This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[parsifal]

21 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS JONQUIL

Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 171

Losses
MTB.17 (RN 18 grt) was sunk after striking a mine off Ostend.

From a group of four MSWs, MSW trawler WAVEFLOWER (RN 550 grt) was sunk on a mine off Aldeburgh. 15 crew were lost including the skipper. Lt W. J. Curtayne RNVR, six ratings were rescued by trawler THOMAS LEEDS of this group.

Searching for trawler WAVEFLOWER, MSW trawler JOSEPH BUTTON (RN 290 grt) was also sunk on a mine 5.75 miles 275° off Aldeburgh. Five ratings were lost on the trawler.

Steamer KERRY HEAD (Eire 825 grt) was sunk by the LW five miles due sth of Blackball Head, Eire, with the loss of all 12 crew.
New Source: History Ireland

"The destruction of the Kerry Head". (Kenneth King/Maritime Institute of Ireland)

Steamer HOUSTON CITY (UK 4935 grt) was badly damaged, then lost from LW airstrikes 1/2 mile 225° from East Oaze Light Vessel. The steamer was beached, and subsequently bombed again on 1 November and damaged further. Salvage was abandoned.

Steamer ASTRID (SU 603 grt) was sunk on a defensive minefield near Leningrad. 3 crew were killed and ten drowned on the steamer.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-37, U-99

At Sea 21 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-101, U-123, U-124.
12 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
AA ship ALYNBANK left convoy OA.232 and joined convoy WN.24 east of Pentland Firth.
CL GLASGOW arrived at Rosyth, and on the 29 October, the cruiser departed Rosyth for the Clyde, after which GLASGOW departed the Clyde for the Mediterranean on the 31st. FS.316 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 23rd,

British minefield BS.42 was laid on 21 and 22 October by minelayers TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and destroyers ICARUS and IMPULSIVE.

Western Approaches
OB.232 departed Liverpool escort DD SABRE, which was detached later that day, DDs SCIMITAR and SKATE, sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes CLARKIA and GLADIOLUS, ASW trawlers FANDANGO, MAN O.WAR, STELLA CAPELLA, and VIZALMA. On 23 October, sloop WESTON and corvettes CAMPANULA and PEONY joined the escort. On 25 October, DDs SCIMITAR and SKATE were detached and on the 26th, the remainder of the escort left the convoy.

Med- Biscay
Operation JUDGMENT, the British air strike on the Italian Fleet at Taranto, was scheduled originally for this date, but a fire on CV ILLUSTRIOUS on the 18th forced postponement. The carrier was damaged by a fire on her hanger deck which destroyed four Swordfish of 819 Sqn and damage one Swordfish of 815 Sqn. Two other aircraft were damaged. Repairs to ILLUSTRIOUS were completed on the 29th. Sub PARTHIAN attacked and tried to ram an Italian submarine off Cape Colonna without success.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BN.7 departed Bombay on the 10th escorted by AMCs ANTENOR and RANCHI from 10 to 16 October. On 16 October, NZ Manned CL LEANDER and sloops AUCKLAND and RAN YARRA took over the escort of the convoy. At Aden on the 19th, DD KIMBERLEY and sloop RIN INDUS joined the convoy. The convoy was proceeding up the Red Sea on the 21st escorted by LEANDER, which departed Aden on the 18th, DD KIMBERLEY, sloops AUCKLAND and YARRA, minesweepers DERBY and HUNTLEY. RA air attacks on the convoy on the 19th managed to near miss French liner FELIX ROUSSEL which was carrying NZ troops. RM DDs MANIN, SAURO, BATTISTI, NULLO sortied from Massawa on the 20th to attack the Convoy which they did at 0219 on the 21st. The convoy escorts drove the RM DDs away from the convoy. LEANDER fired 129 rounds of six inch gunfire in the engagement. RAN sloop YARRA was near missed by a torpedo fired from one of the enemy DDs. RM DD NULLO developed steering problems and headed back towards Massawa, pursued by DD KIMBERLEY and sloop YARRA. NULLO was badly damaged by their gunfire, but managed to reach Massawa. NULLO ran aground on Hormi Island off Massawa and was later destroyed by British bombing. KIMBERLEY was drawn into the range of Massawa shore guns which damaged the DD. KIMBERLEY sustained three men wounded and ruptured steam lines. She was towed by LEANDER which was relieved by DD KINGSTON that afternoon and they safely arrived at Port Sudan. The damage to KIMBERLEY was temporarily repaired on the 30th. The DD then departed Port Sudan on the 31st. She could to return to duty but was limited to 25 knots until a new steam pipe could be fitted at Bombay. On 6 November, KIMBERLEY sailed for Bombay for repairs with 10 days needed to repair the ship. This allied group of escort vessels met convoy BS.7 on the 23rd. MSWs DERBY and HUNTLEY joined the convoy on the 19th. After 23 October, the MSWs proceeded independently to Suez. Sloops GRIMSBY and CLIVE took over the convoy on the 23rd at Port Sudan. On 26 October, the convoy arrived at Suez.

Pacific/Far East/Australia Station
RAN CL ADELAIDE departed Sydney to patrol 120 miles south of Gabo Island to investigate raider reports. NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland to patrol off North Cape. The CL arrived back at Auckland on 4 November.

DKM Raider ATLANTIS captured steamer DURMITOR (Yug 5623 grt) in the Indian Ocean. Steamer DURMITOR was renamed RADWINTER and sent to the Italian port of Mogadishu with a prize crew. When that port fell to British forces on 25 February 1941, DURMITOR was returned to allied control. Allied crew on the steamer were freed.

Malta
Since the outbreak of hostilities in June, a total of 25 enemy aircraft have crashed as a result of combat. Another 20 have been reported as damaged and likely unable to reach their bases. Malta losses to date have been three fighters and two pilots.

0841-0912 hrs Air raid alert for eight enemy aircraft which cross the coast over Delimara at 20000 feet heading for Hal Far. Three Hurricanes are scrambled and engage, along with AA guns: the raiders are driven off, turning south east then north. No bombs are dropped.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 1940

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. Reconnaissance of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Squadron and Sunderland 228 Squadron; nil reports by all aircraft. Reconnaissance Glenn Martin 431 Flight; nil report.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. Sunderland 230 Squadron reconnaissance area Malta-Tripoli-Jerba Island; nil report. One Sunderland 10 Squadron RAAF arrived from Middle East en route for UK.

 

[parsifal]

22 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXB U-108

25 ships sunk, total tonnage 118,722 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 16,644 GRT
U-108 was sunk 11 April 1944 at Stettin, after being bombed. She was raised; taken out of service at Stettin 17 July 1944; scuttled there 24 April 1945.

Losses
DD MARGAREE (RCN 1375 grt) had departed Londonderry on the 19th with the five ship OL.8 convoy as her first mission as an RCN ship. She was sunk in a collision with British steamer PORT FAIRY . DD MARGAREE was former RN DD DIANA transferred to the RCN on 6 September. Most of the crew were survivors from the also lost RCN DD FRASER. The crew's luck ran out on this occasion, with 140 crew lost, and many wounded.

RCN MARGAREE as RN HMS DIANA

Naval trawler HICKORY (RN 505 grt) was sunk on a mine south of Portland in the English Channel. 24 crew were lost on the trawler.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-37 , U-99

At Sea 22 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-101, U-123, U-124.
12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS

North Sea
OA.233 departed Methil escorted by AA ship ALYNBANK on 22 and 23 October, sloop ABERDEEN and corvette GARDENIA from 22 to 24 October. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy OB.233. FS.317 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 25th.

DKM Zerstorer BEITZEN, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 20th, arrived at Brest.

