World War II in real time

Day 391 of World War II, September 25th 1940

Battle of Britain

As a result of Hitler's indefinite postponement of the invasion instructions were issued to increase the attacks against the British aircraft industry, both by night and day, by reducing the size of the formations engaged in raids on London. Accordingly the bomber force of Luftflotte 3 was once again assigned the most important targets on the western side of Britain, and as part of a new strategy September 25th saw the start of a planned series of large scale daylight attacks, in Geschwader strength with long range fighter cover, on the aircraft industry in the West Country.

The day started relatively quietly with only a few reconnaissance raids until about 1148 hours when a large raid crossed the coast near Weymouth. The target that morning was the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton, and the weather was perfect for bombing, with banks of thick cloud broken by patches of clear blue sky. Gruppenkommandeur Major Friedrich Kless led five He 111s of the Stab./KG 55, twenty-one He 111s of I./KG 55, twenty-four He 111s of II./KG 55, eighteen He 111s of III./KG 55 escorted by fifty-two Bf 110s of all three Gruppen of ZG 26 flying in almost perfect formation arrived over the city and made straight for the works, and found them completely at their mercy. In 45 terror-filled seconds they let loose 168 bombs, causing a high death-roll and much havoc. Seven Ju 88s broke away from the main body flying to Filton, and made an unsuccessful dive bombing attack down to 500 feet on the oil tanks at Portland. The raiders were not intercepted by RAF fighters until they had left the target area, but the local anti-aircraft gunners scored their first success, an He 111 of II./KG 55 which was brought down at Failand during its run in to the target. Hurricanes of RAF No. 229 and RAF No.238 Squadrons and Spitfires of RAF No.152 and RAF No.234 Squadrons were scrambled but were originally vectored to Yeovil where the Westland aircraft works seemed the likely target. Once the true target was determined, three Squadrons swung into pursuit. The He 111s of KG 53 and KG 55 suffered heavy losses to the Hurricanes of RAF No. 238 Squadron with P/O John Urwin-Mann (a Canadian pilot) shooting down two of the bombers. A total of eight bombers and fighters failed to return including three shot down over Dorset and two that crashed on the return to France. One of the Bf 110s lost from ZG 26 was Walter Scherer with ten victories, who was shot down and taken prisoner.

Serious damage had indeed been caused at the Rodney Works, while here and at the Flight Shed and East Engine Works, the workers shelters were hit by a stick of bombs, causing many casualties. Damage to house property, gas and water mains was experienced over a wide area including Filton village, Westbury-on-Trim, South Mead and Chipping Sodbury. The attack also destroyed eight newly built aircraft, including two precious Beaufighter prototypes, and production was temporarily halted. Over Filton and surrounding districts 81.5 tonnes of HEs and 6 tonnes of Oil Bombs had been dropped, which tragically resulted in the death of 132 people, of which 91 were Company employees, while a further 315 were injured. The crew reports, and photographs taken by KG 55 during the attack, together with a reconnaissance mission flown over Filton later that day by a lone Bf 110 of 4(F)/14 proved to the Germans that the raid had been a great success. Accordingly the Luftwaffe's own magazine, 'Der Adler', soon after proudly proclaimed "this factory will not produce many more aircraft", while Major Friedrich Kless, the attack leader and Gruppenkommandeur of II/KG 55, was awarded the Ritterkruz on October 14th.

Although Filton was acting as a temporary sector station, RAF Nos. 87 and 213 Sqdrns were operating from Exeter and Bibury. To guard against further attack Dowding immediately ordered RAF No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron to move to Filton from Hendon.

It was not until later in the day, at about 1600 hours, that a second raid was made, this time on the Plymouth and Isle of Wight areas. Approximately twenty-four German bombers with an escort of twelve Bf 110s crossed the coast at Start Point and attacked the Plymouth area at 1647 hours. Several sections of RAF fighters - Hurricanes of RAF Nos. 238 and 607 Squadrons and Spitfires of RAF No. 609 Squadron, intercepted and dispersed this formation. One German bomber was destroyed (plus two aircraft probably destroyed and one damaged) without loss to the defending RAF fighters. A large amount of damage was caused to house property, water mains, electric supply and telephone wires.

Shortly after 1930 hours, raids began coming out of Le Havre towards Portsmouth and made for London. These were followed by others from Cherbourg which entered along the coast Westward from Beachy Head. Other raids from Holland came in over the Norfolk Coast and the Wash. Some of the latter made a wide sweep and approached London from the North West. Other raids were made on Derby, South Wales, Liverpool, the Midlands and East Anglia. The railway property in and around London was one of the Luftwaffe's main objectives during this period with damage and traffic interference being caused. The railway bridge over Thames Road, Chiswick, was hit by HEs and HE bombs were dropped on the GW and LMS (London Joint) Railway at Kensington at 0500 hours, the lines being completely blocked by debris. Major fires were started at Wandsworth, Edmonton, Tottenham, Old Kent Road and Hammersmith. During these fires damage was caused to British Oxygen Co's plant at Edmonton, and the GWR sheds at Hammersmith.

KGr 606 again undertook a raid on Liverpool with its Do 17s with one of the bombers dropping its load on the city of Bristol. By 0530 hours, the last raids from the London area had re-crossed the South Coast.

Anti-aircraft in the Rochford area claimed to have destroyed on Ju 88 at 1940 hours which was reported to have fallen into the sea.

On the night of the 25th, the highest number of people sheltering in the tube stations was recorded.

A Hurricane from RAF No.43 Squadron based at Usworth airfield in Durham, landed wheels up at Hetton le Hole following engine failure due to the mishandling of a fuel ****. P/O C.E. Langdon was unhurt, the aircraft was damaged but repairable.

Photo: Heinkel He 111 H-1 coded G1+BH (White B) W. Nr 6305 of 1./KG 55 shot down by RAF fighters during a raid on the Bristol Aircraft Company at Filton



British/Free French (Operation Menace)

With the British/Free French invasion frustrated, the French turn to the attack. The Vichy French Air Force (Armée de l'Air de Vichy), based in Morocco and Algeria, launches another, larger strike on Gibraltar than on the 24th. This is in retaliation for the Operation Menace attack on Dakar by the British and Free French. It is even larger than the attack on 24 September, this time including 80-100 aircraft dropping some 300 bombs. This is the largest air raid of the war to date on Gibraltar, causing extensive damage to the dockyard facilities. British 550 ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Stella Sirius is sunk by direct hits in the harbor with 12 deaths. Some accounts state that four Vichy French destroyers also bombard the port.

The British fleet again bombards Dakar at first light. French submarine Bévéziers, the only one remaining at Dakar after two have been sunk, manages at 09:00 to evade detection by the assembled fleet and torpedoes British battleship HMS Resolution. It loses power and must be towed back to Freetown, Sierra Leone, by HMS Barham, which also takes damage from the French battleship Richelieu. This forces the Royal Navy to end the operation, which has been accomplishing nothing anyway.

The affair has been a fiasco for the Allies. Long in the planning, involving extensive Royal Navy movements throughout September, Operation Menace accomplishes nothing but further poison relations with the Vichy French. General Charles de Gaulle suffers a huge loss in prestige, as his assumption of the mantle of resistance to his former French bosses turns out to have less appeal than he has claimed. It is easier now to portray de Gaulle as nothing but a tool of British interests. The Royal Navy itself does not come off well, either.

In a wider sense, Operation Menace is a learning experience. It is the first in a series of Allied raids along the length of the Atlantic Coast that will grow in intensity over coming years. While a shaky start, it sets the foundation for later efforts at Dieppe, in Norway, and ultimately at Normandy. However, there is no question whatsoever that, in the short run, this is a major Vichy French victory.

Photo: Scuttling of the French submarine Ajax, off Dakar, seen from HMS Fortune




Battle of the Atlantic

A Coastal Command flying boat flying over the shipping lanes in the mid-Atlantic spots a lifeboat and vectors in destroyer HMS Anthony. It turns out to be from the City of Benares, sunk on the 18th. Lifeboat 12 contains about 40 survivors, including six boys from the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) program. Also on board are Mary Cornish and Father Rory O'Sullivan, the children's escorts, along with numerous crewmen.

U-32 (Oblt.z.S. Hans Jenisch) torpedoes and sinks 6694 ton British freighter Mabriton 500 hundred miles west of Ireland at 03:25. There are 25 survivors and 12 crew perish. The Mabriton was sailing with Convoy OB 216, which had dispersed.

U-43 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Ambrosius) torpedoes and sinks 5802 ton British freighter Sulairia about 400 miles out in the Atlantic west of Ireland around 13:30. There are 56 survivors and one fatality. The Sulairia was sailing with Convoy OB 217, which had dispersed.

U-29 (Kptlt. Otto Schuhart) torpedoes and damages 6223 ton British freighter/passenger ship Eurymedon (John Faulkner Webster) west of Ireland around 14:00. The ship stays afloat for two days before sinking. There are 66 survivors (42 crew and 22 passengers) and 29 perish (9 passengers and 20 crew). Captain Faulkner, who survives, later receives the Lloyd's War Medal for bravery at sea. The Eurymedon was part of Convoy OB 217, which had dispersed.

Italian 569 ton cargo ship Rina Croce hits a mine and sinks about 6 nautical miles west of Capo di Torre Cavallo (near Brindisi). The HMS Roqual laid the minefield on 14 June 1940.

British 79 ton naval trawler HMT White Daisy founders in the North Sea near Lerwick.

The Royal Navy seizes Vichy French 1344 ton ocean-going trawler Finland near the Vichy French base at Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Canada. They transfer it to de Gaulle's Free French movement.

The Royal Canadian Navy AMC Prince Robert captures 9170 ton German freighter Weser off Manzillo, Mexico just before midnight. The Weser is a supply ship for German raider Orion. The Canadians, approaching in the dark, get aboard before the crew can scuttle the freighter. The Canadians put aboard a prize crew who sail it to Esquimalt, where it is renamed Vancouver Island.

The British prepare Operation Lucid, which is designed to use obsolete warships as fire ships against the invasion barges in Channel ports. The operation is set for the 26th. It is throwback to the use of fireships against the Spanish Armada and during the Napoleonic Wars. Escorted by destroyer forces, the fire ships are old tankers Nizam and Nawab. The tankers are packed with various flammables including heavy fuel oil, gasoline and diesel oil. The force leaves port today (Sheerness and Portsmouth) - the old fire ships are very slow. En route, the Nizam breaks down less than 10 miles from Boulogne Harbor and the operation is cancelled.

Royal Navy submarine Cachalot fires torpedoes and U-138 in the Bay of Biscay, but misses. The British submarines like to lie in wait on the typical routes taken by U-boats from their main bases to and from their Atlantic patrol stations.

British minelayers Plover and Willem van der Zaan run aground on the Goodwins, but are brought off by a tug. They are prevented from laying their mines.

Convoy FS 290 departs from the Tyne, Convoy FN 291 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 219 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SLS 49 departs from Freetown.

Photo: U-48, under command of Heinrich Bleichrodt, returns to Lorient



Battle of the Mediterranean

On the desert front, the RAF attacks Tobruk, while the Royal Navy shells Sidi Barrani. The RAF raids Berbera in British Somaliland and the port of Assab in Ethiopia.

A Royal Navy destroyer flotilla operating out of Alexandria bombards an Italian land convoy west of Sidi Barrani, causing extensive damage to the vehicles.

At Malta, there is an air raid around noontime which drops some bombs on the countryside. The Italians lose one Macchi C. 200 Saetta ("Arrow") fighter. The soldiers at Malta already are occupied defusing unexploded bombs at Hal Far and Luqa airfields which have been dropped over the previous two weeks.

Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command attacks Berlin again. It targets Tempelhof Airport, a munitions factory, power stations and the railway. Other raids are launched on Kiel, warehouses at Osnabruck, Ehrang, Hamm, Mannheim and Hanover, and invasion ports including Flushing and Antwerp. Coastal Command chips in with a raid on Brest, which sets the oil tanks there alight.

German/Soviet/Japanese Relations

German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop informs the German embassy in Moscow that Japan is joining the German-Italian alliance (Axis). He emphasizes that this is not directed against the Soviet Union - which is absolutely true. Germany has other plans for the USSR. Ribbentrop instructs the Chargé d'affaires to tell Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov about the coming agreement on the 26th and explain that the alliance is directed against "American warmongers."

German/Spanish Relations

Adolf Hitler meets with Spanish Interior Minister - and Franco's brother-in-law - Serrano Suner. It is likely that the topics discussed include arranging a meeting between Hitler and Franco. Hitler's objective is to bring Spain into the war on his side in order to capture the British naval base at Gibraltar, while Franco demands an exorbitant price for his cooperation.

US/Chinese Relations

The US grants a $25 million loan to China that is designed to help stabilize the Chinese currency.

US Military

Heavy cruiser USS Louisville departs from Colon in the Panama Canal Zone on another "Show the Flag" tour. Its first stop will be Recife, Brazil.

The Greenslade Board investigating new US bases acquired from the British in the destroyers-for-bases deal arrives in Norfolk, Virginia.

German occupied Norway

Pursuant to decisions taken earlier, the German Reich-Commissar for Norway (Reichskommissar für die besetzten Norwegischen Gebiete), Josef Terboven, dissolves all political parties except for the pro-Nazi Nasjonal Samling. He appoints 13 commissars to govern the country. As leader of Nasjonal Samling, Vidkun Quisling forms the new collaborationist government. In addition, the King and his former government are formally deposed.

Vichy French

The Vichy French begin court-martial trials for the various government officials arrested for alleged misdeeds which led to to the loss of the Battle of France.

French Indochina

The Japanese invasion of French Indochina continues. The Japanese have aircraft carriers off the coast in the Gulf of Tonkin which are launching raids on French bases. The French shore batteries remain under orders to repel any invasion. The French have sent a special envoy to Tokyo to negotiate. The Japanese are primarily interested in northern Indochina in the Haiphong area, not as much in the area further south by Saigon. The Japanese 5th Infantry Division consolidates its hold on Lang Son, site of a key airfield.

Free France

The government of New Caledonia reaffirms that it is siding with Free France.

American Homefront

Eleanor Roosevelt attends the American Newspaper Guild meeting in New York City (of which she is a member, with voting privileges). At issue is whether to approve a report critical of President Roosevelt as trying to force the United States into the European War. She votes against the report, but it passes 140-85. Afterwards, she meets with the Guild's leaders and expresses her disagreement. The incident is an early foray by Mrs. Roosevelt into politics and an indication of the widespread isolationist sentiment in the country.

Day 393 of World War II, September 27th 1940

Battle of Britain

The weather during the morning was fair, with patches of cloud, and for the citizens of Bristol this offered the unique opportunity to witness a classic 'dog-fight' over the City. The first raid of the day by the Luftwaffe over England was a formation of Bf 110s with a front escort of Bf 109s from JG 51, JG 54 and some units from JG 77 some 180 German aircraft (100 fighters and 80 bombers). The formation consisted of ten Bf 110s of Epr.Gr 210 and forty-two long range twin-engined Messerschmitts of all three Gruppen of ZG 26 conducting a daylight pin-point raid on the Parnall Aircraft works at Yale. At about 0900 hours, the formation crossed the Coast between Folkestone and Dover in six formations at heights varying from 15,00 to 20,000 feet. No 11 Group sent up 13 Squadrons and the attack was halted in the Maidstone - Tonbridge area but some bombers penetrated to Central and West London. Attacked by British fighters from Dungeness to London, the Zerstörers dropped their loads over the countryside and dove away from the British to head home. Hurricanes of RAF No. 504 Sqdrn chased and shot down two Bf 110s of the escorting I./ZG 26 while the remaining fighter-bombers lost a third of its force to additional RAF fighters. One of the Messerschmitts disintegrated over the Stapleton Institution at Fishponds, and was the only enemy aircraft to crash within the Bristol boundary during the Second World War, while the other came down at Haydon, near Radstock. A number of senior officers of Epr.Gr 210 were lost including the Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Martin Lutz and the Staffelkapitän of 2 Staffel, Oblt. Wilhelm Rossiger, both of whom were posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz. Also lost was Oblt. Adolf Johann Buhl of I(J)./LG 2 who was listed missing in action after combat. He had seven victories with the Lehrgeschwader. Oblt. Werner Weymann was made acting-Gruppenkommandeur of Epr.Gr. 210 in place of Oblt. Lutz. Oblt. Wolfgang Schenck was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./Erpr.Gr. 210 in Oblt. Weymann's place.

Photo:  West Brunswick dock following an attack on September 27th 1940



On this day, two days after the devastating attacks on the Aeroplane Works at Bristol, the Germans again came over with the same intentions. At about 1130 hours a force of about nine bombers, accompanied by fighters, came over the city, but a squadron of Hurricanes was waiting for them. A.A. guns were in action as well, and the formation was dispersed before it could reach its target. Regardless of the danger, crowds of people came out in the streets to watch the 'dog fights' taking place in the sky.

At 11:45 hours a Bf 110 from 3./ZG 26 was engaged head-on and the petrol tank was set on fire during an escort sortie for the Erpr.Gr 210 raid on Yale. Probably attacked by Sgt H. D. B. Jones of No. 504 Sqdrn but also possibly that claimed by F/O T. H. T. Forshaw of No. 609 Sqdrn. The abandoned aircraft crashed and burned out. Lt Koepsell baled out and was captured unhurt, landing at Terry Hill, near Mells. Uffz Schmidt fell dead near Kilmersdon Colliery railway with unopened Parachute.

As the first major attack subsided, another approached the Kent and Sussex coast at 1130 hours and consisted only of Do 17 and Ju 88 bombers. Between 1147 and 1215 hours, six formations totaling 300 German aircraft crossed the coast between Dover and Lympne at heights varying from 12,000 to 29,000 feet, and headed towards the Chatham area. Twenty RAF Squadrons were sent up and the main engagements took place over Kent and East Sussex. RAF Squadrons were ripping into the helpless bombers as the Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighter escorts arrived. For nearly two hours aerial battles consumed the skies over southern England.

A Ju 88 crashed and burned out at Folly Farm, South Holmwood on Friday at 9.30 hours. Possibly that claimed by P/O M. Ferric of No.303 Squadron. Walter Schmidt from Ravensburg was flying in another 2 Staffel Ju 88 as gunner and recounts the day;

"I was a gunner on a Ju 88 of the 2 Staffel of KG 77 which took part in the raid. It was one of the most memorable acts of enemy action that I took part in, of my 200 sorties from 1940-45. If I remember correctly, the target was a gas works in London. We were flying with eighteen machines of the first group in formation of two squadrons. The approach height was about 5,300 m and the bomb release 5,100 m. At this height the warning came through the intercom of "fighters below right". As I glanced below and slightly to the left, I could see fighters myself. I Believe they had a big red circle on their wings without white. The green camouflage paint was very dark, by that we recognised the British fighters at once. They were flying about 200 m below us, against our flight direction. Then commenced the most hectic aerial combat I had experienced. We were attacked by fighters without a break. Often I saw several aircraft at once being shot down in flames, with black or white smoke trailing, or like red torches. The '3Z + HK' broke in the middle at the point of the cross insignia. One couldn't possibly observe everything. Our own fighters were more than likely too far behind and above. At this time, we were still under strong fighter attack. After a quick look round I saw several parachutes descending. Between the fighter attacks, I noticed to my horror that the release on my parachute harness, on which I was lying most of the time, had opened. It opens itself on a 90 degree turn and with light pressure and was now lying loose with the parachute on my back. Between single fighter actions, I managed to get my parachute operational again. Should it have been necessary to use my parachute in that condition, I would have had the same fate as comrade Menningmann, who fell out of his harness. In the meantime, both our squadrons were scattered all over the place and we returned home alone. After our return to base, we observed only nine aircraft returned from this action."

As the raid over the southeast was developing, another approached Dorset and attacked Filton at about 1130 hours. This raid was principally composed of fighters, made up of forty-five Bf 109s and Bf 110s and was engaged by Spitfires of RAF No.152 and RAF No.609 Squadrons and Hurricanes of RAF No.56 and RAF No.504 Squadrons. At Frome, the Bf 109s turned back. The escorting Bf 109s had orders to remain in the London area to protect the follow-up bomber formations of Do 17s and Ju 88s but they failed to rendezvous with the bombers. Instead they were heavily bounced by the British fighters who forced the German fighters to break away from combat and dive for home. Without the needed escort, the Do 17s and Ju 88s were intercepted at the coast and forced to retreat, dropping their loads harmlessly.

P/O Alfred Keith Ogilvie of RAF No. 609 Sqdrn succeeded in downing an Bf110 off Portland as he described in this combat report.

"I was flying Yellow 3. At 24,000 feet we engaged a circle of Me110s. Following Yellow 1 we made a beam attack on the circle, each taking a separate aircraft. The circle broke up and I saw an Me110 turn into Yellow 1. There was a head on collision, both aircraft disintegrated in terrific explosion. I made an attack on one from almost head on, climbed up and came down vertically on him (10 secs). He went straight down, both engines on fire. This was seen by other pilots. I also saw at least three other 110s going down in flames, one hit the sea, another on the land near Portland."

With no fighter escort to effectively clear the skies, the Luftwaffe decided to split the next raid into two formations, one group of eighty aircraft headed to Bristol while another group of 300 bombers were sent to London. Unbeknown to the Zerstörer pilots of LG 1, the twin-engined fighters were to be used as a feint to draw off the Spitfires and Hurricanes from the two bomber formations. Of the last remaining eleven Bf 110s of V(Z)./LG 1 available, one was damaged during take-off and aborted, leaving ten planes to take on the British. The ruse worked as the small formation drew the attention of Fighter Command and was decimated by British fighters. Of the ten Zerstörers from V(Z)./LG 1 that took-off from the airfield near Caen, only three planes made it back to base. The others were lost in the day's battles over England. One pilot remembered, . . .

. .after 27 September there were only two crews left who had been with the Gruppe prior to the start of the French campaign in May 1940: Fw. Jecke (still in hospital) and radio operator Uffz. Schmergal of 14./LG 1 and Oblt. Zobel with Uffz. Pellnat. The others had been killed, wounded or captured and as well several had been transferred. . . The personnel who had come from the Zerstörer Replacement Training Gruppe had suffered equally heavily. Of twelve crews assigned to the unit before the end of operations over England, nine failed to return from combat sorties. . ."

The most serious of the losses was the Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm. Horst Liensberger, who was killed in battle. Despite this, several pilots from V(Z)./LG 1 put in claims for four Spitfires shot down but were denied.

There were still too many British fighters. Drawing Spitfires and Hurricanes from No. 10 Group, the two bombers formations were intercepted and badly mauled over the West Country, breaking formation and dropping their loads on the suburbs. Twenty bombers managed to slip through the defenders and reached the center of London but caused little damage. The rest retreated back over the Channel, harassed the entire way by British fighters.

