1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919
1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929
1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939
1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949
1 Jan 1940
- Age of conscription increased to 27 in the United Kingdom, thus adding two million potential conscripts for military service. ww2dbase [TH]
- 1,000 men from the Finnish 9th Division under the command of Captain Eino Lassila skied into their attacking position; when they arrived at 2300, they were looking down a large Russian tank and artillery concentration on the Raate Road. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Between the start of the European War on 1 Sep 1939 and this date, 15,600 British men registered themselves as conscientious objectors. ww2dbase [AC]
- 10,000 Japanese troops launched a counter-attack in eastern Shanxi Province in China in an attempt to relieve the nearly-surrounded Japanese 36th Division. It would be driven back by stiff Chinese resistance within the next two days. ww2dbase [Winter Offensive | CPC]
- Tingfang Bie passed away. ww2dbase [Bie Tingfang | CPC]
- Gunner LAC T. Gibbin became the first airman from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom to be killed in World War II when Spitfire fighters from No. 602 Squadron intercepted returning Hampden bombers and, mistaking them for German aircraft, shot down two of the bombers. The other seven crewmen were picked up by fishing boats. ww2dbase [AC]
- Captain Ralph S. Wentworth relieved Captain William W. Wilson as the commanding officer of the cruiser USS Nashville. ww2dbase [Nashville | DS]
- U-56 was assigned to the 1st Flotilla. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-58 sank neutral Swedish steamer Lars Magnus Trozelli with one torpedo in the North Sea 50 miles northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1100 hours, killing 7. The survivors were picked up Norwegian merchant ship Ask. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
France
- Lorraine was transferred to 2nd Battleship Division of 1st Squadron of the French Navy. ww2dbase [Lorraine | CPC]
Germany
- Robert von Greim was promoted to the rank of Generalleutnant. ww2dbase [Robert von Greim | CPC]
Gibraltar
- British authorities detained several American ships at Gibraltar to search for contraband. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- German aircraft bombed RAF Coastal Command at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom damaging light cruiser HMS Coventry and ground facilities with the loss of one Ju 88 bomber. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Shetland Islands, Scotland | CPC]
2 Jan 1940
- The Irish government introduced emergency powers to intern IRA members without trial. ww2dbase [AC]
- Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano sent a secret message to Belgium and the Netherlands, warning them of the German invasion plan. The Germans intercepted this message. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
Finland
- Battle of the Raate Road: At midnight in the very start of this day, after one hour of preparations, Finnish Army Captain Eino Lassila launched an attack on a 500 meter section of Russian artillery on the Raate Road. At 0700, Russian troops attempted a counterattack with tanks, but the Finnish troops were able to bring two Bofors anti-tank guns to the front to halt the counterattack, destroying 7 of the Russian tanks. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
3 Jan 1940
- American freighter Mormacsun was intercepted by the Royal Navy and diverted to Scotland for searches. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet submarine S-2 was sunk after hitting a naval mine in the Sea of Aland; all 50 aboard were lost. ww2dbase [CPC]
Finland
- Battle of the Raate Road: Troops of Finnish 9th Division continued to attack the Russian concentration along the Raate Road, they failed to cut the column but they did manage to pin down the Russians. Finnish troops focused on attacking field kitchens and bonfires to keep the Russians in the cold. Meanwhile, Finnish Colonel Siilasvuo dispatched another two regiment-sized task forces, traveling toward Raate Road on skis, to aid the assault. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
Germany
United States
Photo(s) dated 3 Jan 1940
4 Jan 1940
- British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax sent a diplomatic note to Norway, with a copy sent to Sweden, asking for permission to send British Royal Navy ships into Norwegian waters, citing German sinking of British merchant ships. ww2dbase [Halifax | CPC]
- The first Norwegian volunteers departed Oslo, Norway for Finland. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- HMS Mauritius was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Mauritius | CPC]
5 Jan 1940
- Oliver Stanley became the Secretary of State for War with the resignation of Leslie Hore-Belisha. ww2dbase [TH]
- Finnish troops continued to pin Soviet troops along the Raate Road. Many Russians suffered frostbite, gangrene, and other effects from the severely cold weather; however, they fought back valiantly, causing heavy casualties on the Finnish side as well. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Germany forbade the transport of any form of aide into Finland across German territory. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The United Kingdom requested Norway for permission to send Royal Navy vessels into Norwegian waters, citing the German attacks on British ships in Norwegian waters as the reason. Secretly, this request also served as means to deliver British and French troops to Finland through Norway, should the need arise. ww2dbase [CPC]
- As the first Norwegian volunteer fighters left Oslo for Finland, the first Swedish volunteers arrived. In light of these events, Soviet Union accused Norway and Sweden of pursuing "unneutral" policies by allowing their citizens to volunteer to fight for Finland. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- HMS Acasta completed a period of refitting at HM Dockyard, Devonport in Plymouth, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Acasta | Plymouth, England | CPC]
6 Jan 1940
- At 0300 hours, Finnish troops cut the Soviet column on Raate Road in Finland at several locations. Soviet troops began to become demoralized and many fled into the nearby forest. Soviet tanks began to counterattack to but little effect. Soviet 44th Division's commanding officer Vinogradov ordered a general retreat. Also on this day, Finnish Air Force Lieutenant Jorma Sarvanto shot down 6 of 7 Soviet bombers he attacked in only 5 minutes. In neighboring Sweden and Norway, the governments there reasserted their neutrality, both rejecting British requests to operate in their waters. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler postponed the attack of France and the Low Countries until spring 1940. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- USS Helena arrived at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
Gibraltar
- The United States liner Manhattan was detained at Gibraltar by the British Contraband Control. A protest was made by the American government. ww2dbase [AC]
Italy
- Luigi Torelli was launched at the Odero Terni Orlando shipyard in La Spezia, Italy. ww2dbase [Luigi Torelli | La Spezia | CPC]
7 Jan 1940
- Battle of Raate Road ended with the Finnish 9th Division routing the Soviet 44th Division over the past few days. On the same day, General Semyon Timoshenko took command of Soviet Army forces in Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- Vessels of German First Minesweeper Flotilla sank British submarine HMS Seahorse southeast of Helgoland, Germany. Entire crew of 36 was lost. ww2dbase [CPC]
- At 0940 hours, British submarine HMS Undine spotted three trawlers 20 miles west of Helgoland, Germany and moved in to attack. The trawlers, actually minesweepers, counterattacked, forcing Undine to dive. A depth charge attack caused damage to Undine's hydroplanes, leading to the scuttling. The crew of 27 was later rescued by the German minesweepers. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS Helena departed Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
Italy
Photo(s) dated 7 Jan 1940
8 Jan 1940
- The government of the United Kingdom introduced rationing, allowing each citizen 112 grams (4 ounces) of bacon and 336 grams (12 ounces) of sugar per week. ww2dbase [TH]
- In Finland, Finnish 9th Division took possession of Raate Road at dawn after taking 1,000 Soviet prisoners of war, 43 tanks, 70 field guns, 278 vehicles, 300 machine guns, 6,000 rifles, and 1,170 horses. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Soviet troops were killed in the Battle of Raate Road, while 700 would be successful in escaping back into Soviet lines, but many of them would be shot by NKVD agents for treason for retreating. The Finnish forces suffered 2,700 casualties in the battle. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- Benito Mussolini sent a message to Adolf Hitler, cautioning against waging war with the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Benito Mussolini | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland on passage to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
- U-23 began her sixth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
9 Jan 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German bombers sank three Allied merchantmen in the North Sea. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- The British submarine HMS Starfish (N19) attacked a German minesweeper off the German North Sea coast in the Heligoland Bight. However this attack failed because, due to drill error, the torpedoes remained stuck in the tubes. She returned for second attack but the hydroplanes jammed and the commanding officer Lieutenant Thomas Turner decided to remain under water at the depth of about 27 metres for the remainder of day to carry out repairs. The German minesweeper M-7 located her and dropped 2 depth charges which did no damage. At 1050 hours one of the electricians asked for permission to restart one of the Sperry motors to prevent the gyro from wandering, and the request was granted. No sooner the motor started, 4 depth charges rained on top of the boat, fairly close aboard, causing widespread damage. At 1440 hours another depth charge attack was carried out, 20 of these falling fairly close to the hull, shearing rivets and starting plates which began leaking. By 1800 hrs the situation inside was serious, the engine room crankcases and starboard main motor bearings were flooded, the torpedo trenches and bilges were full, water was pouring through the starboard engine clutch and lapping the starboard main motor casing. HMS Starfish laid on the bottom until Lieutenant Turner, having formed the opinion the enemy was not likely to leave the vicinity in the near future, gave the order to surface at 1820 hours. In order to accomplish this, the submarine was forced to drop the ballast keel, barely making it due to loss of high pressure air and water in the hull, coming up at a 45-degree angle. She sank very shortly after with no loss among the crew, which was picked up by the waiting ships and taken as prisoners of war. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
- Carrying a cargo of coal from West Hartlepool on the eastern coast of England, United Kingdom to Drammen, Buskerud in Norway, the Norwegian 1,334-ton steam merchant Manx was torpedoed at 0221 hours as she cleared Kinnaird Head in north Scotland by U-19 (Joachim Schepke). Eight of the crew managed to get to an upturned lifeboat but four died of exposure in the cold water. Four men endured eight hours on the boat until rescued by the Norwegian freighter Leka, the other 2 who had got on a raft were seen by Isis, another Norwegian ship. Originally it was thought that the Manx had hit a mine however, records show that U-19 had indeed claimed a merchant ship on this date, Schepke made no mention of the ship being Norwegian therefore neutral. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | CPC, HM]
United Kingdom
- British liner SS Dunbar Castle hit a naval mine and sank off Ramsgate in southeastern England, United Kingdom. 9 were killed immediately, including the captain. Chief Officer Herbert Robinson of Dunbar Castle was later awarded the Order of the British Empire for evacuating 189 survivors. ww2dbase [Ramsgate, England | CPC]
- HMS Hermes began a period of refitting in Britain. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]
10 Jan 1940
- Hitler set the start date for Fall Gelb, the invasion of France and the Low Countries for 17 Jan; however, a German aircraft with plans aboard (against orders) crashed in Belgium, and Belgian intelligence recovered some of the papers. Germany postponed the invasion indefinitely in light of this breach. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- Unofficial peace talks began between the Soviet Union and Finland, but the fighting continued. ww2dbase [The Winter War | AC, CPC]
China
11 Jan 1940
- The Fleet Landing Exercise No. 6 began in the Caribbean Sea, participated by US Navy and US Marine Corps personnel. The Marine participants were the 1st Marine Brigade and the 1st Marine Aircraft Group under the command of Brigadier General Holland M. Smith, taking part. ww2dbase [Holland Smith | CPC]
- Captain Tomozo Kikuchi was named the commanding officer of light carrier Hosho. ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland under refit in HM Dockyard Simonstown, South Africa. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
- U-56 ended her fifth patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The Fredville, a 1,150-ton Norwegian steam merchant, was attacked and sunk approximately 100 miles east of the Orkney Isles at 1632 hours. There had been two explosions in the hold, the first seemed to cause little damage but 10 minutes later a much larger explosion broke the ship in two. The ship in ballast was on her way to Methil, Scotland, United Kingdom. 5 of the crew found time to get into a lifeboat and made repeated attempts to find any more survivors from the after part of the ship that remained afloat but none were found. The 5 men were picked up by a Swedish ship and taken to Kopervik, Karmøy Island, Norway. It was probable that the ship was sunk by German submarine U-23 (Otto Kretschmer), though at the enquiry held later the crew said that they thought there could have been bombs put into the coal bunkers by the Wollweber Group who were a group of Communist saboteurs who were responsible for the loss of several Scandinavian ships; they also stated that the ship was marked with the Norwegian flag and had navigation lights on. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-23 | North Sea | CPC, HM]
Finland
- Finnish IV Corps pinned Soviet 168th Division north of Lake Lagoda in Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
Germany
- Karl von Le Suire was awarded the Sudetenland Medal. ww2dbase [Karl von Le Suire | CPC]
Hungary
- Training began for 350 Hungarian men to fight in Finland. Nearly 25,000 others waited for the approval for their volunteer service. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- British oil tanker SS El Oso hit a naval mine and sank 6 miles west of the Bar Lightship, Liverpool, England, at about 1100 hours. 3 men were killed, 32 were rescued by destroyer HMS Walker. ww2dbase [Liverpool, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 11 Jan 1940
12 Jan 1940
Germany
- Hellmuth Felmy was relieved of command of Luftflotte 2 as the result of the Mechelen Incident. ww2dbase [Hellmuth Felmy | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German submarine U-23 torpedoed and sank Danish oil tanker Danmark in Inganess Bay, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0650 hours. Her crew of 40 escaped safely, but the 14,000 tons of fuel destined for the Allied war effort were lost. ww2dbase [U-23 | Kirkwall, Scotland | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 12 Jan 1940
13 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-20 torpedoed Swedish steamer Sylvia at 0430 hours northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland. Sylvia sank within a minute, taking the lives of the entire crew of 20. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet submarine ShCh-324 attacked an Axis convoy in the Sea of Aland, but all torpedoes missed. Finnish Navy converted yacht Aura II retaliated with depth charges, but the wooden yacht was destroyed when one of the depth charges exploded in the thrower, killing 26; 15 survived the sinking. ww2dbase [ShCh-324 | CPC]
- The Yakovlev YA-26 prototype, later to become the Yak-1 fighter, took flight. This prototype would be lost in an accident in Apr 1940. ww2dbase [Yak-1 | AC]
