This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

10 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXB U-105
(New source:1940 U Boat U 105 Type IXB Submarine Ship Germany Warship Photograph Maxi Card | eBay)

Allied
Armed Yacht HMCS ELK - LSI HMS GLENGYLE


Losses
Steamer ELI (Nor 4332 grt) was sunk by the LW 12 miles 144° from Skerryvore Light House. Her naval gunner was lost.


UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-138

At Sea 10 September 1940
U-28, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124, U-138.
12 boats at sea.

RN Sub STURGEON attacked U.43 40 miles SW of the Naze.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DDs DUNCAN and MAORI departed Rosyth at 0815 to search for a downed a/c , and at 1041, were ordered to the Tyne. DDs MALCOLM, VETERAN, and WILD SWAN departed Harwich late on the 10th. Early on the 11 October, they struck at a German coastal convoy off Ostend.

MT.165 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.277 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and VORTIGERN, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.

West Coast UK
Convoy AP.3, consisting of British steamers BRITANNIC, ATHLONE CASTLE, BRISBANE STAR, IMPERIAL STAR, DURBAN CASTLE , ULSTER PRINCE, DOMINION MONARCH , and GLAUCUS, carrying 6050 troops, and steamers CLAN MACARTHUR and CLAN CAMPBELL departed Liverpool escort DDs HAVELOCK, HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, HURRICANE, WOLVERINE, and VOLUNTEER from 10 to 12 September. CL SHEFFIELD and two destroyers departed Greenock on the 10th and joined the convoy at Lough Foyle on the 11th.
SHEFFIELD was ordered back to Greenock on the 11th, and the destroyers detached after passing the northwest approaches.
The ocean escort was mainly AMCs - WOLFE and CILICIA from 13th to 23rd, when the convoy arrived at Freetown, and CANTON and CARNARVON CASTLE from 25 September to 4 October. The convoy arrived at Capetown on 4 October and sailed on the 6th. CANTON escorted from 6th to 9th, CARTHAGE from 9th to 15th, and heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE from 15th to 20th. AP.3 was joined by CL CARLISLE, DDs KINGSTON, KANDAHAR, and sloop FLAMINGO, and arrived safely at Suez on 22 October. The arrival of AP.3 concluded operation APOLOGY.

OB.211 departed Liverpool escorted by DD VANQUISHER plus corvettes ERICA and MALLOW, which detached on the 12th.

Channel
DDs BULLDOG, BERKELEY, and BEAGLE departed Portsmouth and joined DDs HAVELOCK, HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER and HURRICANE. The DDs were to intercept a report of 12 enemy merchant ships escorted by 30 S-boats reported at 1605, 15 miles 315° from Dieppe. At 1630, the report was amplified to include the presence of 5 DKM Zerstorers in the area. If no contact was made with the German force, the destroyers were to sweep northeast towards Le Toquet.

Nth Atlantic
SC.4 departed Sydney (Canada), escorted locally by RCN armed yachts HUSKY, LYNX and ocean sloop DEPTFORD, which detached on the 12th. The inbound escort consisted of DDs ACTIVE, KEPPEL, VANQUISHER, sloop LOWESTOFT, plus corvettes ARABIS, CAMELLIA, FLEUR DE LYS and HEARTSEASE joined the convoy on the 23rd and escorted it to its arrival at Liverpool on the 26th.
SHX.72 departed Sydney (Canada) escort by RCN aux PVl LAURIER and RCN armed yacht REINDEER.

Central Atlantic
CVE ARGUS arrived at Freetown after delivering aircraft to Takoradi. On 10 September, Vichy AMC CAP DES PALMES escorted by sub PONCELET and sloop BOUGAINVILLE, which departed Dakar on the 3rd, arrived at Libreville with troops and supplies to augment the Vichy defences.

Med- Biscay
DDs JUNO and JANUS departed Alexandria for Port Said for escort duties with convoy AN.3 which sailed on the 11th. CLA CALCUTTA and DD JERVIS supported the convoy on the 14th, with JERVIS detaching the same day, and CALCUTTA the next. When it was found steamer EASTLEA could only make six knots, she was detached to Alexandria while the destroyers continued with steamers VASCO and PALERMO, which arrived on the 15th.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Convoy BN.5 departed Bombay on the 10th escorted by AMCs ANTENOR and HECTOR until the 19th. NZ manned CL LEANDER and RIN sloop INDUS were escorts from Aden from 19th to 23rd, and RNZN sloops AUCKLAND and RAN PARRAMATTA from 19th to 22nd.

Submarine X.2 (former RM sub GALILEO GALILEI, captured on 19 June) departed Aden with the convoy, but she returned to Aden, escorted by netlayer PROTECTOR, after a mechanical breakdown. Sloops GRIMSBY and SHOREHAM escorted the convoy from Port Sudan on the 23rd until its arrival at Suez on the 26t

DKM Raider ATLANTIS sank steamer BENARTY (UK 5800 grt) in the Indian Ocean, 480 miles east of Rodrigues (a small island east of Mauritius). There were no casualties. The ship had betrayed her position to the raider when she relayed distress signals from a tkr, ATHELKING, the previous day. BENARTY was later intercepted by ATLANTIS´ He114 seaplane which bombed and strafed with mg fire as she tried to escape, enabling the raider to approach and bring her to a halt with 5.9in gunfire. Following capture, fragments of paper found in her wrecked radio room made it possible for the to read part of the new British Merchant Navy code, newly introduced following the capture (also by ATLANTIS) of the British ship CITY OF BAGHDAD two months previously. BENARTY was later sunk by explosive charges after the crew had abandoned ship.
(New Source: Google)

September 11 Wednesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post716624.html#post716624

Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his third kill when he shot down a British Hurricane fighter over the French coast at 1705 hours. His fighter received heavy damage and he was forced to crash land at Wissant, France.

UNITED KINGDOM: Winston Churchill noted that the coming week was to be dangerous as intelligence showed a German amphibious invasion was about to be launched.

Lord Mayor of London opens Air Raid Relief Fund: £5 Millions received by October 5.

ASIA: Japanese Army Major General Issaku Nishihara reported to Tokyo, complaining that French authorities were delaying negotiations regarding Indochina matters.

MEDITERRANEAN: At 0835 hours, six French warships passed through the Strait of Gibraltar at the speed of 25 knots. They have been spotted at 0515 hours by destroyer HMS "Hotspur" 50 miles inside the Mediterranean, but it is too late for the British fleet at Gibraltar to respond. Realizing they were heading for Dakar in French West Africa, HMS "Renown" and three destroyers departed at 1600 hours in an attempt to intercept, with instructions to make sure they go no further South than Casablanca. Overnight, the French fleet stopped at Casablanca to refuel.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-28 attacked Dutch ship "Maas" (sank, killing 20) and British ship "Harpenden" (seriously damaged, killing 1), both of Allied convoy OA-210, 200 miles northwest of Ireland between 0326 and 0328 hours.

German submarine U-99 sank British ship "Albionic" at 0716 hours, killing 25.

NORTH AMERICA: The United States Navy ordered the construction of six Cleveland-class light cruisers for fiscal year 1941. All six ships were to be built by the William Cramp Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

.

11 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ASPHODEL


Losses
MV MAAS (UK 1966 grt) Sunk by U-28 (Günter Kuhnke) Crew: 22 (20 dead and 2 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Sunderland - Rimouski (Canada) Convoy OA-210 Sunk in the Western Approaches. Between 0326 and 0328 hrs, U-28 fired torpedoes at the convoy OA-210 SW of Rockall and reported hits on two ships and logged that a detonation on a third was heard. However, the attack scored hits on the HARPENDON, which was damaged, and the MAAS which was sunk.


MV ALBIONIC (UK 2468 grt) Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 25 (25 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Newfoundland - Liverpool Unescorted Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0716 hrs the unescorted ALBIONIC was hit by one torpedo from U-99 and sank within 20 seconds SSE of Rockall. There were no survivors.


Steamer CORDOBA (Ger 4611 grt) was sunk on a mine off Le Havre.


UBOATS
Departures
Bergen: U-29
Lorient: U-100

At Sea 11 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea

U-28 fired torpedoes at the convoy OA-210 and observed hits on two ships and heard a detonation on a third. One ship, the MAAS (see losses above) was sunk, and another, the HARPENDON, was severely damaged. HARPENDON was taken in tow and arrived five days later at the Clyde, where she was beached in Kilchattan Bay.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DDs DUNCAN and MAORI arrived in the Tyne on the 11th to escort store carrier KYLE FISHER to Rosyth. They departed the Tyne on the 12th. DD SOMALI took over the escort at Rosyth, and departed with KYLE FISHER on the 14th for Scapa.

FN.278 departed Southend, escort by DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. MT.166 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 12th. FS.278 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIVACIOUS and WOOLSTON, and arrived at Southend on the 14th. Sub PORPOISE laid minefield FD.26, 48 mines along a 1.2 mile line 205° from 46‑24‑48N, 01‑59‑45W.

DDs CAMPBELL, GARTH, and VESPER patrolled off the Dutch coast during the night of 11/12 September. British steamer NORMAN QUEEN and the Swedish TORKEL were damaged by the LW in the Port of London. Tkr ALEXIA was damaged by the LW and then assisted by tug BUCCANEER.

