lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 28, 2019 4:10:39 GMT
Day 454 of World War II, November 28th 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greek offensive in Albania grinds forward, the men braving blizzards and rocky terrain to push the Italians back. There are few villages to mark their progress, but they are making good ground that is gradually bringing them closer to important Italian bases.
Greek II Corps is reinforced again, this time with the Cavalry Division. The Corps now has received two fresh divisions in two days. The Cavalry Division crosses the Legatitsa River and continues the advance toward Përmet (Premeti).
Greek III continues moving toward Pogradec, the most significant objective off its front.
Greek troops occupy the heights above Argyrokastro (Gjirokastër), a historic town in Epirus. However, the Italians still hold the town and are fighting hard to keep it.
Italian destroyers Pigafetta, Da Recco, Pessagno, and Riboty, accompanied by torpedo boats Prestinari and Bassini, bombard Greek positions on Corfu. The Italian high command has given up early plans to invade the island. The RAF raids the ports of Porta Santi Quaranta in southern Albania, Durazzo, Brindisi and Elbasan in central Albania.
Air War over Europe
RAF Bomber Command sends bombers against Mannheim, Dusseldorf, the synthetic oil installation at Politz, Stettin, Cuxhaven, Antwerp, Boulogn and Le Havre.
The Luftwaffe sends over 40 fighter-bombers (Jabos) during the day, but they accomplish little. Daylight raids are increasingly pointless, particularly with the shortening hours of daylight, but the Luftwaffe continues with occasional Jabo sweeps. Losses are about even, with half a dozen planes lost by each side.
The Luftwaffe, recently having pounded several other moderate-sized English cities such as Coventry and Brighton with large-scale raids, turns its attention to Liverpool during the night. It sends 340 bombers which drop massive parachute land mines. The raid kills 164-166 and injures 96 more when a landmine scores a direct hit on a shelter at Edge Hill Training College on Durning Road. The scene is gruesome, as it is not the blast that kills everyone, but rather boiling water released from a boiler and gas from damaged pipes.
Helmut Wick, one of the Luftwaffe's leading aces, has a good day that turns horribly wrong. He gets a victory in the morning, his 55th, and then during the afternoon scores his 56th confirmed kill. This finally catches fellow Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland, who Wick has been chasing since the war began.
However, shortly after, Wick meets his own fate. It is believed to be at the hands of Flight Lieutenant Dundas (RAF No. 609 Squadron) off the Isle of Wight. Dundas probably never knows who he shot down, however, because minutes later he himself is killed in the same air battle.
Wick is last seen baling out over the Channel and likely landed while still alive in the water. The winter weather is unforgiving, the sea is cold, and rescue can't happen enough. In fact, Wick's body is never found. As happens more than once in the continuing battle, the downed airman's Luftwaffe colleagues circle above the downed pilot as long as they can. One, Hptm. Rudi Pflanz, stays so long that he has to crash land in France because he runs out of fuel. One of the crueler aspects of the Battle of Britain - and war in general, on both sides - is that so many men must watch their friends and colleagues die moments after they were alive, well and at the top of their game.
Wick is a propaganda hero, and in one of those freaky coincidences is on the cover of that day's German propaganda publication, Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung (BIZ). He is standing beside Hermann Goering, whose wayward decisions have sabotaged the Luftwaffe effort and helped keep the RAF strong.
The new Kommodore of JG 2, replacing Wick, is Hptm. Karl-Heinz Greisert.
Lt Harold Reginald Newgass earns the George Cross for disarming a land mine lodged in a fuel tank full of coal gas.
Battle of the Atlantic
The weather is very rough in the mid-Atlantic. This makes the merchant marine service increasingly all-or-nothing around this time, because either you make it across or have a ship close at hand to rescue you if you get torpedoed - or you don't. And, if you don't, your odds of survival are not good. The action is erratic, with equipment not always acting the way it would in more normal weather and more unsuccessful attacks than usual.
U-104 (Kptlt. Harald Jürst) and its 49 crewmen, after having torpedoed two ships on the 27th (and sinking one), disappears into the sea, with nobody surviving. The most common theory is that the U-boat wandered into a defensive Royal Navy minefield (SN 44, laid on 8 November) northwest of Londonderry, County Derry, Northern Ireland. It is not known when it sinks, either, as it is not considered missing by the Kriegsmarine until well into December.
U-103 (Kplt. Viktor Schütze), on its second patrol out of Lorient, is operating in the Atlantic sea lanes about 930 km from Bishop Rock (200 miles southwest of Rockall). It downs two ships. First, it torpedoes 3578 ton Greek freighter Mount Athos. There are 19 deaths. Mount Athos is a straggler from Convoy OB 248 and sinks within four minutes. However, even in that short time the wireless operator manages to get out a message with the ship's position. Nine survivors are picked up on the 30th by an escort from Convoy OB 251, HMS Vanquisher.
U-103 also torpedoes and sinks 4940 ton British freighter St. Elwyn. There are 16 survivors and 24 men perish. Survivors are picked up by British freighter Leeds City.
U-95 (Kptlt. Gerd Schreiber), on its first patrol out of Kiel, fires two torpedoes at 1298 ton Norwegian collier Ringhorn and misses with both. It is possible that the torpedoes are defective - there are problems with torpedoes in the cold during the war's early years. In any event, Schreiber, undoubtedly frustrated at wasting so much ordnance on a relatively small ship, surfaces and uses his deck gun. The Germans damage the freighter and the crew abandons ship, expecting it to sink. However, they later reboard it and bring it to port at Belfast.
Greek 2950 ton freighter Eugenia Cambanis, travelling in convoy SC 13 in the Atlantic off Newfoundland, sinks in a gale after its cargo shifts. Sources are unclear on what happens to the crew, either they all live or all perish - the story of the Battle of the Atlantic. The crew abandons the ship, certain it will capsize and sink... but it doesn't sink. The derelict, in fact, does not go to the bottom until finally shelled by Norwegian patrol boat Hilda Knudsen on 19 December.
Royal Navy 221 tom trawler HMT Manx Prince hits a mine and sinks off the mouth of the Humber in the North Sea, about 5 km from Spurn Point, Yorkshire. Everybody aboard survives, taken aboard minesweeping trawler HMS Cortina.
The German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez (Hellfire Corner) score a rare long-range success - sort of - when they hit 1167 ton British freighter Skipjack at Dover. However the ship is only damaged, and at that distance there is little chance of a successful follow-through. The Skipjack makes it to port for repairs.
Italian submarine Dessie fires torpedoes at light cruiser HMS Glasgow in the Atlantic and misses.
Convoy OB 251 departs from Liverpool, Convoys Sl 575 and SL 57 depart from Freetown.
Australian destroyer HMAS Napier (G 97, Captain Stephen H. T. Arliss) is commissioned.
Battle of the Mediterranean
British submarine HMS Regulus goes missing in the Aegean. It is presumed lost due to a mine. Nobody survives.
Operation Collar continues, with battleship HMS Malaya covering the return of Convoy ME 4 - the outward-bound voyage of the Malta convoy MW 4 - to Alexandria.
Operation Canned commences off Italian Somaliland. Light cruiser HMS Leander departs from Aden in a mission to bombard Italian positions at Banda Alulu.
At Malta, there are several air raids as ships arrive at 14:30 in Grand Harbour from the Operation Collar convoys. The Italians are active because they know that there are many British ships operating in the area due to Operation Collar. A raid by half a dozen CR 42 fighters, followed by ten bombers escorted by another ten fighters, around 13:30 is particularly fierce. The Italians lose a SM 79 bomber and a fighter. The British freighters, meanwhile, sustain no damage and unload quickly.
North Africa
British Middle East Commander Archibald Wavell is busy planning Operation Compass, the planned offensive against the Italians in Egypt. He orders the Commander of British Troops Egypt, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, to prepare a limited five-day operations. He writes to Wilson:
I do not entertain extravagant hopes of this operation but I do wish to make certain that if a big opportunity occurs we are prepared morally, mentally and administratively to use it to the fullest.
The general plan of attack will be to send British and Indian troops through the Sofafi–Nibeiwa gap, with armoured formations attacking Nibeiwa from the west.
German/Yugoslavian Relations
Yugoslavian Foreign Minister Aleksandar Cincar-Markovic meets with Hitler in Berlin. Hitler pressures Yugoslavia to sign the Tripartite Pact, but the Serb-dominated officer corps violently opposes this. Regent Prince Paul of Yugoslavia knows that signing the agreement will only cause trouble and is extremely leery, so the Yugoslavs pass. Hitler proposes a bizarre swap, a Yugoslavian alliance in exchange for the Greek seaport of Salonika - which the Greeks still possess. At this point in time, Hitler is offering potential allies territory which he has no ability to give, and the offers themselves illustrate his intentions.
Soviet Military
Konstantin Rokossovsky, a former prisoner accused of treason (on fabricated evidence) but released from Kresty Prison in Leningrad for unexplained reasons on 22 March 1940, assumes command of the newly formed 9th Mechanized Corps in the Kiev Military District. It has the 19th and 20th Tank Divisions and the 131st Motorized Division. Soviet records can be obscure, but it appears Rokossovsky takes over from the start. Rokossovsky only survived the 1930s officer purges because he refused to sign a false statement, but was badly beaten for doing so. He never blamed Stalin for his mistreatment, but rather the NKVD (Soviet secret police).
Romania: Following the Iron Guard's brutal assaults on its political enemies on the 27th, Ion Antonescu's government declares a state of emergency.
China
The commander of the Japanese 11th Army in Hubei Province (Han River sector), Lieutenant General Waichiro Sonobe, orders a retreat under pressure from the continuing Chinese offensive. The Japanese engage in a scorched earth policy, burning down villages and inflicting heavy casualties on civilians and the advancing Chinese troops.
German occupied Poland
German Reserve Police Battalion 101 is assigned to guard the perimeter of the Lodz ghetto and shoot anyone who tries to leave.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 29, 2019 8:38:55 GMT
Day 455 of World War II, November 29th 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greek forces continue grinding forward. Italian forces in Pogradec to evacuate the town. The Greek 13th Greek Division captures a key defensive point outside the town, Point 1292, forcing the Italians to withdraw. Some advance Greek troops enter Pogradec. Greek 2nd Infantry Division captures Sucha Pass.
The Italians, realizing the danger to the southern ports, are now transferring stocks of supplies from Valona and Durazzo to San Giovanni di Medua (Shëngjin).
The RAF, supporting the Greeks, raids Tepelene.
Greek submarine Papanicolis attacks 6168 ton Italian freighter Chisone off Durazzo but causes no damage.
Italian submarine Delfino attacks two Greek destroyers twelve miles east of Kalojeri, but also cause no damage.
General Bernard Freyberg of New Zealand disposes the accumulated British and New Zealand troops on Crete to protect naval bases and strong points.
Air War over Europe
The Luftwaffe does little during the day, with only scattered raids on the south coast by fighter-bombers. It focuses on London during the night. It is a heavy raid involving 300+ bombers. Among the areas damaged to one extent or another are:
- Cloisters/crypt of Houses of Parliament.
- St. James' Church in Piccadilly.
- The Old Bailey and Tower of London.
- St. Martin's Ludgate.
The Italian CAI sends 9 bombers to attack the Ipswich/Lowestoft/Yarmouth region.
RAF Bomber Command raids the ports of Bremen, Hamburg, Cologne, Boulogne and Le Havre.
Battle of the Atlantic
The Germans conduct another destroyer sweep off the coast of southern England. These actions tend to be short and sharp, and this one is no exception. Kriegsmarine destroyers Beitzen, Galster and Lody depart their base in Brest and come upon some ships about 20 miles (30 km) south of the Lizard, which they promptly attack. These include:
- 134 ton British tug Aid (sunk, 5 survivors, 5 deaths).
- 290 ton Barge B.C.H. 10 (sunk, 5 survivors, 3 deaths).
- Dutch/British pilot boat Stroomloodsvartuig 4.
- 126 ton French tug Abeille 14 (damaged).
The Royal Navy has ships on patrol nearby, and they quickly come to intervene. German destroyer Lody puts two torpedoes into destroyer HMS Javelin, first on the scene. These destroy her bow and stern, but do not cause the Javelin to sink. There are 46 deaths on the British ship. Javelin is later towed to Devonport and is under repair until December 1941. Lord Mountbatten is aboard the Javelin and unharmed. This action is a fine example of his fighting spirit.
Royal Navy destroyers HMS Jupiter, Kashmir, Jersey and Jackal arrive shortly after the Javelin is hit. They save the Javelin, but the Kriegsmarine ships make good their escape, though with varying degrees of minor damage.
Elsewhere, 95 ton British drifter Young Fisherman runs aground at Oban, Scotland and is written off.
Royal Navy 214 ton minesweeping trawler HMT Calverton hits a mine and sinks at the mouth of the Humber. There are two deaths. This area has been heavily mined and this is the second ship claimed there recently (the other being HMT Manx Prince on the 28th).
In Convoy HX 88, 4872 ton British freighter Parthenia collides with another ship (the Robert F. Hand) in rough seas and sinks about 13 km southwest of Sandra Lightship.
The German coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez (Hellfire Corner) score another minor success when they damage 759 ton British freighter Fermain at Dover.
Convoy FS 346 departs from Southend, Convoy HX 92 departs from Halifax, Convoy BHX 92 (from Bermuda) is cancelled for lack of ships and the freighters directed to Halifax to join the next HX convoy.
Royal Navy corvette HMS Orchis (K 76, Lt. Arthur D. White) is commissioned.
USS Grenadier is launched.
Battle of the Mediterranean
The weather is stormy in the Mediterranean as winter starts to bite. The large Royal Navy ships, including aircraft carrier Ark Royal and battleship Ramillies, from Force H engaged in Operation Collar return to port at Gibraltar. Convoy ME 4 from Malta and its accompanying escort arrives at Alexandria. This concludes Operation Collar.
New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Leander attacks Banda Alulu, near Cape Guardafui, Italian Somaliland. It fires 98 6-inch rounds and damages a factory and radio station. The Italian Aero Aeronautica attacks the Leander without success.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Olympus departs from Malta after completing repairs incurred in part during an air raid on 6 July. Otherwise, the day is fairly quiet and routine at Malta.
Thai/French Conflict
In a little-remembered campaign, Thailand takes the opportunity of French weakness to infiltrate disputed territory west of the Mekong River. In addition, they issue an order for French nationals to evacuate the area immediately. Thailand has ancient grievances against France - well, as ancient as 1893, at least - and its leaders feel that Thailand is entitled to large areas of Laos and western Cambodia. The key areas are the Cambodian provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap, Lao Sayaboury, and west-bank Champassak. While the Vichy French have been defeated in Europe, they remain a potent force in the region. This is the beginning of an opportunistic border war. The Japanese, who themselves now occupy part of Indochina, look on bemused.