- Adolf Hitler postponed the attack of France and the Low Countries. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- The German Navy Operations Division reported that while Norway presented strategic importance, Germany should not invade the neutral country if there was little risk of a British violation of Norwegian neutrality. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
14 Jan 1940
United Kingdom
15 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer Fagerheim in the Bay of Biscay at the early hours of the day, killing 15. The 5 survivors were taken to Vigo, Spain. At 0700 hours, U-44 fired shots at Dutch merchant freighter Arendskerk; realizing his ship could not out run the German submarine, captain of the Arendskerk gave the abandon ship order. Arendskerk was subsequently torpedoed and sank, but all 65 of her crew members survived, rescued by Italian steamer Fedora. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British government revealed that nearly twice as many people had been killed on the roads than the number of people killed in enemy action. The blackout was among the chief reasons. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Kapitän zur See Ernst Kretzenberg took command of cruiser Köln. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
- U-23 completed her sixth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
16 Jan 1940
- Kichisaburo Nomura stepped down as Foreign Minister of Japan. ww2dbase [Kichisaburo Nomura | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- After penetrating Heligoland Bight, the British submarines Seahorse, Undine, and Starfish were reportedly sunk by the Germans. ww2dbase [Heligoland Bight, North Sea | CPC]
- German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank the Greek ship Panachrandos in the Bay of Biscay at 0611 hours. She sank within three minutes, killing all 31 aboard. ww2dbase [Bay of Biscay | CPC]
Germany
Italy
Japan
- Hachiro Arita was named the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ww2dbase [Hachiro Arita | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British tanker Inverdargle, with 12,000 tons of aviation fuel aboard, struck a naval mine in the Bristol Channel at 1619 hours. All 49 aboard were killed. ww2dbase [Bristol Channel, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 16 Jan 1940
17 Jan 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- The Norwegian 1,140-ton steam merchant Enid carrying wood pulp to Dublin, Ireland was one of two ships sunk 7 miles north of Muckle Flugga, Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. The other vessel was the 4,751-ton British freighter Polzella. The Enid went to the assistance of the British ship which sank quickly after the torpedo fired by U-25 (Viktor Schütze) struck (all crew members aboard Polzella would be lost), but the submarine surfaced and fired a shot across the bow to stop her. Enid turned away, fired three shots from her deck gun, and then was abandoned by her crew, who took to two lifeboats. The Germans then fired 21 rounds from the deck gun and hit Enid seven times, setting her on fire. At 1410 hours, a coup de grâce was fired that broke the ship in two. The forepart sank immediately while the burning stern remained afloat and was later scuttled by the destroyer HMS Firedrake (H 79), which had been sent to the area to hunt for the submarine together with HMS Fortune (H 70) and several anti-submarine trawlers. Eight survivors in one lifeboat made landfall after 3 hours at Burra Firth on Unst, one of the northern Shetland Islands. The master and 7 crew members were picked up by the Danish motor merchant Kina. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC, HM]
Belgium
Finland
- Finland registered temperatures as low as -45 degrees Celsius (-49 Degrees Fahrenheit). The cold weather posed problems for both Finnish and Soviet troops fighting in Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
France
- Polish cryptographers in Paris, France cracked the German air force's Enigma codes, making it possible to intercept and read all the Luftwaffe's secret transmissions. ww2dbase [Enigma Code Broken | Paris | AC]
Photo(s) dated 17 Jan 1940
18 Jan 1940
- U-23 began her seventh war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-44 sank the Danish vessel Canadian Reefer, sailing for Britain with fruit, in the Bay of Biscay. The crew of 26 were rescued by a Spanish trawler. ww2dbase [Bay of Biscay | CPC]
- German submarine U-25 sank Swedish merchant ship Pajala with three torpedoes in the North Sea at 1625 hours. Escort HMS Northern Duke rescued 35 after unsuccessfully depth charging U-25. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- German submarine U-55 sank Swedish merchant ship Foxen in the North Sea, killing 17, at 1745 hours. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- German submarine U-9 attacked Swedish merchant ship Patricia with two torpedoes in the North Sea at 2353 hours, but the torpedoes went astray, hitting and sinking Flandria instead. Norwegian merchant ship Balzac would rescue four survivors two days later. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
Finland
- Having already destroyed Soviet 163rd and 44th Divisions, Finnish Army Colonel Siilasvuo was ordered to take the Finnish 9th Division 30 miles south to Kuhmo to attack the Soviet 54th Division under the command of Chuikov. ww2dbase [The Winter War | Hjalmar Siilasvuo | CPC]
United States
- Tatsuta Maru departed San Francisco, California, United States; 512 civilian seamen from the scuttled German liner Columbus were supposed to be aboard, but they canceled their journeys at the last moment in fear of possible British interception of the liner which might lead to their imprisonment. ww2dbase [Tatsuta Maru | San Francisco, California | CPC]
19 Jan 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-9 torpedoed and sank Swedish merchant ship Patricia, which escaped U-9's first attack on two hours prior, in the North Sea at 0145 hours. 19 men were killed; 4 survivors were later picked up by Swedish merchant ship Frigg. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- German submarine U-55 sank Norwegian vessel Telnes off the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom; 18 lives were lost. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-59 torpedoed and sank French steamer Quiberon off Great Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom at 2100 hours. All men aboard were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-44 began tracking Greek steamer Ekatontarchos Dracoulis at 2200 hours in the Bay of Biscay. Around midnight, U-44 fired a torpedo at the Greek ship, but the torpedo detonated prematurely before reaching the target. ww2dbase [Bay of Biscay | CPC]
- British submarine Sunfish fired 4 torpedoes at German submarine U-14 off Helgoland, Germany; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
Japan
- Kanemasa Akiyama was attached to the staff of the Japanese Army Technical Research Institute. ww2dbase [Kanemasa Akiyama | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British destroyer Grenville hit a naval mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom at 1250 hours, killing 77. 108 survivors were rescued by two destroyers that braved the minefield. ww2dbase [England | CPC]
United States
- Senator William Borah, leader of the isolationists in the United States, died suddenly of cerebral hemorrhage in Washington DC. ww2dbase [Washington | AC]
20 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank Greek steamer Ekatontarchos Dracoulis off Portugal at 0415 hours, killing 6. U-44 had been hunting for Ekatontarchos Dracoulis for the past 6 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-57 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer Miranda 30 miles off of Scotland at 0826 hours, killing 14. 3 survivors were rescued on the next day by exploration ship Discovery II and taken to Kirkwall. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British tanker MV Caroni River hit a mine laid the day before by German submarine U-34 in Falmouth Bay, England, United Kingdom and sank; she was on her sea trials. during sea trials in Falmouth Bay, England. All 43 aboard survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, speaking to the Parliament, voiced support for Finland while criticizing brutal Soviet attacks. The Finnish government presumed that this meant British support would soon arrive, but it never did. The German government interpreted the speech as a hint on British involvement in Scandinavia, thus plans for the invasion of Norway were re-prioritized. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Chinese troops captured Licheng, Shanxi Province, China. ww2dbase [Winter Offensive | CPC]
- Yukikaze was commissioned into service with Commander Kenjiro Tobita in command. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | CPC]
- Corvette Trillium was ordered. ww2dbase [Trillium | CPC]
21 Jan 1940
- The sinking of the HMS Grenville is announced by the Admiralty. 8 were reported killed and 73 were reported as missing and presumably dead. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet 8th Army launched unsuccessful attack on Finnish Group Talvela on the River Aittojoki near Ladoga, Karelia. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- A German officer shot Mr. Opacki in the streets of Kraków simply because Mr. Opacki had not shown sufficient respect when stepping out of the way for the German officer. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Swedish steam merchant vessel Andalusia, along with her crew of 21 men, became missing early in the morning off the western coast of Scotland; she was believed to be sunk by German submarine U-55. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British cruiser Liverpool stopped Japanese liner Asama Maru 35 miles off of Japan. 21 German sailors, survivors of the German liner Columbus which was scuttled off the US coast on 19 Dec 1939, were imprisoned. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Finnish merchant ship Onto (Master Ivar Ström) struck a mine in the North Sea 40 kilometers northeast of Great Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom at 2213 hours. The mine was laid by U-56 on 8 Jan 1940. The ship sank, and all 20 aboard survived in two lifeboats. One lifeboat, with 14 aboard, was rescued by a Greek steam merchant; the other was rescued by HMS Auckland. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-56 | North Sea | CPC]
Pacific Ocean
- Asama Maru was intercepted by British light cruiser HMS Liverpool 56 kilometers from the island of Niijima south of Yokohama, Japan. British sailors boarded the ship and removed 21 passengers suspected of being German sailors from the previously scuttled German liner Columbus before letting Asama Maru go. Britain and Japan had not yet entered a state of war at this time. ww2dbase [Asama Maru | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German submarine U-22 attacked British merchant vessel Cyprian Prince in the Moray Firth in Scotland, United Kingdom at 0538 hours but failed to hit her. At 0600 hours, she torpedoed and sank destroyer HMS Exmouth off Wick, killing 189, which was the entire crew. At 0711 hours, she torpedoed Danish ship Tekla, killing 4; 9 crew members survived, rescued by HMS Sikh and Norwegian ship Iris. ww2dbase [Scotland | CPC]
22 Jan 1940
- Norwegian merchant vessel Segovia, with 750 tons of general cargo (including 140 tons of oil) became missing off western Scotland; her crew of 23 was never seen again. She might had been attacked and sunk by German submarine U-55. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax criticized First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill's speech of 20 Jan 1940, noting that by stating support for Finland in the war with Soviet Union he was meddling with foreign policy. ww2dbase [Halifax | CPC]
- The Finns, with Swedes and Norwegians already fighting with them, announced the formation of a "Foreign Legion" which would include British volunteers. ww2dbase [AC]
- USS Helena arrived at Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
- Oberleutnant zur See Otto Harms was made the commanding officer of U-56, relieving Wilhelm Zahn. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The unescorted Norwegian 2,589-ton merchant steamer Songa was stopped by German submarine U-25 in calm seas 200 miles west of the Scilly Islands. Viktor Schütze ordered the Songa's crew to abandon the ship after he declared her cargo of copper, tin and foodstuffs to be contraband. A single torpedo then sent the vessel to the bottom; the submarine's crew supplied the Norwegians with rum and gave them a course to steer the two lifeboats towards the shipping lanes. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
United Kingdom
- The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Furious left the Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom with two squadrons of Swordfish torpedo-bombers to seek German shipping off Norway. ww2dbase [Furious | Firth of Clyde, Scotland | AC]
Photo(s) dated 22 Jan 1940
23 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-19 discovered a group of 20 unescorted steamers off Northumberland. With one torpedo each, she sank Norwegian ship Pluto at 0843 hours and British ship Baltanglia at 0855 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Finnish 9th Division arrived at the village of Kuhmo to prepare for a planned attack on the Soviet 54th Division. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- British carrier HMS Illustrious left Malta for Alexandria, Egypt. ww2dbase [Illustrious | CPC]
- Danish motor merchant Kina disembarked 8 of the survivors of Norwegian steam merchant Enid, sunk by U-25 six days prior, at Las Palmas, Canary Islands. ww2dbase [HM]
Ireland
- One of the two lifeboats containing survivors of Norwegian merchant steamer Songa, which was sunk by German submarine U-25 on the previous day, was discovered by a British trawler, which took on the 13 occupants. The other lifeboat made landfall near Rock Island's Crookhaven Lighthouse; they were taken to Goleen, County Cork, Ireland. ww2dbase [Crookhaven, Cork | HM]
United Kingdom
- Britain lowered the road speed limit to 20 miles per hour at night time in populated area in response to the sharp rise in night time automobile accidents due to the blackout. ww2dbase [AC]
- Britain was gripped in the coldest winter since 1894; Southampton docks and parts of the river Thames were frozen over. ww2dbase [AC]
- MI5 debriefed NKVD defector Walter Krivitsky at the Langham Hotel in London, England, United Kingdom. The former Soviet resident agent in Holland would describe over hundred Soviet agents working in Europe, including sixteen who were British subjects. Yet the single officer tasked with investigating the claims failed to spot, among those named, MI6 traitor Kim Philby. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
24 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank French cargo ship Alsacien 4 miles off of Lisbon, Portugul at 1140 hours, killing 4. The cargo to phosphate from Africa, destined for France, was lost. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Finnish Army Force Talvela and Soviet 8th Army exchanged attacks at Kolla in Finland, along the Aitto River. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Chinese troops captured Dongyangguan Pass, Shanxi Province, China. ww2dbase [Winter Offensive | CPC]
- A Czechoslovakian branch of the French Army was established. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-23 torpedoed and sank Norwegian cargo ship Varild in the North Sea at 1900 hours, killing the entire crew of 15. ww2dbase [U-23 | North Sea | CPC]
25 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-14 sank Norwegian ship Biarritz 36 miles off of the Dutch coast; 37 men were killed and 21 survivors were rescued by Norwegian steamer Borgholm. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-19 sank Latvian ship Everene 5 miles off of the eastern coast of Britain; 1 man was killed and 30 were rescued by fishing boats Dole and Evesham. Several hours later at 0930 hours, U-19 sank Norwegian ship Gudveig; 10 men were killed and 8 were rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
Portugal
- German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank French ship Tourny, which was a part of convoy 56-KS, 20 miles off of Porto, Portugal at 0411 hours. 8 men were killed and 9 were rescued by Spanish steamer Castillo Monforte. ww2dbase [Porto | CPC]
26 Jan 1940
- American minesweeper Quail arrived at Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean to construct a naval air station. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Expiration of the US-Japan Trade Treaty of 1911. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Royal Navy ship Durham Castle, a recently acquired passenger ship, hit a mine laid by German submarine U-57 five days earlier on 21 Jan 1940, sinking 11 miles off of the northeastern coast of Scotland. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- Believing that Germany would not be able to directly attack Britain, about half of the 750,000 children evacuated from London, England, United Kingdom since Sep 1939 had returned to their homes in the city. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
