This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

4 September Monday continued.....

WESTERN FRONT: The first clash between British bombers and Luftwaffe fighters. Ten RAF Blenheims of RAF No. 110 and No. 107 Squadrons bomb the Pocket Battleship 'Admiral Sheer' while nineteen RAF Wellingtons attack the battleships 'Scharnhorst' and 'Gneisenau'. Bf 109's of II./JG 77 attack the Wellingtons. Fw. Alfred Held and Fw. Hans Troitzsch shoot down two of the bombers, the first RAF aircraft destroyed by the Luftwaffe. Fw. Held becomes known as "the Victor of the Jade Bight" and describes his action:

"With the rest of the Staffel still quite a way behind me, I already had the Englishman in my sights. I fired my first rounds into the aircraft, but the rear gunner gave as good as he got. Time and again we flashed past each other, machine guns hammering and engines howling. We had strayed far out over the Jade Bight when the Englishman dived to gain more speed and escape my fire. I forced the Tommy lower and lower and suddenly a long flame shot out from the left side of the bomber. It seemed to be out of control and wallowing about. One final burst was enough. The aircraft dropped its nose and fell. I circled to follow its descent, but already there was just a burning pile of debris in the water which disappeared a few seconds later."

Click to expand...

Seven of thirty aircraft were shot down and the handful of bombs that hit their targets failed to explode. RAF No.107 Squadron from Wattisham lost four out of five Blenheim bombers, which was the RAF's first fatalities. One Blenheim is shot down and crashes into the cruiser 'Emden' killing several sailors, causing the first casualties of the war for the German navy.

There are reports of skirmishing in "No Man's Land" between the French Maginot Line and the German Siegfried Line. Advance elements of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) land from destroyers at Cherbourg.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler forbade any further attacks on passenger ships. In an article published in the official newspaper of the NSDAP, the Volkischer Beobachter, Goebbels claims that the sinking of the SS "Athenia" was arranged by Churchill to create an incident between Germany and the United States.

In Germany, a War Economy Decree was published which laid down guidelines for the rapid mobilization of civilian resources and the conversion of the economy to war.


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Great. But a note there though. None of Polish Fighter or other squadrons used PZL P-24. It is quite typical mistake made in German reports.

I believe I got that off Tony Wood's claim files.

3 September 1939: The first RAF sortie of the war; Fg Off A. McPherson flew Blenheim IV N6215 of 139 Sqn, RAF Wyton on a photo recon sortie over Wilhelmshaven at an altitude of 22,000 ft. The next day, McPherson was up again over Wilhelmshaven photographing German warships, but weather forced him to an altitude of 250 ft. This sortie was over 4 hours in the air from McPherson and his crew. He received a DSO for his two flights. Following this flight, that afternoon 29 (not thirty) RAF bombers took off for a raid against shipping in harbour. This was the RAF's first operational raid against German targets as described above.

5 September 1939 Tuesday
POLAND: The German 10. and 14.Armees cross the Vistula River, breaking through the cordon of Polish armies. Polish rear guards and armed civilians offer determined resistance at Bydgoszcz, on the southern end of the Polish corridor, before yielding to the units of the German III Korps. German troops find hundreds of German residents of the city massacred by the fleeing Poles. Such incidents are used to provide support for earlier claims by Hitler justifying the invasion. On entering Piotrkow, German forces set fire to the Jewish district. The Polish supreme command orders a general retreat behind the Vistula.

Meanwhile, German bombers destroy the town of Sulejow, southwest of Warsaw. The Polish High Command, fearing Warsaw was threatened, decided to relocate to southeastern Poland. This proved a huge mistake as the commanders soon lost contact with their major field armies. Warsaw itself was thrown into panic at the news. Warsaw's AA Defense is beginning to crumble. Polish Command has ordered the immediate withdrawal of 11 AA military batteries from Warsaw to Lublin, Brzesc, and Lwow. In a private conversation, German generals Franz Halder and Walther von Brauchitsch both agreed that the war against Poland was effectively won.

At Westerplatte fighting continues. German forces have launched several probing attacks to assess Polish strength. Despite continued efforts by the German naval infantry, Danzig SS, and the Wehrmacht were again repelled by Polish fire. At 0300 hours, the Germans sent a fire-train against the land bridge but failed when the terrified driver decoupled too early. It failed to reach its target and burst into flames igniting the forest around it. The flames gave Poles the perfect opportunity to pick off their targets one by one. German casualties are very high. Polish Major Sucharski held a council to urge his men to surrender to the Germans. In the afternoon the Germans made a second attempt to use the fire-train but failed again. Polskie Radio has been transmitting the same message every morning since September 1 - "Westerplatte still fights on!"

Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov responded to the German invitation to jointly invade Poland in the positive, but noted that the Soviet forces would need several days to prepare; he also warned the Germans not to cross the previously agreed upon line separating German and Soviet spheres of influence.

A future Experte and Schwertentrager, Lt. Hans 'Fips' Philipp of 1./JG 76 scores his first victory of the war, a PZL-24 shot down seven kilometers south of Radomsko. Hptm. Hannes Trautloff of I./JG 77, with four kills while with the Legion Condor in Spain, scores his Gruppe's second victory - a Polish PZL 23 'Karas' bomber. Another notable pilot getting his first kill this day is Oblt. Wolfgang Falck of 1./ZG 76 who destroys a PZL-P.23 bomber over Dalikow.


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5 September Tuesday continued....

WESTERN FRONT: France aimed limited offensive at Saarbrücken.

GERMANY: Test plane Me 210V-3 crashes during tests with Flugkapitän Fritz Wendel at the controls. The Messerschmitt test pilot survives the accident.

A night-fighting Staffel is formed. The 10 (Nacht)./ZG 26 is formed at Jever with Oblt. Bernhard Mielke posted as Staffelkapitän. The small unit uses Arado Ar 68F biplanes and Bf 109Ds for operations.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: An Avro Anson aircraft of No. 500 Squadron RAF made the first attack of the war on an enemy submarine.


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The tank above was called TK or TKS. Actually it wasn't a tank but just an armoured recce vehicle also know as the whippet or tankette.

Thanks Wurger. And I removed that bogus PZL-24 reference. All these pics were taken on the day posted - as much as I can verify with any accuracy!

No problemo Njaco. A couple of years ago I read that the German pilots were said that the most dangerous Polish fighter they could meet with , was the PZL P-24. Unfortunately the plane was produced for export only. To make the assambling of the plane easier many of main parts of the PZL P-11C was used. As a result both of planes were very similar. And the fear doubles all.

03 SEPTEMBER 1939
Declarations of war - Great Britain and France declared war on Germany at 1115 and 1700, 03 September 1939 respectively. Australia, New Zealand, and British India also declared war.

Known Reinforcements
Allied
ML HMS HAMPTON (M-19), Minelayer HMS Shepperton (M-83)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steamer NAPHTHA SHIPPER (UK 5897 grt) was seized by German forces at Hamburg and renamed ALTENGAMME in German service.

Fishing Vessel (FV) NORDSTRAND (Den 30 grt) was sunk 70 miles west of Horn Reef Light by a mine.