Northern Waters
DD JACKAL and ELECTRA departed Greenock for Loch Alsh in the afternoon of the 9th, while DDs VERSATILE and VIMY were ordered to Loch Alsh. The four ships then departed Loch Alsh early on the 11th with MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC and MENESTHEUS on minelaying operation SN 41. After its completion the ships arrived back at Loch Alsh on the 12th, the DDs departed for Scapa Flow at 1945 and arrived on the 13th. DDs MATABELE, ASHANTI, TARTAR, and PUNJABI departed Scapa for Rosyth.

Western Approaches
Convoy OB.212 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK, sloop ENCHANTRESS, and corvette COREOPSIS. ASW trawler ARAB joined on the 12th and ML SOUTHERN PRINCE on the 13th. ARAB and SOUTHERN PRINCE detached on the 13th, WARWICK and COREOPSIS on the 14th, and ENCHANTRESS on the 16th.

Channel
Whilst the LW had shifted its main focusses that gave the RAF some rest, there was no such let up for the RN and its coastal convoys and anti invasion activities. It would take some hard months of fighting at sea and in the air over the channel, taking the fight well into 1941, before the channel could be considered relatively safe for British shipping. In the meantime, the RN and the merchant service continued to tough it out. The overall strategy in the channel at this time was to demonstrate aggressively with deep patrols into German controlled waters and attacks on assembly points by repeated night attacks in the air. The Germans were shown, in no uncertain terms, that from the moment they cleared the protection of their ports of departure, they could expect dogged attacks from the RN light forces, whilst distantly significant heavy units were also kept at the ready. Mines were also being laid to inflict attrition on the German invasion fleets. By the second week in September, the Admiralty was estimating 50-80% loss rates to the German invasion fleets, if not total annihilation. It would be some time before the Germans were to admit the same

DDs ATHERSTONE and FERNIE were escorting convoy CW.11 when attacked and bombed by the LW off Ramsgate. ATHERSTONE was badly damaged near South Edinburgh Buoy, with six ratings killed. FERNIE continued with the convoy, while tug TURQUOISE towed ATHERSTONE to Chatham, where she was under repair until early January.

Dover was bombed and shelled. MTB.71 was set afire and MTB.29 damaged. MTB.71 required 4 months to repair, but MTB.29 was quickly returned to service. In a British attack on Calais, Albacores of 826 Sqn operating at night against the assembling invasion fleets suffered some losses. One a/c force landed after being damaged by LW ftrs. Lt A S. Downes was slightly wounded, and together with S/Lt C. R. Mallett, rescued by an MTB. Naval Airman J. A M. Stevens was killed in the attack. In a second a/c, S/Lt T. Winstanley and S/Lt (A) J. D. Watson were wounded, but got back, and in a third, S/Lt E. G. Brown and Naval Airman R. E. Mathews were badly wounded, with S/Lt A M. Tuke escaping unscathed.

DDs WOLVERINE, VANOC, SALADIN, and VOLUNTEER conducted an operation referred to as "BOARD" sweep off the French coast during the night of 11/12 September. It was a sweep looking for German invasion shipping, but found nothing.

Central Atlantic
SL.47 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CARNARVON CASTLE until the 26th, when DDs HARVESTER, HIGHLANDER, HURRICANE, AMC MOOLTAN, sloop FOWEY, plus corvettes ANEMONE, MALLOW, and PEONY joined. Sloop WESTON joined on the 27th, with DD SABRE only joining the escort for the 28th. On that date, all the escorts except MOOLTAN and WESTON were detached, and they left on the 30th, when CLA CURACOA and corvette PRIMROSE joined. The convoy arrived on 1 October.

ENCOUNTER WITH VICHY FRENCH NAVY FORCE Y
DD HOTSPUR, was carrying out an ASW sweep in company with DDs GRIFFIN, and ENCOUNTER, when Vichy cruiser Force Y was sighted at 0512. BC RENOWN (presumably in Gibraltar) signalled the French commander and asked their destination, adding that they would not be allowed to enter a German port. The French replied that they were southbound. The RN commander ordered them into Casablanca and that if they proceeded further they would be stopped. Soon after this, HOTSPUR lost contact, and GRIFFIN was sent into Gibraltar to refuel. RENOWN with DDs GRIFFIN and VIDETTE finally departed Gib at 1600 to intercept French force Y, as by then they considered it likley the Vichy forces would proceed further than the british would allow them . DD VELOX, which was refuelling when RENOWN departed, sailed when refuelling was completed and joined her at sea.

At 0800 on the 12th, DDs HOTSPUR, ENCOUNTER, and WISHART, after refuelling had sailed on the 11th from Gibraltar, joined the RENOWN force. At that time, DD WRESTLER was at Gibraltar, DDs GALLANT, GARLAND and FIREDRAKE were under repairs there, and the remaining Gibraltar DDs were employed on Operation MENACE. Subs TRIAD and TRUANT departed Gibraltar on the 11th for patrol.

Vichy Force Y put into Casablanca but the CLs then slipped their morrings after being fuelled the following morning at 0400. The Contre Torpilleur DDs later departed on the 16th for Dakar arriving on the 19th. VIDETTE off Casablanca sighted and fired upon Vichy Contre Torpilleur DD MILAN at 0405, but no damage was done and the Vichy ship retired under smoke towards Casablanca.

Vichy sub AMPHITRITE sighted VIDETTE but did not attack her. Subs AMAZONE and SYBILLE, also on patrol off Casablanca, made no contact with the British ships.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CLA COVENTRY joined convoy BS.4 which was being bombed in the Red Sea, and remained in company until the 13th off Massawa.

Malta
Reconnaissance by Skua east coast of Sicily reported destroyer outside Messina Straits, one destroyer and two merchant ships at Augusta and small craft at Syracuse.

This photo was captioned "Skua operating on reconnaissance from Malta"

12 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS HELIOTROPE - Motor Launches ML 119, 121

In 1942 the HELIOTROPE was transferred to the US Navy and renamed USS SURPRISE

Losses
Tug SALVAGE KING (RN 1164 grt) was lost by grounding one and a half miles west of Duncansby Head. DD EGLINTON departed Scapa at 0600 to stand by her, but salvage was abandoned by the Fleet tugs and the DD arrived back at Scapa later that evening.

Tanker GOTHIC (2444grt) was sunk on a aerial mine laid by German IX Air Division aircraft, 7500 yards 130° from Spurn Point. Two crew, including a naval rating, were killed and ten missing.

DKM Raider PINGUIN sank steamer BENAVON (UK 5872 grt) in the Indian Ocean. Twenty three crew and the naval gunner were lost, and 25 crew made prisoners of war.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-43

At Sea 12 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DDs MALCOLM, WILD SWAN, and VENOMOUS departed Harwich to patrol off Boulogne, then sweep towards Cape Griz Nez. OA.213 departed Methil escorted by destroyer ST LAURENT, sloop FLEETWOOD, and corvette BLUEBELL from the 12th to 16th. CLA CAIRO was with the convoy on the 12th and ASW trawler COVENTRY CITY on the 13th. MT.167 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.279 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINSTER. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 13th, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

West Coast UK
LG.1 departed Liverpool with steamers DUCHESS OF ATHOLL , ROSLIN CASTLE, ORBITA , and MARTIN BAKKE , escorted by RCN DDs OTTAWA and SKEENA, and RN DD ARROW. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th.

Naval store carrier GLENROY and troopship HIGHLAND PRINCESS were damaged by the LW at Liverpool. Steamer TINTERN ABBEY was damaged by the LW six miles 270° from Chicken Rock, Isle of Man.

Central Atlantic
At 1620, BC RENOWN's float plane reported that there were no Vichy cruisers in Casablanca and later sighted French Force Y steaming south towards Dakar at high speed. CV ARK ROYAL and CAs DEVONSHIRE, RAN AUSTRALIA, and CUMBERLAND approaching Freetown, were ordered to intercept the French force. Reaching their positions on the afternoon of 14 September, the French had already arrived at Dakar. The British ships returned to Freetown on the 17th.

CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Freetown from patrol.

Med- Biscay
CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria to escort convoy AN.3 nth through the Kaso Strait, and on the 13th, the convoy was attacked by RA bombers. CA KENT, CLs GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, plus DDs HERO, HASTY, JERVIS and HEREWARD left Alexandria on the 13th to provide AA support. HERO and HASTY were detached and arrived back at Alexandria on the 14th, and after delivering the convoy, CALCUTTA and DDs JUNO and JANUS proceeded to Alexandria, arriving there on the 16th. The KENT support group was detached to support the air attack on Benghazi.

BS.4B departed Suez, was joined on the 14th by RAN CL HOBART and DD KANDAHAR, and arrived at Aden on the 16th.

13 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS KEARNY

KEARNY was destined to play a significant role in the US move toward the war. Thirteen months after being commissioned, KEARNY, in company of DDs PLUNKETT , LIVERMORE, and DECATUR, was dispatched on an emergency mission 350 miles south of Reyjavik, Iceland. A Canadian convoy was being attacked by German submarines. In the late afternoon of October 16, 1941, the four U.S. destroyers took up station as a screen around the Canadian merchantmen. The wolfpack which was followed by a salvo of torpedoes had temporarily withdrawn, shortly before midnight a merchantman suddenly went up in a ball of flame. The Germans had returned. KEARNY and the other DDs rushed to the attack, but the U-boats broke off the engagement.