US/German/Anglo Relations
German freighters Idarwald (6031 tons) and Rhein (5181 tons), which made an abortive attempt to return to Occupied Europe a month earlier, make another try. They depart from Tampico, Mexico. US destroyers USS Simpson and Broome are on Neutrality Patrol outside the harbor, knowing that the German ships may try again. The US destroyers, as is usual in such cases, follow the two German freighters but do not stop them. However, they broadcast the German ships' position in the clear so that the British are sure to learn about the situation. The two German freighters once again return to port, but their captains remain determined to run the blockade.
US/Mexican Relations
US Vice President-elect Henry A. Wallace meets with President Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico City. He is there to attend the upcoming inauguration of President Elect Manuel Avila Camacho on 1 December. Wallace faces protesters at the US Embassy because the country is still divided over the controversial election that elected Camacho over General Juan Almazan. Wallace's visit is a show of support for the incoming President.
German Military
Having reviewed and discounted Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov's proposed agreements of 25 November, the German leadership continues its planning for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. A draft completed today enlarges upon earlier earlier attempts. It sets forth three more-or-less equal axes of attack, one through the Baltic States to Leningrad, the second on the high road to Moscow, and the third in the south aiming toward Kiev. The front will be 1800 miles long - earlier drafts foresaw a much smaller front only in the north. This is not the plan's final form, but it is the first draft that closely resembles the framework of the actual invasion in June 1941.
US Military
The US Army Air Corps is so certain about the quality of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver bomber design that it orders mass production before the first test flight. However, the USAAC also specifies a number of modifications, including self-sealing and enlarged gas tanks. While the military is extremely enthusiastic about the plane, all of the changes will take an extended amount of time to work out. The Helldiver is intended the replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless but, despite this early order, the Helldiver will not enter combat until 11 November 1943. The entire production process becomes a matter of great controversy and investigations which many blame for the eventual collapse of the Curtiss Corporation.
Heavy cruiser USS Louisville makes port in Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil as part of its "Show the Flag" mission.
China
In Hubei, the Japanese Han River operation has been been blunted by the Chinese 5th War Area. The Japanese 11th Army withdraws, and the Chinese recover some ground unopposed.
French Homefront
Charles de Gaulle broadcasts to France from London. He is quite uncomplimentary to the Vichy regime, opening his speech by saying:
It has now been proved beyond any shadow of doubt that though the sword of France has been shattered by unworthy leaders, the nation refuses to submit to disaster.
He later adds:
Yes, the flame of French resistance, briefly smothered under the ashes of treason, is once again alight and burning. And we, the Free French, have the glorious duty and supreme dignity of being the soul of the nation's resistance.
De Gaulle also goes out of his way to emphasize that he is not just talking through his hat, but commands serious forces:
Well, at this very moment we have 35,000 men under arms, twenty warships in commission, sixty merchantmen at sea, a thousand airmen, a number of technicians engaged on armament work, territories active on behalf of our cause in Africa, French India, and the Pacific, important centres in all parts of the world, growing financial resources, newspapers, wireless stations, and, above all, the certain knowledge that at every minute of the day we are present in the hearts and minds of all our fellow-countrymen in France.
This is but one in a series of speeches by Charles de Gaulle. Recently, his appeals in person to captured Vichy soldiers in Gabon have not produced many converts, and as a national leader he remains a creation of the British government. However, he is a brilliant orator and is fine-tuning that skill with each speech.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Nov 30, 2019 13:39:28 GMT
Day 456 of World War II, November 30th 1940
YouTube (The German Plan to Destroy French Culture - The Occupation of France)
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greek 13th Division of 3rd Army Corps now is 20 miles past Korçë and captures much of Pogradec on Ohrid Lake. The city is not particularly significant, but the manner of its loss is troubling: the Italian troops simply abandon it. The local Italian commanders say that the Italian defensive stance is in poor shape. Mussolini loses confidence and considers asking for a truce through Germany (something that the London media has been hinting about for some time). This crisis of confidence will have consequences for the Italian command. However, the Italian defense already is stiffening.
Greek 3rd Infantry Division attacks around Kazania and Boularat.
The Greeks are on the heights overlooking Argyrokastro. However, the Italians there have decided to fight.
Greek civilian air raid casualties since the beginning of the war on 28 October: 604 killed, 1070 seriously injured.
Air War over Europe
The Luftwaffe, which has been targeting individual medium-sized cities for attacks over consecutive nights, switches to Southampton and its suburbs. They send 128 bombers and cause (estimated) 137 deaths and 370 other casualties. The King visits during the day to inspect the damage, which is concentrated in the downtown area. Water pressure drops because 74 water mains are cut, hampering fire-fighting efforts. The Luftwaffe increasingly has been using incendiary bombs to start fires, then high explosives to spread them. In general, fire-fighting efforts are ineffective in most of the city and the strongest efforts are made to preserve the docks and most important downtown areas.
During the day, the Luftwaffe sends a large fighter-bomber raid over southern England. A few of the raiders make it to London.
RAF Coastal Command makes a dawn raid on U-boat base Lorient. However, RAF Bomber Command cancels its night operations due to poor weather.
The British air raid casualties for November are 4588 killed and some 6202 wounded.
Battle of the Atlantic
Another short, sharp surface engagement takes place in the English Channel. Two Royal Navy motor torpedo boats engage in a sweep off Flushing and run into a German convoy off the Schelde Estuary. Both sides take damage, the British to MTB 31 and the Germans to 5943 ton German freighter Santos.
U-101 (Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen), on her 5th patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5378 ton British freighter Aracataca in the shipping lanes about 700 km west of Ireland. There are 8 deaths. The Aracataca, incidentally, is a banana boat coming from Jamaica, and its sinking somewhat justifies Lord Woolton's recent decision to stop the importation of bananas in favor of oranges.
Royal Navy 505 ton minesweeper trawler HMT Chestnut hits a mine and sinks off North Foreland, Kent. Everyone survives.
The Luftwaffe damages 187 ton Dutch freighter Gorecht off Southampton.
The weather in the western North Atlantic is terrible, with a hurricane passing near the Canadian coast. Destroyer HMCS St. Croix sustains damage and returns to St. John.
German cruiser Admiral Hipper departs from its anchorage at Kiel in the Elbe River on a raiding mission in the Atlantic.
German freighter Helgoland, which embarked on an extremely risky trip from Columbia to Europe, safely arrives at St. Nazaire.
Convoy OB 252 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 347 departs from Southend, Convoys FS 348 and FS 349 depart from Methil, Convoy FS 350 is cancelled, Convoy SC 14 departs from Halifax, Convoy BS 9B departs from Aden, Convoy BS A departs from Suez.
During the month of November 1940, the following Allied shipping losses occur (the figures appear differently in different sources, usually due to slight definitional variations):
U-boat sinkings - 146,613 tons.
Aircraft sinkings - 66,438 tons.
German raiders - 123,671 ton.
Mines - 46,672 tons.
Total: 86 Allied ships of 294,054 tons in the Atlantic, 11 Allied ships of 91,661 tons elsewhere.
The Kriegsmarine loses two U-boats (one is presumed lost in November, but may in fact be lost in December). The Italians also lose a submarine.
U-boat sinkings of shipping have fallen by over 50% from October - 352,407 tons - but the other causes of sinkings have increased. The Germans have 27 U-boats available for patrols in the Atlantic. Typically, about 1/3 will be on patrol at any one time.
German destroyer DD Z-25 is commissioned.
Soviet submarine K-21 is commissioned.
Battle of the Mediterranean
Royal Navy headquarters Mediterranean reports that the Malta supply situation has eased due to the attack on Taranto, which caused the dispersion of the Italian fleet, and the British presence at Suda Bay. RAF reconnaissance, though, has been hurt by the dispersion of the Italian fleet, and the Taranto thus has had the unexpected effect of making it harder to keep track of Italian fleet operations. This has impaired efforts to attack Italian convoys.
Battle of the Indian Ocean
German raider Pinguin, with captured freighter Storstad following, has headed to the southwest in the mid-Indian Ocean, taking it away from a searching Australian cruiser. The crew has painted the ship black. The crew spots a freighter and closes, opening fire and destroying the radio. After the first salvo, the freighter is a flaming wreck, its captain dying. It is 8301 ton British refrigerated ship Port Wellington - a sister ship of the Pinguin's last victim, Port Brisbane. The Pinguin takes the 82-man crew and seven women passengers as prisoners (the captain and one other perish from injuries), then sinks the ship - but not before the Pinguin's first officer personally returns to the burning ship to retrieve clothing for the women (many in only their nightgowns). The Pinguin now has 405 prisoners on board.
Japanese/Chinese Relations
The Japanese recognize and conclude a treaty with their Chinese puppet government led by Ching-wei.
Being desirous that these two countries should respect their inherent characteristics and closely cooperate with each other as good neighbors under their common ideal of establishing a new order in East Asia on an ethical basis, establishing thereby a permanent peace in East Asia …
Ching-wei's government is based in Nanking. Setting up puppet governments in occupied territory is a typical tactic used throughout World War II by several governments. Essentially, it is just a propaganda move. The Nationalist Chinese government in Chungking led by Chiang Kai-shek has rejected secret peace feelers from the Japanese, and this is the result.
US/China Relations
The US extends $100 million in aid ($50 million for currency stabilization, $50 million in purchase credits) to China.
German/Vichy French Relations
The Germans have deported the Jewish residents of Lorraine (within their zone of occupation) under the Wagner-Burckel Aktion. They also have changed place names from French back to German (Germany held the territory prior to World War I). They even have required the French residents to change their French names to German (e.g., from Pierre to Peter). Failure to comply with the name changes are punishable by arrest and deportation to Germany. All that, however, was just a prelude to today's action: outright annexation of Lorraine to the Reich. The German press agency states:
Lorraine's return to the Reich has closed an historical chapter which liberated age-old German land and righted a political wrong. The century-long battle for the Rhine has now been ended. Within this territory the complete economical and political union of Lorraine and Saarpfalz will be effected.
US/Latin American Relations
In a telegram to Secretary of STate Cordell Hull, US Ambassador to Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson once again warns of virulent pro-Nazi sentiment in the country. Such worries about Uruguay and Argentina are what have led to the succession of "Show the Flag" operations that are still on-going. Wilson paints a picture of a weak government unable to stop the growth in pro-Nazi sentiment which he claims could lead to an "armed movement."
US/Vichy French Relations
President Roosevelt instructs Secretary of State Hull to reject former Ambassador to Vichy France Bullitt's request that the US send its fleet to the Mediterranean to over-awe the Fascists (the American embassy in Vichy is being run by Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Robert Murphy due to Bullitt's dismissal). In a somewhat ironic reply (in light of later events), Hull now tells Murphy:
The presence of the fleet in the Pacific at this time is a very practical contribution to the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Bullitt, meanwhile, is a controversial figure who is marked for replacement by Admiral Leahy.
British Military
Prime Minister Winston Churchill appoints legendary Air Marshal Hugh Trenchard to a new position reorganizing the military's intelligence services. Trenchard is a believer in the RAF fighters taking the fight to France and not remaining in a purely defensive posture - "lean toward France."
Romania
The turmoil in Romania continues, largely stirred up by the Iron Guard but also flowing from the country's recent territorial losses. The police are making mass arrests. It is the second anniversary of announcement of the murder of Iron Guard Founder Corneliu Zelea Codreanu. The body of Codreanu, which the government dissolved in acid and placed under seven tons of concrete in the prison, is reburied. The Luftwaffe, reflecting a deep German interest in Romania, flies over the ceremony and drops wreaths over the open casket.
Codreanu, incidentally, remains a very popular figure in Romanian society in the 21st Century, fairly recently (2006) coming in 22nd in a Romanian Television poll of "100 Greatest Romanians" of all time. It is illegal in Romania, however, to talk about the fascist Iron Guard in a positive way, and where exactly that line is drawn with regard to Codreanu has become a very controversial issue in Romanian society.
China
The Japanese 11th Army, facing heavy Chinese counterattacks, retreats to its start line in the Central Hubei sector (Han River Operation). The Chinese 5th War Area re-occupies all territory lost during the failed Japanese offensive.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 1, 2019 7:05:00 GMT
Day 457 of World War II, December 1st 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greeks continue reinforcing their troops on the Albanian front. Today, III Corps receives 17th Division, while the 13th Division is pulled out of the line for a rest.
Greek II Corps begins attacking beyond Pogradec, but Italian resistance is stiffening.
Greek I Corps opens a new attack against the Italian 11th Army in the important southern sector.
A major battle is developing around Argyrokastro. The Greeks approached the city fairly easily, but the Italians have decided to make a stand there. Much of the battle takes place as artillery duels.
Pogradec has become somewhat of a symbol for the Italians. Its partial loss on the last day of November has caused a crisis in the Italian hierarchy, and Mussolini is making it plain to everyone that if the troops don't start fighting, heads will roll - and they may roll anyway.
The RAF continues its support operations in Albania. It attacks Italian communications in southern Albania.
Air War over Europe
The Luftwaffe bombs Southampton for the second time in a row, this time with 120 bombers. This continues the recent German strategy of causing heavy damage to one moderate-sized town after another. Previous victims have included Coventry and Birmingham.
RAF Bomber Command raids Wilhelmshaven with 10 bombers, while RAF Coastal Command makes a daylight raid on the U-boat pens at Lorient. There are other RAF attacks on Kristian and Esbjerg, Denmark.
Werner Mölders claims his 55th victory, while Adolf Galland is promoted to the rank of Oberst. The third of the Luftwaffe's top aces, Helmut Wick, recently perished in combat.
Battle of the Atlantic
There are several convoys during this period which suffer quite heavily. Convoy HX 90 takes some of the worst losses, and they begin today while the convoy is about almost 1000 km south of Iceland. Ultimately, the convoy loses 11 ships over three days. When the attacks begin, Convoy HX 90 still does not have any escorts from the Western Approaches due to rough weather, though they begin arriving late today. U-101 spots Convoy HX 90 today and its captain, Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen, is ordered to shadow it after reporting its position.
U-101 torpedoes and sinks 8826 ton British tanker Appalachee. There are seven deaths and 32 survivors.
U-101 also torpedoes 4958 ton British freighter Loch Ranza. The freighter makes it to shore (apparently under tow), is beached at Rothesay Bay, and is later repaired.
U-101 is not done with its attacks for the night, but the remainder occur in the early hours of the 2nd.
U-37 (Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen), on its ninth patrol out of Lorient, spots a straggler from Convoy OG 46. It is 1578 ton British freighter Palmella. The U-boat torpedoes and sinks it. There is one death, and 28 crew survive, rescued by a Spanish trawler. This is Clausen's first patrol on U-37, placing Kptlt. Victor Oehrn, and this gets him off to a good start. For U-37 itself, this is its 45th victim.
Italian submarine Argo shadows Convoy HG 47 about 500 km west of Ireland. Rather than attack a freighter, it chooses to torpedo Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay. The Saguenay makes port under its own power Barrow in Furness for repairs. There are 21 deaths. The Saguenay is the first Canadian warship U-boat victim of the war.
