Tuesday 8 October 1940

No. 71 Squadron RAF, "Eagle Squadron" is formed, comprising American volunteers. October 8, 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather is good on 8 October 1940, and there is constant action throughout the day. However, the Luftwaffe mounts primarily very small raids and not the large raids which have provided it with such mixed results. Once again, though, the Luftwaffe uses medium bombers during the day - which is counter to the supposed new policy of relying on fighter-bombers (Jabos). The Battle of Britain is petering out, but it does so in fits and starts. The whole conclusion simply reinforces the utter formlessness of Luftwaffe strategy throughout the entire affair.

During the morning, there are Jabo attacks on London that begin around 08:30. Around that time, over 50 aircraft cross near Dungeness and hit London and the nearby airfields such as Biggin Hill, Hornchurch and Kenley. These Jabos can fly high, so Fighter Command has difficulty intercepting them. The flip side, of course, is that their bomb loads are small and thus can't cause much damage. The bombs cause the most damage around Tower Bridge, Whitehall (Paymaster General's Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Great Scotland Yard), Charing Cross Station, BBC House and houses in Bermondsey, Lewisham and West Ham.

Around 11:00, Dornier Do 17 bombers cross near Lympne. After an early RAF interception, the bombers drop their loads at random and scatter back to France.

After lunch, Junkers Ju 88 bombers cross over the Sussex coast at 13:00. They hit RAF West Hampnet and destroy a Boston bomber and damage a Blenheim. The raid is particularly effective and puts the airfield out of action. Other targets are Shoreham, West Malling and the Thorney Island airfield.

More small-scale raids continue throughout the afternoon. The most interesting incident is a special bombing mission against the Rooters aircraft factory at Speke by one specially equipped Junkers Ju 88 (M7+DK of KG 2,/806). It has four 250 kg bombs and has a Photographic War Correspondent (Bildberichter) on board. RAF No 312 (Czech) squadron based at Speke intercepts the plane, forcing it to make a crash landing at Bromborough Dock around 16:15. The plane is in good condition, is put on display, paraded through Liverpool, and then scrapped.

After dark, the Luftwaffe raids London, Portsmouth, Southampton, Liverpool, the Midlands, and East Anglia. It also conducts minelaying off the northeast coast. There is random damage to various factories and railway lines, but nothing major. There are large fires at the docks and warehouses of Bermondsey.

Losses for the day are about 14 for the Luftwaffe and 4 by the RAF.

The German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez (Hellfire Corner) fire upon a couple of convoys during the afternoon, but accuracy at the distance is difficult and no hits are scored.

Sergeant Josef František, 27, the Czech fighter pilot flying with the Polish Squadron of the RAF (No. 303), perishes in a plane crash while landing at RAF Northolt in Cuddington Way at Ewell. He is the top scorer in the Battle of Britain with 17 kills. He receives numerous posthumous decorations.

Luftwaffe fighter pilots have small dinghies, worn on the pilot's back, and one accidentally inflates during a mission today. Lt. Heinz Escherhaus of 1./JG 77 is forced forward against the throttle, which blows out the engine and forcing him to force-land in Kent. It is the only recorded incident of a plane being brought down by a dinghy.

RAF No. 309 (Polish) Squadron begins forming at RAF Renfrew near Glasgow. The unit has used Westland Lysander Mk III two-seater reconnaissance planes.

Wing Commander John Harvey Hutchinson hits a barrage balloon cable at Langley, crashes and perishes.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command is active during the night over the north German ports of Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. It makes other raids over various other places in northwest Europe, including the Channel ports. During the night, 17 bombers take off from Waddington, Lincolnshire to attack the Tirpitz under construction, with no effect.

A boy sits amid the ruins of a London bookshop following an air raid, reading a book titled "The History of London." October 8, 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: German raider Thor, operating in the South Atlantic, spots 8715-ton British refrigeration ship Natia. Using its deck guns, the Thor disables the ship quickly, though the Natia gets off radio messages with its position. One (maybe two) of the crew is killed, the other 84 survive and are taken as prisoners. The Thor now is overloaded with 386 prisoners, outnumbering the crew and putting a strain on its supplies.

U-58 (Oblt. zur See Heinrich Schonder), on her 11th patrol heading from Lorient to her new base at Bergen, spots the 4956-ton British freighter Cornfield, which is a straggler from Convoy HX 76, west of the Outer Hebrides (straggler due to issues with her cargo shifting). The U-boat torpedoes the Cornfield, causing the crew to abandon ship. There are 36 survivors, and one crewman perishes. The Cornfield stays afloat and eventually is spotted by Royal Navy sloop HMS Weston, which takes aboard the survivors (along with HMS Periwinkle). The Weston uses its deck gun to sink this hazard to navigation on the 9th.

The Luftwaffe bombs 839-ton British freighter Bellona II about 4 miles (7 km) off Gordoun, Kincardineshire. The crew abandons ship and there are 18 survivors, while 9 perish. The Bellona II is full of ice (300 tons) in order to bring fish back from Iceland, and three fish workers are among the dead. The ship is a total loss, but, perhaps buoyed by the ice, the derelict eventually drifts ashore at Streathlethan Bay, Aberdeenshire.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 451 ton Royal Navy barrage balloon vessel HMS Borealis about 4 miles (7 km) south of the Isle of Wight. The Borealis is Dutch vessel leased after the fall of Holland.