- Roderick Carr was named the commanding officer of No. 61 Group RAF. ww2dbase [Roderick Carr | CPC]
27 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-20 torpedoed and sank Norwegian ship Hosanger; 17 men were killed and 1 was rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Finnish Army General Hägglund ordered the Finnish IV Corps to attack the Pieni-Kelivaara and Lemetti West encirclements to test various tactics. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Submarine Tautog was launched. ww2dbase [Tautog | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler ordered Wilhelm Keitel to continue with the planning of an invasion of Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- U-56 began her sixth patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-20 (Kapitänleutnant Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt) attacked a convoy of merchant ships in the North Sea southeast of Copinsay, Orkney, Scotland, United Kingdom. At 2003 hours, the small 844-ton Norwegian vessel Faro was damaged by a torpedo that detonated early before hitting the ship. Faro's master ordered the abandonment of the ship and two lifeboats were launched, one drifted away and it and the 8 men in it were never found; the master would try to save the ship on the next day, but to no avail. The 2,319-ton Danish vessel England (2,319-tons) together with the Fredensborg (2,094-tons) both tried to assist the Faro but were torpedoed as they did so. The England broke in half and sunk 2 minutes after the attack, killing 20; Fredensborg capsized soon after, also losing 20 men. Only one seaman from the two ships survived. Two hours later the 1,591-ton Norwegian merchant Hosanger was hit. The explosion blew off the stern and the ship went straight down. One, Magnus Sandvik, a deck boy, managed to get to a raft with three others, they were found after 15 hours by HMS Northern Reward. A line thrown to the raft but Sandvik, who was the only one left alive was too cold to hold it. A seaman from the Royal Naval vessel dived into the sea and saved him. Both were hospitalized in Kirkwall, Orkney. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC, HM]
US Pacific Islands
- Construction work at Palmyra Atoll began to improve its military facilities. ww2dbase [Palmyra | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 27 Jan 1940
28 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-34 torpedoed Greek merchant ships Eleni Stathatou 100 miles off of Brest, France at 0252 hours. With Eleni Stathatou keeping afloat, U-34 remained to observe. At 0421 hours, after observing that the Greek ship was now moving once again, U-34 fired her last torpedo and sank the ship, killing 12. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet artillery continued to bombard Poppius, Million, and other forts along the Finnish defensive Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmus. Meanwhile, Finnish troops eliminate Soviet forces trapped in the Pieni-Kelivaara pocket on the north shore of Lake Lagoda, capturing 2 field guns, 2 anti-tank guns, 9 mortars, 9 machine guns, and 100 rifles. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Chinese troops captured Lucheng, Shanxi Province, China. ww2dbase [Winter Offensive | CPC]
- Japanese 26th Division attacked Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
- USS Helena departed Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
Portugal
- German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank Greek coal carrier Flora off 20 miles off Portugal at 2000 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
29 Jan 1940
- Finnish Army 9th Division attacked the Soviet 54th Division starting at 0500 hours near the road junction at Kuhmo, Finland. Meanwhile, Soviets began negotiating with Finland by sending a note stating "Soviet Union has no objection in principle to a possible agreement with the Ryti government" to Sweden. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- German aircraft attacked unarmed British lightship East Dudgeon; 7 crew membered died as their lifeboat capsized later. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-51 torpedoed and sunk Norwegian ship Eika, carring salt from Spain, at 1530 hours. 14 men were killed, while at 2 (Harald Støle and Alfred Johansen) were rescued by U-51 who would be delivered to Wilhelmshaven on 8 Feb 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- U-23 completed her seventh war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Poland
- Germany renamed Reichsgau Posen, in occupied Poland, to Reichsgau Wartheland. ww2dbase [CPC]
Uruguay
30 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-55 sank British tanker Vaclite, part of convoy OA-80G, 50 miles off of Land's End in southwestern England at 0700 hours. The crew of 35 was rescued by Italian steamer Pollenzo. At 1100 hours, U-55 sank Greek ship Keramlai. Later that day, U-55 was found and depth charged by British (HMS Whitshed, and HMS Fowey) and French (Valmy and Guépard) destroyers and a No. 228 Squadron RAF Sunderland aircraft. 41 of the German crew surrendered; Kapitänleutnant Werner Heidel chose to go down with his ship. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German torpedo boat Iltis mis-identified German submarine U-15 as a hostile vessel and rammed her 50 miles north of Wilhelmshaven, Germany. U-15 sank, killing the entire crew of 25. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German aircraft bombed shipping in the English Channel and the North Sea, sinking British cargo steamers Highwave, Giralda, and Bancrest off the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland. British ship Voreda was badly damaged and beached near Winterton, England. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The first confirmed U-Boat kill by an aircraft occurred when British destroyer HMS Whitshed, British sloop HMS Fowey, French destroyer Valmy, French destroyer Guépard, and a British No. 228 Squadron S.25 Sunderland aircraft sank German submarine U-55 with depth charges. ww2dbase [S.25 Sunderland | AC, DS]
Photo(s) dated 30 Jan 1940
31 Jan 1940
- German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer Start about halfway between Stavanger, Norway and Aberdeen, Scotland, killing the entire crew of 16. Start was carrying coal from Sunderland, northern England. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-21 fired two torpedoes at Danish ship Vidar, but both malfunctioned. A third torpedoed, however, struck Vidar 25 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, killing 16 and rendering her dead in the water. Danish steamer Disko rescued 18 survivors while surviving a hit from another malfunctioning torpedo from U-21. Vidar would remain afloat until the next day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet forces gathered in the Summa sector in the Karelian Isthmus now grew to the size of 12 divisions and 400 heavy artillery pieces. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Desperately short of aircraft, the British made a secret approach to Italy (not yet in the war) to buy fighters. The deal was later vetoed by Germany. ww2dbase [AC]
- Sir John Simon of Britain announced that food subsidies were running at £1,000,000 per week. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- HMS Acasta escorted HMS light cruiser Ajax into Plymouth, England, United Kingdom as Ajax returned from her engagement with German heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee in the South Atlantic. ww2dbase [Acasta | Plymouth, England | CPC]
United States
- Francis Wai graduated from University of California Los Angeles in California, United States with a degree in banking and finance. ww2dbase [Francis Wai | Los Angeles, California | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 31 Jan 1940
1 Feb 1940
- Soviet artillery pieces fired 300,000 shells in the Summa sector of the Karelian Isthmus on this date at the start of a new Soviet offensive against the Finnish forces. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- German submarine U-59 torpedoed and sank British coaler Ellen M. 20 miles east of Southwold, Suffolk, England, killing the entire crew of 9. ww2dbase [CPC]
- In Russia the noted stage director, Vsevolod Meyerhold, having been tortured into confessing that he was the leader of an anti-soviet Trotskyite, was convicted in camera, and was executed on the following day. ww2dbase [AC]
- The keel of refrigerated cargo ship Telemachus was laid down. ww2dbase [Activity | CPC]
- Arturo Riccardi was made Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Italy. ww2dbase [Arturo Riccardi | CPC]
Germany
- Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded the Pilot's Badge. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | CPC]
- U-1 was transferred out of the German Navy Submarine School Flotilla. ww2dbase [U-1 | CPC]
Poland
United Kingdom
- The Swedish-owned 2,491-ton Fram, an old steam merchant launched in 1897, was lying at anchor at Rosehearty Buoy off Fraserburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom when, at 0043 hours, she was struck by a G7e torpedo fired from German submarine U-13 (Kapitänleutnant Max-Martin Schulte) and sunk. 9 of her crew were killed in the explosion, survivors were picked up by the K-class destroyer HMS Khartoum and the armed trawler HMS Viking Deeps. Svea Hannson, a 45-year-old stewardess was one of those killed when the neutral ship sank. ww2dbase [Fraserburgh, Scotland | HM]
- In Britain, the Admiralty took over the responsibility for the building and repair of merchant shipping and concluded an arrangement to buy old cargo ships from the United States. ww2dbase [AC]
- In the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declined to accept a suggestion by Herbert Morrison that a Minister of War Economy should be appointed on the grounds that such a post would do nothing which was not already being done. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | London, England | AC]
United States
- The keel of battleship Alabama was laid down at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States. ww2dbase [Norfolk Navy Yard | Alabama | Portsmouth, Virginia | CPC]
- Harold George was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was made the commanding officer of 31st Pursuit Group. ww2dbase [Harold George | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 1 Feb 1940
2 Feb 1940
- Soviet troops continued to assert pressure on Finnish defensive positions on the Karelian Isthmus. Meanwhile, Finnish 9th Division continued their attempt to encircle troops of the Soviet 54th Division near Kuhmo. At the Viipuri Bay, Soviet troops attempted to launch an offensive, but was disrupted by Finnish aircraft. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-59 (Kapitänleutnant Harald Jürst) was on patrol in the North Sea close to Lowestoft, England, United Kingdom and sank 2 British merchant steamers. At 0624 hours, the unescorted 838-ton tanker Creofield was hit amidships by a single G7e torpedo, the creosote cargo she was carrying exploded and the ship sank immediately taking her 17 man crew with her. In the evening she sank the 1,064-ton Portelet, in ballast heading for Sunderland, England, at 2040 hours she was hit and sank less than a mile southwest by west of the Smith's Knoll Lightship. The master Alexander Joseph Walsh and 8 crew members were picked up by a Finnish merchant, Oscar Midling, and taken to Immingham; 2 crewmen had been killed in the attack. ww2dbase [North Sea | HM]
Italy
United Kingdom
- British minesweepers Sphinx (J69; Commander John Robert Newton Taylor), Speedwell, and Skipjack were sweeping an area about 15 nautical miles north of Kinnaird's Head near Fraserburgh north-east Scotland, United Kingdom when attacked by German aircraft. A bomb pierced the fo'c'sle deck of 889-ton HMS Sphinx (John Robert Newton Taylor, RN) and exploding destroying the fore part of the ship. The commanding officer and forty of the men were killed in the explosion; survivors were taken to HMS Speedwell. Sphinx remained afloat and was taken in tow by minesweeper HMS Halcyon (J42) but steadily flooded. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Scotland | HM]
United States
- Submarine USS Spearfish departed the Portsmouth Navy Yard ay Kittery, Maine after her post-shakedown overhaul. ww2dbase [Spearfish | Kittery, Maine | DS]
Photo(s) dated 2 Feb 1940
See all photos dated 2 Feb 1940
3 Feb 1940
- The first enemy aircraft to crash in England was a Heinkel He 111 aircraft shot down near Whitby, North Yorkshire by Flight Lieutenant Peter Townsend flying a Hurricane fighter of 43 Squadron. Two of the four German crewmen were killed. After the war Townsend became a household name for his ill-fated romance with Princess Margaret. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | AC]
- The British Air Ministry issued specification E.28/39 to the Gloster Aircraft Company to prepare an airframe for flight testing the pioneering W.1 gas turbine designed by Frank Whittle and built by Power Jets Ltd. ww2dbase [AC]
- Japanese 26th Division captured Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-58 chased Estonian vessel Reet for 13 hours, sinking her with torpedoes in the North Sea halfway between Stavanger, Norway & Aberdeen, Scotland, killing 18. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- The 6,805-ton British steam merchant Armanistan carrying a mixed cargo of 8,500 tons including chemicals, iron rails, zinc and sugar to Basrah, Iraq was spotted in Convoy OG-16 when passing west of the river Tagus, Portugal by German submarine U-25 (Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze). The Armanistan was torpedoed and sunk, the crew reached the lifeboats and were taken on board the Spanish merchant ship Monte Abril and taken to the island of Tenerife of the Canary Islands. ww2dbase [CPC, HM]
United Kingdom
- British minesweeper HMS Sphinx (J69; Commander John Robert Newton Taylor), damaged by German aircraft in the previous morning and being towed by HMS Halcyon, flooded, capsized, and sank. The wreck was later washed ashore north of Lybster and was sold for scrap. The wreck was later washed ashore north of Lybster and was sold for scrap. ww2dbase [Scotland | CPC, HM]
- The Norwegian steam ship Tempo was on a voyage from Methil, Scotland, United Kingdom to Hull, England, United Kingdom with a cargo of paper. Being a neutral the ship was marked as such. She was attacked by three German aircraft as the ship passed close to the Longstone Lighthouse, seven miles off the coast. The first attack was with machine guns after which the aircraft attacked with bombs, one of which hit the stern of the Tempo. The captain immediately ordered the ship to be abandoned as the Tempo was sinking rapidly. A third pass over the ship was made in which four bombs were dropped near missing the freighter, the survivors reported that the aircraft then fired at the lifeboats only missing them by a metre. The bombers continued to circle the area for twenty minutes as the lifeboats headed for the shore however the boat under command of the first mate capsized in the heavy surf and five of the men were drowned, the sole survivor luckily being washed onto the beach. The other boat under command of the captain were picked up by a rescue vessel. An inquiry was held in Oslo, Norway where the attack was noted and the German authorities notified of the event. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Bamburg, England | HM]
Uruguay
4 Feb 1940
- Members of the Balkan Entente (Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Turkey) declared neutrality. ww2dbase [Balkan Pact | CPC]
- Japanese 26th Division captured Linhe, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-37 (Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann) sank 2 merchant steamers whilst on patrol off the Shetland Islands, the first was the small 1,365-ton Norwegian freighter Hop in ballast and heading for Middlesborough, England, United Kingdom. The ship sank rapidly and there were no survivors. Hop was 1 of the 55 Norwegian ships lost during the neutrality period between 3 Sep and 8 Apr 1939. The second vessel was the 4,330-ton British Leo Dawson, carrying iron ore to Immingham, England. A single torpedo hit aft at 2125 hours and she sank stern first taking her entire crew of 35 men with her including 15 year old Mess Room Boy, John Wynn. ww2dbase [North Sea | HM]
Photo(s) dated 4 Feb 1940
