Thursday 8 August 1940

If you ever wondered what one of those "crash-landed" planes looks like, here is one. After being shot up off Swanage on 8 August 1940, Sgt Denis N Robinson of No 152 Squadron RAF makes a crash-landing in a field near Wareham. The 22-year-old pilot is unhurt but Spitfire Mk I UM-N is a write-off.

Battle of Britain: Luftwaffe attacks pick up noticeably on 8 August 1940. There is reasonably good flying weather, though there are low clouds (2000 ft, 700 meters) over the Channel. Rather than 10 July 1940, today feels like the true start of what is known as the Battle of Britain. Adolf Galland later notes that the intent is to overwhelm the RAF fighter defense and, after drawing them up for combat, destroy them. Everything else is secondary.

Pursuant to Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering's directive of the 6th, the focus of attacks is supposed to be the RAF and its infrastructure. The implicit assumption is that the easy pickings in the Channel have been eliminated. However, today shows that the best-laid plans sometimes go awry, as shipping is first on the agenda.

The attacks on the 20-ship (plus 9 escorts) convoy (codename "Peewit" by the RAF and "CW9" by the Royal Navy) spotted by German Freyda radar at Wissant and sentries on Cape Gris Nez late on the 7th take place throughout the day. German radio has said that the Channel is closed to British convoys, and the Wehrmacht intends to make good on that statement. The British, on the other hand, intend to prove the Germans wrong and reassert their control over the waters just beyond their own coastline. This sets the stage for a classic battle in which both sides are trying to prove themselves "right" and make a larger point about dominance. Naturally, the sailors on the ships of both sides have nothing to say about this.

Squadron Leader Harold A "Jimmy" Fenton is hit by the fire of a He 59, damaging an oil line of his Hurricane Mk I VK-A and sending him down. He is saved by trawler HMS Bassett. The 31-year-old CO had been out looking for another pilot of No. 238 Squadron downed that day. It is a rare case of one rescue plane shooting down another (though his Hurricane is not marked as such). The British have been shooting down rescue planes routinely, accusing them of scouting for the Luftwaffe.

Kriegsmarine E-boats and S-boats head out before dawn on the 8th, scattering the convoy moving south which they learned about around dusk on the 7th. There is mass mayhem, with two colliers colliding (only one of them sinks) and the "convoy" reduced to fleeing refugees seeking to save their skins. For once, the scatter strategy works, minimizing ship losses. The E-boats sink two or three ships (Fife and Holme) at a cost of one of their own boats.

An odd circumstance occurs which is of huge portent. The Luftwaffe is slow to react because Luftlotten 2 and 3 disagree over whose zone of operations the ships lie within. As they argue about it, the ships sail on. This is a perpetual problem within the Wehrmacht, both in Luftwaffe settings and also the army (Heer), and everybody notices it but nobody ever solves it.

Generalmajor Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen of Fliegerkorps VIII, Luftflotte 3 finally cuts the knot and sends his Stukas in after several hours' wait at about 09:00. Escorted by fighters of I,/JG27 and III,/JG26, they sink 2 ships (SS Conquerdale and SS Empire Crusader) and damage 7 others. The Stukas are hampered by barrage balloons and low cloud cover. The RAF defends with six squadrons from Nos. 10 and 11 Groups.

There are Luftwaffe fighter sweeps by JGs 3, 26, 51, 53 and 54 in the southeast as well. RAF Nos. 41, 64 and 610 Squadrons rise to meet them. The RAF loses four Spitfires and three pilots. The Luftwaffe loses one plane, but five others are either badly damaged or complete write-offs when they make it back to France.

The second attack on the Peewit convoy, which by now has made it almost to the Isle of Wight, occurs at 12:48. There are almost 60 Stukas (StG 2, StG 3 and StG 77), escorted by 30 Bf 109s (JG 27) and 20 Bf 110s (LG 1). The RAF counters with over fifty fighters from Squadron Nos. 43, 145, 238, 257 and 609 (Spitfires). The Luftwaffe loses three Stukas, with four more damaged, three Bf 109s with one damaged, and a Bf 110 with three more damaged. The Stukas sink four more ships and inflict damage on seven others.