German 222 ton trawler Hecht is sunk "by enemy action." I can't find much on this one.

British submarine HMS Trident spots U-31 transiting from its French base in France and fires torpedoes at it, but they miss. The two submarines then exchange gunfire, with the U-31 lightly damaged.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages troopship 20,043-ton troopship Oronsay, which is traveling with Convoy WS 3. The liner makes it back to Lough Foyle.

Royal Navy gunboat HMS Locust hits a mine north of northwest Shingles Beacon and is seriously damaged. She makes it to Tilbury in tow.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Kellet is involved in a collision in the West Pier at Granton. The Kellet makes it back to Rosyth for repairs.

Convoy FN 303 departs from Southend, Convoy OA 226 departs from Methil, Convoy HX 79 departs from Halifax.

U-107 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Hessler) is commissioned.

King's College London quad after the 8 October 1940 bombing. The crater is 27 feet deep and 58 feet long.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy fleet based at Alexandria, led by battleships HMS Warspite, Valiant, Malaya, and Ramillies and aircraft carriers Eagle and Illustrious, sorties to cover convoy MF 3. This is Operation MB 6, a supply operation to Malta. A submarine spots HMS Malaya and fires a torpedo at it, but the range is too great and falls short (spotted by destroyer HMS Hyperion). The Italian fleet, including four battleships, also is at sea but is unaware of the British fleet.

The RAF bombs Italian bases at Sollum and Bardia in Libya, and also at Aden and Assab.

At Malta, there is an air raid around Delimara at 19:35, but most of the bombers drop their ordnance at sea or at random. Two bombers are brought down.

Battle of the Pacific: German raiders Orion and Komet meet and begin operating together.

Anglo/Japanese Relations: The British re-open the Burma road (Lashio, Burma to Kunming, China). It has been closed pursuant to an agreement between the Japanese and the British since July. Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government needs supplies along that route, and the Japanese would greatly prefer that it remain closed.

Anglo/US Relations: Another tranche of destroyers is transferred from the US Navy to the Royal Navy pursuant to the destroyers for bases deal. These destroyers are in US Destroyer Divisions 68 and 71:

• USS Satterlee -> HMS Belmont
• USS Mason -> HMS Broadwater
• USS Hunt -> HMS Broadway
• USS Branch -> HMS Beverley
• USS Aulick -> HMS Burnham
• USS Laub -> HMS Burwell
• USS McLanahan -> HMS Bradford
• USS Edward -> HMS Buxton

Separately, British scientist Henry Tizard returns from the US to England.

German/Romanian Relations: German troops pour across the Romanian border - with the acquiescence of Ion Antonescu - to occupy various key points throughout the country. Their ostensible mission is to train Romanian troops - which don't really need much training. However, the Germans (Hitler) want them there to protect the oil fields (from the Soviets and British sabotage), while Antonescu wants them there to tighten ties with Germany and protect the country - which has been losing territory to all of its neighbors - from the Soviets. Many accounts state that the Germans now "occupy" Romania, but that is an immense exaggeration - they only secure specific points important to Hitler and, presumably, Antonescu.

US/Japanese Relations: The US State Department, reacting to the Tripartite Agreement between Japan, Germany, and Italy, issues an advisory for all US citizens in the Far East to return to the United States.

US Military: Naval Reserve Officers graduating from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps are now commissioned in the regular Navy.

British Military: Already a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order since 23 January 1937, Air Marshal Hugh Dowding becomes a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

Free France: General de Gaulle meets with General LeClerc in Cameroon. They discuss using the territory to conduct air attacks on the Italians in North Africa. There remains a strong Vichy French presence throughout the region.

French Indochina: Inspector General of Colonies Cazaux sends a telegram to General de Gaulle indicating his sympathies for Free France. However, at this point, General de Gaulle has no ability to take advantage of this, and French Indochina is dominated by the Japanese.

American Homefront: "The Long Voyage Home," starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford, premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City.

The Cincinnati Reds win the World Series 4 games to 3 over the Detroit Tigers, winning 2-1. This is a very rare case of a team coming back from a 3-2 deficit in games to win.

Aerial view of Spartan Stadium in San Jose in 1940, looking north. Spartan Stadium is in the foreground, surrounded by open land. Collection: Historic Photograph Collection (SJPL California Room). October 8, 1940.

October 1940
October 2, 1940: Hitler's Polish Plans
October 3, 1940: British Cabinet Shakeup
October 4, 1940: Brenner Pass Meeting
October 5, 1940: Mussolini Alters Strategy
October 6, 1940: Iron Guard Marches
October 7, 1940: McCollum Memo
October 8, 1940: Germans in Romania
October 9, 1940: John Lennon Arrives
October 10, 1940: Führer-Sofortprogramm
October 11, 1940: E-Boats Attack!
October 12, 1940: Sealion Cancelled
October 13, 1940: New World Order
October 14, 1940: Balham Tragedy
October 15, 1940: Mussolini Targets Greece
October 16, 1940: Japanese Seek Oil
October 17, 1940: RAF Shakeup
October 18, 1940: Convoy SC-7 Catastrophe
October 19, 1940: Convoy HX-79 Catastrophe
October 20, 1940: Convoy OB-229 Disaster
October 21, 1940: This Evil Man Hitler
October 22, 1940: Aktion Wagner-Burckel
October 23, 1940: Hitler at Hendaye
October 24, 1940: Hitler and Petain
October 25, 1940: Petain Woos Churchill
October 26, 1940: Empress of Britain Attack
October 27, 1940: Greece Rejects Italian Demands
October 28, 1940: Oxi Day
October 29, 1940: US Draft Begins
October 30, 1940: RAF Area Bombing Authorized
October 31, 1940: End of Battle of Britain

2020

Sunday 4 August 1940

A Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 bearing the markings of the Gruppenkommandeur of I/JG 26 (I Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 26), France, August 1940. This would have been either Hptm Kurt Fischer if the picture was taken before the 22nd, or Hptm Rolf Pingel if taken after.