Northern Waters
DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Sullom Voe and then for operation DNU. On arrival in Yell Sound, the DDs were ordered to remain at sea to search for a U.boat reported in the area. . They proceeded to Muckle Flugga. They carried out a patrol eastward of the Shetlands in the longitude of 00-30W due to a possibility of invasion that night. At dawn, they returned to patrol off Muckle Flugga.

Central Atlantic
SLF.52 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE to 8 November. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy SL.52 on 5 November. On 6 November, DDrs CASTLETON, VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL and corvette FLEUR DE LYS joined the convoy. DDs SALADIN and SHIKARI joined on 7 November and were detached on 8 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 10 November.

Med- Biscay
The RM "Special Naval Force" was formed with old CLs BARI and TARANTO, DDs MIRABELLO and RIBOTY, TBs CALATAFIMI, CASTELFIDARDO, CURTATONE, MONSAMBANO, CONFIENZA, SOLFERINO, PRESTINARI, CANTORE, FABRIZI, MEDICI, STOCCO, AMCs RAMB III, CAPITAINO CECCHI, LAGO TANA, LAGO ZUAI, four MAS boats of the 13th Flotilla, three landing ships of the SESIA type. RM TBs ANTARES, ALTAIR, ANDROMEDA, ARETUSA were assigned as a fighting force to support the operation. This force was formed for a landing on Corfu. The force departed on the 31st, but on 1 November, due to the rough seas, the orders were changed to land troops at Valona instead and the Corfu operation was cancelled. The greeks on Corfu had formerly offered surrender took up arms again and promplty arrested the small Italian presence on the island.

Sesia Class LS in prewar training

Malta
ROYAL NAVY Clearance sweep continued by OROPESA, four mines were swept up and sunk in position 152 degrees Delimara 9¾ miles.

 

[parsifal]

This is getting frustrating. no access to private messaging. no access to forum mail. Wont accept my original identity and password, or the second temporary identity I created. Creating a new identity is strictly a "one shot", and the system doesn't like me doing that anyway (a given email has one identity limit). images are again being displayed.

I need a new password so I can get back into my original (Parsifal) identity, but I need help there because when I log that I have a lost password, it just wont accept it. Im supposed to receive a new password via email but am not, I suspect the system is sending it to a now disused email (I don't have the same email as I di d back in 2008)

Anyway, this was the only way I could think of to ask for help.


Edit; Horse is on it......

 

[Njaco]

Horse has been working on the site the last few days so speed-bumps will be experienced.

As far as SC-7, the only convoy the general public ever hears about - if at all - is PQ-17 but researching this day by day brings out these other dramas.

 

[Njaco]

October 21 Monday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

German guns near Calais, France fired 6 shells at Dover, England, between 1400 and 1600 hours; only some of the shells detonated.

UNITED KINGDOM: Prime Minister Churchill makes a broadcast in French directed to the radio audience in France. He pours scorn on the threatened invasion of Britain:

'We are waiting. . . . So are the fishes !'

and warns that Hitler ('this monstrous abortion of hatred and defeat') is plotting the total subjugation of France. Meanwhile, the government introduces the Purchase Tax.

WESTERN FRONT: Generalmajor Johannes Fink gives up his duties as Kommodore of KG 2 to become Inspector of Bomber and Ground Attack Flyers and General Of Bomber-Flyers with the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. Oberst Herbert Rieckhoff from KG 30 is appointed Kommodore of KG 2 in place of Generalmajor Fink. Oblt. Erich Blödorn is made Kommodore of KG 30 in Oberst Rieckhoff's place.

NORTH AFRICA: Italian destroyers "Manin", "Sauro", "Battisti", and "Nullo" attacked Allied convoy BN-7 in the Red Sea at 0219 hours. The convoy is escorted by a light cruiser, one destroyer and five smaller vessels. "Nullo" was damaged by HMS "Kimberley" and Australian sloop HMAS "Yarra" as the escorts counterattacked. She fled back towards Massawa, Italian East Africa and ran aground, but drew "Kimberley" close enough to the shore guns to hit the British ship, killing 3.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British minesweeping trawler HMS "Waveflower" hit a mine and sank off Alderburgh, Suffolk, England; 15 were killed and 7 survived.

British motor torpedo boat MTB-17 hit a mine and sank off Ostend, Belgium.

MEDITERRANEAN: "Scirè" departed La Spezia, Italy for Gibraltar with three manned torpedoes on board.

The Italian Navy organizes a new command -- the Maritrafalba -- to escort convoys from Brindisi and Bari to Albania, in preparation for an invasion of Greece.

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[Njaco]

October 22 Tuesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

EASTERN EUROPE: The British Ambassador to Moscow attempted to distance the Soviet Union away from Germany but Joseph Stalin accepted Joachim von Ribbentrop's invitation for Vyacheslav Molotov to visit Berlin, Germany.

WESTERN FRONT: 29,000 Jews in Alsace-Lorraine, Saarland, and Baden were deported to Southern France.

NORTH AFRICA: In Italian East Africa, South African air force planes attack Birikau for the fifth time.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Canadian destroyer HMCS "Margaree" of Allied convoy OL-8 collided with the freighter "Port Fairy" in poor visibility 400 miles west of Ireland; 142 were killed as she sank. 34 survived the ordeal. It is the first convoy mission for the destroyer. HMCS "Margaree" had previously been in the Royal Navy as HMS "Diana" and had been commissioned into the Canadian Navy on September 6. Most of the crew had survived the sinking of destroyer HMCS "Fraser" on June 25 after a collision with cruiser HMS "Calcutta".

British minesweeping trawlers HMT "Joseph Button" hit a mine and sank 6 miles off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England, killing 5. HMT "Hickory" also hit a mine and sank in the English Channel South of Weymouth, England, killing 24.

MEDITERRANEAN: Benito Mussolini set the date of the invasion of Greece to 28 Oct 1940. He had decided to attack Greece without informing Germany, as Germany had a history of starting wars without sharing advance information with Italy.

ASIA: Heitaro Kimura was named the chief of staff of Kenkichi Ueda (Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China).

.

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[parsifal]

23 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Ex USN Town Class DD HMS LANCASTER,

Departing Key West for New York Navy Yard 23 July 1940, she was overhauled and following trials arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, en route to Halifax, Nova Scotia. There she was decommissioned 23 October 1940 and turned over to British authorities in the ships for bases exchange, and renamed HMS LANCASTER in the RN. Her name was struck from the US Navy List 8 January 1941. As LANCASTER, she served as an ML and convoy escort in the RN during World War II, and was reduced to reserve in July 1945.

Ex USN Town Class DD HMS LEAMINGTON

LEAMINGTON arrived at Devonport 15 November, where she was refitted. After workup and training, the DD was allocated to Escort Gp 2 , Western Approaches Cmd, based at Londonderry. She was engaged in escort missions across the Atlantic into 1941. On 28 April 1941, LEAMINGTON was one of three escorts sent to assist in an attack led by HMS GLADIOLUS against U-207 in the battle for Convoy HX 121. On 27 May 1941, LEAMINGTON was part of the escort of Convoy OB 325 when she collided with the Norwegian merchant ship THYRA, which sank, killing five crew. LEAMINGTON was under repair at Liverpool until July that year, when she rejoined the Escort Gp 2 which moved to Iceland in September. On 11 September, the Escort Gp, including LEAMINGTON was sent to reinforce Convoy SC 42 under heavy attack off the east coast of Greenland from the U-boats of the wolfpack "Markgraf", which had already sunk 15 ships from the convoy On the 11 September, LEAMINGTON and DD HMS VETERAN were sent ahead of the convoy to investigate a UBoat sighting by an a/c. The two DDs spotted U-207 on the surface and carried out a series of DC attacks against the Uboat. This time the Uboat was destroyed, with no survivors. LEAMINGTON continued in service until 1945, when she was paid off and returned. her service included a stint in the RCN.