Von Richthofen is determined to teach the British a lesson about thumbing their noses at him, so he sends a third wave of attackers against the (largely meaningless) Peewit convoy at 15:00. This is the largest effort of all, with 87 Stukas escorted by 68 Bf 109s of II,/JG 27 and some Bf 110s. The RAF Groups No. 10 and 11 meet them again with seven squadrons. The carnage is everywhere, on the sea, in the RAF, and in the Luftwaffe.

There are various ways of looking at the day's events. Altogether, it is estimated, that the RAF downs 31 Luftwaffe aircraft to 19 of its own planes. However, the Luftwaffe only lose 9 fighters, with another 8 damaged. The RAF lose 19 planes, of which 18 are fighters and the other a Blenheim bomber. In terms of fighter operations, it is not a bad day for the Luftwaffe. More significantly, the RAF loses 16 pilots permanently and several others to wounds, and pilots are a major bottleneck for fighter defense. As such, the day's balance tends to favor the Luftwaffe.

On the other hand, the Stukas are mauled throughout the day. While they are absolutely phenomenal at the precision bombing of ships, they also are proving themselves to be phenomenally easy targets for RAF fighters. This is not a cause for concern by the Luftwaffe - yet - because the fighter pilots are full of stories about their own successes which tend to exaggerate the reality of the situation. The Stuka losses, though, are becoming painful and are there to see when the planes (don't) return.

A Heinkel He 59 rescue plane. These were put to good use on 8 August 1940, and one even gets an aerial victory against a Hurricane.

Some major decisions flow from today's events.

• The Admiralty suspends collier convoys. Only four of the original 20 ships reach their destination of Swanage, Dorset, with six others damaged and making any port that they can. Future coal shipments can and will be made by rail, which in fact was a superior alternative all along.
• Based on all sorts of assumptions about the progress of the battle that are highly sketchy - such as that the RAF is running low on fighters, which is not the case - the Luftwaffe high command issues the order for Operation Adlerangriff, the full-out assault on the RAF, to begin on the next convenient day of good flying weather.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sends Heinkel He 111s of I,/KG 55 against their usual target of the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and II,/KG 55 against Bristol proper. Heinkels of II,/KG 27 also raid the Bristol area, trying to knock out searchlights in the area.

During the day, RAF Bomber Command raids Amsterdam-Schiphol and Valkenburg in Holland, losing a bomber. After dark, they attack the usual targets in northwestern Europe, including the port of Hamburg, electrical facilities at Cologne, and train infrastructure at Hamm and Soest. They lose a bomber in these raids as well.

The Luftwaffe continues moving its units to forward bases along the Channel. III,/JG3 moves to a converted football field at Desvres.

A shot-up Heinkel which took massive damage but still made it in for a level landing in France, August 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) torpedoes and sinks 5380-ton British freighter Upwey Grange about 200 miles west of Ireland at 01:14. There are 36 deaths when one of the lifeboats disappears.

German raider Widder disembarks the 34-man crew of 5,850-ton Dutch collier Oostplein and sinks the ship.

British tanker Lucerna that was torpedoed and badly damaged by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) on 2 August 1940, limps into Greenock, Scotland.

The Luftwaffe lays mines in the Thames estuary and near ports in the south of England.

Convoy OB 195 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 64 departs from Halifax.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The RAF and Italian Regia Aeronautica have been sparring lightly over the Libyan/Egyptian desert, and today a major battle develops. The Italians lose 7 planes and the RAF 2 Gloster Gladiator biplanes.

The second British submarine carrying spares to Malta for the new Hurricanes, HMS Proteus, arrives at Grand Harbour. HMS Pandora, which also brought in supplies, departed on the 7th. Together, this supply mission is called Operation Tube. The Proteus has a mishap when it accidentally rams a small freighter, the Andromeda, whilst shifting its berth. Andromeda sinks.