British Somaliland: The Italian troops continue advancing into British Somaliland on 4 August 1940. Berbera is the main port and capital, which is 125 miles away from the Italian start point in Ethiopia. However, that is as the crow flies, as there are rugged mountains in betwixt. A much easier route, and more dangerous for the British, is the main road to Hargeisa through Karim Pass. To the northwest, a third Italian column presses forward using the border with French Somaliland as flank cover.

Battle of Britain: The weather is clear and with high cloud cover, interspersed with bouts of sunshine. The Luftwaffe, preparing for the Adler Tag operation, is noticeably quiet during the day, performing reconnaissance along the south coast of England.

Some action occurs around 11:00 when a Dornier Do 17 escorted by 10 Bf 109s attacks a convoy off Manston. The RAF takes the obvious bait (though Fighter Command can't know what kinds of planes they are) and intervenes, downing a Bf 109.

At 13:25, the day's major Luftwaffe operation begins when approximately 120 aircraft form up over Calais and attack a convoy off Dover. The Germans lose numerous planes in this attack, including at least half a dozen Bf 110s, a Bf 109, a Dornier Do 17 bomber, and a Dornier Do 215 seaplane. The Bf 110s are proving to be a liability on the Channel front.

During the night, the Luftwaffe sends raids against several targets, including the military base at Cambridgeshire. These raids continued to drop copies of Hitler's 19 July 1940 speech called "The Last Appeal to Reason" all across England. The Luftwaffe loses one Heinkel He 111 on these missions from unknown causes.

A flight of Swordfish of RAF No. 812 Squadron attack oil tanks and barges at Rotterdam, losing one plane. Bomber Commands sends raids against oil installations at Sterkrade in the Ruhr and the airfield at Krefeld.

The RAF doesn't lose any fighters in combat, but they do lose one in a practice exercise when a Spitfire of No. 616 Squadron spins in during a practice dogfight near Kirton. The pilot, 20-year-old J.P. Walsh, perishes.

Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld, top night fighter pilot distinguished by being of royal blood, joins the first night fighter (Nachtjagdgeschwader 1) wing operating out of Gütersloh, Germany.

A Ju 87 B Stuka of the 4/StG 77 at Bouchy airfield near Evrecy, France. August 1940. It is being loaded with 500 lb bombs, most likely for shipping attacks.

Battle of the Atlantic: The U-boats, particularly U-52, have a good day. U-52 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Salman) stalks HX 60, a Halifax/Methil convoy about 300 miles west of Ireland, and during the middle of the night, it pounces.

U-52 torpedoes and sinks 4586-ton British freighter Gogovale at 03:35. There are 36 survivors and 3 crew perish.

At the same time, U-52 fires and hits 5272-ton British freighter King Alfred. There are 31 survivors, and 8 crew perish.

Later in the morning, Captain Salman presses his luck in daylight and U-52 strikes again. At 09:22, it torpedoes and sinks 7244-ton British freighter Geraldine Mary, which aside from newsprint and pulp also is carrying some passengers. There are 48 survivors, and 3 people perish.

Now that it is daylight, the escorts have some idea from where the attack was launched. U-52 undergoes a vicious depth charge attack by the convoy's destroyer escort. It barely survives, but is badly damaged and limps back to port for major repairs.

U-58 (Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Schonder) spots a straggler from Convoy SL 40 about 21 miles west of Tory Island. It puts two torpedoes into 4350-ton freighter Pindos at 21: 20. There are 29 survivors and 3 crew perish. The lifeboats make landfall at Downings, County Donegal with the assistance of a local fishing boat.

In the central Atlantic east of Florida, Kriegsmarine raider Widder (Captain Helmuth Ruckteschell) stops and sinks 6114-ton Norwegian tanker Beaulieu after darkness falls. There are 4 crew deaths and 28 survivors. The incident almost sinks the Widder as well because one of its torpedoes becomes a circular runner and almost hits it. The crew is left to fend for itself in the middle of the Atlantic in its lifeboats, which is skirting international law; customarily, German raiders take the crew prisoner. Doing so, however, is not a war crime, as determined by a later tribunal.

Royal Navy trawlers HMS Drummer, Marsona and Oswaldian all hit mines and sink during the day off the English coast. There are 25 deaths total from the sinkings.

The Luftwaffe damages British freighter White Crest off the north coast of the Scottish mainland.

British heavy cruiser HMS Berwick (CA 65) departs Liverpool in thick fog after just undergoing repairs. At 00:34, it collides with another (unknown) ship and sustains more damage, sending it back to the Glasgow repair yard.

The British also have a submarine success. HMS Sealion sinks the Torun, a captured Norwegian freighter, southwest of Stavanger.

A German patrol boat, the 428 ton UJ.175 Perseus, hits a mine north of Ameland, Netherlands, and sinks.

