This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[Njaco]

September 2 Monday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post713528.html#post713528

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a British Spitfire fighter, his second kill, over Kent, England, United Kingdom. He received minor damage in the engagement and ran out of fuel, but successfully crash landed on a beach near Calais, France.

Josef Frantisek, flying a Hurricane fighter, scored his first kill, a German Bf 109E fighter, as a RAF pilot.

WESTERN FRONT: Reichsmarschall Göring visits with Major Adolf Galland of JG 26, Major Werner Mölders of JG 51 and other fighter commanders at their airfield. After bellowing at his commanders about how the fighters are not saving the bombers, he calms down and asks Mölders what he needs. Mölders replies that he would like more powerful engines for his aircraft. Turning to Galland, Göring asks, "And you?" to which Galland responds,

"I would like a squadron of Spitfires!"

Göring storms away.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British submarine HMS "Sturgeon" sank German troop ship "Pionier" off Skagen, Denmark at 2000 hours. "Pionier" is carrying 750-1000 German troops, supplies and equipment from Frederikshavn, Denmark, to Frederiksstad, Norway (almost all are killed).

German submarine U-47 sank Belgian ship "Ville de Mons" with four torpedoes 200 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Scotland at 1900 hours. All 54 aboard survived.

German submarine U-58 departed Lorient, France. Only 30 miles out of the port, she was detected by British submarine HMS "Tigris", which fired a spread of torpedoes at her; all torpedoes missed. German submarine U-46 sank British ship "Thornlea" 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 2200 hours, killing 3; 19 survivors were rescued by Canadian destroyer HMCS "Skeena", while another 14 survivors would be rescued on the following day by the Norwegian ship "Hild". Far to the south, German armed merchant cruiser "Widder" sank British tanker "Cymbeline" with the deck gun and a torpedo in the Central Atlantic 800 miles west of the Canary Islands, killing 7; "Widder" remained in the area for four hours and rescued 26 survivors. "Cymbeline's" Captain, First Officer and Third Engineer escape in a lifeboat and will be rescued on September 16 by tanker "Yolonda" and taken to Venezuela.

NORTH AMERICA: US Secretary of State Hull and British Ambassador Lord Lothian concluded the destroyers-for-bases deal. The United States was to provide the United Kingdom with 50 WW1-era destroyers; the United Kingdom, in return, was to provide 99-years leases on land in the Bahamas, Antigua, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Jamaica, and British Guiana to build American military bases and to provide land in Newfoundland and Bermuda as gifts to the US. Planning was quickly placed in motion for the dispatch of US Marine Corps units to these newly gained future bases. Considerable modification will be necessary to make the ships ready for service.

UNITED KINGDOM: No. 25 and 29 Squadrons RAF each received their first Beaufighter fighters.

It was announced that from today the butter ration will be cut from 6oz to 4oz. People who normally take margarine instead of the butter ration would be unaffected by the cut.

MEDITERRANEAN: Admiral Cunningham's fleet is reinforced by the battleship "Valiant" and the carrier "Illustrious" from Gibraltar. He now has three battleships and two carriers. The composition of the Gibraltar based Force H varies greatly from time to time because of the uncertainty regarding the behavior of the French Fleet. The Italians now have five battleships in commission, including two modern ships.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Provisional Government of the French Settlements in Oceania (Polynesia) announces the colony's adhesion to Free France.

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[stona]

That Bf 109 E-1 that H-JM crash landed at Calais had a remarkable career. It's remains were recovered from Russia in the early 1990s and it was brought to the UK for restoration. It will be known to many here as the Russell 109, but I believe it has now been sold on.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Njaco]

Yes, it was sold to someone in Europe so its almost back home. One of our fine members here, pbfoot, volunteered many hours with that Emil, may he rest in peace.

 

[Crimea_River]

Last I read, it was at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar awaiting an overhauled engine.

 

[parsifal]

3 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 57, U Class Sub HMS UPRIGHT
(No Image for MA/SB 57)

Losses
Type IIC Uboat U-57 (DKM 336 grt) The boat sank after an accidental collision with the Norwegian steamer SS RONA, in the North Sea pff the coast of Denmark taking six of her crew with her. She was raised shortly afterwards, but never returned to active frontline service. She was put into service as a training boat. During her frontline career she had sunk 11 ships sunk, total tonnage 48,053 GRT, 1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 8,240 GRT.

MV ULVA (UK 1401 grt) Sunk by U-60 (Adalbert Schnee) Crew: 20 (3 dead and 17 survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Newport - Gibraltar Convoy not reported Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0326 hrs the unescorted ULVA was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-60 and sank slowly about 180 miles WNW of Inishtrahull. A heavy detonation was observed from the UBoat that sent debris into the air, some of it falling close to the U-boat. The master and 16 crew members landed at Castlebay, Isle of Barra, Hebrides
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer TROPIC SEA (Ex-Nor 5781 grt), captured by DKM Raider ORION on 18 May 1940, was scuttled when intercepted by HM sub TRUANT in the Bay of Biscay. The survivors, included the crew from steamer HAXBY sunk by ORION, were picked up by TRUANT. 21 survivors were landed at Corunna. 10 survivors were picked up by a flying boat.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-38, U-59

At Sea 3 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-101, U-124.
11 boats at sea.

According to Ritschel, while U-101 was searching for a convoy west of Ireland, an escort launched a series of DCs over five runs, causing moderate damage, and flooding that the crew were eventually able to control.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Convoy FN.271 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop EGRET. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 4th, on which day the convoy arrived in the Tyne. MT.159 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.271 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINSTER. Sloop SHEARWATER joined the convoy en route, which arrived at Southend on the 5th.

Northern Waters
All movements at Scapa were held up due to mine laying by German IX Air Divison a/c during the night in the southern entrances. DD DUNCAN remained at sea after escorting steamer LADY OF MANN to Lerwick. Destroyer HOLDERNESS was delayed in sailing until 1230 to provide additional escort for convoy WN.12 to Methil. DDs ZULU, SIKH, KASHMIR, and KIPLING finally cleared Scapa at 1200 for Loch Alsh where they arrived at 1900. On the 4th, they escorted MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT QUEBEC, and MENESTHEUS from Loch Alsh on minelaying operation SN 5A, which was conducted during the night of the 4th/5th, and arrived back at Scapa at 1400/6th after the lay. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI departed the Clyde for Scapa, arriving at 1635 on the 4th.

DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE departed Immingham to lay minefield MS (A) near South Goodwin Light Vessel. They were escorted by six MTBs and the minelay was completed early on the 4th. They departed Immingham again on the 5th and laid minefield MS (B), an extension of the first field.

West Coast UK
Convoy OB.208 departed Liverpool escort DD WESTCOTT, sloop FOLKESTONE, and corvette PERIWINKLE. The next day, the convoy was joined by DD SCIMITAR. On 6 September, WESTCOTT and PERIWINKLE were detached and on the 7th, SCIMITAR and FOLKESTONE left the convoy.

Nth Atlantic
USN CL ST LOUIS embarked an evaluation board under Rear Adml J. W. Greenslade to examine base sites acquired under Lend Lease. She departed Norfolk, Virginia on the 3rd, arrived at Bermuda on the 5th and departed on the 8th to return to Norfolk, arriving on the 10th. Leaving again on the 12th for St Johns, Newfoundland, she arrived there on the 16th, and departed on the 18th for Argentia. On the 21st, she departed Argentia, arrived at Boston on the 23rd, sailed again the same day, and arrived back at Norfolk on the 25th.

Central Atlantic
Vichy AMC CAP DES PALMES escorted by sub PONCELET and sloop BOUGAINVILLE departed Dakar for Libreville where they arrived with troops on the 10th. Sloop D'ENTRECASTEUX and submarine AJAX departed Casablanca for Libreville on the 3rd. CL PRIMAUGEUT, sloop GAZELLE, and tanker TARN also departed Casablanca for Libreville on the 4th. Sloops D'IBERVILLE, SURPRISE, and COMMANDANT RIVIERE followed over the next few days.

The threat posed by Vichy sub SIDI FERRUCH at Libreville, caused CL DELHI to depart Duala carrying ten French officers to Pointe Noire. Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Lagos for Freetown.

Convoy SL.46 departed Freetown escort AMC BULOLO until the 19th, when the convoy was joined by ORP DD GARLAND and corvettes GARDENIA, GERANIUM, and PERIWINKLE. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

Sth Atlantic
CA DORSETSHIRE departed Simonstown for Durban. CL DRAGON arrived at Capetown from Lobito.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Sloop SHOREHAM intercepted Greek steamer EVROS in the Red Sea.