Losses
Aux MSW M.1306 (DKM 449 grt) was sunk on a mine off Hanstholm.

Steamers GINETTE LE BORGNE (Vichy 1619 grt) and CASSIDAIGNE (Vichy 1417 grt) were sunk, and Vichy CAP TOURANE damaged on mines west of Sardinia. They were carrying demilitarized troops from North Africa to France.

UBOATS
At Sea 13 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS

North Sea
FN.279 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA, VERDUN, VORTIGERN, sloop BLACK SWAN, plus patrol sloops GUILLEMOT and MALLARD, and arrived in the Tyne on the 15th. MT.168 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.280 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 15th.

DKM TBs T.1, T.2, and T.3 departed Rotterdam on the 12th. Off the Scheldt on the afternoon of the 13th, they were attacked by an RAF Blenheim which near missed T.2, damaging her with splinters, both underwater and on the bridge. She proceeded to Vlissingen, was temporarily repaired at the Wilton yard, and continued on to Wilhelmshaven, arriving on the 25th for repairs completed in May 1941. The other two arrived at Le Havre on the 15th.

Northern Patrol
DD AMAZON and troopship ULSTER MONARCH departed the Clyde for Iceland, with AMAZON arriving back on the 17th.

Northern Waters
BB NELSON, BC HOOD, CLAs NAIAD, BONAVENTURE, with DDs KASHMIR, KIPLING, ZULU, SIKH, SOMALI, and ESKIMO were ordered from Scapa Flow at 0700 to Rosyth for anti-invasion duties. They left on the 13th and were joined at sea by DDs JACKAL and ELECTRA, after refuelling at Scapa Flow. CLA CAIRO joined off Noss Head, and the force arrived at Rosyth that same day.

This force joined BB RODNEY, which had arrived at Rosyth on 25 August, the same day DDs COSSACK and MAORI reached there from other duties. DDs MATABELE, ASHANTI, TARTAR, and PUNJABI arrived on 11 September. Meanwhile DD BEDOUIN undocked from the Scapa Flow floating dock at 1600/15th and proceeded to Rosyth on the 15th. On the 16th, CAIRO returned to Scapa for convoy AA protection duties. CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

West Coast UK
OB.213 departed Liverpool escort DD WINCHELSEA plus corvettes GLADIOLUS and GLOXINIA. Steamer INISHTRAHULL was damaged by thje LW bombing in the port of Belfast.

Channel
The following DDs were engaged directly in anti-invasion operations - CAMPBELL, GARTH, and VESPER at sea during the 13th/14th to bombard Ostend. BROKE, WITHERINGTON, VANSITTART, and the Polish BURZA and BLYSKAWICA swept the French coast westward from Roches Douvres also on bombardment duties, HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, BULLDOG, and BEAGLE swept from Cherbourg to Le Havre, looking for shipping, and MALCOLM, WILD SWAN and VENOMOUS from Boulogne to Cape Griz Nez on similar assigment. Off Boulogne, the latter force engaged German trawlers from 0115 to 0135, but the action was broken off when they came under shore gunfire.

Sub PORPOISE laid minefield FD.26 with 48 mines off Ile d'Yeu, north of La Rochelle.

Nth Atlantic
HX.73 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE plus aux PVs FRENCH, LAURIER, and REINDEER which later turned the convoy over to , AMC ASCANIA on the 14th for the ocean passage . The AMC was detached on the 24th. BHX.73 departed Bermuda on the 12th escort AMC AUSONIA, and rendezvoused with HX.73 on the 17th, at which time the AUSONIA was detached. On the 23rd, for the inbound leg DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY joined the convoy, followed on the 24th by DD WALKER with corvettes ANEMONE and MALLOW, and on the 25th by sloop FOWEY and corvette PEONY. The sloop and corvettes detached on the 26th, and ASW trawler MAN O WAR joined the convoy in Home Waters, which arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

Central Atlantic
CA CUMBERLAND departed Freetown for the UK, but next day, was ordered for join Force M.1

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
DDs HYPERION and DIAMOND departed Alexandria for Port Said to escort convoy LW 16. CLA COVENTRY arrived at Aden and joined DD KIMBERLEY. They departed the same day and joined troopships ANDES, EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, and EMPRESS OF CANADA of convoy WS.2A. COVENTRY remained with the convoy until the 14th when it had passed Massawa, and then proceeded to Port Sudan. Escorting convoy BS.4, RAN sloop PARRAMATTA attacked a submarine contact in the Red Sea. The convoy continued with NZ manned CL LEANDER, which returned to Aden when the convoy was dispersed.

Malta
AIR HQ Arrivals 4 Sunderlands.
KALAFRANA Two Sunderlands 230 Sqn and two 228 Sqn under Sqn Ldr Menzies arrived from Middle East for 3 days of ops.

Sunderland flying boat near Malta

September 12 Thursday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post716984.html#post716984

GERMANY: British RAF Bomber Command aircraft raid the Hamm marshalling yards for the 60th time during the night. The German Navy noted that British naval shelling and air bombing were significantly undermining the German efforts to gather naval forces for the planned invasion of Britain.

UNITED KINGDOM: St. Paul's Cathedral was hit by a bomb which failed to detonate. Lieutenant Robert Davies' company of the British Royal Engineers successfully removed an unexploded one-ton bomb from the southwestern corner of St. Paul's and then brought it to the countryside to detonate it. Davies and fellow sapper George Wylie were awarded the George Cross medals, becoming the first military personnel to receive this medal for "bravery not in the face of the enemy". St. Paul's Cathedral will become a symbol of London's resilience during the Blitz.

EASTERN EUROPE: Hungary completed the occupation of Northern Transylvania, Maramures, and part of Crisana. These were territory Germany and Italy forced Romania to cede. Meanwhile, the Germans established a military mission in Bucharest, ostensibly to train the Romanian Army, but the intended goal was to safeguard the Romanian oil fields.

In Warsaw, a walled ghetto is to be constructed for the estimated 500,000 Jewish inhabitants of the city.

MEDITERRANEAN: Vichy French cruisers depart Casablanca at 0400 hours, leaving behind their destroyer escorts. 3 British destroyers join HMS "Renown" and 3 other destroyers off Casablanca, searching for the French cruisers which are now well on their way South, steaming for Dakar at full speed.

INDIAN OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Pinguin" intercepted British ship "Benavon" 330 miles east of Madagascar. "Benavon" resisted with her 4-inch gun, but her inexperienced gun crew failed to fit the shell with fuse caps, thus one of the shells that hit "Pinguin" right next to the magazine failed to detonate. "Pinguin" returned fire. After 24 deaths, the remaining 25 members of "Benavon's" crew surrendered.

NORTH AFRICA: The Italian 10th Army continues to make slow progress towards the Libyan border with Egypt to begin their invasion. British light covering forces fall back slowly fighting delaying actions.

WESTERN FRONT: In Vichy France, five schoolboys discover 10,000-year-old wall paintings of animals and hunters in Lascaux Cave (Dordogne).

The Channel ports of France, Belgium and Holland hold more than 1.000 assorted German vessels gathered for the cancelled invasion and are raided by the RAF. More than 80 barges are sunk in Ostende.

NORTH AMERICA: Canada's cabinet introduces Order In Council P.C. 4751, giving Canadian authorities power to imprison disobedient foreign seamen from non-Canadian ships in Canadian ports.


.

September 13 Friday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post717354.html#post717354

UNITED KINGDOM: British passenger ship "City of Benares" departed Liverpool, southern England for Quebec and Montreal, Canada as the flagship of Allied convoy OB-213 commanded by Rear Admiral Mackinnon. She was carrying 90 British children being evacuated to Canada.

The British bring heavy units of the Royal Navy nearer to the likely invasion area. Royal Navy transferred battleships HMS "Nelson" and HMS "Rodney" to Rosyth and battleship HMS "Revenge" to Plymouth to deter a possible German landing through the next few days during tide conditions favoring landings. There are, of course, strong cruiser and destroyer forces in relevant positions.

NORTH AFRICA: The Italian forces begin a cautious offensive from Libya into Egypt. They have five divisions in the attack with another eight in rear areas in Libya. The Italian 10th Army of over 200,000 men, commanded by Marshal Graziani, crosses the Libyan frontier into Egypt. The British Western Desert Force of two divisions is led by General O'Connor. The British 7th Armoured and 4th Indian Divisions have orders to stand and fight. On the first day the Italians occupy Sollum as the British pull back. Italian 1st Blackshirt Division (23 Marzo, in honour of the founding of the Italian Fascist Party on 23 March 1919) recapture Fort Capuzzo, taken by the British in June, just inside Libya on the border with Egypt. During the months since the Italian declaration of war there have been no actions of any size, but the Italian numerical superiority has been morally undermined by much offensive patrolling by the British forces. These harassing tactics are now employed to good effect against the Italian offensive. Soon after, Italian troops cut the barbed wire on the Libyan/Egyptian border and begin the invasion of Egypt.

Italian troops from Ethiopia penetrate up to 20 miles into Kenya in a tentative advance.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German minesweeping trawler "Hermann Krone" hit a mine and sank off Hanstholm, Denmark.

MEDITERRANEAN: Three French ships carrying troops from North Africa to France hit mines west of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. Transports "Ginette Le Borgne" and "Cassidaigne" sank, and "Cap Tourane" was damaged.

