighter Beal hits a mine off Tees and is damaged.

The Luftwaffe attacks Cleveland Wharf, Shoreham and damages 695-ton British tanker Shelbrit II.

Italian submarine Marconi, which narrowly escaped destruction by Royal Navy vessels on the 8th, comes across the disabled Swedish 2734 ton freighter Vingaland. Vingaland is traveling in Convoy HX 84 and had been damaged by the Luftwaffe bombing on the 8th. The Marconi sends the Vingaland to the bottom. There are six deaths total on the ship.

U-65 (Korvettenkapitän Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen), on her fifth patrol, refuels at sea from German tanker Nordmark. The U-boat has been at sea since 15 October 1940. Since they have not sighted any targets, all U-65 and its crew need are some fuel and food/water and it can continue at sea for some time. In fact, this patrol will last into January, an extremely long patrol since most patrols are only about a month long.

Convoy OB 241 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 330 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 332 departs from Methil, Convoy SC 11 departs from St. John.

The Royal Navy commissions corvette HMS Columbine (K 94, Lt. Louis A. Sayers) and minesweeper HMS Rhyl (J 36,  Lt. William L. O'Mara).

Canadian corvette HMCS Collingwood (K 180, Lt. Norman G. Bennett) is commissioned.

Keele Street just north of Dundas Street, Toronto, Canada. 9 November 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: General Koenig's Free French forces fight the Vichy French forces holding Libreville. There is street fighting. Free French Westland Lysanders based in Douala, Cameroon bomb the airfield. The Free French Foreign Legion troops ultimately capture the airfield, which decides the battle. General Tetu formally surrenders to Free French Admiral Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu aboard the aviso Savorgnan de Brazza on the 10th.

Greek 489 ton coaster Vivi hits a mine and sinks in the Gulf of Patras. The mine had been laid by the Greeks, so this is a "friendly fire" incident. There is some controversy over whether the ship was sunk by a mine or by air attack, but it appears to have been off course and sunk in the "Araxos" minefield.

The RAF raids Agordat, Assab, and Keren. Gibraltar Force H aircraft carrier Ark Royal launches aircraft to attack Cagliari.

At Malta, there are two air raids by Italian CR 42 biplane fighters. There are some bombers, but they turn back well short of the island. The Italian fighters strafe Hal Far airfield, damaging a Swordfish torpedo bomber. One Italian fighter is damaged by anti-aircraft fire. A Glenn Martin Maryland reconnaissance plane is lost at sea with the crew lost.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis, operating in the Bay of Bengal, captures 6750-ton Norwegian tanker Teddy. The Atlantis currently is disguised as armed merchant cruiser HMS Antenor. The 32 men aboard the Teddy are taken as prisoners. The 10,000 tons of fuel oil on the tanker will come in handy.

Cheerleaders at the Georgia Institute of Technology vs. University of Kentucky football game, November 9, 1940 - Kentucky Digital Library.

Battle of the Pacific: Some sources place the sinking of the US freighter City of Rayville east of Cape Otway, Australia in the Bass Strait today, but others on the 8th. This sinking also is described in our entry for the 8th of November. The sinking is announced unusually quickly today by the Admiralty - perhaps because of the ship's flag and the potential implications. In any event, the ship hits a mine laid by German converted minesweeper Passat and sinks. It is the first US ship sunk due to enemy action in the war, a key moment in the war that goes virtually unnoticed both at the time and by historians. There is one death, the rest of the crew makes landfall in Apollo Bay. The US government does not, contrary to British hopes, make an issue of this sinking.

Romania: The Bucharest/Ploesti region is hit by a massive earthquake. This causes massive damage and 400 deaths.

British Homefront: Former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain passes away from bowel cancer at the age of 71.

Saturday Evening Post, 9 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

Monday 7 October 1940

A sentry in Southern England. 7 October 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather is good on 7 October 1940 after a long stretch of clouds and rain, and the Luftwaffe gets busy. Daylight raids have become increasingly unprofitable, but they are essential to "keep the RAF honest" and prevent it from building an overwhelming force of fighters which might make an invasion impossible in 1941, too. While there apparently is no official order to change tactics, the Luftwaffe resumes including medium bombers in its daylight attacks.