Malta

RM MAS Boats conduct a sweep and attempted infiltration of the harbour but are driven off

 

[parsifal]

4 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IID U-142
New source: Diane Peter Brendt - Ships

Allied
The first US DDs for transfer to the RN, DDs AARON WARD, HALE, and ABEL P UPSHUR departed Boston for Halifax. On 1 September, USN depot ship DENEBOLA had departed Norfolk, Virginia, and arrived at Halifax on the 6th to act as a depot ship for the DDs. She remained at Halifax in this role until returning to Norfolk on 3 November. By 6 September, all 8 DDs of DesDivs 65 and 67 had arrived at Halifax. The British crews for these DDs arrived at Halifax on troopship DUCHESS OF RICHMOND (20,022grt). 42 other USN over age destroyers were to follow and filled a vital role in the convoy battles. However they initially proved unsuitable for service. Most were extensively modified, having armament removed, added fuel tanks installed and boilers ripped out for mid-ocean escort work. Renamed, and classified generically as the "Town Class" they saw considerable service from mid 1941 on.

Losses
Ocean Going Ferry LAIRDCASTLE (UK 1945 grt) On the 4th September 1940 when on passage from Glasgow to Belfast she was in collision with VERNON CITY of Reardon Smith between Cumbraes and Mull of Kintyre and sank three hours later. All 72 passengers and 29 crew got clear in ships lifeboats and were picked up by a British Destroyer.

MV LUIMNEACH (Eire 1074 grt) Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 18 (0 dead and 18 survivors) Cargo: Pyrites Route: Huelva - Drogheda sailing independantly - Sunk in the Bay of Biscay. the unescorted and neutral LUIMNEACH was stopped by U-46 with two shots across her bow WSW of the Scilly Isles and was sunk at 2000 hrs by gunfire after the crew had abandoned ship. The U-boat was returning from patrol and had no torpedoes left, when the ship was spotted. Endrass was not sure about the nationality of the vessel and the survivors thought that the U-boat had been Italian. After being stopped, the men abandoned ship in one overcrowded lifeboat without provisions. Endrass ordered them to row back to the ship to launch the second boat and handed over rations, cigarettes and rum. Three men were taken prisoner and landed at Lorient on 6 September.
The master and 14 crew members were picked up by a French fishing boat, transferred to a Spanish trawler and landed at Pasajes, Spain on 13 September.

MV TITAN (UK 9035 grt) Sunk by U-47 (Günther Prien) Crew: 95 (6 dead and 89 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: London - Sydney, (Australia) Convoy OB 207. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0128 and 0129 hrs, U-47 fired torpedoes at two ships in convoy OA-207 about 80 miles SW of Rockall, Prien saw the first ship sinking in 12 minutes after a hit amidships and a hit in the bow of the second ship without further observations. However, only the TITAN was hit and sunk. Six crew members were lost. The master and 88 crew members were picked up by RCN DD ST LAURENT and landed at Rosyth on 9 September. The master Walter Francis Dark was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.

DKM S Boats 1st Flotilla launched a highly successful attack on FS.271 NE of Great Yarmouth.

S.21 sank Steamer CORBROOK (UK 1729 grt), Steamer NEW LAMBTON (UK 2709 grt).

CORBROOK went down 30 miles east of Cromer and NEW LAMBTON slightly to the east. Both crews were rescued.

S.18 sank steamer JOSEPH SWAN (UK 1571 grt) and Steamer NIEUWLAND (NL 1075 grt). Both ships were lost between 56 and 55A Buoy, JOSEPH SWAN with only one survivor and NIEUWLAND with the loss of eight crew.

No Image found for the Joseph Swan

S.22 sank steamer FULHAM V (UK 1562 grt) 2 miles nth of 55A Buoy, but here entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

S.54 damaged steamer EWELL .

Tug SAUCY (RN 550 grt (est)) was mined and sunk off Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth, with the loss of 27 crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-99

At Sea 4 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
12 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
SW Approaches
HG.43 departed Gibraltar with 21 ships escort sloop WELLINGTON and as far as Lisbon, by DDs WISHART and FORTUNE. WISHART experienced defects and returned to Gibraltar, being replaced by DD VIDETTE which sailed from Gibraltar on the 5th with troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN to join the convoy. WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from the 4th to 18th. It was joined in Home Waters by DD WARWICK with corvettes COREOPSIS and CLEMATIS from the 14th to 18th, and by DD WESTCOTT and sloop ROCHESTER on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool that same day. DD VELOX departed Gibraltar escorting steamers BARON VERNON and FIDRA to within ten miles of Melilla, when they carried on to load iron ore. On the 8th, DD HOTSPUR escorted FIDRA back to Gibraltar.

Malta

1730-1801 hrs Air raid alert for enemy a/c which are reported approaching in several formations due east of Grand Harbour and then sth of Delimara but do not cross the coast or drop bombs.

2130 hrs An enemy MAS Boat is again reported in the vicinity of Dingli; the RN send out light forces to investigate and coastal batteries are ordered to keep close watch.

AIR HQ
KALAFRANA All four Sunderlands left for the Middle East.

 

[Njaco]

September 3 Tuesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post713869.html#post713869

GERMANY: The operational orders for the invasion of Britain are issued. It is confirmed that the decision to go will be taken 10 days before the invasion is to take place. S-Day is now scheduled for September 21st. The Sea Lion plan now provides for elements of 11 divisions to make the assault. Two airborne divisions are to be sent in at once, but the other nine will start 6700 strong and will only reach full strength after several days. About 250 tanks are to accompany the assault. Four divisions of the 16th Army with airborne support are to land near Folkestone, two of the 9th Army near Eastbourne and three more of the 9th Army, also with airborne support, at Brighton. These beachheads will not be mutually supporting in the early stages. At this time the defending British forces have only made a partial recovery from the equipment losses at Dunkirk. There are perhaps four divisions fully equipped and about eight more in a reasonable state. In addition, there are various mobile brigade groups. There are about 350 cruiser and heavy tanks in the country and about 500 antitank guns.

German submarine U-57 collided with Norwegian ship "Rona" at Brunsbüttel, Germany. U-57 sank with 6 lost; there were 19 survivors. She would later be raised to serve as a training ship.

Joachim von Ribbentrop denied that the Second Vienna Arbitration had violated any terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, as Vyacheslav Molotov had accused. Furthermore, Ribbentrop complained that the manner in which the Soviet Union had taken over the Baltic States was in itself a violation of the pact.

RAF night raid on Berlin (first of nine raids in September).

WESTERN FRONT: Reichsmarschall Göring calls a conference of all his air commanders to The Hague. In attendance are Feldmarschall Albert Kesselring, commander of Luftflotte 2, Feldmarschall Hugo Sperrle, commander of Luftflotte 3, Oberst Werner Junck, General Bruno Lörzer and other Fliegerkorps commanders. Göring begins the meeting by asking if British Fighter Command is defeated or are they still able to attack the bombers. Kesselring announces that the RAF is finished and that the attack of numerous targets should cease and a concentrated raid on one objective, namely London, should be enough to bring England down. Sperrle disagrees to the point that he wagers a good meal that the RAF is far from finished. A heated discussion ensues. Commenting on the ability of the RAF after so many losses, Oberst Junck says "This is a Verdun of the air!" Infuriated, Kesselring turns to German Intelligence Chief Oberst Josef 'Beppo' Schmid for the exact number of aircraft the British have left. Caught between the two commanders, Oberst Schmid announces that British Fighter Command has perhaps only 100 fighters left or even as much as 350. This information convinces Göring that British defenses will soon be exhausted and the invasion can commence. After some discussion, a Zielwechsel or change of objective is decided. The attacks on RAF airfields should cease and a final assault on London should commence. Unknown to the Luftwaffe High Command, this decision changes the whole course of the battle, giving Fighter Command a breather and a chance to rebuild. Convinced by Göring that the British are close to defeat, Hitler informs the meeting that the earliest date for the sailing of the invasion fleet will be on 20 September, the actual landings to take place on 21 September and the launching of the attack on the English Isles through Kent would be on 11 September.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-60 sank British collier "Ulva" about 150 miles southwest of Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 0326 hours; 3 were killed and 17 survived. A British convoy escort vessel depth charged German submarine U-101 200 miles west of Ireland, damaging her and causing flooding, but U-101 would survive and reach Lorient, France on 16 Sep for repairs.

ASIA: He Yingqin ordered Nationalist 18th Army to counter the Communist advance along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China.

EASTERN EUROPE: Vojtech Tuka convinced the Slovak assembly to enact Constitutional Law 210 which gave the government powers to establish anti-Semitic laws.