5 Feb 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-41 (Kapitänleutnant Gustav-Adolf Mugler) damaged unarmed and unescorted 8,096-ton Dutch tanker Ceronia at 0332 hours; the damaged tanker would make it to Rotterdam, Netherlands under her own power. At 1310 hours, U-41 attacked the same convoy, OA-84, again, sinking the 9,874-ton Beaverburn (Master Thomas Jones) 150 miles south of Berehaven, County Cork, Ireland, killing 1. The master and 75 crew members were picked up by British tanker Narragansett and landed at Falmouth. Shortly after, U-41 was sunk by British destroyer HMS Antelope, killing all 49 aboard; it was the first time a lone British destroyer destroyed a German submarine, and Lieutenant Commander Richard Taylor White of Antelope was awarded the DSO award. ww2dbase [Celtic Sea | CPC, HM]
Brazil
France
- After meeting in Paris, France, the Allied Supreme War Council agreed to send two divisions of British troops to Finland via Narvik, Norway, despite Norway's proclamation of neutrality. They also decided that, while the troops marched into Finland, they would take control of Swedish iron ore mines and the port of Luleå, despite Sweden had likely proclaimed neutral in the war. ww2dbase [The Winter War | Paris | CPC]
6 Feb 1940
- Finnish 9th Division completed its encirclement of the Soviet 54th Division at Kuhmo. To the south, Soviet troops continued to shell Finnish defensive positions on the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmus, but actual advances were limited. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- The "Carreless Talk Costs Lives" slogan debuted, designed to prevent war gossip. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Vultee received an order from the Swedish government for 144 Vanguard fighters. ww2dbase [P-66 Vanguard | CPC]
- Estonian steam merchant Hanonia, captured by the German submarine U-34 in 1939, was commissioned into German Navy service as Schiff 11/Ulm after conversion into a minelayer. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Estonian steamer Anu sank after hit a mine 30 miles east of Dundee, Scotland, United Kindgom, killing the captain, his wife, the cook, and four crew members. The mine was laid by German submarine U-13 on 12 Dec 1939. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
7 Feb 1940
- Information regarding Allied Supreme War Council's decision to send aid to Finland was leaked to British and French newspapers. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet troops attacked the Summa gap in Finland for the 7th consecutive day. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Convicted IRA terrorists Peter Barnes and James Richards were executed at Wilson Green prison, Birmingham, England for their part in a street bombing in Coventry which killed five innocent passers-by. ww2dbase [AC]
- Douglas Bader joined the British No. 19 Squadron RAF flying Spitfire fighters. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | AC]
Germany
- At a conference presided over by Hermann Göring the German General Staff recommended that no research or development should be pursued unless it promised military results within four months. ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | AC]
United Kingdom
- The 4,305-ton Belfast-Liverpool ferry boat Munster, owned by Coast Lines Ltd Liverpool, with 45 crew and 190 passengers on board, as well as cargoes of food stuffs and textiles, triggered a magnetic mine (laid by German submarine U-30 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp) on 6 Jan 1940) in the Queen's Channel northwest of the Mersey Light at 0600 hours. The master, 44 crew members, and 190 passengers were picked up by the British coaster Ringwall and taken to Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Liverpool, England | CPC, HM]
8 Feb 1940
- The Soviet Union asked Finland to choose an island in the Gulf of Finland for a Soviet military base as part of the terms of peace negotiations. Artillery and aerial bombardment on the Mannerheim Line continued, however, together with periodic assaults in the Summa sector. At the Lake Ladoga area in Finland, the various pockets of Soviet troops surrounded by Finnish troops were wiped out one by one; Soviet General Timoshenko did not have any plans to reinforce or rescue these pockets. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- 3 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese aircraft en route to Mengzi, Yunnan, China at 1505 hours. One of the Chinese fighters was heavily damaged and was forced to crash land, injuring pilot Yang Tzu-fan. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 8 Feb 1940
9 Feb 1940
- Winston Churchill made a radio broadcast to warn Bulgaria against joining the Tripartite Pact. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | TH]
- The Finnish defensive Mannerheim Line in the Summa sector began to fall apart, with Soviet troops taking control of a bunker near the village of Karhula. Finnish troops brought up reserves to counterattack, but failed to retake the bunker. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Submarine Squalus was renamed USS Sailfish. ww2dbase [Sailfish | CPC]
- U-23 began her eighth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German destroyers Z3, Z4, and Z16 deployed 110 mines in the Shipwash, a busy sea lane in the North Sea east of Harwich, England. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
Spain
- After sundown, during this dark night with minimal moon light, six German merchant ships sailed out of Vigo, Galicia, Spain, intending on breaking the Allied blockade. The ships were Arucas, Morea, Orizaba, Rostock, Wahehe, and Wangoni. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Vigo, Galicia | HM]
United Kingdom
- The 5,406-ton British steam merchant Chagres, carrying 1,500 tons of bananas from Victoria in the Cameroons, hit a mine and sank 5.5 miles from the Bar Light Vessel near Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. The mine was deployed by German submarine U-30 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp) on 6 Jan 1940. Two crewmen were killed in the explosion but the master and the other 61 were picked up by the AST HMS Loch Montreith and brought into Liverpool. ww2dbase [Liverpool, England | CPC, HM]
- British trawler HMS Fort Royal commanded by Lieutenant Commander Edgar King and trawler HMS Robert Bowen commanded by Skipper Lieutenant John Clark, RNR were sunk by German aircraft off Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. Clark was killed. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Scotland | HM]
Photo(s) dated 9 Feb 1940
10 Feb 1940
- Soviet troops penetrated the Finnish defensive Mannerheim Line, crossing the Munasuo swamp into the Merkki sector. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Two wooden British ships HMS Salve and HMS Servitor successfully swept for magnetic mines on the sea bed, dragging a long charged electrical cable which detonated the mines in their wake. ww2dbase [CPC]
- In response to the six German merchant ships that had sailed out of Vigo, Spain in the previous night, search forces under Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches, Admiral Dunbar Nasmith, were formed. This group consisted of ships of the Home Fleet (battlecruiser Renown, aircraft carrier Ark Royal, cruiser Galatea and destroyers), of the Western Command, the Northern Patrol and of the French Admiral-West. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
- Submarine USS Spearfish departed New London, Connecticut bound for the Pacific. ww2dbase [Spearfish | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-48 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Schultze) stopped 6,843-ton Dutch Nederlandsche-Amerika Line steamer Burgerdijk southwest of the Isles of Scilly. The ship was transporting maize and wheat from the United States to Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The German crew inspected the cargo, and the German commanding officer Schultze declared that the cargo was aimed for the United Kingdom and the ship would be sunk. The The ships crew abandoned ship in lifeboats and were rescued by Dutch steamer Edam 12 hours later. Burgerdijk was sunk by a single torpedo at 1845 hours. ww2dbase [CPC, HM]
- The 1,259-ton Norwegian merchant steamer Silja had been requisitioned by the Norwegian authorities in the autumn of 1939 and had left from Trapani in Sicily, Italy on 26 Jan 1940 with a cargo of salt for Bergen, Norway via Gibraltar where she departed on 5 Feb 1940. At 2059 hours, German submarine U-37 (Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann) reported firing a single torpedo at an unescorted steamer about 75 miles west of Cape Clear, Ireland. The vessel broke in two after being hit aft. The stern part sank immediately, and the fore part followed a few minutes later. There were no survivors of the 15-man crew. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC, HM]
Brazil
China
- Hiroshi Nemoto was named the chief of staff of the Japanese South China Area Army. ww2dbase [Hiroshi Nemoto | CPC]
Germany
United Kingdom
- HMS Hermes completed a period of refitting in Britain. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]
United States
- In Washington DC, United States, President Franklin Roosevelt confronted a booing demonstration of 4,446 members of the American Youth Congress who had marched up Constitutional Avenue with banners condemning the prospect of the US being drawn into an imperialistic war. Angrily he told the demonstrators that American sympathy is overwhelmingly in support of Finnish efforts to stave off invasion, and warned them not to pass resolutions on subjects of which they have no complete knowledge. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | AC]
11 Feb 1940
- Finnish troops were forced to withdraw to secondary defensive positions as the Red Army pierced the Mannerheim Line. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- A comprehensive trade agreement was signed between Germany and the USSR in which Soviet raw materials and food would be exchanged for German machinery and military equipment. ww2dbase [AC]
Arctic Ocean
- The 1,854-ton neutral Swedish merchant steamer Orania was carrying maize and bran from Brazil to Malmö, Sweden when she was struck by a single torpedo from German submarine U-50 (Kapitänleutnant Max-Hermann Bauer) in the Norwegian Sea at 2354 hours. The ship sank within three minutes of the explosion 65 miles north-northeast of the Flugga Lightship, Shetland Islands. U-50 had spotted the ship and although she was lit up, Bauer reported that he could not confirm that the ship was Swedish. All the crew got away in two lifeboats but one with 14 men was never seen again. The others were picked up by the destroyer HMS Faulknor, transferred to HMS Foxhound, another destroyer that took them to Lerwick, Shetland. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Norwegian Sea | HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- At 2230 hours the 8,022-ton tanker Imperial Transport was struck on her port side at the empty #6 tank by a torpedo from U-53 (Korvettenkapitän Harald Grosse). The ship started to break in two 200 miles northwest of the Butt of Lewis. Members of the crew got into two lifeboats but lost two men in the dark night. Later the ship was reboarded after it appeared that the stern section was not going to sink. They were unable to radio for help but managed to sail the stern 130 miles at 4 knots before meeting 4 British destroyers. Attempts were made to tow the half over the next two days with tugs but the weather got worse and the crew had to be taken off again. The section was beached on the Isle of Bute in Kilchatten Bay. The stern section of Imperial Transport was later salvaged and docked in Elderslie Dockyard, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. The battered bulkhead and all distorted material cut away and fitted with a new fore part that was built to the original plans by William Hamilton & Co Ltd, and was launched bow first with deckhouse, mast, derricks and auxiliary equipment complete. The ship returned to service in June 1941. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
- French sloop Elan captured 2,542-ton German merchant ship Rostock in the Atlantic Ocean. Rostock had sailed out of Vigo, Spain on 9 Feb in an attempt to break the Allied blockade. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
Canada
- Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor-General of Canada, died in Montreal. ww2dbase [Montreal, Quebec | AC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 11 Feb 1940
12 Feb 1940
- At 0500 hours, Soviet tanks dragged sleds with explosives on board up to the Million Fort on the Mannerheim Line in Finland. When the sleds were detonated, all defenders inside the fort were killed, but the Soviet 7th Army did not pass through this breach on the Mannerheim Line. Later on this day, near the eastern end of the Mannerheim Line, Soviet troops captured the Kirvesmäki stronghold in Taipale (now Solovyovo, Russia). By the end of the day, the Finnish government agreed that it has little hope other than to seek peace. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- British Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Gleaner located German submarine U-33 laying mines in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland at 0250 hours. U-33 was badly damaged by depth charges and surfaced at 0522 hours, but the submarine began to sink shortly after surfacing, killing 25 men, including commanding officer Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky. One of the 17 survivors had 3 Enigma rotors in his pockets, which was sent to Alan Turing at the Government Code and Cypher School for further study. ww2dbase [Enigma Code Broken | CPC]
- German submarine U-53 sank Swedish ship Dalarö west of Scotland, killing the captain. 29 survivors were rescued by Belgian trawler Jan de Waele. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Erwin Rommel was named the commanding officer of the 7. Panzer-Division. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
- USS Helena arrived at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British destroyer Hasty seized 4,709-ton German merchant ship Morea (4,709-tons) 300 miles west of Porto, Portugal. Morea had sailed out of Vigo, Spain on 9 Feb in an attempt to break the Allied blockade. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC, HM]
- The Norwegian freighter Nidarholm was torpedoed amidships just after 0930 hours by U-26 (Kapitänleutnant Heinz Scheringer) after she had been ordered to stop west of Ireland. The explosion cut the ship in two, the bridge section flying high before crashing overboard. The aft section caught fire with burning cotton bails floating around the lifeboats. The submarine went around the lifeboats and fired between them and the wreck which was not sinking. The Nidarholm's master John Blakseth thought that the Germans were warning him not to approach the burning wreck. The freighter Berto, another Norwegian merchant picked the survivors up and took them to Gibraltar. ww2dbase [HM]
Egypt
- Anthony Eden, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs of the United Kingdom, welcomed the first Australian and New Zealand troops to arrive in Suez, Egypt. ww2dbase [Anthony Eden | Suez | AC]
Germany
13 Feb 1940
- German submarine U-50 fired several torpedoes at Norwegian tanker Albert L. Ellsworth at 0200 hours, missing with all of them. The crew of the tanker panicked and abandoned the ship, with 2 survivors of merchant vessel Snestad (rescued on 11 Feb 1940) drowning in the process. After realizing the ship was not harmed, 42 men reboarded Albert L. Ellsworth and continued on with their journey to Bergen, Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-53 sank Swedish ship Norna west of Ireland, killing 18. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Finnish troops tried to seal the hole on the Mannerheim Line in the Lähde sector, but Soviet tanks stopped the attack. Elsewhere, Finnish troops retook the Kirvesmäki fort on the Taipale River on the Mannerheim Line. In Stockholm, Finnish Foreign Minister Tanner asked Sweden to send troops to Finland; Sweden declined in fear of invasion by both the United Kingdom and Germany as a response. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- The US Senate approved in principle, by a vote of 49 to 27, a loan of US$20,000,000 to be made to Finland, with restriction that none of it to be used fors "arms, ammunition or implements of war". A further two weeks however would elapse before the bill would be passed. ww2dbase [AC]
- 3 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese bombers en route to bomb the bridge on the Xi River near Xiaolongtan, Yunnan, China. One bomber was claimed to be destroyed. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | CPC]
Arctic Ocean