Loss of British liner Athenia –
U.30 torpedoed Liner ATHENIA (UK 13,581 grt) south of Rockall Bank.. Soon on the scene were DDs ELECTRA, ESCORT, American steamer CITY OF FLINT, Norwegian steamer KNUTE NELSON, and Swedish pleasure yacht SOUTHERN CROSS. Lost with ATHENIA, which sank on the 4th, were 93 passengers and 19 crew members. The 376 survivors were picked up by SOUTHERN CROSS and of these, 220 were transferred to CITY OF FLINT and the other 156 to the destroyers. KNUTE NELSON took the survivors to Galway and the rest were taken to Greenock. CITY OF FLINT later took 223 American survivors to Halifax, arriving on the 13th, and escorted into port by US Coast Guard cutters BIBB and CAMPBELL.

As ATHENIA was an unarmed passenger ship, the attack violated the Hague conventions and the London Naval Treaty of 1930 that allowed all warships including submarines to stop and search merchant vessels, but forbade capture as prize or sinking unless the ship was carrying contraband or engaged in military activity. Even if this was the case, and if it was decided to sink their ship, it was required that passengers and crew must be transferred to a "place of safety" as a priority. Especially true if the ship was not within a zone declared for unrestricted warfare, such as was the case for the ATHENIA. Although Germany had not signed the 1930 treaty, the German 1936 Prize Rules (Prisenordnung) which bound their naval commanders, copied most of its restrictions. Lemp of U-30 did none of these things, choosing instead to fire without warning. It remains an issue of intense disagreement.



UBOATS
Departures
Memel: U-57

At Sea 3 September 1939
U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-23, U-24, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,
40 Boats

U.12, U.36, U.56, U.59, U.58 were on a patrol line off Great Fisher Bank and U.13, U.15, U.17, U.21, U.23 in the southern North Sea. U.16, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd, laid mines in Tees Bay off Hartlepool on the 5th. Before returning to Wilhelmshaven on the 8th, she reconnoitred the approaches to Scapa Flow in the Pentland Firth. U.20 was on passage for patrol in the northern North Sea off Utsire. U.23, off Flamborough to lay mines, was recalled to Wilhelmshaven before the minefield was laid. They were laid by U.15 on the 6th. U.24 had departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd to lay mines off Dunkirk, but the operation was cancelled, and she returned to Kiel on the 5th.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
ORP DD WICHER and ML GRYF, along with other smaller Polish units, were anchored at Hela, when they were attacked and damaged by DKM DDs LEBERECHT MAAS and WOLFGANG ZENKER. MAAS sustained some damage and four dead from a shore based battery hit and the German ships were forced to withdraw without destroying the Polish ships. MAAS was repaired at Swinemünde, completing on the 10th.

Norwegian steamer BJORNVIK was damaged by gunfire from the German ships at Gdynia. Failing to deal with the Polish ships, the DKM DDs called in the LW which sank a number of Polish ships, listed as follows:

DD WICHER (ORP 1540 grt), In the morning of 3 September 1939, while moored in harbour, GRYF and WICHER were attacked by two DKM DDs, Z! LEBERECHT MAAS and Z9 WOLFGANG ZENKER, firing at a range of 9 nautical miles. Polish warships and a shore battery repulsed the attack, with GRYF scoring two hits. After that the German squadron put up a smoke barrier and withdrew. Later that day WICHER, still in harbour, repulsed two air raids. However, in the third attack at approximately 1500 hrs she was attacked by two groups of planes. The LW scored four hits. Two bombs hit amidships, one hit the bow and the other was a near miss, yet managed to fracture the hull in several places on the starboard side. WICHER started to sink. The crew abandoned ship and made it ashore, where they joined the land defence of Pomerania. One sailor was killed and 22 wounded in the air attack.

In November 1939 the Germans raised the wreck and hauled it to shallow waters. They had the intention of was to be that she be raised, repaired and commissioned into the DKM under the name of SEEROSE. However, these plans were never carried out, and WICHER's wreck survived the war as a wreck.

After WWII, in 1946, she was again raised and hauled outside the port to the area of Jastarnia. There she served as a target for aerial bombardment practice until 1955. In 1963 she was finally scrapped.


ML GRYF (ORP 2227 grt), was involved in the same combats as the WICHER scoring at least two hits on the German ships. In the third air attack she suffered two bomb hits and caught fire. The ship burned for two days the fires were finally extinguished and crews reboarded to salvage two of the main armament guns. These were finally able to re-enter action on the 30th September. The Germans used her as a target after the surrender.


Jaskolka Class MSW MEWA (ORP 183 grt), after being hit and damaged 1 september was again hit and this tie sank at her moorings on the 3rd September, succumbing to LW attacks.

ORP MSWs RYBITWA, CZAJKA, MEWA, JASKÓŁKA; so-called birdies (ptaszki).

Gunboat GENERAL HALLER (ORP 342 grt) On 1 September 1939, the ship was patrolling the port of Gdynia, where she was damaged by the LW. On 2 September, the gunboat was sent to the naval port at Hel. There she was turned into a floating battery, until on 3 September, after major bomb damage, all the guns were stripped and added to the defences on land. She was left floating until the wreck was finally sunk on 6 September

Polish submarine WILK laid twenty mines east of Hela at 54-31N, 18-48E.

North Sea
British East Coast –
Coastal ML PLOVER laid mines off Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth in Operation BRM.

DDs BROKE, WANDERER, WHITEHALL from DesFlot 15 departed Rosyth for patrol. WANDERER and WHITEHALL carried out an anti-submarine sweep off Blyth, both destroyers arriving at Scapa Flow on the 4th.

Trawler SOPHIE BUSSE (Ger 215 grt) was seized by British forces at Grimsby and renamed ELSIE CAM in British service.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Destroyer WITCH of DesFlot 17 departed Rosyth for Harwich on 31 August. The remainder of the flotilla was at Milford Haven in the west for escort duties

DD WHITLEY and sloop PELICAN departed Harwich on the 3rd

Steamer POMONA (Ger 3457 grt) was seized by British forces at London. Although the crew set her on fire, the ship was saved and renamed EMPIRE MERCHANT in British service. In allied service the ship was renamed EMPIRE MERCHANT and was lost 16 august 1940 to U-100.


Humber Force –
CLs GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and DDs JERVIS, JACKAL, JAVELIN, JERSEY had departed the Humber on the 1st and were sweeping off the Norwegian coast for German shipping. DD JANUS and JUNO arrived in the Humber for operations on the 3rd after completing their work ups. Destroyer JUPITER was at Grimsby repairing defects and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th. The Humber Force arrived at Rosyth on the 7th after this patrol.

British North Sea submarine patrols
Patrols began off Horn Reef, in the approaches to the Kiel Canal and Wilhelmshaven, and on the extension of the Montrose-Obrestad air patrol line - the last sixty miles of which was beyond the range of the Anson aircraft then in service.

Operating off the Norwegian coast and stationed twelve miles apart were 2nd Flotilla submarines SEAHORSE, which had departed from Dundee on 24 August, SPEARFISH from Portland on 25 August, STURGEON from Portland on 27 August, SWORDFISH, also from Dundee. SPEARFISH was attacked by a U-boat on the 3rd but dived when torpedo tracks were seen and escaped unharmed.

STURGEON was bombed by friendly aircraft at 1620 and 1642 on the 4th but was not damaged.