Things get started at 10:30, when the Luftwaffe mounts a large raid of 127 aircraft, including Dornier Do 17s that appear after the initial formation composed solely of Bf 109s and 110s. The RAF intercepts, led by the elite No. 303 (Polish) Squadron, but some of the bombers penetrate to East London. The German escort fighters have some success, but most of the bombers are turned back.

Around 12:30, another formation of similar size crosses at Dover. Some medium Junkers Ju 88 bombers are escorted rather than just fighter-bombers (Jabos). Fighter Command disrupts the formation, turning most of the bombers back after they drop their bombs (and cause some random damage). The London dockyards are hit, starting fires at Rotherhithe and Tidal Basin

Another mixed formation of bombers and fighters approaches around 14:00. Once again, London is the target, particularly the nearby airfields. Strong Fighter Command opposition blunts the attack, and there are massive dogfights.

The day's fourth attack, at 16:00, targets primarily areas along the southern coast and slightly inland. At Yeovil, the Wrestland factory is hit, as is Portland Harbour and areas in Dorset. Government House and a furniture warehouse are hit and burn.

At the same time, a raid approaches against Kent and Sussex. This raid is entirely by fighters and Jabos, focusing on Thames River docks. Large fires start in several areas.

After dark, London is the main target. Other areas hit include Liverpool, Newcastle, South Wales, and the Bristol area, East Anglia Montrose, Sunderland and scattered areas in the Midlands. The railways at Sedgefield and Mill Hill East are disrupted.

Overall, it is a fairly even day. The Luftwaffe loses about 20 planes and the RAF a few less. In a way, it is one of the better days for the Luftwaffe, because previous daylight bombing raids using regular bombers usually resulted in much heavier losses. In fact, on a relative damage basis, the larger and more precise bombing made probably more than compensated for losing a few planes more than the RAF, so if you are scoring the battle, I would put this into the "Luftwaffe" column.

Major Bernd von Brauchitsch, Reichsmarschall Goering's adjutant, presents the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz) to Wolfgang Falck. Falck, for his part, breaks protocol afterward and complains (to General Milch) that pensions are not being awarded to the families of new (less than 10 years service) Luftwaffe men who have perished in action. This group, of course, covers virtually all Luftwaffe personnel.

Viktor Mölders, brother of leading scorer Werner, is shot down and captured. After his force-landing, the plane is repaired and joins the RAF's "Ratwaffe."

Lt. Erich Meyer, 2./JG 51, is shot down over the Channel and also becomes a POW. His plane is recovered in 1976 and restored.

Luftwaffe ace Oblt. Josef "Pips" Priller of 6,/JG 51 shoots down a Spitfire near Canterbury and another later in the day over the Thames.

Acting RAF No. 605 Squadron Leader "Archie" McKellar claims five Bf109Es during the day. Ace James Lacey also puts in a claim.

Major Gotthard Handrick moves from JG 26 to become Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 52 after the loss of Hptm. Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald.

Daily Mail, 7 October 1940.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command targets the barges still in Dutch and French ports. It also attacks Berlin power stations again, the coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, an aircraft factory in Amsterdam, and the U-boat base at Lorient. While not large by late-war standards, the Berlin raid is the largest of the war so far. The RAF's bomber force continues to gradually expand, and tonight it uses 140 planes.

Battle of the Atlantic: It is a fairly quiet day at sea. However, the U-boat fleet is active.

U-59 (Kptl. Joachim Matz), on her eighth patrol and operating out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5811-ton Norwegian freighter Touraine about 50 miles west of Ireland. The Touraine is a straggler from Convoy OB 225, and it is a tortuous sinking. The first torpedo hits at 16:01, but the ship remains afloat and the U-boat fires two more at 19:25 and 19:32 - but they both miss. An hour later, at 20:41, hits, but the ship stubbornly refuses to go down right away. Finally, at 21:59, it goes down. All but one of the 35 crew on board survive, some picked up by British freighter Derbyshire, others making land in their lifeboats after several days. The lone casualty is the cook, who perishes in the hospital from exposure.

U-37 (Kptlt. Victor Oehrn) finishes off 6989-ton British tanker British General with two more torpedoes at 20:00 after badly damaging it on the 6th. All 47 onboard perish. Many accounts place this sinking on the 6th because that is when U-37 makes its initial attack. The British General had been traveling in Convoy OA 222.