German raider Admiral Scheer, still on its mission in the Atlantic, sinks 6242 ton British freighter Tribesman, which is on a voyage from Liverpool to Calcutta. The ship sinks in the mid-Atlantic mid-way between Mauritania and the Caribbean. There are eight deaths, and the 14 survivors become POWs on the Admiral Scheer. The Royal Navy has numerous ships out searching for the Admiral Scheer, including aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, but they are all either slightly east or south of it.
During its attacks on Southampton, the Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 235 ton British paddle steamer Her Majesty. The 250 ton Dutch freighter Friso and 1936 ton Yugoslavian freighter Cetvrti also are damaged in the bombing. The ship are un-manned at the time.
The RAF bombs and sinks German freighter Santos in the North Sea off Ostend, Belgium. The ship sinks in shallow water and can be re-floated and repaired.
British 6990 ton British tanker British Officer hits a mine and sinks at the mouth of the Tyne. There are five deaths. Demonstrating the resiliency of tankers, despite the fact that the ship breaks and two, the forepart remains afloat and is successfully towed to port.
Norwegian 18,673 ton troopship Oslofjord hits a mine and towed to shore, where it is beached south of South Tyne Pier. There is one death and 179 survivors. The ship's back is broken and is a total loss, but remains on the beach - voluntarily manned by some crew for a week, who retrieve 9000 bags of mail - until broken up in a storm on 21/22 January 1941. It is one of the largest ships lost.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Castleton collides with a freighter while escorting Convoy HX 90 in the Atlantic in the shipping lanes west of Ireland and requires repairs.
Royal Navy sloop HMS Hastings collides with freighter Limslade in the English Channel and requires repairs.
Royal Navy cruiser HMS Calvin Castle, operating in the South Atlantic, stops and search Brazilian passenger ship Itape. The British arrest and remove 22 Germans.
Admiral Hipper is on its way to another raiding mission from its port of Kiel. This is Operation Nordseetour.
Admiral Sir John Tovey is promoted to commander-in-chief of the British Home Fleet. He replaces Admiral Forbes.
Lord Mountbatten reassumes command of HMS Kelly at Hebburn (it is almost finished with repairs) after his more recent command, HMS Javelin, was damaged in a night action off Plymouth.
U-171 laid down.
Battle of the Mediterranean
At Malta, the dockyard workers and all staff of the Inspecting Ordnance Office hurriedly unload and stockpile ammunition brought to the island during Operation Collar. The freighters, Clan Forbes and Clan Fraser, constitute a hazard so long as they are full of ammunition and exposed at the docks in Grand Harbour.
Battle of the Indian Ocean
German raider Pinguin dispatches captured freighter Storstad to Europe, filled with a prize crew and many prisoners.
British/Irish Relations
Two issues are coming to a head for the British: they are running out of money to buy goods from the Americas, and they are rankled by the Irish refusal to be more helpful in the war effort. Prime Minister sends a memorandum to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Kingsley Wood:
The straits to which we are being reduced by Irish action [at denial of the Southern Irish ports] compel a reconsideration of the subsidies [to Ireland]. Surely we ought to use this money to build more ships or buy more from the US.... let me know how these subsidies can be terminated, and what retaliatory measures the Irish may take.
Churchill obviously believes in playing tough. In his view, the Irish are being disloyal and freeloading off of the British defense against Hitler. However, the Irish have a very long history of British use of their resources during recurrent conflicts and really are trying to practice absolute neutrality this time - without any new British "use" of their land.
Anglo/US Relations
Joseph P. Kennedy announces his resignation as Ambassador to the Court of St. James. He has annoyed both the British and President Roosevelt with intemperate comments in the Boston Globe and his general attitude regarding war prospects.
German Military
The SS forms its 5th SS Panzer Division. Its first commander is SS-Gruppenführer Felix Steiner. The division is formed from the Germania regiment and two regiments of volunteers.
British Military
The Army Co-operation command begins operations under commander Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barrett.
RAF Station Maryborough is established.
Romanian Homefront
The fascist Iron Guard remains stirred up by the reburial of their founder Codreanu and numerous other reasons. There is rioting in the vicinity of the Ploesti oil fields. Ion Antonescu is not specifically the target, but the Iron Guard clashes with government forces. The Iron Guard gradually is pulling Antonescu to a more warlike position, as his government increasingly needs a steady partner like Germany in the face of these types of internal disturbances - and Germany wants a war partner.
Separately, the Antonescu government establishes diplomatic relations with the Japanese puppet government of Manchukuo. It is one of the very few that do.
Swiss Homefront
The government imposes rationing of soap, detergent, shoes and textiles.
Italian Homefront
The government imposes rationing of flour, macaroni, rice and spaghetti.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 2, 2019 5:00:33 GMT
Day 459 of World War II, December 2nd 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greek commander-in-chief, Alexandros Papagos, and Crown Prince Paul visit the front on the right wing of the line. The commanders at the front, Lieutenant-General Ioannis Pitsikas of the Western Macedonian Army Section (TSDM) and Lieutenant-General Georgios Tsolakoglou (III Army Corps) urge an immediate attack into the Klisura Pass to take advantage of Italian disarray. However, Papagos decides to wait for I and II Corps to advance further and create a more even front. This forces III Corps, which has advanced the furthest, to cease its attacks for the time being, while the units on the left catch up. The other Greek Corps are advancing slowly; Greek I Corps is in Sucha Pass, while Greek II Corps in the central sector begins attacking again.
There is a report that 5,000 Italian troops have surrendered in northern Albania. The RAF bombs Salona.
On the Italian side, Mussolini is losing his nerve and thinking about seeking an armistice - of a war he began barely a month ago -via German mediation. His rationale for continuing is that the Greeks have little war industry, and their supplies can only come from the British. He is very upset with his military leaders, however, and considering sacking them.
Air War over Europe
The Luftwaffe switches from Southampton to Bristol as its main target, sending 120 bombers against it. For the past month, the Germans have concentrated on a succession of moderate-sized cities to hammer two or more times in a row - Coventry, Birmingham, Southampton included. London still receives attention, but the Luftwaffe high command apparently has decided that there is more impact to destroying a single smaller city than gradually demolishing London.
RAF Coastal Command attacks Axis shipping off Norway, while RAF Bomber Command bombs the U-boats at Lorient.
Battle of the Atlantic
Convoy HX 90 is attracting the attention of every U-boat in the vicinity. Spotted by U-101 about 926 km south of Iceland on 1 December, the convoy is in the "gap" between full escort from Canada and from Great Britain (poor weather has delayed the UK escort). U-101 continues to shadow the convoy, but just after midnight today U-47 joins, followed by others.
Making the day even more interesting is that HX 90 is not the only convoy attacked. Convoy OB 251 is nearby (relatively speaking). Some U-boats attack it instead, and there are some transfers between the two convoys of escorts from OB 251 to HX 90. U-99 attacks ships in both convoys. Due to all the different attacks, the night is a confused jumble, but one thing is certain: it is a bad night for the British. U-37 makes an independent attack on Convoy OG 46, sinking two ships.
There also is an Italian submarine Argo (pennant number AO) in the vicinity, but it misses the party. Basically, today is a U-boat bonanza in the mid-Atlantic. Everything is coordinated by U-Boat Command (BdU), in the person of Rear Admiral Karl Dönitz in Paris.
Just to summarize, below are the submarines attacking today and early on the 3rd.
U-Boats which make up the HX 90 wolfpack:
U-101 (Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen)
U-47 (Kptlt. Gunther Prien)
U-95 (Kptlt. Gerd Schreiber)
U-52 (Kptlt. Otto Salman)
U-94 (Kptlt. Herbert Kuppisch)
U-boat attacking OB 251:
U-99 (Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer)
U-43 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Lüth)
U-boat attacking Convoy OG 46:
U-37 (Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen)
Prien in U-47 is in his element, with a relatively clean slate to work with - few escorts and the convoy not dispersed. He quickly launches his standard surface attack from within the convoy shortly after his arrival. He sinks one ship damages two others. However, an escort reacts and forces U-99 to discontinue its attack. U-95 then shows up and attacks one of the ships that Prien had damaged, but it does not sink.
U-99, on its way to attack HX 90, encounters an Armed Merchant Cruiser, HMS Forfar, which is guarding OB 251 and pumps five torpedoes into it, sinking it. U-43 also attacks OB 251 and sinks two ships, surviving a ramming attempt.
The ships sunk and damaged:
Ville D'Arlon (Belgian, 7555 tons, sunk by U-47)
Kavak (UK, 2782 tons, U-101)
Lady Glanely (UK, 5497 tons, U-101)
Conch (UK, 8376 tons, damaged by U-47)
Dunsley (UK, damaged by U-47)
Conch (damaged by U-95)
HMS Forfar (UK, 16,402 tons, sunk by U-99)
Tasso (UK, 1,586 tons, sunk by U-52)
Goodleigh (UK, 5448 tons, sunk by U-52)
Stirlingshire (UK, 6022 tons, sunk by U-94)
Wilhelmina (UK, 6725 tons, sunk by U-94)
Victoria City (UK, 4739 tons, sunk by U-140)
Conch (finally sunk by U-99)
Pacific President (UK, 7113 tons, sunk by U-43)
Victor Ross (UK, 12,247 tons, sunk by U-43)
Samnanger (Norwegian, sunk by U-99)
W. Hendrik (UK, 4360 tons, sunk by Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft)
Gwalia (Swedish, 1258 tons, sunk by U-37)
Jeanne M. (UK, 2465 tons, sunk by U-37)
Deaths (some ships had no casualties):
HMS Forfar: 172 dead, including Captain Norman Cyril Hardy
Goodleigh: one crewman dead, 37 survivors
Kavak: 25 crewmen dead, 16 survivors
Lady Glanely: 33 dead, no survivors
Ville d'Arlon: 56 dead, no survivors
Tasso: 5 dead, 27 survivors
Wilhelmina: 5 dead, 34 survivors
Victoria City: 43 dead, no survivors
Pacific President: 51 dead, no survivors
Victor Ross: 44 dead, no survivors
Samnanger: 30 dead, no survivors
Galia: 16 dead, 6 survivors
Jeanne M: 7 dead, 19 survivors
The damage may be greater, because German and Allied records of this encounter differ in terms of ships damaged. In all, HX 90 loses eleven ships of 73,495 tons (including the freighter Appalachee sunk by U-101 on the 1st), while OB 251 loses four (including the AMC). The HX 90 escorts spend four hours depth-charging the attackers, but the U-boats escape unscathed.
Elsewhere, 483 ton British coaster Jolly Girls hits a mine and sinks off Newcastle upon Tyne. Everybody survives.
The Luftwaffe (Heinkel HE 115 seaplanes of KGr 406) sinks 276 ton British trawler Kilgerran Castle in the Northwest Approaches.
The Kriegsmarine lays mines off of Dover.
Convoy FN 348 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 253 departs from Liverpool.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Tynedale (L 90, Lt. Commander Hugo E. F. Tweedie) and minesweeping trawler HMS Ophelia (T 05, Captain S. Bennett) are commissioned.
Battle of the Mediterranean
RAF bombers attack Naples, Catania and Augusta. In North Africa, they attack the airfield at Benina and Italian communications and various targets in Italian Somaliland.
A Board of Inquiry begins at Gibraltar over Admiral James Somerville's decision to disengage his cruisers at the Battle of Cape Spartivento. The incident involved a damaged cruiser and other forces facing Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto. It was a minor Italian victory. The court is led by Admiral of the Fleet William Boyle, Earl of Cork and Orrery.
Anglo/Spanish Relations
The British sign a financial agreement with Spain that essentially is a care package. Franco is engaged in a delicate dance between the Allies and Axis in which he is attempting to stay out of the conflict but receive anything that he can from both sides. Around this time, Hitler drafts a letter to Franco requesting right of transit for German troops to attack Gibraltar, but Franco replies that he wants to wait until Great Britain "was on the point of collapse."
British Military
Great War RAF legend Air Marshal Sir High Trenchard declines Prime Minister Winston Churchill's offer of a staff position and continues to serve in an unofficial capacity.
Japanese Military
Several promotions and command changes. Crown Prince Yi Un becomes a lieutenant general in the Japanese Army, while Lieutenant General Masahau Homma becomes commander of the Taiwan Army. Colonel Seiichi Miyamoto becomes the commanding officer of Japanese Unit 516 chemical weapons research unit based in Qiqihar, Nenjiang Province, China, replacing Colonel Oyanazu Masao.
US Military
Henry "Hap" Arnold becomes a permanent Brigadier General. Arnold, the head of the Air Board, is not a Roosevelt favorite because, in Roosevelt's own words, Arnold does not "play ball." However, Arnold is a huge impetus behind the elevation in status of the US Army Air Corps and Roosevelt needs him.
US Government
President Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins depart from Washington by train to Miami, where they will conduct a tour of the Caribbean on the cruiser USS Tuscaloosa.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 3, 2019 4:17:59 GMT
Day 460 of World War II, December 3rd 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greek advance continues, though the pace has slowed just a bit in a few areas due to stiffening Italian resistance. In the mountains, control of the passes means everything, and they are easy to defend - given the will to defend them by the local troops. The Italian troops often are lacking in that regard. The Greek 2nd Division is engaged in a heavy battle to capture the Suhë Pass, and the 8th Division is attacking near Kakavia Pass. Should the Greeks get through the passes, the defense would become much harder.
Along the coast, the Greeks advance 15 miles (25 km) and take Saranda (Italian Santiquaranta). Saranda is a reasonably important supply port and puts more pressure on the Italians to hold the other, absolutely vital ports further north. The loss of Saranda is a particularly jarring one to Mussolini because the port has acquired the honorific "Porto Edda" in honor of his eldest daughter.
Greek II Corps advances on Përmetin in Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. A fierce battle erupts for control of that town (which changes hands regularly throughout the first half of the 20th Century between the Greeks, Turks, Albanians and Italians). The Greeks are taking more casualties in these battles than they have in previous actions, but the Italians continue to give ground. The Greeks also are taking a lot of prisoners, hundreds at a time as the Italians are bereft of supplies and the means to escape in isolated mountain towns.
The battle of Argyrokastro continues, with the Greeks dominating the heights above the town. The Greeks also advance past Pogradets and capture some high ground there.
Mussolini is still in a panic about the Italian reversals in Albania. However, Fascist Party secretary Roberto Farinacci is a hardliner and helps to steady his nerve. A change in military leadership is looking increasingly necessary to Mussolini because the troops do not display the will to win.
The Italians, meanwhile, have caught on to the British presence at Suda Bay, Crete. The Regia Aeronautica launches a raid at 15:40 that hits light cruiser HMS Glasgow with two torpedoes. The torpedoes both hit on the starboard side and rip two huge holes, causing structural damage, flooding, and putting two propeller shafts and the X turret out of action. There are three deaths and three serious injuries. The Glasgow can return under its own power to Alexandria for repairs.
