This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[parsifal]

7 October

UBOATS

At Sea 7 October

U-10, U-12 (+), U-15, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42 (+), U-46, U-48.

11 boats at sea.

North Sea .

German trawler SKOLPENBANK (381grt) was lost.

(No Images found)

British East Coast

MV BINNENDIJK (Ne 6,873 tons) Carrying 1000 tons of Oil and general cargo, the cargo ship struck a mine laid on 10 September by U-26 and was damaged 2 nautical miles south east of the Shambles Lightship. No casualties, crew taken off. She sank 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) north of the lightship early the next day. The wreck was dispersed on 10 October
Binnendijk (Dutch Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net

CLA CALCUTTA dep Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back the same day.

MSWs SELKIRK and NIGER sweeping mines 35 miles ENE of Cromer were strafed by German flying boats, no damage.

Dutch Coast
DKM PV (Patrol Vessel) V-804 (1930, 337 GRT), The Vorpostenboot ("Outpost Boat") struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Friesland, Netherlands. Unknown casualties. Vorpostenboots typically carried one or two medium-calibre guns (e.g. 88 mm), many light automatic anti-air artillery pieces (20-40mm), and a varying number of machine guns. For ASW they were also fitted with depth charges. Crewed by sixty to seventy men, most of whom were weapons personnel taken from the naval reserve, the Vorpostenboots became particularly feared by the Royal Navy for their firepower and efficiency in battle and Vorpostenboots were able to engage and defeat light naval forces – such as MGBs.
auxiliary patrols and minesweepers converted from fishing vessels in WWII - Kriegsmarine (Germany)

V404 of similar appearance to V804

Carribbean

CA BERWICK called at Bermuda, dep again the same day, and arrived back on the 18th.

British northern waters

DD ESKIMO arrived at Scapa after repairs in the Tyne.

UK-France convoys .

No Reports

English Channel

BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN dep Portsmouth escort DDs SALADIN and SCIMITAR and arrived at Devonport same day to complete her refitting.

DD ECHO dep Dover and arrived at Devonport on the 12th.

DD WREN attacked a submarine contact off Brighton.

Fr PV (Patrol Vessel) BELFORT attacked a submarine six miles 100° from Cape Barfleur.

UK-outbound convoys

OA.16G of 27 ships dep Southend, escort DD ECHO from the 7th to 9th, and merged with OB.16G escort DD VIMY and patrol ship/MSW GLEANER to the 10th, on the 11th to form OG.2. This convoy reached Gib on the 17th.


Med/Biscay

Major re-deployments to home commands

DesFlot4 , with CLA COVENTRY, and sloops FLEETWOOD and GRIMSBY, ordered to sail for Portland with moderate dispatch.
CL COVENTRY dep Portland on the 14th, and arrived at Portsmouth that night, left on the 19th for the Humber and reached Immingham on the 20th. DD COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU dep Portland immediately after refuelling and proceeded to the North Sea for escort duties.

FLEETWOOD dep Gib on the 7th and arrived at Portland on the 11th. GRIMSBY was with convoy Blue 3, arrived at Gib on the 11th and dep that day for Portland. Enroute she attacked a submarine contact.

CL GALATEA and DDs MOHAWK, AFRIDI, GURKHA, SIKH dep Alex on the 1st on patrol. The DDs called at Malta in turn to refuel, . In addition, SIKH entered the dockyard at Malta on the 5th for turbine repairs. MOHAWK dep Malta on the 7th and Gib on the 9th to return to England, reached Portland on the 11th, refuelled at Harwich and arrived at Humber on the 12th to join Rosyth Command.

GALATEA dep Malta on the 7th for Alex, arriving on the 10th. AFRIDI and GURKHA reached Malta on the 7th, left next day en route to England, dep Gib on the 10th and arrived at Portland on the 13th for duty with the Home Fleet.

DDs COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU, NUBIAN arrived at Alex on the 2nd from escorting convoy Green 2, and after refuelling left Alex on the 7th for Malta. COVENTRY left Alex on the 7th and arrived at Malta on the 9th. All five ships then sailed from Malta on the 9th, arrived at Gib on the 11th and left the same day, arriving at Portland on the 14th without NUBIAN which reached Portsmouth the same day.

Fr SSs FRESNEL, LE GLORIEUX and REDOUTABLE dep Toulon and arrived at Gib on the 10th escort DD LA RAILLEUSE. They dep that day, escort DD LYNX and arrived at Casablanca on the 13th. LA RAILLEUSE left Gib on the 11th to return to Toulon.

Central and South Atlantic –

MV ASHLEA (UK 8000 grt) was captured and sunk in the South Atlantic between Cape Town and Freetown. The crew of the ASHLEA was transferred to the NEWTON BEECH. After a small part of ASHLEA's cargo of sugar was seized, the ASHLEA was sunk by DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE
8)SHIP SUNK ASHLEA - SOUTH ATLANTIC (24 Pages/ 118 Images) - GERMAN RAIDERS * - Articles - Sixtant - War II in the South Atlantic

ASHLEA shortly after being stopped by the GRAF SPEE
Picture by Michael Pocock MaritimeQuest - Main Page

Crewmen seen from GRAF SPEE observe the last moments of merchant ASHLEA when scuttling charges begin to explode. Another merchant captured by GRAF SPEE, the NEWTON BEEC is seen in the background.
Picture by Michael Pocock MaritimeQuest - Main Page

ASHLEA heels over starboard side and sinks in mid south Atlantic. Photo by Michael Pocock MaritimeQuest - Main Page

SL.4 dep Freetown escort CL NEPTUNE, and on the 23rd was joined by DDs MACKAY, VENETIA, VESPER and VIMY. VESPER was relieved by DD WIVERN on the 25th and the convoy arrived on the 26th, still with four destroyers.

CL DANAE dep Capetown on escort duties.

North Atlantic

BBs REVENGE, RESOLUTION and CVL HERMES, (814 Sqn 9 Swordfish embarked), escort DDs WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, VOLUNTEER and VERITY dep Portland , and CLs EMERALD, ENTERPRISE, CARADOC, escort DDs INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE, dep Plymouth, all on 7th. At 1910/7th both forces rendezvoused for passage to Halifax for escort duty. CARADOC had been at Plymouth since 25 September repairing defects refit completed on the 6th.

CVL HERMES
HERMES and CARADOC proceeded to Brest and en route, HERMES was met by Fr DDs BOURRASQUE, ORAGE, and MISTRAL, which had also dep Brest on the 7th. The French ships ret on the 8th.

CARADOC rejoined the force on the 10th, and all ships arrived safely at Halifax on the 16th escort by HMCS DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT which joined on the 15th. In addition to their convoy escort duties, REVENGE and RESOLUTION were carrying a large amount of British silver to Canada.

Fr BC STRASBOURG and Contre Torpilleur DDs LE FANTASQUE, LE TERRIBLE and L'AUDACIEUX dep Brest, still on the 7th, to join HERMES for operations as Hunter Group N and set out that evening for Dakar. CAs ALGÉRIE and DUPLEIX joined en route and Group N arrived at Dakar on the 14th, where after refuelling, the Force was due to proceed to the West Indies.

FR BC STRASBOURG, CAs ALGERIE and DUPLEIX
Indian Ocean

CL LIVERPOOL dep Colombo and arrived at Bombay on the 9th.

 

[parsifal]

RADAR at sea to 1939

Royal Navy

Type 79Y

Although the Royal Navy maintained close contact with the Air Ministry work at Bawdsey, they chose to establish their own RDF development at the Experimental Department of His Majesty's Signal School (HMSS) in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on the south coast.

The HMSS started RDF work in September 1935. Initial efforts, under R. F. Yeo, were in wavelengths ranging between 75 MHz (4 m) and 1.2 GHz (25 cm). All of the work was under the utmost secrecy; it could not even be discussed with other scientists and engineers at Portsmouth. A 75 MHz range-only set was eventually developed and designated Type 79X. Basic tests were done using a training ship, but the operation was unsatisfactory.

In August 1937, the RDF development at the HMSS changed, with many of their best researchers brought into the activity. John D. S. Rawlinson was made responsible for improving the Type 79X. To increase the efficiency, he decreased the frequency to 43 MHz (7 m). Designated Type 79Y, it had separate, stationary transmitting and receiving antennas.

Prototypes of the Type 79Y air-warning system were successfully tested at sea in early 1938. The detection range on aircraft was between 30 and 50 mi (48 and 80 km), depending on height. The systems were then placed into service in August on the HMS CL SHEFFIELD and in October on the HMS BB Rodney. These were the first vessels in the Royal Navy with RDF system, and were the only major warships fitted to the end of 1939.

ASV Radar

When radar was developed in Britain in the late 1930s it was clear that any airborne radar had to be vastly different from the gigantic "Chain Home" radar masts that gave early warning to Britain's fighter defense. A dipole antenna operates best when its length is half the wavelength of the radar beam, and to direct the beam in any direction a large array of dipoles is required. Obviously, the number and length of the dipoles would be very limited in an airborne installation. However, at that time there was no sufficiently powerful source of short waves. To be useful, an airborne radar also needed to have a short minimum range, that is, it had to guide the aircraft close enough for its crew to see the target. This could be achieved by using shorter pulses than land radars.