SEAHORSE was also attacked by friendly aircraft, a RAF Coastal Command Anson of 233 Squadron, east of Dundee, at 2007/5th. She sustained minor damage, a claim made by the aircraft, but the Anson herself crashed into the River Eden because of fuel leaking from a damaged tank. The crew were rescued from their dinghy.

Submarines STERLET, OXLEY, and TRITON departed Dundee on patrol on 3, 4, and 5 September, respectively.

Submarines H.32, L.26, L.27, UNDINE, UNITY, URSULA of the 6th Flotilla departed Blyth on 31 August for patrols in the Heligoland Bight, being withdrawn for refuelling at dusk on the 11th and arriving back at Blyth after dawn on the 13th.

German minelaying operations
DKM CLs EMDEN, KÖLN, KÖNIGSBERG, LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG and sloop GRILLE covered minelaying operations from Terschelling 150 miles northward into the Heligoland Bight. DD HANS LODY was damaged on the 4th by an explosion of her anti-sweep device while loading mines. Her stern was damaged.

There was a minelaying operation on the 4th with three groups: First group – KÖLN, KÖNIGSBERG and DDs DIETHER VON ROEDER and HANS LÜDEMAN; second group - sloop GRILLE with DDs HERMANN KÜNNE and KARL GALSTER; third group - MLs COBRA and ROLAND with DDs ERICH GIESE and THEODOR RIEDEL.

Minefield F (Martha Hans) was laid by COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL from Cuxhaven on the 4th, where they returned after the operation.

Aux ML COBRA

Northern Patrol
Home Fleet
Adm Forbes was some 400 miles west of the Hebrides having just completed a sweep to the west to cover the trade routes with his battlefleet and DDs were SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN (defects corrected), ESKIMO, PUNJABI, TARTAR of DesFlot 6 and FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND of DesFlot 8. ASHANTI and SOMALI had refuelled at Scapa Flow on the 2nd and the rest of the DDs departed earlier on the 3rd, also after refuelling at Scapa.

DDs MASHONA and MATABELE of the DesFlot 6 and FAME, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY of DesFlot 8 departed Scapa Flow that evening to join Forbes at sea., FORESTER and FURY carried out ASW attacks at 2140, WNW of Rockall.

Adm Forbes was also looking for German liner BREMEN which was known to have departed New York on 30 August.

DD SOMALI did capture steamer HANNAH BOGE (Ger 2372 grt) which had departed Shediac Bay in New Brunswick on 26 August. She was intercepted in the Northern Patrol area whilst running for home, taken to Kirkwall, arriving on the 5th, and later renamed CROWN ARUN in British service.



The admiralty produced a report that evening at 1840, on German warships leaving Schillig Roads, the Home Fleet was deployed to the east of the Fair Isle Channel, arriving on station at 0600 on the 5th.

During the evening of 3 September, destroyer ESKIMO experienced a turbine problem and was returning to Scapa Flow alone when she encountered FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE and FOXHOUND. She was at first taken for German, but no shots were fired and the encounter ended uneventfully. ESKIMO safely arrived at Scapa Flow and the defects were corrected on the 11th.

Northern Waters
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived at Scapa Flow, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, ESKIMO, TARTAR. DD VALOROUS and sloop ENCHANTRESS departed Rosyth on the 2nd for patrol in the Pentland Firth.

Western Approaches
In the Western Approaches Command, DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA of DesFlot 12 departed Portland for patrol on the 2nd. ENCOUNTER departed Portland on the 2nd to join sister ship ECLIPSE at Plymouth, and EXMOUTH and ESCAPADE, also of the 12th Flotilla departed Portland on the 3rd. DD KEITH of DesFlot 17 departed Plymouth on the 3rd.

Channel
DDs CODRINGTON, BASILISK, BEAGLE, BLANCHE, BOADICEA, BOREAS, BRAZEN, BRILLIANT departed Dover on 31 August for patrol in the Channel. The patrols were divided into two sectors - a north patrol area between Goodwin Sands and Sandetti Bank, and a south patrol area between the South Goodwins and Ruytingen Bank.

DDs MALCOLM, VANSITTART, WIVERN, of DesFlot 16 arrived at Le Havre on the 3rd.

Central Atlantic
CLs CAPETOWN and COLOMBO departed Gibraltar for patrol west of Portugal and arrived back on the 12th.

Sth Atlantic
CL DANAE departed Freetown for Simonstown, arriving on the 11th.

CL AJAX sailed from Rio de Janiero on 30 August and on the 3rd in 33‑30S, 53‑30W captured Steamer OLINDA (Ger 4576 grt) which had departed Montevideo on the 2nd. As AJAX could not spare a prize crew, OLINDA was sunk with scuttling charges after the crew was placed aboard British tanker SAN GERALDO. AJAX had the distinction of firing the first British shots of the war.


Pacific/Australia
Australian Navy
The Imperial war telegram was received in Canberra at 2150. It read; 'Total Germany, repeat, total Germany'. At 2115 in a radio broadcast, Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced; 'It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially, that in consequence of a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her and that as a result, Australia is also at war'.

LCDR E.A. Feldt, RAN, was appointed Staff Officer, (Intelligence), at Port Moresby. Feldt directed the Coastwatcher organisation in Papua and New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, until relieved because of ill health in 1943.

The strength of the RAN at the commencement of hostilities in WWII was 2 CAs, ; 4 CLs; 5 DDs, 2 sloops; 1 survey vessel, 2 AMCs. Three liners, MORETON BAY, ARAWA, and KANIMBLA, were converted into armed merchant cruisers and manned by Australians, but as units of the RN. Eight smaller vessels were requisitioned and equipped as minesweepers. The permanent naval forces totalled 5440 and the reserve naval forces totalled 4819 personnel

CA CANBERRA departed Garden Island, Sydney for patrol late on the 2nd, followed by CL HOBART and DD VOYAGER on the 3rd. HOBART patrolled the trade route between Gabo Island and Wilson's Promontory and VOYAGER in the vicinity of Cape Howe. DD VENDETTA, also after departing Garden Island, and on patrol 100 miles east of Port Stephens sighted steamer SPEYBANK, but could not intercept.. DD VAMPIRE was on patrol off Cape Otway looking for Italian steamer ROMOLO which later arrived at Brisbane.
Sloops SWAN and YARRA carried out ASW sweeps off Sydney.

6 September 1939 Wednesday
POLAND: German troops captured the Upper Silesian industrial area in Poland. The German 10.Armee (Reichenau) continues to lead the advance, having already penetrated to the east of Lodz. Armored spearheads of the German forces capture Tomaszow and Kielce, southwest of Warsaw. Krakow is taken by troops of the German 14.Armee (List). The Polish government and supreme command leave Warsaw. The government is relocating to the region of Luck-Kremieniec, while the supreme command moves to Brzesko on the Bug River. The Polish supreme command issues orders for all Poles capable of fighting, in and out of uniform, to retire to the line of the Narew, Vistula and San rivers. Meanwhile, Hitler visits the headquarters of the German XIX Panzerkorps (Guderian), on the northeastern front.

The Stukas of 4(st.)./TrGr 186 return to Hage on the North Sea coast from East Prussia and fly another mission – their last - over the seaport of Hela. The Polish gunboat 'General Haller' is sunk and her sister ship lying alongside of her, 'Komendant Pilsudki' is so badly damaged that she is scuttled on 1 October.