The Italians once again buzz Malta during the afternoon with half a dozen aircraft, but nothing comes of it. The War Office promises to send supplies on 7000 tons of shipping space that has opened up for it, with the government of Malta to pay for civilian goods so as to ensure secrecy.

British Somaliland: The British, having given up the key ports to the west, set up a defensive perimeter on six hills overlooking the road into Berbera. They use their recent reinforcements of the 1/2nd Punjab Regiment and the 2nd Battalion of the Scottish Black Watch to man these key positions. The Italian troops advance toward this position, which guards the British stronghold at Tug Argan pass.

The Regia Aeronautica begins attacks on British vessels in the Gulf of Aden, but has little success, and also on British positions at Berbera. The Fleet Air Arm operating from Australian cruiser HMAS Hobart, meanwhile, counters with attacks on Italian headquarters in Zeila. RAF aircraft retreat to bases in Aden.

North Africa: Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano meets with Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, the new commander of Italian operations in North Africa. Ciano is upset that his father-in-law's (Mussolini's) invasion date for Egypt has come and gone. Graziani responds that the Italian forces in Libya are unprepared for operations.

German Military: Adolf Hitler is gradually interposing himself on staff decisions relating to the planning of the attack on the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). He tells General Keitel to issue the Aufbau Ost directive calling for the mobilization of troops in eastern Germany and also tells General Jodl's deputy Walter Warlimont to ascertain Soviet troop positions. All of this attention underscores how serious Hitler is about the attack. He does not spend nearly as much time effort on Operation Sealion, the invasion of Great Britain.

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Keith Park: "It's too quiet." In Germany, he is known as "the Defender of London". [© IWM (CM 3513)]

British Military: The British War Cabinet is pleased with the progress of the air battle to date. However, Air Vice Marshall Keith Park, in charge of Fighter Command, is not so sure that this will last, stating:

It's too quiet; at least I've managed to re-establish my airfields, but the blighters are up to something.

Military pay is never very good, even in (or perhaps especially during) times of war. The average British Army Private receives 17 shilling and 6 pence a month. Today they receive an increase of 6 pence per day.

Japanese Military: The Japanese launch the Yamato at Kure Naval Arsenal. It is known only as "Battleship No. 1" at this point and is capable of fielding the largest naval guns in the world.

Vichy France: Pierre Laval orders the arrest of Georges Mandel in Morocco. This is done by General Charles Nogues. He is taken to the Château de Chazeron, where all of the former French leaders are being held. This is of particular interest to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who does not really like Charles de Gaulle and would prefer Mandel as the leader of the Free French.

Mandel was one of the few in the French government who wished to carry on the fight against the Germans from North Africa. Mandel also happens to be Jewish. He had the opportunity to flee with de Gaulle but refused because he felt it would look bad for a Jew to run.

President Roosevelt with Fala, 8 August 1940 in Pine Plains, New York, perhaps there to beat the summer heat (it is about 25 miles from the Roosevelt resident at Hyde Park). The doll beside him s a handmade shaker doll made by Mary Garrettson of Rhinebeck, NY. (Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Library).

Romania: The Romanian government imposes new employment and education rules which are racially biased. This is an obvious attempt by the regime to ingratiate itself with the Germans.

India: It is well known that the Nationalist leaders led by Mahatma Gandhi refuse to cooperate with war preparations without a guarantee of Indian independence. Viceroy of India Lord Linlithgow tries to cut a deal by offering nationalist leaders some constitutional reform now and re-examination of the independence question after the war. This would be done by assembling a Constituent Assembly composed of people from India's major ethnic groups to devise a new constitution. The British government goes along with this.

Burma: Nationalist leader Aung San escapes Burma and joins Japanese forces in China.

American Homefront: American factories are ramping up in response to huge new military orders. Airplane production hits 500 aircraft production per month, dwarfing that of the combatants.

"Boom Town" starring Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert, and Hedy Lamarr premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Today's headlines in Brisbane.

August 1940

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

2020

Saturday 27 July 1940

Bugs Bunny is born today, 27 July 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather clears sufficiently on 27 July 1940 for most air operations, though a persistent cloud layer hangs over everything with scattered rainstorms. The Luftwaffe resumes its massive attacks against the Channel convoys. Today, 50 Stukas find Convoy "Bacon" and sink destroyers HMS Codrington and Wren, the latter off Aldeburgh (Suffolk).