The day's losses for the Luftwaffe totaled fifty-five aircraft missing including twenty-one bombers making this day one of the most devastating days of the battle for the Germans. Ten aircraft were destroyed during the 1130 hours raid, losses that forced the Luftwaffe to halt the fighter-bomber attacks on West Country targets. Twenty-eight fighters were lost by Fighter Command but most of these crash landed on English soil with their pilots returning to action shortly after. Among the victors of the day was Hptm. Helmut Wick of Stab I./JG 2 who brought his score to thirty-one kills, close on the heels of Mölders. Scoring multiple victories were Oblt. Hans Philipp of 4./JG 54 who downed four British fighters to reach fifteen kills, two Spitfires and a Hurricane to Oblt. Roloff von Aspern of 5./JG 54, a pair of Spitfires was credited to Oblt. Herbert Ihlefeld of 1.(J)/LG 2 to bring his scoreboard to twenty-five, a pair of Hurricanes to Hptm. Walter Oesau of Stab III./JG 51 who ended the day with thirty victories, Oblt. Arnold Lignitz of 9./JG 51 destroyed two Hurricanes for his 17th and 18th kills and Oblt. Gustav Rödel of 4./JG 27 who gained his 13th and 14th victories over two Hurricanes. Double kills were also credited to Lt. Willi Kothmann of 2./JG 27, Uffz. Xaver Ray of 8./JG 53, Ofw. Josef Pöhs of 5./JG 54 and Lt. Otto Grote of 4./JG 54.

Before returning to base, Kommodore Mölders of JG 51, downed another Spitfire from RAF No. 222 Sqdrn, the same British fighter who had just shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 near Maidstone. It was his forty-first victory. His brother, Oblt. Viktor Mölders of 2./JG 51 recorded his ninth kill of the war, a Hurricane. II./JG 52’s return to the front started disastrously when five pilots, including Oblt. Karl Trieber, and seven planes were lost. Fw. Franz Bogasch of 4./JG 52 was shot down and captured.

Billeted at a pub on the Kent coast, they had been ordered to capture any German aircrew shot down in the countryside. But the men of the 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles were to carve themselves a little-known place in military history: they fought the last ever battle to take place on the British mainland. An isolated Junker 88 piloted by Uffz. Fritz Ruhlandt fell prey to British planes in the area of North Kent near Faversham. British Spitfire and Hurricane fighters from RAF No. 66 and No. 92 Squadron had attacked what they recognized as a new variant of the Junkers Ju 88 over Faversham. An order had been issued to them to capture one such aircraft intact if possible. The German bomber's first engine had already been damaged by anti-aircraft fire during a raid on London and the Spitfires were able to destroy its second engine, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing on Graveney Marsh. The injured plane was skilfully landed on the Graveney Marshes close to the Sportsman Inn near the sea wall. The 1st London Irish were quickly on the scene to face the crew of the Junker 88 expecting an instant surrender. To the horror of the London Irish the German crew opened fire with two machine guns and submachine gun fire. The Captain of the London Irish positioned his men along the dykes of the Marshland ready to return the fire. As they crawled nearer they saw a single white flag implying a surrender of the German crew. As the London Irish advanced closer to apprehend the enemy crew a skirmish broke out injuring two of the Germans. After a short battle the Germans surrendered – and their captors then took them for a pint at their local pub. The aircraft was taken to Farnborough Airfield where it was said to have "provided highly valuable information". Captain Cantopher was subsequently awarded the George Medal for his action. The extraordinary skirmish, has been nicknamed the 'Battle of Graveney Marsh'. It was the last battle fought on English soil. 

Photo: London Irish Rifles soldiers guard a Junkers Ju 88A-1 bomber (3Z+EL) of 3.Staffel/KG 77, which crash-landed on Graveney Marsh in Kent.



There were no further raids until during the night when the all too familiar pattern of bombing raids on London continued. Edinburgh was visited just after dusk and there were scattered raids in the Liverpool District, Birmingham and Nottingham, mostly up to midnight. German activity was chiefly directed towards London from the French Coast and lasted from 1940 hours to 0600 hours, with a brief lull from 0215 to 0315 hours. At 0315 hours, there was renewed activity from the Abbeville area to London crossing the coast between Bexhill and Hastings. This stream continued until about 0600 hours when the last raids were re-crossing the coast.

It appeared that damage was of a less serious nature than on the previous night although communications were again affected and several fires started. A fire was started at The Thames Ammunitions Works but the damage was negligible. Liverpool was again the night-time target for the Dorniers of KGr 606. One of the bombers broke away from the formation and again dropped its load on the city of Bristol.

With the end this day, one of the most active and disappointing for the Luftwaffe, Adolf Galland told Göring;

"in spite of the heavy losses we are inflicting on the enemy fighters, no decisive decrease in their number or fighting efficiency was noticeable. . . ."

Photo: Armourer Fred Roberts re-arms Spitfire X4474 while the pilot, Sergeant B J Jennings, has a word with his mechanic. Manor Farm can be seen in the background.



Battle of the Atlantic

U-31 (Kptlt. Wilfried Prellberg) sends two torpedoes into and sinks 4319 ton Norwegian freighter Vestvard at 11:30 about 300 miles west of Ireland. One sailor is killed as the ship sinks. There are 30 survivors who take to lifeboats and reach Slane Head Light, Galway, Ireland in about four days. U-31 had been sunk on 11 March 1940 in the Schillig Roads but later refloated. The Vestvard has been sailing in Convoy OB 218, but the convoy scattered on 24 September.

U-37 (Kptlt. Victor Oehrn), operating near U-31 and on her eight patrol, torpedoes and sinks 2555 ton Egyptian iron ore freighter Georges Mabro at 22:59. Everybody aboard perishes, it is unknown exactly how many were aboard. The sinking was quite dramatic, the ship splitting immediately in half and sinking within 30 seconds, and the crew had no time to react.

U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass), has been having a successful patrol, having just sunk two ships on the 26th. Operating far out in the Atlantic, suddenly experiences mechanical issues and dives unexpectedly, killing Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Schenk and Matrosenobergefreiter Wilhelm Reh. The U-boat recovers and returns to St. Nazaire, having been at sea for only a week (most patrols last about a month).

Norwegian 1155 ton collier Diana hits a mine and sinks near Lizard Point in the English Channel. All 17 crew on board perish. It is not absolutely certain what happened to the Diana, since there were no survivors and there is nothing about her in the surviving German records. The Diana had been sailing in Convoy OA 218 previously, but not at the time of her loss. Despite being lost near the coast, all that was ever found were a lifeboat and lifejacket with her name on it, along with scattered debris that may or may not have come from the Diana. The Germans have been using acoustic mines that detonate from the vibrations of propellers of passing ships and that is the likeliest cause of sinking.

Royal Navy minesweeper 815 ton HMS Halcyon hits a mine off the River Tees, England. The badly damaged ship has several casualties but makes it back to port for extensive repairs.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sikh collides with tug Flamer and requires repairs.

Convoy FN 292 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 293 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 220 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SC 6 departs from Sydney, Canada, Convoy SL 49 departs from Freetown.

The majority of the force assembled off Dakar for failed Operation Menace, led by cruiser HMS Cumberland and Cornwall, makes port at Freetown.

Kriegsmarine cruiser Admiral Hipper, attempting a breakout into the Atlantic, has engine trouble, drifts aimlessly at sea for several hours at great risk to itself, then returns to port.

Submarine HMS Unique (N 95, Lt. Anthony F. Collett) and light cruiser HMS Kenya (Captain Michael M. Denny) are commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Two large formations of SM 79 bombers, about 9 bombers in all, escorted by at least a dozen CR 42 fighters, bomb Hal Far and Luqa airfields and surrounding vicinities starting around 17:00. Luqa takes the most damage, but operations are not curtailed. The bombs destroy a Hurricane on the ground and damage a Glen Martin. The defending Hurricane fighters scramble and reportedly down a fighter, with anti-aircraft fire damaging two bombers. One Hurricane sustains minor damage in battle.

The London Times writes a feature about Malta which calls it a "fortress." However, the local soldiers realize their high degree of vulnerability.

RAF bombers attack Jarabub, Libyar. It contains an important water supply station and is considered one of the most sensitive spots in Libya. Marshal Graziani is very fearful of interdiction of his supplies at Sidi Barrani.

Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command bombs the port of Lorient, home to a new U-boat base, as well as other ports along the Atlantic coast. Raids also are sent against munitions plants in Dusseldorf and railway installations in Mannheim and Hamm.

German/Japanese/Italian Relations

The three nations formally sign a treaty of mutual defense and aid in the case of attack by another on a signing country. Signing on behalf of their respective nations are Joachim Ribbentrop of Germany, Saburō Kurusu of Japan and Galeazzo Ciano of Italy. This event does not create the Axis, which already exists between Germany and Italy, but does greatly expand its scope. Other names for this treaty are the Berlin Pact and the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis.

One of of the most misunderstood pacts in history, the Tripartite Pact is not a formal alliance in the sense that it makes the three countries allies in all endeavours. Japan's "leadership... in the establishment of a new order in Greater East Asia" is recognized, as is the same for Germany and Italy in Europe. It is a forward-looking pact, only obligating the parties in case of future events that trigger sections of the pact. Most significantly, the pact is not triggered when a signing part attacks another country.

The pact's ostensible goal, widely disseminated at the time, is to deter United States aggression. However, other prospective members of the "club" such as Romania cannot help but notice that its general language also would be triggered by attacks from other countries - such as the Soviet Union. In practice, the Tripartite Pact creates a military alliance among the member nations.

The Tripartite Pace of 27 September 1940 forms the foundation for the so-called "Axis powers" of World War II. "Axis" is a term coined by Italian prime minister Benito Mussolini in September 1923 in a preface written for Roberto Suster's "Germania Repubblica." Specifically, the passage is "there is no doubt that in this moment the axis of European history passes through Berlin." Mussolini and others later adopted the word to refer to any alliance or proposed alliance with Germany. Other nations signed over the next couple of years to form a power block in opposition to the Allied nations led by Great Britain and, later, the United States and the Soviet Union. The territories controlled by or allied with the Axis powers reached their peak in the summer of 1942. Numerous states joined and left the Axis throughout the war, and the remaining Axis powers all left the alliance with their defeats or defections in 1943-45.

Photo: signing ceremony for the Axis Powers Tripartite Pact



US Secretary of State Cordell Hull issues the following statement:

The reported agreement of alliance does not, in the view of the Government of the United States, substantially alter a situation which has existed for several years. Announcements of the alliance merely makes clear to all a relationship which has long existed in effect and to which this Government has repeatedly called attention. That such an agreement has been in process of conclusion has been well known for some time, and that fact has been fully taken into account by the Government of the United States in the determining of this country's policies.

Latin American Relations: The United States Senate formally ratifies the Havana Convention ("Provisional Administration of European Colonies and Possessions in the Americas") of 30 July 1940. However, the pact only takes effect upon ratification by two-thirds of the signatories, and that has not happened as of this date (and a handful never do). The Convention permits the signing parties to take control over European colonies whose mother states have been extinguished. In practice, the pact prevents Nazi Germany from taking over the colonies in the Americas of the countries that it conquers, such as France and Holland.

US Government

Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, always pessimistic to date about England's chances in the war, sends a message to that effect back to Washington.

President Roosevelt at the White House holds a meeting with A. Philip Randolph, Walter White (the head of the NAACP,) and T. Arnold Hill (an administrator for the Urban League), among others. The issue is hiring practices in the defense industry, which the attendees submit has been highly discriminatory against minorities. Roosevelt responds that opening up the armed services to minorities in the recent Selective Services Act was a big step. US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox resists integrating the US Navy, stating:

We have a factor in the Navy that is not so in the Army, and that is that these men live aboard ship. And in our history we don’t take Negroes into a ship’s company.

The meeting is inconclusive, but starts the ball rolling to further integration of defense contracts and the military in general.

French Indochina: Emperor Hirohito orders the cessation of all Japanese offensive actions in French Indochina, as the objectives have been achieved. The Japanese presence in the south, around Saigon and in the Mekong Delta, remains sparse.

There are more problems for the French than the Japanese, however. The Japanese previously called for local communists to rise up against the French. These nationalistic uprisings accelerate in the mountains west of Lang Son, a city now occupied by the Japanese.

Palestine

Italian planes try to raid Haifa but are intercepted and turned back.