Convoy AS 6 departs from Piraeus for Port Said with several Greek freighters.
Air War over Europe
The Luftwaffe bombs Birmingham again, sending over 50 bombers to attack it which drop over 55 tons of high explosives and 448 incendiaries. Birmingham, loaded with factories was devastated by successive raids in early November, and this adds to the city's misery. London also receives some incendiaries, along with scattered other locations in the Home Counties.
Poor weather restricts flight operations by RAF Bomber Command. They make some small attacks on Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Essen, and Dunkirk.
Battle of the Atlantic
German freighters Idarwald (5033 tons) and Rhein (6031 tons) attempt once more - for at least the third time in recent months - to evade the American Neutrality Patrol and sail from their port of Tampico, Mexico for Occupied France. US destroyer USS Broome spots Idarwald and shadows it, while USS Simpson shadows Rhein. Both US ships make sure that the Royal Navy knows what is happening. This is the beginning of a week-long incident which Adolf Hitler will single out in his 11 December 1941 declaration of war against the United States.
The attacks on Convoy HX 90 conclude during the early morning hours today, but we talk about that attack on the entry for 2 December. After today's final sinkings, including freighter W. Hendrik by Luftwaffe Fw 200 Condors, there are 30 of the convoy's original 41 ships remaining, which sail on to port. The sinking of the W. Hendrik is tragic because the captain mistakenly believes that the ship has been torpedoed due to near misses, making it easy prey for an actual torpedo. Some of the sources make light of this convoy battle, emphasizing that 30 ships did survive, but 25% losses (to no loss for the enemy) are unsustainable in the long run no matter what repetitive task you are doing.
Two Royal Navy cruisers and four destroyers embark on a standard sweep of the southwest Norwegian coast in Operation DN. They do not spot anything.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Campbeltown (one of the US Navy destroyers received in the destroyers-for-bases deal) collides with 8132 British tanker Conus. The Campbeltown is badly damaged and will require almost four months for repair.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Castleton also is damaged in a collision during a patrol in the Western Approaches. She is taken to Portsmouth for repairs.
The Luftwaffe is active against shipping. It damaged 222 ton British trawler Slebech, 275 ton trawler William Downes, and 4745 ton British freighter Quebec City, all in the Western Approaches.
British 292 ton freighter Robrix hits a mine and is damaged about 3 km off Spurn Light House, East Riding of Yorkshire,
German raider Kormoran departs from its home port of Gotenhafen (Gdynia) for a mission in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Pacific. The has 320 mines for use near Australia.
German destroyers Greif, Kondor, Falke and Seeadler lay minefield Marieanne off Dover (Hellfire Corner).
Convoy FN 349 departs from Southend, Convoy FN 349 and FN 351 depart from Methil, Convoy HX 93 departs from Halifax.
U-76 (Oberleutnant zur See Friedrich von Hippel) is commissioned.
Royal Navy minesweeping trawler Ophelia is commissioned.
US Navy light cruiser USS Montpelier is laid down.
Battle of the Mediterranean
The British are gearing up for Operation Compass, the planned assault on the advanced Italian forces in Egypt. The Chief of the General Staff (CIGS) John Dill instructs the Commander in chief Mediterranean (General Archibald Wavell) to set aside landing craft for possible hooks around the advanced Italian positions. Wavell and his fellow officers on the scene don't much care for the idea, but the strategy is favored by Winston Churchill - himself, of course, a former First Sea Lord who always appreciates naval involvement.
Wavell, meanwhile, meets with Lieutenant General William Platt, General Officer Commanding Sudan Defence Force, and Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham, (brother of the naval C-in-C) General Officer Commanding 51st Division, from Kenya. Entirely apart from Operation Compass, they decide to allocate an infantry division - and maybe more forces to recapture Kassala in East Africa (as if to emphasize the point, the RAF attacks Kassala today). Everything depends upon the outcome of Operation Compass - if the offensive there succeeds, then the British can "roll up" the remaining Italian positions to the south. Thus, Operation Compass is of great import to the the entire course of the war south of the Mediterranean.
A report of the British First Sea Lord Sir Dudley Pound to the War Cabinet states that the Royal Navy is gaining control of the Mediterranean. The recent engagement at Cape Spartivento, Admiral of the Fleet Pound concludes, was merely a "chance encounter" in which Italian claims that the "British units... had run away" were "unfounded." Malta is now "reasonably secure" given the success off Operation Collar in delivering reinforcements to the island. Admiral James Somerville, meanwhile, is currently facing an official Court of Inquiry at Gibraltar due to the "chance encounter."
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Havock collides with battleship HMS Valiant in Alexandria Harbour. It requires two months of repairs at Malta.
The Italians have four destroyers and a submarine operating in the Red Sea looking for convoys.
Anglo/US Relations
The UK announces that it has placed orders for 60 merchantmen in US shipyards.
German/Bulgarian Relations
Hitler meets with the Bulgarian ambassador. He needs Bulgaria as a launching pad for the invasion of Greece.
US Government
President Roosevelt and crony Harry Hopkins arrive in Miami and embark on heavy cruiser HMS Tuscaloosa. They are going to inspect some of the bases acquired from the British in the September destroyers-for-bases agreement. The Greenslade Board already has inspected them, but Roosevelt wants to see them for himself. At some point during this trip, Roosevelt and Hopkins come up with the "Lend Lease" idea.
German Military
The Kriegsmarine is upset at Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering's abrupt decision to remove all naval control from torpedo bombers, and - a rarity for this stage of the war - complains. Konteradmiral (rear admiral) Kurt Fricke, Chief of Naval Operations, requests the return of Naval bomber squadrons, and further requests that they be equipped with the Heinkel He 111H-5 version adapted to carry two torpedoes (one Italian Whitehead Fiume 850 kg (1,870 lb) torpedo and a German F5 50 kg (110 lb) light torpedo). Fricke has little chance of winning any kind of dispute with Goering about aircraft, given that the Reichsmarschall considers all airplane activity within the Reich as his personal turf (along with many other things). However, he has good grounds for pursuing the matter, because the planes under naval control have done sterling work against British shipping.
Generalmajor Wolff von Stutterheim, former commander of KG 77, passes in a Berlin hospital. Von Stutterheim is a Pour le Mérite holder from the First World War (and Ritterkreuz recipient) who lost 11 relatives in that earlier conflict. He has been in a Berlin hospital suffering from wounds incurred during the very early stages of the Battle of Britain in June 1940. Stutterheim is buried in a place of honor next to Ernst Udet and Werner Mölders in the Invalidenfriedhof Berlin.
US Military
Heavy cruiser USS Louisville departs from Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil as part of its "Show the Flag" mission in Latin America. Its next stop is Rio de Janeiro.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 4, 2019 4:49:08 GMT
Day 461 of World War II, December 4th 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greeks continue to advance, and Mussolini has had enough. He fires Marshal Pietro Badoglio, who has been Chief of Staff (Capo di Stato Maggiore Generale) since 1925, who "resigns." He is replaced by Ugo Cavallero, who in turn is replaced as Deputy Chief of the Supreme General Staff by General Alfredo Guzzoni. Mussolini also fires the governor of the Italian Dodecanese, Cesare Maria De Vecchi and Admiral Cavagnari either today or within a few days.
In Albania, the Greek 2nd Division completes the capture of Suhë Pass, and 8th Division captures Kakavia Pass when the Italians withdraw during the night. The 8th Division has taken 1500 Italians prisoner and captured numerous artillery pieces and 30 tanks, which the Italians have found ineffective in the steep terrain.
Greek II Army Corps captures Përmet ten miles across the border in southern Albania, while the Italians abandon Argyrokastro in southwest Albania. Greek III Corps is now in full possession of the Kamia Mountain. The advances mean that the Greeks now occupy a continuous line from the port of Saranda to Pogradec on Ohrid Lake.
The Greeks are advancing on the left side of the line, but they still lag the more advanced troops on the right side. By order of Commander-in-chief Papagos, those troops on the right are waiting for the rest of the Greek forces in the south to catch up. While their advance appears to be going quickly, the weather is foul and the Greek troops are on foot grinding through the snow and slush. They are advancing steadily, but slowly. The choice by the Italians to invade at the onset of winter is now working in their favor - but in a way that wasn't part of the plan.
The RAF based near Athens is in action over Albania, claiming eight victories.
Air War over Europe
During the day, the Germans raid Dover. After dark, the Luftwaffe sends 62 bombers against Birmingham, England. They drop 77 tons of high explosives and 184 incendiary bombs. London also receives some attention.
RAF Bomber Command attacks Antwerp, Calais, Turin and targets around Dusseldorf.
Battle of the Atlantic
U-37 (Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen) torpedoes and sinks 1513 ton Swedish freighter Daphne southwest of Gibraltar. There are 18 deaths. The Daphne is a straggler from Convoy OG-46.
U-52 (Kptlt. Helmut Möhlmann) claims to have torpedoed and sunk a freighter in the Northwest Approaches off Ireland, but it is unclear what, if any, ship it sank. Most accounts discount this claim, Möhlmann may have sunk a derelict already claimed by another means.
Royal Navy 1927 ton freighter HMS Empire Seaman is sunk intentionally as a blockship at Scapa Flow, East Weddel Sound. Some accounts place this sinking on 30 June, 1940.
Belgian 145 ton fishing trawler Helene hits a mine and sinks in the English Channel off Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. That area has been recently mined.
Norwegian 2669 ton iron ore freighter Skogheim runs aground near Songvår Lighthouse, Søgne, Vest-Agder whilst on a voyage from Kirkenes to Emden and is a total write-off. Everybody aboard survives. The ship is later salvaged.
Convoy OB 254 departs from Liverpool, Convoy Fn 350 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 353 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 351 is detained in port, Convoy BS 10 departs from Suez.
U-552 (Kplt. Erich Topp), a Type VIIC boat, is commissioned. Topp is the former commander of U-57, which sank following a collision with a Norwegian vessel on 3 September 1940. He already has six victims under his belt in U-57. We shall be hearing quite a bit more about Topp and U-552.
US destroyer USS Eberle (Lt. Commander Edward R. Gardner, Jr.) is commissioned.
Battle of the Mediterranean
Operation Compass, the projected British attack on Italian positions in Egypt, is only days away. British Major General Richard O'Connor, Commander of the Western Desert Army, who prefers to lead from the front (unlike many British Generals), transfers his headquarters to an advance location where he can better supervise the offensive. Leading from the front is a two-edged sword: it provides certain benefits such as inspiring the troops, but it also exposes the commander to danger.
At Malta, Royal Navy submarine HMS Upright (Lt J E Brooks RN) arrives. It is the first of three U class submarines assigned to Malta. The commander notes that the sub is not fit for long patrols due to inability to carry sufficient provisions, and the long trip from Gibraltar, which included a patrol off Palermo, Sicily, taxed the crew.
The Germans begin their penetration into the Mediterranean by instituting Fliegerkorps X at Taormina, Sicily.
Battle of the Pacific
Captured Norwegian freighter Ole Jacob arrives safely in Kobe, Japan. This ship was captured by raider Pinguin and carries extremely sensitive documents from the British War Cabinet that were taken from sunk freighter Automedon. Some historians believe that these documents are critical to the Japanese decision to attack the British and Americans in December 1941. The prize crew hands the Top Secret documents (which the British have no idea have been captured) to the German ambassador, who gives one copy to the Japanese government and sends another by courier to Berlin via the Trans-Siberian Railroad. This has been an exceedingly competently handled operation by the Germans - they sank the Automedon before it could get off any messages, have the British crew safely secured, and briskly got the information to a safe haven. In the long run, though, the information will prove to be a double-edged sword for the Axis.
Italian/German Relations
Mussolini is in the midst of a crisis of confidence about his troops' situation in Albania. He orders his Ambassador to Germany, Dino Alfieri (who generally has little to do because Hitler and Mussolini usually communicate through each other or their foreign ministers), to meet with Hitler and plead for assistance there.
Anglo/Turkish Relations
Turkey joins Spain and other neutral countries in wringing concessions from both sides as they play a very dangerous game in strategic areas. The British sign a trade agreement with Turkey calculated to keep that country from drifting toward the Axis. Hitler, meanwhile, always has his eye on Turkey because it controls the Dardanelles, and his focus will become only sharper the closer his forces draw to it - and past it.
Romania
The Antonescu government begins to regain control of the country after the recent re-burial of the founder of the Iron Guard, which inspired massive unrest.
German Military
Adolf Hitler meets with Abwehr boss Admiral Canaris. They discuss the prospects for Operation Felix, the subjugation of Gibraltar. Any attack, they conclude, requires Spanish cooperation and perhaps assistance.
US Military
F4F-3 Wildcats enter service with VF-41. They still have some problems with a poor cockpit layout, as pilots can easily confuse the flap settings with the fuel valve. The F4F already serves with the RAF in England as the Martlet due to previous purchases by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board before the fall of France.
US Government
Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (retired), the Governor of Puerto Rico, resigns. He has been offered the vacant post of Ambassador to France.
British Government
The Admiralty releases figures showing that shipping losses for the month ending 24 November were 323,157 tons.
Winston Churchill, as usual, sides with the Admiralty against the RAF in a dispute over control of the U-boat war.
British Homefront
The supply situation in England isn't getting any better, but Minister of Food Lord Woolton announces that the inmates', er, population's rations of sugar and tea will be increased - temporarily - by four and two ounces, respectively for Christmas.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 5, 2019 4:11:43 GMT
Day 462 of World War II, December 5th 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
In Greece, the Greek advance grinds forward. Greek I Corps captures Delvinë. Greek II Corps also advances. The Greeks advance on Argyrocastro and take heighs near Librohovo, six miles southeast of the town. The Greek air force attacks Italian communications.
The British hand over a dozen Gloster Gladiator biplanes to the Greek air force.
Air War over Europe
During the day, RAF Bomber Command raids Düsseldorf and Turin. Coastal Command attacks Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Lorient and Haamstede. The Luftwaffe sends some fighter-bombers across during the day which drop bombs in scattered areas of East Kent. After dark, the RAF cancels its raids due to the weather, while the Luftwaffe sends small raids against London and points along the south coast.
Adolf Galland of JG 26 gets his 57th victory claim. He now has surpassed both Werner Molders and the now-deceased Helmut Wick. Galland is the leading ace of the war. Molders, however, remains active and could regain the lead.
The RAF makes plans to open ten new airfields by Spring. They will house ten fighter squadrons, ten medium bomber squadrons, and two heavy bomber squadrons.
Battle of the Atlantic
German raider Thor successfully has broken out into the Atlantic. The auxiliary cruiser is southeast of Rio de Janeiro when it spots 20,062 ton Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Carnarvon Castle. The ships are armed reasonably evenly, both with 15 cm (5.91 inch) guns, but the British ship has eight of those guns to Thor's four. Thus, in theory, the Carnarvon Castle should have the advantage. However, German Kapitän zur See (Captain) Otto Kähler displays superior tactics and his gunners better accuracy. Kähler induces the Royal Navy ship to give chase - putting its rear guns out of action and evening the combat scales. Thor's gunners then score 27 hits on its pursuer, badly damaging the Carnarvon Castle and forcing it to withdraw to Montevideo, Uruguay. The British lose 6 crew and have 32 wounded. Thor, undamaged, then proceeds to a rendezvous with cruiser Admiral Scheer, while the Royal Navy sends other ships fruitlessly to search the vast ocean for it.