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS LEEDS

USS CONNER was recommissioned 23 August 1940 and fitted out at Philadelphia. She sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she was decommissioned 23 October 1940 and transferred to the RN as HMS LEEDS the same day. LEEDS cleared Halifax 1 November 1940 for Belfast, Northern Ireland, arriving on 10 November. Under the Rosyth Command, she escorted convoys in the North Sea between the Thames and the Firth of Forth, successfully weathering many air attacks. On 20 April 1942, she went to the aid of COTSWOLD, towing her into Harwich. She drove German E-boats away from her convoy on the night of 24–25 February 1944. LEEDS was placed in reserve at Grangemouth in the Firth of Forth in April 1945.

Ex USN Town Class DD HMS LEWES,

LEWES departed Halifax 1 November and arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland, 9 November, searching for DKM ADM SCHEER during her passage. She was refitted at Plymouth, and ordered to remain there under the command of CinC , Plymouth. Severely damaged in enemy air raids on 21 and 22 April 1941, she remained out of action until December when she joined the Home Flt. In Feb 1942, she joined Rosyth Escort Force, escorting convoys between the Thames and the Firth of Forth, Scotland. On 9 and 10 November 1942, she engaged DKM E-boats which attacked her convoy off Lowestoft. LEWES escorted a troop convoy on its way to the Middle East and arrived at Simonstown, 18 May 1943. As well as serving as target for a/c during their training, she searched for enemy submarines reported rounding Cape of Good Hope. In 1944, she joined the Eastern Flt as a submarine tender and torpedo target ship. LEWES departed Durban 13 August and arrived at Ceylon a month later. She was based at Trincomalee until January 1945, when she was transferred to the British Pac Flt as a target ship for a/ct training. Arriving at Fremantle, Australia, 11 February 1945, she shifted to Sydney 20 February and remained there until the end of hostilities.

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS LINCOLN

The veteran DD departed St. John's on 3 November and arrived in Belfast, on the 9th. LINCOLN moved from there to Londonderry Port where she was assigned to the Escort Gp 1 , Western Approaches Cmd. For almost a year, she met troop transport and cargo convoys in mid-ocean and escorted them into ports in the British Isles. Between September 1941 and February 1942, the DD was rebuilt at Woolwich Dockyard. LINCOLN was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and one of the triple torpedo tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional DC stowage. Hedgehog ahead thrower was also installed.

After the refit, she was transferred to Norway as the HNoMS LINCOLN and served with the Western Local Escort Force, operating along the Newfoundland coast between Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John's. In July 1942, HNoMS LINCOLN was loaned to the RCN, though remaining under Norwegian colours. Her duty in Canadian waters continued until the end of 1943, when she returned to Britain departing Halifax on 19 December and arriving back in Londonderry on Xmas Day. Early in 1944, the old lady was placed in reserve in the River Tyne. Her service to the Allied cause, however, had not quite ended. On 26 August 1944, she was transferred to the Soviet Navy and renamed DRUZHNY.

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS LUDLOW,

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS MANSFIELD

HMS MANSFIELD at a buoy on the Medway, August 1942

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS MONTGOMERY

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS SHERWOOD

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS STANLEY

Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS PYTCHLEY

Losses
Trawler ESSIE (SD 55 grt) was sunk on a mine ten miles SE of Skagen. Six crew were lost on the trawler.

Steamer PRINSESSE RAGNHILD (Ex-Nor 1590 grt) was sunk north of Bodo on a mine.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-47, U-100, U-123

At Sea 23 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-101, U-124.
9 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Eastern Baltic
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER departed Gotenhaven and proceeded to Brunsbuttel prior sailing to raid in the Nth and Sth Atlantic Oceans and in the Indian Ocean. SCHEER departed Brunsbuttel on the 27th escort TBs T 6, T 7, T 8, T 10. SCHEER reached Stavanger on the 28th. Escorted by TBs T 1, T 4, T 9, T 10 as far as Stadlandet, the cruiser departed Stavanger and passed the Denmark Straits on the 31st/1 November.

North Sea
FN.316 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 25th. FN.317 departed Southend, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 25th. FS.318 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 25th.

Northern Patrol
CVE ARGUS with DDs BEAGLE, ACHATES, HURRICANE departed Reykavik at 0400 to return to the Clyde. The British ships arrived in the Clyde on the 25th.

Northern Waters
BCs HOOD and REPULSE, CLAs DIDO and PHOEBE, DDs ISIS, MASHONA, BULLDOG, KEPPEL, DOUGLAS departed Scapa for AAt exercises in Pentland Firth and to cover Operation DNU. They proceeded towards Obrestad to cover CLAs NAIAD and BONAVENTURE, which departed Rosyth on the 23rd. CL ARETHUSA , CA NORFOLK, and CL SOUTHAMPTON proceeded towards Stadlandet. DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, PUNJABI departed Sullom Voe on the 22nd and were on patrol north of the Shetlands. At 1900 they were ordered to proceed to a position off Egersund to intercept a group of 20 German FVs escorted by one escort ship. The DDs were ordered to withdraw to the westward at 0330 if no contact was made.

In Operation DNU, weather ship WBS 5 (DKM 391 grt) was sunk west of Stadlandet by DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, PUNJABI on the 24th. The force and the DNU DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 24th. CLA BONAVENTURE sustained some weather damage to her forecastle. BC REPULSE and DDs BULLDOG and DOUGLAS arrived later on the 24th. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 0730 to cover convoy HX.79 A from Pentland Firth to Bell Rock. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa after escorting convoy OA.233.

West Coast UK
OB.233 departed Liverpool escort DDs CALDWELL and VANSITTART and corvettes CALENDULA and GLOXINIA. On 24 October, DD WALKER joined the escort. The entire escort was detached on the 27th. steamer EMPIRE ABILITY was damaged by the LW at Gareloch (in the Clyde).

Malta
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 23 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY Clearance sweep continued by Oropesa; no result. 1150-1535 hrs Skua Fleet Air Arm reconnaissance Malta to 25 miles north of Tripoli; nil report.

AIR HQ Reconnaissance of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forces by Blenheim attached 431 Flight and Swordfish 830 Squadron; nil reports by all aircraft. Reconnaissance Glenn Martin 431 Flight reported one small merchant vessel, possibly hospital ship at 1240 hrs.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. High speed launch returned from Dockyard after repair of damage sustained in air raid on 21 July.

 

[Njaco]

October 23 Wednesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

NORTH AMERICA: Ten WW1-era American destroyers were transferred to the British Royal Navy at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, including destroyer USS "Twiggs" which was renamed HMS "Leamington".

WESTERN FRONT: Adolf Hitler and Spain's Francisco Franco meet for nine hours in Hendaye, Spain, on the French/Spanish border. Hitler tries to persuade Franco to join the war and offers as bait the allocation of Gibraltar and territory in North Africa but Franco demands French Catalonia (North of the Pyrenees), almost all of Morocco and a large chunk of Algeria. Franco is uncertain about how to proceed and successfully muddles the issue, leaving Hitler no better informed as to what is Spanish policy but without causing offense. Franco reluctantly agrees to eventually enter the war, in return for military, agricultural, and territorial demands, and only at a time of Spain's choosing. It is perplexing to many that Franco has failed to join the Reich cause and Hitler presses for a positive move from the Spanish leader. Vague assurances and uncertain proposals are all that Hitler leaves with, and the Spanish dictator, tired of conflict and short of resources after the Civil War, will remain on the sidelines of the great conflict. This will have undoubted effects on the progress of the war; the independence of Spain will enable Gibraltar to remain in operation and will close northern and southern Spanish ports to both sides during the war. Hitler later confides (to Mussolini) that he would rather have 3 or 4 teeth pulled out than continue the discussions.