Romania

The Antonescu government seizes all Jewish-owned land.

Vichy French

The German government requires all Jews in occupied France to carry identity cards which reflect their religion. The Germans require that the Vichy police conduct a census of all Jewish residents.

British Homefront

The Blitz has caused tremendous problems for London rail service, but repairs are made as quickly as possible and lines put back into operation. Today, previously suspended services between Northfield and Hounslow resume at 08:52, and between Turnham Green and Richmond at 14:00. However, a 250kb bomb lands near the Chalk Farm Northern line station directly above a train tunnel, and service is temporarily suspended. When the damage is examined and found to be no present danger, service is resumed. The railway workers are among the unsung heroes of the Battle of Britain.

Day 395 of World War II, September 29th 1940

Battle of Britain

Apart from a sweep by German fighters through Kent westwards, and as far as Reading by one element, the day's activities consisted of reconnaissances, attacks on shipping and some inland flights. In the morning extensive reconnaissances took place off-shore in the East Kent and Thames Estuary areas. One Do 215 flew inland at Ramsgate to Maidstone and Northolt and was shot down at Taplow.

At 0910 hours one aircraft crossed the Coast at Lyme Bay and flew through Somerset to Wiltshire. At 1120 hours eighteen high explosive bombs were dropped near the naval base of Lowestoft. A land mine was detonated and some ammunition exploded causing damage to property, water mains and telegraph wires. There were several casualties. At about 1127 hours one convoy was attacked in the Portsmouth area, and at 1135 hours a "Help" message was received from another convoy off the North Wales Coast. British fighters failed to intercept the attacking Luftwaffe aircraft.

Several Luftwaffe aircraft endeavored to reach London during the afternoon but only a few were able to do this, and there were no major occurrences, but in the evening Sittingbourne was subjected to heavy bombing. At 1610 hours three formations of fifty, twenty and twenty German aircraft crossed the Coast West of Dungeness at 10 minute intervals, while a further twelve aircraft went inland at Dover. The first raid flew westwards of the London area before wheeling south. A split however, flew towards Central London. The remainder penetrated only some 25 miles inland. All the German aircraft were fighters flying at a great height most probably from JG 3 and JG 53. Bf 109s of JG 53 and JG 3 claimed Hurricanes between 1720-1738 hours south of London.

Between 1800 and 1900 hours three small raids of nine, three and three aircraft were plotted by the British radar in St George's Channel, and intercepted with the result of one German aircraft being destroyed.

Night operations commenced at about 2000 hours and London was again the main objective, but considerable activity took place over South and South East England, South Wales, the Midlands and as far North as Liverpool, East Anglia, Aberdeen and the Firth of Forth area. At 1930 hours the first German raids were plotted approaching the Coast at Shoreham from the direction of Dieppe. From 2000 hours onwards, a steady stream of raids crossed the Coast between Portsmouth and Beachy Head, the majority having London as their objective. A few, however, coming in over Portsmouth, flew North-west to the Middle Wallop area.

Between 2100 and 0200 hours, raids of one or one or more aircraft crossed the Coast between Poole and Start Point and flew to the South Wales area, some continuing North to Liverpool. At 2230 hours Heinkel He 111s of III./KG 27 raided Liverpool which resulted in fires being started at Duke's Dock and Salthouse Dock. Four warehouses, including one containing grain, caught on fire.

A number of raids crossed the Coast at points between Clacton and the Wash. A few of these approached London from the North-east, whilst the others were active over East Anglia and the Midlands. Bombing caused several fires, the most serious being in Upper Thames Street. An unexploded bomb is also reported to have been dropped in the South East corner of St Paul's Churchyard. Cheapside and Queen Victoria Street were closed. Horse Shoe Wharf, Cannon Street and Carter Lane were also affected. An He 111 from 9./KG 55 failed to return from one attack on aircraft factories near Gloucester while another He 111 from the Staffel made it to Caen before crashing. The plane from 9 staffel may have been the Heinkel He111P from KG 55 that was shot down by a Hurricane of the RAF off the coast of Ireland. The entire crew were killed and buried in Glencree.

After 0200 hours Luftwaffe activity was almost entirely confined to the South Eastern Counties and the London area. At 0230 hours, raids were approaching London both from the South and from the East. Activity continued until 0305 hours when the last raids were plotted leaving England.

Although the British allowed for five aircraft missing with three pilots killed or missing, numerous Jagdflieger made claims during the day, mostly from JG 3, JG 51 and JG 53. Hptm. Walter Oesau of Stab III./JG 51 destroyed two Spitfires to bring his score to thirty-three. Oblt. Ignaz Prestele of 2./JG 53 claimed a pair of Hurricanes near London to boost his score to eight. Altogether fourteen German pilots were given credit for kills over England.

Two of the British fighters were lost to friendly fire. P/O. C. Graves of RAF No. 253 Sqdrn in Hurricane Mk I V6621 was mistakenly attacked and shot down by a Hurricane during action against Bf109s over Weybridge, Surrey at 1830 hours. Graves baled out, burned, near Chailey, Sussex, and admitted to Brockley Park Hospital, Haywards Heath. Before being shot down, Graves claimed a Bf109 flown by Oblt Walter Layerer of 2./JG 77, who was killed. Flight Lieutenant R. M. B. D. Duke-Woolley, also of RAF No. 253 Sqdrn in Hurricane Mk I P3609 was also mistakenly attacked by a Hurricane and damaged in the fuel tank and rudder controls during action against Bf109s over Weybridge, Surrey and returned to base, unhurt.

Photo: Sergeant Bernard ‘Jimmy’ Jennings of No 19 Squadron rests on a starter trolley while giving a combat report to the squadron ‘spy’ (intelligence officer) at Fowlmere, the satellite airfield of Duxford, late September 1940.



Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command continues its campaign against Luftwaffe airfields. It also targets oil installations at Hannover and Magdeburg, warehouses at Cologne and Osnabruck, an aluminum plant at Bitterfeld, and a gas plant at Stuttgart.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Royal Navy is has a bad day, not of losses, but of errant chases of phantom sightings. Cruiser HMS Emerald departs from Plymouth with a destroyer escort to intercept the Kriegsmarine destroyer force which recently laid a minefield right outside the harbor, but the Germans are long gone. HMS Renown (RN Force H) departs from Gibraltar after reports of the French battleship Richelieu at sea, but that proves erroneous (and the Richelieu is incapacitated at Dakar anyway). There are reports of German transports heading for the Azores which Royal Navy destroyers waste much time pursuing, There also is a report of French destroyers trying to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar - probably a paranoid echo of the recent escape through there by French cruisers - but nothing there, either. This all points out how obscure the fog of war can be, and how lack of good intelligence can lead to waste of resources.

U-32 (Kptl. Hans Jenisch) continues stalking ships dispersed from Convoy OB 218 about 350 miles west of Ireland. After a long stern chase, at 00:53, it adds to its score by sending a torpedo into the stern of 5267 ton British freighter Bassa (Captain George Edward Anderson). All 50 aboard perish after the U-boat crew sees them taking to lifeboats... it's a long way to nowhere out there if you aren't found.

Dutch 1939 ton freighter Arizona hits a mine and sinks in the Firth of Forth near the Kincraig Signal Tower. There are three survivors, the rest of the crew perishes.

Royal Navy 387 ton armed yacht HMY Sappho, serving as a guard ship, hits a mine and sinks off Falmouth, Cornwall. As often happens when smaller vessels hit mines, the ship blows up, 33 men perish. This seems to be a victim of the mines recently laid by a German destroyer flotilla at the mouth of the English Channel.

Norwegian freighter SS Vestkyst I collides with another ship, tug Storegut (formerly Minerva), off Skibeskjærene, Norway and sinks. It is in shallow water, though, and can be re-floated.

Convoy FN 294 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 294 departs from the Tyne, Convoy FS 295 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 221 departs from Liverpool.

Battle of the Mediterranean

The Royal Navy fleet is at sea in support of convoy MB 5, and some of its ships detach to bombard the coast road supporting the Italians at Sidi Barrani. This reinforces Marshal Graziani's fears about his supply lines.

Italian 1434 ton freighter Carmen hits a mine and sinks southwest of Durazzo, Albania, presumably while supplying the Italian garrison there. Some accounts state that the Carmen was sunk by a torpedo from British submarine HMS Osiris, which had recently sunk the Italian torpedo boat Palestro on the 22nd in the same vicinity. The Carmen, though, is not usually included among the Osiris' successes.

Operation MB 5, a resupply convoy to Malta, runs two cruisers into Grand Harbor at 22:00. It battles through Italian air attacks on the final run in. On board are over 1000 troops sent from England to help defend the island. Numerous units are represented, with a large artillery component.

Both fleets - the Italian fleet based at Taranto and Sicily and the Royal Navy fleet based at Alexandria - are at sea. The possibility of a major fleet action exists.

The Italian submarine Scirè (Commander Prince Borghese), heading to Gibraltar with manned torpedoes, heads back to base when the Italians learn that the large Royal Navy ships are out at sea (at Freetown following the failure of Operation Menace).

Battle of the Pacific

It is a bad day for ships running aground in the Pacific.

Australian schooner Henrietta sinks at Port Phillip, Victoria in poor weather. The ship runs aground on a reef because there were no charts on board and is wrecked in a storm during the night. The three sailors on board survive, as well as the ship's cat, but the cat's kittens don't make it.

British 429 ton freighter Kinabulu runs aground at Batu Mandi Rock, North East Borneo. It is carrying cattle and other cargo to from Jesselton to Sandakan. The five crew perish.

US Military

The Greenslade Board, examining new US bases acquired in the bases-for-destroyers deal, departs from Norfolk, Virginia for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Madagascar

The local government affirms its allegiance to Vichy France.

Luxembourg

The Germans formally incorporate Luxembourg into the Greater Reich.

Midway Island

The US Marine Corps Midway Detachment of the Fleet Marine Force, under the command of Major Harold C. Roberts, arrived on Midway and began making camp and installing defenses.

Australia

Two Avro Ansons of No. 2 Service Flying Training School RAAF, based at RAAF Forest Hill near Wagga Wagga, create one of the most unusual incidents in aviation history. Flying in formation at 1000 feet (330 meters) over Brocklesby, the two aircraft come together, knocking out the upper aircraft's engines and somehow locking the two planes together. There are two men in each aircraft, all students in the final stages of their training, and three of them bail out, with the sole exception of the pilot in the top aircraft.

Leading Aircraftman Leonard Graham Fuller, 22, the pilot of the top aircraft, is now flying an aircraft whose engines are out, but which is still flying because the engines of the lower aircraft remain in operation. His controls otherwise work, though he later comments that they are "pretty heavy." Fuller flies five miles (8 km) and then spots a field about 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Brocklesby. Landing into the wind, he brings the two aircraft down in the field, sliding 200 yards (180 m) before they come to rest.

By landing the planes, Fuller not only avoids damage to the town or wherever else the planes might come down together, but saves £40,000 worth of military hardware (both aircraft are repaired and one returns to service, the other used as an instructional aid). Fuller receives an immediate promotion to sergeant, but also is reprimanded for talking to the media without authorization. .

Photo: Side view of two military monoplanes lying wheels up on a field, one atop the other

Day 397 of World War II, October 1st 1940

Battle of Britain

he sad saga continued for the Luftwaffe. German losses were mounting, but still Göring did not understand that he could ill afford to lose aircraft at the rate that he was. Although his aircraft establishments were producing more aircraft, Britain too was producing just as many. In fact newer models of the Hurricane and Spitfire were being produced that were to prove far more deadly than the earlier versions. And so the Germans switched tactics.

Göring had now realized that sending in an advance squadron of fighters and fighter bombers was not luring the RAF fighters into the air, and that the strongest reaction by the British was concentrated bombing attacks. For this reason, Bf 109s were laden with a small bomb load, and that after the release of the bombs they could then revert to being fighters. Although this move only proved marginally effective, the Bf 109s, because of the extra weight, used up more fuel and their stay over enemy territory was made even shorter.