- At 0716 hours in the Norwegian Sea, German submarine U-25 (Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze) fired a shot across the bows of the 5,177-ton Danish motor merchant Chastine Mærsk and signalled for the ship to stop. The Danish captain continued and it took two more shots before he stopped and turned off the engines. The Germans ordered the Danish crew to abandon the ship, when they had rowed clear the submarine continued to shell the vessel until she sank. The Norwegian merchant steamer Hilda picked up the 30 Danes. Schütze had fired his last torpedo at the ship but it had detonated prematurely, he had then followed the Chastine Mærsk until the daylight meant that he could attack with his deck gun. ww2dbase [Norwegian Sea | CPC, HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- HMS Cumberland resumed interception patrol and trade defence in the South Atlantic. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Germany
- Tsingtau was temporarily made into an anti-aircraft gunnery training, cadet training, and torpedo boat target ship. ww2dbase [Tsingtau | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Feb 1940
14 Feb 1940
- German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee's supply ship Altmark reached Norwegian territorial waters off Trondheim. It was Captain Heinrich Dau's intension to remain in neutral Norwegian waters to avoid an attack by the British. ww2dbase [Altmark | CPC]
- German submarine U-57 torpedoed British tanker Gretafield 20 miles east of Wick, Scotland. 10 men were killed while 31 survivors were rescued by trawlers HMS Peggy Nutten and HMS Strathalladale. With 13,000 tons of fuel oil on board, she drifted as the oil burned, eventually running aground. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-53 sank Danish ship Martin Goldschmidt west of Ireland at 0500 hours. 5 men were killed while 5 survivors were rescued by Norweigan ship Berto. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-26 sank British steamer Langleeford 70 miles northwest of Fastnet, Ireland at 0800 hours, killing 4. U-26 picked up 30 survivors, interrogated them, and then sent them to County Clare, Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-48 sank British merchant ship Sultan Star 200 miles west of Land's End, southwestern England at 1700 hours, killing 1 man. Destroyers Whitshed, Vesper, and Acasta retaliated with 22 depth charges but they did not hit U-48. 72 survivors were rescued by Whitshed and delivered to Plymouth, England on the next day. ww2dbase [U-48 | Acasta | CPC]
- Finnish troop began withdrawing from the Lähde sector of the Mannerheim Line. Meanwhile, after heavy bombardment, Soviet troops retook the Kirvesmäki fort on the Taipale River on the Mannerheim Line. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- The British government agreed to allow British volunteers to serve in the Finnish armed forces. ww2dbase [AC]
15 Feb 1940
- North of Lake Ladoga in Finland, Finnish troops destroyed the pocket of surrounded Soviet troops near the village of Lavajärvi, capturing 2 tanks, 5 field guns, 2 anti-tank guns, 8 trucks, 3 machine guns, 4 field kitchens, and rifles. Finnish Commander-in-Chief C. G. E. Mannerheim ordered the II Army Corps to abandon the Mannerheim Line at 2000 hours. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- German submarine U-50 sank Danish ship Maryland west of Scotland at 0207 hours, killing the entire crew of 34. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank Danish ship Aase en route to Bristol at 0545 hours, killing 15. HMS Verity would rescue the sole survivor two days later. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-26 sank Norwegian ship Steinstad 75 miles west of Aran Island, Ireland at 0837 hours, killing 13. The 11 survivors in a lifeboat would not reach land until 20 Feb. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-48 sank Dutch tanker Den Haag (carrying 11,800 tons of oil) 150 miles west of Ouessant at the northwestern tip of France at 1400 hours, killing 26. British ship Glenorchy rescued 13 survivors in a lifeboat. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Major General Erwin Rommel took command of the 7th Panzer Division. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
- Hubert Lanz was made the Chief of Staff for XVIII Armeekorps. ww2dbase [Hubert Lanz | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Canada
- No. 110 Army Co-operation (Auxiliary) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for Britain. ww2dbase [Halifax, Nova Scotia | CPC]
16 Feb 1940
Egypt
- In Egypt, the 7th Armoured Division "The Desert Rats" was created out of the Mobile Division, with Major General Michael Creagh in command. ww2dbase [AC]
Finland
- Finnish troops abandoned the Mannerheim Line overnight, falling back to the V-line by 1545 hours. On the same day, troops of the Finnish 9th Division wiped out the surrounded Soviet "Dolin" ski brigade. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
Norway
- German freighter Altmark, former supply ship for pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, was found by Hudson aircraft of No.233 Squadron RAF in Jøssingfjord, Norway. HMS Cossack captured Altmark and rescued 299 British prisoners of war aboard. ww2dbase [Altmark Incident | Altmark | Sokndal | TH]
United Kingdom
- At the start of the day, 20 miles north of Kinnaird Head, Fraserburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, German submarine U-14 (Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth) sank Danish ships Rhone (killing 9) and Sleipner (killing 13) shortly after midnight; 41 survivors were later picked up by Swedish trawler Standard and HMS Kipling. Toward the end of the day, at 2125 hours, 10 miles north of Kinnaird Head, U-14 struck again, sinking the 1,526-ton neutral Swedish coal ship Osmed, which sank by the bow 2 minutes after the torpedo struck, 10 of the crew were lost, the remaining 7 were picked up by the British trawler Loch Hope and taken to Scrabster, a small harbour in Thurso Bay Caithness, Scotland. 10 minutes later, at 2135 hours, U-14 sank the 1,646-ton neutral Swedish coal ship Liana carrying coal from Blyth to Halmstad, Sweden. She went down within a minute, 10 crew members managed to get off the vessel and these too were picked up by the trawler. Eight of these later boarded the Santos to return to Sweden but the ship was sunk on the 24 Feb 1940 and 6 of them were drowned. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Scotland | CPC, HM]
17 Feb 1940
- Norway protested British neutrality violation of attacking the German ship Altmark in Norwegian waters. ww2dbase [Altmark Incident | TH]
- As it was customary for new corps commanding officers to dine with the Führer, Hitler's aide Colonel Schmundt arranged such a meeting for Hitler and Manstein. Manstein presented his plan for the invasion of France and the Low Countries, which impressed Hitler. ww2dbase [Erich von Manstein | CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank British ship Pyrrhus 75 miles west of La Coruña, Spain at 1600 hours, killing 8. 77 survivors were rescued by British merchant ships Uskside and Sinnington Court, which delivered them to Gibraltar. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-48 sank Finnish ship Wilja south of Bishop Rock, Isles of Scilly, southwestern England at 2036 hours. All 27 crew members were rescued by Dutch steamer Maasdam and were to Havanna, Cuba. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Karl Hermann Frank and Anna Müller were divorced. ww2dbase [Karl Hermann Frank | CPC]
- U-56 ended her sixth patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Netherlands
- At 0200 hours, the 1,819-ton Norwegian freighter Kvernaas sailing unescorted was hit by a single torpedo from German submarine U-10 (Oberleutnant zur See Joachim Preuss) and sank after just 5 minutes 4 miles north-west of Schouwen Bank, Netherlands. The crew got off in 2 lifeboats and were picked up by a Dutch steamer Oranjepolder on her way to London, ENgland, United Kingdom, but turned back and took the survivors to the pilot station at Hoek van Holland the following day. Various sources say that the Kvernaas struck a mine. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC, HM]
18 Feb 1940
- German submarines sank six merchant vessels that each flew French, Spanish, Greek, Panamanian, Dutch, and Norwegian flags. A total of 40 men were killed on the six vessels. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Seeadler escorted battleship Scharnhorst, battleship Gneisenau, and the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. ww2dbase [Seeadler | CPC]
Finland
- Finnish troops destroyed a pocket of Soviet troops north of Lake Ladoga, capturing 32 field guns, 30 anti-tank guns, 1 mortar, 20 tanks, 15 machine guns, 25 trucks, and 32 field kitchen; the Soviets suffered 1,000 deaths and 250 men taken prisoner; Finnish losses were only 166 deaths. At the defensive V-line, however, the Finnish units were overwhelmed and began to be overrun at two locations. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
Germany
- German Army General Franz Halder, reluctantly, as ordered by Adolf Hitler, incorporated General Erich von Manstein's planned thrust through the Ardennes Forest into the invasion plans for France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- German battlecruiser Gneisenau embarked on Operation Nordmark, aiming to intercept British convoy traffic in the North Sea. ww2dbase [Gneisenau | HM]
- German battlecruiser Scharnhorst embarked on Operation Nordmark, aiming to intercept British convoy traffic in the North Sea. ww2dbase [Scharnhorst | HM]
- German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper embarked on Operation Nordmark, aiming to intercept British convoy traffic in the North Sea. ww2dbase [Admiral Hipper | HM]
- German destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp, Karl Galster, and Wolfgang Zenker embarked on Operation Nordmark, aiming to intercept British convoy traffic in the North Sea. During the night, Wolfgang Zenker was forced to return to base when she began taking on water. ww2dbase [HM]
Italy
United Kingdom
- British Royal Navy D-class destroyer HMS Daring (H16; Commander Sydney Alan Cooper), whilst escorting Allied convoy HN-12 from Norway, was attacked by German submarine U-23 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) at 0354 hours. Two torpedoes struck the 1,375-ton ship and she sank immediately about 40 miles east of the Pentland Firth, Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. 147 officers and men were lost. 1 officer and 3 ratings were picked up from a float by HMS Ingleield (D02) and taken to Scapa Flow, Scotland and another rating was found amidst the debris and rescued by the submarine HMS Thistle (N24) assisted by HMS Ilex (D61) and taken to Rosyth, Scotland. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-23 | Scotland | AC, HM]
Photo(s) dated 18 Feb 1940
19 Feb 1940
- The Soviet 18th Division attacked across the frozen Lake Suvanto in the Taipale Sector near Lake Lagoda in eastern Karelian Isthmus. Finnish defenders, with concentrated artillery fire, halted the attack after inflicting nearly 1,000 fatalities. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- German submarine U-23, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer, torpedoed and sank Britisher steamer Tiberton east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland at 0405 hours. Tiberton sank in 30 seconds, taking the lives of the entire crew of 30. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler, alarmed by the Altmark Incident of 16 Feb 1940, ordered to hasten the planning of the invasion of Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp and Karl Galster, participants of Operation Nordmark, were dispatched from the main body for a mission in the Skagerrak between Denmark and Norway and beyond. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- Seeadler began patrolling the Skagerrak strait between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ww2dbase [Seeadler | Skagerrak | CPC]
- U-23 sank British merchant ship Tiberton with a G7e torpedo at 0405 hours in the North Sea about 33 miles east of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. It broke in two and sank within 30 seconds, killing all 34 aboard. The ship was carrying iron ore from Norway, bound for Britain. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-23 | North Sea | CPC]
United States
- US Secretary of State Cordell Hull extended the American moral embargo to include the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Cordell Hull | CPC]
20 Feb 1940
- General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was appointed to command the German invasion of Norway. ww2dbase [Nikolaus von Falkenhorst | TH]
- German submarine U-129 sank Norwegian ship Nordvangen 25 miles east of Trinidad at 0425 hours, killing the entire crew of 2. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-156 torpedoed and crippled American ship Delplata 60 miles west of Martinique, at 1131 hours. The crew of 53 abandoned ship and were rescued by USS Lapwing on the next day, which also scuttled Delplata with gunfire. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet troops began penetrating the Finnish V-line as deep as 1 kilometer in some places. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- The keel for corvette Trillium was laid down. ww2dbase [Trillium | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-96 sank British merchant ship Empire Seal 75 miles southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, killing 1. 56 survivors were rescued by British ship Empire Flame. Empire Seal was carrying steel from the United States to Belfast. At 0453, U-96 struck again, sinking American merchant ship Lake Osweya at 0453 hours, killing the entire crew of 39. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-54 became missing in the North Sea and its crew of 41 were never seen again. It was believed that she ran into mines laid by HMS Ivanhoe and HMS Intrepid in early Jan 1940. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- Operation Normark was called off after the German fleet consisted of Gneisenau, Scharnhorst, and Admiral Hipper failed to spot any British convoys in the North Sea. The ships headed for Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [North Sea | HM]
- Seeadler completd her patrol of the Skagerrak strait between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ww2dbase [Seeadler | Skagerrak | CPC]
Poland
- Representatives of the German Gestapo organization (including Adolf Eichmann) and the Soviet NKVD organization (including Grigoriy Litvinov) met at Zakopane, Poland to coordinate the suppression of Polish resistance efforts. ww2dbase [Gestapo-NKVD Conferences | Zakopane | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 20 Feb 1940
21 Feb 1940
- The British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Gurkha (Commander A. W. Buzzard) and the French destroyer La Fantasque shared in the depth charging and destruction of the 753-ton German submarine U-53. ww2dbase [AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-50 torpedoed and sank Dutch ship Tara 50 miles southwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain at 0300 hours. The entire crew escaped harm. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-57 damaged British steamer Loch Maddy 25 miles southeast of Wick, Scotland, United Kingdom, killing 4. She would be sunk by U-23 on the following day. 35 survivors were picked up by destroyer HMS Diana. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- British cruiser Manchester and destroyer Kimberly of the Northern Patrol captured 4,709-ton German merchant ship Wahehe in the Atlantic Ocean. Wahehe had sailed out of Vigo, Spain on 9 Feb in an attempt to break the Allied blockade. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
Finland
- The Finnish V-line on the Karelian Isthmus continued to be overwhelmed; Soviet penetrations in the line now began to move toward Viipuri, Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler authorized the Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway. Lieutenant General Falkenhorst was ordered to submit his final invasion plan by 1700 hours on the same day. Having no clue he was to be assigned this commanding role prior to the meeting and given little time to prepare, Falkenhorst purchased a traveler's guide to Norway and used it to design a general invasion plan; the general plan he would devise in his hotel room in the next few hours would generally agree with the plan the OKW had come up with thus far. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Poland
United Kingdom
- Emergency measures were introduced in Britain to deal with a coal shortage caused by the severe winter. On the railways, passenger train services are cut back. ww2dbase [AC]
- The cavity magnetron, a device that produced stable high-power short-wave radio waves for what would become "Centrimetric radar" was operated for the first time at the physics department of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Edgbaston, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 21 Feb 1940