There was little difference, at that time, between the development of AI (airborne intercept, i.e. radar for nightfighter) and ASV (airborne surface vessel, radar for maritime patrol aircraft). In 1938 and 1939, ASV radar had the higher priority.

On 17 August 1937, the very first British airborne radar was flown. Based on the Western Electric 316A valve, it generated 100 Watts of power at a wavelength of 1.25 meters, and was later improved by increasing the wavelength to 1.5 meters. Installed in an Anson , this radar proved that it was capable of tracking the aircraft carrier HMS COURAGEOUS, the BB RODNEY, and the CL SOUTHAMPTON, in weather conditions that would have made conventional reconnaissance impossible. It even detected aircraft taking off from HMS Courageous.

However, the radar was still not ready for widespread installation. Development was delayed by what Dr E.G. "Taffy" Bowen, head of the airborne radar group, described as "totally inadequate resources and virtually no administrative back-up." Finally, two antenna configurations were developed for ASV radar. One used a dipole transmitting antenna with a reflector to give a broad beam in the forward direction. The two receiving antennas were on the aircraft's wings, and their polar diagrams overlapped. The direction of the target was determined by comparing the signals from the two receivers, displayed together on a cathode-ray tube, one to the left of the (vertical) baseline and the other to the right. If the target was on the right then the right receiver gave the stronger signal. The vertical timebase indicated the distance to the target. This system gave a range of 10 miles on a 1000 ton ship, and up to 40 miles on a coastline with steep cliffs.

This was introduced as the first ASV radar (Mk.I), and installed on the Hudsons of Coastal Command. By the end of 1940 it was fitted in 24 Hudsons and 25 Sunderlands. About 200 sets were produced. Experience with it was not very good. The radar was unreliable and new equipment, and the manufacturing standard of many components left a lot to be desired. The problems of maintenance and training were enormous. Its usefulness and popularity were increased by Sqdn. Ldr. Lugg, who installed a 1.5 meter beacon at Leuchars. ASV Mk.I then was, at least, useful navigation equipment.

ASV Mk.I was not intended to detect submarines, but after an enquiry from admiral Somerville in late 1939 tests were conducted with one of the Hudsons of No.220 Sqdn and the submarine L 27. It was demonstrated that, flying at 1000 feet, the submarine could be detected at 3 miles, broadside on, and this under experimental conditions...that means that the crew of the Hudson knew exactly where the submarine was. Further tests revealed that when flying at 6000 feet, the range was increased to 6 miles.

A notable improvement was achieved with what called Long Range ASV. LRASV was based on the second antenna configuration developed. It was a sideways-looking system. The transmitter was an array of ten dipoles, installed in five (later reduced to four) pairs on top of the fuselage of the aircraft. The receiving antennas were Sterba arrays, fitted to the sides of the fuselage. Because the transmitter array was a dipole array 18 feet long and the two receivers were arrays 12 feet long, a much better resolution and range could be achieved. The first installation was on a Whitley bomber, in late 1939. LRASV had a range 2.5 times better than the forward-looking system; it could detect submarines at 10 to 15 miles.

Germany

A radio-based device for remotely indicating the presence of ships was built in Germany by Christian Hülsmeyer in 1904. Often referred to as the first radar system, this did not directly measure the range (distance) to the target, and thus did not meet the criteria to qualify as a radar detection system. it was not adopted or progress beyond a research level. .

Over the following three decades in Germany, a number of radio-based detection systems were developed but none were true radars. This situation changed before World War II.

GEMA

In the early 1930s, physicist Rudolf Kühnhold, DKM Scientific Director (NVA—Experimental Institute of Communication Systems) in Kiel, was attempting to improve the acoustical methods of underwater detection of ships. He concluded that the desired accuracy in measuring distance to targets could be attained only by using pulsed electromagnetic waves.

During 1933, Kühnhold first attempted to test this concept with a transmitting and receiving set that operated in the microwave region at 13.5 cm (2.22 GHz). The transmitter used a Barkhausen-Kurz tube (the first microwave generator) that produced only 0.1 watt. Unsuccessful with this, he asked for assistance from Paul-Günther Erbslöh and Hans-Karl Freiherr von Willisen, amateur radio operators who were developing a VHF system for communications. They enthusiastically agreed, and in January 1934, formed a company, Gesellschaft für Elektroakustische und Mechanische Apparate (GEMA), for the effort. From the start, the firm was always called simply GEMA.

Work on a Funkmessgerät für Untersuchung (radio measuring device for reconnaissance) began in earnest at GEMA. Hans Hollmann and Theodor Schultes, both affiliated with the prestigious Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin, were added as consultants. The first apparatus used a split-anode magnetron purchased from Philips in the Netherlands. This provided about 70 W at 50 cm (600 MHz), but suffered from frequency instability. Hollmann built a regenerative receiver and Schultes developed Yagi antennas for transmitting and receiving. In June 1934, large vessels passing through the Kiel Harbor were detected by Doppler-beat interference at a distance of about 2 km (1.2 mi). In October, strong reflections were observed from an aircraft that happened to fly through the beam; this opened consideration of targets other than ships.

Kühnhold then shifted the GEMA work to a pulse-modulated system. A new 50 cm (600 MHz) Philips magnetron with better frequency stability was used. It was modulated with 2- μs pulses at a PRF of 2000 Hz. The transmitting antenna was an array of 10 pairs of dipoles with a reflecting mesh. The wide-band regenerative receiver used Acorn tubes from RCA, and the receiving antenna had three pairs of dipoles and incorporated lobe switching. A blocking device (a duplexer), shut the receiver input when the transmitter pulsed. A Braun tube (a CRT) was used for displaying the range.

The equipment was first tested at a NVA site at the Lübecker Bay near Pelzerhaken. During May 1935, it detected returns from woods across the bay at a range of 15 km (9.3 mi). It had limited success, however, in detecting a research ship, Welle, only a short distance away. The receiver was then rebuilt, becoming a super-regenerative set with two intermediate-frequency stages. With this improved receiver, the system readily tracked vessels at up to 8 km (5.0 mi) range.

 

[parsifal]

Radar(contd)

In September 1935, a demonstration was given to the DKM CinC. The system performance was excellent; the range was read off the Braun tube with a tolerance of 50 meters (less than 1 percent variance), and the lobe switching allowed a directional accuracy of 0.1 degree. Historically, this marked the first naval vessel equipped with radar. Although this apparatus was not put into production, GEMA was funded to develop similar systems operating around 50 cm (500 MHz). These became the Seetakt for the DKM and the Freya for the Luftwaffe (German Air Force).

Kühnhold remained with the NVA, but also consulted with GEMA. He is considered by many in Germany as the Father of Radar. During 1933-6, Hollmann wrote the first comprehensive treatise on microwaves, Physik und Technik der ultrakurzen Wellen (Physics and Technique of Ultrashort Waves), Springer 1938.


At the start of World War II in September 1939, both the United Kingdom and Germany knew of each other's ongoing efforts in radio navigation and its countermeasures – the "Battle of the beams". Also, both nations were generally aware of, and intensely interested in, the other's developments in radio-based detection and tracking, and engaged in an active campaign of espionage and false leaks about their respective equipment.

 

[Crimea_River]

What a gold mine of info this is. Great stuff guys!

 

[Njaco]

7 October 1939 Saturday

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler appoints SS Chief Heinrich Himmler to take charge of establishing a New Order in Eastern Europe. His task is to eliminate "inferior" peoples from the Reich. Meanwhile, Hitler issues a decree ordering Poles to be evicted from western Poland or killed.

German submarine U-47 leaves a German port, destined for the British Royal Navy at Scapa Flow.

The German Army reported to Adolf Hitler that there was a general shortage of steel, ammunition, and other war materials necessary to wage war against Britain and France.

POLAND: The SS has arrested hundreds of thousands of Polish leaders and intelligentsia for execution - politicians, engineers, scientists, professors, and the cream of Polish society. Polish soldiers have been deported to concentration camps. All Polish schools and universities have been shut down, with the exception of the lowest grades. Poles are now forbidden to attend cinema, restaurants, and churches, and Polish media has been taken over by the Nazis. Radio sets and gramophones are forbidden at risk of death. A 36-page memorandum submitted by Dr. Erich Wetzel and Dr. G. Hecht on the orders of the NSDAP Office for Questions of Racial Policy, include numerous other recommendations. Its main objective is to eradicate every trace of Polish cultural and economic life.

NORTH AMERICA: The US State Department announces that the United States government will continue to recognize the Polish government-in-exile, presently located at Angers in France.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Hitler's antagonism of communism is well known and Stalin fears an attack despite their non-aggression pact. He moves to shore up his Baltic borders to protect the city of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) exposed on the Gulf of Finland, close to the Finnish border. He uses success in Poland to cow Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland into giving up territory and access to key strategic bases. Molotov, in fury at the discourtesy of receiving no reply to his Oct 5 negotiation invitation to the Finns, threatens the Finnish ambassador Yrjo-Koskinen with 'other means' if they do not negotiate terms.

SOUTH ATLANTIC: British steamer "Ashlea" (with a cargo of sugar) is stopped by "Graf Spee", disguised as a French merchant ship, again near the British island of St. Helena 1200 miles off Africa. "Ashlea's" crew is taken on board the prison ship "Newton Beach" (captured two days before) and "Ashlea" is sunk by scuttling charges.