NORTH AMERICA: US President Franklin Roosevelt announced the destroyers-for-bases deal to the public. Captain Ferdinand L. Reichmuth, the commanding officer of destroyers of the US Navy Atlantic Squadron was placed in charge of the transfer of destroyers to Britain. Light cruiser USS "St. Louis" departed Norfolk, Virginia with Rear Admiral John F. Greenslade on board, who was placed in charge to survey land recently gained from the United Kingdom for building military bases.

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[Njaco]

September 4 Wednesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post714201.html#post714201

ASIA: In Japan, a meeting is held of four principal ministers to establish guidelines for negotiating joining an alliance with Germany and Italy. They establish that Japan's sphere of influence would encompass China, Manchuria, former German-mandated islands, French Indochina and Pacific islands, Siam, British Malaya and Borneo, Netherlands East Indies, Burma, Australia, New Zealand, and possibly India.

French Army General Maurice Martin took over Franco-Japanese negotiations for Indochina. Japanese intelligence intercepted a French cable that detailed Indochina affairs to the United States and the United Kingdom, signaling that the US and the UK still had influence in Indochina politics. Japanese Army argued that force must now to be used before US and UK openly asserted pressure.

Prince Nagahisa passed away in an airplane crash at Zhangjiakou in Japanese puppet state of Mengjiang in northern China.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German motor torpedo boats attacked Allied convoy FS.271 off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. S-21 sank ships "Corbrook" and "New Lambton", S-22 sank "Fulham IV" (entire crew survived), S-18 sank British ship "Joseph Swan" (only 1 survived) and Dutch ship "Nieuwland" (8 killed), and S-54 damaged ship "Ewell". All were carrying coal to London.

U-46 sinks neutral Irish SS "Luimneach" (carrying 1250 tons of pyrites from Huelva Spain, to Ireland) 200 miles West of Brest, France at 2000 hours. The other 15 crew are picked up by a French fishing boat. 3 were rescued by U-45 and 15 were rescued by a French fishing boat.

German submarine U-47 sank British ship "Titan" of Allied convoy OA-207 250 miles northwest of Ireland at 0128 hours, killing 6. 89 survivors were rescued by escorting destroyer HMCS "St. Laurent".

EASTERN EUROPE: There are political upheavals following the recent losses of territory by the Vienna Award. Following the humiliating acquisition of Romanian territory by USSR and Germany, Romanian King Carol II handed power over to the pro-German General Ion Antonescu. Antonescu will become Prime Minister and form the National Legionary State, an uneasy partnership with the ultra-nationalist fascist Iron Guard. Later in the month it is announced that the fascist Iron Guard is to be the only legal political party.

Before the consulate closes, Chiune Sugihara, Vice-Consul for the Empire of Japan in Soviet-occupied Lithuania, continues to defy his government and write visas to Jews desperate to flee from German-occupied Poland. In 1985 he will be awarded Righteous Among the Nations by Israel for having saved some 6,000 Jews.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler addressed a crowd of factory workers, nurses, and relief workers during the Winter Relief Campaign at the Berlin Sportpalast, declaring that Germany would now answer British night raids on German cities with greater ferocity.

"It is a wonderful thing to see our nation at war, in its fully disciplined state. This is exactly what we are experiencing at this time, as Mr Churchill is demonstrating to us the aerial night attacks he has concocted. He is not doing this because these air raids might be particularly effective, but because his Air Force cannot fly over German territory in daylight. Whereas German aviators and German planes fly over English soil daily, there is hardly a single Englishman who comes across the North Sea in daytime. They therefore come during the night – and as you know, release their bombs indiscriminately and without any plan on to residential areas, farmhouses and villages. Wherever they see a sign of light, a bomb is dropped on it. For three months past, I have not ordered any answer to be given; thinking that they would stop this nonsensical behaviour. Mr Churchill has taken this to be a sign of our weakness. You will understand that we shall now give a reply, night for night, and with increasing force. And if the British Air Force drops two, three or four thousand kilos of bombs, then we will drop 150,000, 180,000, 230,000, 300,000 or 400,000 kilos, or more, in one night. If they declare that they will attack our cities on a large scale, we will erase theirs! We will put a stop to the game of these night-pirates, as God is our witness. The hour will come when one or the other will crumble, and that one will not be National Socialist Germany. I have already carried through such a struggle once in my life, up to the final consequences, and this then led to the collapse of the enemy who is now sitting there in England on Europe's last island."

MEDITERRANEAN: Fairey Swordfish aircraft from the British Fleet Air Arm's 815 and 819 Squadrons attacked the Calato and Gadurra airfields on Rhodes, Greece. They should had been accompanied by Swordfish aircraft from 813 and 824 Squadrons but these were delayed in their departure from HMS "Eagle" and when they arrived the Italian defences were alerted with fighters waiting for them. Four of the Swordfish aircraft were shot down. The Italians lost two aircraft destroyed and seven damaged on the ground.

NORTH AMERICA: The United States warns the Japanese government against making aggressive moves in Indochina.

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[parsifal]

5 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Benson Class DD CHARLES F HUGHES

Allied
Flower Class Corvette PICOTEE

Losses
Aux PV Vp.403 (DKM 432 grt) was sunk on a mine off Westerschelde.

General Image

Aux PV Vp.201 (DKM 460 grt) was sunk on a mine at Dunkirk Roads.

General Image

UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-29

At Sea 5 September 940
U-28, U-32, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
12 boats at sea

U-47 lost a man overboard while the deck gun was being fired.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
CLs AURORA, GALATEA, and CARDIFF departed Humber for Sheerness and were joined at sea off the Humber Light Vessel by DDs WILD SWAN and WIVERN. The ships arrived at Sheerness on the 6th. FN.273 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th. MT.161 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.273 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VANITY and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.

Northern Patrol
DDs VERSATILE and VIMY departed the Clyde as additional escort for convoy BAS.3, four ships for Reykavik. They left the convoy during the afternoon of the 8th and returned to Scapa.

Northern Waters
Sub TUNA fired five torpedoes in two attacks at 0301 at a Uboat 65 miles 077° from May Island, and was attacked herself. DDs JACKAL and VORTIGERN were sent to investigate. MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC laid mines south of the Faroes, escort DDs ZULU, SIKH, KIPLING, and KASHMIR, and CLA CAIRO providing AA support.

West Coast UK
Steamers MELBOURNE STAR and the Greek AEGEON were damaged by LW attacks, AEGEON was 30 miles sw of Holyhead, MELBOURNE STAR is believed to be in a similar area.

Western Approaches
Escort vessel GLEANER experienced boiler defects requiring immediate repair.

SW Approaches
OG.42 with 51 ships departed Liverpool escort DDs ANTELOPE and AMAZON from 5 to 8 September, and DDs SABRE and MACKAY with corvette GERANIUM from 5 to 7 September. Sloop LEITH escorted the convoy from 5 to 16 September when it arrived at Gibraltar.

CL SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar and arrived in the Clyde on the 8th. A Saro London flying boat of 200 Gp force landed 100 miles to the west of Cape Spartel ( a promontory in Morocco about 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km West of Tangier). DD FORESTER located the a/c, taking it in tow and returning to Gibraltar.

Channel
DKM TBs T.5, T.6, T.7, and T.8 of TB Flot 2 laid minefield "WALTHER" in the Straits of Dover.

Nth Atlantic
HX.71 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY at 1850. The ocean escort, AMC RANPURA was met and ASSINIBOINE detached at 2020 and SAGUENAY at 2000 the next day. BHX.71 departed Bermuda on the 4th escorted by AMC RAJPUTANA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.71 on the 9th and the AMC was detached. Sloop FLEETWOOD and corvettes BLUEBELL and FLOXINIA joined on the 16th, corvette GLADIOLUS on the 17th, and DD WINCHELSEA on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

Central Atlantic
CVE ARGUS arrived at Takoradi with 30 Hurricanes to be flown overland to Khartoum. They unloaded from ARGUS on the 6th. Im unsure if they flew off or were lifted off.

Sth Atlantic
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Durban for repairs. CL NEPTUNE departed Durban on patrol to examine anchorages in Southern Madagascar.

Med- Biscay
RM TB Div 12, (TBs ALTAIR, ALDEBARAN, ANTARES, and ANDROMEDA (Seekrieg - ALTAIR, ALCIONE, ARIEL and ARETUSA) laid mines off Valletta, Malta. There 35 more minelays were made in Maltese waters by RM units during the war and these claimed DDs JERSEY and SOUTHWOLD, ORP Vessel KUJIWIAK, and sub OLYMPUS and constricted movements into and out of the harbour.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
RAN CL HOBART, escorting convoy BS.3, was unsuccessfully attacked 8 times by the RA. RM TBs MANIN, BATTISTI and SAURO also conducted sweeps trying to find BS.3.