22 Feb 1940
- Georg von Küchler ordered his subordinates to stop all forms of criticism toward Nazi racial policies. ww2dbase [Georg von Küchler | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Six German destroyers were launched into the North Sea during Operation Wikinger, which attempted to attack British fishing boats that had been reporting the movement of German warships. He 111 aircraft of the German Luftwaffe, never been notified of such an operation, misidentified the destroyers and attacked them, sinking destroyer Z1 Leberecht Maas at 1945 hours, killing 282 while 60 survived. Destroyer Z3 Max Schultz was able to evade the bombs, but ran into a minefield, detonated a mine, and sank, killing 308. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- In the Atlantic Ocean, German submarine U-23 sank British steamer Loch Maddy, which was damaged by U-57 and abandoned by its crew on the previous day. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-23 | North Sea | CPC]
- German submarine U-50 sank British tanker British Endeavour 125 miles west of Vigo, Spain, killing 5. 32 men were rescued by British steamer Bodnant, which landed them on the Portuguese island of Madeira. ww2dbase [CPC]
Finland
- Soviet 43rd Division attacked across frozen waters of the Gulf of Finland, capturing the islands of Lasisaari and Koivisto. Before Koivisto was given up, Finnish troops sabotaged all the gun barrels in the coastal batteries. ww2dbase [The Winter War | Koivisto | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Irish Republican Army bombs injured 12 in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
23 Feb 1940
- Sweden denied British and French troops passage across her borders with Finland. ww2dbase [TH]
- In return for withdrawing from Petsamo, USSR demanded ceding of Karelian Isthmus and shores of Lake Ladoga, along with a 30-year lease on the Hangö Peninsula and a mutual assistance treaty. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- The Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire, including relics of Christian mythology, were removed from public display in Nürnberg, Germany. They were moved after dark to a secret location for safe storage. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British destroyer HMS Gurkha sank German submarine U-53 by depth charges 25 miles south of the Faroe Islands in the North Sea, killing the entire crew of 42. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The citizens of London, England, United Kingdom cheered the officers and men of HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax as they returned from South American waters. ww2dbase [Battle of the River Plate | London, England | CPC]
24 Feb 1940
- Foreign ministers from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden reasserted the neutrality of their home countries, jointly declaring that they would not assist Finland and would not allow foreign troops to enter their territories. Ignoring this declaration, British envoy to Finland Sir George Gordon Vereker continued to promise 20,000 to 22,000 Allied fighters for Finland if Finland would make such a request by 5 Mar 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-63 sank Swedish merchant ship Santos 70 miles east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland at 2100 hours, killing 31. 12 survivors were rescued by HMS Gallant on the next day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain condemned Hitler's aggression but said that he was prepared to negotiate with an alternative German government. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | AC]
- Hitler gave approval to detailed plans for the invasion of France and the Low Countries. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | AC]
- USS Helena departed Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- M1 rammed and sunk four Danish fishing trawlers Ejjam (E 92), Gerlis (E 456), Merkator (348), and Polaris (E 504) off the Dogger Bank in the North Sea. There were four crewmen aboard each ship, and even though some survived the sinking initially, commanding officer Oberleutnant zur See Hans Bartels of M1 did not pick up any survivors, thus all of them would eventually be lost. Bartel suspected that the trawlers were reporting German movements to the British while flying the flag of a neutral nation. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | M1 | North Sea | CPC]
Italy
- Commander Mario Giorgini took command of 1a Flottiglia MAS, a motor torpedo boat flotilla. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- The 2,266-ton British cargo steamer Royal Archer (built in 1928) hit a mine laid by German submarine U-21 off Kirkaldy, Scotland, United Kingdom and sank. The 27 crew and a gunner were saved. The ship was on route from London for Leith carrying a cargo of 630 tons general cargo including gum, paste, etc. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Scotland | HM]
- The 5,941-ton cargo steamer Clan Morrison, requisitioned by the British Admiralty, was steaming from Southampton to Blyth struck a mine and sank 20 miles north of Cromer, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Cromer, England | HM]
25 Feb 1940
- British submarine HMS Narwhal, escorting convoy HN-14 from Bergen, Norway to Methil, Scotland, spotted German submarine U-63 on the surface at 0755 hours, which dove to avoid attack. Destroyers Escapade, Escort, Inglefield, and Imogen attacked the submarine with depth charges for nearly 2 hours, finally forcing her to surface at 0950 hours. U-63 was scuttled 100 miles east of Wick, Scotland. Of the German crew, 1 was killed, and 24 were captured by Inglefield and Imogen. The German prisoners of war were landed at Leith, Scotland on 27 Feb 1940; they would remain in Britain until the end of the war. ww2dbase [CPC]
- No. 110 Army Co-operation (Auxiliary) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force arrived in Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
Photo(s) dated 25 Feb 1940
26 Feb 1940
- Soviet troops continued to attack toward Viipuri, Finland. The Finnish 23rd Division counterattacked with 8 Mark E light tanks in the Battle of Honkaniemi, destroying 3 Soviet tanks but all 8 light tanks were lost during the engagement. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The 4,354-ton German merchant ship Orizaba, having successfully breaking the British-French blockade outside of Vigo, Spain, ran aground off Troms in northern Norway. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
United Kingdom
- Newly-constructed British large passenger liner Queen Elizabeth left Clydeside, Glasgow, Scotland on the spring tide. To prevent German attack, false intelligence regarding her destination being Southampton in southern England was generated, but her actual destination was New York in the United States. She would reach New York for her final fitting. ww2dbase [Queen Elizabeth | Clydeside, Scotland | CPC]
27 Feb 1940
- Soviet troops launched a pincer movement intended at surrounding Viipuri, Finland; at 1900 hours, Finnish Army Lieutenant General Erik Heinrichs ordered his troops to fall back from the defensive positions on the V-line and withdraw into Viipuri. Meanwhile, the government of Finland requested assistance from Norway and Sweden for the war against Russia, but Norway and Sweden continued to express that they were neutral in the conflict and could not assist Finland. On the same day, 300 Finnish children were evacuated to Stockholm, Sweden. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
United States
28 Feb 1940
- At 0045 hours, Soviet High Command permitted the surrounded 34th Tank Brigade to retreat from the East Lemetti pocket in Finland. Finnish troops eased pressure and allowed 2,750 wounded Russian soldiers to escape on foot. About 1,000 out of the 1,250 who escaped to the south returned safely, but all 1,500 who escaped to the east were later caught by Finnish ski troops and killed. Finnish attacks on the East Lemetti pocket continued later in the day. On the Karelian Isthmus, however, Soviet troops were able to penetrate the second defensive line. Finally, troops of the Swedish Volunteer Corps took over front line duties against Soviet troops at Salla, Lapland in northern Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- The United Kingdom and France offered military assistance for Finland, but they were waiting for Finland to issue a formal request for such aid. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German merchant ship Wangoni evaded the British submarine Triton in the Skagerrak, and would safely reach Kiel, Germany. Wangoni had sailed out of Vigo, Spain on 9 Feb in an attempt to break the Allied blockade. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
29 Feb 1940
- Negotiations to end the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union began, but fighting continued. Soviet troops crossed the frozen Gulf of Finland and landed 15 miles west of Viipuri in an attempt to surround the city, but they were defeated by Finnish troops, capturing only Teikari Island. Elsewhere, Finnish troops wiped out the surrounded Soviet troops in the East Lemetti pocket at 0400 hours, capturing 5 field guns, 1 anti-tank gun, 71 tanks, 12 armored cars, 6 anti-aircraft machine guns, 206 trucks, and 70 machine guns. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- German submarine U-20 torpedoed and sank Italian steamer Maria Rosa in the English Channel, killing 12. 17 people were rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German steamers Heidelberg and Troja left the Dutch island of Aruba in the Caribbean Sea after dark in an attempt to evade Allied patrols. Troja was intercepted 10 miles from Aruba from British cruiser Despatch; her crew set fire to the ship and abandoned her, which sank on the next day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler approved Nikolaus von Falkenhorst's invasion plan for Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
United Kingdom
- RMS Queen Elizabeth set sail from Scotland, United Kingdom for New York, United States. ww2dbase [Queen Elizabeth | Scotland | CPC]
United States
- In a ceremony held in Berkeley, California (because of the war) physicist Ernest Lawrence received the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics from Swedish Consul General in San Francisco. ww2dbase [Berkeley, California | CPC]
1 Mar 1940
- Adolf Hitler issued a formal war directive for Weserübung, the invasion of Norway and Denmark. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | AC]
- The Libyan 1st and 2nd Divisions were formed by the Italian Army. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Gusztáv Jány was named the commanding officer of Hungarian 2nd Army. ww2dbase [Gusztáv Jány | CPC]
- Hartwig von Ludwiger was made the commanding officer of 83rd Infantry Regiment of 28th Infantry Division. ww2dbase [Hartwig von Ludwiger | CPC]
- The German steamship Troja was intercepted by British cruiser HMS Despatch (D 30) and scuttled by her own crew about 10 nautical miles west of Aruba. ww2dbase [HM]
- HMS Cumberland on passage to Freetown, British West Africa (now Sierra Leone). ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Germany
- US Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles arrived in Berlin, Germany on a peace mission, and met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop on the first day of his visit. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | Berlin | TH]
- U-1 was assigned to the German Navy Submarine School Flotilla. ww2dbase [U-1 | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The 1,388-ton Norwegian steamship Vestfoss was bombed by a German aircraft 12 miles southeast of Auskerry, one of the Orkney islands, on a voyage from Partington, Manchester, England, United Kingdom to Oslo, Norway with coal. The pilot of the bomber first allowed the crew to escape; all 19 went to the boats and would survive the attack. The Vestfoss was found later on fire and was taken on tow, but foundered two hours later. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Scotland | HM]
United States
2 Mar 1940
- The United Kingdom and France once again requested Sweden and Norway to allow passage of Allied troops through their borders in order to aid Finland, should Finland formally requested such aid from the Allies. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- O'Brien was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The cargo-liner SS Domala carrying mainly British Indian subjects repatriated from Germany was bombed and machine gunned off the Isle of Wight by a German He 111 aircraft with the loss of 108 lives. Dutch ship Jong Willem, which rescued 48 of the 183 survivors, was also strafed. Beached and later repaired, she went back into service under the name Empire Attendant only to be torpedoed and sunk south of the Canary Islands in Jul 1945 with the loss of all 59 hands. ww2dbase [English Channel | AC]
- British cruiser HMS Berwick stopped German steamer Wolfsburg, which was disguised as Norwegian ship Aust, north of Iceland. Wolfsburg was scuttled by her crew of 54, who were all subsequently rescued by Berwick. Berwick sank Wolfsburg by gunfire before departure. ww2dbase [Denmark Strait | CPC]
- British cruiser HMS Dunedin stopped German steamer Heidelberg 60 miles west of Aruba in the Caribbean Sea. Heidelberg was scuttled by her crew of 25, who were all subsequently rescued by Dunedin and later delivered to Jamaica. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea | CPC]
- The 695-ton Dutch motor merchant Rijnstroom loaded with general cargo was hit in the bow by a torpedo fired by German Submarine U-17 (Kapitänleutnant Udo Behrens) and sank within five minutes. The ship was reported missing after leaving the Downs (an area of safe anchorage in the southern North Sea) just a small amount of wreckage was later found, none of the 12-man crew survived. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
- The 2,818-ton Swedish merchant steamer Lagaholm with 4,700 tons of general cargo, including 100 tons of aluminium ingots, 62 tons of copper, 53 tons of brass, engines and chemicals and mail was stopped by German submarine U-32 when 80 miles west of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0715 hours. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and after questioning the Germans gave them a course to steer to the nearest land. At 0810 hours the submarine shelled and set the Lagaholm alight after which she sank. The survivors were picked up by a Norwegian merchant ship Belpamela and taken to Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
Finland
- Soviet troops attempted to establish a beachhead west of the Finnish city of Viipuri across the frozen Viipuri Bay, while pressure was asserted on the city from its south and east. An attempt was orchestrated on 29 Feb 1940 without success; likewise, this newly dispatched unit failed to establish a beachhead, however, the Soviet troops were able to capture the coastal battery on the island of Tuppuransaari, which had caused high casualties on both attempts. ww2dbase [The Winter War | Viipuri | CPC]
- Hungarian volunteers reached a training facility in Finland after 3 weeks of travel. They immediately began training with the Finnish Army, but they would not complete the training before the end of the Winter War. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler met with US Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Berlin | CPC]
Hong Kong
- The British submarine HMS Proteus (Lieutenant Commander R. T. Gordon-Duff, RN) departed from Hong Kong for her first war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Vladivostok, Russia. ww2dbase [HM]
Singapore
- The British submarine HMS Rover (Lieutenant Commander H. A. L. Marsham, RN) departed Singapore for Hong Kong. ww2dbase [Singapore | HM]
United Kingdom
- The 5,222-ton Italian steam tanker Mirella, built in 1918, was on route from Tyne, England, United Kingdom for Livorno, Italy with 3,900 tons of coal when she was torpedoed by German submarine U-20 just off Lowestoft, Suffolk, England at 0315 hours. One member of her crew was lost. ww2dbase [Lowestoft, England | HM]
United States
3 Mar 1940
- Italy protested UK-proposed ban on Italian imports of German coal. ww2dbase [TH]
- Two days after the offered peace ultimatum expired, Soviet forces launched a major offensive against the Finns. A beachhead on the frozen Viipuri Bay west of the Viipuri city was reinforced, while the island of Uuras was captured. Finnish General Wallenius was dishonorably discharged for getting drunk during this key moment in the defense; Lieutenant General Lennart Oesch was appointed to succeed him. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- British cruiser HMS York stopped the 3,359-ton German steamer Arucas 50 miles south of Iceland. Arucas' crew of 42 Arucas scuttled the ship. 3 died in the process. 39 men were picked up by HMS York. Arucas had sailed out of Vigo, Spain on 9 Feb in an attempt to break the Allied blockade. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | York | CPC, HM]