With the introduction of the Bf 109E-7 Jabos, it was to set new tactics for the Luftwaffe and a new headache for Fighter Command. The German High Command issued orders that at least one Gruppe in every Jagdgeschwader was to be equipped for Jabo operations. The problem that Keith Park was now faced with was that these Jabos would fly at extremely high altitudes and come in at great speeds. The Hurricane was a great aircraft at lower altitudes and did not perform well at 25,000 feet. So the job of taking on the Jabos was left to the Spitfire squadrons which was a good performer at high altitudes.

The Luftwaffe would now use their main bomber force almost entirely under cover of darkness. In daylight they sent over only small numbers of fast Ju88s together with Messerschmitt fighters at high altitude carrying bombs, protected by further fighters above. This activity occurred every day during October and proved extremely difficult to deal with, but strategically was of little benefit to the Germans.

During October London continued to be the principle target for the long range bombers, being raided every night. However with the planned invasion of Britain now shelved the Luftwaffe High Command ordered more bombing effort to be put into night harassing attacks on the harbour installations at Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow, with the industrial centres of Birmingham and Coventry as alternative targets, while still maintaining the pressure on the Capital. As a result I Fliegerkorps was transferred to Luftflotte 3 adding to its inventory the He 111's of KG 1 and KG 26 as well as the Ju 88's of KG 76 and KG 77, although, a number of these units were to remain non-operational for some time.

The Luftwaffe opened the new month of October with an attack made by two aircraft at 0655 hours on Carew-Cheriton and one hangar was wrecked, two slightly damaged, one hut completely demolished, one defence post demolished and two Anson aircraft burnt out but the aerodrome was serviceable. The casualties amounted to 1 airman killed and ten injured.

Map: losses in air fighting over Britain



Eighty Bf 109s of JG 2 and JG 53 and the remaining thirty-two BF 110s of ZG 26 made a sweep over Portsmouth and Southampton at about 1030 hours in two waves. Three Squadrons from No 10 Group engaged the formations over Swanage and the Isle of Wight and forced the Messerschmitts to turn back. Hurricanes of RAF No. 238 Squadron, scrambled from Middle Wallop and RAF No. 607 Squadron, scrambled from Tangmere, intercepted the raid over Poole with each squadron losing 2 aircraft. The German raiders lost four aircraft during this engagement although Obstlt. Johann Schalk from Stab III./ZG 26 made a claim for a Hurricane destroyed at 11:45 hours. Bob Doe led down the six Hurricanes of RAF No. 238 Sqdrn in a bounce from 5000 feet above the German aircraft, and got the Messerschmitts from below as he pulled up from the dive. One of the problems with the bomb-carrying Bf 109s was that with a 250kg bomb hanging under its belly, the single-engined warplane was not as versatile in the role of a fighter, so the bombs had to be jettisoned early allowing the Messerschmitt to revert back to its role of a fighter.

At the same time the second wave of 50 German aircraft approached the Needles and were met over the sea by 5 Squadrons from No 11 Group. The enemy aircraft did not cross the coast and withdrew. In a reversal of the day before, the action resulted in victory for the German force and several Luftwaffe pilots made claims. Hptm. Helmut Wick of Stab I./JG 2 claimed two Spitfires to bring his tally to 36 while Ofw. Rudolf Taschner of 1./JG 2, Lt. Franz Fiby of Stab I./JG 2, Uffz. Josef Keil from 8./JG 3 and Hptm. Karl-Heinz Greisert of Stab II./JG 2 all made claims for RAF fighters destroyed.

Shortly after 1300 hours, the Luftwaffe sent three waves of bombers on an attack on London. The first two waves contained about 50 Bf 109s and Bf 110s while the third consisted of He 111s. Spitfires of RAF Nos. 41, 72, 92 and 603 Squadrons along with Hurricanes of RAF Nos. 253, 303, 501 and 605 Squadrons were scrambled to meet the raiders with successful interceptions made by Spitfires of RAF No. 41 Squadron, from Hornchurch and Hurricanes of RAF No.303 (Polish) Squadron, from Northolt. The RAF lost four aircraft. Major Galland led JG 26 as they escorted the Jabos to London. Over Brighton, II./JG 26 was attacked from above by a lone Hurricane from RAF No.303 (Polish) Sqdrn. Uffz. Hans Bluder of 4./JG 26 was hit and failed to exit his aircraft as it plunged straight into the ground.

By 1403 hours a second attack developed with 50 German aircraft flying North West towards Biggin Hill. A second formation of the same strength followed but withdrew soon after. The first formation returned to France shortly after but single aircraft maintained patrols in North Kent and North Surrey until 1520 hours. 13 Squadrons were detailed to the attack and again the raiders turned away from the British fighters with a few dropping bombs in the New Romney area.

At 1610 hours 70 Luftwaffe aircraft - mostly Bf 109s and Bf 110s - in three successive waves flew towards Kenley at 20,000 feet. 40 of these approached the South East edge of the Inner Artillery Zone but immediately turned South East. The remainder comprising 38 Bf 109s from II(Schlacht)./LG 2 escorted by JG 26 and JG 51 made for central London. Although intercepted by RAF fighters and dispersed, several managed to drop bombs on the city's southern outskirts before heading back for France. Only one escort was lost, Uffz. Garnith from 1./JG 51 was shot down and made a POW. The remaining daylight hours saw only occasional reconnaissance raids along the coast and over southern England.

During the night raids were made against London, Bristol, the Midlands, East Anglia, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston areas. The first night bombers came out of Le Havre and Cherbourg area and crossed the Isle of Wight at 1940 hours. Raids from Dieppe and the Somme crossed the coast between Beachy Head and Dungeness with London as their objective. A number of raids originating from Cherbourg crossed at Portland and flew to Bristol Channel whence they spread to South Wales, West Midlands and up to Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston areas. A few raids were plotted over East Anglia and inland as far as Leicester. Mines were dropped off the east coast and in the Thames Estuary. At 2145 hours there was a marked lull in the number of fresh raids entering the country. Central London was clear for a time, but at 2340 hours fresh raids approached from the East and a number were plotted in and out of the Thames Estuary. Several formations of Luftwaffe Heinkels and Dorniers raided London again. A formation of He 111s of KGr 100 raided the city of Manchester with a single bomber dropping ordinance on the city of Bristol.

(1) Thomas Hopper Alderson: part time rescue party worker, detachment leader, Bridlington. George Cross. A pair of semi-detached houses at Bridlington was totally demolished in a recent air raid (presumably one of the raids that took place in the middle of August). One woman was trapped alive. Mr Alderson tunnelled under the wreckage and rescued her. Some days later two five-storey buildings were demolished and the debris collapsed on to the cellars in which eleven people were trapped, six people in one cellar were buried under the debris. Mr Alderson tunneled about 14 ft. under the main heap of wreckage, working unceasingly for 3½ hours, succeeded in releasing all of the people trapped. On the third occasion, some four-story buildings were totally demolished, five people were trapped in a cellar and Mr Alderson led the rescue party in excavating a tunnel to the cellar. He also personally tunnelled many feet under the wreckage to rescue alive two people (one of whom later died) trapped under a massive refrigerator. Mr Alderson worked almost continuously under the wreckage for 5 hours, during further air raid warnings and with enemy aircraft overhead.

(2)Patrick King, Air Raid Warden: of Seaton Delaval: During an air raid Mr King was in his shelter when he heard a bomb explode. He ran towards the place where it had fallen and found two semi-detached houses had almost collapsed. One was empty, but in the other was a blind lady, a Miss Hannah Wilson, who sheltered under the stairs. He ascertained by shouting that she was alive but buried under the stairs. Mr King using axe and saw made a tunnel using sawn off roof timbers as supports for it, after a considerable time and much difficulty he managed to reach her, clear the debris off her body and bring her to safety. All the while the house was in imminent danger of collapse.

No 80 Signals Wing of the RAF was finally able to counteract ‘Knickebein’, the radio beam navigation used by the Luftwaffe on its night raids on London. This forced the bombers to use bright moonlight for bombing. At about the same time the FuMG 65, also known as the Würzburg-Gerät radar system, entered service. It was a very powerful system with a range of 35 Kms.

The British kept inventing new ways in which to deal with the Luftwaffe bombers and the latest was an airbourne parachute bomb. Known as "Mutton', the parachute with a bomb dangling from 2,000 feet of piano wire was an adaptation of the rocket fired parachute mines that were used on 18 August. The idea was to launch these in the path of an approaching bomber formation and denotate when an aircraft was nearby. RAF No. 420 Flight was formed to use the equipment and on 1 October, F/L Burke collected the first Harrow bomber equipped to use it from the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough.

Photo: The wreckage of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 of 4./JG 26, which dived vertically into the South Downs at Falmer, near Brighton on 1 October 1940. No trace was found of its pilot, Uffz Hans Bluder. Here soldiers scour the fields and pile wreckage in a convenient heap around the smashed engine ready for collection by a salvage party.



Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command continues its assault on Berlin, attacking a munitions plant there. Other raids occur on Cologne and Duisburg power plants, the coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, and various airfields and ports in northwestern Europe. The raid on Berlin is notable because the RAF drops propaganda leaflets. The improving Luftwaffe night-fighter force shoots down four RAF bombers over Berlin, and anti-aircraft claims three others along the coast. The RAF is sending numerous small-scale raids on various targets - 105 separate attacks tonight - which prove difficult to intercept. Individually, however, they do not cause much damage, especially when taking into account poor accuracy endemic to bombers of the period.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-38 (Kptl. Heinrich Liebe), on her seventh patrol, uses a total of three torpedoes and sinks 14,172 ton British liner Highland Patriot (Master Robert Henry Robinson). Before sinking the ship, Liebe allows the passengers to disembark after first attacking at 06:47, preventing more casualties, then puts in his final torpedo. The sinking is about 400 miles (700 km) west of Ireland at 07:08. There are only 3 deaths out of the 172 people on board as sloop HMS Wellington (Cdr. R.E. Hyde-Smith, RN) is nearby to pick the survivors up quickly.

Italian submarine Maggiore Francesco Baracca (C.C. Enrico Bertarelli), operating out of Bordeaux about 300 miles (560 km) west of Porto, Portugal, disembarks the crew and then uses its deck gun to sink 3687 ton Greek freighter Aghios Nicolaos at 16:15. There are 27 survivors and four crew perish.

Dutch freighter Haulerwijk, torpedoed on 30 September by U-32, is sunk by gunfire after the crew is taken off shortly after midnight.

Minesweepers MSW Britomart and Retake collide in the Firth of Forth, causing minor damage.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy WN. 19 Slow in the North Sea at dusk, machine-gunning the ships.

Force H cruises off the Azores as it steams north toward England, investigating reports of Nazi invasion convoys.

Convoy FN 296 departs from Southend, Convoy OA 223 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 222 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SHX 77 departs from Halifax.

Battleship HMS King George V (41, Captain Wilfrid R. Patterson), built by Vickers-Armstrong, is commissioned for trials at Walker Naval Yard, Newcastle upon Tyne. It introduces the first Mk IV Pom-pom director and is the first ship with gyroscopic target tracking in tachymetric anti-aircraft directors. The battleship remains incomplete and, after completion of trials, will be taken to Rosyth for final fitting out. This is a major event in the life of the Royal Navy, as the King George V is state-of-the-art and the first in a projected series of battleships. She also comes along just at the right time, as later events will prove.

Battle of the Mediterranean

At Malta, cruisers HMS Gloucester and Liverpool, having unloaded their 1000+ troops and cargo, scoot back out of Grand Harbour and head back to Alexandria. The island's army units spend the day reorganizing and inspecting the new troops.