Convoy MT 130 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 242 departs from the Tyne, Convoy OB 193 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 63 departs from Halifax.

RAF Squadron No. 80, which is the only RAF fighter formation flying biplanes during the Battle of Britain, gains its first victory today in the plane. Flight Officer Peter Wykeham-Barnes uses this aircraft to shoot down a Ba.65 and a Cr.32 before being shot down himself.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Force H completes Operation Hurry by returning safely to Gibraltar. A large portion of Force H, though, including HMS Hood, Valiant, Ark Royal and Resolution, split off and head north to re-join the Home Fleet.

The RAF bombs the Italian airfield at Bir el Gobi in Libya, engaging in dogfights with the Regia Aeronautica in the process. The Italians, for their part, raid their favorite targets Sidi Barrani and Mersa Matruh.

Malta has a quiet day again, with an air raid alert at 15:15 which appears intended by the Italians to bait a response by the new defending Hurricane fighters. Nothing comes of it, however. Governor Dobbie, meanwhile, creates a new organization called the Malta Volunteer Defence Force designed to combat enemy parachutists. Everyone is issued a helmet and armband; guns are optional and provided by the civilian.

General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief of British forces in Egypt, departs Alexandria for London by airplane for consultations. The flight is extremely hazardous, crossing close to or over enemy territory and most definitely within the range of enemy fighters practically the entire way. The plane is attacked twice by the Luftwaffe but not brought down. The first stop is Malta on the morrow.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra departs Simonstown for Freemantle, where it will undergo an overhaul of one of its propeller shafts.

Anglo/Japanese Relations: With the British having arrested some Japanese businessmen in London yesterday, the Japanese suddenly release three of the remaining British citizens it had arrested on espionage charges a week ago.

A BF 110B with the "Fliegender Haifisch" (Flying Shark) paint scheme which later became quite popular throughout the Wehrmacht (it also was used on tanks, for instance). The Messerschmidt is flying above the English Channel sometime during August 1940. (AP Photo).

British Government: Following consultations with his War Cabinet, Prime Minister Winston Churchill agrees to mount an operation against the French fleet at Dakar. This is Operation Menace, to take place later in the month. This will be the first operation with participation by Free French forces.

German Homefront: In an odd policy change that runs against major strains in the German character, the government decides that beer has been degrading the German will to fight. An ersatz, non-alcoholic replacement is sought.

British Homefront: It is the 26th anniversary of the declaration of war against the Kaiser's Germany that began World War I. The day is noted on the BBC but otherwise given little attention.

General Pershing.

Charles Lindbergh.

American Homefront: Legendary US General John "Black Jack" Pershing delivers a nationwide radio broadcast. He urges aid to Great Britain, saying "Only the British are left to defend democracy and liberty in Europe." Basically, he defends the Roosevelt administration's policy of engagement.

Charles Lindbergh, on the other hand, is equally legendary. He also gives a speech in the evening at a rally in Chicago with a somewhat different prescription: isolationism. His speech is not broadcast, though everyone knows his views, and accounts will appear in the morning papers as a rebuttal to Pershing. Lindbergh wants America to look after its own affairs and stay out of the European war, saying "if our own military forces are strong, no foreign nation can invade us and if we do not interfere with their affairs none will desire to."

Public opinion is split on this issue. The Roosevelt administration wants to help Great Britain, but public opinion as evidenced by Gallup polls is heavily against anything that might lead to war. This public debate becomes intertwined with Congressional debate over the draft, and there is strong grassroots opposition - especially among women - to conscription. Thus, Lindbergh's stand is popular and Pershing's less so. However, both have fervent supporters and strong bases of support.

Isolationism-vs.-interventionism also is becoming a major factor in the Presidential race. Republican nominee Wendell Willkie favors somewhat modified isolationism, while the President and now  Democratic nominee Franklin Roosevelt is well-known as an interventionist. To the extent that the election becomes a referendum on the issue, Roosevelt may be in trouble, but he is extremely popular for other reasons.

A colorized shot of Leutnant Franz Xaver Baron von Werra with his BF109 E4 - II.JG 3 at Wierre au Bois, France. This is some time in August 1940. Von Werra is playing with his pet lion cub Simba, who finds the plane's 20 mm cannon interesting. Von Werra later becomes famous as the only German POW to escape from Canadian custody and return to action in Germany.

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

Thursday 18 July 1940

The Berlin military parade of 18 July 1940 (Elsenhardt, Federal Archive).

Battle of Britain: The weather on 18 July 1940 continues to be poor, with heavy rainfall. Unlike yesterday, the Luftwaffe disregards the weather and begins heavy attacks on the Channel coast near Dover at 07:40. The attacks included railway objectives at Castle Cary and Bruton (Somerset), Netheravon, Upavon, Abingdon and Upper Heyford, but no damage was caused.

At 09:30, the Luftwaffe sends a major fighter sweep of about 30 Bf 109s from JG51 to attack Channel shipping. The RAF responds with 15 Spitfires from RAF Nos. 152 and 610 squadrons.

Luftwaffe attacks against land targets took place at St Margaret’s Bay and the Goodwin Lightship, which was sunk. Another attack on Gillingham destroyed some houses.

The Luftwaffe sent solo bombers against an RAF airfield at Montrose and Cardiff.

A major operation against the Isle of Wight took place at 13:00, with both sides getting victories.

During the night, the Luftwaffe attacks the Liverpool sector, including some minelaying off this key port.