The Luftwaffe bombs and damages destroyer HMS Cameron while in drydock in Portsmouth Harbour. The Cameron is one of the former US destroyers acquired in the bases-for-destroyers deal. There are 14 deaths. The destroyer capsizes as the bomb hits allow water to pour into the drydock. She can be refloated and repaired, though the Cameron will never return to service. Instead, it will be used for testing purposes regarding things like bomb damage.
Italian submarine Argo torpedoes and sinks 5066 ton British freighter Silverpine. All 36 aboard perish. The Silverpine is a straggler from convoy OB 52.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Sunfish torpedoes and sinks 2182 ton Finnish freighter Oscar Midling off Stadlandet., Norway. Everybody on board perishes.
British torpedo boats MTB 29, 31 and 32 find a German freighter, the 6062 ton Paranagua, off Flushing and sink it.
Royal Navy 214 ton minesweeping trawler HMT Calverton hits a mine and sinks at the mouth of the Humber.
A severe storm hits the Irish Sea and sinks several ships before it is over.
British 632 ton collier Amlwch Rose gets caught in a storm after departing Liverpool for Dublin. It sinks in Liverpool Bay.
British 360 ton collie Privet also sinks in the rough weather in Liverpool Bay. All nine aboard perish.
Seaplane tender USS George E. Badger also gets caught in rough weather on the other side of the Atlantic and runs aground off Hamilton, Bermuda. However, luckily there is no damage, and the ship later floats off.
German freighter Klaus Schoke, seized by HMS California off the Azores and under tow to Gibraltar, sinks. The German ship's crew had tried to scuttle her, but only partially succeeded - at first.
The German coastal guns at Calais get another rare success when they damage 1107 ton British freighter Waterland in Dover Harbour.
Torpedoed several days ago, destroyer HMCS Saguenay makes it to port. It is the first Canadian naval casualty of the war.
Convoy AN 9 departs from Port Said, bound for Piraeus, Greece. It is a troop convoy carrying British troops to aid in the defense of Greece. The poor weather keeps convoys in the Atlantic in port.
German battleship Bismarck completes her sea trials in the Baltic Sea and heads for Hamburg.
U-109 (Korvettenkapitän Hans-Georg Fischer) is commissioned.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Salisbury, formerly the USS Claxton, is commissioned.
Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian 795 ton torpedo boat Calipso hits a mine and sinks east of Tripoli about 6 miles from Cape Misurata. The mine had been laid by Royal Navy submarine HMS Rorqual on 5 November.
At Malta, the local government puts out an appeal for donations to fund Christmas parties for refugees. There are literally thousands of refugees housed in various villages throughout the island.
Battle of the Pacific
Australian 1052 ton freighter Nimbin hits a mine and sinks off Norah Head, New South Wales. There are seven deaths and 13 survivors. The mine was laid by the German raider Pinguin in November. This is the first Australian registered merchant ship sunk. Fortunately for the survivors, the ship is carrying a cargo of plywood bundles which float and provide a means to survive until rescued by SS Bonalbo a few hours later. Captain Bryanston goes down with the ship.
Anglo/Vichy French Relations
Louis Rougier, Marshal Petain's unofficial representative to Great Britain, sends Prime Minister Winston Churchill a letter. It clarifies Petain's intentions regarding participation into the war. Specifically, Petain promises not to make a separate peace with Germany - a hollow assurance given the current state of relations between Vichy France and Nazi Germany. He also promises not to allow Nazi Germany to occupy French colonies in North Africa, nor allow it possession of the French fleet. In addition, Petain promises not to contest Charles de Gaulle's occupation of Gabon. Basically, the promises are simply rehashes of old promises or meaningless gestures, and some of them will be broken before the war is over while others will be kept.
Anglo/US Relations
The subject of how to continue supplying weapons to Great Britain despite its growing financial issues heats up. Talks are proceeding in Washington regarding a possible $2.5 billion loan to Great Britain for war aid, to be secured by British gold production over the coming five years. Bankers consider the UK to be a good credit risk, but the Johnson Act prohibits private lending to any nation in default of its Great War debt - such as Great Britain. President Roosevelt, touring the Caribbean with Harry Hopkins on the USS Tuscaloosa, also is thinking about the same general topic, but his solution isn't a loan - it is what will come to be called Lend-lease.
German/Spanish Relations
The German ambassador in Madrid telegrams Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and tells him that the Spanish have agreed to allow German tankers to anchor in small bays. These can be used to refuel U-boats and raiders. The scheme depends upon the British not finding out. This is another of the Spaniard's small gestures toward the Germans while also cultivating friendly relations with the British.
German Military
Adolf Hitler meets with his two army chiefs, Colonel General Franz Halder, Chief of the General Staff, and Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the Army. They discuss the plans for Operation Barbarossa, which Hitler approves and following which he begins preparing a Fuhrer Directive. The operational plan at this time, which eventually will be called Operation Barbarossa, for now is called Operation Otto. The Germans have a tendency to re-use code names, and Otto is named after the crown prince of Austria-Hungary at the time, Otto von Habsburg. It previously was used to refer to the Anschluss with Austria in 1938.
The plan at this stage envisions three axes of invasion in the north, center, and south of the Soviet border. The strength of each prong will remain a subject of much deliberation and disagreement over coming months - some of the Generals prefer maximum effort in the direction of Moscow, while Hitler sees the taking of the Soviet capital as essentially pointless. Tentative timing for the invasion is May 1941.
Another topic broached at the meeting is Operation Felix. Hitler is trying to convince Franco to allow passage of German troops, but the Spaniards do not want to alienate the British. Hitler tentatively sets 10 January as the date for the Wehrmacht to cross the border and 4/5 February for Operation Felix itself. Everything, however, depends upon Franco's assent - though some in the German High Command, such as Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, think that the Wehrmacht should cross the border regardless of what Franco allows.
Canadian Military
The Royal Navy commissions four former US Navy destroyers acquired in November at Halifax during the destroyers-for-bases deal:
- USS Ringgold (DD-89) becomes HMS Newark (G 08).
- USS Sigourney (DD-81) becomes HMS Newport (G 54).
- USS Tillman (DD-135) becomes HMS Wells (I 95).
- USS Robinson (DD-88), becomes HMS Newmarket (G 47).
Additional Canadian escorts are needed to help fill the gaps in escort coverage in the Atlantic now that U-boats are based in France and are roaming further and further west.
British Military
The first flight of the second prototype of the Hawker Tornado, P5224, takes place 14 months after that of the first prototype. Its armament has been significantly upgraded to four 20 mm Hispano cannon and it now is powered by a Vulture II engine. The flight is a success, but problems will continue to plague the plane's development, primarily relating to the Vulture engine.
US Military
The US 17th Pursuit Squadron, formerly based at Selfridge Field, Mount Clemens, Michigan, transfers to Nichols Field, Luzon, Philippines. It does not yet have its fighters, and begins practicing with Boeing P-26 Peashooters. Even when they get their "real" aircraft, Seversky P-35s, they will be flying obsolete planes.
Construction begins on the 20-mile US Army Railway serving Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, which includes a major trestle that can still be visited. This is part of a major national defensive initiative to build up military infrastructure.
US Government
Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired) becomes the new US Ambassador to Vichy France.
British Government
In a very rare gesture toward peace, the House of Commons of Parliament votes on a peace amendment offered by John McGovern of the Scottish Independent Labour Party. The measure fails, 341-4. There always is a peace faction England, though it makes little noise outside of times like this.
India
The British release from prison Nationalist leader Subhas Chandra Bose after a hunger strike. They will continue to keep Bose under house arrest.
China
The Chinese Communists conclude their Hundred Regiments Offensive. They have captured much ground, but also taken heavy casualties.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 6, 2019 3:01:51 GMT
Day 463 of World War II, December 6th 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Greek advance continues. They consolidate their hold on Saranda, a port with special significance to Mussolini because it has acquired the nickname Porto Edda after his daughter. In the Pindos Mountains, the Greeks advance toward Klisura, and in Macedonia the Greeks move toward Elbasan.
Air War over Europe
The weather restricts flying operations. The Luftwaffe bombs Bristol, which is its latest target for successive raids, and London. The RAF bombs various airfields and ports in northwest Europe.
Battle of the Atlantic
The weather remains rough in the North Atlantic and English Channel. This mangles convoy schedules and damages/sinks numerous smaller ships.
British 347 ton freighter Accomac has its boiler explode - perhaps due to stress fighting the weather - and drifts ashore at Pickie, Bangor, Northern Ireland. The ship is a total loss, but apparently everybody survives.
Free French 2147 ton collier Mousse le Moyec runs aground and is wrecked at Harland Point, Devon.
Norwegian 1374 ton freighter Nyland is sailing with Convoy EN 35 off Iona, Inner Hebrides when it runs aground at West Rock and is wrecked. All 20 on board (including three Canadians) perish. The Nyland was en route to join Convoy OB 255 out of Liverpool. The ship simply disappears - a tug sent to tow it off the shore found nothing. Two weeks later, some wreckage bearing her name is found at Torran Rocks.
British coaster South Coaster encounters severe weather in Bristol Channel and is abandoned by its crew. The ten men are picked up by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute and the ship sinks. A ship with the same name sinks on 13 December 1943 at Pole Sands, but that is a different wreck.
Submarine HMS Unbeaten bangs up against depot ship HMS Titania in the Clyde due to the rough weather and takes damage. It proceeds to Barrow for repair.
Minesweeper HMS Salamander suffers serious damage in the rough seas and proceeds to Grimsby for repairs.
U-43 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Lüth), on its sixth patrol out of Lorient under its new captain, torpedoes and sinks 1902 ton Norwegian 1902 ton freighter Skrim west of Ireland. The U-boat has to pursue the freighter for almost four hours, and then misses with its first torpedo. A second shot 20 minutes later, however, sends the freighter to the bottom in barely a minute. This sinking is partly attributable to the rough weather as well, since the Skrim had lost contact with Convoy OB 252 two days before. Due to the conditions and loss of all crew, it is a historical assumption that this victim is the Skrim. All 34 on board perish.
British 554 ton freighter Supremity hits a a min and sinks in the Thames Estuary. There is one death.
German 218 ton trawler Jupiter runs aground near Lodsbjerg, Jutland, likely due in part to the weather. It later is salvaged, repaired and returned to service after the war. The Jupiter had been requisitioned for Operation Sealion, but those ships had been dispersed and returned to normal duties pursuant to Hitler's orders.
Convoy FN 352 departs from Southend, Convoys FS 354 and FS 355 depart from Methil (some convoys have been delayed due to the weather), Convoy HX 94 departs from Halifax.
Royal Navy minesweeper HMAS Bathurst (Lieut-Commander A. V. Bunyan, DSC, RD; RANR(S)) is commissioned.
Corvette HMCS Spikenard (K 198) is commissioned.
US submarine Flying Fish is laid down at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine.
U-166 is laid down in Bremen.
Battle of the Mediterranean
The British put in place final preparations for Operation Compass, the offensive against the advanced Italian lines in Egypt. The British march 25,000 troops 35 miles forward from their encampments near Mersa Matruh toward the front lines, hidden as best they can near their jump-off points. They still have about 35 miles to go. The plan is for a 5-day raid through a 15-mile gap between Italian encampments.
The British Tommies are not told that they are on the verge of an offensive; this is "Training Exercise No. 2." The units are British 7th Armoured Division, British 16th Infantry Brigade and Indian 4th Infantry Division. Together, they comprise Western Desert Force under the command of General Richard O'Connor).
Royal Navy submarine HMS Regulus hits a mine and sinks off Taranto, Italy sometime around this date. All 55 on board perish.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Triton torpedoes and damages 6040 ton Italian freighter Olimpia. The Olimpia is escorted by two Italian torpedo boats, the Altair and the Andromeda, but they fail to locate the Triton.
Battle of the Pacific
German raiders Komet and Orion, operating in tandem, come upon 4413 ton British/Australian phosphate freighter Triona northeast of the Solomon Islands near the island of Nauru (west of the Gilberts group). The Germans are very interested in Nauru due to its phosphate production, and are planning to attack it, and coming across the Triona is purely coincidental to that objective. Accounts vary about what happened next: either the freighter is sunk after a long chase, killing three or four (native) crewmen with gunfire, or the ship is captured and then sunk. It is possible that the ship is captured after a chase and either quickly scuttled or sinks from its battle damaged. In any event, the Triona does not last very long. There are 68 survivors, including 6 female passengers and a child.
Anglo/Vichy French Relations
The Vichy French and English are engaged in drawn-out deliberations behind the scenes, but in public they remain adversaries. The British War Cabinet today declines to grant any humanitarian aid to France.
German/Italian Relations
Italian Foreign Minister Dino Alfieri complies with Mussolini's order and meets with German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. Alfieri requests German intercession in the Greek campaign. Ribbentrop submits Alfieri to one of his standard lectures and then schedules a meeting between Alfieri and Hitler on the 7th.
German Military
Subsequent to the big conference held with Hitler regarding Operation Barbarossa, OKW operations chief Lt.Gen. Alfred Jodl has Major General Walther Warlimont begin detailed planning.
Italian Military
Pursuant to his recent discussion with Mussolini, Marshal Badoglio "resigns" his position as Chief of Staff. He is succeeded by General Count Cavallero.
Vichy French Government
The government indicts former government leaders Blum, Daladier, La Chambre, and Gamelin.
US Military
William "Wild Bill" Donovan departs for Europe. He is to conduct another fact-finding mission at the request of President Roosevelt.
Heavy cruiser USS Louisville returns to Rio de Janeiro on its "Show the Flag" mission.
Indochina
The Japanese step in and attempt to resolve the simmering Thai/Vichy French border war. They sign a "non-aggression pact" with the Thais (supposedly at the Thai government's request) and basically impose a settlement. The Thais get several disputed territories, including Lao Sayaboury, the Cambodian provinces of Battambang and Siem Riep (Phibunsongkhram province), and the part of Champassak on the west bank. The US, meanwhile, looks askance at the Thai invasion and halts exports of 16 aircraft to Thailand, re-routing them to their own forces in the Philippines. The US also considers further sanctions based in part on the growing perception that Thailand and Japan basically are now de facto allies, which is not the case.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 7, 2019 6:33:58 GMT
Day 464 of World War II, December 7th 1940
YouTube (The Road to Moscow - German Invasion Plans)
Italian/Greek Campaign
The Italians continue retreating along the southern and middle sectors of the line. Most of the action takes place in the air, where the RAF bombers based near Athens raid Italian shipping and the ports of Durazzo and Salona.