EASTERN EUROPE: Pocket-battleship "Admiral Scheer" sails from Gotenhafen (Poland). Undetected by British reconnaissance, the pocket battleship reaches the Atlantic via the Denmark Strait.

.

 

[parsifal]

24 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Thornycroft 55 feet-type class MTB 213

(Sorry guys i cannot find an image of the 55 ft Thornycroft MTB. Pictured is an example of the 73' Thornycroft type)

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-38, U-101

Departures
Lorient: U-32

At Sea 24 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-124.
8 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
CLA CURACOA transferred from convoy HX.79 A to OA.234 off the Firth of Forth. OA.234 departed Methil escort CLA CURACOA, sloop ROCHESTER, corvette PRIMROSE from 24 to 26 October. The convoy rendezvoused with OB.234, which was the last of the OA series. FN.318 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 26th. FS.319 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th. DD FOXHOUND departed Sheerness at 1330 after repairs, and arrived at Scapa on the 25th.

Northern Waters
At 1135 three miles SE of Barrell of Butter (a geographical feature in Scapa), Hunt-class DD MENDIP was damaged by the explosion of one of her DCs. MENDIP's stern was blown off and she was taken to Scapa for docking and temporary repairs from 24 October to 7 November when the DD was undocked on 7 November. MENDIP underwent four more days of repairs prior to departing Scapa Flow. MENDIP was towed by tug CHAMPION on 11 November escorted by ASW trawler LOCH TULLA south for repairs. She arrived in the Tyne 13 November for repairs which were completed 17 February 1941. Due to the damage done to MENDIP, movement in the Flow was prohibited and the forces returning from the Norwegian coast were delayed in entering harbour.

West Coast UK
OB.234 departed Liverpool escort DD ARROW, corvettes GERANIUM and HEARTSEASE, ASW trawlers LADY LILLIAN and ST APOLLO. On 26 October, CLA CAIRO, sloop ROCHESTER, DD AMAZON, corvette PRIMROSE joined the escort. ASW Trawler LADY LILLIAN was detached on the 27th, CLA CAIRO and DD AMAZON were detached on the 28th, the remainder of the escort departed on the 30th.

Nth Atlantic
HX.83 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and COLUMBIA and aux PV ELK. On the 25th, the DDs turned the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC ASCANIA and returned to Halifax. The AMC was also detached on 2 November. On 4 November, for the inbound legs DDs ACTIVE, BEAGLE, HURRICANE, RCN SAGUENAY, RCN SKEENA, WILD SWAN and corvette PICOTEE joined the convoy. DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA and WILD SWAN were detached on 5 November and destroyer ACTIVE on 6 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 November. SC.9 departed St Johns escorted by aux PV ELK and Sloop DEPTFORD. The patrol vessel was detached on the 25th. On 4 November, corvette GENTIAN joined the convoy. On 5 November, DDs GARLAND, SAGUENAY, SKEENA, ST LAURENT joined. Corvette MALLOW joined on 7 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 November. Steamer HELGOLAND (Ger 3664 grt) departed Puerto Columbia, Colombia for return to German waters. HELGOLAND was able to evade patrolling USN DDs BAINBRIDGE , OVERTON , STURTEVANT and passed the antilles near St Thomas on 3 November. She arrived at St Nazaire on 30 November.

Malta
1131-1230 hrs Air raid alert for a formation of enemy aircraft approaching from the north. The come within ten to fifteen miles east of Valletta and circle. Six Hurricanes and two Gladiators are scrambled and the raiders turn away.

AIR HQ Aircraft casualties One Swordfish. Reconnaissance of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Squadron FAA and Sunderland 228 Squadron; Glenn Martin 431 Flight; nil reports by all aircraft.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 Squadrons. Sunderland 230 Squadron reconnaissance are Malta-Tripoli-Jerba Island; reported on landing seeing one Italian destroyer and one merchant vessel in convoy. Operational base for Sunderlands transferred to St Paul's Bay owing to sea conditions at Kalafrana.

 

[parsifal]

25 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type 1936A Zerstorer Z-24

Type 1936A Zerstorer Z-24 taken later in the war with radar fitted

Neutral
Kirov Class Cruiser MAXIM GORKIY (SU)

Kirov Class cruisers can be referred to as either a Heavy or Light cruiser because of the non-standard weapon size they carried

Allied
BPB 70 feet-type class MA/SB 15

BPB 70' MA/SB 24 pictured

Losses
FV ENCOURAGE (UK 45 grt) was sunk by mine off Breakwater Point, Plymouth. The entire crew (of four) were lost.

FV WINDSOR (UK 222 grt) was sunk on a mine off from Spurn Point. One crewman was lost on the British trawler.

Steam Drifter CARLTON (UK 207 grt) was sunk by a mine three and a half miles 131.5° from Spurn Point. Ten crew were lost on the drifter.

MSW trawler LORD INCHCAPE (RN 338 grt) was sunk by mining off Plymouth.

Drifter DUTHIES (UK 89 grt) was sunk by the LW alongside the jetty at Montrose. The entire crew was rescued.

UBOATS
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-93

At Sea 25 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-124.
7 boats at sea.

U-46 was attacked by 3 Hudson bombers from RAF Squadron 228. One man wounded who died the following day.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
FN.319 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 27th.

Northern Patrol
DD VIMY arrived at Scapa after escorting AMC CALIFORNIA to her Northern Patrol Station.

Northern Waters
CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa after detaching from OA.234, and then departed Scapa later that afternoon to cover convoy SL.50. The cruiser returned to Scapa Flow after dark. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.25.

West Coast UK
OL.9 departed Liverpool escort DDs STURDY, SHIKARI, VISCOUNT from 25 to 27 October, when the convoy was dispersed. This is the last of the OL series, which only began on 14 September.

Channel
FV JANET was damaged by the LW at Montrose Quay.

Central Atlantic
CL ENTERPRISE departed Buenas Aires. CL DELHI departed the Cameroons. SLS 53 departed Freetown. Corvettes ASPHODEL and PICOTEE escorted the convoy on 18 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool 18 November.

Med- Biscay
CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria and DDs HAVOCK and HERO departed Port Said to escort convoy AN 5 of 3 steamers in operation MAQ 2.
BB MALAYA, CVL EAGLE, CLA COVENTRY, RAN DD VAMPIRE and VOYAGER; and RN DDs HYPERION, MOHAWK, JANUS and WRYNECK departed Alexandria. During this sortie, EAGLE launched strikes against Maltezana (in the Dodecanese) without loss. CLs ORION and RAN SYDNEY with DDs JERVIS and JUNO departed Alexandria on the 25th and operated in the Dardanelles as contraband control. The convoy arrived on the 27th. The forces involved returned to Alexandria on the 28th. British gunboat APHIS bombared an enemy troop concentration 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani.

HMS APHIS was a Royal Navy Insect-class gunboat. She was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, launched on 15 September 1915 and completed in November 1915. She was based in Port Said at the beginning of World War I, served in Romania and then the China Station until 1940. All of her fighting service was in the Mediterranean, taking part in the invasion of Pantelleria and landings in the south of France, returning briefly to the Pacific in 1945. She was scrapped at Singapore in 1947. She proved her worth many times in providing close inshore bombardment capability that proved invaluable in land based support operations. The italians hated her, trying many times to sink her. Her class was intended for shallow, fast flowing rivers and this proved highly useful for inshore operations when her relatively heavy weaponry could be used to support Army operations.