Convoy BS.4 departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were detached on the 8th when the convoy was joined by NZ manned CL LEANDER, CLA CARLISLE, DD KINGSTON, plus sloops AUCKLAND and RAN PARRAMATTA. The convoy dispersed on the 13th.

Australia/Pac/Far East
DKM Raider KOMET transitted the Bering Straits and entered the Pacific after being provided assistance by Russian icebreakers to traverse the northern arctic route across the north of Russia.

Malta

018-1046 hrs Air raid alert for eight bombers and 17 fighters which approach from the north and fly over the Island, circling Grand Harbour, Luqa and Hal Far. The two formations are split and two fighters moving nth over Ta Qali are attacked by a single Hurricane. All AA gun positions open fire on raiders at 19-22000 feet. No bombs are dropped on the area.

1757-1818 hrs Air raid alert for six a/c which are identified as German made JU 87Bs carrying a Swastika on the tail. They approach at 17000 feet, separate into pairs and dive to 6-800 feet to drop bombs on Marsaxlokk area. A bomber machine-guns the camp of 3rd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment. Ack Ack guns, including Lewis guns at Delimara, open fire on low flying raiders. Four JU 87s are also reported swooping over Kalafrana in two pairs from the direction of Birzebbugia; two bombs are dropped with no damage. One small bomb and one 750lb bomb are dropped in a field near an airfield gate.

All the airfield's machine guns open fire and some claim to have scored hits. The RAF also report two enemy planes shot down by small arms fire but this is not confirmed. One incendiary bomb lands near Fort Benghaisa and another in Birzebbugia village. One unexploded bomb reported near Kalafrana seaplane base is believed to be a 500kg delayed action bomb. It is destroyed by the bomb disposal units. Malta fighters are scrambled. Three enemy a/c are chased north and then eastwards. One enemy CR42 is brought down six miles nth of Grand Harbour; the pilot bales and is captured. Two bombers are reported hit and damaged, believed unlikely to return to base.

2115 hrs A look-out post at Mellieha reports the sound of motor engines to the east. 2147 hrs Qawra Tower reports the faint sound of engines out to sea. Moving green lights are also reported but thought to be shooting stars. 2309 2333 hrs Further reports of the sound of an MAS Boat or an aircraft. 2352 hrs A defence post reports a boat off Dragonara Point signalling towards the shore. A subsequent sighting reports a signal of a dot and two dashes (the letter W). The boat is reported as three miles off shore. Coastal guns at St Julians are manned. 0009 hrs A boat believed to be an MAS is picked up by a searchlight beam from Fort Campbell and logged as two miles due north of Ghallis Tower. Guns at Campbell open fire. Searchlights at Campbell, St George's, Tigne and Grand Harbour are illuminated until 0025 hrs.

RA personnel casualties Tenente Nicola Dell'Olio, pilot, 201a Squadriglia, 92nd Gruppo, 39th Stormo.

 

[Njaco]

September 5 Thursday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post714511.html#post714511

UNITED KINGDOM: German minelayers are active in the Straits of Dover during the night (September 5-6) as part of Operation Walter.

WESTERN FRONT: Oblt. Werner Machold of 1./JG 2 is awarded the Ritterkreuz for achieving twenty-one victories.

ASIA: Japanese troops crossed the border into Indochina without French permission; French negotiator Maurice Martin suspended all talks in protest.

"Akagi" departed Yokosuka, Japan.

Koichi Shiozawa was named the commanding officer of the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.

EASTERN EUROPE: Hungarian troops entered Northern Transylvania, territory that German and Italy forced Romania to cede to Hungary.

In Romania, Parliament is dissolved and the constitution suspended.

NORTH AFRICA: Despite the imminent threat of invasion by Germany, Britain sends considerable materiel to defend her interests in the Middle East (Egypt, Sudan and Kenya) from Italian invasion. 6 Blenheim IV bombers and 6 Hurricane fighters arrived in crates at Takoradi at the British Colony of the Gold Coast. These aircraft would soon be assembled and flown 3600 miles across Africa to RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt near the Suez Canal for the war against Italy in North Africa.

NORTH AMERICA: German armed merchant cruiser "Komet" completed its voyage across the Northern Sea Route and entered the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarines in the Atlantic begin using "wolf pack" tactics in hunting shipping targets. Three submarines attack 53 ships in Convoy CS-2. Six ships are sunk.

SOUTH PACIFIC: First draft of Australian Empire Air Training Scheme (E.A.T.S.) trainees leaves Sydney for Vancouver (British Columbia), Canada.

.

 

[parsifal]

6 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette CAMPANULA
(New image source: HMS Campanula

Transfer to the RCN HMS DIANA renamed HMCS MARGAREE
(New Image source HMCS MARGAREE (1st) | Ships of the Canadian Navy)

Losses
Flower Class Corvette GODETIA (RN 925 grt), which had been escorting convoy OA.207, was sunk in an accidental collision with steamer MARSA , herself a straggler from convoy OA.209, off Altacarry Head (on the Northern Ireland coast). 32 of the crew were lost or missing.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-46, U-60

At Sea 6 september 1940
U-28, U-32, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
10 boats at sea.

British sub HMS TRIBUNE launched torpedoes at a U-Boat about 15 nautical miles (28 km) NE of St. Kilda, Outer Hebrides. All missed. There is little doubt that the target was U-56, since that was the only u-boat passing through that area on that day. No attack was reported in the U-56 log, however.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DDs JACKAL and JAGUAR departed Rosyth at 1800 escorting submarine depot ship FORTH and sub TUNA to the Clyde, and safely arrived at 0600 on the 9th. OA.210 departed Methil escort PV JASON. FN.274 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS, WESTMINSTER and patrol sloop PUFFIN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 8th. MT.162 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.274 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VERDUN and WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 7th. .

In LW air attacks on convoy SL.44A, 15 miles east of Aberdeen, steamer ST GLEN (UK 4647 grt) was sunk. Three crew were lost, and sloop SANDWICH rescued the survivors. Steamer GANNET (1336grt) was damaged in 57‑25N, 01‑45W and towed to Peterhead.

DKM MLs TOGO, KAISER and TBs GREIF, FALKE, ILTIS, and JAGUAR of TB Flot 5, escorted by TBs T.1, T.2, and T.3 of TB Flot 1, laid minefield SW 0 in the sw North Sea. Further Escort was provided by Zerstorer GALSTER and TB KONDOR, with all forces returning to Rotterdam on the 8th. The minelaying activities were related to DKM preparations for Operation Seelowe.

Northern Waters
CVL FURIOUS, BB NELSON, CLAs NAIAD and BONAVENTURE, and DDs SOMALI, TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ASHANTI, ESKIMO, and MATABELE departed Scapa Flow on Operation DF to raid shipping off Trondheim. At 0500 on the 7th, FURIOUS launched 9 Skuas of 801 Sqn and 12 Swordfish of 816 and 825 Sqns. Two ships were sighted and one was reported sunk between Sognefjord and Grip Light, but no record exists of any ship being hit on this day. The aircraft returned directly to Hatston, and the force arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 7th.

West Coast UK
RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed the Clyde for Freetown to replace CL FIJI in the MENACE operation. On 8 September, U.56 unsuccessfully attacked AUSTRALIA, which arrived at Freetown on the 14th.

AUSTRALIA in 1940 (AWM Photo)

Trawlers IWATE and ILFRACOMBE were damaged by the LW

Nth Atlantic
SC.2, which had departed St Johns on 25 August, was escorted by RCN DD SKEENA, DD WESTCOTT, sloops LOWESTOFT, SCARBOROUGH, corvette PERIWINKLE, plus ASW trawlers ST APOLLO and BERKSHIRE when it was attacked by U.65. U.47 arrived that night, followed on the 9th by U.28 and U.99, which made attacks. In all five merchant ships were sunk in these attacks.

Central Atlantic
CL DELHI arrived off Pointe Noire, French Congo, but two of the three Vichy steamers there had departed prior to her arrival.
Vichy French steamer JEAN LABORDE (11,591grt) departed during the night of 5/6 September and arrived at Dakar on the 8th. Steamer TOUREG (Vichy 5135 grt) departed on the 5th and was later intercepted by DELHI on the 16th. Steamer CAP PADARAN (8009grt) departed on the 9th for Dakar, via Tabu, but was forced to put into Conakry on the 23rd to avoid contact with British forces. CA HAWKINS departed Montevideo on patrol and arrived back later that day. CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Freetown.