The Polish Pursuit Brigade shot down a total of 43 German bombers over the past few days, while anti-artillery units have shot down a similar number of enemy aircraft. The Poles have 9 unconfirmed victories, and damaged 20 German planes.

UNITED KINGDOM: German aircraft attacked Great Britain for the first time.

The Royal Navy forms the Northern Patrol consisting of 8 cruisers. The first British eastern convoy sails.

The first Royal Air Force fighter pilot is killed during the War. Two RAF Spitfires shoot down 2 RAF Hurricanes in error during the first air raid warning, which turns out to be false. The incident becomes known as the "Battle of Barking Creek."

Rates of pay in the RAN were:- Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class, (under 17 years of age), 1/9d per day; Able Seaman, 7/- per day; Chief Petty Officer 11/- per day. Rates for tradesmen were at a higher scale:- Chief Mechanician 1st Class, Chief Engineroom Artificer, and Chief Shipwright 1st Class, 14/6d per day. A marriage allowance of 4/6d for the wife, and 3/- for the first child, 2/- for the second, and 1/6d for the third and all others, was also paid. (info provided by parsifal)

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04 SEPTEMBER 1939
UBOATS
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-23

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-3, U-4

At Sea 04 September 1939
U-3, U-4, U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-24, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,
41 Boats
OPERATIONS
Baltic
Coaster LIANNE (Ger 125 grt) was lost between Graverne, Sweden, and Hamburg about this time. She reportedly scuttled herself after sighting British CLs GLASGOW and SOUTHAMPTON sweeping in the area. However, it appears she was lost in a German minefield on the 7th, as reported by Greek steamer KOSTI herself damaged earlier in the same field. There were no survivors from LIANNE.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ORP submarine SEP on patrol east of Hela fired two torpedoes at DKM MSW M.4 of the MSWFlot 4. M.4 was not hit, counter-attacked with depth charges and damaged SEP. Notwithstanding the damage the Polish submarine was able to continue her patrol.

DKM MLs HANSESTADT DANZIG and TANNENBERG, escorted by R Boats of MSWFlot 5 laid minefield Undine II the southern entrance to the Sound. Training ship BRUMMER, escorted by MSWs M.75, M.84, and M.85, laid minefield Undine III. On the 5th, TANNENBERG laid Undine I.

ML PREUSSEN laid mines in minefield Grosser Bar at the entrance to the Great Belt. Greek steamer KOSTI was damaged on a mine in this field, two miles SE of Falsterbo Light Vessel after ignoring warnings from German patrol boats.

North Sea
RAF attacks on German naval units were carried out at Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel. Five Blenheims each of Nos 107, 110, and 139 Squadrons and six Wellington bombers each of Nos 49 and 83 targetted Schillig Roads, while six Wellingtons of 9 Squadron and eight from 149 Squadron targetted Brunsbüttel. BCss SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU at Brunsbüttel were attacked but escaped any damage.

At Wilhelmshaven, CL EMDEN, just entering port followed by U.23, was damaged by splinters from two near misses and a Blenheim crashing into her bows. Nine crew were killed but EMDEN was completely repaired by the 16th.

At Schillig Roads, CS ADMIRAL SCHEER was hit by three 250 pound bombs which failed to explode and caused no damage. SCHEER had problems with her main engines, but was ready for sea by 10 October. She continued to have difficulties and started an extensive overhaul in February 1940 lasting into October 1940. DD DIETHER VON ROEDER, next to SCHEER was near missed, but not damaged.

Of the aircraft involved, ten, including all five of 139 Squadron failed to find the target and returned to base, one bombed Esbjerg, Denmark, and three attacked HM ships in the North Sea without success. Losses amounted to seven - two Wellingtons of 9 Squadron, four Blenheims of 107 Squadron, and one Blenheim of 110 Squadron shot down.

DD JACKAL attacked a submarine contact NE of Flamborough Head U.13 laid mines off Orfordness during the night of 4/5 September. Two merchant ships were sunk and one damaged in this field. U.17 laid mines in the Downs coastline. DDs assigned to the Eastern Area for the Polish campaign transferred to the North Sea to cover minelayers laying the "West Wall" minefield in the Heligoland Bight.

German MTB S.17 of S-Boat Flot 2 was badly damaged by rough seas during Nth Sea operations, paid off on the 8th and used for spares. A number of other S-boats were less severely damaged in these operations.

Steamer JOHANNES MOLKENBUHR (Ger 5294 grt) was intercepted by SOUTHAMPTON and scuttled herself 17 miles west of Stadlandet. DD JERVIS took off the crew, landing them at Invergordon on the 6th, while JERSEY finished off the sinking ship.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Patrol
DD FORTUNE attacked a U-Boat contact 30 miles south of Munken Rock

Northern Waters
BBs ROYAL OAK and ROYAL SOVEREIGN departed Scapa Flow, escorted by DDs BROKE WANDERER, WHITEWALL for patrol in the North Sea. WANDERER attacked a U-Boat contact 90 miles east of the Orkneys, SE f Sumburgh Head, and rejoined the escort on the. DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY departed Scapa Flow on the 5th and joined the BBs on the 6th. The force returned to Scapa Flow on the 6th.

Channel
DD ACHERON departed Portland with a MA/SB on ASW exercises with submarine H.31. Later that day at 1350, DD KELLY, which was working up nearby in Weymouth Bay, reported being attacked by a submarine which turned out to be the H-31. KELLY and ACHERON attacked a contact at 1550. H.31 was not damaged.

DD WESSEX carried out two ASW attacks off Eddystone Light during the day. CV COURAGEOUS departed Plymouth at 0845 on ASW patrol with DDs ANTHONY, ACASTA, AMAZON, ARDENT. Destroyer ECLIPSE attacked a U-boat contact near COURAGEOUS off the Eddystone. After the attack, she joined the screen. ECLIPSE made another attack that evening. The force returned to Plymouth the same day..

DD CODRINGTON, French TB L'INCOMPRISE and a French seaplane attacked a submarine contact off Gravelines.
DDs VENOMOUS, WREN, DesFlot 16 embarked an advance party of the GHQ of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), arriving at Cherbourg and disembarked their troops that evening, returning to Portsmouth on the 5th. Steamer BLAIRBEG was abandoned after a U-Boat attack, although no damage was done. DD WALKER attacked a contact SW of The Smalls, now with VANQUISHER stood by the steamer while the crew re-embarked and continued their passage to Glasgow.

Med/Biscay
CA SUSSEX and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, NUBIAN, ZULU departed Alexandria to relieve CL ARETHUSA and her DDs on patrol. The patrol was discontinued on the 7th, and SUSSEX was instructed to send her DDs to convoy Green 1.

Nth Atlantic
Steamer CHRISTOPH V DOORNUM (Ger 3751 grt) was seized by RCN at Botwood, Newfoundland, and renamed EMPIRE COMMERCE in British service.


Sth Atlantic
Steamer CARL FRITZEN (Ger 6594 grt) had departed Rotterdam on 10 August for Buenas Aires. She was due to make landfall off Cabo Polonio on the 4th, but was intercepted by CL. As with OLINDA on the 3rd, AJAX was forced to scuttle CARL FRITZEN.


Pacific/Australia
HMAS KURUMBA, (fleet oiler), was commissioned.