WESTERN FRONT: Sergeant J. Hannah was awarded the Victoria Cross. An 18-year old wireless operator/gunner on a Hampden bomber of No. 83 Squadron RAF that was hit by intense flak during an attack on invasion barges at Antwerp, Belgium. The wireless operator's and rear gunner's stations were set ablaze by a direct hit on the aircraft's bomb-bay. After two of the crewmen had baled out and with two fuel tanks pierced, Sergeant Hannah single-handedly fought the fire for ten minutes, using a fire extinguisher and his own log book, while rounds of ammunition detonated all around him and the aluminum fuselage beneath his feet melted in the heat. Such unselfish dedication to duty allowed his pilot to bring the wrecked bomber safely home.

ASIA: Debut of Japan's Mitsubishi Zero fighter: 13 Zero fighters escorted bombers on a mission to raid Chongqing, China. The Zero fighters downed 27 of the Chinese I-15 and I-16 Russian-made fighters.

The Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka and German aide to Ribbentrop Heinrich Stahmer reach a general agreement for a joint alliance.

NORTH AMERICA: The P-44 Rocket project, a plan to convert the P-43 Lancer fighter design into a rocket-propelled aircraft, was scrapped.


.

WESTERN DESERT 13 SEPTEMBER 1940
Early on 13th September a spectacular artillery barrage opened on Musaid, which the enemy then proceeded to occupy. This was followed by the heavy shelling of the airfield and empty barracks at Sollum, and when the dust had cleared the enemy was disclosed to the westward with his motor-cycles, light tanks, and other vehicles drawn up as if on parade awaiting the order to advance. Opposing them in the coastal sector was a force under the command of Lieut.Colonel J. Moubray, commanding 3rd Coldstream Guards, consisting of that battalion, C Battery and, later, part of F Battery R.H.A., a section of 25/26th Medium Battery R.A., one company 1st K.R.R.C., and one machine-gun company 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. The enemy's close formation presented excellent targets to the artillery and the air, but it was not long before the 1st Libyan Division was in possession of the barracks and was beginning to trickle down the escarpment towards Sollum.

A simultaneous movement along the plateau towards the head of the Halfaya Pass was held up by a troop of C Battery R.H.A., a company of 3rd Coldstream Guards and a platoon of the 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, but this detachment became threatened by increasing infantry and tank forces and in the early afternoon began to withdraw eastward. By the evening two large columns of the enemy were converging on Halfaya Pass—they were 2nd Libyan and 63rd Cirene Divisions and the Maletti Group, all from Musaid, and the 62nd Marmarica Division from the direction of Sidi Omar—but not until next morning did any appreciable movement take place down the pass to add to the stream of vehicles coming from Sollum. In fact the Italians on the plateau above the escarpment seemed hesitant, and they were successfully harassed by C Squadron 11th Hussars, by 2nd Battalion The Rifle Brigade, and by the cruiser squadrons of 1st Royal Tank Regiment, under the control of Brigadier Gott.

Soon after noon on the 14th the commander of the coastal sector withdrew his force to a selected position just east of Buq Buq, where he was reinforced by B Squadron 11th Hussars and a French Motor Marine Company, which enabled him to keep touch with the enemy. The pattern of the ground operations along the coast road during the next two days was similar, with successive withdrawals to rearguard positions at Alam Hamid on the 15th and Alam el Dab on the 16th, during which the force inflicted as much loss as it could without becoming seriously committed. Shortly after noon on the 16th a force of some fifty Italian tanks and lorried infantry, showing more enterprise, were seen to be moving round the left flank of the Alam el Dab position, and the rearguard was withdrawn to the east of Sidi Barrani to avoid being cut off. The enemy was rapidly and successfully engaged by C and F Batteries R.H.A. and displayed no further aggressive intentions; indeed it seemed that the Italians had little idea of making use of such armoured troops as they had. However by nightfall Sidi Barrani was in the hands of the 1st Blackshirt Division.

Meanwhile there had been nothing to prevent the British force on the plateau adjusting its movements in conformity with those in the coastal sector, and it was soon clear that no particular threat was likely to develop from the southern flank. All this time the Air Force was keeping the enemy under constant observation and finding many opportunities for attacking ground concentrations. The Italian Air Force showed unusual activity; fighters in formations of up to 100 aircraft were reported operating over their advancing troops, while bombers directed their attention to the British forward airfields and troop positions.

It was believed that in occupying Sidi Barrani and Sofafi the Italians had reached their immediate objectives, and the task of observing the front passed once again to the 11th Hussars. The Support Group was withdrawn to rest, and 7th Armoured Division took up dispositions in readiness to deal with a further advance on Matruh. At first it seemed likely that this would not be long delayed: the Italian broadcasts had claimed the capture of the key to Egypt and of half the British war material, and announced that the way to the Canal was now open. The dispositions and attitude of the Italian forces, however, were soon seen to be more consistent with a policy of temporary consolidation than with any intention of maintaining their momentum. Graziani had in fact begun the laborious process of administrative development at the head of a long and difficult line of communication, and the Air Force did their best to interfere with the process by making day and night attacks on camps and transport columns. Sixty sorties were devoted to these tasks between 16th and 21st September.

The rough road between the frontier and Sidi Barrani had been destroyed by demolitions and by the heavy traffic, and the water at Sidi Barrani had been rendered undrinkable. The ruling factors in the Italian time-table were the construction of a motorable road and of a water pipeline forward from the frontier. These works were only partly finished when the Duce again began to apply the spur; this time it was because he wished to attack Greece and wanted to be in possession of Matruh before doing so, thus, he thought, effectively preventing any appreciable movement of British forces to help the Greeks. But Graziani was not to be hurried, and senior German officers visiting the front reported that unless Mussolini gave a definite order there would be no resumption of the advance before mid-December. Even then it would be to Matruh and no farther.

14 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type 1935 MSW M-29, Type VIIc U-96


Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS HONEYSUCKLE, Dance Class ASW Trawler HORNPIPE


Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 116


Losses
ASW trawler UJ.173 (DKM 510 grt) was lost by stranding at Hardangersfjord.


RM sub EMO sank Tkr SAINT AGNES (UK 5199 grt) from dispersed convoy SLS.46 off the coast of Portugal , but the entire crew was rescued.


UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-137

At Sea 14 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
OA.214 departed Methil escort sloop SANDWICH and corvette GARDENIA from the 14th to 19th. FN.280 departed Southend, escort DDs VIVACIOUS and WOOLSTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 16th. MT.169 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.281 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VANITY, VIMIERA, and WOLSEY, and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

Northern Patrol
ML TEVIOTBANK departed Immingham to lay minefield ZMD (A) in channels in the Faroes Islands. Escort ASW whalers WASTWATER, BUTTERMERE, and THIRLMERE, she laid mines in Hestofjord, Dimonfjord and Skuofjord, and then proceeded to Loch Alsh after the minelay was completed.

Northern Waters
DDs ESKIMO and MATABELE arrived at Scapa Flow escorting depot ship MAIDSTONE. They then departed at 1600 to search for a UBoat reported by aircraft 20 miles nth of Cape Wrath. DD EGLINTON departed Scapa Flow at 1630 to join them. All three DDs returned to Scapa on the 15th without making contact.

West Coast UK
Convoy OL.1 departed Liverpool.

Western Approaches
BB REVENGE and CL EMERALD departed the Clyde to come under the command of Western Approaches. The ships were escorted from the Clyde by DDs MACKAY, WESTCOTT, SCIMITAR and SKATE, and REVENGE arrived at Plymouth on the 15th.

Nth Atlantic
SHX.73 departed Sydney (Canada) escort RCN aux PV LAURIER and armed yacht REINDEER.

Central Atlantic
BC RENOWN and her destroyers arrived back at Gibraltar at 2014 for refuelling. DDs VELOX and VIDETTE had been detached earlier to refuel there. DD ENCOUNTER, which had been searching for a London flying boat shot down by French fighters, arrived at Gib the next morning.

The follwing ships arrived at Freetown DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, GREYHOUND, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE, and ECLIPSE from CV ARK ROYAL's screen, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FURY; convoy MP escorted by FNFL sloops COMMANDANT DOMINE and COMMANDANT DUBOC; BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION. At 1350, INGLEFIELD, ECHO, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE, and FURY departed Freetown. ECLIPSE had mechanical problems and reported at 0015 on the 15th that she was returning to Freetown.

At 0515 on the 15th, FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER and at 0530, BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION and DDs departed Freetown. These ships were recalled to Freetown at 1621 on the 15th to refuel DDs, arriving at 2300 that night. Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Freetown on patrol, but was recalled later in the day to return for ASW duties off Freetown.

Med- Biscay
Subs TRITON and TETRARCH arrived at Gibraltar from Home Waters for duty with SubFlot 8, escort DD WRESTLER, which departed to join them on the 12th.

ORP DD GARLAND departed Gibraltar to return to England. On the 15th, she made two attacks on submarine contacts, before she arrrived at Belfast for refuelling on the 18th, and reached Plymouth on the 22nd.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Convoy BS.4A departed Suez, was joined on the 17th by sloop SHOREHAM, and arrived at Port Sudan on the 18th. Convoy BS.4C departed Port Sudan, was joined on the 15th by heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE, anti-aircraft cruiser COVENTRY, destroyers KIMBERLEY and KINGSTON, plus sloop FLAMINGO, and arrived at Aden on the 18th.