WESTERN FRONT: The world is watching in shock after the tragic collapse of Poland. Despite the failure of Britain and France to intervene, the Polish Armed Forces are firmly committed to joining their Allies in the war against Germany. After the invasion of Poland, thousands of military had escaped to Hungary and Romania, after which they made their way to France. There are currently 85,000 Polish troops stationed at bases at Coetquidan and Parthenay. Despite their readiness only a fraction of Polish troops are being utilized, due to inefficient French logistics and policies. French Command has been continually plagued by insufficient or missing equipment and chronic delays in delivery of war materiel. At this time there are only 2 Polish infantry divisions that are fully operational, as well as 2 independent brigades, and one air squadron. Surprisingly, only a few Polish pilots have been assigned by French Command, but to smaller units. There is only one large Polish squadron, the Groupe de Chasse Polonaise l/145, stationed at Mion airfield. However, they are not combat ready due to lack of airplanes, the earliest delivery expected by May 1940.

The transportation of the British Expeditionary Force is completed in France -- without loss -- under the protection of British and French naval forces. A total of about 161,000 troops, 24,000 vehicles and tanks and 140,000 tonnes of supplies have been delivered to France. Originally established by British Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane following the Boer War, the main purpose of the BEF was to provide Britain with a military force ready to be deployed quickly in the event of an overseas war. After the invasion of Poland on September 1st, the BEF was sent to the Franco-Belgian border. It consists of roughly 10 infantry divisions in three Corps, a tank brigade, and about 500 RAF aircraft. The BEF earned an appropriate nickname, the "contemptible little army", coined by a senior German Commander after World War I. It has since been adopted by the BEF which now proudly refer to themselves as the "Old Contemptibles".

The Maginot Line is considered impenetrable by the French who appear convinced of its effectiveness in deterring the enemy. A marvel of ingenuity, it consists of a complex underground rail network protected by 142 ouvrages (fortresses), 352 casemates (bunkers), 78 shelters, 17 observatories, and 5,000 blockhouses. Irregardless, sources indicate that a number of small German forces have already begun attacking on the French lines between the Moselle and Saar Rivers.

French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier rejected Adolf Hitler's proposal for a multi-power conference for peace on the previous day.

UNITED KINGDOM: The Polish Navy miraculously escaped German capture during the invasion. Currently stationed in Britain are three Polish destroyers, the "Blyskawica", the "Grom" and the "Burza" as well as two submarines. They are taking part in Allied maneuvers under British Command. Reports indicate that additional ships have been lent to the Polish navy in light of their superb seamanship. British shipyards are rapidly constructing more ships to add to the Polish fleet.

.

 

[parsifal]

8 October
Reinforcements
Axis
T.8 Type 1935 Torpedo Boats

UBOATS

arrivals

Wilhelmshaven: U-15

departures

Kiel: U-47

At Sea 8 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42 (+), U-46, U-47, U-48.

10 boats at sea.

North Sea .

Sortie by DKM ships BC GNEISENAU, CL KÖLN, and DD PAUL JACOBI, MAX SCHULTZ, BERND VON ARNIM, WILHELM HEIDKAMP, FRIEDRICH IHN, DIETHER VON ROEDER, ERICH STEINBRINCK, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT and KARL GALSTER from Kiel to operate off the south coast of Norway. They were to sink Allied shipping and entice the British Home Fleet into the range of Luftwaffe bombers. DDs HANS LODY and ERICH GIESE were to have sailed but suffered equipment defects. In addition, U.10, U.18, U.20, U.23 were deployed in a patrol line to attack the Home Fleet.

DKM Leichte Cruiser Koln
In response, Admiral Forbes, informed of these movements by a RAF Coastal Command Hudson sighting, put out from Scapa with the Home Fleet. BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BCs HOOD, REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, CLs AURORA, SHEFFIELD, NEWCASTLE and DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, ASHANTI, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, FAME, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and FIREDRAKE. Heavy weather damaged FORTUNE at the start and she detached to the Clyde arriving on the 9th, and repairing until 2 November.

HOOD, REPULSE, AURORA and SHEFFIELD with SOMALI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, ASHANTI sailed for a position 50 miles NW of Stadlandet. At the same time, NELSON, RODNEY, FURIOUS and NEWCASTLE with FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, FAME, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE, PUNJABI and BEDOUIN sailed for a position north of Muckle Flugga . Both forces were to reach their positions by dawn on the 9th, then steam towards each other in a pincer movement.

CLs SOUTHAMPTON, EDINBURGH, GLASGOW with DDs JERVIS, JUPITER, JAGUAR dep Rosyth, while DDs JACKAL and JANUS departed Grimsby and joined at sea to operate off the mouth of the Skagerrak , before sweeping north. At 0605/9th, JAGUAR was detached to Rosyth for refuelling and en route, was attacked by German bombers, but not damaged. JERVIS and JUPITER were ordered to search for Danish steamer TEDDY (557grt) which had picked up the crew of a German Dornier flying boat shot down on the 8th. They too were attacked by German bombers at 1518, but again without damage. However, JUPITER broke down at sea at 1650 and was taken in tow by JERVIS.

Reported LW activity suggests that 126 He111s of KG26 attacked ships of the Humber Force on this day. Similarly, 21 Ju88s of I/KG30 are claimed to have attacked the Home Flt, including Furious and other heavy ships. The attacks were fairly uncoordinated
There was no damge recorded for any RN ships from these attacks. The LW used high level bombing to attack these ships.

SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW, EDINBURGH and JACKAL and JANUS of the Humber Force were heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe between 1120 and 1645/9th off the mouth of the Skagerrak. SOUTHAMPTON and GLASGOW were near missed, but neither was damaged. Shortly before arriving at Scapa on the 10th, JUPITER was able to proceed on her own, screened by SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW, JACKAL and JANUS.

FN.18 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 10th. There was no convoy FN.19.

FS.18 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 10th. There was no convoy FS.19.

U.15 completed a survey of the English east coast and Straits of Dover lightships and buoys.

Dutch Coast

Cargo ship INDRA (Fn 2026 grt) was badly damaged by a mine near Terschelling; six crew were injured and they, together with 14 other crew were taken to Ymuiden, where INDRA was towed for repairs.

Carribbean

KJ.4, the last of the KJ series dep Kingston. Because of German raiders in the Atlantic, ships from the Caribbean now went north along the American coast (taking advantage of the Neutrality Zone) and joined the HX convoys from Halifax before beginning the Atlantic crossing.

Northern Patrol - .

No reported activity

British Northern Waters

MV HANSI (Nor 5000 grt est) (Note details on this ship are very sparse....i do not even know the GRT of this ship. Records show that it was built in 1931). Carrying wood pulp from Hommelvik to Ellesmere Port. Was proceeding to Kirkwall for inspection when she had engine failure and went aground at Reefdyke in the Orkneys. Refloated, but finally went aground at Linklet Bay, N Ronaldsway. Abandoned by crew Nov. 6-1939, in own boats and assisted ashore by the locals. Ship became a total loss.

(no images found)

Sd MV VISTULA (1018 GRT) stopped by U-37 with a shot across her bow about 45 miles north of Muckle Flugga, Shetlands. Ship[ was boarded and searched, and found to be carrying contraband to England. Vessel was sunk with 14 rounds from the deck gun . The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, was provided by the Germans with food and then set sails for the nearby Shetlands.

(no image found)

BB ROYAL OAK with DDs MATABELE and STURDY sortied from Scapa to patrol to the west of the Shetlands in Fair Island Channel, but in heavy seas, the DDs lost touch and the BB and returned to Scapa, arriving on the 10th.

After a possible periscope was sighted six miles 180° from St Catherines, DD SALADIN was sent to investigate.

UK-France convoys .

BC.8S of steamers BARON MACLAY, CLAN MONROE and TRELAWNY dep the Loire escort DDs WESSEX, VISCOUNT and VENETIA, and arrived safely at the Bristol Channel on the 10th.

English Channel

U-12 : The Type IIB Uboat struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off Dover with the loss of all 27 crew
404 Not Found

Type II Uboat

Med/Biscay

OG.2 was formed from the merging of OA.16G and OB.16G. The 30 ships proceeded to Gib without an ocean escort, but were met by DDs WATCHMAN and VELOX and escorted into Gib on the 17th.

Green 4 dep Gib with 39 ships, including 14 from OG.1, escort Fr DDs CASSARD, KERSAINT and British sloop ABERDEEN. The French ships were relieved on the 13th by British DD GRENADE, and the convoy reached Port Said on the 17th escort DD GRENADE and ABERDEEN.

Central and South Atlantic –

DKM ADM GRAF SPEE, finding the MV NEWTON BEECH unsuitable as a support ship, due to her slow speed, sink s the prize ship. All 71 prisoners being held on the ship are transferred off prior to the scuttling.

North Atlantic

HX.4 dep Halifax , escort CA YORK and HMCS DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, the latter detaching on the 8th. YORK and FRASER detached on the 10th with YORK arriving back on the 13th. The bulk of the dispersed ships of the convoy reached Liverpool on the 22nd and one ship on the 24th.