05 SEPTEMBER 1939
Known Reinforcements
Allied
ASW Trawler KINGSTON TURQUOISE (4.91)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ASW Trawler NORTERN ISLES (4.25)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U.47 sank steamer BOSNIA (UK 2407 grt) to the north of Cape Finisterre whilst on passage from Licata, Sicily, to Liverpool. A crew of 33 was embarked, 1 of whom would be lost in the attack. The ship was transporting sulphur when hit. At 0815 hrs the unescorted BOSNIAwas stopped by U-47 with gunfire about 120 miles NNW of Cape Ortegal and sunk at 0938 hrs by one torpedo.Survivors were picked up by Norwegian tanker EIDANGER and taken to Lisbon. They returned to England in steamer HIGHLAND BRIGADE.


U.48 sank steamer ROYAL SCEPTRE (UK 4853 grt) NW of Cape Finisterre, whilst on passage from Rosario to Belfast. Carrying wheat and maize. A crew of 33 was embarked, 1 of whom would perish in the attack. At 1200 hrs U-48 opened fire with the deck gun for 25 minutes at the unescorted ROYAL SCEPTRE about 300 miles NW of Cape Finisterre. The ship had sent distress signals when the U-boat was sighted and tried to escape. She was sunk by a coup de grace at 1338 hrs after the crew had abandoned ship in the lifeboats. The master was killed and nine crew members were wounded by gunfire. The PETROFINA and the Danish motor ship ERRIA heard the distress signals and searched for survivors, but they had been picked up by the BROWNING and landed at Bahia, Brazil on 26 September. The ship had been stopped by the U-boat at 1505 hours the same day. The crew first abandoned ship in panic, but they were ordered to reboard their vessel and to pick up the survivors of ROYAL SCEPTRE.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-24

At Sea 05 September 1939
U-3, U-4, U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,

40 Boats

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Polish submarine WILK on patrol in the Baltic was damaged by DCs dropped from a DKM MSW of MSWFlot 1, but was able to continue patrol.

North Sea
Minefield A (Martha Ida) was also laid DKM ships COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL sailing from Cuxhaven on the 5th.

Sloop PELICAN was involved in a minor collision with steamer STARLING in the Thames, but was able to continue her duties.

Three torpedoes were fired at CLs SOUTHAMPTON and GLASGOW 20 miles north of Utvaer, which were in company with DDs JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS. SOUTHAMPTON carried out her own DC attack.

German steamer FREIBURG (5165grt) had departed El Ferrol on 29 August disguised as Russian steamer EBRO and now reached Bergen, before continuing and arriving safely at Kiel on the 18th.

Northern Waters
While entering Scapa Flow to refuel, DD MATABELE found Switha Gate closed and instead headed through the emergency gate, running aground in the process and damaging her propellers. She was refloated by the boom vessels that evening, and departed on the 6th for repairs at Chatham.

DD SOMALI operating with BC HOOD attacked a submarine contact in Fair Isle Channel. DD FURY, also in company, dropped DCs.

West Coast
Sloop KINGFISHER attacked a submarine contact off Ailsa Craig in the Clyde estuary.

Convoy GC.1
Eleven passenger liners departed the Clyde escorted by DDs VIVACIOUS, VANESSA, VANQUISHER, WAKEFUL. As they headed south, they were joined by DDs VERITY, VOLUNTEER, WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE of DesDiv 30 sailing from Milford Haven.

BB RAMILLIES and DDs EXMOUTH and ESCAPADE departed Portland on the 5th to join them as the ocean escort group.

Channel
DD BLANCHE made an attack on U.17 laying mines off the North Goodwins. After investigating the area, a floating mine was sighted 8½ miles north of the Goodwins and the minefield reported back.

DD SHIKARI departed Devonport and arrived at Portsmouth the same day.

DD STURDY departed Devonport escorting outward-bound American steamer CAPPER, and arrived back on the 6th.

DDs KEITH, VENETIA, WESSEX, investigating a submarine contact off Eddystone, carried out an attack.

Fr Contretorpilleurs JAGUAR, LÉOPARD, and PANTHÈRE of Fr DesDiv 2 departed Brest, called at Cherbourg and arrived at Dunkirk on the 7th to cover ML ops off the Pas de Calais. PANTHÈRE arrived three hours after the first two after suffering a propeller problem en route.

Med/Biscay
DD WRESTLER sent Yugoslav steamer JURKO TOPIC, carrying a cargo of bauxite for Germany, into Gibraltar for contraband control - the first ship sent into Gibraltar during the war.

Central Atlantic
U.40 unsuccessfully attacked an Allied convoy west of Gibraltar.

DDs HUNTER, HYPERION and sloop BRIDGEWATER attacked a submarine contact 24 miles west of Cape Sierra Leone Light House. DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR departed Freetown for South America Station.

Steamer INN (ger 2867 grt) departed Belem on 25 August for Hamburg and on the 5th, was captured by CL NEPTUNE 400 miles SW of Teneriffe, Canary Islands. After the crew was taken off, INN was scuttled and NEPTUNE arrived at Dakar on the 8th.


Pacific/Australia
CA AUSTRALIA caught fire alongside the dock, at Garden Island Sydney. A brazier of burning pitch was overturned, setting alight the deck and destroying a 27 foot whaler.

Another top thread Chris!
Maybe it's time to be Knighted, Sir Pop-Tart Whisperer?
Agree, can you bacon the whole thread??

Another awesome thread!

7 September 1939 Thursday

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The first British Atlantic convoys set out. The convoy system has already been reintroduced on the East Coast. Although escorts can only be provided as far as 12.5 degrees west, they do provide effective protection against U-Boats. Many of the faster ships and some particularly slow ones do not sail in convoy at this stage or later in the war. During 1939, almost all U-Boat successes are from such "independents."

POLAND: The Polish naval base at Westerplatte, a enclave in Danzig, surrenders after renewed German bombardment after being besieged since September 1st. At 04:30 Germans opened fire again at Westerplatte while flamethrowers decimated Guardhouse 2 and damaged 1 and 4. According to Polish Captain Mieczyslaw Slaby the WST Medical Officer, the garrison is running out of water and medical supplies and he is unable to provide medical care to his soldiers. At 09:45 the white flag appeared. The Polish garrison at Westerplatte has surrendered to the Germans after enduring a week of vicious fighting. Since the initial attack by the 'Schleswig-Holstein' on September 1st a small Polish garrison led by Major Henryk Sucharski were heroic in their ability to repell German attacks and managed to maintain control of the Gdansk Post Office enclave for several days before losing it to the Germans. After capitulation the Germans arrested wireless operator Kazimierz Rasinski and interrogated him. He was executed moments later for his refusal to reveal Polish radio codes.

The city of Lwow, an important cultural center located in eastern Poland is in danger of a German assault. Polish General Wladylsaw Langner urgently started plans to defend the city. Initially Polish forces were to defend the Belzec, Rawa Ruska, Magierow line against the advancing Germans. No defence was considered for Lwow, as the Polish Command assumed the city was safe deep behind Polish lines, and that Lwow was too important to be risked in warfare.

The Polish command decides that it will be impossible to hold the line of the Narew River although the order to do so has only been in force for one day. The forces in the Narew area are to retire to the Bug River.