The Royal Navy makes its third try to complete Operation Lucid. This involves "fireships," two old tankers (War Nizam and War African) filled with fuel oil. They are to be taken to Dutch ports and run into shipping there, with the intention of destroying barges assembled there for an invasion. The first attempt was scrubbed when the Nizam had engine troubles, the second due to the weather. On this attempt, escorting destroyer HMS Hambledon hits a mine near Folkestone, causing major damage and requiring it to be towed back to Chatham. Once again, the mission is scrubbed.

Convoy FN 302 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 303 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 225 departs from Liverpool.

Parts of Convoy WS 3 Fast ("Winston Special") loaded with troops for the Middle East depart from Scapa Flow, Liverpool, Londonderry, and the Clyde. It has four troopships, the Georgic, Capetown Castle, Winchester Castle, and Orionsay. The first stop is Freetown.

US destroyer USS Livermore (DD 429, Lt. Commander Vernon Huber) is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The echoes of Operation Menace continue. Today, Dutch transport Westernland lands troops near Manoko at the mouth of the Douala River in Cameroon. This is part of General de Gaulle's plan to consolidate Free French possessions in central Africa.

The RAF bombs Aisha, a railway station on the Italian supply line heading from Djibouti to Addis Ababa, Abyssinia.

Italian destroyers lay mines in the Sicilian Straits off Cape Bon.

At Malta, Rome radio is monitored making some false claims about air victories. Otherwise, it is a quiet day with some normal reconnaissance.

By Low, 'The Evening Standard', October 7, 1940.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Operating about 500 northwest of Australia (northwest of Christmas Island), German raider Pinguin spots a ship and closes. The Pinguin fires a warning shot with its 75 mm gun, causing Norwegian tanker Storstad to surrender. The tanker has 12k tons of diesel and 500 tons of heavy fuel oil. Rather than sink it, the Pinguin's Captain, Ernst-Felix Krüder, decides to convert the Storstad into a minelayer. He renames it the Passat and uses 1200 tons of diesel oil to refuel his own ship. The ship is taken to a remote location and loaded with 110 mines. Five of the Storstad's crew switch sides and continue to serve aboard it, while 30 others become POWs.

German/Romanian Relations: With the Romanian government's permission, German troops move from Hungary to Romania. The expressed purpose is to help re-train the Romanian Army. They garrison Ploiești, home to Romania's oil fields. The oil is a major priority for Hitler throughout the war and plays a much larger role in the overall German strategy than many realize. Hitler is concerned about the Soviets seizing the oil, which fuels the Wehrmacht, and is one of the main reasons he gives during his June 1942 meeting with Marshal Mannerheim in Finland for Operation Barbarossa. He says then that he has had "nightmares of the oil fields burning out of control."

US/Latin American Relations: Heavy cruiser USS Louisville makes port at Recife, Brazil as part of a "Show the Flag" mission in Latin America. This is but the latest in a series of such efforts.

US/Japanese Relations: The Japanese ambassador protests the US embargo on strategic materials, including oil.

US Military: Lieutenant Commander Arthur H. McCollum, director of the Office of Naval Intelligence's Far East Asia section, submits the "Eight Action Memo" to Navy Captains Dudley Knox and Walter Stratton Anderson. It proposes:

1. Make an arrangement with Britain for the use of British bases in the Pacific, particularly Singapore
2. Make an arrangement with the Netherlands for the use of base facilities and acquisition of supplies in the Dutch East Indies
3. Give all possible aid to the Chinese government of Chiang-Kai-Shek
4. Send a division of long-range heavy cruisers to the Orient, Philippines, or Singapore
5. Send two divisions of submarines to the Orient
6. Keep the main strength of the U.S. fleet now in the Pacific[,] in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands
7. Insist that the Dutch refuse to grant Japanese demands for undue economic concessions, particularly oil
8. Completely embargo all U.S. trade with Japan, in collaboration with a similar embargo imposed by the British Empire

Beyond some general suggestions regarding military preparedness with other Allied Pacific rim nations, the "McCollum Memorandum" is notorious for its suggestion that the US intentionally provoke the Empire of Japan into making a hostile act of war - so it can be attacked and subdued once and for all. This memo becomes a cornerstone of later conspiracy theories that President Roosevelt manipulated Japan into the Pearl Harbor raid, but Roosevelt had nothing to do with it (as far as is known). It is "the smoking gun" showing that the US manufactured its entry into World War II out of whole cloth.