 

[Lucky13]

Absolutely fantastic work gentlemen!
How do you bacon a whole thread?

 

[Njaco]

8 October 1939 Sunday

ATLANTIC OCEAN: A RAF reconnaissance plane shot down a German flying boat conducting reconnaissance over the North Sea.

British steamer "Newton Beach", captured by "Graf Spee" on Oct 5, is found to be too slow for use as a prison ship and sunk, after her prisoners are transferred to "Graf Spee".

ASIA: Chinese 195th Division pursued the retreating Japanese troops in the Miluo River and Sinchiang River region in Hunan Province, China.

GERMANY: The I Gruppe of LG 1 is designated as V(Z)./LG 1, a Zerstörer Gruppe using Bf 110s and a new I Gruppe is formed flying Heinkel He 111 medium bombers. Based at Jever, Major Walter Grabmann becomes Gruppenkommandeur of the V(Z)./LG 1 while Major Eduard Teske becomes the new Gruppenkommandeur of the I Gruppe.

POLAND: Fighting in Poland is over. The country ceases to exist although Poland never officially surrenders. A Government-in-Exile (in Paris, then Angers France, finally in London) under Prime Minister (also General) Władysław Sikorski commands Polish armed forces operating outside Poland. 100,000 Polish troops escape via Romania and Lithuania, but 70,000 are dead and 130,000 wounded. Civilian losses are estimated at 150,000–200,000. 694,000 Polish troops become German prisoners of war. 217,000 go into Soviet captivity, most never to return. German losses are modest and more accurately recorded; 10,572 dead, 30,322 wounded, 3409 missing. Soviet casualties are minimal; 1000 dead, 2400 wounded.

The first Jewish ghetto was established in Piotrkow, Poland.

In a decree issued today, Hitler proclaimed that "where 12 million Poles now live, is to be populated by 4 to 5 million Germans." He referred to central Poland which has come under the command of the Nazi General Gouvernement. Western areas of Poland, in addition to the former Free City of Danzig, have been annexed to Germany. As a result, Germany's eastern border has been extended some 200 kilometers into Polish territory. German citizens are flocking into areas formerly part of Western Poland, as part of Hitler's policy of lebensraum, displacing the Poles who were living there.

NORTHERN EUROPE: German and Latvian representatives sign an agreement for the patriation, to the Third Reich, of German-speaking citizens of Latvia. An estimated 50,000 ethnic Germans are involved.

The Finnish government accepts a Soviet invitation to send a delegation to Moscow to discuss border disputes. Finland also declares its determination to maintain its independence and its neutrality in the war.

NORTH AMERICA: The Canadian government announces that a division of 20,000 troops will leave for overseas early next year.

UNITED KINGDOM: The prototype of the Percival Proctor, designed to British Air Ministry Specification 20/38 for a communications and radio training aircraft, made its maiden flight.

.

 

[parsifal]

9 October
Known Reinforcements
Allied New Ships
RAN Aux MSWs GOORANGI and ORARA

UBOATS

arrivals

None

departures

Kiel: U-45
Wilhelmshaven: U-15

At Sea 9 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42 , U-45 , U-46, U-47, U-48.

11 boats at sea

North Sea .

MOUNT IDA (Gr) 4202 GRT: The ship ran aground on the Ower Bank. All 29 crew rescued but one later died from injuries sustained during the rescue. The vessel was carrying grain and timber, , left Vancouver, bound for the port of Leith, Scotland. On 9 October she was close to the north-east coast of Norfolk. This area has many sand banks.

Despite being equipped with direction finding equipment and an echo sounding device MOUNT IDA ran aground on a sandbank. At 0625 hrs the coastguard told the coxswain of the Cromer lifeboat, Henry Blogg, that the ship was aground and asked that the lifeboat be sent to assist her. Since the outbreak of the War a month earlier, RNLI lifeboats had been under RN control , and this was only the second rescue effort by the Cromer lifeboat under this arrangement.

The Cromer lifeboat H.F. Bailey was launched and set off towards Haisborough Sands, which is where Coxswain Blogg had been told the MOUNT IDA was aground. The lifeboat had been at sea for an hour when the coastguard informed Blogg by radio that MOUNT IDA was not on Haisborough Sands but in fact was grounded 19 miles (31 km) further north-east, on Ower Bank.

The stricken vessel was reached around 1230 hrs. By this time the ship's starboard lifeboat had been carried away, she was listing heavily to starboard and lying head on to the seas, and her position offered no lee for the lifeboat to come alongside. The H.F. Bailey made an attempt to throw a line to the stricken vessel but was twice struck by the heavy seas and flung back. Coxswain Blogg made another attempt to come alongside, before deciding that it was too dangerous and that he would have to wait for the sea to slacken.

By 1415 hrs conditions had improved and Blogg, using the lifeboat's powerful engines with great skill, was able to maintain a steady position alongside the ship for over an hour. During this time all 29 crewmen were brought off successfully.

silhouette of the MOUNT IDA

MV SALTAIRE (UK): 202 GRT. The trawler ran aground at Spurn Point, Yorkshire. Salvage attempts failed and she was declared a total loss

DD WOOLSTON completed conversion to a fast escort vessel (reduced firepower, increasede ASW weaponary and sensors, enhanced range and seakeeping, reduced speed due to removal of one boiler) ), and following working up at Portland, was assigned to Convoy C of the Rosyth Command.

CLA CAIRO dep Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back on the 11th.

CLA CALCUTTA dep Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back on the 10th

CLAs CALCUTTA AND CAIRO were of similar appearanbce

Dutch Coast

MV INDRA ( Fn) 1999 GRT : The cargo ship sank in the North Sea off Terschelling. Cause unknown

Northern Patrol - .

6 cruisers were on their Northern Patrol stations.

CL BELFAST dep Scapa on the 1st for Northern Patrol. On the 8th, she stopped Sd steamer LILJEVALCH (5492grt) but allowed her to continue after inspection, and next day, stopped Nor steamer TAI YIN (7077grt), sending her into Kirkwall to check for contraband.

Shortly after sending off TAI YIN, BELFAST sighted another steamer which proved to be German liner CAP NORTE (13,615grt) carrying German reservists from South America. She was captured 50 miles NW of the Faroes and CL CALYPSO, also on Northern Patrol in the area, arrived to assist. CAP NORTE was sent off towards Kirkwall under a prize crew consisting of Lt Cdr A G L Seale in command, Gunner (T) D E Wright and twenty ratings, and at 0730/10th, was turned over to CL DELHI. They were joined off the Orkneys by armed boarding vessel NORTHERN ROVER (655grt) and CAP NORTE, DELHI, and NORTHERN ROVER reached Kirkwall on the 12th. CAP NORTE was renamed EMPIRE TROOPER for British use as a troopship. After dealing with her, BELFAST, her prize crews depleted, returned to Scapa, arriving at 1500/13th.

From 29 September to 12 October, 64 ships were sighted by the Northern Patrol. Of these 26 were eastbound and 20 of them were sent to Kirkwall for inspection. CAP NORTE was the only German ship intercepted in this period.
The SS CAP NORTE – the German liner captured by the HMS BELFAST at the beginning of WW 2 | Cruising The Past

UK-France convoys .

Fr Contre Torpilleur DD PANTHÈRE collided with Belgian trawler VAN EYCK near Boulogne, and was repaired at Cherbourg, completing at the end of October.

Panthere and Tigre were of the same class and appearance

BC.10F of troopship ULSTER PRINCE dep Bristol Channel escort DDs EXPRESS and ENCOUNTER, and arrived safely in the Loire on the 11th.

BC.10S of steamers BEAVERDALE, BELLEROPHON (Commodore), BRIARWOOD, CITY OF DERBY, DORSET COAST, EILDON, ERATO, FLORISTAN, LYCAON, MERKLAND, PEMBROKE COAST, RAMON DE LARRINGA and VOLO dep Bristol Channel escort by DDs EXMOUTH, ECLIPSE, MONTROSE and VIVACIOUS. The convoy safely arrived in the Loire on the 11th.

SA.12 of two steamers dep Southampton, escort DDDs VENOMOUS and ANTHONY, and reached Brest on the 10th.

UK-outbound convoys

OA.17 of eleven ships dep Southend escort DDs ACASTA and ARDENT from the 9th to 11th.

OB.17 escort DDs IMOGEN and ILEX dep Liverpool, the DDs remaining with the convoy until the 12th.

Southwestern Approaches

DDs VIVACIOUS and ESCAPADE were involved in a collision leaving Milford Haven. ESCAPADE was docked at Newport completing repairs on the 20th, while VIVACIOUS was only very slightly damaged and did not require repair.

DDs WALPOLE, AMAZON and WINCHELSEA dep Milford Haven to escort convoy KJ.1B.

Med/Biscay
CV GLORIOUS, CL PENELOPE, and DDs DUNCAN, DARING, DAINTY, GRAFTON, GIPSY, GALLANT and BULLDOG exercised off Alex. BB MALAYA with GLORIOUS, BULLDOG and DARING were then detached to Socotra to arrive on the 16th

BB Malaya as she appeared in 1943
DD DEFENDER arrived at Malta on the 5th and was out of service for 7 days with perforated boiler tubes.