Malta
2023-2108 hrs Air raid alerts for enemy aircraft approaching the Island from the east. Searchlights active. One enemy bomber is sighted over Grand Harbour but when caught in a searchlight it is engaged by Bofors guns and turns away. Bombs are dropped out to sea off Ghallis Tower.

2103-2117 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching from the north. One incendiary bomb is dropped on Delimara Point; one high explosive is dropped on land near a military defence post, and four more in the sea. Lewis guns at Fort San Rocco engage a dive bomber: no claims. Some twelve enemy aircraft open very inaccurate fire at long range on the inshore patrol vessel Eddy; no damage or casualties.

September 14 Saturday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post717682.html#post717682

UNITED KINGDOM: Douglas Bader was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

ASIA: The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters gave the orders for troops to move into Indochina on 22 Sep 1940 regardless of the state of the Franco-Japanese negotiations. British intelligence intercepted this message, but it would not be deciphered until 20 Sep 1940.

GERMANY: Hitler decides that Goring needs four or five consecutive days of fine weather to hammer home his advantage. Accordingly he defers his decision on the invasion once more, until September 17th, which in turn means that the invasion cannot take place until September 27th. This is a final date because October 8th might be the only day when conditions will be suitable for the landing; this is dangerously near winter for the exploitation stage of the invasion. There can almost certainly be no further postponement.

NORTH AFRICA: British battleships HMS "Barham" and HMS "Resolution", several British destroyers, and French sloops "Commandant Domine" and "Commandant Duboc" arrived at the Crown Colony of Freetown in West Africa to refuel. These warships were en route to French-controlled port of Dakar.

NORTHERN EUROPE: German anti-submarine trawler "Hinrich Wesselhoft" ran aground near Bergen, Norway in the Hardangerfjord. The damage was so great that she would later be scuttled.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Italian submarine "Emo" attacked British tanker Saint Agnes 500 miles west of Porto, Portugal with torpedo and deck gun.

NORTH AMERICA: The Ex-Servicemen's General Assembly of Saint Pierre and Miquelon announces its support for DeGaulle. British Foreign Office sends note to Ottawa urging the Canadian government to support the movement. Canadians decline to act and the islands Vichy governor dissolves the veteran's league.

.

15 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
1936A Class Zerstorer Z-23

Eight destroyers intended to carry new 150 mm (5.9 inch) guns in single turrets with a twin turret at the bow. The twin mountings were not ready in time and so singles were first used, and the twins fitted later (only to four ships: Z-23, Z-24, Z-25, Z-29). Anti-aircraft armament was substantially improved.
Despite reusing earlier ship designs as a basis, with modifications to improve seaworthiness, the ships were wet in heavy seas, especially fitted with heavy turrets. After much effort, the problem was traced to a newly designed stern. However, this problem was somewhat offset by the fact that the twin mount was fully enclosed and had a high maximum elevation, allowing limited use against aircraft. These ships reverted to the traditional German practice of giving torpedo ships numbers rather than names. Four survived the war.

Losses
Shoreham Class Sloop HMS DUNDEE (RN 1105 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 95 (12 dead and 83survivors). Convoy SC-3. Sunk in the western approaches. At 0024 hrs , U-48 attacked the convoy SC-3 west of Ireland and missed the British steam merchant EMPIRE SOLDIER, which had been slightly damaged in a collision some time before. One minute later, U-48 fired a second torpedo and sank HMS DUNDEE. This was a disaster for the convoy, for the DUNDEE at that time was the only escort present. The commander survived the sinking. Six survivors were picked up by VIGSNES, 20 respectively 41 by the Norwegian steam merchants GRANFOSS and FIDO and the remaining men by DD WANDERER the next morning.



MV ALEXANDROS (Gk 4343 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 30 (5 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Timber Paper Route: Montreal - Sharpness Convoy SC-3 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0123 hrs the ALEXANDROS was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-48 during its second attack on this convoy. The ship was abandoned, stayed afloat for some time and foundered later. The survivors were picked up by RN DD WANDERER.


MV EMPIRE VOLUNTEER (UK 5319 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 39 (6 dead and 33 survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Wabana - Glasgow Convoy SC-3 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 03.00 hrs the EMPIRE VOLUNTEER was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 65 miles west of Rockall. The master and six crew members were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant FIDO and landed at Belfast. 26 crew members were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant GRANLI and landed at Glasgow.


MV KENORDOC (Cdn 1780 grt) Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 20 (7 dead and 13 survivors). Cargo: Timber Route: Quebec - Sydney - Bristol Convoy SC-3 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1216 hrs the KENORDOC, a straggler from convoy SC-3, was shelled by U-99 about 44 miles WNW of Rockall. The ship was later scuttled by DD AMAZON. The master and six crew members were lost. 13 crew members were rescued by the RCN DD ST LAURENT and landed at Greenock.


MV HIRD (Nor 4950 grt) Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) Crew: 30 (0 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo Route : Panama - Mobile - Bermuda - Liverpool - Manchester Convoy HX-70 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0605 hrs the unescorted HIRD, a straggler from convoy HX-70 due to a small fire on board on 10 September, was hit on the starboard side between the bridge and the forward mast by a stern torpedo from U-65 about 180 miles from Barra Head, Scotland. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 2000 hrs the day before and fired one torpedo at 2118 hrs that evening, which missed before the bow. This attack was noticed aboard the vessel and they tried to escape zigzagging at full speed, so it took the U-boat nine hours to get into firing position again. As the ship developed a heavy list, the crew abandoned ship in one lifeboat and a gig and signaled a nearby trawler to pick them up. The Germans observed how the survivors were rescued and that the ship sank at 0830 hours. The Icelandic trawler POROLFUR landed the survivors at Fleetwood on 17 September.


Steamer HALLARD (UK 1264 grt) was sunk by the LW eight miles 70° from Dunbar. 17 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer NAILSEA RIVER (UK 5548 grt) was sunk by the LW four miles east of Montrose. The entire crew was rescued.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Kiel: U-56
Lorient: U-61

Departures
Bergen: U-43

At Sea 15 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD DUNCAN departed Rosyth after being delayed by weather, and arrived at Scapa on the same day. FN.281 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and WINCHESTER, and arrived in the Tyne on the 17th. MT.170 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.282 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WOLFHOUND, and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

Northern Waters
DD DOUGLAS departed Scapa during the forenoon to rendezvous with DD SOMALI and take over the escort of steamer KYLE FISHER to the Clyde.

West Coast UK
OB.214 departed Liverpool escorted by DD HURRICANE and corvettes GERANIUM and PERIWINKLE. The DD detached on the 17th.
British tanker CORONDA was damaged by the LW. British tanker REGENT LION was damaged by the LW in Nth Channel off the Mull of Kintyre. British steamer WEST HARSHAW was damaged by the LW in North Channel.

Western Approaches
In addition to the losses described above U.48 attacked British steamer EMPIRE SOLDIER from convoy SC-3, which had been damaged in a collision, but did not damage her further.

Channel
British steamer STANWOLD was damaged by the LW at Southampton, whilst NL steamer VEERHAVEN was damaged by the LW in the Port of London. DKM TBs T.5, T.6, T.7, and T.8 laid minefield BERNHARD in the Dover Strait.

Nth Atlantic
The first group of Ex-USN DDs departed St Johns. DDs CAMPBELTOWN, CASTLETON, CALDWELL, CHELSEA, and CLARE made the voyage to Belfast without incident arriving on the 26th. The DDs went on to Devonport arriving on the 28th. DD CAMERON sailed from St Johns with the other destroyers, but had to return because of generator problems. She finally arrived at Belfast on 7 November. DDs CHURCHILL and CHESTERFIELD were damaged twice in a collision and were unable to sail. DD CHURCHILL sailed from Halifax and arrived at Devonport on 17 November. DD CHESTERFIELD later sailed from Halifax and arrived at Belfast on 18 November and Plymouth on 22 November.

Central Atlantic
The MENACE convoy arrived at Freetown. Convoy MS of the MENACE operation arrived at Freetown, escorted by French sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA andescort vessel PRESIDENT HOUDACE.

Sth Atlantic
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived at Durban

Med- Biscay
Sub PANDORA unsuccessfully attacked an Italian steamer off Benghazi.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CLA COVENTRY departed Port Sudan with a convoy for Aden. The convoy and its escorts arrived on the 19th. The convoy was bombed on its arrival at Aden.

Malta
0758 hrs Air raid alert for a formation of enemy aircraft consisting of six Bf 109s, 10 CR42 and 20 Junkers 87s which approach the Island from the east, the first time for German a/c over Malta. The JU 87s dive bomb Hal Far aerodrome from different angles, each releasing four bombs at a time, damaging the RAF ration store and some transport. Eight AA gunners and one civilian are injured. Malta fighters are scrambled; 1 Hurricane is forced to land. AA, including Lewis guns at Delimara, and small arms fire engage low flying raiders. Eight AA personnel and one civilian are injured. One enemy aircraft is believed shot down by fighters out to sea but is not seen hitting the water; others are believed damaged.

17 unexploded bombs are reported around Hal Far aerodrome. They are inspected following the raid and identified as delayed action bombs. It is noted that those bombs which did explode did so after 5-10 seconds. As the location of the UXBs does not prevent use of the aerodrome an exclusion zone is marked out around them which will be enforced for seven days. During that time all military personnel in the area are required to wear steel helmets and follow restricted movement orders.