The McCollum Memo and its interpretation/use are quite controversial topics. There are no clear answers on what effect, if any, it may have had on US strategy. Possibilities - refuted by some major historians - are that it either gave the US military some ideas about provoking Japan into war or perhaps just reflected thinking common in the Navy at the time. However, the McCollum Memo undeniably did exist and any evidence of its influence or lack thereof is entirely circumstantial. In other words: we just don't know what it really means in terms of later historical events.

Besides the entirely coincidental McCollum Memo and the Japanese protest previously mentioned, there is a third related development in the Pacific Theater. Admiral James O. Richardson, Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (CinCUS), arrives in DC for conferences with President Roosevelt and others. The topic is the stationing of the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. Richardson is the key military figure who thinks that Hawaii is unsuited to being the base of the US Pacific Fleet. He considers the Pearl Harbor base to be underdeveloped and vulnerable. For those looking for subtle coincidences in history, today is a good start.

German Military: Reinhard Gehlen, a liaison officer to Army Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch, transfers over to an operations planning post on the staff of Army Chief of Staff General Franz Halder. Gehlen is heading for a key intelligence position in the planning and execution of Operation Barbarossa. Gehlen also is considered to be a legendary figure in the post-war West German Bundeswehr. He definitely is a key player in the shadowy spy business both during the war and afterward.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller uses a fancy home movie camera at Crosley Field in Cincinnati during the World Series, The Reds take the game against the Tigers 4-0, to even the series at 3 games apiece. 7 October 1940.

British Military: The RAF forms a top-secret electronic warfare unit, the No. 80 (Signals) Wing. This unit will develop tactics such as developing devices to hone in on German radar installations.

Salvage efforts become consolidated in the No. 43 Group RAF (Maintenance), known as No. 43 Group Salvage and based at Cowley.

Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt, military commander of France, takes in a tour at the Louvre given by curator Alfred Merlin. They are discussing the Venus de Milo. October 7, 1940 (Ang, Federal Archives).

Vichy France: All Jews must now register with the authorities in German-occupied areas.

British Homefront: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill regularly receives reports on civilian morale. These reports are derived from postal inspectors secretly opening mail and reviewing the contents. Today, he orders that the latest report on "Home Opinion – As Shewn in the Mails to USA and Eire" be circulated to the entire War Cabinet. The report finds that:

Morale is highest in London, but the provinces run a good second, and only a few letters from Liverpool, mostly from Irish writers, show any sign of panic.

What is most interesting about this report - and possibly the reason that Churchill finds it particularly significant - is that it shows that, exactly one month after the beginning of the bombing of London, morale there is higher than elsewhere in the country. This, of course, is exactly the opposite of many pre-war theorists claimed might be the case.

American Homefront: Soap opera "Portia Faces Life" debuts on the NBC Red Network (radio), which eventually becomes the foundation of NBC-TV. The soap is an instant success.

"Drums of the Desert" is released by Monogram Pictures, starring Ralph Byrd, Lorna Gray, and George Lynn. The film is interesting because, despite current developments in Africa, the film completely ignores them and instead concentrates on a plot involving the French Foreign Legion fighting Arabs. It illustrates the degree of distance between the US and the war very much in progress in Africa, particularly since much more interesting current real events are taking place in the film's locale than some contrived boilerplate plot.

Artie Shaw and his orchestra record "Star Dust" in a version arranged by Shaw and Lenny Hayton, and recorded for Victor on 7 October 1940. The trumpet solo is played by Billy Butterfield (2nd Trumpet), with a trombone solo by Jack Jenny. The song, written in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish, will become an American standard and one of the most recorded songs in history, with over 1500 versions. In 2004, Carmichael's original 1927 recording of the song was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Shaw's version of Star Dust is the best known and if you are going to listen to an "original version," the one you are likely to choose.  Incidentally, "Star Dust" is the actual title, though over time it has been corrupted to Stardust. The song helps summarize the era in Woody Allen's 1980 film "Stardust Memories," though Allen uses a Louis Armstrong version and technically the "Stardust" in the title refers to a fictional hotel.

October 1940

October 1, 1940: Wait Daddy
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

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