The German battleship 'Schleswig-Holstein' begins daily bombardment of Hela, a Polish naval base. German troops captured Kraków, Poland. Over 3,000 soldiers of the Grupa Obrony Wybrzeza (Polish Defense Group) unit under Kapitan Stanislaw Zwartynski, defended the area despite overwhelming odds.

As the German Army advances so do the Luftwaffe aircrews. On this date Hptm. Johannes Janke's I./JG 77 moves from its airfields at Juliusburg and settle at a new airbase at Gleiwitz.

GERMANY: The maiden flight of the first production Junkers Ju 88 A-1 bomber is made.

Hitler meets with Admiral Erich Raeder, Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine, and orders that;

"…in order not to provoke neutral countries, the United States in particular, it is forbidden to torpedo passenger steamers, even when sailing in convoy. Warfare against French merchant ships, attacks on French warships and mine laying off French ports is prohibited."

Click to expand...

The order is in response to the sinking of the "Athenia". Concurrently the German government decreed the death penalty for anyone "endangering the defensive power of the German people."

British planes bomb the German island of Sylt, north of the western end of the Kiel Canal.

WESTERN FRONT: French patrols cross the frontier into Germany near Saarbrucken, marking the beginning of the Saar offensive. A total of 11 divisions advance along a 32 km frontage. There is negligible German opposition. The French mobilization is too slow and their tactical system too inflexible to permit any grander offensive operation. These gentle probes continue until September 17th when a larger advance is supposed to be made but is in fact cancelled because the Polish collapse makes it pointless.

General Viscount Gort, VC, is appointed to command the British Expeditionary Force.



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06 SEPTEMBER 1939
Losses
U.38 sank steamer MANAAR (UK 7242 grt) NW of Cape St Vincent. The ship was on passage from Liverpool to Rangoon. A crew of 70 were embarked of which 7 crewmen were lost. A cargo of agricultural goods and govt stores was embarked. The survivors of the attack were rescued by Dutch steamer MARS, Italian liner CASTELBIANCO and Portuguese liner CARVALHO ARAUJO. DesFlot 3, less ICARUS and INTREPID, reached the area from Gibraltar on the 7th to protect shipping and hunt for submarines. INTREPID sailed to join them on the 9th. The details of the attack are that at 0600 hrs the unescorted MANAAR was ordered to stop by U-38 (Liebe) with a shot across her bow about 70 miles SW of Cape da Roca, but the ship began sending distress signals and fired back with her stern gun as the U-boat opened fire. After five hits on the vessel, killing seven crew members, the survivors abandoned ship in four lifeboats. At 0720 hrs, the U-boat fired a G7a torpedo that detonated prematurely in about 400 metres distance. Ten minutes later, a second coup de grace was fired that hit the ship underneath the bridge, shortly thereafter followed by a second torpedo at about the same place, both without much apparent effect. However, the ship then broke in two and sank after being hit by a third coup de grace at 0744 hrs.


U.47 sank steamer RIO CLARO (UK 4086 grt) SW of Ireland whilst the ship was on passage from Sunderland to Montevideo with a load of coal and a crew of 41, all of whom were rescued. The details of the attack are that At 1418 hrs, U-47 tried to stop the unescorted and unarmed RIO CLARO NW of Cape Ortegal by flag signals but the steamer sent distress signals, even after a shot across the bow was fired. So three shots from the deck gun were fired into the bridge. After that the crew abandoned ship and was questioned before the ship was sunk by a torpedo at 1440 hrs. The master and 40 crew members were picked up by the Dutch steam merchant STAD MAASTRICHT and landed at Fayal on 11 September.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U.13

Swinemünde; U.14
Kiel: U.36

At Sea 06 September 1939
U-3, U-4, U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,

37 Boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DDs JERVIS and JAVELIN attacked a submarine contact off Aberdeen. ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA, BURZA, GROM, departed Rosyth for Plymouth, arriving on the 9th. On passage through the Minches on the 7th in 56-55N, 07-05W, they depth charged a submarine contact.

DD SABRE departed Rosyth escorting steamer SHOAL FISHER (698grt).

U.15 laid a minefield off Flamborough (Yorkshire) during the night of 5/6 September which sank two merchant ships.

DDs JACKAL, JANUS, JUNO departed the Humber to meet Norwegian steamer BATAVIA in the North Sea bringing back the British Berlin Embassy staff from Rotterdam. JACKAL and JANUS made ASW attacks in the Thames Estuary. DD BEAGLE made two attacks on a submarine contact off North Foreland.

Humber Force
The two cruisers and four DDs arrived at Rosyth to boiler clean after operations in the Nth Sea.

Convoy, FS.1
The first of the Methil-to-Thames convoys, FS.1, departed the Firth of Forth, escorted by DD BROKE and sloops BITTERN, ENCHANTRESS, and arrived at Southend on the 8th.

Northern Patrol
The Patrol began with the 7th and 12th Cruiser Squadrons given the task of enforcing the British blockade and contraband work. Due to the age of the cruisers and arduous nature of the North Atlantic, only an average of three cruisers were stationed between Iceland and the Faroes, and two to the south of the Faroes. More ships were needed and armed merchant cruisers began to be assigned in mid-October.

Northern Waters
The Home Flt returned to Scapa Flow to refuel after completing the patrol begun on 31 August. CA NORFOLK, which departed Devonport on the 3rd, arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting.

CL AURORA was relieved by CA NORFOLK CruSqn 18. AURORA continued to serve at Scapa Flow as flagship to Rear Admiral Destroyers, Home Fleet. DD FEARLESS departed Scapa Flow for Haugesand to embark the Polish political mission and shortly after leaving, attacked a submarine contact off the Orkneys. FEARLESS reached Haugesand on the 7th and embarked the political mission.

West Coast
DDs ELECTRA, ESCORT, FAME departed Greenock after landing the survivors from steamer ATHENIA.

SW Approaches
Convoy GC.1
On the 6th DDs ECLIPSE and ENCOUNTER left Plymouth to join them at sea, and all met up with the local escort NW of the Scillies on the 6th. The Clyde DDs then detached and returned.

The ocean escort destroyers made a number of attacks on suspected U boat contacts.

Channel
CVL HERMES departed Portland escorted by DDs KEMPENFELT, ACASTA, AMAZON, ANTELOPE, ARDENT to cover the first BEF troop convoy, arriving at Devonport on the 6th.


Med/Biscay
CL ARETHUSA and DDs HARDY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO, HOSTILE arrived at Alexandria. DDs GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM departed Alexandria for Malta for convoy duty with convoy GC.1 and French convoy L.2.

Nth Atlantic
US Neutrality Patrol
The United States instituted the Patrol around the territorial United States.

Central Atlantic
Fr CL JEANNE D'ARC and submarine SURCOUF, escorting a merchant ship, arrived at Barranquilla, Colombia, to embark French citizens for transport home for military service.

Sth Atlantic
Declaration of war
South Africa declared war on Germany.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
DDs AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK, SIKH departed Port Said to return to Alexandria after a brief stay in the Red Sea.

CL LIVERPOOL departed Masirah island in the Arabian Sea and arrived at Aden on the 8th.