Four DDs departed Gibraltar to carry out an ASW sweep off Alboran Island.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BN.8 departed Bombay, escorted by CL CALEDON and AMC ANTENOR. These ships were relieved when met on 3 November by CL LEANDER, CLA CARLISLE, DD KINGSTON, sloops FLAMINGO and INDUS. The escorts were detached on 6 November. The convoy arrived at Suez on 11 November.

Malta

 

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October 24 Thursday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

The Belgian-based Italian aircraft attack Harwich in a joint mission with Luftflotte 2.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British government declared that the daylight-savings Summer Time was to be continued throughout the coming winter.

In London, a Belgian government in exile is established. Its leading members include Camille Gutt, Hubert Pierlot and Paul-Henri-Spaak.

The first of 2000 provincial buses appear on London routes.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Operation DNU: British battlecruisers HMS "Hood" and HMS "Repulse", 2 cruisers, and 8 destroyers conducted a sweep off the Norwegian coast in search of German shipping. German weather trawler WBS5 was sunk by destroyers HMS "Somali", HMS "Matabele", and HMS "Punjabi" 30 miles off the Stadlandet Peninsula. She would be the only target destroyed during the operation.

British destroyer HMS "Mendip" suffered an accidental depth charge detonation in Scapa Flow, Scotland at 1135 hours, ripping off her stern. She would survive the explosion and would be undergoing repairs for the next four months.

WESTERN FRONT: Hitler's armoured train arrives in Montoire-sur-le-Loir, France to meet French Prime Minister Philippe Pétain. After meeting with Franco yesterday, Hitler tries to persuade France to join the war against England. Hitler, Pétain and Pierre Laval agree in principle but Pétain refused to declare war on Britain. Pétain agrees to collaborate against Britain, in return for compensation in Africa and a high place in the New Europe.

GERMANY: During the night, RAF bombers attack Berlin and Hamburg. These are the first British raids to cause significant civilian casualties.

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October 25 Friday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

A British Air Ministry announcement demonstrates the diversity and numerical strength of the flying personnel available to it. Airmen from Poland, France, Belgium, Holland and Czechoslovakia are being deployed and still more are in training. The Eagle Squadron of American volunteers is also growing.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British War Cabinet restores Britain's battleship construction program for later use in the Far East against Japan.

NORTH AMERICA: US Navy began to mobilize its aviation arm.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British minesweeping trawler HMT "Lord Inchcape" hit a mine and sank off Plymouth, England.

Three RAF Hudson bombers attacked German submarine U-46 in the Atlantic Ocean, wounding Matrosengefreiter Plaep, who would die from his injuries on the next day.

MEDITERRANEAN: British gunboat HMS "Aphis" bombarded Italian troops 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani, Egypt.

The Italian Navy formed the Forza Navale Speciale (FNS) under Vice Admiral Vittorio Tur.

GERMANY: British bombers attacked Hamburg and Berlin in Germany, causing heavy casualties.

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26 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type 1935 MSW M-23

IJN Kagero Class DD AMATSUKAZE

AMATSUKAZE underway on October 17, 1940, during her pre- acceptance trials.

Losses
MV MATINA (UK 5389 grt) Sunk by U-31 (Wilfried Prellberg) Crew: 71 (71 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Bananas Route: Jamaica - Garston ;Un-attached; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0432 hrs the unescorted MATINA was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-28 (Kuhnke) about 100 miles west of Rockall, after the ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 2150 hrs the day before. The U-boat then surfaced and fired 28 rounds with her deck gun, achieved 15 hits and left the vessel in a sinking condition.

At 2200 hrs on 29 October, U-31 reported the sinking of a drifting wreck by a coup de grace, this must have been the MATINA. The first U-boat had observed that some survivors abandoned ship in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

RAF bombers sank steamer KYVIG (Ex-Nor 763 grt) off Sognefjord.

Tkr DOSINIA (UK 8053 grt) was sunk on a mine near Q 1 Black Buoy, Queens Channel, Mersey. The entire crew was rescued.

Tkr STROMBUS (SD 6549 grt) was sunk on a mine 2.2 miles 112° from Mumbles Light. The entire crew was rescued.

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-29

At Sea 26 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-124.
8 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD SIKH was damaged in a collision with a dockyard tug at Rosyth. SIKH departed Rosyth on the 27th for Leith where she was nder repair from 27 October to 8 November 1940. The DD departed Rosyth on 9 November and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730 on 10 November.

FN.320 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 28th. FS.320 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. Sloops PUFFIN and WIDGEON joined on the 28th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th.

Northern Waters
Troopship EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (UK 42,348 grt) (largest merchant ship in the war sunk by a U-Boat) had departed Capetown on the 12th returning from the Middle East to Liverpool. The troopship was bombed and damaged by a FW 200 bomber 70 miles northwest of Donegal Bay. 416 crew, 2l gunners, 205 passengers were on the liner. The convoy was escorted by DD ECHO and ORP DD BURZA. ECHO and BURZA took 570 survivors from the troopship. EMPRESS OF BRITAIN was taken in tow by DD BURZA and supported by CLA CAIRO and DD BROKE which sailed from the Clyde on the 26th to assist. BURZA was later relieved by DD BROKE and escorted by DD SARDONYX. A tug, which was joined by a second, later took over the tow and BROKE and SARDONYX escorted the troopship towards port. DD SCIMITAR was also involved in the escort of the damaged liner. ECHO and BURZA arrived in the Clyde at 0800 on the 27th with the survivors from the troopship. On 28 October, U.32 sank troopship EMPRESS OF BRITAIN in the western ASpproches

25 crew and 20 passengers were lost on the troopship. ASW trawler CAPE ARGONA assisted in the rescue of survivors from the troopship.

DD VIMY departed Scapa to escort troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN with 700 troops for Lerwick. The ships safely arrived on the 27th. VIMY then escorted ML ATREUS from Lerwick to the vicinity of Scapa Flow. DD FOXHOUND departed Scapa Flow on the 27th to relieve VIMY.
VIMY arrived at Scapa Flow on the 27th. FOXHOUND and ML ATREUS arrived in the Clyde on the 28th.

AA ship ALYNBANK left convoy EN.12 at 2359 and returned south to meet convoy EN.13.

West Coast UK
RAN CA AUSTRALIA arrived in the Clyde on the 26th after operations off Dakar.

Malta
FNFL sub NARVAL left for her second patrol between Kerkenah and Lampedusa. Skua FAA recon of Malta to Tripoli but returned due to bad weather.

AIR HQ Recon of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Sqn FAA and Sunderland 230 Sqn; nil reports by all a/c.

KALAFRANA Operations resumed at Kalafrana by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 sqns.

 

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October 26 Saturday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

UNITED KINGDOM: British Ministry of Food subsidized fish and chip shops to encourage potato consumption.

WESTERN FRONT: The crews of JG 52 lose Oskar Strack when he is listed as missing in action. He had six victories against the Allies.

NORTH AMERICA: The P-51 Mustang fighter, NA-73X, took its maiden flight. Product of the young North American Aviation, the plane is constructed in 102 days. It was a British request in September 1939 towards N.A.A that started its development as the British approached N.A.A. to build Curtiss P-40s for their Royal Air Force. N.A.A. explained that they already had a design for a fighter plane and where willing to build it for the British. It would use the same engine, namely the Allison. It wasn't until April 1940 that the British signed a contract with N.A.A. for producing the airplane. A British Commission of Enquiry was cause for this delay. On May 29th an order for 320 machines was signed and this was quickly followed by an order for an extra 300. The British discovered that with full military load the plane was still 56km/hr faster than the Spitfire V. Its only shortcoming was that the Allison engine lost horsepower as it gained height making it just as fast as a P-40 at 4.500m.