1837-1845 hrs Air raid alert for an aircraft reported by the Naval Signal Station on the roof of the Castille. The aircraft is later identified as friendly.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 1940
AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Sunderland.
KALAFRANA Two Sunderlands on patrol; one left for Alexandria and one arrived from there.

September 15 Sunday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post718020.html#post718020

ASIA: All air units on the Japanese carrier "Soryu" were temporarily transferred on board the carrier "Hiryu".

B5N bombers of Japanese 12th Naval Air Group based in Yichang, Hubei Province, China attacked Chongqing, China.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-99 attacked Canadian ship "Kenordoc" with the deck gun 200 miles northwest of Ireland just after midnight, killing 7 and wounding 13. Heavily damaged, she would later be scuttled by Canadian destroyer HMCS "St. Laurent" and British destroyer HMS "Amazon" after the destroyers took the survivors aboard. German submarine U-48 sank British sloop HMS "Dundee" northwest of Ireland at 0025 hours; 12 were killed and 83 were rescued. At 0123 hours, U-48 attacked Greek ship "Alexandros" with a torpedo, killing 5; 23 survivors were rescued by destroyer HMS "Wanderer". At 0300 hours, U-48 yet attacked again, sinking British ship "Empire Volunteer"; 6 were killed and 33 were rescued. 180 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 0605 hours, German submarine U-65 sank Norwegian ship "Hird"; the entire crew of 30 survived, rescued by Icelandic trawler "Þórólfur".

WESTERN FRONT: British RAF attacked German launching points for the invasion of Britain.

GERMANY: Battleship "Bismarck" departed Hamburg, Germany for the first time. At 1658 hours, while steaming down the Elbe River, she collided with bow tug "Atlantik" without damage. At 1902, she anchored in Brunsbüttel roads. During the night, she fired 13 10.5cm, 136 3.7 cm, and 191 2cm shells during a British air raid, without any hits.

Adolf Hitler gives instruction that;

"No hint of Operation Barbarossa must be given to the Japanese".

Click to expand...

EASTERN EUROPE: The USSR modifies its conscription laws. From now on 19-20 year olds will be conscripted.

NORTH AMERICA: In Canada following legislation passed in August single men between 21 and 24 are called up.

In the United States, Congress authorizes nationwide conscription.

British Ministry of Supply asks if Canada will build a poison gas factory to produce phosgene.

MEDITERRANEAN: British aircraft carrier "Argus" delivers twelve Hurricane fighters to Malta.

..

16 September 1940
Losses
Steamer TOUAREG (Vichy 5135 grt) was captured by CL DRAGON off the Congo River.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer POITIERS (Vichy 4185 grt), en route from Libreville to Dakar, was intercepted by CA CUMBERLAND. She was scuttled rather than be captured, and the wreck dispatched by gunfire from CUMBERLAND, which rescued the entire crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV LOTOS (Nor 1327 grt) Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 17 (0 dead and 17 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Sydney (Canada) - Belfast - River Tyne Convoy SC-3 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches, At 0241 hrs the LOTOS was hit by one torpedo from U-99 on the starboard side abaft of the #2 hatch and sank 15 miles NW of Rockall. The ship had been in convoy SC-3, but could not keep up with the speed and lost the convoy shortly after they left Sydney. One lifeboat with nine men reached shore after three days, the second lifeboat containing eight survivors including the master made landfall at Castlebay, Hebrides after 5 days


DKM Raider PINGUIN captured steamer NORDVARD (Nor 4111 grt) in the Indian Ocean. A prize crew was taken on board and the NORDVARD arrived at Bordeaux on 3 December and twenty eight of her crew were repatriated to Norway. Taken into German service and the cargo expropriated, the ship was finally sunk December 29th, 1944, when she was bombed by CC a/c at Moss, Norway, and blew up and sank with the loss of 116 lives.


Liner/MV ASKA (UK 8323 grt) carrying 183 crew, one naval gunner, two naval signalmen, and 358 troops, was sunk by the LW. At 0230 hrs, while she was between Rathlin Island and Maiden's Rock on the nth coast of Ireland , she was attacked by a LW bomber which scored two hits on or near the engine room. A third bomb hit the forecastle and the ship caught fire. She was abandoned. The survivors were picked up by trawlers and later taken to Greenock by HMS JASON on the 17.09.1940: The hull drifted ashore on Cara Island the next day. 11 crew and 19 troops were lost (some sources only say 6 crew and 6 soldiers). The steamer went ashore off Cara House. JASON was then damaged in collision with tug SCHELDT, and repaired at Rosyth, completing on the 23rd.


Steamer CITY OF MOBILE (UK 6614 grt) was sunk by the LW nth of ireland, but the entire crew was rescued.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-101, U-124

Departures
Lorient: U-60
Wilhelmshaven: U-31

At Sea 16 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DDs WORCESTER and WILD SWAN were involved in a minor collision in Harwich Harbour. There was no damage to WORCESTER, but WILD SWAN was under repair at Harwich until the 18th. OA.215 departed Methil. FN.282 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne on the 18th. MT.171 departed the Tyne. FS.283 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 19th. HM sub H.49 attacked a convoy of eight supply ships in the Nth Sea. In the Nth Sea, DD HOLDERNESS received damage to her turbine feet from a mine exploding close aboard. She was repaired at Sheerness completing six days later.

Northern Waters
DD DUNCAN, returning with CVL FURIOUS from a practice shoot west of the Orkneys, exploded a drifting British mine.

Central Atlantic
CA CORNWALL departed Freetown to join CA CUMBERLAND, CLs DELHI and DRAGON intercepting Vichy ships attempting to proceed to the Cameroons. CV ARK ROYAL and DDs INGLEFIELD, ESCAPADE, and FORTUNE arrived at Freetown. CL DRAGON arrived at Lagos

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
NL CL SUMATRA departed Capetown for Mauritius.

Malta
0732-0816 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach the Island at 19000 feet over Salina and turn north over Ta Saliba and Mellieha. They later return over St Paul's Bay and fly onto Grand Harbour before turning away north and east. No bombs are dropped.

Two Sunderlands on patrol; one left for Alexandria.

17 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS CHARYBDIS; Flower Class Corvette HMS HEATHER

Losses
MV CROWN ARUN (UK 2372 grt) , former German Hannah Ruge captured in December 1939, Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Timber for Mine Shafts Route: New Brunswick - Halifax - Hull Convoy HX-71 (straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches At 0832 hrs the CROWN ARUN , a straggler from convoy HX-71, was torpedoed and sunk by gunfire by U-99 nth of Rockall. The master and 24 crew members were picked up by DD HMS WINCHELSEA and landed at Liverpool.


MV TREGENNA (UK 5242 grt)Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) Crew: 37 (33 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: Steel Route: Philadelphia - Halifax (5 Sep) - Newport Convoy HX 71 Sunk in the Western Approaches, At 1626 hrs the TREGENNA in convoy HX-71 was hit by one torpedo from U-65 and sank immediately 78 miles NW of Rockall. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner were lost. Four crew members were picked up by FILLEIGH and landed at Avonmouth.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-28
Stavanger: U-137

At Sea 17 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
FN.283 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY, VIMIERA, and WOOLSTON. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 19th. FS.284 departed the Tyne, escort DD VERDUN, sloop BLACK SWAN, and ASW trawlers BASSET and TOURMALINE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.

Northern Waters
DD VERSATILE undocked from the AFD.12 Floating Dock at Scapa after repairs to her stern gland. DD VERSATILE departed Scapa at 2200 for Aberdeen to escort British steamer LADY OF MANN to Lerwick.

West Coast UK
DD DOUGLAS arrived at Greenock escorting steamer KYLE FISHER. DOUGLAS then proceeded up river for boiler repairs at Govan. The DD suffered a mishap when she ran aground on entering the harbour. DOUGLAS was under repair until the end of September.

CA SUSSEX arrived at Glasgow on the 2nd for a six week turbine repair. Whilst docking she was damaged by LW attacks on Glasgow when a 250 lb penetrated the deck. She caught fire after splinters ruptured some fuel lines and when the dock was flooded to extinguish the fire, SUSSEX heeled over in dock. She had been badly damaged. One officer was woulded and two sailors killed. She was refloated in October and taken to Stephen's Dry Dock at Linthouse, Greenock. The cruiser had to be rebuilt. SUSSEX was under repair until 9 August 1942 at the Clyde.

OB.215 departed Liverpool escort DD SHIKARI, sloop LOWESTOFT, and corvettes CALENDULA, HEARTSEASE, and LA MALOUINE. The escorted was detached on the 21st.

Western Approaches
DD CHELSEA, en route to Belfast from Halifax, made an unsuccessful attack on a UBoat.
Steamer KALLIOPIS (Gk 5152 grt) was sunk by the LW 11 miles SW of Tory Island.The steamer was abandoned and went onto the rocks at Sheephaven Bay, ten miles east of Tory Island, before catching fire.


Channel
RCN DD MARGAREE (ex-HMS DIANA) was damaged by splinters from a LW bomb in the London Docks. FNFL TB BOUCLIER was damaged in a collision. The torpedo boat was under repair at Devonport until the end of September.