Med- Biscay
CV ARK ROYAL, BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION, with DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FORTUNE, FURY, GREYHOUND, ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE, and INGLEFIELD, all from Fce H, departed Gibraltar on MENACE. DD ECHO with defects was able to depart the next day and joined the force at sea.

The Italian intelligence service, included a permanent presence in the Spanish port of Algerciras reported this major fleet movement as an incursion into the Med. The RM reaction was the sortie of BBs VENETO, LITTORIO, CESARE, and DUILO, with six CAs, and 18 DDs. Fce H joined the MENACE "MP" convoy at sea on the 13th. In addition, CA DEVONSHIRE, with the convoy, and CA CUMBERLAND, which joined at sea, travelled in company with Force H and the convoy. Subs TRIAD and TRUANT arrived from Home Waters at Gibraltar escorted by DD WRESTLER. These subs departed Gibraltar on the 5th to join, for duty with the 8th Sub Flotilla to operate from Gibraltar.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
NZ manned CL LEANDER, escorting convoy BN.4 with Sloop AUCKLAND, was unsuccessfully attacked by the RA north of Jebal at Tair. Two a/c were shot down.

RM sub GUGLIELMOTTI sank tanker ATLAS (Gk 4008 grt), a straggler from convoy BN.4, 14 miles north of Jebel Tier. The crew was landed at Aden.

Australia/Pac/Far East
NZ Manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland with staff officers of the New Zealand Government for government conferences in Tahiti, arriving on the 10th. She departed on the 15th for further talks at Raratonga, arrived on the 17th and returned to Auckland on the 23rd.

Malta
0019 hrs One Glen Martin bomber aircraft lands at Luqa.

RN FERMOY and FELLOWSHIP made an unsuccessful attempt to cut the Syracuse-Tripoli cable. ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS Bomb Disposal UXB High explosive 1 estimated 700lb delayed action blown in situ Kalafrana.

 

[Njaco]

September 6 Friday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post714833.html#post714833

UNITED KINGDOM: The King and Queen visit RAF Fighter Command headquarters at Bentley Priory, Stanmore (Middlesex).

German aircraft bombed the town of Grantham. This town, which contained the mansion St Vincents Hall that housed the headquarters of No. 5 Group RAF Bomber Command, would be bombed on twelve occasions up to the end of the year making it, for a while, the most bombed town in England.

NORTH AFRICA: General Weygand resigns from the government. He takes command of Vichy French forces in North Africa. All French colonies supporting General de Gaulle had the British naval blockade lifted.

HMS "Argus" launched 30 Hurricane fighters for Takoradi in the British Colony of the Gold Coast. They would later be flown to RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt to participate in the Desert War against the Italians.

NORTH AMERICA: US military issued contracts for the construction of B-29 and B-32 prototype bombers.

A Vultee Model 48C Vanguard aircraft, the first of the batch ordered by Sweden, took flight.

The first production Douglas scout bomber (SBD) is delivered to the U. S. Navy. The aircraft is given the name "Dauntless."

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British submarine HMS "Tribune" attacked German submarine U-56 40 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland; all torpedoes fired missed.

German aircraft damaged British merchant ship "Melbourne Star" 180 miles west of Ireland and Greek ship "Aegeon" 30 miles southeast of Dublin.

U-65 guides U-47 to convoy SC-2. During the night (September 6-7) U-47 sinks 3 ships by attacking while surfaced. This tactic effectively counters the sonar [referred to by the British as ASDIC because it was developed by the Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee] equipped escorts.

MEDITERRANEAN: British aircraft carrier HMS "Ark Royal", battleship HMS "Barham", battleship HMS "Resolution", and 10 destroyers departed Gibraltar bound for Freetown, Sierra Leone, for refueling. They will join cruisers HMS "Devonshire" and HMAS "Australia" to cover landings at Dakar by Free French troops under General De Gaulle (supported by 8,000 British troops).

SOUTH PACIFIC: British troop ship "Dunera" arrived in Australia with 200 Italian prisoners of war, 251 German prisoners of war, 55 British Nazi sympathizers, and 2,036 civilians from Germany (mostly Jewish refugees). They were robbed and abused by British guards in the past 57 days, and those who committed the abuse were later court-martialed. These "enemy aliens", as they were categorized, were to be trained to the town of Hay, New South Wales, Australia.

GERMANY: Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler in regards to the invasion of Britain.

WESTERN FRONT: Rudolf von Schmettow was made the military governor of the Channel Islands, succeeding Albrecht Lanz.

Generalissimo Gamelin is arrested in France.

ASIA: A Nationalist Chinese brigade was wiped out by Communist Chinese forces near Yingxi, Jiangsu Province, China.

EASTERN EUROPE: King Carol abdicates following fascist riots in Bucharest and leaves the country with his mistress, Magda Lupescu. Prince Michael ascends the throne for second time (his wayward father having renounced the succession in 1925 but returned in 1930). The Iron Guard, with the support of Germany and renegade military officers led by the premier, General Ion Antonescu, forced the king to abdicate.

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[Njaco]

September 7 Saturday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post715237.html#post715237

UNITED KINGDOM: The British authorities decide that they have information that a German invasion is likely in the next few days and accordingly they issue an invasion warning. This warning is in the form of the signal word "Cromwell" which means that an invasion is imminent and its issue causes some wild measures to be taken. In fact this signal has been chosen because its true meaning corresponds most nearly to the needs of bringing about a higher state of readiness. No other code word has this effect.

GERMANY: One of the largest flying boats ever built, the Blohm and Voss BV 222 'Wiking' is first flown.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-47 sinks ships from convoy SC-2 by attacking while surfaced. U-47 sank British ship "Neptunian" (killing all 36), British ship "José de Larrinaga" (killing all 40), and Norwegian ship "Gro" (killing 11; 21 survived) 300 miles northwest of Ireland between 0400 and 0533 hours.

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[parsifal]

7 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS HILARY P JONES
(New Source: hilarypjones)

Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 14, Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 58 -

MGB 58 in 1942

Losses
U.47 (Günther Prien) in attacks on convoy SC.2 sank 3 steamers, all from Convoy SC-2 and all within the Western Approaches. The attacks were pareticualalry severe because of the heavy crew losses:

MV NEPTUNIAN (UK 5155 grt) Crew:36 (36 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Full load of sugar Route: Santiago - Sydney (Canada) - Liverpool. At 0404 hrs the NEPTUNIAN was hit by one torpedo nw of Rockall and sank capsizing after seven minutes. The ship had been missed by torpedoes fired earlier at 0336 and 0345 hrs.

MV JOSE DE LARRINGA (UK 5303 grt) Crew: 40 (40 dead - no survivors) Cargo: steel and linseed oil Route: New York - Sydney (Canada) - Liverpool . At 0515 hours U-47 struck again when this vessel was hit by a stern torpedo. The ship broke in two and sank after 11 minutes.

MV GRO (Nor 4211 grt) Crew: 32 (11 dead and 21 survivors) Cargo: wheat Route:Montreal - Sydney (Canada) - Liverpool. At 0533 hrs, U-47 attacked the convoy for the third time. The ships in the convoy were by now zig-zagging, and still managing to hold station fairly well, but Prien still managed hit the GRO with a torpedo on the port side amidships. The freighter's boilers exploded and hot steam gushed out. The vessel broke in two and sank within 10 mins. 21 survivors, including the master, had left the ship in the port lifeboat (the starboard boat was destroyed by the explosion). But 11 men were missing, eight whom had been in the engine room. Just before Gro had broken in two, the men in the boat had seen two shadows move below the lower bridge, but could do nothing to investigate when the ship sank shortly thereafter. After a while two lights were seen on the water, but in the gale force wind and high seas they were unable to row in that direction and the lights soon disappeared. At dawn the survivors set sail in an easterly direction. British steamer BURDWAN rescued these 21 survivors on the 10th. Corvette PERIWINKLE found a raft with two of the GRO dead on the 27th. The raft was from the lower bridge with two bodies tied to it. The dead men were the second mate and possibly the mess boy or the third mate.

MSW trawler ABRONIA (RN 350 grt (est)) foundered in the Thames. Five ratings were lost.

Trawler SALACON (UK 211 grt) was sunk on a mine 5.3 miles 114° from Spurn Light House (at the entrance to the Humber estuary). 8 crew were lost.

The LW launched heavy air attacks on the Port of London, with 300 a/c dropping 337 tons of bombs. Tug BECKTON (UK 45 grt) was sunk at the Beckton Gas Works, London River, but there were no casualties. Many ships were damaged - British steamers BARONESA, GOTHLAND , BENNEVIS , UMGENI , GLENSTRAE , KNITSLEY , UMTALI , INANDA , INKOSI , FRUMENTON, HETTON, EASTWOOD , WILLIAM CASH, OTAIO , Dutch steamers PRINS FREDERIK HENDRIK, SCHIE, ABBEKERK, MOENA, ANTJE, REIGER, and PRINS MAURITS, Belgian steamer SAMBRE, and Estonian steamers LAKE HALLWIL and ELNA .