The US Marine Corps organized a Marine Parachute Detachment at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey, United States.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italy lodged a protest against Greece, citing its anti-Italian attitude.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-28 hit British ship "Matina" 250 miles northwest of Ireland at 0432 hours with a torpedo, then surfaced to hit her with 15 shells with the deck gun; 67 crew members and 2 gunners of "Matina" abandoned the ship in lifeboats, but they would never to be seen again.

Oblt. Bernhard Jope of I./.KG 40, flying one of the few four-engined Fw 200 "Condors" available, attacks the 348 ton ocean liner "Empress of Britain" southwest of Donegal, Ireland. Most of the 416 crew, 2 gunners, and 205 passengers survived the attack and abandoned ship. German submarines were alerted, and would close in for the kill.

ASIA: Japanese aircraft raided the CAMCO factory at Loiwing (Leiyun), China, destroying recently arrived kits of CW-21 fighters.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Military representatives from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand meet in Singapore for a conference on Far Eastern defense. Grave deficiencies of Singapore defense are exposed.

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27 October 1940
Losses
Steamer SUAVITY (UK 634 grt) was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. The entire crew was rescued.

Drifter PERSEVERE (UK 20 grt) was sunk by a drift mine in the Firth of Forth. near the East Gunnet Ledge Buoy.

Steamer MARGARETHA (NL 325 grt) was sunk on a mine, with the entire crew rescued.

RM sub NANI sank steamer MEGGIE (SD 1583 grt) 70 miles SE of Santa Maria, Azores. The entire crew were rescued.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Kiel: U-48

At Sea 27 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-65, U-124.
7 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
[North Sea
FN.321 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 29th. FS.321 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th.

Northern Waters
CL ARETHUSA sustained damage to her bow in a collision with British steamer FLAMINIAN whilst on passage from Scapa to Rosyth. After her arrival at Rosyth, ARETHUSA proceeded to the Tyne for repairs, which were completed 26 November. She arrived back at Scapa for duty on 27 November. DD CLEVELAND departed Scapa and relieved RNoN DD SLEIPNER off Duncansby Head escorting sub SUNFISH to Muckle Flugga.

West Coast UK
British steamer ALFRED JONES, part of OB.234, was damaged by the LW. 12 crew of the crew were killed. DD AMAZON claimed damaging the attacking aircraft. British steamer CONISTER was damaged by the LW at Queen's Dock, Liverpool. British steamer NEWLANDS was damaged by the LW .

Western Approaches
OB.235 departed Liverpool escort DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, WITHINGTON. The escort was joined on the 28th by corvettes CAMELLIA and HONEYSUCKLE; Corvette HONEYSUCKLE departed the convoy on the 28th, DD WITHERINGTON on the 30th, DDs CHELSEA and VERITY and corvette CAMELLIA on the 31st, DD VETERAN on 2 November.

Channel
DDs VANOC, VOLUNTEER, FERNIE were ordered to carry out sweeps for enemy merchant vessels and trawlers in the channel. The DDs cleared Portsmouth, but could not find any enemy shipping.

Central Atlantic
SL.53 departed Freetown escorted by AMC ARAWA to 17 November. DD BROKE joined the convoy on 14 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 November.

Med- Biscay
Sub SWORDFISH damaged a merchant ship from an eight ship convoy off Cherbourg. MSWs HUNTLEY and DERBY arrived at Suez on transfer from the Red Sea to the Med cmd.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 OCTOBER TO DAWN 28 OCTOBER 1940
Weather Fine.

0958-1025 hrs Air raid alert for 8 MC 200 a/c which fly from the nth to the sth of the Island at 18-20000 feet before crossing the coast. Six Hurricanes and two Gladiators are scrambled. The Hurricanes engage four of the raiders over Ghar Dalam. One enemy a/c is brought down. One Hurricane's tail is damaged but it lands safely. The raiders turn away with no bombs dropped.

1100 hrs A enemy formation of 3 enemy a/c approaches from the nth to within 30 miles of the Island then turns away, possibly searching for one of the a/c force-landed during the previous raid.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 1940

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland, 2 Blenheims. Departures 2 Sunderland. Recon of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Sqn FAA and Glenn Martin 431 Flight; nil reports by all a/c. FNFL Latecoere L-298 recon Malta to 20 miles nth of Lampedusa to 40 miles west of Tripoli to 40 miles west of Lampedusa to Malta; nil report.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland a/c of 228 and 230 Sqns. Sunderland 230 Sqn recon Alexandria to Doro Channel to Kea to Kithera to Malta; reported a convoy of three merchant vessels, two DDs and one cruiser identified as British. One Sunderland left for Middle East and one arrived from Middle East. One Sunderland RAAF left for UK with 3 passengers and mail. French Latecoere on 5 hours patrol.

 

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October 27 Sunday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

British intelligence intercepted a German radio message referring to the continuation of training for the invasion of Britain, and determined that if German troops were still in this early stage of preparations, then an invasion would not take place in the very near future.

EAST AFRICA: Free French forces from Cameroon attacked Vichy French forces in Gabon, penetrating 70 miles across the border and capturing the town of Mitzic.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Men of British destroyer HMS "Broke" were ordered to attach tow lines on the troop ship "Empress of Britain", which was disabled on the previous day by German aircraft. Tugs HMS "Marauder" and HMS "Thames" arrived to tow the former luxury liner for Clyde River, Scotland, escorted by destroyers HMS "Broke" and "Sardonyx" (with air cover from Sunderland flying boats until nightfall). However, U-32 vectors in on the small convoy, remaining submerged to avoid the Sunderlands.

Italian submarine "Nani" sank Swedish ship "Meggie" 70 miles southeast of the Azores Islands; the entire crew of "Meggie" survived.

MEDITERRANEAN: Late in the evening, Italian ambassador in Athens Emanuele Grazzi issued an ultimatum, demanding that Italian troops be allowed to occupy strategic positions in Greece. It amounts to a declaration of war. The Greeks know of the Italian plans and have already mobilized in the areas facing the expected attack. In Rome at 2100 hours the Italians tell the Germans of their decision to invade Greece.

Aircraft from HMS "Eagle" struck the Italian seaplane base at Maltezana, Rhodes, Greece.

GERMANY: German pocket-battleship "Admiral von Scheer" leaves Germany.

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October 28 Monday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

An additional 489,000 children had been evacuated from the greater London area in England, United Kingdom.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian Invasion of Greece: Greek leader Ioannis Metaxas rejected the Italian ultimatum. Realizing the Italians were already preparing for an invasion, he noted;

"Alors, c'est la guerre" ("Then, it's war").

At dawn, before the ultimatum expires, the Italian forces in Albania begin to cross the border into Greece. 85,000 Italian troops cross the border from Albania into Greece, supported by 400 aircraft and 163 tanks. They are faced by 30,000 Greek troops with no tanks and only 77 aircraft. General Prasca leads eight of the 10 Italian divisions in Albania in the advance. They attack along three lines with the main effort being in the center from the Dhrina and Vijose valleys. The Littoral group moved slowly down the coast while the Tsamouria Corps advanced through the mountains towards Kalpaki. On their left the Julia Alpini Division split into two regimental battle groups either side of Mount Smolikas with the objective of seizing the Metsovon pass. In Macedonia the XXVI Corps (primarily the Parma Division) was thinly spread in defensive positions. The Italians have chosen a very unwise time of the year for their attack. Rapidly rising rivers and mud tracks resulted in slow progress with Greek screening forces falling back onto prepared positions. General Papagos, the Greek Command in Chief, had not deployed his main force close to the border to avoid giving any provocation to the Italians. He hoped to use 8 divisions with the possibility of reinforcements being brought from the troops watching the Bulgarian border. Despite the difficulties the Aosta Lancers in the Littoral Group gained a bridgehead over the Kalamas River. The Tsamouria Corps made slow progress on what were little more than mountain tracks with the Centauro's tanks simply sticking in the mud where they had to be abandoned. The Julia Division in the centre began to create a wedge in the Greek position despite the conditions. Papagos responded with infiltration attacks that almost surrounded the Italians. Bersaglieri reinforcements helped extricate the Division only after heavy losses. Patras is bombed. Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain pledged support for Greece against the Italian invasion.