07 SEPTEMBER 1939
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Kingfisher class PV later Corvette HMS SHEARWATER (L39, later K-39)


Losses
U-33 sank Steamer OLIVEGROVE (UK 4060 grt) in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Puerto Rico to London with a cargo of sugar. A crew of 33 was aboard, all of whom would survive. The details of the attack are that at 1555 hrs the OLIVEGROVE was hit by one torpedo from U-33 and sank about 420 miles WSW of Lands End. The ship had been stopped at 1410 hrs by a shot across her bow and the crew was allowed to abandon ship in two lifeboats, despite of having sent a distress message. The U-boat stayed with the lifeboats and fired distress rockets to guide the American passenger ship WASHINGTON to the boats after the ship had heard the distress call. The master and 32 crew members were picked up by the liner and landed at Southampton on 9 September.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-34 sank Steamer PUKKASTAN (UK 5809 grt) in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Capetown to Rotterdam via Devonport with a cargo of primary produce. A crew of 35 was aboard, all of whom would survive. The details of the attack are that at 1250 hrs the unescorted PUKKASTAN was stopped by U-34 with two shots across her bow SW of the Bishop Rock. After the crew abandoned ship, she was sunk by a coup de grace at 1331 hrs. The crew was rescued by the BILDERDIJK.


U-47 sank Steamer GARTAVON (UK 1777 grt) in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Sete (Tunis) to the Clyde with a cargo of iron ore. A crew of 25 was aboard, all of whom would survive the attack. At 1747 hrs the unescorted GARTAVON was sunk by gunfire by U-47 260 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre. All hands were picked up by the CASTOR and landed at Horta, Azores on 11 September.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Swinemünde: U-18

Departures
Kiel: U-10, U-36
Swinemünde: U-14

At Sea 07 September 1939
U-3, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-12, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,

38 Boats

10 German submarines on patrol in the Atlantic were ordered to return to Germany for replenishment

U.10 departed Kiel to patrol in the Kattegat, returning on the 17th, U.14 departed Swinemünde, while U.18 arrived there and departed later that day for Kiel, arriving on the 8th.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
On the 7th, the Gulf of Danzig U-boats were ordered to the North Sea.

German steamer ALBERT departed Bergen on the 5th. Although challenged by DD FEARLESS off Kristiansand on the 7th, she was able to escape into Norwegian waters and arrived safely at Hamburg on the 11th.

The Polish Westerplatte fortifications, at which DKM Pre-Dreadnought SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN had fired the first shots of the war, fell to German forces, and the bombardment of the fort ceased.

Polish submarine RYS laid ten mines off the Vistula Estuary at 54-42N, 19-04E.

U.22 in the Baltic unsuccessfully attacked Polish submarine ZBIK on patrol.

North Sea
DDs JERVIS and JERSEY attacked a U-Boat contact off Fidra island, Firth of Forth.

Convoy, FN.1
The first of the Thames-to-Methil coastal convoys, FN.1, departed the Thames Estuary, escorted by DDs WHITLEY, WITCH and sloop PELICAN, and arrived at Methil on the 9th.

DD JACKAL attacked a submarine contact in the Thames Estuary.

Steamer VEGESACK (Ger 4061 grt), which had departed Santa Marta, Colombia, on 17 August, was lost when she ran aground off Jaeren, near Flatoe in the Stavanger area.


Northern Waters
Adm Forbes returned to sea with BBs NELSON and RODNEY, BC REPULSE, CV ARK ROYAL, CLs AURORA, SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, FURY, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, PUNJABI, SOMALI, TARTAR. DDs ESKIMO and MATABELE remained in port to repair defects and FAME, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FOXHOUND standing by at Scapa Flow. FIREDRAKE attacked a U-Boat contact that evening at dusk. FORESIGHT returned on the 8th with defects, and ASHANTI had turbine problems, arrived at Greenock on the 8th and repaired at the Denny yard at Dunbarton from the12th to 27th.

The force patrolled off the Norwegian coast as far north as 63° north to intercept any German shipping and returned to Scapa Flow on the 10th without any results partly due to poor visibility.

ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and BURZA attacked a U-Boat contact 10 miles south of Uist.

SW Approaches
U.37 unsuccessfully attacked steamer DEFENDER 170 miles SW from Cape Finisterre. steamer RICHMOND HILL and tanker DE TAMAHA also reported being attacked by submarines (also U.37) 140 miles NW and 145 miles SW of Cape Finisterre, respectively.

Channel
On the 7th, DDs VENOMOUS, WREN, having completed one transfer on the 4th, again sailed from Portsmouth and joined a convoy which was escorted to Cherbourg. They arrived back at Portsmouth that morning.

DD BRAZEN attack a submarine contact off South Foreland. DD WREN departed Portsmouth and escorted submarine NARWHAL as far as 4W. DD SARDONYX departed Portsmouth escorting submarine OBERON to join a convoy at Orfordness on the 10th. DD STURDY departed Devonport on escort duty and arrived at Milford Haven on the 10th.

Steamer BEN LOWERS was attacked by a submarine off Land's End. DDs KEITH and VENETIA were sent to hunt for U-boat.

Convoy, OA.1
The first of the Thames through the Channel-to-Halifax convoys, OA.1, departed the Thames Estuary for Halifax. Escorting DDs ACASTA, AMAZON, ANTELOPE left Devonport on the 7th, passed DDs BASILISK, BRAZEN, BRILLIANT. At 1855 hrs that evening , the escort met the 17 ships of the convoy.

Med/Biscay
DesFlot 3 less ICARUS under repair at Malta, departed Malta on the 5th and arrived at Gibraltar on the 6th. The rest of the Flotilla, less INTREPID delayed by engine room defects at Gibraltar, departed on the 7th. INTREPID was able to sail on the 9th.

ILEX, IMOGEN, IMPERIAL, IVANHOE arrived at Plymouth on the 9th.

Convoying began with those proceeding east called "Green", westbound called "Blue" and troop convoys designated "Red". Escorted convoying continued only until 16 October and was completely abandoned on 2 December.

Convoy AB.2 Slow(re-designated Green 1)
Convoy AB.2 Slow departed Gibraltar with 25 merchant ships on the 7th. Redesignated Green 1, it was escorted by DDs DOUGLAS, VELOX, VIDETTE, VORTIGERN from the 7th to 10th

Central Atlantic
CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Freetown from Plymouth, then departed for Rio de Janiero on the 9th, arriving on the 15th.

CA EXETER arrived at Rio de Janiero and on the 8th sailed for Montevideo.

8 September 1939 Friday
CHARGE OF THE LUFTWAFFE
POLAND: The German IV Panzerdivision, spearheading the German 10.Armee (Reichenau) reaches the Warsaw suburb of Ochota, in the southeast, late in the day (having advanced 225 km in 7 days). This rate of advance is almost unheard of and illustrates the power of the new Blitzkreig tactics. The weather is unseasonably dry and favours Hitler's mobile troops. In the western section of Warsaw, Polish forces led by General Czuma have received 2 infantry divisions supported by 64 pieces of artillery, 33 tanks, 27 Vickers E 7 T-P and R-35, and 6 TK3 and TKS tankettes. Commander-in-Chief Edward Rydz-Smigly has ordered the creation of Armia Warszawa (Warsaw Army) under Polish General Juliusz Rommel, consisting of the armed forces which defended Warsaw and Modlin Fortress, as well as all Polish units called in from Narew and Vistula. General Czuma continues to be commander of the Warsaw Defence Force which is now split into two units covering the western and eastern sections of Praga suburb. General Czuma, broadcasts a defiant Order of the Day: "We shall fight to the last ditch!" Some 100,000 Polish civilians in Warsaw are engaged in digging trenches on the city outskirts. The defence units of Warsaw were joined by additional units from the Prusy Army as well as new units created out of the reserves of the Warsaw-based 8th Polish Infantry Division and 36th Academic Legion Infantry Division.