Central and South Atlantic –

CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN, sailing as Force K and en route to Freetown, encountered a merchant ship which identified herself as the American DELMAR. Lacking destroyers, the merchant ship could not be boarded and she was allowed to go on her way. Later intelligence revealed that the genuine DELMAR was in New Orleans and this had been German supply ship ALTMARK.
bergen_seite_04-altmark

DKM Altmark

HM Renown 1942

CL DANAE departed Capetown on escort duties.

North Atlantic

DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND stopped American steamer CITY OF FLINT (4963grt) in the North Atlantic off the Newfoundland Banks. Captured British crew from steamer SOUTHGATE were put aboard, and the American ship received a prize crew, and disguised as Danish steamer ALF, she sailed initially towards Murmansk (but this changed several times).

To avoid the Royal Navy, the prize crew headed for Tromso, arriving on 20 October 1939. The Norwegians, neutral at the time and disturbed by the sinking of the MV LORENTZ W HANSEN, refused entry to the Germans, giving them 24 hours to leave. The Norwegian DD Sleipner escorted the City of Flint out of Norwegian territorial waters at 1620hrs the next day.

The prize crew then sailed again for Murmansk, claiming havarie (the privilege of sanctuary for damage caused at sea). The ship lay in Murmansk harbor under the control of the German prize crew for several days and was eventually sent out by the Russians, who stated that if the Germans claimed havarie, the American crew could not be prisoners of war.

The prize crew then tried Norway again, the port of Haugesund. The Norwegian government again refused entry, describing the German crew as "kidnappers". The approaching Royal Navy left the prize crew no choice, though; on 3 November they entered the harbor.

The ship anchored in Norway, and no one could claim the ship was making her right for passage. By consequence the Norwegian Admiralty dispatched ML OLAV TRYGGVASON and boarded the CITY OF FLINT with its second in command, Cpt B. Dingsor and 30 armed sailors, who on 6 November returned CITY OF FLINT to Captain Gainard's command. He unloaded his cargo in Bergen and set sail in ballast for the US. The German prize crew was interned at Kongsvinger Fortress (I believe they were liberated in April the following year).

City of Flint continued in service in the Atlantic until she was sunk on 23 January 1943 by the German submarine U-575.
Photo from City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-4009

 

[Njaco]

9 October 1939 Monday

ASIA: There is a Chinese victory at Changsha.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The US cargo ship, "City of Flint", is captured by the German pocket battleship "Deutschland". The Germans search the ship and seize it when contraband supplies for Britain are found on board, under the Prize Rules for war at sea. The unarmed SS "City of Flint", clearly marked as neutral, was carrying general cargo from New York to Great Britain when, with the battleship's guns trained on her, she was ordered to stop. The Nazis decided lubricating oil in her holds was "contraband," and put on a "prize crew" which took the ship via a circuitous route to Norway. Norwegian commandos eventually freed the ship and crew. This incident influences American public opinion in favor of modifying the Neutrality Act, currently being debated in Congress.

GERMANY: Eager to continue Germany's success against his enemies, Hitler signs his Directive No. 6 For The Conduct Of War ( http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/06.html ) outlining his attack against France and the Low Countries, codenamed 'FALL GELB'. Its message is simple:

"Should it become evident in the near future that England and, under her influence, France also, are not disposed to bring the war to an end, I have decided, without further loss of time to go over to the offensive. . . . an attacking operation on the northern wing of the western front, through the areas of Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland. This attack must be carried out with as much strength and at as early a date as possible . . . "

He determines to defeat the French army and their allies, by striking before the arrival of large numbers of British troops, while French border defenses are not fully organized. He knows the British army is currently weak from the Soviets, who negotiated with the British before their pact with Germany. Hitler plans to occupy as much territory in France, Belgium and Holland as possible, then launch an air and sea war to bring Britain to terms. The offensive is to be directed across the Low Countries and is intended to defeat strong sections of the French and British armies when these arrive to help the Dutch and the Belgians. The ground taken is to provide protection for the Ruhr and to give bases for the air war against Britain. The aims of the plan are, therefore, limited when compared with the Schlieffen Plan of 1914 or with the scheme which is actually adopted in May 1940. There is no mention of completely defeating France. This order is a further blow to the autonomy of the German army. Their view is that, although it lies within Hitler's authority as head of state and Commander in Chief of the Wehrmacht to order an attack to be prepared as soon as possible, the army should be asked where and how this attack should take place. Even Keitel argues against Hitler on this issue. Preparations are begun within the Luftwaffe to get ready for the invasion. Hitler gives detailed instructions on the proposed war in the West to the commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He orders General von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the German Army, and General Halder, chief of staff of the High Command, to prepare a plan for invasion before the end of 1939.

The personnel and crew of I./JG 21 are transferred to the Western Front.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Finland calls up military reservists in response to Soviet pressure for border revisions. Juho Kusti Paasikivi leaves Helsinki for Moscow to negotiate Soviet territorial demands. As an architect of Finnish independence, he won concessions from Stalin in the 1920 Treaty of Tartu.

WESTERN FRONT: The crew and planes of I./KG 30 finally arrive at the airfield at Westerland and are immediately dispatched on another attack against the British Home Fleet. Aircraft from KG 26, KG 30 and LG 1 totaling 127 He 111s and twenty-one Ju88s are committed. The operation again ends in disappointment for the Luftwaffe. Two of the new Ju 88A-1s of I./KG 30 are shot down, including that of the Gruppenkommandeur, becoming the first Luftwaffe Ju 88 bombers to fall in combat.

In Paris thirty-five of the 46 Communist deputies in the French parliament are arrested for agitating against the war.

.

 

[parsifal]

10 October
Axis New Ships
None
Allied New Ships
RN DD KANDAHAR (JKN Class)

Neutral New ships
None
UBOATS
In a report signed v. Fischel, prepared by the German Naval Office for Hitler, it was stated that considerably more raw materials, man-power, and works capacity would be needed to carry out the increased U-Boat building programme.
Its execution should take precedence over all other tasks and services. Requirements of raw materials were given. These must be kept up for the duration of the war.

The following figures represented extra indispensable man-power:
Ship and ships' engines construction 29,000 men.
Torpedo and mining 60,000 men.
Fine mechanical and optical instruments 5,000 men.
Other jobs 35,000 men.
Total for the most important work 120,000 men.
Source: U-boat Archive - Admiralty CB 4051 - History of U-boat Policy
arrivals

None

departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-40 (lost 4 days later)

At Sea 10 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-40, U-42, U-45 , U-46, U-47, U-48.
12 boats at sea.

The first attempt to conduct a U-boat wolfpack group operation with a tactical commander on board (KKpt Werner Hartman, Commander of Submarine Flotilla 6, on U.37) was begun. Of the 9 SS designated, only three finally took part. U.25 and U.34 could not complete repairs in time, U.47 was detached for the operation against British units at Scapa , and U.42 departed Wilhelmshaven on 30 September, U.48 on the 4th, U.37 on the 5th, U.46 on the 8th, U.45 on the 10th, and U.40 on the 11th. However, U.42, U.45 and U.40 were lost before the operation could be mounted. Only U.37, U.46 and U.48 were left to attack convoy HG.3 on the 17th.

Baltic

GNEISENAU force arrived back at Kiel , with DD FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT arriving separately at Swinemünde. The Germans on this occasion had not achieved any worthwhile result.

North Sea .

Upon receiving news of the German's return at 1454, Admiral Forbes returned to port.

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BC HOOD, and DDs FAULKNOR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, FURY, FORESTER and FIREDRAKE returned directly to Loch Ewe.

DDs FOXHOUND and FEARLESS dep Scapa on the 10th to escort the fleet into Scapa , arrived on the 11th. The ships concerned were BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, CLs AURORA, NEWCASTLE and DDs ESKIMO, SOMALI, MASHONA, ASHANTI, FAME, FORESIGHT, MATABELE, STURDY, FOXHOUND and FEARLESS, plus the Humber Force, less CL EDINBURGH which had been detached and went directly to Rosyth.

CL SHEFFIELD had detached from the main force late on the 9th to patrol in the Denmark Strait and arrived back at Loch Ewe on the 15th. DD FAULKNOR was weather damaged and repaired in the Clyde until 2 November, while JANUS and JACKAL were in a minor collision at Kirkwall.

UK East Coast

Trawler SALTAIRE (UK 202 grt):Vessel ran aground at Spurn Point, Yorkshire. Salvage attempts failed and she was declared a total loss


Carribbean

Forces disposed in the West Indies for patrol and escort duties were (1) Jamaica Force – RN CL ORION, the HMAS CL PERTH and RCN DD SAGUENAY, (2) Antilles Force - French training CL JEANNE D'ARC, DE VILLE D'YS, submarine AGOSTA, (3) Oil Supply Protection Force – British sloops DUNDEE, PENZANCE and French submarine OUESSANT.

CL Jeanne D' Arc and DE of the Bougainville Class

Northern Patrol - .

CL DIOMEDE and DRAGON left Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol duties.

D Class Cruiser

Med/Biscay

CL CERES dep Gib with turbine defects and arrived at Plymouth on the 13th for repairs completed on the 27th.

CL DAUNTLESS dep Gib and arrived at Malta on the 13th, en route to the China Station.

DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT dep Alex for Gib to escort BB RAMILLIES, due to sail on the 15th for Alex.

Central and South Atlantic –

DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE captured steamer HUNTSMAN (8196grt) in the South Atlantic . HUNTSMAN and German supply ship ALTMARK met on the 16th, her cargo was transferred, and crew taken off on the 17th, after which HUNTSMAN was scuttled
COASTERS OTHER SHIPS REVIVED » Steamers Over 4000 TDW ? H

HMNZS CL ACHILLES arrived at Valapariso for two day self maintenance to correct engine room defects.

North Atlantic

Indian Ocean

MV MARLY (Nor): The cargo ship foundered in a cyclone in the Indian Ocean with the loss of all 46 crew
(No Image found)

Australia Station

HMA CAs AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA and CL ADELAIDE searched the Gabo Island area for German ships believed to be laying mines until the 13th.

HMA Ships SWAN and YARRA, (sloops), commenced the first minesweeping operations on the Australian coast in WWII, following reports of an unidentified ship being sighted off Gabo Island.

The last stand of HMAS Yarra(II) - Painting courtesy of artist David Marshall. Oil on canvas, 2012. Original on display in HMAS Creswell's Gunroom, where i first saw it. She was sunk in action 4 March 1942 with 3 Japanese CAs off Timor, whilst successfully covering the withdrawal of a convoy.

 

[Wurger]

On the 9th October 1939 in the forester's lodge Podgórze near Łagowo at Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Mjr. Henryk Dobrzański alias Hubal decided to stay with his troop in Poland and continue struggling against the German invaders until the allied , spring offensive at the West.

Mjr Henryk Dobrzański ....

Mjr. Hubal and his soldiers...

Mjr. Hubal was killed in April 1940.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Awesome information gents!

 

[Njaco]

10 October 1939 Tuesday

ASIA: Chinese troops recaptured all territory in Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi Provinces in China that the Japanese had captured as part of the recently-failed advance on Changsha, Hunan.

Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki was named the chief of staff of Admiral Shigetaro Shimada at Kure Naval District, Japan.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: "Admiral Graf Spee" captures the British liner "Huntsman" (with a cargo of tea) near the British island of St. Helena, 1200 miles off the coast of Africa. "Huntsman", with sleeping and galley facilities, is well suited to replace "Newton Beach" as a prison ship. "Huntsman's" passengers are now joined by "Graf Spee's" other prisoners. "Graf Spee" uses "Huntsman's" radio to deceptively report attack by a submarine at a false location and both boats steam off to meet "Graf Spee's" support ship "Altmark".

EASTERN FRONT: In Moscow, a Pact of Mutual Assistance is signed between the Soviet Union and Lithuania, allowing Soviet occupation of stations of military importance. Stalin and Molotov threaten Juozas Urbšys, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, with invasion to force the signature of a "mutual assistance pact" allowing Soviet army, air and naval bases in Lithuania. Stalin wants 50,000 soldiers there; Urbšys concedes 28,000 Red troops. In return, Lithuania gets the city of Vilnius, annexed by Poland in 1920 and recently taken by USSR. These are cynical gestures by Molotov and Stalin, as Lithuania will be annexed by USSR in 1940.

GERMANY: With the failure of the attack against the British Home Fleet the day before fresh on his mind, Generalfeldmarschall Göring issues a challenge to the pilots of the Luftwaffe to destroy the Royal Navy. He proclaims;

"We've got to score a success!"

Admiral Raeder mentions to Hitler for the first time the possibility of invading Norway to secure naval and especially submarine bases. Churchill is, at this time, arguing in the British Cabinet that Norwegian coastal waters should be mined to interfere with German iron-ore traffic.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The Finns call up their reserves and begin the evacuation of some frontier districts, including Helsinki and Viborg.

The Estonian government resigns. Uluots is appointed the new Prime Minister and Piip becomes the new Foreign Minister.

UNITED KINGDOM: The United Kingdom removed 303 sacks of letters destined for the United States from the freighter "Black Gull" to censor any potential intelligence useful for the Axis.

The highly successful Empire Air Training Scheme was set up to train Australian, Canadian and New Zealand aircrew.

Recruitment to the Women's Land Army is suspended after 25,000 have enrolled.

WESTERN FRONT: German patrols are reportedly active and artillery exchanges take place.

The French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier, formally rejects the German peace proposals, made by Adolf Hitler on October 9th, in a national radio broadcast. He states that France will continue to fight for a definite guarantee of security in Europe.



.

 

[parsifal]

11 October
Neutral New ships
Nor TB BALDER (Odin Class)

UBOATS

arrivals

None

departures

None

At Sea 11 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-40, U-42, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48.
12 boats at sea

Northern Patrol - .

Three cruisers were on Northern Patrol duty, while CL SHEFFIELD was on a special patrol between Iceland and Greenland.
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Cruisers (UK) > HMS Sheffield (1940)

HMS Sheffield
British Northern Waters

DD BEAGLE attacked a submarine contact
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Destroyers (UK) > HMS Beagle (Destroyer) (1940)

HMS Beagle. The A to E classes were all of very similar appearance
UK-France convoys .

BC.10F of troopship ULSTER PRINCE dep the Loire escort DDs EXPRESS and ENCOUNTER, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 12th.

English Channel

OA.18 of nine ships departed Southend and dispersed on the 17th, possibly escorted by DDs MONTROSE and VIVACIOUS which dep Milford Haven on the 9th.

Southwestern Approaches

DDs WINCHELSEA and WALPOLE with convoy KJ.1B attacked a submarine contact 11 miles from Great Ormes Head, later determined to be a wreck.

WINCHELSEA and WALPOLE were ships from the V&W class. built during or just after WWI, they were an extremely modern design for their time, but by WWII were only suitable as convoy escorts. Many were taken in hand for conversion to long rage escots with reduced speed and power, reduced firepower, but greater range and better seakeeping

OB.18 dep Liverpool escort DD VERSATILE and MACKAY until the 14th.

Med/Biscay

CA DEVONSHIRE dep Alex for Malta, arriving on the 13th for repairs, which were completed on the 21st. She left on the 24th and arrived back at Alex on the 26th.

HMS Devonshire was a London Class Heavy Cruiser. The RN abandoned 8" armed cruisers in favour of better protected 6" cruisers such as the Southampton Class

Blue 4 dep Port Said with 29 ships on the 11th, escort by DDs DAINTY and DUNCAN. MSW SUTTON brought two ships from Alex on the 12th to join the convoy. DUNCAN dep at 0545/16th to refuel at Malta and rejoined in the Malta Channel at 1415/16th with Fr DD KERSAINT.

DAINTY and MSW SUTTON left in the Malta Channel on the 16th, and DUNCAN and KERSAINT were relieved by DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT on the 17th. The two G-class destroyers remained until the 18th when Med convoying was discontinued. The convoy arrived safely at Gib on the 21st.

DD DIANA arrived at Suez from Singapore to reinforce the Med Flt.

D class DD
Central and South Atlantic –

DDs HARDY, HASTY, HOSTILE, HEREWARD and HERO dep Malta on the 2nd and Gib on the 5th for duty with the Sth Atlantic Command at Freetown. HEREWARD and HERO, escorting liner ATHLONE CASTLE, arrived at Freetown on the 11th, while HARDY, HASTY, HOSTILE joined CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN also on the 11th. These ships arrived at Freetown on the 12th and after replenishment put back to sea on the 14th in search of raiders.

H class DD

HGF.3 departed Gibraltar with steamer NARKUNDA (16,632grt) the only ship in the convoy

PO T E Clark was killed when his Sea Gladiator of 802 Squadron from aircraft carrier GLORIOUS crashed in Lake Maruit, Alexandria.

Just prior to the outbreak of war the sqn was serving with HMS GLORIOUS in the Med with 12 Sea Gladiators (Acquired from RAF reserve stocks). The squadron ceased to exist with the loss of HMS Glorious, sunk by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8 June 1940 during the defence of Norway.

Reformed from part of 804 sqn in November 1940 with Martlet Is the squadron sub-flights embarked on HMS AUDACITY in July 1941 (with martlet IIs), and on HMS Argus in August, and in the following month the whole squadron was involved in Gib escort convoys from HMS Audacity from which it shot down 4 FW200s. The CO L/C JM Wintour RN was shot down in November 1941. While escorting Convoy OG-74, outbound to Gib, the first Fw-200 was shot down on September 21. Eric Brown, later known as one of the foremost test pilots in history, got his first Condor - the sqn's third kill - on November 7, 1941, during the second trip to Gib; his Martlet had a slightly-bent prop, but there were only 4 aircraft left aboard "Audacity" by then. Returning from Gib, he scored his second Condor kill on 19 December 1941.

The sqn was lost on 21 December 1941 when HMS Audacity was sunk by U-741. HMS "Empire Audacity" was a priority target for the U-boats by this time; the ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-751 on December 21, 1941, with heavy loss of life. Brown and Lt. "Sheepy" Lamb were the only survivors of 802's pilots.

The squadron was re-formed in February 1942 with Sea Hurricane Ibs embarking on HMS AVENGERr for escorting PQ18 Arctic convoys in September during which time 5 enemy aircraft were shot down and 17 damaged, in conjunction with 883 squadron.