General Wolfram von Richthofen's Fliegerkorps VIII is in the air and over the convoy by 09:45. There are several convoys in the vicinity, two forming up in the Thames estuary. Heinkel He 111s of KG 53 join the attack and sink the Wren (37 deaths) of the 18th Destroyer Flotilla whilst also damaging HMS Montrose (lost her bow, had to be towed to Harwich).

The RAF gets several squadrons in the air (RAF Nos. 145, 238, and 609) to defend. The RAF shoots down at least one Stuka and Bf 109, with additional possible victories, at a cost of one Spitfire from 609 Squadron.

The Luftwaffe launches massive attacks against Dover as well. There, HMS Codrington goes down and destroyer HMS Walpole is badly damaged. The attack is notable because, for the first time, Bf 109s are equipped with bomb racks that enable them to operate as ground-attack ("Jagdbomber" or "Jabo") fighter-bombers. This type of raider is particularly dangerous because, once the German fighters drop their bombs, they can basically out-run the pursuing RAF fighters back to France - unlike the much-slower Stukas.

The Admiralty concedes defeat and withdraws all destroyers from Dover. This accomplishes a prime objective for Operation Sea Lion, but it is only a benefit if followed up properly - the Admiralty can always bring the destroyers back. The withdrawal places more weight on the RAF to defend convoy ships against both Luftwaffe and German torpedo boat attacks. In addition, the damage to Dover port itself is mounting, and Fighter Command makes protecting it a top priority. Protecting the forward airfields at Manston and Hawkinge becomes more vital than ever.

There are a few more raids during the day, including an attack on Belfast and scattered attacks on shipping. During the night, the Luftwaffe attacks Swansea Docks, Upton-upon-Severn, and Kidwelly (Carmarthen). The Luftwaffe also conducts minelaying operations around Portland and elsewhere on the Channel coast.

The RFA War Sepoy, which has been converted into a blockship at Dover after its extensive damage on the 19th by the Luftwaffe, is still very visible. The Luftwaffe pilots see it and, perhaps thinking it is still operational, pound it repeatedly.

Total losses for the day are said to be four Luftwaffe planes and one RAF plane.

The Luftwaffe gets a little more coordinated by the appointment of a "fighter leader" of Luftflotte 2, the main formation facing England. Luftflotte 2 has the following fighter formations in action:

• JG 3
• JG 26
• JG 51
• JG 52
• JG 54
• ZG 26

Generalmajor Theo Osterkamp takes on the job, giving up his leadership of JG 51. Major Werner Mölders takes over command of JG 51, and Mölders is replaced as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53 by Hauptman Harro Harder.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command sends 15 bombers to attack various targets in Holland and northwestern Germany, primarily shipping facilities, oil depots and airfields.

RAF Fighter Command begins evaluating the first prototype Beaufighter IF fighters.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) continues stalking convoy OB 188, which is now about 350 miles out into the Atlantic west of Scotland. To add to its totals of the 26th, the U-boat torpedoes and sinks 5,260-ton British freighter Sambre at 02:58 and 10,364-ton British tanker Thiara at 03:13. There are 25 dead on the Thiara, while 36 survive; everybody on the Sambre (48 crew) survives.

British freighter Salvestria hits a mine and sinks in the Irish Sea.

British corvette HMS Clematis (K 36, Commander York McLeod Cleeves) is commissioned.

Convoy OB 190 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 40F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy HX 61 departs from Halifax.

U-73 is launched.

The crew of U-73, launched today at Bremer Vulkan of Bremen-Vegesack, Germany.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Malta needs better air defenses, so Whitehall begins plans to send a dozen heavy guns and ten light anti-aircraft batteries to the island via the Suez Canal. Operation Hurry, the convoy past Gibraltar into the Mediterranean, is confined to the transport of Hurricane fighters and is not carrying any extraneous materials. The ships are not intended to actually dock at the island, but rather to fly the Hurricanes off once within range.