Manhattan Project

Uranium produced at the mine located at Shinkolobwe, Belgian Congo is shipped to New York. Director Edgar Sengier stores the final total of 1140 tons of uranium in a Staten Island warehouse. The ore is freakishly rich, containing 65% U3O8. The mine itself has been closed and its location made classified - it even has been removed from maps - but the US Army at some point sends a squad from the Corps of Engineers there to reopen the mine and upgrade the nearby airfields at Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) and Elizabethville (now Lubumbashi) and the port of Matadi.

German/Finnish Relations

The two nations continue tightening ties with each other. In addition to the transit rights granted to Wehrmacht troops recently, they agree that Germany will receive the right to all of Finland's nickel exports in exchange for arms shipments. Throughout the war, right into its final days, Germany may run short of many things, but nickel is not one of them because of this deal. The mine is in the far north near Petsamo and from this point forward becomes one of the most important but little-known strategic locations in Europe.

German Military

Hubert Lanz receives the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as a Oberst on the General Staff and as Chief of Staff of XVIII. Armeekorps during the Battle of France.

Erich Alfred Hartmann, who goes by the nickname "Bubi," begins his basic military training at the 10th Flying Regiment (Friegerausbildungsregiment) in Neukuhren (near Königsberg in East Prussia).

Wolfgang Falck, considered the "Father of the Nachtjagdwaffe (Night fighters)" and commander of NJG 1, receives the Ritterkreuz. Falck is busy developing new tactics with General Josef Kammhuber for better defense against growing RAF raids.

Also receiving the Ritterkreuz is Oberleutnant Gustav “Micky” Sprick, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26, for his 20th victory on 28 September.

I,/NJG 3 forms at Vechta with Bf 110s. Its first commander is Hptm. Günther Radusch.

At Zossen, General Halder continues the Army's perpetual preparations for phantom operations and sets in motion a detailed planning process for Operation Felix, the projected assault on Gibraltar. These sorts of contingency planning sessions take place in all armies, but the Wehrmacht's obsession with this particular operation - which would be easy with Spanish cooperation, and impossible without - creates an impression of pointless make-work for an idle staff.

Only Francisco Franco in Madrid can create the conditions necessary for Operation Felix, and his attitude remains obscure. His Foreign Minister Serrano Suner, having just met with Hitler, meets today with Mussolini in Rome to discuss similar "things."

US Military

The US Navy conducts landing operations in the Caribbean (probably Puerto Rico) with the Marines. The operation is called Special Landing Operation No. 2.

Clarence L. Tinker is promoted to Brigadier General. He currently serves as Commandant of the Air Services Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas and is considered one of the US Army's top aviation experts (the US air force still being the US Army Air Corps). He also is a Native American, one of the first to reach the rank of General in the Army.

Jacob Devers is promoted to Major General. He now commands the US 9th Infantry Division based at Fort Bragg.

China

The Japanese 22nd Army, weakened by transfers south for the invasion of French Indochina, battles fiercely to hold its supply lines in the continuing Battle of South Kwangsi.

The Chinese Communist and Nationalist armies skirmish around Huangqiao.

Australian Homefront

The Chermside Army Camp is established in Brisbane, with construction beginning. It can accommodate 3500 militia troops in tents and, eventually, barracks.

Petrol rationing is imposed.

Day 399 of World War II, October 3rd 1940

Battle of Britain

Although poor weather brought a halt to most large scale German air operations over England, the Luftwaffe did send single aircraft especially after mid-day, in a fairly continuous succession of raids that crossed the coast and in some cases dropped bombs in various parts of the country. Small attacks were carried out by low flying Ju88s on designated targets with several of the raiders falling to anti-aircraft batteries or crashing in bad weather. Many of the places had no military importance. London and the Midlands appearred to have been the main objectives during the day but a number of aerodromes were also attacked. The lull in the battle today gave exhausted ground crew of both sides a chance to catch up on much needed work on their aircraft.

From 0630 to 1230 hours some nine reconnaissances by single aircraft were made between the Yorkshire Coast and Harwich. In two cases aircraft penetrated far inland, one flying to Worcester, where bombs were dropped, to Birmingham and Wellingborough which was also bombed. The second crossed the coast at Bawdsey, flying to North Weald and Debden. The town of North Weald experienced a raid on the airfield in the morning but this attack caused little damage. At about 0700 hours Luftwaffe aircraft attacked St Eval from a low height with two Spitfires and one Anson completely destroyed and two hangars also hit but mostly there was minor damage.

At 0940 hours ten HE bombs fell near the premises of Shell Mex BP Ltd in the Isle of Gray. The premises were intact but slight damage was done to the railway. Eighteen bombs were dropped at Rushden at 1018 hours. A school, boot factory and Electricity Sub-Station were damaged. The railway also suffered and traffic was temporarily suspended.

A single Ju 88 from KG 77 hit the de Havilland factory at Hatfield at 1126 hours from a height of 50 feet, bouncing 4 bombs that demolished the Technical School and assembly shop where much of the work for the early Mosquitoes was promptly destroyed. 21 people were killed and 70 injured as the Ju 88 machine-gunned the workers running for the protection of trenches. A Sheet Metal shop was destroyed before the bomber was brought down by 40mm Bofurs shells, .303 machine gun bullets from an RAF detachment and even rounds from a Hotchkiss manned by the Home Guard. The burning aircraft crashed at Hertingfordbury.

The Mining and Engineering Co of Worcester was attacked at 1232 hours. The damage was not extensive and full production resumed in about seven days. Upwood Aerodrome was attacked at 1333 hours but the bombers failed to hit their objective. The Gas Light and Coke Company was bombed at Banbury at 1440 hours and production was suspended for four days.

From 1500 hours raids crossed the Coast between Beachy Head and Selsey Bill flying inland and in one case to the Bedford area. This aircraft on its return flight located a convoy near Selsey which it bombed. A further track was plotted near Fishguard flying North East to Speke thence via Wales and the Bristol Channel to Dorset. The objectives for these afternoon raids appeared to be the airfields of the RAF and, again, London. Six bombs were dropped at 1505 hours on Woodley, three of which were of delayed action. No damage was reported. Cosford was attacked at 1517 hours and Wyton attacked at 1520 hours but no damage was reported at either location. At 1530 hours a bomb was dropped at Tatsfield and slight damage was done to the BBC Station. The training station at Skegness was attacked at 1613 hours and six HE bombs were dropped on the landing ground at Stanton Harcourt but caused no damage. White Waltham was bombed at 1654 hours and St Merryn was attacked at 1750 hours and three aircraft were slightly damaged.

During the night the size of raids was reduced due to the continuing poor weather. London was visited and also the South East of England, but there was no report of the Midlands or the North having been bombed. Up to 2100 hours only eleven raids of single aircraft had entered the country, nine from Dieppe to the London area, and two from Calais to North of London and on to Bedford. An IB was dropped near to the Aerodrome at Gravesend during the night but no damage was reported. The aerodrome at Ford was attacked at 1940 hours and one Government building was damaged.

Photo: Soldiers guard the smouldering remains of Junkers Ju 88A-1 (W.Nr. 4136: 3Z+BB) of I/KG 77, which came down in flames at Eastend Green Farm near Hertingfordbury, Hertfordshire after being hit by fire from ground defences. Oberleutnant Fiebig and the rest of the crew were captured by farm workers. This aircraft had just bombed the de Havilland works at Hatfield, killing 21, injuring 70, and disrupting work on the Mosquito.



Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command continues its attacks on the Channel ports and oil installations in Cherbourg. Foul weather greatly restricts night operations, so a repeat of the previous night's large Berlin raid is out of the question. Only seven bombers hit Rotterdam, Dunkirk and Cherbourg, as opposed to 81 bombers in action the night before.

Battle of the Atlantic

British 359 ton cargo ship Actuosity founders in bad weather off Great Yarmouth in 24 meters of water. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution motor-powered lifeboat HF Bailey saves 8 crew members. The Actuosity's wreck since has become a popular dive site.

Both Royal Navy cable layer HMS Lady of the Isles and Dutch Tug Lauwerzee hit mines and sink about 6 km east of St. Anthony Point, Cornwall. The 16 crew on board the former, and 12 crew on the latter, all perish.

The Luftwaffe damage British trawler Framlingham about 20 miles off Fastnet, and also trawler Iwate about five miles northwest of Mizzen Head, Ireland.

Convoy FN 298 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 299 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 223 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 50 departs from Freetown.

Convoy WS 3 A departs from Liverpool for the Middle East (WS stands for Winston Special). There are seven troopships and numerous escorts. The first stop is scheduled for Freetown on the 13th (it is a slow convoy).

Corvette HMS Hyacinth (K 84, Lt. John I. Jones) is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean

In the Mediterranean the weather is fine, but little happens anyway. The British fleet at Alexandria sorties to interdict Italian convoys supporting the Italians at Sidi Barrani. The Admiralty also plans to send another 1000 men from Alexandria to Malta to bolster its defenses.

The question of Malta is high on the British War Cabinet's agenda. It now is inescapable that the Germans are not going to launch an invasion of England in 1940, so the question arises of where they might strike instead. Heretofore the Mediterranean has been an almost exclusively Italian responsibility for the Axis (aside from a few Luftwaffe raids on Malta), but it seems a likely priority for Hitler. The highest levels of the British government are set in motion to review the situation.

British Government

Prime Minister Winston Churchill shakes up the Cabinet. After thinking about it for almost two weeks, he finally accepts the resignation of Neville Chamberlain, the former Prime Minister. Chamberlain, unbeknownst to almost everybody, including himself, has terminal cancer and has not been at work since 19 September due to his illness. Chamberlain leaves his position as Lord President of the Council and Sir John Anderson replaces him. John Reith, the broadcasting baron, moves from Ministry of Transport to First Commissioner of Works. Herbert Morrison, the Labour MP who has been Minister of Supply, succeeds Sir John Anderson as Home Secretary. Sir Kingsley Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Ernest Bevin, Minister for Labour and National Service, join the War Cabinet.

Former prime ministers retiring shortly after leaving that office is nothing odd; in 2016, for instance, former PM David Cameron stepped down from his seat in Parliament only weeks after leaving the post. The press, though, not realizing the true situation surrounding Chamberlain, does not go easy on him. This annoys the former prime minister, who finds the treatment "cold" considering all the work he has done for the country. However, everything will become clear to everyone soon enough, and Chamberlain really has bigger issues to deal with now than Fleet Street.

Vichy French Government: The Philippe Pétain/Pierre Laval government enacts a prohibition against Jewish Frenchmen holding any positions of responsibility in government, the military, the press or industry. The law is signed by them and Raphaël Alibert, Marcel Peyrouton, Paul Baudouin, Yves Bouthillier, Charles Huntzinger, and François Darlan.

Japanese Government

Prince Kan'in Kotohito, Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff since 1931, retires at the age of 75. He is succeeded by Sugiyama Hajime. Prince Kotohito remains an influential advisor throughout the war.

China

Pursuant to an agreement with the Japanese to prevent any confrontations over Hong Kong, the British in India have kept the Burma Road from there into China closed since mid-summer. However, that agreement was only for three months, and the British now announce that they will re-open the critical supply route to Chiang Kai-shek's beleaguered forces centered on Chungking. The Japanese, of course, want the route to remain closed.

Day 401 of World War II, October 5th 1940

YouTube (Hitler and the Art of the Deal)



Battle of Britain

Six attacks were made by the Luftwaffe in formations of varying size, of which four were in the South East of England, (three of them developing towards London), and two in the Portsmouth-Southampton area. Most of their activity was again concentrated on Kent and Sussex and some of the coastal towns that suffered on the 4th October were again bombed on the 5th. Owing to indiscriminate bombing, most of the damage was mainly confined to house property, although the railways at Gillingham and Lewes received slight damage.