The Army Poznan under General Kutrzeba and Army Pomorze under General Bortnowski launched fierce offensive on the left flank of German forces advancing towards Warsaw. In doing so, the Poles were able to buy themselves some time to reorganize their defence of Warsaw. The Germans withdrew the 4.Panzerdivision and sent it to counter the Polish positions near Kutno, and replaced the 4.Panzerdivision with a weakened German 31. Infanterie-Abteilung.

Meanwhile, other elements of the German 10.Armee are heavily engaged around Radom, only 60 miles south of Warsaw; about 60,000 Polish troops are encircled to the west of Radom.

The German 14.Armee (List) reaches the San River north and south of Przemysl.

In the north, the German XIX Panzerkorps (Guderian) is attacking along the line of the Bug River to the east of Warsaw.

The Polish air force decides it's hopeless to continue. In the words of Polish Major Kalinowski;

"The supply situation had become hopeless. More and more of our aircraft became unusable. There were no spare parts. Just a few bombers continued operating until the 16th. On the 17th the remaining serviceable planes received orders to withdraw to Rumania."

Click to expand...

Stukas destroy the bridges over the river Vistula at Gora Kalwarja before the German 1.Panzerdivision has a chance to cross. Other Stuka Gruppen begin flying missions against Warsaw from advanced airbases at Tschenstochau and Kruszyna. The Luftwaffe has succeeded in halting traffic on all the major routes of Poznan – Kutno – Warsaw, Krakow – Radom – Deblin, Krakow – Tarnow – Lvov and all the connecting routes.

In the evening near the river at Ilza, soldiers of the Luftwaffe Flak divisions prevent the 16th Polish Division from reaching the Vistula and escaping. At one point in the battle, the bombardiers of 5th Battery's III Platoon fix bayonets and charge the Polish lines in an action known as "The Charge of the Luftwaffe". The battle lasts all night until tanks arrive to clean up the remnants of the Polish troops. The battle earns the nickname 'The Night of Ilza'.

German pioneers remove a barricade at the Jasiolka Bridge in Jaslo, Poland. Several mines containing mustard gas explode, killing two, injuring twelve.

German troops burned 200 Jews alive in a synagogue and executed 30 Jews in the public square in Bedzin, Poland.

WESTERN FRONT: French and Moroccan troops surround the German town of Saarbrucken.

The first fighter verses fighter engagement over France occurs when three Bf 109E's of I./JG 53 attack six Curtiss Hawk 75's of the French Groupe de Chasse 11/4 over the Saarland. Two Bf 109's are shot down, including that of Oblt. Werner 'Vati' Mölders, Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 53. Oblt. Mölders makes it back to German lines with injuries. Oblt. Mölders is the highest scoring pilot of the German Condor Legion that fought in Spain and has fourteen victories in the Spanish Civil War.

During an evening patrol over the Karlsruhe area, Lt. Paul Gutbrod of 11./JG 72 shoots down a Potez 637 recon plane, the first French airplane destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the Second World War. It also becomes the first claim by JG 72, soon to be renamed JG 52.

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The Polish Navy September 1939

The outbreak of World War II caught the Polish Navy off guard and in a state of expansion. Polish Naval commanders decided to withdraw main surface ships to Great Britain to join the Allied war effort and prevent them from being destroyed in a closed Baltic (the Peking Plan). On August 30, 1939, 3 destroyers (ORP BLYSKAWICA, GROM and ORP BURZA) sailed to the British naval base at Leith in Scotland. They then operated in combination with RN vessels against Germany. Also two submarines managed to flee from Baltic through the Danish straits to Great Britain during the Polish September Campaign (one of them, ORP Orzeł, made a daring escape from internment in Tallinn, Estonia, and traveled without maps). Three submarines were interned in Sweden, while remaining surface vessels were sunk by German aircraft.

On 1 September 1939, when Germans invaded Poland, The Polish Navy consisted of 1 old 19th century armoured cruiser, 4 DD, 5 SS, 1 ML and 6 MSWs, as well as 2 River GB and several other old or auxiliary vessels.

The Polish navy websitehas the following images of the Polish Navy in 1939


Armoured Cruiser Baltyk. Sunk in September, she remained upright and visible after being abandoned and was bombed repeatedly by the LW


Polish Destroyers



ML GRYF



MSWs, Mostly employed as MLs



River G/Bs were sunk, raised and reused by the Germans in operations in SU



Polish submarines

The naval bases and shore installations along the Baltic coast were defended by some 500 officers and 14,000 men of the Marines and Army detachments. Of these forces, the DDs BLYSKAWICA, BURZA and GROM were on their way to the British Isles under Operation "Peking". This hard decision of depriving the home waters of the major part of their defence had been made because of the hopeless position of these precious ships in the face of an overwhelming German superiority both on the sea and in the air. Of the remaining vessels DD WICHER was to be used in possible operations in the vicinity of Gdansk, and to act as screen for ML GRYF and the minelaying flotilla. When war began, the ML GRYF was in the naval base at Oksywie, the DD WICHER in Gdynia roads. GRYF received orders to lay mines On the first night of the war but before the order could be executed, a formation of enemy bombers attacked. GRYF and the MSW MEWA received direct hits. The ships were seriously damaged. For GRYF, the rudder jammed, the mines jumped the rails. GRYF was hit again two days later, in an artillery engagement between herself, the DD WICHER, the shore batteries of the Hel peninsula naval base, and two DKM DD LEBERECHT MAAS and WOLFGANG ZENKER. Damage was received by both the Polish vessels and the DKM ships. The same day 3.IX.1939 at about 1300 a strong bomber force attacked and sank both ships at the Hel naval base.
Some of the ships of the ML flotilla, CZAJKA, RYBITWA and JASKOLKA laid about 60 mines in the vicinity of Gdansk during the night of 6.IX.1939. When returning to base JASKOLKA shot down one Ju 87. On 15.IX.1939, in another enemy air attack, the MSWs JASKOLKA, CZAJKA and the hydrographic vessel POMORZANIN were sunk, and the MSW RYBITWA was damaged. The damaged ships were then used as anti-aircraft batteries. After fall of Hel peninsula the remaining vessels fall into German hands. Many of the ships sunk were raised and repaired and used by the germans.
The Polish submarines employed for the defence of Hela had no targets for their torpedoes, as Germans planned no landing on the peninsula. All were shifted to patrol duty in the central Baltic on 8 September 1939, but again had no targets. On 7/8.Sep.1939 Polish ML submarines placed mines which sank DKM MSW M 85. Polish submarines were not able to enter Gdynia or Hela, but had to use neutral harbours (RYS and SEP in Stavans on 17 September, ZBIK in Stavans on 27 September and ORZEL in Tallinn on 15 September). WILK escaped to Britain. All three of the other subs were interned. Of these, ORZEL dramatically escaped and sailed for Britain.

ORP Orzel and ORP Wilk in Great Britain 1939/40.





ORP Blyskawica 1939/40

Reading every one so far Chris. Thanks again.