Nth Atlantic
HX.74 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and armed yacht ELK, and aux PVs HUSKY and LAURIER. However, at sea, ELK was ordered to return due to heavy weather. The merchant ships which would have departed Bermuda in convoy BHX.74 were diverted before arrival to Halifax due to a forecast hurricane. BHX.74 was eventually cancelled. On the 18th, DD ASSINIBOINE returned to Halifax leaving the convoy to ocean escort, AMC MONTCLARE, which was detached on the 29th. For the inbound leg of the convoy, on 28 September, AA ship ALYNBANK joined the convoy and was detached the next day. DDs SCIMITAR and WINCHELSEA, sloop ABERDEEN, and corvettes GERANIUM, HIBISCUS, and PERIWINKLE joined on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 October.

Central Atlantic
BC RENOWN and DDs GRIFFIN, ENCOUNTER, WRESTLER, and VIDETTE departed Gib for patrol in the vicinity of the Canary Islands.
On 18 September, DDs GALLANT and FIREDRAKE joined RENOWN and relieved DDs WRESTLER and VIDETTE which returned to Gibraltar. All other ships arrived back on the 20th.

CA DEVONSHIRE, RAN CA AUSTRALIA, and DDs FURY and ECHO arrived at Freetown. CL DRAGON departed Lagos on patrol.

Med- Biscay
Operation MBD 1 was an attack on Benghazi with air strikes launched from CV ILLUSTRIOUS. CA KENT, CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS and HEREWARD departed Alexandria on the 13th to provide support. ILLUSTRIOUS, BB VALIANT, CL ORION, and DDs HYPERION, HERO, HASTY, MOHAWK, NUBIAN, DAINTY, and DECOY departed Alexandria on the 15th.
On 16 September off the west coast of Crete, the two forces rendezvoused with CLA CALCUTTA and DDs JANUS and JUNO. CALCUTTA and DDs JANUS and JUNO were detached and arrived at Alexandria that night. For the attack, the British ships were divided into 3 Forces.
Fce A was CL ORION, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, and DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HERO, and HASTY.
Fce B was BB VALIANT and DDs HYPERION, DECOY, and RAN WATERHEN.
Fce C was CA KENT, CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS and HEREWARD.

During the run into Benghazi, DD HASTY reported a torpedo track and attacked a submarine contact at 1940 on the 17th.
Early on the 17 September (pre-dawn), CV ILLUSTRIOUS launched an air attack on Benghazi. 9 Swordfish a/c from the 815 Sqn attacked shipping in the harbour. Simultaneously 6 Swordfish from the 819 Sqn laid mines outside the harbour.

Turbine Class DD BOREA (RM 1670 grt) was sunk by a torpedo hit in the attack.


Turbine Class DD AQUILONE (RM 1670 grt) was sunk on a mine as she attempted to clear the harbour. .


Steamers GLORIA STELLA (FI 5490 grt) and MV MARIA EUGENIA (FI 4702 grt) were sunk

MARIA EUGENIA

RM TBs CIGNO and COSENZ and 3 other merchant ships were badly damaged. CA KENT and DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN were to have bombarded Bardia early on the 18th. However, at 2355 before the bombardment, an Italian torpedo plane torpedoed KENT and badly damaged her. 33 officers and crew were killed in this attack. Immediately CLA CALCUTTA turned around from her journey enroute to Alexandria to support KENT's retirement. RAN DD VENDETTA was sent from Alexandria to join KENT. Netlayer PROTECTOR and tug ST ISSEY departed Alexandria on the 18th. CA KENT was towed to Alexandria by DD NUBIAN and screened by CL ORION, CLA CALCUTTA, and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, MOHAWK, and RAN VENDETTA. The cruiser safely arrived early on the 19th.

ILLUSTRIOUS, VALIANT, LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER, and DDs HASTY, HERO, HYPERION, DECOY, and HEREWARD were ordered to Alexandria late on the 18th and arrived on the 19th. After emergency repairs, KENT sailed on 26 October to Port Said arriving on 27 October. She departed Suez on 28 October in convoy SW 20, Aden on 2 November, and was at Mombasa from 7 to 11 November.
She departed Mombasa on 11 November and arrived at Simonstown on 18 November remaining until 25 November. KENT arrived at Freetown on 4 December and departed on 7 December with convoy SL.58. KENT arrived at Plymouth on 27 December for repairs began on 1 January 1941. She was under repair until 20th September 1941. Not all RA attacks were inneffective.

DDs JANUS and JUNO departed Alexandria on the 17th for Mersa Matruh. They bombarded Sidi Barrani for 25 mins beginning at 2300. British gunboat LADYBIRD, which departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh on the 16th, escorted by DD JUNO bombarded Sollum separately at 2330.

Malta
1040-1122 hrs Air raid alert for 12 Ju 87s and 25 CR 42s which approach the Island in 3 formations passing over Hal Far and dive-bomb Luqa and a reservoir. Several hangars are machine-gunned and a salvage dump at the side of a hangar is set alight. One Wellington bomber which arrived in Malta that morning is burned out and a Hurricane burned out inside a hangar.

Malta fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders, along with AA . Two Ju87s and one Caproni are shot down by fighters. In all, two Italian pilots are taken to the Castille for interrogation. 15 unexploded bombs are reported at Luqa. They are believed to be delayed action bombs, so an exclusion zone is set up surrounding the bombs, to be enforced for seven days. Several roads are closed to all traffic; all military personnel in the area are required to wear steel helmets and follow restricted movement orders.

1555-1619 hrs Air raid alert for 3 bombers and 8 fts which fly over the Island, probably on recon. No bombs are dropped.

Enemy casualties Sergente Maggiore Luigi Catani, 237th Squadriglia, 96th Gruppo Autonomo, pilot of JU 87 Stuka, shot down, rescued and taken prisoner. Sottotenente Francesco Cavalli, 70th Squadriglia, 23rd Gruppo Autonomo, pilot of CR42 shot down and taken prisoner. Primo Aviere Francesco Di Giorgio, 70th Squadriglia, of CR42 fighter, shot down near Filfla and died.

KALAFRANA 3 Sunderlands left for Alexandria. One returned to Kalafrana four hours later with engine trouble

September 16 1940 Monday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain

A Heinkel 115C Seaplane from Seenotflugkdo 3./506 was severely damaged by AA gunfire during a torpedo attack on a convoy. It force-landed on the sea 7 miles off Alnwick at 1500 hours. The crew took to their dinghy and tried to sink the plane by shooting at the floats, but were only partially successful. The crew of four were rescued and the plane was taken in tow by a fishing boat and towed, upside down, to Eyemouth Harbour and beached. The fishing boat crew - possibly expecting a reward - got nothing, except the petrol in the tanks and some parachute silk for their wives.

WESTERN FRONT: British bombers attacked German invasion barges in French ports along the English Channel, interrupting an amphibious training exercise and causing many casualties.

NORTH AMERICA: To prepare the country for war, Congress passed the U.S. Selective Training and Service Act, the first peacetime draft in American history. All men between the ages of 21 and 35 had to register for the military draft. The act provided for the training of 1.2 million troops and 800,000 reservists for a period of one year.

GERMANY: Battleship "Bismarck" entered the Kiel Canal.

Spanish Minister of the Interior Serrano Suñer visits Berlin, Germany, for negotiations on Spain's joining the Axis in war. Germany wants one of the Canary Islands, a German base in French Morocco (if gained by Spain), and influence in Spain's economy. The terms are unacceptable.

NORTH AFRICA: In Egypt, Italian troops of the 1st Blackshirt Division (23 Marzo) reach the village of Sidi Barrani about 60 miles from the Libyan border. Here they halt and dig in, 70 miles short of the main British defenses at Mersa Matruh. Marshal Graziani is unsure of the size of the British forces facing him, unconvinced about the quality of his own troops and worried about 150 mile supply line across the desert from Tobruk, Libya. Despite being urged onwards by Mussolini, Graziani feels he has met the strategic goal of the invasion

(from Mussolini's own orders "Once again I repeat that there are no territorial objectives. It is not a question of aiming for Alexandria nor even Sallum. I am only asking that you attack the British forces facing you.")

Click to expand...

This would prove to be the farthest the Italians would go.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0241 hours U-99 sinks Norwegian steamer "Lotos" (1500 tons of timber) off the North coast of Ireland. All 17 crew escape in 2 lifeboats, reaching Ireland or the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, in 3 to 5 days.

In the Irish Sea between Ireland and Scotland, German bombers badly damage British troopship SS "Aska", carrying 186 crew and 358 French troops from Bathurst, West Africa, to Liverpool (either to return to France or join the Free French forces in Britain). 11 crew and 19 troops are lost but the survivors are taken off by minesweeper HMS "Jason".

MEDITERRANEAN: French ship "Poitiers", sailing from Libreville, French Equatorial Africa to Dakar, was intercepted by British cruiser HMS "Cumberland". After taking the entire crew aboard, HMS "Cumberland" sank "Poitiers" by gunfire.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The presence of German troops in Finland, despite the fact that they were ultimately destined for Norway, alarmed the Soviet Union.

ASIA: Communist Chinese New 4th Army captured Jiangyan (now a district of Taizhou), Jiangsu Province, China.

.

September 17 1940 Tuesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain

UNITED KINGDOM: No. 29 Squadron RAF became fully operational with the Beaufighter IF fighters. Meanwhile two more Squadrons (Nos. 600 and 640) were working up with the type.