DKM S-Boats S.33 and S.36 in attacks on convoy FS.273 sank steamer STAD ALKMAAR (NL 5750 grt) east of Lowestoft, but the entire crew was rescued. .

Armed yacht RHODORA (RN 687 grt) was sunk in an accidental collision with steamer NGATIRA (525grt) off Cardiff in the Bristol Channel.

Trawler NIENDORF (Ger 257 grt) was sunk on a mine off Calais. Seekrieg attributes the loss to the activities of Norwegian MTB 6, and RN MTBs 15 and 17 off Calais.

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-59

At Sea 7 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
11 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DDs ATHERSTONE, BEAGLE, BULLDOG, and SALADIN at sea on patrol were ordered to sweep off Calais for DKM S Boats off Calais, before proceeding to the west of Dungeness by dawn. No contact was made.

Northern Waters
At 0048, cruisers and DDs at Scapa were brought to 1 hr's notice. The DDs were kept at 30 mins notice all night and by next morning the crews were heavily fatigued (30 mins notice means the crews were fully slosed up at Action stations.

BC REPULSE, CAs NORFOLK and BERWICK, with DDs ZULU, SIKH, KASHMIR, and KIPLING departed Scapa at 1300 to sweep off the east coast of Iceland. They arrived back after an uneventful patrol on the 10th.

DDs DUNCAN and MAORI escorting sub depot ship TITANIA departed Lough Foyle at 1030 for Rosyth. DD DOUGLAS departed Portsmouth at 1900 to join DesFlot 12 operating at Scapa. She arrived later on the 9th, but was found to have faulty boiler tubes and secured alongside depot ship GREENWICH for repairs.

Central Atlantic
CA CUMBERLAND departed Freetown to intercept reported German steamer OSTMARK, supposedly en route to Dakar. On 8 September, the CA reported Vichy CL PRIMAUGUET, 2 DDs, and an oiler on a course of 180°. The CL, sloops LA SURPRISE and GAZELLE, and oiler TARN had departed Casablanca on the 4th and arrived at Dakar on the 9th.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria and proceeded to Port Tewfik in the Red Sea. She sailed in company with DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY to escort convoy BS.4 to Aden arriving on the 12th.

Malta
227-1243 hrs Air raid alert for 24 CR42 fighters escorting 11 enemy SM79 bombers which drop some 30 HE bombs on the Dockyard and Grand Harbour area, causing damage to Naval property and near misses on the Ocean Tug HELLESPONT. Four civilians are killed and two injured; another is missing. AA guns open fire and three Hurricanes and three Gladiators are scrambled. One aircraft hit by AA is shot down . One further RA bomber is shot down by the RAF CAP between Zurrieq and Filfla, and another damaged. Two Hurricanes are slightly damaged by enemy fire.

HM ocean going tug HELLESPONT

 

[parsifal]

8 September 1940
Losses
DKM Raider WIDDER captured collier ANTONIOS CHANDRIS (Gk 5866 grt) in the Central Atlantic. Twenty two crew were landed at Rio de Janeiro, and ten at Buenos Aires. The cargo ship was scuttled in the South Atlantic a day or two later
[NO IMAGE]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-32

Departures
Lorient: U-48

At Sea 8 September 1940
U-28, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
11 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Convoy OA.211 departed Methil escort sloop WESTON and corvette PRIMROSE. MTB.15 and MTB.17 attacked and reported sinking a German ammunition ship and damaging a cargo vessel off Ostend. MTB.14 was also in the attack.

The LW continued its attacks on the london docks, causing further damage to shipping. British steamers TYNEMOUTH and SHERWOOD , Belgian tanker PRESIDENT FRANQUI and steamer ANNA , and Dutch steamer THEA were all damaged.

The LW also subjected the port of Methil to attack. Sloop STORK was torpedoed at anchor in Methil Roads. Her stern was wrecked and she was badly damaged. Gunner R. Motts was wounded. STORK was under repair at Grangemouth, completing on 16 March 1941. Dutch steamer STAD VLAARDINGEN was damaged by the LW, also in Methil Roads. She was taken in tow by Norwegian DD SLEIPNER, but was then in a collision with Dutch steamer ALGORAB.

West Coast UK
Convoy OB.210 departed Liverpool escort DD SKATE with corvettes ANEMONE and ARABIS. DD SHIKARI joined on the 9th. The escort was detached on the 10th.

Western Approaches
AMC CHITRAL was at sea escorted by DDs AMAZON and ANTELOPE in the Western Approaches. The two DDs were detached for other escort duties, being replaced by RCN DD SKEENA.

Channel
During the night of 8/9 September, CL GALATEA with DDs CAMPBELL, GARTH, and VESPER, and CL AURORA with DDs HAMBLEDON, HOLDERNESS, and VENETIA were ordered to shell German shipping concentrations off Calais and Boulogne for each of the respective groups. From 0225 to 0245, Anson a/c dropped flares over both ports. No shipping was observed in Calais, and GALATEA did not conduct a bombardment. However, AURORA did bombarded the Boulogne harbour area. DDs ATHERSTONE, BERKELEY, BULLDOG, BEAGLE, and FERNIE swept along the French coast in a broad sweep from Le Tonquet to the SW up to 5 miles nth of Cape Antifer. The cruisers arrived back at Sheerness on the 9th. On her return, GALATEA struck a mine and was under repair at Chatham until 8 January 1941.

Central Atlantic
Italian submarine FAA DI BRUNO made an unsuccessful attack on a tanker sailing independently.

Sth Atlantic
CA CORNWALL departed Simonstown for Freetown, arriving on the 15th.

Malta
In an air raid on Malta, sub OLYMPUS in dock suffered slight damage.
RN FERMOY and FELLOWSHIP succeeded in cut the Syracuse-Tripoli cable.

 

[Njaco]

September 8 Sunday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post715544.html#post715544

Adolf Galland was nearly shot down on the French coast by fellow pilot Ulrich Steinhilper in an episode of mis-identification.

Air Marshall Dowding decides that the Fighter Command units in southeast England should have the right to select the best pilots to keep their experienced squadrons up to strength despite the effects this will have on the other parts of the Command and on planning for the future.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British War Cabinet was convinced that the German invasion of Britain would take place very soon. The warnings passed to local Home Forces commanders led to many church bells across England being rung as some commanders thought the invasion had already started. Some of them went as far as blowing up bridges. Finally, on this day, the British government declared the National Day of Prayer.

Operation Hannelore: German torpedo boats of the 2nd Flotilla - T5, T6, T7, T8 - lay mines in Straits of Dover.

WESTERN FRONT: British cruiser HMS "Aurora", escorted by 3 destroyers, shelled German shipping and invasion barges in the harbor of Boulogne, France.

British torpedo boats MTB-14, MTB-15 and MTB-17 sank a German ammunition ship off Ostend, Belgium.

German torpedo boats "Karl Gaster", "Hans Lody", "Friedrich Ihn" and "Erich Steinbrinck" arrived at Cherbourg.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Widder" stopped Greek collier "Antonios Chandris" in the Central Atlantic. Captain Ruckteschell of "Widder" ordered the crew of 29 to abandon ship. The Greek ship would be sunk by demolition charges on the next day.

GERMANY: Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess asks Prof Haushofer:

'Is there nobody in Britain willing to make peace ?'

EASTERN EUROPE: The Bulgarian government demanded that the Romanians cede Southern Dobruja and the Romanian government capitulated in the Treaty of Craiova. The Romanians lost another 4 million people and 40,000 square miles of territory to Bulgaria.

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[Njaco]

September 9 Monday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post715889.html#post715889

Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded Iron Cross 2nd Class.

NORTHERN EUROPE: All political parties in Norway were dissolved except for Quisling's Nasjonal Samling Party, which was installed as the pro-Nazi Norwegian government.

British Skua aircraft of RAF No. 801 Squadron took off from Royal Naval Air Station Hatston, Orkney, Scotland to attack German shipping off Bergen, Norway; 1 of the Skua was lost during the attack, with two airmen killed.

NORTH AMERICA: A new $5,500,000,000 appropriations bill becomes law in the United States. The US Navy awarded contracts for the construction of 210 new ships, including 12 aircraft carriers and 7 battleships.

At Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the first eight of many American submarines were transferred to the British Royal Navy. The first of the 50 old destroyers given to Britain is taken over by a Royal Navy crew.