"When you speak of Greek warriors, don't say Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks."

Adolf Hitler traveled to Florence, Italy for a meeting with Benito Mussolini in an attempt to stop the Italians from attacking Greece, but it was too late. Hitler conceals his anger at not being kept informed of the Italian plans and says that German troops are available if it is necessary to keep the British out of Greece and away from the Romanian oil.

HMS "Eagle" patrolled the western coast of Greece.

WESTERN FRONT: Pierre Laval became the Foreign Minister of Vichy France.

SOUTH PACIFIC: German raider "Pinguin" and auxiliary minelayer "Passat" began to lay mines off Sydney, Newcastle, Hobart, Melbourne, and other locations along the long Australian coast line.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-32 sank British troop ship "Empress of Britain", under tow after she was damaged by aircraft two days prior, with two torpedoes 50 miles northwest of Aran Island, Ireland at 0205 hours, killing 25 crew and 20 passengers. At 42,348 tons, she would become the largest German submarine victim.


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[parsifal]

28 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS SNAPDRAGON
(New source For Image: HMS Snapdragon (K10) - Forgotten Hope Secret Weapon Wiki - Wikia

Losses
Steamer DEVONIA (UK 98 grt) was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. 3 of the 4 crew were lost

Steamer SAGACITY (UK 490 grt) was sunk on a mine at 4000 yards 148° from Spurn Main Light. The entire crew of the British steamer were rescued.

Steamer WYTHBURN (UK 420 grt) was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. Five crew were lost on the British steamer.

Steamer SHEAF FIELD (UK 2719 grt) was sunk on a mine two miles SW of Sunk Light Vessel. There were 26 survivors from the steamer.

Drifter HARVEST GLEANER (UK 96 grt) was sunk by the LW 0.75 mile 048° from Southwold Pier Light. Four crewman were killed on the drifter.

Steamer BELGION (Gk 2844 grt) was seized by the Germans at Bordeaux

Steamer LEONTIOS TERYAZOS (Gk 4479 grt) was also seized by German forces at Bordeaux.

Steamers ATHINAI (Gk 2897 grt) and MARIA NOMIKOU (Gk 1165 grt) were seized by Italian forces off Messina. They were renamed PALERMO and AREZZO, respectively for Italian service.

UBOATS
At Sea 28 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-65, U-124.
7 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Northern Patrol
BCs HOOD and REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, CL SOUTHAMPTON, CLAs DIDO and PHOEBE, DDs MASHONA, SOMALI , ESKIMO, PUNJABI, DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, CLEVELAND and VIMY departed Scapa Flow to operate in the Denmark Strait after reports of an unknown ship were transmitted by British Steamer MAHOUT who reported an unknown ship 9thought to be a German Raider) in the Denmark Strait steering ENE. CLEVELAND and VIMY were detached at midnight and arrived at Scapa around midnight on the 29th. Exceptionally heavy weather damaged other ships of the Task Gp. On 29 October, shells came adrift in CLA DIDO, causing one of her turrets to jam. She was forced to put into the Faroes for shelter and repairs. She was able to proceed to Scapa on 1 November escorted by DD KEPPEL. On 30 October, CL SOUTHAMPTON intercepted Finnish steamer DORE K. The CL turned her over to armed boarding vessel NORTHERN SKY which took the steamer to Kirkwall. No other contact was made and HOOD and REPULSE, FURIOUS, SOMALI, ESKIMO, MASHONA, PUNJABI, DOUGLAS arrived back at Scapa on 1 November. MATABELE departed Scapa on the 31st to join the HOOD force. MATABELE returned to Scapa Flow later that evening.

Northern Waters
British minefield BS.43 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs INTREPID and ICARUS. CL NEWCASTLE after repairs departed the Tyne.
The light cruiser arrived at Scapa on 1 November. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy EN.13 and carrying out ASW exercises in Scapa. DD WALPOLE, en route to Sheerness, was mined and badly damaged. The DD was towed into port by DD WINDSOR. WALPOLE was under repair at London for 22 weeks.

West Coast UK
Belgian steamer KATANGA was damaged by mining three cables 100° from Pillar Buoy, River Mersey.

Nth Atlantic
HX.84 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs COLUMBIA and ST FRANCIS which turned to the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC JERVIS BAY.
The convoy scattered on 5 November when the convoy was attacked by DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER and the AMC was sunk.

Sth Atlantic
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Capetown.

Med- Biscay
Force H with BB BARHAM, BC RENOWN, DDs GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, GALLANT, FORTUNE, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE departed Gibraltar in response to a rumour that four Vichy DDs were at sea en route from Casablanca to Dakar. Force H returned to Gibraltar on 1 November without contact. Sub UTMOST departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar, conducting a patrol in Biscay en route. On 6 November off Cape St Vincent, she was was identified as enemy by DD ENCOUNTER, who then rammed her and damaged the sub. UTMOST managed to make Gibraltar arriving on 7 November.
From there she was taken on to Malta, arriving on 8 December, and was under repair until the 2 February. DD ENCOUNTER escorting Force H was able to continue, but entered the dockyard on her return and was repairing until 23 November. CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DD DECOY departed Alexandria on Operation CHURCH. However the ships were recalled later in the day. In addition, DD ILEX on convoy escort duty was recalled to Alexandria and armed boarding vessel FIONA and DD DEFENDER were sailed from Port Said to Alexandria. These ships were needed to assist in Operation BN, the establishment of a fuelling base at Suda Bay.

Vichy DDs L'ALCYON and TEMPETE departed Toulon and DDs BRESTOIS, BOULONNAIS, SIMOUN departed Bizerte. The five DDs were at Oran on 29 and 30 October. On 30 October, the five departed and arrived at Casablanca on 1 November.

CA KENT, which departed Alexandria on the 26th for Port Said, departed Suez with convoy SW 20 en route to Plymouth arriving on 27 December for repairs.

Italy declared war on Greece.

Pacific/Far East/Australia Station
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore. DKM Raider PINGUIN laid 40 mines in the Sydney-Newcastle track during the night of 28/29 October.

Malta
A bn which was about to set sail for Malta is diverted to Crete. The War Cabinet has agrees that in the circumstances the Island will have to manage without these reinforcements. The Med Flt has also been diverted to focus on the prevention of Italian troop landings on Crete.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 OCTOBER TO DAWN 29 OCTOBER 1940
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 28 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY Sub OTUS began trials after a long refit.

KALAFRANA Ops by Sunderland a/c of 228 and 230 sqns. French Latecoere L-298 on 6 hours patrol.

NORTHERN INFANTRY BRIGADE Enemy mine recovered in Gnejna Bay.

 

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October 29 Tuesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

UNITED KINGDOM: General Legentilhomme (ex-commander of French-Somaliland) joins General de Gaulle in London.

MEDITERRANEAN: Following invasion by Italian troops from Albania, Greece requests help from Britain by invoking Chamberlain's guarantee of 13 April 1939 ("...in the event of any action being taken which clearly threatened the independence of Greece, His Majesty's Government would feel themselves bound at once to lend all the support in their power"). A joint reconnaissance party of all 3 British services lands at Suda Bay on the island of Crete in a flying boat. A flotilla of 4 British battleships, 2 aircraft carriers, 19 destroyers and various other vessels leaves Alexandria, Egypt, to sweep the seas around Crete of Italian warships. They are carrying 158 sailors from damaged cruiser HMS "Liverpool" as a base defense party to reinforce Suda Bay. To the north, the Italian invasion advanced slowly.