Overall, it was a small RAF victory over England, as the RAF lost three fighters and the Luftwaffe lost a Bf 109, a Heinkel He 111, a Dornier Do 17, and two Junkers Ju 88s.

The RAF announces that its records show that the Luftwaffe has lost 200 planes due to attacks on Great Britain since 3 September 1939.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids the Essen Krupp arms factory. It also sends raids against the Bremen and Hamm railway yards, losing one bomber. Coastal Command participates with a raid against the Kriegsmarine base at Emden.

The RAF also strikes against the invasion barges being collected at various English Channel ports. Attacks of 18 Blenheim escorted by 24 fighters are launched against Rotterdam, Boulougne, Le Havre and St. Omer. The British lose three Blenheim bombers.

Adolph Galland of JG26 receives a promotion to Oberst (Major).

Battle of the Atlantic: British submarine H.31 sinks 446 ton German trawler UJ.126 northwest of Terschelling.

U-58 (Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Schonder) torpedoes and sinks independent 1591 ton Norwegian freighter Gyda northwest of Ireland. There are 9 survivors and 11 perish.

U-99 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) torpedoes and sinks 4434 ton British freighter Woodbury in the southwest approaches about 500 miles west of Land's End. All 35 aboard survive.

The Luftwaffe catches freighter Generton and trawler Loddon in the North Sea and damages them.

British destroyers HMS Express and Impulsive lay a minefield in the North Sea.

German raider Pinguin rendezvouses with U-UA in the Atlantic off Dakar to replenish the U-boat.

Convoy OA 186 departs from Methil.

Heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland, based at Simonstown, South Africa, sets out to search for the German raider Thor, known to be operating in the vicinity. The Cumberland heads north in the direction of Dakar. The raiders Pinguin and Thor, in fact, are both in that general area.

The Admiralty announces that it is taking over all French ships interned in English ports and putting them under joint French/British flags.

The Munster celebration of Victorious Soldier Day.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The RAF raids various Italian bases in Libya, Eritrea, and Abyssinia. These include Tobruk, Neghelli and Agordat. The Italians respond with a raid against Mersa Matruh.

Vichy France sends bombers from Morocco against Gibraltar, killing three and injuring 11. There are reports that many of the bombers drop their loads in the nearby sea because they have nothing against their former allies.

German Propaganda: Radio Caledonia, directed at Scotland, urges the Scots to support independence.

US/Latin America Relations: Heavy cruisers USS Wichita (CA 45) and Quincy (CA 39) depart Santos, Brazil on their "Show the flag" mission. Their next port of call is Rio de Janeiro. On the opposite coast, light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL 46) departs from Valparaiso, Chile for Callao, Peru.

China: Monsoon season is beginning, which will curtail military operations and make supply from the outside difficult. This makes the closing of the Burma Road supply route of less consequence than if it happened at another time of year.

German Homefront: There are major celebrations in Germany in honor of the country's victorious soldiers.


American Homefront: The Democratic Party nominates Franklin D. Roosevelt for an unprecedented third term at its convention. The Vice Presidential nominee is Henry Wallace of Iowa. Roosevelt's decision defies the tradition in US politics that no President serve more than two terms, as had first President George Washington, and this violation of precedent becomes a major campaign issue. He, in turn, runs as a strict non-interventionist. He defends his decision to run by citing the current turmoil in the world:

It is not an ordinary war. It is a revolution imposed by force of arms, which threatens all men everywhere. It is a revolution which proposes not to set men free but to reduce them to slavery—to reduce them to slavery in the interest of a dictatorship which has already shown the nature and the extent of the advantage which it hopes to obtain.

Future History: James Brolin is born in Los Angeles, California. He becomes a famous actor in the 1970s, starring in television shows such as "Marcus Welby, M.D." He remains active in the film business as of this writing.

Joe Torre is born in Brooklyn, New York. He becomes a top baseball hitter, playing several different positions for several different teams. He also guides the New York Yankees to four World Championships during his tenure as Manager during 1996-2007.

Hitler Youth at the parade in Munster, 18 July 1940.

July 1940

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

2020

Saturday 1 June 1940

Sundowner at Ramsgate.

Western Front: The main ground effort remains at Dunkirk on 1 June 1940. The BEF decides to take its men out of the line and leave the port defense to the French. The Wehrmacht breaks through at the canal at Bergues and elsewhere and is held from the beaches with difficulty. The ground defense is maintained by the French while the British board the ships.

There are still BEF forces in action to the south. The 51st Highland Division, the Composite Regiment and 1st Support Group assume the defense against the Germans' Abbeville–St. Valery bridgehead. The 153rd Infantry Brigade also is standing in reserve on the Bresle from Blangy to Senarpont. An improvised British formation, the Beauman Division, holds a 55-mile (89 km) section of the line from Pont St. Pierre, an 11-mile section southeast of Rouen to Dieppe, and 55 miles of the Andelle–Béthune line.

General Georges continues to plan a major effort on 4 June.

Dunkirk: The weather clears up by the morning, which is bad news for Operation Dynamo. While 64,429 troops are evacuated (47,081 Allied troops embark from Dunkirk harbour and 17,348 from the beaches), which is just under the peak total for 31 May, Allied shipping losses mount. The Allies lose four destroyers, a large transport ship, and have five other destroyers damaged.