The Italians send a reconnaissance raid over the island at 11:10, losing a fighter to anti-aircraft fire. At 16:40, a couple of Short Sunderland flying boats on patrol find some enemy fighters and shoots down three of the Italian planes. One of the Sunderlands is damaged but makes it back to base.

The incessant air raids are seriously affecting productivity in the dockyard. The government begins pondering moving some operations underground so that the workers do not have to stop for each air raid alert, many of which are either false alarms or for enemy planes that wind up not attacking.

German/Spanish Relations: While there is not much enthusiasm on the Spanish side, the two countries' military staffs begin preliminary planning for Operation Felix: the invasion of Gibraltar. Taking Gibraltar would effectively bottle up the Mediterranean and force all British ships to take the long way around Africa to supply British forces in Egypt.

German/Bulgarian Relations: Adolf Hitler meets with the Bulgarian Premier and Foreign Minister at Berchtesgaden. Hitler tells them that he supports their claim on Romania in southern Dobruja province.

Italian/Romanian Relations: The Romanian Premier and Foreign Minister, having talked with Hitler on the 26th, meet with Mussolini and Italian Foreign Minister Ciano in Rome.

British/Japanese Relations: The Japanese detain eleven British citizens. Such detentions invariably result in diplomatic protests.

An illustration from the 27 July 1940 "The Illustrated London News" about German bombings.

German Resistance: Another victory parade for the defeat of France is scheduled for today in Paris. Count FritzDietlof von der Schulenberg, a member of the German Resistance, later claims to have had plans to shoot Hitler at the event. In addition, Captain Graf Schwerin Von Schwanenfeld, Major Hans Alexander Von Voss, and Captain Graf Von Waldersee have plans to both shoot Hitler and also toss a grenade at him. Hitler, however, cancels the parade.

Italian Government: Mussolini sets his eyes on expanding his African empire. He and Commando Supremo decide to invade British Somaliland on 3 August. Coordinating with Vichy France, which now is a nominal ally, Mussolini has them withdraw French forces from the key Jirre pass into the country.

British Government: The Admiralty appoints a board of inquiry to look into the reasons why destroyer HMS Effingham hit a rock and sank on 18 May 1940 while performing escort duties near Bodø, Norway.

Barrage balloons and Home Guard observers now cover London. The balloons are raised from parks and other open spaces.

The government imposes a curfew in the restricted zone on the south coast: everyone must be indoors from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. Cars are allowed only one headlight, the other must be covered.

Australian Government: Australian radio reports that 125,000 men have volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force.

US Government: President Roosevelt, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and Naval Affairs Committee chairman Carl Vinson board the presidential yacht Potomac for a trip to the Norfolk Navy Yard.

Colonel George S. Patton, Jr. takes command of the 2nd Armored Brigade at Fort Benning.

Japanese Government: Prime Minister Konoye's government continues its militaristic stance by deciding to establish military ties with Germany and Italy.

Latin America: The Pan-American conference in Havana, Cuba results in an agreement to protect any European colonies in the region that are attacked by Axis forces. This is known as the Act of Havana.

British Homefront: The Illustrated London News publishes a pictorial guide to German bombing and how to survive it. This is quite timely, because, while London has not yet been bombed, it soon will be.

Francis Albert Sinatra in 1940.

American Homeland: It is a big day for Warner Bros: Bugs Bunny is born. Warner Bros releases "A Wild Hare," directed by Tex Avery. Bugs Bunny gets a chance to introduce his classic catchphrase, "What's up, Doc?", which Avery says was just a typical saying back home in Texas, nothing special at all. The short is nominated for an Academy Award (but loses). Earlier incarnations of Bugs actually appeared in several shorts starting in 1938, but everyone considers "A Wild Hare" to be Bugs' debut as his ultimate character. This is the wabbit's second meeting with Elmer Fudd, who hunts him down in "A Wild Hare," unsuccessfully of course.