GERMANY: Because it appears unlikely that the Luftwaffe will gain air superiority over England before winter weather restricts operations, Hitler decides to postpone Operation Seelöwe. Hitler postponed the invasion via order Nr. 00 761/40 g. Kdos., ordering that no new barges would arrive, but those that were already there (1700 barges and 200 ships, capable of carrying 500,000 men) would remain. By the time he comes to reconsider the chance will have been lost. Nevertheless Hitler still has his shipbuilding industry working on invasion barges and trawlers rather than capital ships such as the battleship "Tirpitz" and the desperately needed new and repaired U-boats. Hermann Göring was allowed to continue the aerial attacks on Britain. British intelligence would continue to think that a German invasion was still probable. As a result, Churchill announced to the Parliament on this date that the next few weeks would be "grave and anxious". Churchill also announced that 2,000 civilians were killed and 8,000 were wounded during the Blitz thus far.

General Paulus, the Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, presents a further plan for the attack on the Soviet Union. This version envisages three thrusts for Leningrad, Moscow and Kiev, but the emphasis is still on the central advance to the Soviet capital. Further consideration over the coming weeks confirms to the General Staff that this priority is correct.

Battleship "Bismarck" exited the Kiel Canal at 1448 hours, then arrived at Scheerhafen, Kiel.

ASIA: Franco-Japanese negotiations for Indochina re-opened. The Japanese increased their demands and openly threatened France with military action.

WESTERN FRONT: The German invasion flotillas are attacked during the night by RAF Bomber Command and a fair degree of damage is done.

NORTH AFRICA: Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham's taskforce arrives in the British colony of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS "Illustrious" escorted by the battleship "Valiant", attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. 9 aircraft from 815 Squadron bomb shipping while 6 aircraft from 819 Squadron lay mines in the harbour. Italian destroyer "Aquilone" hits a mine and sinks. Italian destroyer "Borea" was sunk by torpedoes. Italian merchant ships "Gloria Stella" and "Maria Eugenia" were also sunk. British cruiser HMS "Kent" is detached from the force while returning to Alexandria in order to shell Bardia was damaged by a torpedo launched by an Italian aircraft at 1155 hours, killing 31.

British destroyers HMS "Janus" and HMS "Juno" departed Alexandria, Egypt and bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt at 1100 hours. At 1130 hours, British gunboat HMS "Ladybird" bombarded the coastal highway near Sollum, Egypt. The coastal road is critical to the Italian supply lines.

Vichy French Toulon task force reinforced by the Dakar naval squadron departs for Libreville, Gabon; Douala, Cameroon and Pointe Noire, Congo with orders to reestablish Vichy authority in French Equatorial Africa.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-48 attacked British passenger liner "City of Benares" 400 miles west of Scotland. "City of Benares" was evacuating 90 British children and their families to Canada but this fact was unknown to the German captain. Both torpedoes missed and U-48 would continue to stalk her prey.

200 miles West of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, U-65 and U-99 each sink a British steamer in convoy HX-71 from Halifax, Nova Scotia. German submarines U-99 sank British ship "Crown Arun" 200 miles west of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland at 0832 hours. The entire crew of 25 were rescued by destroyer HMS "Winchelsea". German submarines U-65 sank British ship "Tregenna" of Allied convoy HX-71 at 1626 hours; 33 were killed and 4 were rescued by British ship "Filleigh".

..

THE SOVIET INVASION OF POLAND- September 17, 1939

September 17, 1939. Soviet Invasion of Poland.

Day of Infamy .... and western communist parties (and intellectuals) couldn't criticize what transpired .... weak kneed

18 September 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IID U-143


Neutral
Benson Class DD USS MAYO


Allied
Hunt Class Type I Escort DD HMS CLEVELAND - Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 115

CLEVELAND departed the Clyde on the 29th for working up in DesDiv 23. She arrived at Scapa on 3 October to work up. CLEVELAND was later attached to the Portsmouth Command for duty in DesFlot 1

Losses
Liner CITY OF BENARES (UK 11081 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 407 (260 dead and 147 survivors) Cargo: 191 passengers Route: Liverpool (13 Sep) - Quebec - Montreal Convoy OB-213 Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 0001 hrs the CITY OF BENARES in convoy OB-213 was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-48 and sank after 30 mins 253 miles WSW of Rockall. The ship had been missed by two torpedoes at 2345 hrs the previous night. She was the convoy commanders ship and and the first ship in the center column. 15 minutes after the hit, the vessel was abandoned, encountering difficulties with lowering the boats on the weather side of the ship. DD HMS HURRICANE picked up 105 survivors and landed them at Greenock. 42 survivors were adrift for eight days, then picked up by the DD HMS ANTHONY and landed at Greenock. The CITY OF BENARES passengers included 90 evacuated children, which had been on their way to Canada to escape the German air attacks on Britain. 77 of them lost their lifes. After this incident, no more children were sent overseas.


MV MAGDALENA (UK 3118 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 31 (31 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: St. Johns - Sydney - Holyhead - Liverpool Convoy SC-3 (Straggler) Lost in the Nth Atlantic. At 1849 hrs the MAGDALENA , a straggler from convoy SC-3, was hit by one torpedo from U-48 sth of Iceland and sank within 10 mins. There were no survivors.


MV MARINA (UK 5088 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 39 (2 dead and 37 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo incl some Coal Route: Glasgow - River Plate Convoy OB-213 Sunk In the Nth Atlantic At 0007 hrs the MARINA in convoy OB-213 was hit by one torpedo from U-48 and sank within 20 mins 253 miles WSW of Rockall. Two crew members were lost. 17 crew members and three gunners were picked up by Escort DD HMS HURRICANE and landed at Gourock. The master and 16 crew members were picked up after eight days by the British MV CARLINGFORD and landed at Londonderry. The master, Richard Townshend Payne, was awared the George Medal and the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.


The Germans seized the neutral steamer FRISIA (SD 1059 grt) at Bordeaux.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM sub BAGNOLINI sank steamer CABO TORTOSA (Sp 3302 grt) near Oporto. The entire crew were rescued by Spanish steamer MONTE AYALA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer JOHANN BLUMENTHAL (Ger 1626 grt) was sunk by RAF bombing at Cherbourg. DKM Zerstorer LODY rescued the survivors. DKM TB T.11, also at Cherbourg, was splinter damaged by near misses in this attack.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-32

At Sea 18 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Northern Waters
British steamer LADY OF MANN, on passage to Lerwick, sustained weather damage to her forecastle. Her escort DD VERSATILE also suffered damage to her D. G. gear. Both ships had to return to Aberdeen. The ships departed Aberdeen on the 19th for Lerwick.
After delivering the steamer, destroyer VERSATILE proceeded to Scapa.

West Coast UK
CLA CAIRO and DDs ECLIPSE and FIREDRAKE departed the Clyde for Scapa. British steam barge LING was damaged by the LW at Nth Morpeth Docks, Liverpool.

Channel
British steamer RUDMORE was damaged in attacks by the LW at Gravesend Reach (at the mouth of the the port of London).

Following the attacks by the RAF during the night of the 1/19th, DKM TB T.11 which had been damaged by splinters received temporary repairs at Cherbourg until 11 October. She proceeded to Wesermunde, arriving on 16 October, and was under repair until 6 June 1941.

Minelayer Schiff 23 was damaged by near misses.

Central Atlantic
In the Gulf of Guinea on the 18th, CA CORNWALL reported Vichy (possible FNFL) CL PRIMAUGUET and tkr TARN. The ships were en route to refuel French Force Y, returning to Dakar from the Cameroons. The CA was ordered to shadow the French ships for 24 hours. CL DELHI joined CORNWALL on the 19th. Eventually the French force was stopped at 1229 on the 19th and escorted to Casablanca by the British ships. On 22 September, near Freetown, CL DELHI was detached for refuelling. CA CORNWALL escorted the French ships until 26 September when they were allowed to continue on their own. PRIMAUGUET and TARN arrived at Casablanca on 1 October. Vichy/FNFL CLs GEORGES LEYGUES, MONTCALM, and GLOIRE departed Dakar for Libreville. Early on the 19th, RAN CA AUSTRALIA, which had departed Freetown on the 18th to relieve CA CUMBERLAND on patrol sth of Dakar, sighted the French cruisers, which were then shadowed by AUSTRALIA later joined by CA CUMBERLAND. CA DEVONSHIRE and DDs INGLEFIELD, GREYHOUND, and ESCAPADE departed Freetown to join the two CAs.

BB BARHAM and DDs FORTUNE and FURY followed DEVONSHIRE from Freetown. However, CV ARK ROYAL was delayed by engine room defects, but was able to sail early on the 20th. At 2100 on the 19th, an engine breakdown on CL GLOIRE reduced her speed to 15 kts, and later 4 kts, and she was intercepted by AUSTRALIA. The CA escorted the French ship until 21 September towards to Casablanca, where she arrived on the 24th. CUMBERLAND, joined by CA DEVONSHIRE and DD INGLEFIELD, lost touch with the other two French ships in a rain storm and MONTCALM and GEORGES LEYGUES managed to return to Dakar. DORSETSHIRE departed Durban for Simonstown.

Malta

The Bomb Disposal team defused a 50kg bomb from thge LW at Qrendi – the first of this type to be defuzed in Malta.