British orders have been to allow only British troops on board. There is only about 25% or less of the BEF left in the beachhead. The French high command expects all these British soldiers to be routed back to Cherbourg. So far, that is not happening, but it is early. The British are leaving almost all their equipment behind, so they would have little to fight with anyway.

Numerous large vessels such as Channel ferries are damaged by air attack. Conditions are so bad that, after dark, the Admiralty takes the difficult decision to abandon evacuation during daylight hours. Soldiers are frustrated by the incessant Luftwaffe attacks and take potshots at the passing planes with their rifles.

Charles Lightoller's 61-foot yacht Sundowner, requisitioned by the Admiralty, leaves the Port of Ramsgate at 10:00 in the company of five other boats. They spot the motor cruiser Westerly, which has broken down and is on fire. When he arrives at Dunkirk, Lightoller realizes that the piers are too high, so he moves next to destroyer HMS Worcester and takes on passengers from it. He squeezes a total of 75 men below deck and 55 topside. Lightoller then returns to Ramsgate with his 130 men, dodging Luftwaffe attacks on the way. After depositing the soldiers, Sundowner is prevented from returning to Dunkirk because daylight operations from slower vessels have been banned. Sundowner is retained by the Admiralty for other operations as a coastal patrol boat.

European Air Operations: The RAF is occupied over Dunkirk. It launches 8 large aerial patrols that provide excellent cover, but the Luftwaffe has success in between them. It also sends 56 planes in ground attacks against the encroaching German ground forces during the day, and 16 against them during the night.

The Luftwaffe is not just active over the evacuation area, but also is implementing a strategic bombing effort against France. German planes bomb the Lyons-Marseilles railway line that is the main north-south route and also sink the 20,000-ton British passenger liner Orford in Marseilles. Cities all along the Rhône valley are raided, along with Marseilles and Lyon. Altogether, 46 people perish and over 100 are injured.

The RAF also launches raids against Dutch harbors being used by German surface raiders.

During the night, the RAF sends 65 bombers against targets in Germany.

Douglas Bader scores his first victory near Dunkirk.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-58 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch) torpedoes and sinks 8,401 boom defense vessel HMS Astronomer 30 miles southeast of Wick, Scotland. There are 101 survivors, picked up by nearby trawlers, and 4 crew perish.

U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) torpedoes and sinks 950 ton Greek freighter Ioanna 120 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. Everybody survives, making land at Vigo, Spain.

At Dunkirk, the Allies lose French destroyer Foudroyant (19 killed) and British destroyers HMS Keith (36 killed), Basilisk (9 killed) and Havant (8 killed). British destroyers HMS Ivanhoe, Venomous, Vimy, Vivacious, and Whitehall and sloops Bideford and Kingfisher are damaged. Minesweeper HMS Skipjack (full of troops, most drown, nobody knows how many), gunboat HMS Mosquito, and transport Scotia (200-300 troops and all 32 crew killed) also are sunk, while smaller British ships (Brighton Queen) and various other smaller vessels go down, both from the Luftwaffe attacks and German S-boats (fast boats) operating out of Dutch harbors.

Convoy OA 159 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 159 departs from Liverpool.

U-101 (Kapitänleutnant Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt) becomes operational.

General Dietl.

Norway: While the British and French have been planning Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of their forces from Norway, for some time, they only tell the remaining Norwegian troops today (British ambassador to Norway, Sir Cecil Dormer, informs King Haakon VII). The Allied evacuations are intended to be a gradual process but a complete operation, with no troops left anywhere in the country. The Norwegians have no real alternatives and continue attacking the German forces despite the ephemeral nature of any successes in the long run. The King and government consider whether to leave the country.

The Germans, of course, do not know any of this, and General Dietl continues his desperate defense near the Swedish border. He has a scattering of units, including elements of German 3rd Mountain Division, naval troops, and the reinforcements which he continues to receive by air and rail. The 2d Mountain Division, coming to Dietl's rescue, enters Bodo, just evacuated by the British.

Anglo/Italian Relations: The Italians break off negotiations for a new contraband agreement.

German Military: General Guderian, who has been leading XIX Corps with great success since the beginning of the war, receives the honor of his own Panzer Group - Panzer Group Guderian.

Soviet Military: General Zhukov, having returned from the Far East, where he led the successful defense at Khalkin Gol, takes command of the Kyiv Special Military District.

British Military: General Ironside, in charge of the Home Forces, considers a proposal by General Wingate to form "special night squads" for operations against German sabotage within England.

US Military: The Navy concludes a Minor Landing and Base Defense Exercise on San Clemente Island.

US Government: Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles responds to Ambassador Wilson in Uruguay that the government will see "if some way can be found by which at least three or four heavy cruisers and a reasonable number of destroyers can be kept on the East Coast [of South America] this summer." Heavy cruiser Quincy (CA 39) already is en route to Rio de Janeiro and then Montevideo, and Welles tells ambassador to Brazil Jefferson Caffery that this is "to furnish a reminder of the strength and the range of action of the armed forces of the United States."

British Government: Sir Samuel arrives in Madrid to take up his post as ambassador to Spain.

Kenya: Gold Coast 4th Infantry Brigade arrives by sea.

China: At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the Japanese 11th Army captures Hsiangyang.

Future History: René Auberjonois is born in New York City. He becomes famous in the '70s and '80s as an actor and singer.