Just before 0900 hours, a reconnaissance Ju88 was attacked by Hurricanes of RAF No. 253 Squadron, off Beachy Head. At 0930 hours a large raid by thirty Bf109s attacked Dover at low level and most had returned before the scrambled Spitfires of RAF No. 72 Squadron from Biggin Hill arrived.

At 1045 hours 150 German aircraft including JG 51, JG 53, EprGr 210 and LG 2 crossed the coast at or near Lympne and spread fanwise through Kent to attack Detling and Folkestone. A formation of 100 German fighters flew towards London, but only fifty aircraft penetrated the Inner Artillery Zone, with twenty getting no further than South London. A second formation of fifty bombers remained near the Coast. The raids were intercepted by Spitfires of RAF Nos. 41, 66, 72, 92 and 603 Squadrons. With most of the German formations consisting of fighter-bombers, the RAF was free to tangle with these aircraft who dropped their ungainly loads the minute they were engaged. The escorts took on the British aggressively. Bitter dogfights took place over the people of London with great swirls and streaks of vapor trailing across the pale blue autumn sky. Numerous scores were claimed by pilots of JG 53 including a Hurricane over Maidstone by Hptm. Heinz Bretnütz of 6./JG 53 for his 17th victory. Hptm. Walter Oesau of Stab III./JG 51 reached 35 kills by claiming a Spitfire over London. But lost were Uffz. Wilhelm "Willi" Ghesla and Lt. Alfred Zeis both from 1./JG 53 who were made POWs. Also captured was Fw. Erhardt Pankratz from 6.(Sch)/LG 2.

As the fighter sweeps were withdrawing, Bf110s crossed over Kent towards Maidstone and were met head-on by the Polish Hurricane Squadron, RAF No. 303, scrambled from Northolt. These were the Bf 110s of EprGr 210 who had re-entered the battle by raiding the new RAF airfield at West Malling. RAF No. 303 Squadron was scrambled at around 11:00 hours, and intercepted the formation of about a dozen Bf 110s and 50 Bf 109s over Kent. After a determined attack on the Bf 110s, the Bf 109s intervened and a fierce dogfight developed. The Polish pilots claimed nine victories (5 Bf 110 and 4 Bf 109), of which six (4 Bf 110, 2 Bf 109) have been verified after the war. Oblt. Werner Weymann, Gruppenkommandeur of Stab./ErprGr 210 was also killed. He was the fourth Gruppenkommandeur lost in action by the unit since 15 August and Wolfgang Schenck took over leadership of the unit in the air. 303 squadron sustained one casualty - Lt. Januszewicz was killed in the dogfight. F/O Januszewicz probably fought with the Bf109s of JG 53 and he crashed in flames at Stowting, near Lyminge in his Hurricane I (P3892).

Shortly before 1400 hours a large raid of thirty Ju88s of KG 77 and fifty Bf109s approached the Dorset coast and proceeded to attack Southampton. The aircraft approached the Needles and flew to Southampton and inland for about 25 miles. At the same time fifty German aircraft crossed the coast at Swanage and flew mostly over Poole and Weymouth but some elements penetrated some 30 miles before they retired. Hurricanes of RAF Nos. 238 and 607 Squadrons scrambled to intercept but made little impact on the bombers due to the Bf109 escorts. Numerous pilots from JG 2 made several claims including 3 Hurricanes for Hptm. Helmut Wick of Stab I./JG 2 who reached 39 kills. Ofw. Rudolf Täschner of 1./JG 2 claimed three Hurricanes over S. Bournemouth. RAF No. 607 Squadron from Tangmere was bounced by 109s over Swanage and four Spitfires were shot down, all pilots surviving unhurt.

As this raid was in progress, another Bf109 sweep across Kent by a mixed force of fifty bombers and fighters from Luftflotte 3 was made with interceptions by Spitfires of RAF No. 41 Squadron, scrambled from Hornchurch. The Spitfires split them up and drove them off.

At 1715 hours two formations of thirty aircraft each, mainly Bf 110s crossed the Isle of Wight and flew inland covering Portsmouth - Southampton - Tangmere. They were soon turned away. It was during this time period that Hptm. Helmut Wick of Stab I./JG 2 claimed his two Spitfires for a five-in-one day. When Hptm. Wick returned to France, he was awarded the Eichenlaub for achieving forty-one victories.

During the night London was repeatedly bombed with further raids on Liverpool, Leicester, Northampton, the Midlands and East Anglia. Mines were dropped in the Thames Estuary. A formation of over 200 Luftwaffe bombers attacked Kenley, Biggin Hill, Debden and Martlesham airfields. Forty German aircraft crossed the coasts during this period, twenty-six from Abbeville, twelve from Le Havre and two from Cherbourg areas. Practically all concentrated on London. Little damage was caused by the raiders. A large fire was started at the West India Dock. Numerous bombs were dropped on the Borax Works at Erith which caused a fire. A thirty pump fire occurred at C E Morton's Factory at Millwall and a fire broke out at the premises of Amos Smith King George Dock, Hull. Major damage was done to the LMS yard at Cricklewood. The carriage sheds and goods siding suffered most. Portland Naval Dockyard was bombed at 2035 hours,and the telephone communications between Portland and Weymouth were cut.

Photo: Nine Hawker Hurricanes of 85 Squadron based at RAF Church Fenton, Yorkshire, led by Squadron Leader P H Townsend



Air War over Europe 

RAF Bomber Command targets Gelsenkirchen oil installations, the Krupp factory at Essen, and the usual airfields and ports along the Channel. RAF Coastal Command chips in with raids on Brest and Gravelines. The German invasion barges remain in many ports and provide tempting targets, as they are a key part of the German transportation network.

Battle of the Atlantic

Italian submarine Nani torpedoes and sinks 356 ton British Royal Navy trawler HMT Kingston Sapphire about 20 miles south of Cadiz, Spain. There are three deaths, the survivors wind up interned in Spain.

British freighter Adaptity hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary. One crewman perishes.

Dutch 2202 ton collier Ottoland (Capt G. Tigchelaar), travelling in Convoy FS 300, hits a mine and sinks off Sunderland, County Durham in the North Sea. Everybody aboard survives in a dinghy because the ship remains afloat for nine hours, giving plenty of time to escape, and is picked up by paddle-steamer Glenn Gower.

British submarine HMS Tigris spots what its captain describes as an Italian submarine in the Bay of Biscay, but misses.

Convoy FN 300 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 301 departs from Methil, Convoy OB 224 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SC 7 (34 ships) departs from Sydney, Canada, Convoy BS 6 departs from Suez.

US destroyer USS McFarland (DD-237) is recommissioned at Philadelphia.

Battle of the Mediterranean

The RAF raids Benghazi, Tobruk and Bardia, concentrating on Italian supply points. The Italians send 80 aircraft, half bombers, to raid Mersa Matruh.

British submarine HMS Regent is operating about 10 miles off Bari, Italy in the Adriatic when it spots 188 ton Italian freighter Maria Grazia. It rams the small ship, an auxiliary barquentine (sailing ship), sinking it without taking much damage to itself from the wooden ship.

The Italian Navy begins Operation CV, a resupply operation between Taranto to the Italian bases in Libya.

Some Fulmars flying off HMS Illustrious are forced to land on Crete. The Greeks intern the four crew.

At Malta, new procedures are implemented by the War Office for unexploded bombs. German bombs have electrical fuses which are more difficult to handle, and the instructions provide useful information which helps in their disposal.

French submarine Narval is now operating out of Malta and completes its first patrol today. It is a quiet day despite fair weather, with no air raids.

Italian Military

Following his big meeting with Hitler at the Brenner Pass on the 4th, Prime Minister Mussolini puts in place a few planning changes. From a historical perspective, his decisions today are an insight into the attitude permeating the Axis that even Italy, with well-known weakness in all three major military branches, can accomplish major strategic military objectives. In essence, he views himself as an equal military partner to Hitler. This attitude, of course, is a bit... fanciful. For now, though, it instructs very real military decisions with lasting consequences for the entire Axis war effort.

One must remember that, while Mussolini's army is weak, he has just as much ability as Hitler does to embroil the Axis in new wars. Mussolini does the following today in a series of directives and messages:

Orders Marshal Graziani to cancel all plans to attack Yugoslavia;

Emphasizes the necessity of the Italian Army at Sidi Barrani to attack and occupy Mersa Matruh;

Steps up planning for an attack on mainland Greece through Albania soon after occupying Mersa Matruh.

The basic strategy is for the army in Egypt to push the British back another 80 miles, then switch the main effort to Albania/Greece. While one operation does not depend upon the other, accomplishing them in sequence would lessen the strain on Italian resources. The Italians are having enough problems with just one front in North Africa, taking on another active front would be imprudent. At this stage, though, Mussolini views the Allies as weak and the Axis - including his own shaky troops - as strong enough to accomplish his objectives.

A key issue is Crete. Taking it would enhance Axis naval operations in the eastern Mediterranean and support an attack on the major British military bases at Alexandria and Cairo. The Italian army seriously considers invading it, but ultimately rejects such an operation as too difficult, especially before the capture of the Greek mainland. The Italian navy is strong, but replacing losses would be impossible in any reasonable time frame, and the Royal Navy would have something to say about an operation so close to its bases.

Mussolini's directives today somewhat suggest that he is acting at the very least with the Germans' knowledge, and possibly with their blessing (some of the language in his messages sounds similar to Wehrmacht phrases). However, that is controversial, and the extent of German involvement in any of Mussolini's actions at this stage is unknown.

Anglo/US Relations

Another tranche, the fourth, of US destroyers arrive at Halifax for transfer to the Royal Navy:

- USS Branch.
- USS Hunt.
- USS Mason.
- USS Satterlee.
- USS Laub.
- USS Aulick. 
- USS Edwards 
- USS McLanahan.

US Military

US Navy Secretary Frank Knox responds to news of the tripartite pact (Japan, Germany, Italy), which he views as being directed against the US, by calling up the naval reserve. This includes the Air Detachment, Marine Barracks, Parris Island along with all organized aviation squadrons and reserve divisions.

Major General Henry "Hap" Arnold, Chief of Air Corps since 1938, submits a plan to George Marshall, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to create a separate organizational structure for the US Army Air Corps.

Soviet Military

Stalin approves of plans submitted by the Stavka Chief of the General Staff Meretskov. These call for the greatest weight of defense to be attached to the Southwest Front, i.e., in the direction (from Germany) of Kiev. After the initiation of Operation Barbarossa, this will be the destination for Army Group South. On the German side, the initial plans of attack didn't even contemplate any attack on this axis of advance, but more recent drafts do have an army group heading toward Kiev from Romania.

French Indochina

Empire Hirohito directs that some French prisoners in Indochina be released. The elite 5th Infantry Division begins withdrawing to China.

China

The Nationalist Chinese having attacked the Communist New 4th Army at Huangqiao ("Yellow Bridge"), Jiangsu Province, on the 4th, the Communists counterattack today. They drive the attacking Japanese off and capture much-needed equipment and other supplies.

Day 403 of World War II, October 7th 1940

Battle of Britain

Slightly better weather allowed the Luftwaffe to conduct daylight raids over England throughout most of the day. Five main attacks developed during the day, four towards the London area and one over Dorset. The first began at about 1030 hours when Bf 109s and Bf 110s, totalling about 127 aircraft, flew in over South East England, some of them penetrating as far as Gravesend and East London. Successful interceptions were made by Hurricanes of RAF Nos. 303 (Polish), 501 and 605 Squadrons. The Spitfires of RAF Nos. 41 and 66 Squadrons, although scrambled to intercept, were unable to make any decisive attacks and lost aircraft during the combat. Fw. Willy Roth of 4./JG 26 claimed a Spitfire from RAF No. 603 Sqdrn and Oblt. Josef Priller from 6./JG 51 also claimed a Spitfire north of Canterbury. Interception by five squadrons of RAF fighters disrupted the bomber formations and they returned to base. One raid by Do17s, at about 1100 hours, was intercepted by Spitfires of RAF No. 41 Sqdrn off the coast at Folkestone before breaking away back across the Channel.