Incidentally, while he is not yet given a screen name, Bugs in fact already has been named by his creator, though nobody knows it yet. Ben "Bugs" Hardaway first started drawing a generic rabbit in 1938 and, without thinking about it too much, filed him under "Bugs' Bunny" - as in, his own drawing of a rabbit. The name stuck, and is first used in Bugs' next film in 1941, "Elmer's Pet Rabbit."

Bugs Bunny as a US Marine in "Super-Rabbit" (1943).

Bugs Bunny becomes iconic during World War II for his wiseguy, purely American attitude. He represents freedom and is embraced by Allied servicemen worldwide - and not just Americans. Bugs Bunny later is the official mascot of Kingman Army Air Field in the U.S. and of the 530 Squadron, 380th Bombardment Group of the Royal Australian Air Force, among other outfits. The US Marines make Bugs an honorary Master Sergeant because, at the end of Super-Rabbit (1943), Bugs wears the dress blues of the United States Marine Corps.

In other Hollywood news, Warner Bros. releases the classic "They Drive By Night" starring Humphrey Bogart, George Raft and Anne Sheridan.

Also, Billboard Magazine publishes its first list of top records for the week (there have been other services charting how records perform, but this is the beginning of the "Billboard Top 100"). Topping this initial list is Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra's "I'll Never Smile Again." It features Frank Sinatra singing vocals with the Pied Pipers. The song was written by a Canadian woman, Ruth Lowe, who had just lost her husband on the operating table.

So, if you ever wondered what was Frank Sinatra's first mega-hit, you've come to the right place! It indeed was "I'll Never Smile Again" with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and The Pied Pipers. This is Sinatra's fourth chart appearance. "I'll Never Smile Again" will stay atop the chart for 12 weeks, and Sinatra will re-record "I'll Never Smile Again" in 1965.


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

Sunday 2 June 1940

A Coastal Command Hudson with a blazing Dunkirk oil storage tank behind it, early June 1940.

Western Front: French forces on 2 June 1940 man the perimeter at Dunkirk. The Germans push the Allied defenses back, but they do not break. The pocket is now only two miles long and a little deeper. Almost all British troops - aside from stragglers - are now gone, with the vast majority of troops remaining in the pocket being French soldiers. The day ends with the French holding a perimeter on the edges of town.

Adolf Hitler makes his first visit to French soil during the war. He stages a photo op at the Canadian National Vimy Ridge Memorial. This is partly to refute Allied propaganda that the Wehrmacht has destroyed it. He orders the SS to guard the monument.

General Georges continues to make plans for an offensive against the German line along the Somme. Much of the Allied line is held by British troops, with the mass of the French Army remaining behind the Maginot Line in the south.

Chief of the General Staff Dill sends Sir Alan Brooke back to France to organize a new BEF south of the Somme.

Mussolini postpones the Italian attack on French positions in the Alps to 10 June.

Dunkirk: There are 26,256 troops evacuated today (9,561 Allied troops embark from Dunkirk harbor and 6,695 from the beaches). Due to the decision to evacuate only during the night, British naval losses go down significantly; the Royal Navy has only two destroyers damaged. The final British unit leaves today and French soldiers are being evacuated as well. The French are disorganized - partly due to decisions taken by the British without their knowledge - and this hampers their evacuation. Some French troops do not see a realistic possibility of evacuating to England and desert, hoping to get back to their homes by slipping through the lines.

Royal Navy hospital ship HMS Worthing is damaged by the Luftwaffe attack, along with numerous smaller vessels.

Baron Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, a Luftwaffe General and also a cousin of the famous "Red Baron," is disgusted at the outcome fo the battle. He writes in his diary: "A victory over England has been thrown away."
European Air Operations: The Germans continue attacks in the Rhône Valley region between Lyons and Marseilles, causing many civilian casualties.

The RAF is still primarily engaged in supporting the French defenders at Dunkirk, sending 24 aircraft to attack the advancing Germans during the day and 16 at night.

The British send 24 aircraft to hit targets in Germany during the night.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-101 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim) torpedoes and sinks 3,577-ton British freighter Polycarp about 41 miles south of Land's End at 03:00. All 43 crew survive.