The full mobilization of the Italian Blackshirt units began.

"Scirè" launched three manned torpedoes into Gibraltar harbor. The mission was a failure as one of the torpedoes broke down and the crew of the two torpedoes aborted due to breathing equipment issues.

NORTH AMERICA: Conscription, as allowed by the Selective Training and Service Act, began. It was the first military draft during peacetime in US history. In New York, Secretary of War Stimson, blindfolded with a strip of linen cut from the covering of a chair in Independence Hall, put his left hand into a glass bowl whose contents had been stirred by a wooden ladle cut from an Independence Hall rafter, and, after leaving it there for a minute in response to cameramen's shouts of "Hold it!" withdrew from the bowl a small capsule which enclosed a slip of paper. This historic incident was the start of the gigantic conscription lottery. Honor of holding the first place on the draft list in the biggest city of the land fell, by chance to a serious young Chinese laundryman named Yuen Chong Chan, of 18 Pell St., New York City, who thus became, for 24 hours, the most celebrated military figure in the U.S. Apparently under the impression that a draftee may choose his adversary, he announced that he wanted to fight Japan.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-31 sank the drifting wreck of British ship "Matina", which was damaged by U-28 on 26 Oct and had already been abandoned, at 2200 hours.

German submarine U-29 made rendezvous with German armed merchant cruiser "Widder", which was returning from her merchant raiding mission for repairs, in the Bay of Biscay west of France.

GERMANY: The British RAF conducted the 25th raid on Berlin, Germany.

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[parsifal]

29 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Cimarron Class AO KASKASKIA (AO27)

Allied
Fairmile B ML 134

Losses
Sludge vessel G. W. HUMPHREYS (UK 1500 grt) was sunk on a mine two cables ESEof Oaze Buoy. Seven crew were lost on the British vessel.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Kiel: U-46

At Sea 29 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-65, U-124.
6 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
FN.322 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 31st. FS.322 departed Methil, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND and ASW trawlers AGATE and TURQUOISE. Patrol sloop PINTAIL joined on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 November. DD ELECTRA departed Rosyth for the Tyne, where she escorted CL EDINBURGH (which had just completed refit) from the Tyne to Rosyth. Norwegian steamer JAMAICA was damaged on a mine.

Northern Waters
RAN CA AUSTRALIA on patrol west of the Hebrides rescued the crew of a Sunderland flying boat. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.26. DD CLEVELAND had also departed Scapa Flow to search for a downed Sunderland down in Moray Firth, three to four miles off the shore from Wick. The DD returned on the 30th when it was found the flying boat had crashed on the land.

West Coast UK
DDs DUNCAN, FEARLESS, ISIS departed Liverpool in company with CV ARK ROYAL for Greenock where they arrived on the 30th. OB.236 departed Liverpool escort DD BROKE, sloop LEITH and corvettes ARABIS and HELIOTROPE. The escort was joined on the 30th by DDs MALCOLM and SARDONYX. On 1 November, corvette GENTIAN was with the convoy for the day only and the rest of the convoy escort, less sloop LEITH, was detached. Sloop LEITH was detached on 2 November. NL Sub O.24 attacked a steamer unsuccessfully off the Norwegian coast.

SW Approaches
OG.45 of 22 ships departed Liverpool, Milford Haven, Glasgow escort DDs WANDERER, WILD SWAN and CLARE. DDs WILD SWAN and CLARE were detached on 2 November and WANDERER was detached on 3 November. The ocean escort was AMC SALOPIAN which departed the Clyde on the 31st and was with the convoy from 6 to 9 November. The convoy was joined by DD VIDETTE (which departed Gibraltar on 8 November), on 9 November. The DD escorted the convoy until its arrival at Gibraltar on 13 November.

Channel
erman torpedo boats ILTIS and JAGUAR laid minefield ALFRED off Dover during the night of 29/30 October.

Nth Atlantic
SC.10 of 14 merchant ships departed St Johns escorted by Sloop FOLKESTONE. The convoy was joined by DDs VANSITTART and WALKER on 10 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 13 November.

Med- Biscay
Sub PARTHIAN was on patrol off the Gulf of Taranto, sub PANDORA was on patrol in Straits of Otranto, two Greek submarines were on patrol in the Ionian Sea. Sub REGULUS was on patrol in the Gulf of Sydra and French submarine NARVAL was between Lampedusa and Kerkenah. Sub PROTEUS departed Alexandria on the 25th to relieve the PARTHIAN.

In Operation BN, British forces landed on Crete. A joint recon party, drawn from all three services, arrived at Suda Bay on the 29th in a flying boat. BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, MALAYA, RAMILLIES, CVL EAGLE CV ILLUSTRIOUS (operating separately), DDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HERO, HASTY, HEREWARD, ILEX , DAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER, DIAMOND, JERVIS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JUNO and JANUS in three divisions departed Alexandria early on the 29th. CA YORK and RAN CL SYDNEY, RN CL ORION and GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria late on the 28th and joined the Fleet off Crete. The Main Flt swept to the west of Crete to cover the movements to Crete. On 29 October a convoy of RFAs (OLNA and BRAMBLELEAF, armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA, MSW FAREHAM, net layer PROTECTOR escorted by CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY and RAN DDs VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, RN DD WRYNECK departed Alexandria. This convoy, less CALCUTTA, WRYNECK, OLNA, arrived at Suda Bay on the 31st . The OLNA group arrived the next morning.

On board vessels CHAKLA and FIONA were 11 officers and 147 ratings, with some construction equipment. This party was composed of crew from damaged cruiser LIVERPOOL. CL AJAX departed Alexandria on the 31st and arrived at Suda Bay on 1 November. DDs JUNO and DEFENDER were detached from the Main Force to refuel at Suda Bay on the 31st. On 31 October, DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN, detached from the Main Force, examined Navarin Bay. These DDs rejoined the Main Force that afternoon. DDs JUNO and RAN VOYAGER rejoined the Main Force from Suda Bay. VOYAGER was a replacement for DD DEFENDER, which had gotten fouled in anti-torpedo nets at Suda. BB WARSPITE, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs JERVIS, HERO, HEREWARD, HASTY, ILEX were detached on the 31st and returned to Alexandria, arriving on 2 November.
CLs ORION and RAN SYDNEY arrived at Alexandria late on 2 November. BBs MALAYA and VALIANT, CVL EAGLE, the remaining DDs arrived at Alexandria at daylight on 2 November.

On 2 November, tanker OLNA, escort ship WRYNECK, MSW FAREHAM departed Suda Bay for Piraeus. CL AJAX, DDs VAMPIRE, WATERHEN, DEFENDER, oiler BRAMBLELEAF, netlayer PROTECTOR, armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA departed for Alexandria. The movements to Crete continued into the first week of December. MSW HUNTLEY arrived at Alexandria for duty with the Med Flt.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BM.3 departed Bombay with steamers AMRA, DEVONSHIRE, EL MADINA, HOSANG, JAPAPADMA, KAROA, PUNDIT, RANEE, TALAMBA, escotted by AMC WESTRALIA from 29 October to 4 November and CL DANAE from 4 November to 11 November. The convoy arrived at Singapore on 11 November.

Pacific/Far East/Australia Station
CL DURBAN arrived at Singapore. DKM aux ML PASSAT laid 30 mines in Bass Straits during the night of 29/30 October.

Malta

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 sqns. French Latecoere L-298 on 5 hrs patrol. One Sunderland RAAF arrived from Gib with Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham and other officers en route for Middle East.