- German submarine U-29 laid mines in the Bristol Channel. British steamer Cato hit one of them later on this date, killing 13; 2 survivors were rescued by minesweeper HMS Akita. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler decided that the invasion of Norway would take place prior to the invasion of France. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Germany
- Hermann Göring met with US Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | Berlin | CPC]
Russia
- In a session of the Soviet Politburo in Moscow, Russia, Joseph Stalin and the five Politburo members approved the execution of captured Polish officers and land owners. ww2dbase [Katyn Massacre and Related Atrocities | Moscow | CPC]
United Kingdom
- As the large passenger liner Queen Elizabeth sailed for New York, British agents released false information regarding the final destination being Southampton in southern England, United Kingdom. German intelligence apparently picked up this information as Luftwaffe aircraft appeared to bomb Southampton on this date, the date when Queen Elizabeth was falsely said to arrive. ww2dbase [Queen Elizabeth | CPC]
4 Mar 1940
- French steamer S.N.A.1 collided with British ship Thurston 30 miles north of Land's End in southwestern England at about 0000 hours. S.N.A.1 sank, with 30 survivors rescued by Thurston. At 0523 hours, however, German submarine U-29 sank Thurston, killing 64. 3 British and 1 French were subsequently rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-29 sank British ship Pacific Reliance at 1239 hours, destroying the cargo of aircraft parts. The entire crew of 53 were rescued by British merchant ship Macville and delivered to Newlyn, Cornwall, England. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet and Finnish troops continued to fight near Viipuri, Finland, particularly near the Vuoksi River near Äyräpää church. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- The Chief Executive Officer of the American firm General Motors James Mooney, holder of the German Grand Cross of the German Eagle medal for his services to Germany, met with Adolf Hitler in an attempt to dissuade Hitler from escalating the war. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland transferred to 6th Cruiser Squadron and continued interception and trade defence duties. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Germany
- US Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles departed Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Berlin | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 4 Mar 1940
5 Mar 1940
- The Soviet Politburo declared the Polish officers in captivity "enemies of the Soviet Union" and ordered death sentences for all of them, fearing that, if released back into the population, they would organize resistance movements against the Soviet occupation. ww2dbase [Katyn Massacre and Related Atrocities | CPC]
- Despite heavy casualties delivered by the Finnish Air Force, Soviet forces captured more islands in Viipuri Bay in Finland and asserted more pressure on the city of Viipuri. The Soviet Union renewed its peace offer, and this time it was seriously considered by Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- German submarine U-17 torpedoed and sank Dutch steamer Grutto 20 miles off Belgium at 2100 hours. Grutto sank within 6 minutes of the attack, killing all 18 aboard. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Hermann Göring complained that he was not consulted for the planning of the Norwegian invasion. ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | CPC]
- German merchant steamers Hannover, Mimi Horn and Seattle departed Curaçao. ww2dbase [HM]
China
- Communist Chinese troops laid siege to Yanchuan County seat, Shaanxi Province, China; the local paramilitary forces loyal to the Nationalists would quickly surrender. ww2dbase [Yanchuan, Shaanxi | CPC]
Germany
- Fleet escort ship F3 was recommissioned as a fleet tender, with the new name of Hai. ww2dbase [F3 | CPC]
6 Mar 1940
- Based on a compromise of the original plan, modifications to the German invasion plan of the west were approved by Hitler. ww2dbase [TH]
- British cruiser HMS Berwick intercepted German freighter Uruguay northeast of Iceland. Just as the boarding began, Uruguay's crew set the ship on fire. Berwick sank Uruguay with gunfire after withdrawing the boarding party and bringing the German crew on board. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Fighting between Finnish and Soviet forces continued south, east, and west of Viipuri, Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Dutch submarines O9, O10, and O11 departed from Den Helder Naval Base. Before they left the harbor, O11 collided with the armored tug BV3; 3 men were killed as they were trapped in O11 while she sank. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The French battleship Jean Bart was launched. ww2dbase [Jean Bart | AC]
- Major General Wilhelm S¸ssmann stepped down as the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Submarine USS Spearfish arrived at San Diego, California. ww2dbase [Spearfish | DS]
Belgium
- The first of thirty-four FIAT CR.42 Falco biplane fighter aircraft ordered by the Belgian government in Sep 1939 entered service with the 3ème Escadrille de Chasse. This unit had twenty-five CR.42 aircraft available when the Germans invaded on 10 May 1940 but lost thirteen machines destroyed by Ju 87B dive-bombers during the opening Luftwaffe attack, and the survivors played little part in the subsequent defence of Belgium. ww2dbase [CR.42 Falco | AC]
Finland
- Simo Häyhä was shot in the lower left jaw by a Soviet soldier in combat in Finland. ww2dbase [Simo Häyhä | CPC]
Norway
- The 19 survivors of Norwegian steamship Vestfoss, sunk by German aircraft five days prior, were landed at Oslo, Norway the trawler Star of Liberty. ww2dbase [Oslo | HM]
Russia
7 Mar 1940
- The British boarded 9 Italian ships from Rotterdam carrying German coal in the English Channel and detained all ships at The Downs, off Deal, Kent, England. The Italians believed that it was an attempt for the British to force the Italians to sell them weapons. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet troops began to break through the final defense line at Viipuri, Finland. Meanwhile, Finnish Prime Minister Ryti and his diplomatic party arrived in Moscow, Russia in an attempt to negotiate peace. In the United Kingdom, British Chief of the Imperial General Staff Edmund Ironside offered military assistance to Carl Mannerheim of Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler allocated 8 divisions for the invasion of Norway and Denmark. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Oberst Alois Stoeckl was named the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German merchant steamer Hannover was intercepted by the Canadian destroyer Assiniboine and the British cruiser Dunedin in the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The Canadians prevented the German crew from scuttling their ship inside Dominican waters by sending a boarding party. During the hunt for the Hannover which also included the French cruiser Jeanne d’Arc, German steamers Mimi Horn and Seattle, which sailed out of Curaçao together with Hannover two days prior, were able to get away. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea | HM]
Netherlands
- The 1,965-ton Dutch steam merchant Vecht was torpedoed in the Scheldt Estuary at 0430 hours by German submarine U-14. The submarine had spotted the steamer three hours earlier and reported that she carried no neutrality markings. The Vecht sank by the stern after twenty minutes. All 22 crewmen perished. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
United States
8 Mar 1940
- As Soviet troops entered the suburbs of Viipuri, Finnish diplomats in Moscow sought an immediate ceasefire while negotiations were still proceeding, but were refused as Soviet troops were on the verge of taking Viipuri. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- British cruiser HMS Dunedin and Canadian destroyer HMCS Assiniboine captured German steamer Hanover near Jamaica. Hannover would later be converted into escort aircraft carrier HMS Audacity. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British steamer Counsellor, flagship of Rear Admiral Franklin of convoy HX-22 convoy, struck a mine in Liverpool Bay, England. The Admiral, his 7 naval staff, and the entire crew of 70 were rescued by destroyer HMS Walpole and landed at Liverpool. The mines were laid on 6 Jan 1940 by German submarine U-30; these mines had claimed 6 ships totaling 33,000 tons. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
- Ferdinando Calda was named the commanding officer of Leonardo da Vinci. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 8 Mar 1940
9 Mar 1940
- The British released the Italian coal ships detained on 7 Mar 1940 and announced that the United Kingdom would allow Italy to continue to import German coal but only via overland routes. ww2dbase [TH]
- Soviet troops captured the village of Tali on the outskirts of Viipuri and for the most part were in control of the Bay of Viipuri. Finnish leader Mannerheim suggested that surrender might be Finland's only option at this stage. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- German submarine U-14 sank 3 British steamers 5 miles off of the Belgian coast near Zeebrugge: SS Borthwick at 0542 hours, no lives lost; SS Abbotsford at 2330 hours, killing 19; SS Akeld 2345 hours, killing 12. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-38 fired a warning shot from its deck gun toward 6 neutral Irish trawlers 10 miles north of Aran Island, Ireland at the distance of 200 meters at 2113 hours. Trawler Leukos was hit by the warning shot, killing the entire crew of 11 during the sinking. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-28 torpedoed and sank Greek steamer P. Margaronis 125 miles west of Brest, France at 2317 hours, killing the entire crew of 30. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The 2,719-ton British steamer Chevychase hit a mine whilst steaming over the Cromer banks, east coast of England, United Kingdom. 21 survivors were picked up, of whom 8 were wounded. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
- The Estonian cargo ship Hanonia, captured by the German submarine U-34 in 1939, had been laying mines off North Foreland, Kent, England, United Kingdom since the beginning of the month when she struck a rock and was grounded. The ship was towed to Bergen, Norway by the Germans for repairs. She would later be sunk by a mine in May 1940. The mines she had laid off Ken sank seven cargo ships: the Santa Godelieva, the Amor, the Rose Effeuillee, the Melrose, the Saba, the Saint Annaland and the Tina Primo. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
Taiwan
- Lieutenant General Mikio Uemura was named the chief of staff of the Taiwan Army. ww2dbase [CPC]
Photo(s) dated 9 Mar 1940
10 Mar 1940
- German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop met with Mussolini in Italy, informing him Hitler's wish to invade France and lobbied for him to conduct a joint-invasion. Mussolini promise to join Germany, but only when he felt Italy was ready. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Repair ship Akashi was commissioned into service with Captain Shutoku Miyazato in command. ww2dbase [Akashi | CPC]
China
- Zang Xilan graduated from advanced flight training in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. ww2dbase [Zang Xilan | Kunming, Yunnan | CPC]
Japan
- Captain Gunji Kogure was named the commanding officer of Settsu. ww2dbase [Settsu | CPC]
Russia
- Noted Russian writer and playwright, Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940), whose work Joseph Stalin liked but would not allow to be staged or read, passed away. When Bulgakov's play about Stalin's early life was turned down in 1939, he became ill and depressed, and died less than a year later. His crowning achievement, the novel The Master and Margarita, was not published until 1968. ww2dbase [AC]
United Kingdom
- HMS York disembarked 39 German sailors captured from merchant ship Arucas on 3 Mar at Kirkwall, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [York | Kirkwall, Scotland | HM]
Photo(s) dated 10 Mar 1940
11 Mar 1940
- 5 Soviet tanks reached Tammisuo Station in northeast Viipuri, Finland while Finnish delegates in Moscow negotiated peace terms. At 1800 hours, the two sides came to an agreement that would be signed into a peace treaty on the following day. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- British and French governments dispatched troops to Sweden in an attempt to capture Swedish iron mines. Norway and Sweden made the statement that they would resist such an invasion. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-28 torpedoed and sank Dutch tanker Eulota 125 miles west of Quessant, France at 0317 hours. The ship broke in two but remained afloat until HMS Broke and HMS Wild Swan arrived to rescue the entire crew of 42. Eulota was scuttled upon completion of the rescue. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Blenheim bombers of 82 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command attacked German submarine U-31, on sea trials, in Jade Bay near Wilhelmshaven. 2 of the 4 anti-submarine bombs hit U-31, killing all 58 (48 crew, 10 dock workers) on board. U-31 would later be refloated only to be sunk again, the only WW2 ship to suffer the misfortune of being sunk twice in the war. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop met with Mussolini in Italy regarding German-Italian cooperation in the war. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The 2,325-ton Dutch steam merchant Amor struck a mine in the North Sea that had been laid by the German minelayer Schiff II/Ulm two days prior. The ship sank near to the West Hinder Light, Zeebrugge. There were no casualties among the crew of 33. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
France
- French battleship Bretagne and cruiser Algérié, escorted by destroyers Vauban, Aigle, Maille Breze, departed Toulon, France. Bretagne had onboard her 1,200 gold bars, while Algérié carried 1,179 gold bars; these gold bars totaled 147 tons in weight. These gold bars from the French gold reserves were bound for Halifax, Canada for safekeeping. ww2dbase [Bretagne | Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | AC, HM]
United Kingdom
- The 165-ton British trawler Halifax struck a mine after leaving Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom and sank 12 miles to the east south east of the port. There were no casualties. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Lowestoft, England | HM]
- The 163-ton British fishing vessel Aberdeen (LT123), whilst heading to the Cardigan Bay fishing grounds from Milford Haven in Wales, United Kingdom, was attacked by German aircraft. The bombs, all near misses, caused enough damage for the trawler to take on water. Eight of the ten crew lost their lives as the vessel sunk. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Wales | HM]
12 Mar 1940
- At 0900 hours, Finnish President Kyösti Kallio authorized his delegates in Moscow full powers to negotiate peace terms. Soviet representatives had drafted a document dated today, ready for the Finnish delegation to sign. The document called for Finland to give up 35,000 square kilometers of territory to Russia, which constituted about 10% of the country, including Salla, the Karelian Isthmus, and Ladoga Karelia, housing about 12% of the entire Finnish population. The Hanko Peninsula was also forced to be leased to the Soviets for 30 years for use as a military base. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- Swedish offered Finland a defensive alliance, but it was too late to help Finland as it was about to surrender to the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [CPC]
- A transport of 1,000 German Jews was forced to march through cold weather toward the Lublin Ghetto. 72 German Jews died of exposure. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Under Secretary for State Sumner Welles returned to the US from a fact finding mission, during which he met with one Pope, two Kings, one Führer, One Duce, and three Premieres. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler met with Colin Ross, whom Hitler considered to be his top adviser on the United States. Ross told Hitler that the United States, run by Jews, had imperialist tendencies in terms of foreign policy. Ross also advised Hitler that Franklin Roosevelt, who had come to power around the same time as Hitler, was jealous of Hitler's greater success thus was plotting with the Western Allies to defeat Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop continued his meeting with Mussolini in Italy, setting up a conference between Hitler and Mussolini to be held some time on or after 19 Mar 1940. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- HMS Sealion (Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Bryant, RN) was detected, hunted and depth charged by a German armed trawler in the North Sea about 25 nautical miles to the north-west of Heligoland. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