US passenger liner President Roosevelt, with 720 Americans aboard, and liner Manhattan, with 1,905 passengers, depart for America from Galway and Genoa, respectively. As a general matter, it is believed that fast liners are safer by sprinting across the ocean on their own that by participating in a slow-moving convoy.

Convoy OA 160 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 160 departs from Liverpool, Convoy OG 32F departs from Gibraltar, and Convoy HX 47 departs from Halifax.

Princess Elizabeth - the future Elizabeth II - and sister Margaret with their corgi named Jane, 2 June 1940 (Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa / Getty).

Norway: German 2nd Mountain Division continues pushing north towards Narvik to relieve General Dietl's forces trapped near the border. They depart from Sorfold (to the east of Bodo) and remain over 100 miles south of Narvik as the crow flies, over rough terrain. The roads are not continuous, and the Wehrmacht troops must either take ferries or go overland in mountainous terrain riven with lakes and fjords. This exposes them to both aerial and naval attacks.

The Luftwaffe attacks Harstad, losing nine bombers. RAF Pilot Officer Louis R. Jacobsen of No. 263 Squadron, flying out of Bardufoss, has a big day near Narvik. He shoots down four Heinkel He 111 and two Junkers Ju 88 medium bombers for a total of 6 bombers in one day.

Luftwaffe transports drop another 45 men of the 1st Fallschirmjaeger Regiment to reinforce General Dietl. The Norwegian, Polish and French troops pursue the Germans toward Sweden, while the 26,000 British troops remain in port to prepare for the evacuation.

Royal Navy aircraft carriers HMS Glorious and Ark Royal arrive off Narvik to provide air cover and to take off the RAF fighters at Bardufoss.

British Government: War Secretary Anthony Eden gives a frank radio speech update on Operation Dynamo. He states that 80% of the BEF has been evacuated intact, minus battle losses and the few still remaining to be picked up:

The British Expeditionary Force still exists, not as a handful of fugitives, but as a body of seasoned veterans. We have had great losses in equipment. But our men have gained immeasurably in experience of warfare and in self-confidence. The vital weapon of any army is its spirit. Ours has been tried and tempered in the furnace. It has not been found wanting. It is this refusal to accept defeat, that is the guarantee of final victory.

US Government: Weighing in on the issue of German influence in South America, Admiral Harold Stark, Chief of Naval Operations. President Roosevelt takes up one of his options and decides that the right course is to send an 8-inch cruiser to South America (along with the cruiser he already has sent), along with occasional destroyer visits from the Atlantic Squadron.

Italian Government: Italo Balbo confers with Foreign Minister Count Ciano before returning to his position in command of Italian forces in Libya. Both men are quite leery about new Italian military adventures.

Spain: Sir Samuel, the new British Ambassador to Spain, arrives in Madrid. There are crowds of anti-British demonstrators demanding the return of Gibraltar to Spain.

Greece: Constantine II, the heir to the Greek throne, is born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece.

British Homefront: The government evacuates 50,000 children from urban areas in southeastern England.

American Homefront: "The Spirit" makes his debut in the Sunday comics section.

Hitler at Vimy Ridge. This picture was widely circulated in German publications to show Hitler at the front and to prove that the memorial had not been destroyed.

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020

Monday 25 September 1939

Warsaw after the bombing.

Battle of Poland: Following up on the previous day's terror raids on Warsaw, Luftflotte 1 conducts another massive raid on the city. In some ways, this raid is worse, because the city is even more defenseless than on the previous day. Major General Wolfram von Richthofen (the Red Baron's cousin), for General Kesselring, oversees the attack by some 400 planes dropping 500 tons of high explosives and 72 tons of incendiary bombs. In addition to the air raid, German artillery is now in position and adds to the devastation. Altogether, the Luftwaffe flies some 1,150 sorties, as the Luftwaffe bombers can easily land, re-load and re-fuel, and return for a second run. Everything available is sent up, including, for the last time, Junkers Ju 52 cargo planes carrying bombs. It is an early example of carpet-bombing. Some 25,000-40,000 people die, perhaps many more.