In September, the sqn again embarked on HMS AVENGER and provided fighter cover on the Algerian component of the TORCH invasion beaches, and on convoy work UK bound was torpedoed on 15 November 1942 by U-155.

The squadron lay dormant till May 1945 when reformed at Arbroath with 24 Seafire L.IIIs. By VJ day, the squadron had spent a short period in HMS QUEEN, and had been anticipated to leave for the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) with 9th Carrier Air Group.
© Rick Kent FAUCONBERG AEROGRAPHICS

GLOSTER SEA GLADIATOR I, N5519 "G6A", 802 Sqn RN, HMS Glorious, August 1939
North Atlantic

Indian Ocean

CA CORNWALL dep Colombo on patrol and arrived back on 3 November.

CL LIVERPOOL dep Bombay to search for German raiders in the Seychelles area, Amirante Group, and Providence, Farquhar, Aldabara anchorages. Returned 13 November .

Other

SS SEAL, passing through the Med en route to the Home Flt, escorted damaged DD GARLAND which was towed by netlayer PROTECTOR, from Alex to Malta where they arrived on the 11th. General submarine movements at this time were as follows:

Group 1, PORPOISE, CACHALOT, SEAL departed Malta on the 11th, escorted by PROTECTOR as far as Galita Island. PROTECTOR returned to Malta to meet Group 2, SEALION, SALMON, SHARK and SNAPPER and escorted them later the same day to Galita Island. Both groups reached Gib on the 15th and left on the 16th for Portsmouth, with Group 1 arriving on the 20th and Group 2 on the 22nd.

SNAPPER went directly into dock with engine problems which had caused problems on passage from Gib. Repairs completed on the 28th and she went to Sheerness for docking from 2 to 11 November. CACHALOT and SEAL were shortly sent to Halifax to escort convoys, while PORPOISE arrived at Chatham on the 24th for refitting.

SEALION, SALMON, SHARK were almost immediately deployed off the Dogger Bank on a patrol line, which ended on 4 November when they were ordered to Rosyth. SEALION, SALMON, SHARK, SNAPPER, along with SUNFISH, STERLET of the 2nd Submarine Flotilla and depot ship CYCLOPS, formed the 3rd Submarine Flotilla. The Flotilla was based at Harwich and began operations in late November.

General Events

U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt met with Albert Einstein and other scientists regarding the development and deployment of an atomic bomb. This meeting lay the ground work for an American effort to complete an operational nuclear weapon before the Axis powers.

 

[Wurger]

The extermination of Poles had started as soon as the Nazi German Wehrmacht invaded Poland. The main goal was to divest the Polish nation of the Intelligentsia and murder all of Poles who come out against Germany in the past and present including scouts, Posnanian and Silesian insurgents. On the 5th October 1939 a firing squad killed defenders of the Polish Post Office in Gdańsk. On the 10th October the first mass execution was carried out in the Bydgoszcz Death Valley. About 3000 people were killed there.

 

[Njaco]

11 October 1939 Wednesday

GERMANY: The dive-bomber Staffel for the carrier unit TrGr 186 reforms as a new 4./TrGr, using Bf 109Es flying from airfields near Jever.

The radio station in Berlin, Germany reported the false rumor of the fall of the British government, and that the new government was to offer Germany peace terms. Reported journalist William Shirer:

"Old women in the vegetable markets tossed their cabbages into the air, wrecked their stands in sheer joy and made for the nearest pub to toast the peace".

Wilhelm von Leeb wrote a note to Walther von Brauchitsch and other German Army leaders, noting that Germany should not invade neutral Belgium due to moral reasons.

NORTH AMERICA: Fearing war between the USSR and Finland, President Roosevelt appeals to Soviet President Mikhail I Kalinin for restraint and to;

"…make no demands on Finland which are inconsistent with the maintenance and development of amicable and peaceful relations between the two countries, and the independence of each."

Leó Szilárd and Albert Einstein's letter (sent on 2 Aug 1939) reached Franklin Roosevelt, who agreed to establish a committee for the research of nuclear energy as a weapon. In that letter, the two physicists warn that the Nazis are achieving results in the investigation of a nuclear weapon based on atomic fission. This led to Roosevelt's decision to establish the Uranium Advisory Committee - a precursor of what will be the Manhattan Project - shortly after.

UNITED KINGDOM: The War Office moves to increase weekly production of mustard gas from 310 to 1200 tons. Britain now has 158,000 troops deployed in France, according to the British Secretary of War, Leslie Hore-Belisha. Meanwhile, in a by-election at Clackmannan and East Stirling, a pacifist candidate draws 1060 votes.

Polish government-in-exile foreign minister, August Zaleski, consults with the British prime minister and Lord Halifax. Meanwhile, a commercial agreement is signed by the British and Soviet governments by which timber will be imported in exchange for rubber and Cornish tin.

An aircraft belonging to the RAF, operating from Acklington airfield and piloted by a Sergeant Pilot crashed at Cheviot Hill near Goldscleugh, Kirknewton, Wooler.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Russia demanded from Finland rights to establish airfields on Finnish territory as well as ceding of large amounts of Finnish soil; Finland rejected the demands.

In large towns in Finland, machine-guns and anti-aircraft guns are being mounted.

WESTERN FRONT: Édouard Daladier (Prime Minister of France) dismisses Hitler's Oct 6 peace proposal, saying;

"We took up arms against aggression. We shall not put them down until we have guarantees for a real peace and security, a security which is not threatened every six months."

This closes the door on any diplomatic moves by Britain and France to negotiate with Germany to buy time to prepare for war. However, Hitler is in no mood to wait as Germany currently has the strategic initiative, numerical supremacy and better weaponry to overrun the undermanned and poorly organized Allied defenses. He is already planning to invade France (Führer Directive 6, October 9).

British Expeditionary Force finishes initial landings in France. They deploy a total of about 158,000 troops.

.

 

[parsifal]

12 October
Axis New Ships
None
Allied New Ships
None
Neutral New ships
Ne DD CALLENBURGH

UBOATS

arrivals

None

departures

None

At Sea 12 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-40, U-42 , U-45 , U-46, U-47, U-48.
12 boats at sea

North Sea .

FN.20 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 14th. There was no convoy FN.21

FS.20 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 14th.

Northern Patrol - .

CL DUNEDIN joined Northern Patrol. Four CLs on Northern Patrol, with CL SHEFFIELD still on special detachment in the Denmark Strait.

British Northern Waters

BC REPULSE, after degaussing at Kirkwall, dep with DDs FAME and FORESIGHT for boiler cleaning at Rosyth

CLs GLASGOW and NEWCASTLE were detached from the Home Flt to cover convoys in the Western Approaches.

CL EDINBURGH dep Rosyth.

UK-France convoys .

BC.9S of six steamers, including CERVANTES and GUELMA (Commodore) departed the Loire, escort DDs EXMOUTH and ECLIPSE, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 14th.

English Channel

DDs AMAZON, WAKEFUL, ARROW, ACHATES, ACHERON, WREN and sloop FLEETWOOD were on ASW patrol.


DD ECHO ran aground as she entered Plymouth in a heavy fog, damaged her stern and repaired at Plymouth, completing on 17 Nov.

Southwestern Approaches

U.48 sank Fr tkr EMILE MIGUET (14,115grt), a straggler from convoy KJ.2, 190 miles SW of Fastnet. Ship was carrying 137.000 barrels of gasoline and crude oil. She caught fire and was abandoned with one crewman killed and one missing. Survivors were rescued by US steamer BLACK HAWK (4988grt) and she was scuttled by gunfire from DD IMOGEN.
Photo from Uboat net

Central and South Atlantic –

SLF.4 dep Freetown unescorted and arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

North Atlantic

DDs FURY, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, WOLVERINE were on ASW NW pf the Hebrides.

U.37 sank Greek steamer ARIS (4810grt) two crew were lost and 27 survivors rescued by Danish steamer SICILIEN (1654grt). U-37 tried to stop the unescorted and neutral Aris west of Ireland, but she did not stop and used the radio because they had transported war materials to Britain according to the master. At the time of her sinking the ship was outbound and carrying ballast. U-37 should not have sunk her, however the use of radio was in breach of KM policy. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats after a round hit the funnel at 18.20 hours. At 19.45 hours, the U-boat fired one G7a torpedo which passed underneath the keel. She was sunk by a second torpedo after shells fired into the waterline did not sink the ship.

The U-boat then towed the lifeboats 80 miles towards the Irish coast
Photo from the Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

 

[Njaco]

12 October 1939 Thursday

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-48 sank French tanker "Emile Miguet" and British freighter "Heronspool".

GERMANY: The deportation of Jews from occupied Austria and Czechoslovakia to occupied Poland begins under the direction of an SS administration headed by Eichmann.

Hitler meets with the High Command of the Luftwaffe and orders an increase in the production of munitions, and has abandoned the hope of peace, at least with the British. The Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, orders German newspapers to stop talking about peace prospects.

Fedor von Bock was appointed the commanding officer of the German Army Group B (Heeresgruppe B).