The most serious of the day's losses affected the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter pilot. Shot down over England and taken prisoner was Viktor Mölders, brother of Werner Mölders and Staffelkapitaen of 2./JG 51, the Jabo Staffel of JG 51. The unit was making a fighter-bomber attack with 250 kg bombs against the docks in London when it was attacked by RAF Hurricanes. Oblt. Mölders' Bf109 E-4/B Werk Nr 4103 "Black 1" was hit from below by two long bursts fired by Sgt. Eric Wright of RAF No.605 Sqn. With smoke and glycol pouring from his aircraft, Mölders flew at rooftop height back towards the Channel but his engine overheated and he made a forced landing at Lidham Marshes, Doleham Farm, Guestling, East Sussex at around 1115 hrs. The aircraft was as described, fairly intact and was subsequently salvaged. The younger Mölders had nine aerial victories. Also lost was Lt. Erich Meyer from 2./JG 51 who was attacked on the return journey by Hurricanes from RAF No. 501 Sqdrn. Lt. Meyer ditched into the Channel, made it to a dingy and was picked up by a British motorboat. Almost 35 years later in the summer of 1974, a fishing trawler had its net tangled in an object and when divers investigated found the submerged Bf 109. In July 1976, the remains of Meyer's fighter were recovered and brought ashore for restoration and display. ('The Reluctant Messerschmitt' by Don Everson, Portcullis Press Ltd.)

A larger force of over 100 Bf 110 and Ju 88 bombers attacked targets near Dover at 1225 hours. They penetrated to Biggin Hill and South and South East London and 11 Group ordered 13 Squadrons to oppose with fighters from 12 Group on Stand By. The German formations were intercepted by eight separate RAF fighter squadrons who managed to disrupt the bombers and most failed to reach their target, dropping their bombs early and without causing serious damage. Nine Bf 109s from I(Jagd)./LG 2 were sent out to attack Dulwich railway station escorted by JG 3. Near Dover, the formation was attacked by Spitfires and three of the jabos were forced to jettison their bombs, but the remainder pressed on and attacked their target. Fifteen minutes after LG 2's attack, a small force of eight aircraft from I./JG 51 - which had set out to attack West London - was also attacked by Spitfires and three aircraft were lost. Ofw. Werner Hübner from 4./JG 51 claimed a Spitfire over Dover and Lt. Erich Schmidt of 9./JG 53 also claimed a Spitfire. So far as London was concerned Dockland received the most attention, and a fire was started at Rotherhithe, and there was also a certain amount of bombing done at Tidal Basin.

At 1400 hours, another large German force of Bf 110s, Ju 88s and Bf 109s, escorted by about fifty Bf 109s from JG 27, JG 26 and JG 53 crossed the Channel near Folkestone and headed towards several London airfields. Again, the RAF took off in strength and managed to interrupt the bombing runs. At one point RAF P/O K. W. MacKenzie of RAF No. 501 Sqdrn lined up behind a Bf 109 and fired. After a few short bursts, the Bf 109 began to smolder and he eventually ran out of ammunition. With the Messerschmitt blowing smoke and damaged, MacKenzie closed in on the German fighter and using his propeller, sliced into the tailplane of the ‘Emil’ and caused the Bf 109 to crash into the Channel. Twenty Bf 109s from II(Schlacht)./LG 2 with an escort from 5./JG 27 being led by their Staffellkapitaen, Oblt. Ernst Düllberg, attacked West London but were unable to reach their target due to the strong fighter defense. Before reaching the objective, flying at 2,200 feet, JG 27 were surprised by RAF No. 605 Squadron Hurricanes attacking from above and behind. Uffz Paul Lederer from 5./JG 27 dived and banked sharply to the left chased by three Hurricanes, one above, one on his tail, and one below. Eventually he was shot down at Bedgebury Wood, SW of Cranbrook, Kent and was captured. But his Staffelkapitaen, Oblt. Ernst Düllberg of 5./JG 27 shot down a Hurricane over London at 1445 hours. Uffz. Georg Mörschel and Uffz. Hans Bley, both from 4.(Sch)/LG 2 were shot down and made prisoners. Uffz. Mörschel's aircraft was hit in the cooling system and his engine caught fire, making a forced landing at Tunbridge Wells, Uffz. Mörschel just managed to crawl clear of his burning fighter when he was captured. Uffz. Bley had his fuel tank holed and he jettisoned his bomb and made for home but his fuel ran out and he came down in the sea. He made it to his dingy and was picked up to spend the rest of the war as a POW.

RAF No. 303 Sqdrn was ordered to patrol Kenley – Brooklands at 20,000 ft with RAF No. 1 (Canadian) Sqdrn. This would be RAF No. 1 Sqdrn's last flight in the Battle of Britain as the unit was headed north to Prestwick Scotland for a rest and re-grouping. Over London the squadrons found about 50 Bf109s flying at 25,000 to 30,000 ft. The Messerschmitts dived down in groups of five, and two groups attacked RAF No. 1 Sqdrn and others followed them, then dived away Southwards. RAF No. 303 Sqdrn tried to overtake them unsucessfully. The Squadron then shadowed another formation of Bf109s flying Westwards, and these came down to attack and were chased South over the Channel. The Hurricanes had difficulty catching the Bf109s in level flight but F/O. Pisarek destroyed one Bf109 over the Channel and Sgt. Belc destroyed one Bf109 N.W. of Redhill. Sgt. Szaposznikow destroyed one Bf109 in the Sea off Brighton and probably another. P/O. Mierzwa landed at a decoy aerodrome and crashed taking off. He proceeded to Detling and was unhurt.

Just after 1600 hours two raids were made against southern England. The first was a large attack against the Westland factory at Yeovil by 25 Ju 88s from Luftflotte 3 escorted by 52 Bf 109s from JG 2, seven from JG 53 and thirty-nine Bf 110s from ZG 26. Hurricanes of RAF Nos.56, 238, 601 and 607 Squadrons and Spitfires of RAF Nos. 152, 602 and 609 Squadrons were scrambled to intercept the raiders over Portland. Nine aircraft were shot down, 2 Ju88s and seven Bf 110s, which were proving no match for the RAF's single engined Hurricanes and Spitfires. Lt. Botho Sommer of 9./ZG 26 was made a prisoner when he was shot down and captured. The Bf 110 pilot had five victories with the Zerstörer Gruppe. Ofw. Fritz Stahl, a six kill Experte with 4./ZG 26, went missing during the day's action and was presumed dead.

From the No. 609 Sqdrn Combat Report by S/Ldr Michael Robinson on 7 October 1940:

"At 15.24 hours No. 609 Squadron was ordered to patrol base at 20,000 feet. The Squadron was airborne at 16.30 hours with myself leading. Five minutes later we were told to proceed to Portland to intercept E/A flying from South. We headed for Portland, climbing on 238 Squadrons right flank. At about 19,000 feet, bandits were sighted about 15 miles south of us. 238 Squadron suddenly appeared to break up and turn towards the East, and at the same time I saw Me 109's above us and in the sun. It was extremely bright, and as we were heading into the sun it was very difficult to pick out enemy aircraft which for now were ahead of us, also we were rather embarrassed by the Me 109's still above us. I ordered the Squadron into sections line astern and turned underneath the 109's in the direction of the enemy aircraft and then saw a circle of Me 110's directly ahead of us and proceeded to attack. I broke away downwards without seeing the result of the attack and climbed up and engaged a seperated Me 110 astern. A Hurricane carried out a deflection attack between myself and the Me 110 but I went on firing when the former had broken away, and the Me 110 dived vertically down with his port motor smoking. I then climbed up and asked Bandy control for the position of any E/A. He told me E/A plotted at 15,000 feet over Lyme Regis. I proceeded to the latter place and found a cirle of Me 110's about 10 miles NW of Portland. I attacked from dead astern and it dived vertically onto the ground about 5 miles N of the Coast (Little Breedy)."

JG 2 was heavily involved in the air battles over Portland and claims were made by numerous Luftwaffe pilots. Hptm. Karl-Heinz Greisert, Lt. Egon Mayer and Uffz. Kurt Bühligen from JG 2 all made claims for Hurricanes over the Dorset coastal town. Many of the Ju 88s got through to the target at Yeovil and dropped their loads. The factory was damaged and an air raid shelter was hit, killing 100 people. There were two large fires at Portsmouth - one at a furniture depository, and the other at Government House.

As the furious air battles were developing over Dorset and the surrounding areas, a second raid was made over Kent and Sussex by Bf109s from JG 51, JG 27 and JG 26 and fighter-bombers from II./JG 3 and I(Jagd)./LG 2 with successful interceptions made by the Spitfires of RAF Nos. 222 and 603 Squadrons along with Hurricanes of RAF No. 605 Sqdrn. The attack was directed against the docks on the bow of the Thames River and fires were started in the city. It was during this time that Oblt. Josef Priller of 6./JG 51 got his second Spitfire of the day. Josef Gärtner of 8./JG 26 claimed a Hurricane. The Acting RAF No. 605 Sqdrn Ldr 'Archie' McKellar claimed five Bf109Es during this day. Bombs dropped on Hatfield damaged three Lysanders belonging to RAF No. 239 Sqdrn.

During the night London was bombed continuously with smaller raids on South Wales, the Midlands, Liverpool, East Anglia, Montrose, Sunderland and Newcastle. While considerable forces concentrated on London, raiders were much more widely dispersed than for some time past, and large sections of the country were attacked. No less than 80 enemy aircraft were plotted in during the early period, coming from various French districts, the Dutch Coast and Denmark. The raids from Denmark flew to Scotland, four being plotted in the Firth of Forth district and three around Arbroath. From 2100 Hours to 2300 Hours a further 40 raiders were employed, 15 of which operated over South East England and London. The remainder was widely scattered over South Wales and the Bristol Channel areas, the Midlands and Lancashire, East Anglia, Sunderland and Firth of Forth districts.

RAF Station Hendon was bombed at 2120 hours, and No 24 Squadron Hangar received a direct hit, and some ammunition exploded. Speke Aerodrome was attacked at 2350 hours, and an Audax aircraft was completely wrecked and a Douglas DF7 was damaged. Some windows in the hangars were broken, but the aerodrome was serviceable. Major damage was done to the LNER line at Mill Hill East, which caused the line to be blocked. Ten HEs and twenty-four IBs fell in the vicinity of Sedgefield Railway Station. One incendiary bomb fell through the roof of a house in a timber yard at the station causing slight damage. The remainder of the IBs fell in open space and caused no damage. Nine of the HEs fell in open fields.

At 19.00 hours a Polish pilot in a British plane R1922 made a forced landing at Old Trimdon having lost his way. He was uninjured and there was no damage to the plane.

Photo: A symbolic photograph of a British soldier standing guard on a beach in southern England



Air War over Europe 

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 on board perish. Many accounts place this sinking on the 6th because that is when U-37 makes its initial attack. The British General had been travelling in Covoy 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. 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.

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 the 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 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:

- Make an arrangement with Britain for the use of British bases in the Pacific, particularly Singapore.

- Make an arrangement with the Netherlands for the use of base facilities and acquisition of supplies in the Dutch East Indies.

- Give all possible aid to the Chinese government of Chiang-Kai-Shek.

- Send a division of long range heavy cruisers to the Orient, Philippines, or Singapore.

- Send two divisions of submarines to the Orient.

- Keep the main strength of the U.S. fleet now in the Pacific[,] in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands.

- Insist that the Dutch refuse to grant Japanese demands for undue economic concessions, particularly oil.

- 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 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 afterwards.

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.

Vichy France

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