Air War over Europe
Apparently due to rough weather, the Luftwaffe bombers stay on the ground today, giving England its first full day without any air raids since 7 August 1940. When the weather is sketchy, both sides make different evaluations of whether to mount missions. However, Luftwaffe fighter-bombers and torpedo bombers are operational during the day. After dark, RAF Bomber Command decides to go and sends bombers against Düsseldorf.
RAF No. 263 Squadron is equipped with the new Westland Whirlwind twin-engine fighter. It has good range and will be used on convoy duties.
Battle of the Atlantic
The weather remains rough. Many ships stay in port, while those that venture out are at increased risk of sustaining damage or grounding.
British 1827 ton freighter Lormont, operating as a guard ship and fitted with deck guns, collides with Royal Navy 213 ton minesweeping trawler Cortina near the mouth of the Humber, likely in part due to the weather. Both ships sink
Dutch 2489 ton freighter Stolwijk, part of Convoy SC 13, runs aground in County Donegal, Ireland and is lost. There are 10 deaths and 18 survivors. This loss is directly attributable to the weather, as the storms damages her rudder. She breaks up on the rocks off Tory Island. The Irish lifeboat crew earn medals from the the Netherlands and the British for their heroic rescue of the crew.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sabre attempts to rescue the crew of the Stolwijk during the storm and sustains heavy damage to her superstructure. She must put into Derry for repairs.
Canadian 1747 ton freighter Watkins F. Nisbet runs aground and is lost in the Bristol Channel. The date on this is unclear, it may have run aground on the 6th and then been written off today. The stern section is salvaged.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sabre is damaged by the weather while returning from escort duties and puts in at Belfast for repairs.
Destroyer HMS Broadway is damaged in a collision at Scapa Flow, likely in part due to the weather, and sails to the Humber for repairs.
U-99 (Kplt. Otto Kretschmer), on its 7th patrol out of Lorient, sights Convoy OB 252 southwest of Ireland and torpedoes and sinks 5237 ton Dutch collier Farmsum. There are 12 deaths in the sinking, 4 die of exposure in the lifeboats, and 15 survive. The weather is bitter, and the survivors all have severe frostbite when picked up by HMS Ambuscade.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Sunfish torpedoes and damages 1715 ton Norwegian tanker Dixie in the North Sea.
The Luftwaffe attacks the Humber area and damages 827 British freighter Yewarch.
Royal Navy 219 ton minesweeping trawler Capricornus hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary near the Nore Light Vessel.
German raider Admiral Hipper departs from Kiel to enter the North Atlantic as Operation Nordseetour.
German battleship Bismarck enters the Kiel Canal.
U-66 refuels and restocks at sea from German supply ship Nordmark, enabling it to prolong its voyage.
Four Royal Navy minelayers operate east of Iceland, laying minefield SN 10A.
Convoy FN 353 departs from Southend, Convoy FN 354 remains in port, Convoys SLS 58 and SL 58 departs from Freetown.
Battle of the Mediterranean
General O'Connor's 50,000 men involved in the Operation Compass raid complete their march from Mersa Matruh to the front lines. The plan is to attack the Italians from the rear. Included in the force are 275 tanks, held further back. The Italian reconnaissance planes do not spot the advancing British forces, which are supplied by depots deposited in the front lines well in advance. The British troops, who think they are on an exercise, finally are told that they are going to be involved in a major offensive. The Western Desert Force includes the 7th Armoured Division, 4th Indian Division and the 16th Infantry Brigade. Selby force (Brigadier A.R. Selby) prepares dummy tanks to confuse Italian reconnaissance.
As part of the preparation for Operation Compass, RAF Wellington bombers based on Malta raid the Castel Benito airfield in Libya. They destroy 29 Italian planes.
The Royal Navy also is involved in Operation Compass. Monitor HMS Terror, gunboat HMS Ladybird, and minesweeper HMS Bagshot form Force A from Alexandria and head for positions off the Italian bases in Egypt. They bombard Sidi Barrani.
Battle of the Pacific
British 10,923 ton freighter Hertford runs into a mine and is damaged in Spencer Gulf off Kangaroo Island in the vicinity of Adelaide. These are mines laid in November by German raider Pinguin.
German raiders Komet and Orion are operating off Nauru west of the Gilbert Islands. The weather is poor, preventing their plan to bombard the phosphate operations on the island. However, during the evening, Komet, disguised as Japanese freighter Manyo Maru, encounters and sinks 5264 ton Norwegian freighter Vinni about 10 km south of the island. The disguise, incidentally, works perfectly, and although the Komet is spotted from the shore, it is believed to be a harmless Japanese freighter. Everybody on board the Vinni is taken aboard the Komet.
German/Italian Relations
Following his interview with German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop on 6 December, Italian Ambassador Dino Alfieri meets with Adolf Hitler. Alfieri is there to plead for German assistance with the campaign in Albania, and perhaps diplomatic overtures by Germany to end the conflict. Hitler agrees to authorize fifty transport planes for use by the Italians in moving troops across the Ionian Sea. He also urges Mussolini to implement harsh measures, including courts-martial and executions to get his men to fight.
Italian Military
Mussolini continues his purge of the top leadership of the Italian military, dismissing General Cesare de Vecchi, Governor of Dodecanese Islands, and replacing him with General Ettore Bastico.
German/Spanish Relations
Admiral Canaris, head of the German military intelligence service Abwehr, meets with Franco in Madrid. Canaris conveys Hitler's desire that Franco declare war on Great Britain in January and allow passage of Wehrmacht troops from France. Franco demurs, giving his standard reply that Spain is not prepared for a war. He has an extensive laundry list of items that he would require in advance, particularly grain, before entering the war.
British Military
The prototype Fairey Barracuda has its first flight. It is intended to replace the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes. The test flight goes well, but the plane as currently equipped is underpowered and suffers from a poor rate of climb.
The 100th Beaufighter is completed at Filton, South Gloucestershire, England.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 8, 2019 8:07:52 GMT
Day 465 of World War II, December 8th 1940Italian/Greek CampaignMussolini on continues his ongoing purge of the Italian military leadership. He dismisses three admirals, including Chief of Naval Staff Domenico Cavagnari. He is replaced by Admiral Arturo Riccardi. Cavagnari is a "battleship" admiral who has little use for aircraft carriers, which in theory are unnecessary in the Mediterranean due to the prevalence of air bases. However, having naval aircraft close at hand - and not a half hour away - can make all the difference in the short, sharp engagements that characterize this war's encounters. General Cesare Maria de Vecchi, commander of the Italian forces based in the Aegean Sea, and Inigo Campioni, commander with the Italian Navy 1st Naval Squadron. also are rumored to be leaving their posts. However, there is no official announcement of this at this time. The Greeks, meanwhile, continue pressing forward. Today, Greek I Corps captures Gjirokastër (Argyrokastro) and Delvinë (Dervitsani). Air War over Europe After taking a day off at least partly due to the weather, the Luftwaffe comes back with full force. KG 55 and other formations send 413 bombers against London, maintaining a prolonged bombardment that lasts from dusk to dawn. Damage is extensive, including to the Tower of London and House of Commons. There are seven hospitals destroyed along with four churches from the 115,000 incendiaries dropp and 387 tons of high explosives. The Luftwaffe loses only two bombers, one of which crashes during takeoff at Villacoublay airfield. RAF Bomber Command attacks Dusseldorf, Lorient, Bordeaux, Brest, Flushing, Gravelines, Dunkirk and various airfields in northwest Europe. Battle of the Atlantic German freighters Idarwald (5098 tons) and Rhein are attempting at least their third breakout from their refuge at Tampico, Mexico, but are being shadowed by US Neutrality Patrol ship USS Sturtevant (DD-240). Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diomede (D 92), alerted by the US ships broadcasting the situation in the clear, approaches the Idarwald off Cabo Corrientes, Cuba to take possession. The German captain, however, instructs his crew to scuttle the ship. They set fires and take to their lifeboats. The British fight the fires and take the ship in tow, but it later sinks. Adolf Hitler specifically refers to this incident on 11 December 1941 in his declaration of war on the United States. Photo: A bulkhead of the Idarwald has given way and she sinks more rapidly by the bows. The British warship has abandoned her salvage attempts and the German freighter is cast off. U-103 (Kptl. Viktor Schütze), on its 2nd patrol out of Lorient and sailing in the Western Approaches, torpedoes and sinks British 5186 ton freighter Calabria. The Calabria is carrying 4000 tons of iron, 3050 tons of tea and 1870 tons of oilcake. It also has 230 passengers, primarily Indian sailors being brought to England to crew other ships, in addition to 130 crew. The U-boat puts two torpedoes into the freighter in bright moonlight. The ship sinks quickly - typical for ships carrying heavy cargo - and all 360 aboard perish. The losses include the 79-year-old ship's cook, Santan Martins, believed to be the oldest merchant marine crewman to lose his life during the war. The Calabria's ship's bell had been removed prior to this voyage and occasionally comes up for auction. U-140 (Kptlt. Hans-Peter Hinsch), on its only war patrol (it is a small Type IID submarine unsuited to ocean work), is sailing north of Ireland when he spots a victim. It is steel 3-mast 2816 ton Finnish barque Penang, which has sailed all the way from Australia with a load of grain for Ireland. Hinsch torpedoes and sinks the barque, and all 18 crew aboard perish. Later in the day, Hinsch hears a ship nearby requesting assistance by radio. The 5652 ton British freighter Ashcrest has suffered in the recent storms and its rudder is damaged. Hinsch puts a torpedo into it as well, sinking it and causing the deaths of all 37 crew. These are U-140's final victories in the Atlantic, and is soon heads back to port. British 311 ton freighter Actuality hits a mine about 6 km off the Isle of Sheppey, Kent (near Mouse Light Vessel) and sinks. There are six deaths. British 5186 ton freighter Anthea collides with Dutch freighter Maasdam off the Grand Banks of Canada and the crew abandons it, with the ship later sinking. Canadian freighter Beothic runs aground about two miles from Griquet in the Straits of Belle Isle off Cape Bauld, Newfoundland and is lost. British 429 ton freighter Goosethorn sinks in rough weather in Liverpool Bay. German 3210 ton freighter Adalia collides with fellow freighter Mendoza during the night in Flushing Roads in the North Sea near Vlissingen, Zeeland and sinks. The Luftwaffe damages 5281 ton British freighter Treverbyn. Royal Navy destroyer HMS Windsor hits a mine off Aldeburgh and sustains heavy damage. It requires a tow to Harwich by fellow destroyer HMS Garth. German battleship Bismarck exits the Kiel Canal. Convoy OB 256 departs from Liverpool, Convoys FS 356 and 357 depart from Methil, Convoy SC 15 departs from St. John, New Brunswick, Convoy AS 8 from Piraeus is postponed,. Battle of the Mediterranean The British make final preparations for Operation Compass, their attack on the advanced Italian positions in Egypt. The operation is planned as a five-day raid, with the British sending approximately 30,000 troops and 275 tanks between widely separated Italian camps southwest of Mersa Matruh. The troops march until 1 a.m. on the 9th, and then rest until dawn. The Operation Compass preparations include RAF raids on Italian airfields and ports in North Africa. Wellingtons based on Malta and near Cairo attack Benina airfield in Libya, bombing 10 Italian aircraft. The Italians begin to become aware that something is going on. A Italian reconnaissance crew flying over the air spots the British and advises superiors that something is imminent. However, they do not pass the information to General Pietro Maletti, commander of the Raggruppamento Maletti (Maletti Group) of the Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali della Libia (Royal Corps of Libyan Colonial Troops). In any event, it is probably too late for the Italians to take any effective action at this late point anyway. French light cruiser Primauguet, carrying 1200 tons of gold reserves of the Banque de France and the Polish government, arrives at Casablanca from Dakar. Battle of the PacificGerman raiders Orion and Komet (accompanied by supply ship Kulmerland) are operating just off the island of Nauru, west of the Gilbert Islands. The two ships join forces during the night. Together, they sink: - Triadic (6480 tons) (one death). - Triaster (6129 tons). - Komata (4000 tons) (two deaths). The two raiders had intended to bombard the port and land a raiding party to destroy its important phosphate production facilities. However, the weather is bad, and after these sinkings the German ships withdraw to the east of the island. Battle of the Indian OceanGerman raiders Atlantis and Pinguin rendezvous in the middle of the Indian Ocean and plan future operations. They await the arrival of captured Norwegian tanker Storstad, which has a full load of 10,000 tons of diesel oil. Anglo/US Relations: British ambassador to the US Lord Lothian suggests to Winston Churchill that he write to President Roosevelt summarizing events during the year. Churchill complies with a lengthy telegram in which he requests: US Neutrality Patrols further into the Atlantic; That the US pressure Ireland to allow British bases there, in exchange for a post-war unified Ireland; 2,000 combat aircraft per month; More merchant shipping construction. Churchill summarizes: The danger of Great Britain being destroyed by a swift, overwhelming blow, has for the time being very greatly receded. In its place, there is a long, gradually-maturing danger, less sudden and less spectacular, but equally deadly.As both men know, the rub is that Great Britain is running out of money. However, Roosevelt has been doing some creative thinking about that issue which he still wants to think about some more. US/Latin American RelationsThe US agrees to lend Argentina $50 million to stabilize its currency. This is part of a coordinated effort to counter growing pro-Nazi sentiment in Latin America, especially Argentina and Uruguay. CanadaParliament imposes a 25% excise tax on Canadian luxury manufacturers and suspends imports of manufactured goods from the United States. The government also orders eight new minesweepers.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 9, 2019 4:39:39 GMT
Day 466 of World War II, December 9th 1940Italian/Greek CampaignThe Italian Air Force bombs the island of Levkas (Santa Maura) and Arta Bay. The Greek army continues to grind forward in horrendous weather. North Africa Campaign: Operation Compass Mussolini's military problems expand exponentially this day, as the British launch Operation Compass. This is an offensive by two divisions (more or less) of the British Army Western Desert Force against ten divisions of the Italian 10th Army. Anyone familiar with the respective capabilities of the two armed forces knows that a 1:5 British disadvantage in an assault against entrenched Italian positions is a complete mismatch... in favor of the British. The British advanced troops, after assembling in their jump-off points at 01:00, commence a diversionary artillery barrage from the east against the southernmost Nibeiwa encampment at 05:00. This plays into Italian preconceptions of from where an attack must arise - the East - and their defenses all point in that direction. At 07:15, the main artillery barrage commences. Shortly afterwards, the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade jumps off against Nibeiwa from the northwest and swarms the Italians from the rear. The British occupy the camp by 08:30, killing 818 Italians (including commander General Pietro Maletti of the Maletti Group), wounding 1338 and taking 2,000 prisoner. Maletti personally mans a machine gun against a British tank, which cuts him down. At 13:50, the British attack another encampment just to the north known as Tummar West. This camp holds out until 16:00, but the result is basically as same as in the morning attack: 1351 Italians killed, 840 wounded, and numerous prisoners. The surviving Italians either surrender or engage in wild flight north to the coast. The Selby Force (1800 men under Brigadier A. R. Selby) moves forward to surround the remaining Italians at Maktila, but, in the best news of the day for Mussolini, the defenders there manage to escape. They don't get very far, however. By nightfall, the fleeing Italians are backed against the sea near Sidi Barrani with nowhere else to run. The Royal Navy controls the seas, so the Italians have no escape, though they hold out through the night. Basically, their position becomes an armed prison camp. Map: capture of Sidi Barrani The RAF and Royal Navy support Operation Compass without much interference from the Italians. The RAAF chips in with dive-bomber attacks by Gloster Gauntlets (open-cockpit biplanes are perfectly satisfactory weapons against minimal opposition), and the Hurricanes of RAF No. 274 Squadron clear the way by shooting down four biplane Fiat CR 42s. It is fair to say that, while individual Italians fight with great bravery and distinction (there are reports of piles of bodies everywhere), overall today's battle is perhaps the most cataclysmic example in history of well-supplied, numerically superior, elite troops either being unable or unwilling to resist. Leaders are on sides are dumbfounded at the ease of the British success. General