POLAND: Hitler named Hans Frank as Governor General of Poland, with absolute control over civil affairs in the districts of Warsaw, Lublin, Radom and Krakow (ie, the Poland that the Reich has not been officially annexed .) Hans Frank is an advocate of the old guard of the NSDAP, who was legal adviser to Hitler and currently chairs the Academy of German Law. As Governor General of Poland, Frank will report to Himmler, and the first mission is to prepare receiving concentration of Polish Jews in the ghettos of major cities.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The Finnish delegation arrives in Moscow by train and meets with Stalin and Molotov. The Soviets want the cession of some territory near Leningrad, control of the islands in the Gulf of Finland, use of the port of Hanko and other rearrangements of the border in the far north near Murmansk. In return they offer rather more land than they demanded in the Suomussalmi area. The Finns only feel able to offer a much smaller range of concessions. Molotov issues vague threats of military action, which have previously worked with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Finns, however, refuse. Negotiations will continue but the Finnish army is mobilized and children are evacuated from Finnish cities.

UNITED KINGDOM: Chamberlain officially rejects the call for a European conference, to meet and resolve differences with Germany, made by Hitler on October 6. He says that to consider such terms would be to forgive Germany for all aggressions and he warns that Germany must choose between permanent security arrangements in Europe and;

"...war to the utmost of our strength." Furthermore, he states that "past experience has shown that no reliance can be placed upon the promises of the present German government."

WESTERN FRONT: The British Expeditionary Force is now fully deployed along the Franco-Belgian border, between Maulde and Halluin.

.

 

[parsifal]

13 October
(Note: i made some errors with dates for ship losses for the 12th October. Some occurred on the 13th. ive corrected those errors).
UBOATS

arrivals

None

departures

None

At Sea 13 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-24, U-37, U-45 (+), U-46, U-47, U-48.
10 boats at sea.

Baltic

No Reported Activity

North Sea .

MV GRESSHOLM (Nor 660 grt): Carrying Timber, the coaster struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 90 nautical miles (170 km) north west of Texel, North Holland. The ship has some minor conflicts as to her movements during her final voyage. The most plausible manifest was that she was on a voyage from Kristiansand (another source says Kristiansund, which is another city altogether) to Antwerp with a cargo of 600 tons sulphite and wood pulp. 3 crew died.The aft section of the ship remained afloat and the 8 survivors remained here until they managed to lower a lifeboat. They rowed directly to the Finnish steamer EMMI which was around 6 to 7 nautical miles away. In the Finnish ship the crew was very well treated before being put ashore in Amsterdam Monday lunchtime.
(No images available)

OA.19 of 13 ships cleared Southend escort DDs ELECTRA and ESCORT until the 17th, when they detached to HG.3.

Carribbean

No Reported Activity

Northern Patrol - .

CL CALYPSO cleared Scapa to join the Northern Patrol, and returned to Sullom Voe on the 20th

British Northern Waters

CL SOUTHAMPTON and DD MATABELE, JERVIS, JUPITER, JACKAL and JANUS cleared Scapa for patrol

CVL FURIOUS sailed Loch Ewe from Scapa, escort DDs FEARLESS and FOXHOUND.

DD SABRE, was rammed and heavily damaged by AMC JERVIS BAY whilst at anchor in Rosyth and sank to deck level. She was taken to Grangemouth for repairs, completing on 6 May 1940.

CL BELFAST deployed to Scapa.
Edinburgh light cruisers (1939) - Royal Navy (United Kingdom)

BELFAST was an Edinburgh Class Light Cruiser. This was their appearance in 1941

CLs DELHI and CALEDON arrived at Scapa Flow
Danae (1918) and Delhi (1919 - 1922) light cruisers - Royal Navy (United Kingdom)

UK-France convoys .

DD ECLIPSE and EXMOUTH, escort for BC.9S from Quiberon Bay to Barry attacked a submarine contact off the Lizard.

English Channel

DDs AFRIDI, and GURKHA, attacked a submarine contact 3.4 miles 173° off Beachy Head. Salvage ship TEDWORTH conducted diving operations and discovered it had been a wreck.

DD KELLY, escorting a convoy in the Channel, attacked and claimed to have sunk a submarine. She and sister ship KINGSTON arrived at Dover on the 15th.

U-40 The Type IX submarine struck a mine in the English Channel and sank with the loss of 45 of her 48 crew. Survivors were rescued by DDs BOREAS and BRAZEN
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Submarines (Germany) > DKM U-123 (U-Boat Type IXB)

U-40 was a type IXA. The image is of the very similar type IXB. U.40 was sunk by the dense minefield laid by the RN MLs some weeks earlier, including HMS Adventure
UK-outbound convoys

ASW trawlers BLACKBURN ROVERS (422grt) and GRIMSBY TOWN (422grt) attacked a submarine contact.

Southwestern Approaches

A fierce convoy battle developed in the SW Approaches

MV LOUISIANE (Fr) 6904 GRT Carrying general cargo and was part of Convoy OA 17: The ship also straggled behind the convoy. She was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 240 nm south west of the Fastnet Rock by U-48 with the loss of one crew member. Survivors were rescued by DD IMOGEN.
Louisiane (French Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net

LOUISIANE as she is sinking
MV HERONSPOOL (UK) 5202 GRT, carrying an outbound cargo of coal was part of Convoy OB 17S. The cargo ship straggled behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and sunk 260 nautical miles south west of the Fastnet Rock by U-48 . one torpedo sank her, however, the vessel had been missed by five torpedoes fired by the U-boat previously . All crew were rescued by the US MV PRESIDENT HARDING
Photo from City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-2292

DDs ILEX and IMOGEN encountered U.48 on the surface 400 miles west of Land's End at 1016, and drove her down with gunfire, but without inflicting any damage. Finally the escort enjoyed some success, but not against their main tormentor. However, by forcing U.48 to dive, the now dispersed convoy was able to evade the Uboat.

I Class DD

U-42 The Type IXA sub was depth charged and sunk by DDs IMOGEN and ILEX with the loss of 26 of her 46 crew. The Boat dep Wilhelmshaven on 30 September for her first war patrol. She damaged steamer STONEPOOL (4803grt) from dispersed convoy OB.17 with gunfire . The escorts had left to join inward convoy HX.3, but returned after receiving word of the continued attacks and counter-attacked. DDs IMOGEN and ILEX delivered the fatal attack, 290 miles SW of Fastnet at 1928. Twenty five crew were lost, and another died of injuries (I think) and ILEX picked up three officers and 14 ratings. IMOGEN escorted the STONEPOOL to Barry, and both DDs reached Plymouth on the 15th
COASTERS OTHER SHIPS REVIVED » STONEPOOL ? 1928 ? IMO 0000000

MV STONEPOOL damaged during the battle and forced to return to England for repairs. She was eventually sunk by U.207 on 11/09/1941
OB.19 cleared Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and WARWICK from the 14th to 16th

Med/Biscay

HG.3 of 25 ships cleared Gib escort DD KEPPEL and WISHART. After attacks on the 17th while it was only under aircraft protection, DD ELECTRA and ESCORT joined the convoy on the 18th from OA.19, leaving on the 19th with the Channel section of HG.3 after being relieved. DD KEITH joined that same day, the 19th and stayed until the 21st. Before then, Fr DDs LE TRIOMPHANT and LÉOPARD had been with the convoy from the 17th, arriving back at Brest on the 20th. DDs ACASTA, WAKEFUL and ASW trawler LORD WAKEFIELD joined on the 20th and remained until the 21st, DDr WREN joined the same day, and the convoy arrived at Liverpool, still on the 21st.

CV GLORIOUS, BB MALAYA, DDs BULLDOG and DARING were detached from the Med Flt for operations in the East Indies, arriving at Aden on the 13th.

CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE arrived at Simonstown after sailing from the Med via Suez.

Central and South Atlantic –

CL DURBAN cleared Simonstown for Mauritius

North Atlantic

Patrol sloops PC.74, KINGFISHER and anti-submarine trawler LADY BERYL (417grt) were assigned ASW hunting off Liverpool.

Pacific

RNZN CL ACHILLES cleared Valparaiso to join Commodore Harwood on the South America Station. She refuelled from British AO ORANGEMOOR off Coquimbo on the 15th, passed the Straits of Magellan on the 19th and arrived in the Falklands on the 21st. Leaving on the 23rd after refuelling; ACHILLES rendezvoused with CA EXETER off Lobito Island on the 26th. They joined CA CUMBERLAND on the 27th and all three operated together until 5 November.

Other

On 27 August 1939 the passenger ship MORETON BAY of the Aberdeen Commonwealth Line Ltd, London was requisitioned by the Admiralty and taaken in hand at Barrow On Furness for conversion to an AMC. Conversion was completed on 13 October 1939.
Displacement: 14193 BRT , Armament: 7x 152mm, 2x 76mm, Speed: 15 knots
Career:
Passenger-cargo steamship built by Vickers, Barrow for Commonwealth Line of Steamers. Twin scew, steam turbine making 16 knots. 1928 purchased by Aberdeen-White Star Line, 1933 transferred to Aberdeen Commonwealth Line.
October 39 - August 40: China Station
September 40: South Atlantic Station
October 40 - June 41: Freetown Escort Force
On 20 August 1941 returned and used as troopship by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 1945 returned to owner and scrapped 1957.
FLOTILLA AUSTRALIA