NORTH AFRICA: During the Western Desert Campaign, Italian colonial forces in Libya launch the invasion of Egypt. The first objective is to advance from defensive positions within Libya to the border with Egypt. Italian Army Marshal Rudolfo Graziani ordered his troops in Libya to march toward British positions, with troops of the Italian 10th Army under General Mario Berti as spearhead. The Italian goal was to capture the Suez Canal. Italian aircraft bombed British defensive positions while British aircraft flew sorties against Italian supply dumps and troop concentrations.

French intelligence reported a possible invasion of Dakar in West Africa by General de Gaulle's forces, supported by the British. In response, French cruisers "Georges Leygues", "Montcalm", and "Gloire", supported by three destroyers, departed Toulon in southern France to reinforce Dakar. They are reported to the British too late, and reach Dakar despite the efforts of the squadrons now en route to Dakar to attack on behalf of the Free French.

Italian bombers (4 lost) raid Tel-Aviv (Palestine) killing 111; leaflets dropped on Jaffa promise freedom for Palestinian Arabs.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Greek collier "Antonios Chandris", abandoned by her crew as forced by German armed merchant cruiser "Widder", was sunk by demolition charges at dawn. Lifeboats containing 22 of her crew of 29 would be rescued by Portuguese freighter "Serpa Pinto" on 8 Oct 1940.

German submarine U-47 sank Greek ship "Possidon" of Allied convoy SC-2 70 miles north of Ireland at 0024 hours; 17 were killed. German submarine U-28 sank British ship "Mardinian" of Allied convoy SC-2 70 miles north of Ireland at 0447 hours; 6 were killed and 22 survived.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian submarine "Comandante Faà di Bruno" damaged British tanker "Auris" 750 miles west of Gibraltar.

Aircraft from HMS "Illustrious" and HMS "Eagle" attacked Italian airfields on the island of Rhodes, Greece; "Eagle" lost 4 aircraft in this attack.

INDIAN OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Atlantis" sank British tanker "Athelking" (without any cargo) 1,200 miles east of Madagascar; 6 were killed and 40 were captured.

GERMANY: Walther von Brauchitsch issued a plan for the future military occupation of Britain which, among other things, called for the rounding up of males between the age of 17 and 35 to be sent to continental Europe as forced laborers and the systematic looting of British goods; this type of harsh treatment was not even implemented in German-occupied Poland at this time.

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[parsifal]

9 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Ex-USN DDs, renamed HM DDs CALDWELL, CAMERON, CAMPBELTOWN, CASTLETON, CHELSEA, CHESTERFIELD, CHURCHILL, CLARE

The Town class of ships were exchanged with Great Britain under a "ships for bases" deal agreed between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill. The deal was for a 100 year lease for bases for the US Armed Forces in the Caribbean. They were not part of the famous "Lend-lease" deal later agreed on.

The ships were taken in hand prior to delivery for the replacement of American Navy equipment with RN equipment. However on arrival a much more detailed refit was undertaken. Ships retained by the RCN underwent refits in Canadian dockyards. As with all warships further modifications were put in hand as required.

HMS Campeltown took part in one of the most dramatic naval operations in WW2 when she was modified and had several tons of explosive fitted in her bow. She was then sailed to occupied St. Nazaire, France where she was rammed into the Atlantic Dock caisson, whereupon she eventually exploded killing a large number of German officers and other troops and destroying the dock caisson.

Approximately eighty identical but better preserved destroyers, including USS Reuben James, remained in active service with the United States Navy to become the U-boats' most numerous American adversaries while newer destroyers went to the Pacific.

Losses
MV MARDINIAN (UK 2434 grt) Sunk by U-28 (Günter Kuhnke) Crew: 38 (6 dead and 32 survivors) Cargo: Pitch Route Trinidad - Sydney (Canada) - Methil - London Convoy SC-2, Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0447 hrs the MARDINIAN in convoy SC-2 was hit under the bridge by one torpedo fired by U-28 and sank after 30 mins about 100 miles NNW of Bloody Foreland. The master 19 crew members and one gunner were picked up by ASW Trawler ST APOLLO and landed at Belfast. 10 crew members landed at Leverburgh, South Uist and one crew member was rescued by AMC AURANIA.

MV POSSIDON (Gk 3840 grt) Sunk by U-47 (Prien) Crew: 17 men (7 dead and 10 survivors) cargo: sulphur phosphate Route: New Orleans - Sydney (Canada) - Glasgow Convoy SC-2 Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0024 hrs, U-47 fired a single torpedo at the convoy SC-2 and missed the intended target but hit the POSSIDON. The U-boat then had to avoid another merchant of the convoy that passed on collision course in only 50 metres distance without noticing the UBoat.

Steamer MINNIE DE LARRINAGA (UK 5049 grt) was burnt out and sunk by the LW in the Port of London. She was raised, but not repaired, instead expended as a blockship at Dover on 5 February 1941.

Trawler JOHN BAPTISH (UK 290 grt) was sunk on a British defensive minefield south of Coningbeg Light Vessel, off the south coast of Ireland.
(New Source: JOHN BAPTISH M275)

MSW trawler DERVISH (RN 346 grt) was sunk on an aerial mine laid by aircraft of IX Flieger Division, 2.6 miles 156° from the Humber Light Vessel. Four crew were lost, and eleven rescued.
[NO IMAGE]

Trawler HARVEST MOON (UK 72 grt) and drifter ALFRED COLEBROOK (UK 56 grt) were sunk as blockships in Richborough Channel (East Coast of Kent).
[NO IMAGES]


UBOATS
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-43

At Sea 9 September 1940
U-28, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
11 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
OA.212 departed Methil escort CLA CAIRO until the 11th, and by sloop ROCHESTER and corvette CLEMATIS. FN.277A departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop LONDONDERRY, and patrol sloop GUILLEMOT, and arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FN.277B departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY, WOLSEY plus patrol sloops MALLARD, SHEARWATER, and WIDGEON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. MT.164 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.276 departed the Tyne, escort DD VERDUN and sloop BLACK SWAN, and arrived at Southend on the 11th

DKM Zerstorrs LODY, GALSTER, RIEDEL, ECKHOLDT, and IHN departed Wilhelmshaven for Cherbourg, arriving on the 11th, and escorting MLs Schiff 23 (steamer CAIRO:4778grt), TANNENBERG, COBRA, TOGO, and SCHWERIN.

Late on the 8th and into early 9th, DKM TBs T.5, T.6, T.7, and T.8 of TB Flotilla 2 laid minefield HANNELORE in the SW North Sea.

Northern Waters
DD BEDOUIN was docked at Scapa for repairs to her asdic directing gear. She was the first DD to use the newly constructed dock, Admiralty Floating Dock, AFD.12 which had arrived on 26 August. On docking, further defects were found, and damage to her rudder was also repaired. DD JAGUAR departed Greenock for Scapa where she arrived on the 10th. Steamer RYAL (367grt) was damaged, in the Port of London by the LW.

SW Approaches
RM sub FAA DI BRUNO torpedoed and damaged tanker AURIS about 700 miles west of Gibraltar

Channel
DDs VANOC and VISCOUNT were in a collision at Plymouth. VANOC received temporary repairs at Devonport, completing on the 10th, and later received permanent repairs at Portsmouth from 18 to 25 November. VISCOUNT was repaired in one week.

Nth Atlantic
HX.72 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DD SAGUENAY plus aux PVs FRENCH, LAURIER, and REINDEER. At 1815, PV FRENCH departed the convoy. At 1200/10th, steamer TUDOR PRINCE (7199grt) joined the convoy. RCN DD SAGUENAY left the convoy to ocean escort, AMC JERVIS BAY on the 10th, which herself detached on the 20th. BHX.72 departed Bermuda on the 8th escorted by AMC VOLTAIRE. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.72 on the 13th and the AMC was detached at that point. On 21 September, DDs SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, SKATE, sloop LOWESTOFT, with corvettes CALENDULA, HEARTSEASE, and LA MALOUINE joined the convoy, which was then discharged on the 21st when it arrived at Liverpool.

Central Atlantic
CL DRAGON departed Simonstown for Lagos. CL DELHI departed Pointe Noire. Sloop BRIDGEWATER arrived at Freetown from Lagos.

Med- Biscay
Vichy Fce Y composed of CLs GEORGES LEYGUES, MONTCALM, GLOIRE and Contre torpilleur DDs FANTASQUE , MALIN, and AUDACIEUX departed Toulon for Dakar.