O'Connor's British Army troops suffer only 56 deaths during the day. The RAF also raids the Italian airfield at Benina in East Africa, and Gallabat and Gherile in Somaliland. Photo: Bren gun carriers advancing across the Desert. The speed of of the British advance caught the Italians off guard throughout December. Air War over Europe The Luftwaffe attacks London throughout the night of 8/9 November in one of the heaviest sustained assaults of the entire campaign. Radio Berlin makes a point of claiming that this is in retaliation for RAF bombing of German cities. After dark, the Luftwaffe again takes a night off, and there are few flights during the day, either. The London raid thus acquires the air of a one-off stunt rather than a prolongation of the Battle of Britain. The RAF bombs the ports of Bremen, Lorient and Boulogne. While the Germans are loudly proclaiming that they are retaliating against the British, the air war remains far from even. Estimates are that the Luftwaffe drops 7,455 tons of bombs on Great Britain during the month of November, while the RAF drops 475 tons on German. Of course, the British are dropping the majority of their loads on the occupied countries nearby, but in terms of damage to the combatant nations, there is no question that Great British is suffering many times worse than Germany. Battle of the AtlanticU-103 (Kplt. Viktor Schütze) spots 5186 ton British freighter Empire Jaguar (Master Hywel Tudor Thomas) about 300 miles due west of Ireland. At 01:32, he torpedoes and sinks it. The Empire Jaguar is alone, a straggler of Convoy OB 252, and the odds of surviving a quick sinking in the middle of the night with nobody around to rescue you are slight. All 37 aboard perish. British 1527 ton troopship Royal Scot (formerly Royal Sovereign - it was renamed when requisitioned) hits a mine and sinks in the Bristol Channel near Barry. One crewman perishes. The Royal Scot had an active history during the first year of the war, including evacuations of children from Dagenham and Gravesend to Great Yarmouth, troop evacuations from Cherbourg, and nine trips to Dunkirk to rescue 16,000 troops. The RAF bombs and damages German barge Usaramo at Bordeaux, causing the crew to beach and abandon it. Armed merchant Cruiser Dunnottar Castle and auxiliary minelayer Manchester City collide, but damage is slight. Battleship Bismarck reaches its new anchorage at Hamburg. A small Vichy French flotilla (a sloop and four submarines) departs from Toulon in southern France with the intention of exiting the Mediterranean to make port at Dakar. The British have been very uncertain in their treatment of Vichy French warships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, so all such passages are rife with tension. At this stage of the war, the British have not yet closed off the Strait. Convoy FN 355 departs from Southend, Convoy OG 47 departs from Liverpool and Bristol, Convoy HG 48 (nineteen ships) departs from Gibraltar. U-75 and U-76 are commissioned. U-461 is laid down, while U-83 is launched. US/Japanese Relations Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke downplays the likelihood of an armed conflict between his country and the United States, stating: . . if both of us attend to our own business I cannot think there will be any serious clash. . . . We have no difference that cannot be surmounted if we keep our heads cool and mind our business. . . . We do not pass judgment on what the United States does in the West, and we try to confine ourselves to this part of the world. Yosuke, however, knows that neither side is "minding its business" at this point. There is rampant Japanese aggression in China, while effective US sanctions are helping to cause the Japanese to look longingly at the Dutch/Indonesian oilfields to the south. Italian Military Admiral Angelo Iachino, the former Italian Naval attaché in London, becomes the new Commander-in-chief of the Italian Navy (Regia Marina), replacing Inigo Campioni. British MilitaryMajor General Sir Giffard Le Quesne Martel, a veteran of the abortive counterattack against Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division at Arras, becomes the Commander of the Royal Armoured Corps. Perhaps due to his lengthy name, Martel is known simply as "Q." He is one of the leading British tank strategists, having written a prescient paper in November 1916 in which he envisaged entire tank armies - before a single tank had yet to see combat. IndochinaThe Vichy French government, still engaged in an border war with Thailand, forms the French Groupe Occasionnel squadron. It has a light cruiser and four patrol boats (avisos). The battle in southern Indochina is as much a naval war as it is a ground campaign, as the area is dominated by the Mekong Delta and its tributaries.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 10, 2019 4:17:50 GMT
Day 467 of World War II, December 10th 1940Italian/Greek CampaignThe Greeks continue slogging through the snow in the mountains, with Greek II Corps capturing the high ground northwest of Pogradets. The RAF raids the port of Valona (Vlorë). North Africa Campaign: Operation CompassOperation Compass, the British attack on advanced Italian positions in Egypt, continues. Thousands of Italian troops of the Italian 4th Blackshirt Division and some Libyan formations have been pushed northward from their desert camps - place inland in part due to Royal Navy bombardments - to a 16x8 km pocket near Sidi Barrani. The British 16th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Indian Division comes forward to hem them in. The attack beings at 16:00, and by nightfall a couple of hours later, the British have taken Sidi Barrani itself. With Selby Force blocking any retreat, the Italian 4th Blackshirt Division 3 Gennaio and two Italian Libyan Divisions must while away another night in the pocket without any food, water or shelter. The British troops are held up more by a sudden sandstorm than by anything the enemy is doing. The British don't even know how many Italian prisoners they have caught: the Coldstream Guards report simply that there are hundreds of acres of prisoners. General Wavell in Cairo, satisfied that the Italians no longer pose a threat, begins withdrawing troops to send south to the Sudan. There, he hopes to terminate the endless back-and-forth around the border outpost of Kassala. Photo: British Light Tank Mark II Matilda The Royal Navy sends the Mediterranean Fleet to sea from Alexandria in order to assist operations in the Western Desert. Force C (led by battleships HMS Barham and Valiant) and D (led by aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious) sail to bombard Sollum and Tobruk, respectively. The fleet also will come in handy if the Italians attempt a seaborne rescue. Overnight, monitor HMS Terror and gunboats HMS Ladybird and Aphis shell the Italian base at Maktila and causes the Italians there to abandon it. Map: Areas of Operazione E and Operation Compass The RAF also is very active today, particularly in harassing Italians retreating along the coast road to Libya. Force H sails from Gibraltar to help out as well. Battle of the MediterraneanIn the Gulf of Aden, Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Southampton bombards Kismayo, Somalia. Japanese 5028 ton freighter Yamayuri Maru is damaged. Photo: HMS Southampton on completion in 1937
 Italian 5257 ton freighter Marangona hits a mine and sinks 50 km south of Pantelleria. It apparently hit an Italian mine. German freighter Marburg hits a mine and sinks northeast of Ithaca, Greece in the Ionian Sea. Air War over Europe RAF Bomber Command sends a small raid of four Blenheims against the Focke-Wulf plant at Bremen. The RAF also bombs several invasion ports along the Channel coast. The Luftwaffe sends a few desultory raids into East Kent and Esses. Fliegerkorps X transfers from Norway to Sicily and southern Italy. This force includes Junkers Ju 87 Stukas and is under the command of General Hans Ferdinand Geisler. His first first priority, according to Hitler: "Illustrious mussen sinken" (Sink HMS Illustrious). The force will include about 100 aircraft, most based at Comiso and Catania. Battle of the Atlantic Greek 4330 ton freighter Aghia Eirini runs aground at Achill Head, Clew Bay, County Mayo, Ireland after its steering gear fails, perhaps in part due to the rough weather during its crossing. 287 ton Faroes trawler Tor I hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea. German 109 ton freighter Thor sinks near Cherbourg. This is not the famous German raider Thor (Schiff.10), which is operating in the South Atlantic with Admiral Scheer. This Thor apparently sinks during a sweep by Royal Navy destroyers. Convoy FN 356 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 358 departs from Methil, Convoy HX 95 departs from Halifax. Minesweeper HMAS Ballarat launched. U-125 is launched. Battle of the Indian OceanCaptain Bernhard Rogge of the German raider Atlantis receives a signal from Berlin informing him that he has been awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross). The Atlantis is currently refueling with the Pinguin from captured Norwegian tanker Storstad in the southern Indian Ocean. US/Japanese Relations President Roosevelt expands the list of items which cannot be exported without a license - which currently includes oil and scrap metal - to encompass steel and iron. Anglo/Chinese RelationsThe British government extends a $40 million loan to China. This is quite generous, as the British themselves are running out of money. German Military Adolf Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 19, "Operation Attila." This directive instructs the Wehrmacht to plan for the eventual occupation of unoccupied Vichy France "In case those parts of the French Colonial Empire now controlled by General Weygand should show signs of revolt." This operation, given the codename Operation Attila, would be essentially a continuation of the Battle of France, with all resistance "ruthlessly suppressed." The Directive specifically instructs Admiral Raeder, using Admiral Canaris' Abwehr military intelligence organization, to keep tabs on the French Navy so that it can be seized or neutralized. Tellingly in light of current events, the Directive specifies at the end that "The Italians will be given no information about our preparations and intentions." Fuhrer Directive No. 19 is telling in another way. Hitler realizes, given the obstinacy of Francisco Franco in Spain, that trying to convince other European leaders not yet under his thumb to cooperate in his war effort isn't working. Thus, he must plan to resort to force with them. This is one of the few Hitler Directives that essentially will be carried out as stated, but he much rather would have France with him than against him. Separately - and not in Hitler's Directive - General Wilhelm Keitel issues an order announcing that Operation Felix, the planned subjugation of Gibraltar, is suspended indefinitely. Hitler, having read Admiral Canaris' negative report about his meeting with Franco on 7 December, has decided that Operation Felix cannot be pursued due to Spanish unwillingness to cooperate. Taken in conjunction, this order and the Fuhrer Directive show how much things have changed since October, when Hitler was hopeful that Petain and Franco would join in his war against England. Now, there appears to be no hope of that. Backroom planning for Operation Felix remains alive, however, until 1944. US Military The US Navy opens NAS Tongue Point, Oregon. It will service patrol planes. Polish MilitaryMarshal Rydz-Smigly escapes from captivity in Romania and heads for Hungary to join the Polish underground there.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 11, 2019 4:12:02 GMT
Day 468 of World War II, December 11th 1940Italian/Greek CampaignWhile the Greeks are still making progress in Albania, the weather is horrible and there aren't any towns to mark their progress. Greek Commander-in-chief Papagos knows that the real prize is Valona, the key Italian supply port, and without that, the Italian ability to strike back after it builds up reinforcements and supplies remains intact. Valona, however, remains well-defended by the Greeks, who, by and large, have occupied a lot of worthless mountain goat territory and only a few significant towns. The Greeks are approaching Himara on the left of the line. Air War over Europe The Luftwaffe sends a major effort against Birmingham after dark. Dropping 277 tons of high explosives and 685 incendiaries, 278 bombers destroy 6 churches, 11 schools and hundreds of homes. RAF Bomber Command concentrates on power stations and communications junctions in western Germany and the usual Channel ports. The main target is Mannheim, with 42 bombers attacking. Battle of the AtlanticThe other shoe drops in the Caribbean when 6049 ton German freighter Rhein, the second ship (with the Idarwald, already sunk) to make a break from Tampico, Mexico to Occupied France. Dutch warship Van Kinsbergen, alerted to the situation by US destroyers Simpson and MacLeish shadowing the Rhein as part of the Neutrality Patrol, intercepts the Rhein near the Dry Tortugas (off Key West). Just like the crew of the Idarwald, the Rhein's crew sets fire to the ship and attempts to scuttle it. After taking the German crew prisoner, destroyer HMS Caradoc sinks the flaming wreck with gunfire as destroyers USS MacLeish and McCormick watch. The Rhein now is a popular dive wreck for experienced divers. Incidentally, Adolf Hitler mentions this sinking - along with that of the Idarwald - in his declaration of war upon the United States on 11 December 1941 - exactly one year from today. U-94 (Kptlt. Herbert Kuppisch), on its first patrol out of Kiel (heading for Lorient), torpedoes and sinks 5306 ton freighter Empire Statesman in the shipping lanes west of Ireland. All 32 on board perish in the frigid seas. The Empire Statesman is a straggler from Convoy SLS 56 due to engine issues - convoys don't slow down to help those who can't keep up. U-96 (Kplt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock), also on its first war patrol out of Kiel, stumbles upon scattered Convoy HX 92. First, at 15:12, it torpedoes and sinks 10,890 British passenger ship Rotorua, the ship carrying the convoy commodore (Rear Admiral J. U. P. Fitzgerald Rtd), who perishes. There are 23 deaths, but most of the passengers survive. U-96 picks up a couple of survivors and makes them prisoner. Royal Navy destroyer HMS Mashona later picks up the other 108 survivors. Next, U-96 torpedoes 5419 ton Dutch freighter Towa from the same Convoy HX 92. However, this ship takes its time sinking, so the U-boat puts a second torpedo into it at 21:30. Somehow, this also does not sink the freighter, so the U-boat surfaces and begins shelling it. This induces the 37 crewmen to abandon ship, and the freighter finally sinks at 22:42. There are only 19 survivors after one of the lifeboats capsizes in the rough seas. The Towa was carrying 7778 tons of grain and 48 trucks. U-96 also attempts to torpedo 8,237 ton freighter Cardita, but misses. There are still plenty of targets on the horizon for U-96 as the day ends. U-65 (Kptlt. Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen), on an extended three-month cruise, crosses the Equator. It is the first U-boat to do so. British 208 ton British trawler Robinia hits a British-laid mine in the North Sea. Everybody survives. The Luftwaffe attacks shipping in the Thames Estuary and damages 482 ton British freighter Saxon Queen and 1130 ton Swedish freighter Tor.. British battleship King George V, the first of a new class of battleships, finishes her sea trials and joins the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. The days of the battleship may be waning, but the King George V is a handy ship to add to the fleet. However, while it won't be discovered for a while, there are issues with her main guns that still require attention. Convoy OB 257 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 357 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 359 departs from Methil, Convoy BS 10A departs from Port Sudan. U-147 (Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardegen) commissioned. U-172 laid down. Destroyer HMAS Napier commissioned. It heads to Scapa Flow for trials. North Africa Campaign: Operation CompassOutside Sidi Barrani - now in British hands, the English Army goes to work reducing the remaining pockets of Italian troops. Selby Force attacks the 1st Libyan Division Sibelle and forces it to surrender. Their surrender uncovers the 4th Blackshirt Division 3 Gennaio, which also surrenders. The British bring 7th Armoured Brigade forward to relieve 4th Armoured Brigade near Buq Buq on the western sector of the front - 4th Armoured is being pulled out of the line and sent south after it completes its current operations. The Italians, meanwhile, are either surrendering or running. Italian 63rd Division Cirene abandons Rabia and Sofafi, and they run so fast - literally, in many cases - that British 4th Armoured Brigade is too late to cut them off. Retreating down the coast road, the Italians build up their position at Halfaya, the critical defensive position further west. Today the Italians have suffered 2184 killed, 2287 wounded and 38,000 taken prisoner. Usually such a high ratio of KIA to wounded suggests that a military force is fighting hard, but in essence all the Italians who weren't killed outright in the first British assault and could still walk have bugged out immediately to the West. Overall, 15,000 Italians have surrendered during Operation Compass - though the British aren't stopping to count. There are "5 acres of officers and 200 acres of other ranks," as put by a Coldstream Guards officer. Photo: Italian prisoners captured at Sidi Barrani are marched into captivity The Royal Navy has large forces approaching from both the east and west, but, given the outcome of Operation Compass so far, their presence would be purely superfluous. Monitor Terror and two gunboats shell the retreating Italians in the Sollum area overnight, later joined by British battleships HMS Barham and Valiant. Royal Navy submarine HMS Truant damages Italian torpedo boat Alcione off the Libyan coast, but it escapes. Photo: HMS Terror, the World War I vintage Monitor or Gun Boat. Her two 15 inch guns were used to bombard Sidi Barrani from the sea at the same time as an artillery assault by land.