Charles Lightoller's yacht Sundowner remained under Admiralty control throughout the war, serving on the River Blackwater and River Clyde, until being returned to the family in 1946. After additional use by the Lightollers and subsequent owners, Sundowner ultimately was purchased by the East Kent Maritime Trust in the late 1980s and restored. It remains operational and takes part in occasional celebrations of Operation Dynamo, including as recently as June 2012.

A heap of British motorcycles abandoned at Dunkirk, June 1940.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

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

Saturday 3 February 1940

Soviet T-20 Komsomolets armored tow vehicles towing 45mm AT guns.

Winter War Army Operations: Today, 3 February 1940, is day three of the Second Battle of Summa, and the Finns continue holding their positions against Soviet probing attacks. The Stavka gives final approval to Timoshenko's plan for breaking through the Mannerheim Line there.

The Soviets form an assault party to capture and destroy a particularly vexing bunker known as bunker No. 2. The men are riflemen of the 5th Company, 355th Rifle Regiment, along with two T-26 tanks and two squads of sappers. Fighting hand-to-hand through Finnish trenches, they make their way to the bunker and plant 3,500 kg of explosives on its roof during the night, along with other charges totaling 5,300 kg. The men of the 5th company blow the bunker up. It is the first large bunker occupied even temporarily by the Soviet troops, and the 100th Rifle Division commander, Yernakov, focuses his attack in this direction. The Finns, though, hold fast in the forest north of the bunker and prevent any further incursion.

Winter War Air Operations: The Finns claim in a communique that they have brought down another 13 Soviet planes over the scene of the fighting on the Karelian Isthmus. The Soviets also send bombers against various Finnish cities, including Kuopio and Pori on the Bothnian coast.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-25 (Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze) torpedoes and sinks 6,805-ton British freighter Armanistan, which is sailing with convoy OG-16, at 14:32 100 miles west of Lisbon. Everyone on board survives and is landed on Tenerife.

U-58 (Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann) torpedoes and sinks 815-ton Estonian freighter Reet in the North Sea. All 18 men perish. Hartmann is determined to get the tiny vessel, and he chases it from Stavanger, Norway almost to Aberdeen, Scotland over the course of 13 hours, ending at 09:36. He also wastes three torpedoes on it.

US passenger liner Manhattan, which was directed to Gibraltar by a French patrol, is detained there.

Convoy OA 85G departs from Southend and OG 17F forms at Gibraltar.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe continues its attacks on British shipping, sending 20 Heinkel He 111 bombers. The sink two ships, but lose three of their own number to RAF fighter sweeps. One crashes in Yorkshire, the other in the sea off the River Tyne. The British minesweeper HMS Sphinx (Commander John R. N. Taylor) is hit and heavily damaged, but not taking on water. Taken in tow by fellow minesweeper HMS Speedwell, she eventually capsizes and sinks in heavy seas. There are 41-54 dead (accounts vary), including Commander Taylor.

Anglo/Turkish Relations: The two nations sign a trade agreement.

China: The First Battle of Wuyuan begins, as Japanese forces brush aside the Chinese 8th War Area forces and capture Wuyuan.

At the Battle of South Kwangsi, Japanese forces capture Tsouhsu and attack Wuning, while a Chinese counterattack takes Kantang and Kula. This poses a threat to the lead Japanese formations.

A Soviet tank column. The Soviet tractor tows a T-26 that has been disabled by a mine. The tank on the right is a Cht-26 chemical tank.

February 1940

February 1, 1940: Second Battle of Summa
February 2, 1940: Soviet Assaults at Summa February 3, 1940: Soviets Capture a Bunker
February 4, 1940: Peace Talks in Stockholm
February 5, 1940: Allies to Invade Norway
February 6, 1940: Careless Talk Costs Lives
February 7, 1940: IRA Terrorists Executed
February 8, 1940: Spies!
February 9, 1940: The Welles Mission
February 10, 1940: Confiscation of Jewish Goods
February 11, 1940: Soviets Attack Mannerheim Line
February 12, 1940: Breaches In Mannerheim Line
February 13, 1940: Soviets Inching Forward in Finland
February 14, 1940: Soviets Batter Mannerheim Line
February 15, 1940: Finns Retreat
February 16, 1940: Altmark Incident
February 17, 1940: Manstein and Hitler Discuss Fall Gelb
February 18, 1940: Operation Nordmark
February 19, 1940: King Gustav Says No
February 20, 1940: Falkenhorst Commands Weserubung
February 21, 1940: Radar Advances
February 22, 1940: Friendly Fire
February 23, 1940: Soviets Present Their Demands
February 24, 1940: Fall Gelb Revised
February 25, 1940: Mr. Welles Comes to Visit
February 26, 1940: Battle of Honkaniemi
February 27, 1940: Finns Retreat Again
February 28, 1940: Overseas Volunteers Help Finland
February 29, 1940: Finns Accept Soviet Terms In Principle

2019

Wednesday 3 January 1940

A Finnish antiaircraft battery.

Winter War Army Operations: On 3 January 1940, the Finns reinforce the effect of the elements on the trapped Soviet 44th Rifle Division by targeting Soviet field kitchens. Finnish snipers target Soviet officers. Soviet troops have received permission to butcher horses for food. The most advanced Soviet units are running short of just about everything.

Colonel Volkov, a commander within the column, requests air resupply from Ninth Army. He states that the trapped column requires:

9 tons of rifle ammunition;
8 tons of 76 mm rounds;
1.2 tons of 122 mm rounds;
2 tons of hand grenades;
1 ton of rifle grenades;
12 tons of straw for horses;
10 tons of oats;
8 tons of bread;
2 tons of meat;
800 kg of fat;
270 kg of sugar;
240 kg of salt;
500 kg of butter;
8,000 tins of preserves.