DDs HOTSPUR, GRIFFIN, and ENCOUNTER departed Gib on the 9th for an ASW sweep between Gibraltar and Alboran Island.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
DKM REaiderATLANTIS sank tanker ATHELKING (UK 9557 grt) with the loss of Four crew and 36 made prisoners of war. The East Indies Station at Colombo received ATHELKING's raider report and dispatched CLs NEPTUNE, CAPETOWN and AMCs ARAWA and RAN WESTRALIA, none of which made contact with the German ship.
(New Source: Ahoy - Mac's Web Log - Athelking)

The British tanker Athelking refused to stop and attempted to return fire. Fired on by the Atlantis in September 9th, 1940, the photo shows damage to the radio room and stern gun positions.

 

[parsifal]

GRAZIANIS OFFENSIVE INTO EGYPT

The Italian intelligence staff, had for a long time enjoyed exceptional information about the presence of British units in Egypt. They often knew about convoys on the way and roughly what they contained. They were less well informed about shortages of weapons and equipment and the state of training—factors which are much more difficult to evaluate. Thus while they knew of the existence of the British 7th Armoured Div, and of an Indian, Australian and New Zealand Infantry Divisions, they did not know how incomplete they all were. They persistently over-estimated the British strength in the Delta area, but they were well informed about the indigenous Egyptian forces and did not rate their fighting value very highly.

The circumstances leading to the Italian advance across the Egyptian frontier were that when war broke out in June, there were no plans for invading Egypt and the Italian policy was to adopt a defensive deployment in both Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Marshal Balbo wanted the whole of June in which to build up the resources necessary for an 'honourable resistance'. With the elimination of France, however, it became possible to strengthen Cyrenaica at the expense of Tripolitania, and when at the end of June Marshal Graziani was appointed to succeed Balbo (who had died in an air crash) he maintained the defensive disposition pointing out that he lacked many of the necessary resources, notably anti-tank, anti-aircraft, and medium artillery; medium tanks; and vehicles of all kinds. He awaited replacements for a number of aircraft and crews, and asked in addition for a new Stormo (Group) of fighters and a Reconnaissance Gruppo (Wing).

The Germans were already considering whether to help the Italians with equipment, and their Military Attaché in Rome. Major-General Enno von Rintelen, kept Berlin well informed of developments in Cyrenaica. He was personally acquainted with the ground, and viewed with great interest the prospect of a clash in the desert between two European Powers. The Italian object was to drive the British out of Egypt and establish land communication with East Africa. Two conditions were essential to success: the safety of the sea routes and air superiority over northern Egypt. Artillery, ammunition, tanks, and aircraft were going to be more important than numbers of men. The problem of supply would loom even larger than it did in Europe, and would be greatly influenced by the available ports: if these were to drop too far behind the advance, the burden on the transport columns would become excessive: the deduction was that Matruh must be secured quickly. Rintelen reported that Graziani, was an experienced colonial fighter, well understood the need for making thorough preparations, which he was now completing.

During July Mussolini was persuaded that with more time for preparations the prospects for success would be appreciably greater, but he insisted that, whether the preparations were ready or not, Graziani was to make a forward move on the day the first Germans set foot in England. To this Graziani made no objection, but he stuck to his opinion that otherwise it would be unwise to advance without the strength to carry the operations through, and gave effect to his views by postponing his date of readiness with great regularity. In particular, he complained of not having received the transport necessary for motorizing the two Libyan divisions, whose role in the advance was to have been to move south of the escarpment in company with the nearest thing to an armoured div the italians possessed, the so-called Malletti Group, in reality a disjointed collection of armoured assets with little or no support or maintenence facilities. On September 7th, with the prospect of a cross channel attack looming, Mussolini issued a peremptory order for the advance to begin in two days time, whether the Germans had landed in England or not. Graziani was now obliged to adopt a new plan, for the Libyan divisions had not enough motor transport to enable them to operate with the mechanized group. They were accordingly detailed to carry out the first phase of the advance along the coast road, their place in the lead to be taken over in due course by the 1st Blackshirt Division which was sufficiently mobile for this purpose: the Maletti Group was to retain its independent role on the southern flank. Preliminary moves began on September 9th, but on the 11th the Maletti Group lost its way to its position of assembly at Sidi Omar. Graziani, who was already disturbed by reports of massive British armoured forces to the sth of the escarpment, now changed the plan again by cancelling the flanking movement altogether and placing Maletti under the orders of General Berti, commanding the 10th Army, for more intimate co-operation with the coastal advance. Two other divisions, 62nd Marmarica and 63rd Cirene (regular Infantry formations, less their AA and AT attached formations), were available for the operations, making five divisions in all, and a tank group of one medium, two mixed, and four light tank battalions. Two other divisions, the 4th Blackshirt and the 64th Catanzaro, were in reserve near Tobruk.

The 5th Squadra, under General Porro, had been specially made up in aircraft, pilots, vehicles, and airfield equipment to enable it to support the advance. Even so, its strength was much less than the British estimates of what was likely to be used for a major invasion of Egypt. It seems that there were about 300 serviceable bombers, fighters, and ground attack aircraft, apart from reconnaissance units, the Colonial Air Force, and a number of transport and air-sea rescue aircraft. Serviceability rates for this force rapidly plummetted however, as the RA was always short of spares and maintenance facilities. The preliminary role of the air forces was to attack British airfields, supply centres and command posts, and to cover the move to assembly positions. Subsequently they were to protect the advance, and attack enemy troops and vehicles, and objectives chosen by the High Command. On September 9th the enemy's air activity increased appreciably. Three bomber squadrons of the RAF, Nos. 55, 113 and 211, thereupon attacked airfields, concentrations of transport, and supply dumps, one of the operations being an attack by 21 aircraft on the town airfield of Tobruk, where much transport was assembled. The enemy retaliated on the same day by carrying out a sweep by 27 fighters over the Buq Buq area, which led to further operations against Italian airfields. Air reports indicated much movement about Bardia, Sidi Azeiz, Gabr Saleh and towards Sidi Omar from the west. Evidently the long-expected invasion was about to begin, though on 11th September von Rintelen wrote that it was clear to him by now that nothing more than a tactical success was expected; there was no immediate prospect of capturing Alexandria, the Delta, or the Canal, due to the logistical and transport shortages under which 10th Army was being forced to operate. Commando Supremo conceded also that there was no chance of opening up the route to East Africa.

The British estimate of the Italian force available for the operation was substantially correct, but the British initially misread italian intentions by believing the Italians intended a strong southern flanking movement south of the escarpment. Reports from the air suggested that something of the sort might be intended, and dispositions had to be made to deal with it, but in estimating that the Italians would not confine themselves to the vicinity of the coast road the British were crediting them with a scale of transport and a degree of desert-worthiness that they did not possess. The Italian 10th Army's intelligence summary for 19th October 1940, contained the statement: 'As is well-known, the enemy has units more manoeuvrable in the desert than ours.' The truth is that the Italians had not mastered the art of movement on a broad front. This may have been partly due to their liking for roads and their undoubted flair for making them, and partly to other causes...scanty wireless communications, for example. Overwhelmingly however it was the shortages of supply and transport that restricted their operations and brought their advance to an early demise.

 

[Njaco]

September 10 Tuesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post716294.html#post716294

UNITED KINGDOM: Following bombing of 66,000 tons of shipping in Port of London since September 7, ocean-going ships were banned from the port of London as these easy targets attracted German attackers.

GERMANY: Reichsmarschall Göring orders that if the weather situation prevents large-scale operations against London, then surprise daylight attacks by individual bomber aircraft are also to be made on targets associated with the British aircraft industry. These are to be undertaken by crews specially selected for their skill and experience, and are only to be flown in low cloud and often appalling conditions in an attempt to prevent interception by RAF fighters. The missions become known to the Luftwaffe crews as Pirateneinsatze or Pirate Attacks.

Battleship "Bismarck" fired 6 3.7cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits.

The number of Panzer divisions are ordered to be doubled from 10 to 20 for the planned May 1941 invasion of USSR.

NORTH AFRICA: Italian troops crossed the Libyan-Egyptian border.

NORTHERN EUROPE: British submarine HMS "Sturgeon" attacked German submarine U-43 50 miles southwest of Norway.

INDIAN OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Atlantis" sank British ship "Benarty" 1,250 miles east of Madagascar. The entire crew of 49 were taken prisoner.

MEDITERRANEAN: The French Navy informed the British Naval Attaché in Madrid, Spain at 1800 hours that three cruisers and three destroyers were sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Unaware that these ships were en route to Dakar in West Africa, a British-Free French joint target, the British Royal Navy allowed the French warships to pass.

The Italians begin to increase their force in Albania by 40,000 (Italian Expeditionary Corps) over the next ten days in preparation for their proposed attack on Greece.

.