 The Royal Air Force has command of the air in North Africa. Flight Officer C.H. Dyson, flying a Hurricane in RAF No. 33 Squadron, has no difficulty with the biplanes the Italians are flying. He shoots down a record seven Italian fighters in one sortie before being shot down himself. He is uninjured, an ace-and-a-half (almost) in one day. Elsewhere, though, the news is not quite so good for the RAF, as two Swordfish of RAF No. 810 Squadron flying off HMS Ark Royal collide off Europa Point, with three deaths. Anglo/US RelationsThe British have been remarkably composed about requesting aid from the US to date - especially compared to the French in May and June. Today British Ambassador to the US Lord Lothian states that: But with your help in airplanes, munitions, in ships and on the sea, and in the field of finance now being discussed between your Treasury and ours, we are sure of victory.He further warns that the British Isles and other island chains such as the Azores are essential to the US strategic defense because, if they are lost, "your power to strike back at an enemy disappears because you have no bases from which to do so." British MilitaryAir Marshal A. W. Tedder is appointed Deputy to Air Officer Commander-In-Chief, Middle East. He replaces Air Vice-Marshal O.T. Boyd, captured on Sicily recently after his plane made a forced landing there on a trip to Malta. RomaniaRomania agrees to export three million tons of oil to Germany during 1941. That would be double what it has exported in 1940, but the Wehrmacht war machine is exceedingly thirsty. Romania is virtually Germany's only oil source, and this fact informs many of Hitler's strategic decisions.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Dec 12, 2019 4:13:02 GMT
Day 469 of World War II, December 12th 1940
Italian/Greek Campaign
The weather in the Albanian mountains is brutal. The Greeks continue to make small gains. I Corps moves forward in the direction of Himarë. II Corps continues gaining ground between the Aöos and the Apsos rivers, approaching Klisura. Greek V Army Corps advances toward Mount Tomorr, where it hopes to act as a link between Greek II and II Corps.
North Africa Campaign: Operation Compass
The British continue mopping up the remnants of the Italian garrisons in Egypt. The only Italian presences remaining in Egypt are near the border outside Sollum, and in the area of Sidi Omar. The Western Desert Force pursues the fleeing Italians along the coast road (the Via Della Vittoria) toward Halfaya Pass and Fort Capuzzo in Libya. Some British forces cross the border, and Fort Capuzzo in Libya is next on the Operation Compass list.
British 7th Armored Brigade heads through the desert to outflank Sollum and cut the road to Bardia. Sollum, which appears inconspicuous on the map, actually is extremely important to the British because it has a small port, and the Royal Navy has complete control of the sea and can use it to supply further advances.
The Italians leadership is in a panic. Marshal Graziani signals Mussolini that Libya may be next to fall, and Italian troops may be required to withdraw the 10th Army all the way to Tripoli.
Altogether, the Italians have lost 38,289 troops. Some of these are dead and wounded, but the vast majority are taken prisoner. They also lose 73 tanks, 237 guns, 1000 other vehicles - and all of Egypt+. The British to date have lost 634 casualties and no equipment.
The RAF operates offensively against the Italian bases in Libya. Blenheim bombers based in both Malta and Alexandria raid Castel Benito, Benina and El Adem. They are virtually unopposed, as the Italian Fiat CR 42 biplane fighters are brushed aside by the modern RAF Hurricanes, a War Cabinet report about the air situation says:
Egypt and Libya
66. Intensive operations have been carried out by our Air Force in the Middle East. At dusk on the 7th December Wellingtons from Malta carried out a heavy and most successful attack on the aerodrome at Castel Benito (Tripoli) which achieved complete surprise.
Still heavier attacks by combined forces of Blenheims and Wellingtons from Egypt were made on Benina and El Adem aerodromes, where concentrations of enemy aircraft were known to exist. Considerable damage was caused to hangars, administrative buildings, bomb and petrol dumps and aircraft on the ground. It is believed that at Castel Beninto alone thirty-five aircraft were destroyed or damaged. Repeated daylight attacks have also been made on other enemy aerodromes and landing grounds.
67. In addition to attacks upon the enemy Air Force our bombers and fighters have afforded direct support to the military operations by attacks upon enemy positions, troop concentrations and lines of communications. Near Sof afi heavy damage was inflicted on troops and on a large concentration of 400 M.T. vehicles. Great confusion and disorganisation has been caused among enemy columns by low-flying machine-gun attacks.
68. Our fighters have proved immeasurably superior to the enemy and have inflicted heavy losses with only slight casualties to themselves.
Air War over Europe
While officially the Battle of Britain may be over, for many in England this month is the worst bombing experience they yet have faced. It only seems to be getting worse, too, with the shorter days giving the Luftwaffe plenty of nighttime hours to launch carefully planned attacks.
The Luftwaffe returns full force tonight. KG 100 leads off with 13 Heinkel He 111s, followed by literally hundreds of Junkers Ju 88, Heinkel, and Dornier Do 17 bombers. Altogether, 280-336 bombers (accounts vary) attack Sheffield throughout the night in three main waves, winding up their attacks at 04:00. However, the bombers miss the center of town, and there are no reports of extensive damage to militarily or economically vital facilities. That said, the city is a mess, with transportation crippled and many left homeless.
This is a continuation of the Germans' most recent strategy of targeting mid-sized cities and towns rather than just focusing on London and Liverpool. As with many of these raids, the citizens can expect a follow-up raid, whether it be tomorrow night or several nights hence. This is the first night of the "Sheffield Blitz."
The Luftwaffe also mounts smaller raids on London, Liverpool and many smaller towns throughout the country. The Luftwaffe loses less than a handful of bombers.
This attack is particularly interesting because the British, as at Coventry, have some idea that it is going to take place. During the day, British monitoring stations detect X Verfahren radio beams, and British military intelligence correctly assesses that they cross at Sheffield. However, as at Coventry, no special precautions are taken in advance such as warnings or evacuations.
The RAF authorizes "Operation Intruder" in Operational Instruction No. 56. These will be night attacks on Luftwaffe airfields by Blenheim Mk 1F fighters of RAF No. 23 Squadron.
The Royal Navy (monitor HMS Terror, gunboats Aphis and Ladybird, along with battleships Ramillies and Warspite) bombards the Italian bases in Libya before sunrise. Several of these ships then return to Alexandria. Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious - a thorn in Mussolini's and Hitler's side - sends aircraft to bomb Italian barges at Bardia.
The Royal Navy has another big task now: evacuating all the Italian POWs from Egypt. Destroyer HMS Janus begins the process, taking 200 POWs from Mersa Matruh to Alexandria. Destroyer HMS Juno also embarks 450 Italians. The Mediterranean fleet begins sending other ships such as HMS Chakla, Fiona and Protector to Sidi Barrani for the same purpose.
Battle of the Atlantic
U-96 (Kplt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) continues its successful attacks on Convoy HX 92 about ten miles south of St. Kilda, Hebrides. Having sunk two ships yesterday (the Rotorua and the Towa), the U-boat remains perfectly placed to wreak more devastation on the convoy. The rough winter weather provides excellent cover for those U-boats which can ride it out and mount attacks.
At 01:56, U-96 torpedoes and sinks 4575 ton Swedish freighter Stureholm (Master John Olof Gunnar Berner). The ship is loaded with 6850 tons of steel and scrap iron and sinks in only 11 minutes. While Lehmann-Willenbrock observes the 30/32-man crew launch four lifeboats, nobody on the ship ever is found. The Stureholm, incidentally, had survived Convoy HX 84, which had been attacked by Admiral Scheer on 28 October 1940. Stureholm picked up 65 survivors that night, but tonight the crew is not as fortunate.
At 04:31, U-96 is behind the convoy when it sights straggler Belgian 5227 ton phosphates freighter Macedonier. One torpedo is enough to send the ship to the bottom. There are four deaths and 43 survivors. The survivors are spotted by an RAF patrol aircraft, which guides Icelandic ship Súlan to rescue them.
The rough seas are almost as much a danger to the convoys as the U-boats. In Convoy HX 91, 5168 ton Greek tanker Dionyssios Stathatos loses its rudder (a fairly common event this month) in the Northwest Approaches, and the crew abandons it. Since it is never seen again, the Dionyssios Stathatos is presumed to have foundered somewhere in the Atlantic.
Danish fishing boat Margrethe hits a mine and blows up in the North Sea off Sylt, Germany.
Convoy OB 258 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 358 departs from Southend, Convoy BS 10B departs from Suez.
U-147 (Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardegen) is commissioned.
USS Claxton (DD 140) is recommissioned as HMS Salisbury (I-52) pursuant to the September destroyers-for-bases agreement.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Urge and minesweeper HMS Romney are commissioned.
Destroyer HMS Martin is launched.
Hungarian/Yugoslavian Relations
While Yugoslavia is unwilling yet to sign the Tripartite Pact with Germany, it inches slightly closer to doing so. Cvetkovic's Yugoslavian government and Teleki's Hungarian government sign a "Treaty of Eternal Friendship" with Hungary. Hungarian Foreign Minister Count Csaky arrives in Belgrade for the signing, greeted by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Aleksandar Cincar-Markovic. They sign the treaty at the Hungarian Embassy, and it provides:
They wish to place their neighborly feelings, mutual esteem, and confidence on a solid and durable basis which will serve their mutual interests and Danubian peace and prosperity.
Given that Romania at this point essentially is a German satellite, this is an indication of which way Yugoslavia may be heading - but it isn't quite in the German orbit yet.
German/Spanish Relations
The German Ambassador to Madrid sends Foreign Minister Ribbentrop a lengthy telegram marked "Strictly Secret." It recounts the 7 December meeting between Admiral Canaris, head of the Abwehr, and Generalissimo Franco. The report notes that Franco refuses to enter the war for the following reasons:
- The British would seize the Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira, the Cape Verde Islands and Guinea.
- Spain has insufficient foodstuffs and transports for a war, particularly of rail cars to support troop movements.
- Imports are insufficient for military preparations due to the war situation.
- Even if the Canary Islands were not invaded, they have supplies for only six months, and they could not be re-supplied.
Canaris then asked whether another date, after the proposed date of 10 January 1941, would be acceptable. Franco replied in the negative, though he did make the lukewarm gesture of stating that he personally would overseeing "Spain's preparations" for such an assault, including a new large-bore mortar ("Mortar 240").
The report reveals why General Keitel cancelled all preparations for Operation Felix, the proposed assault on Gibraltar, so abruptly on 10 December. It also suggests why Hitler also found his meeting with Franco at Hendaye on 22 October so frustrating. Franco's bad-mouthing of his country's capabilities is simply a veil for his covert reasons for avoiding collaboration with Nazi Germany.
The real reason for Franco's unwillingness is revealed in contemporaneous internal Spanish military documents. They quite shrewdly conclude that the Axis is in no position to defeat the British at this time, and that only the capture of Alexandria would shift the balance of power in the Mediterranean. This same sort of political calculation will recur with Finnish Marshal Mannerheim in two year's time, when he similarly demurs on aggressive action until the Wehrmacht removes Leningrad as a Soviet redoubt. Recent Italian reversals in Albania and now Egypt similarly have cast shadows upon Axis prospects over the long term.
German/Vichy French Relations
Hitler invites Marshal Philippe Pétain to attend a ceremony in which Napoleon II's remains are to be reinterred from Austria to the Les Invalides cemetery in Paris, France.
Vichy French/Japanese Relations
The French officially recognize the state of Manchukuo, the Japanese-backed puppet state that presumes to be the government of all of China.
British Military
Sub-Lieutenant Peter Victor Danckwerts, RNVR, receives the George Cross for disarming 16 mines in 48 hours after only five weeks of training and experience. The war is full of such men not really knowing what they are doing - but doing it anyway, at great personal hazard, because it needs to be done.
German/Japan Relations
The German Ambassador in Tokyo Adm Wenneker hands over to Vice Adm Kondo, Vice Chairman of the Japanese Naval General Staff a copy of a British War Cabinet report that was captured on the freighter “Automedon”. The report stated that Britain was not in a position to go to war against Japan for French Indochina or Siam. Only appeasement could be considered. The report also made it quite clear that no reinforcements could be spared from the European theater of war, that the RN could not produce a Far East fleet, and that Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies were all indefensible in the face of a Japanese attack. Hitler had also ordered a copy to be given to the Japanese naval attaché, Captain Yokoi. Yokoi sent his own shortened version to Tokyo enciphered as 97 – Shiki In-ji-ki san Gata (Coral to the Americans) which could not be read by the US Navy until the spring of 1943. By any standards, the incident remains one of the worst intelligence disasters in history. On several occasions Kondo told Wenneker how this particular document had enabled Japan to open hostilities against the US so successfully. Wenneker’s diary recalls:
“Kondo repeatedly expressed to me how valuable the information in the (British) War Cabinet memorandum was for the (Japanese) navy. Such a significant weakening of the British Empire could not have been identified from outward appearances.”
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