The Ninth Army has neither the items requested nor the available planes to fly them in. General Chuikov has four TB-3 and R-5 planes, but they are grounded due to the weather. He looks for alternative sources of supply, such as by truck via the taiga north of the road, but promises nothing. The issue essentially decided, there ensue various phony representations from Volkov that everything is fine, the trapped men actually have everything they need and there's nothing to worry about.

General Vinogradov, commander of the trapped Soviet division, who is behind the Soviet border, orders the doomed Soviet division to break out and re-establish communications to the USSR. He also sends armored vehicles from the Scout Battalion in the USSR to breakthrough. Both attempts fail, as the Finns have been working hard on blocking the road by felling trees and planting mines.

General Siilasvuo sends two regiment-sized forces (Task Force Kari and TF Fagernas) all the way down the ice road to the Soviet border, south of Ratte. He wishes to bolt the door closed.

Winter War Air Operations: The Finns turn the tables on the Soviets and drop 3 million leaflets on Leningrad. They claim to have destroyed 400 Soviet tanks and 150 Soviet planes.

Western Front: The French ambush two German detachments in the Vosges Forest and take prisoners.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-25 makes port in Cadiz. It spends four hours taking supplies from the German Thalia SS Thalia, then returns to the sea. This is the first instance of a U-boat taking advantage of the Spanish agreement to allow such reprovisioning in Spanish ports. It is a particularly bold move because of the proximity of Cadiz to the British base at Gibraltar.

U-58 (Herbert Kuppisch) torpedoes and sinks 2,475-ton Swedish freighter Svartön. Eleven crew survive, 20 perish. The freighter has been sailing with Convoy HN-6.

British 7,267-ton freighter El Oso hits a mine and sinks near Liverpool. The mine had been laid by U-30. Three perish, 32 survive.

HMS Ajax makes port at Montevideo, while HMS Achilles does the same across the River Platte at Buenos Aires. As victors of the Battle of the River Platte, they receive a celebratory welcome.

US freighter Mormacsun is forced into Kirkwall, Scotland by a British patrol. The British detain US freighter Nashaba at Gibraltar, where they release US freighter Executive.

Convoy OA 65G departs from Southend and OB 65 departs from Liverpool.

European Air Operations: A RAF reconnaissance aircraft if brought down in Belgian territory near the German border by three Luftwaffe fighters.

British Government: Contraband seized for the week ending 30 December 1939 equaled 20,800 tons.

French Government: Premier Daladier reiterated that the French would assist the Finns as much as possible.

German Government: The government warns the Scandinavian countries not to take advantage of Finland's distress.

Italian/German Relations: Mussolini sends Hitler a letter trying to smooth over his previous critical comments about the Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact. He states: "the solution of your Lebensraum is in Russia and not elsewhere." The implication appears to be to leave France alone.

US Government: President Roosevelt opens the third session of Congress. He warns that isolation is impossible and that he intended to further peace through trade cooperation. He requests $1.8 billion for national defense in his proposed budget.

Ireland: The Eire government introduces a bill to intern suspected IRA terrorists without trial.

British Homefront: Unity Mitford, Hitler's erstwhile British companion, returns to the UK via Switzerland. She had shot herself on the outbreak of war, and Hitler paid for her return home. The bullet remains lodged in her skull and she is immobile.

China: The Chinese 4th War Area attacks Yingteh north of Canton, while a Japanese relief force attacks the Chinese 2nd War Area near Changze and Tunliu.

A Finnish lotta, a member of the Lotta Svärd women organization, watching the skies for Soviet aircraft during January 1940 in northern Finland.

January 1940

January 1, 1940: Finns Carve up the Soviets
January 2, 1940: Finnish Counterattacks Continue
January 3, 1940: Soviets Trapped
January 4, 1940: Soviet Breakout Attempts Fail
January 5, 1940: Dicing Up the Soviets
January 6, 1940: Soviet 44th Division Runs
January 7, 1940: Shakeup in Soviet High Command
January 8, 1940: Ratte Road Battle Ends
January 9, 1940: British Submarines in Peril
January 10, 1940: Mechelen Incident
January 11, 1940: Finns Surround More Soviets
January 12, 1940: New Soviet Attacks at Taipale
January 13, 1940: Fall Gelb Postponed
January 14, 1940: Japan's Government Falls
January 15, 1940: Soviets Prepare More Carefully
January 16, 1940: German Atrocities Uncovered
January 17, 1940: Bletchley Park in Action
January 18, 1940: New Hope for Allied Shipping
January 19, 1940: Finnish Attacks at Salla
January 20, 1940: Churchill Urges Cooperation
January 21, 1940: Asam Maru Incident
January 22, 1940: Dissension Within British Government
January 23, 1940: Dissension in South Africa
January 24, 1940: NKVD Blocking Detachments
January 25, 1940: Auschwitz Site Selected
January 26, 1940: Millionaire Bunker Destroyed
January 27, 1940: U-20 Sinks Four Ships
January 28, 1940: Softening Up the Finns
January 29, 1940: Moscow Willing to Talk
January 30, 1940: Hitler Throws Down the Gauntlet
January 31, 1940: Timoshenko Is Ready

2019