Due to Allied propaganda, the effects of the bombing are later somewhat exaggerated in the public mind. Indeed there is massive damage, but Warsaw is a huge city and the number of bombs dropped are paltry compared to many later raids on smaller targets. In addition, the smoke and fires from the incendiaries obscure the target, and many bombs are dropped to no purpose. Some of these, in fact, land on General von Bock's Army Group North infantry that are entering the city from the northwest suburbs. These cause Heer casualties in an early case of "friendly fire." The bombing results are heightened, however, due to the fact that this is the first such campaign against a large city, and techniques to minimize the consequences have not been developed. This, of course, also heightens the intended terror effect, which is really the main point of the raids in the first place.

The Luftwaffe campaign against Warsaw, stunningly effective as it is, also sends some warning signals to the Luftwaffe high command. The Luftwaffe's lack of strategic bombers with truly massive payloads is beginning to be noticed. Even 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) bombs, among the largest carried by the Luftwaffe, are unable to knock out bridges with accurate strikes. The fateful decision in the 1930s to cancel the Luftwaffe's four-engine bomber projects led to this situation. While there still may be time to resume large-bomber development, there seems to be no urgent need. These warnings go unheeded in the glare of the stunning success of the overall campaign.

Hitler does not care about such details or portents. He sees Warsaw being devastated and decides that it is time to start thinking ahead despite the fact that Warsaw has not been taken and large Polish formations remain in the field. He issues Directive No. 4, "Finishing the War in Poland."

Polish Government: President Moscicki and Marshall Smigly-Rydz are interned in Romania.
Western Front: French artillery bombards some German Rhine fortifications. Air battles occur over the Saar and between the RAF and the Luftwaffe. French aircraft bomb the Zeppelin base at Friedrichshafen, near the Swiss frontier.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Swedish steamer Silesia is torpedoed off Stavanger, which could develop into a serious diplomatic incident. The British begin laying anti-submarine mines in the Strait of Dover.

Germany Homefront: Germany begins the rationing of bread and flour. All German women between the ages of 17 and 25 are to be conscripted for obligatory national labor service. Several factories are damaged by bombs, and sabotage is suspected.

American Diplomacy: FDR invokes the Neutrality Act, which he is seeking to revise. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee considers legislation repealing an arms embargo on combating nations. This would allow the US to do business with Great Britain and France on a "cash and carry" basis.

American Homefront: The biggest news of the day is that a tropical storm hits San Pedro, California. Tropical storms almost never make landfall in the United States, and this is the only time during the century when one does.

Sea crashing against a barrier at Long Beach in September 1939.

September 1939

September 1, 1939: Invasion of Poland
September 2, 1939: Danzig Annexed
September 3, 1939: France, Great Britain Declare War
September 4, 1939: First RAF Raid
September 5, 1939: The US Stays Out
September 6, 1939: Battle of Barking Creek
September 7, 1939: Polish HQ Bugs Out
September 8, 1939: War Crimes in Poland
September 9, 1939: The Empire Strikes Back
September 10, 1939: The Germans Break Out
September 11, 1939: Battle of Kałuszyn
September 12, 1939: The French Chicken Out
September 13, 1939: The Battle of Modlin
September 14, 1939: Germany Captures Gdynia
September 15, 1939: Warsaw Surrounded
September 16, 1939: Battle of Jaworów
September 17, 1939: Soviets Invade Poland
September 18, 1939: Lublin Falls
September 19, 1939: Germans, Soviets Hook Up
September 20, 1939: the Kraków Army Surrenders
September 21, 1939: Romania Convulses
September 22, 1939: Joint Soviet-German Military Parade
September 23, 1939: The Panama Conference
September 24, 1939: The Luftwaffe Bombs Warsaw
September 25, 1939: Black Monday for Warsaw
September 26, 1939: Warsaw on the Ropes
September 27, 1939: Hitler Decides to Invade France
September 28, 1939: Warsaw Capitulates
September 29, 1939: Modlin Fortress Falls
September 30, 1939: Graf Spee on the Loose

2019