Germany
- Emden arrived at Swinemünde, Germany and joined Group 5 being organized for the invasion of Oslo, Norway. ww2dbase [Emden | Swinemünde, Pommern | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 20,000 British troops embarked on transport ships at Rosyth, Scotland and waited for the order to sail to Norway, through which country they would march into Finland to aid in the war against Soviet Union as well as to secure iron mines in Sweden. ww2dbase [Rosyth, Scotland | TH]
- The 3,745-ton British steam merchant Gardenia was en route from Casablanca, Morocco to Middlebourgh, England, United Kingdom, when she struck a mine and sank off Cromer, Norfolk, east coast of England. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Cromer, England | HM]
United States
- Henry Arnold received a warning from Franklin Roosevelt for having voiced complaints against policies set forth by Roosevelt's cabinet. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | CPC]
13 Mar 1940
- At 0200 hours in Moscow (0100 hours Finland time) Finnish and Soviet representatives signed the Moscow Peace Treaty prepared on the previous day. Finnish President Kyösti Kallio noted that the treaty was "the most awful document I have ever had to sign." Ceasefire would take place at 1100 hours; both sides continued to bombard the other with ferocity until the ceasefire time came. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- British troops originally Norway-bound were disembarked from their transports without ever having left port. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Fleet Landing Exercise No. 6 in the Caribbean Sea, participated by personnel of the US Navy and US Marine Corps, drew to a close. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The British armed merchant cruiser HMS Maloja (F 26) intercepted the 7,414-ton German merchant La Coruna south-east of Iceland. However before the German ship can be captured she was scuttled by her own crew. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
- German submarine U-44 hit a mine in Mine Field No. 7 in the North Sea laid by the destroyers HMS Express, HMS Esk, HMS Icarus and HMS Impulsive. All 47 aboard were killed. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
Denmark
- The 3,303-ton German cargo ship Eschersheim, on voyage from Bremen, Germany to Oslo, Norway with coke, hit a submerged wreck two miles south from Hirthals and Lønstrup region and was lost. Six crewmen lost their lives. ww2dbase [Hirthals, Nordjylland | HM]
Finland
- Simo Häyhä regained consciousness after being severely injured in the face in combat a week prior in Finland. ww2dbase [Simo Häyhä | CPC]
Germany
- Joachim von Ribbentrop informed the Italians that Adolf Hitler would like to push the date of the upcoming Brenner Pass meeting with Benito Mussolini up to on or about 18 Mar 1940. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Punjabi nationalist Udham Singh assassinated Sir Michael O'Dwyer in Caxton Hall in Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom in retaliation for Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in India. O'Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time of the massacre. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Mar 1940
14 Mar 1940
- The Finnish Parliament met and debated over the ratification of Moscow Peace Treaty. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- The first of the over 450,000 Finnish civilians in the territories ceded to Russia per the Moscow Peace Treaty began to move into Finland. Some of them burned their homes to the ground to leave as little to the conquerors as possible. ww2dbase [CPC]
- According to Alfred Jodl's diary entry for this date, Adolf Hitler was actively searching for excuses that would justify the planned invasion of Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- HMS Eagle suffered an accidental bomb explosion while off the Nicobar Islands, killing 14 and damaging many aircraft. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
- U-56 began her seventh patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Russia
- Viktor Abakumov was promoted to the rank of State Security Major. ww2dbase [Viktor Abakumov | CPC]
United Kingdom
- First "bombe" decipher machine became operational at Bletchley Park in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Bletchley Park | Milton Keynes, England | CPC]
- British Foreign Minister Lord Halifax began to ask Finland to return some of the supplies that the British had given to Finland for the Winter War. He retracted the request shortly after Finnish Ambassador to London G. A. Gripenberg reminded him that Finland had paid for the relatively small amount of goods that Britain offered. ww2dbase [Halifax | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 14 Mar 1940
15 Mar 1940
- The Finnish parliament ratified the Moscow Peace Treaty, 145 votes for and 3 votes against. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- British Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Kanimbla impounded Soviet steamer Vladimir Mayakovsky, which was carrying American copper and bound for Germany, in the Sea of Japan. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- U-1 began her first war patrol. ww2dbase [U-1 | CPC]
Poland
- British RAF bombers dropped propaganda leaflets over Warsaw, Poland. ww2dbase [Warsaw | CPC]
Romania
- In Romania, King Carol II granted amnesty to members of the fascist Iron Guard party after they swore allegiance to him. ww2dbase [Carol II | CPC]
Singapore
- HMS Eagle arrived at Singapore for repairs for damage caused by the accidental explosion of 14 Mar 1940. ww2dbase [Eagle | Singapore | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 15 Mar 1940
16 Mar 1940
- Benito Mussolini held peace talks with US envoy Sumner Welles in Rome. ww2dbase [Benito Mussolini | CPC]
- Yugoslavian steamer Slava hit a mine laid by German submarine U-29 on 2 Mar 1940 and sank in the Bristol Channel, killing 1. 33 were rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
Netherlands
- Isaac Sweers was launched at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. ww2dbase [Isaac Sweers | Vlissingen, Zeeland | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 32 German Ju 88 dive bombers bombed the Royal Navy Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. HMS Norfolk was hit with one bomb, blowing a hole below the water line and killing 6. James Isbister became the first British civilian to be killed by a German bomb when his house in the nearby village of Bridge of Waithe. ww2dbase [Scapa Flow | Scapa Flow, Scotland | TH]
17 Mar 1940
Germany
- Fritz Todt, although he had no experience in the military field, was made the Reichminister for Armaments and Munitions by Adolf Hitler. ww2dbase [Fritz Todt | CPC, AC]
United Kingdom
- In the wake of a German raid on Scapa Flow, the British Admiralty admitted that the Home Fleet base was vulnerable to air attacks. The fleet was ordered to depart Scapa Flow between 19 and 26 Mar. In anticipation of this move, German submarines U-57, U-19, U-21, and U-22 began to move toward Scapa Flow in an attempt to attack the departing warships. ww2dbase [Scapa Flow | Scapa Flow, Scotland | CPC]
- German submarine U-38 torpedoed and sank Danish merchant vessel Argentina east of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 2325 hours, killing the entire crew of 33. ww2dbase [Unst, Scotland | CPC]
- British miners from Nottinghamshire, England voted to forgo vacations to support the war effort. ww2dbase [Nottinghamshire, England | CPC]
18 Mar 1940
Netherlands
- German bombers attacked Dutch trawler Protinus off Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, killing several people including the captain and the first mate. 10 found their way to the lifeboat but 2 of them would perish before they were found by submarine HMS Unity 6 days later. ww2dbase [Ijmuiden | CPC]
United Kingdom
- HMS Edinburgh arrived at Tyne, England, United Kingdom for a refit. ww2dbase [Edinburgh | Tyne, England | CPC]
- Alan Turing's first electromechanical machine, "bombe", was installed. ww2dbase [Alan Turing | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 18 Mar 1940
19 Mar 1940
- In retaliation for the Scapa Flow raid, the RAF attacked the German seaplane base on Sylt Island, but with little effect. Meanwhile, British Whitley bombers of 10 Squadron No. 4 Group RAF Bomber Command dropped 1,500 pounds of bombs over the Hornum seaplane base in Germany also as part of the retaliatory bombing. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarine U-19 sank Danish steamer Minsk in the Moray Firth, Scotland at 0935 hours, killing 11. Destroyer HMS Esk rescued 9 survivors. At 1037 hours, U-19 struck again, sinking Danish steamer Charkow, killing the entire crew of 20. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Members of the British House of Commons debated Britain's lack of action during the Winter War and criticized Prime Minister Chamberlain. Chamberlain noted that Finland never officially requested British military aid. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
- The French Parliament criticized Prime Minister Daladier for the French inaction during the Winter War. Daladier resigned after a vote of no confidence. ww2dbase [Édouard Daladier | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Jervis collided with Swedish steamer Tor northeast of Blyth, England at 0300 hours, killing 2 aboard Jervis. She would be under repair until Jul 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- Yosuke Matsuoka departed Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Yosuke Matsuoka | Berlin | CPC]
- M18 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [M18 | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 19 Mar 1940
20 Mar 1940
- British bombers sank converted minesweeper Sperrbrecher 12 (former steamer Altenfels) off the Dutch coast. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-22 departed Wilhelmshaven. Communications with the submarine was lost shortly after, its crew of 27 was never seen again. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-19 sank Danish steamer Viking in the Moray Firth, Scotland at 0500 hours, killing 15; 2 survived. At 0515 hours, she sank Danish steamer Bothal, killing 15; 5 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Fortune sank German submarine U-44 off Narvik, Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Chinese troops attacked Japanese-occupied Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
- U-56 ended her seventh patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Russia
United States
- RMS Queen Mary departed New York, New York, United States. ww2dbase [Queen Mary | New York | CPC]
21 Mar 1940
- Paul Reynaud was named the Prime Minister of France. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarine U-38 sank neutral Danish merchant ship Algier 15 miles north of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0100 hours, killing 5; British trawler Manx King rescued 18 survivors At 0326, U-38 torpedoed another Danish ship, Christiansborg, killing 1; HMS Discovery II rescued 24 survivors from the damaged Danish ship. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British and Turkish delegations met in Syria. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Chinese troops captured Japanese-occupied Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
Japan
- Paul Wenneker began serving as a naval attaché at the German embassy in Tokyo, Japan. ww2dbase [Paul Wenneker | Tokyo | CPC]
Russia
- Semyon Timoshenko was made a Hero of the Soviet Union for the first time and the Order of Lenin for the second time. ww2dbase [Semyon Timoshenko | CPC]
- Kirill Meretskov was made a Hero of the Soviet Union and was awarded his second Order of Lenin. ww2dbase [Kirill Meretskov | CPC]
United States
22 Mar 1940
- French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud named his predecessor Édouard Daladier as Minister of War despite their opposite political views. ww2dbase [Édouard Daladier | CPC]
- Soviet military personnel began to arrive at the Hanko Peninsula in Finland, which had been leased by the Soviet Union as part of the Moscow Peace Treaty that ended the Winter War. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Royal Navy increased patrols in Norwegian waters. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British government was warned of the possibility of a German nuclear weapon. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Chinese troops secured major roads leading into Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. A small Japanese force was immediately deployed to counterattack, with more troops being transferred to reinforce the counteroffensive. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
China
- American gunboat USS Asheville arrived at Gulangyu island, an international zone, near Xiamen, China. ww2dbase [Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The first boats of the French 10th Submarine Flotilla, Sibylle, Antiope, and Amazone, arrived at Harwich on the east coast of England, United Kingdom together with their depot ship Jules Verne. The boats would reinforce the British Home Fleet. 5 more boats would arrive during the next 10 days plus some boats of the 2nd Submarine Flotilla. The Sibylle would be the first to go out on active war patrol. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Harwich, England | HM]
23 Mar 1940
- Dutch fighters accidentally shot down a RAF bomber near Rotterdam. ww2dbase [TH]
- The British Malaya Force was formed to observe German merchant ships in Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine (HMS Truant or HMS Trident) intercepted German merchant ship Edmund Hugo Stinnes IV 6 miles off of the western coast of Denmark at 2330 hours. The German ship sailed closer to shore before being scuttled by its crew. The abandoned ship was later torpedoed and sunk by the submarine. ww2dbase [CPC]
- IRA prisoners at Dartmoor, England staged a riot. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Deportation of Jews in German-occupied Eastern Europe continued despite of Hermann Göring's order for a temporary pause. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
China
- Eiji Nishimura was named the head of Unit 1855, a Japanese Army medical unit for human experimentation, in Beiping, China. ww2dbase [Eiji Nishimura | Beiping | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 23 Mar 1940
24 Mar 1940
- French destroyer La Railleuse suffered an accidental torpedo detonation as she was departing Casablanca, Morocco. La Railleuse was lost; 28 were killed and 24 were wounded. ww2dbase [CPC]
25 Mar 1940
- Hungarian Prime Minister Pál Teleki met with Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano; Teleki voiced neutrality for Hungary. ww2dbase [Pál Teleki | CPC]
- Swiss inteliigence warned Norway regarding evidence of a German invasion, but Norway chose to ignore the warning. ww2dbase [CPC]
- French Prime Minister Reynaud wrote to the British War Cabinet, proposing ideas to undermine any possibility of further Soviet expansion in Scandinavia. British Prime Minister Chamberlain refused to cooperate as he refused to build hostility with the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British government forbade captured servicemen to participate in enemy propaganda radio broadcasts. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-47 sank Danish steamer Britta 30 miles north of Scotland at 0540 hours, killing 13. 5 survivors were rescued by Danish steamer Nancy. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- German submarine U-57 sank British tanker Daghestan 9 miles east of Orkney Islands, Scotland at 0811 hours, killing 3. 29 survivors were picked up by armed anti-submarine trawlers HMS Northern Wave and HMS Brontes. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The United States gave contractors to the US Army Air Corps the authority to sell to anti-Axis governments the most modern types of combat aircraft. ww2dbase [AC]
- By this date, the strength of the Japanese counteroffensive near Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China had grown to 3,000 men with artillery and aircarft support. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
26 Mar 1940
- German submarine U-38 stopped Norwegian merchant ship Cometa 65 miles northwest of Noup Head, Orkney Islands, Scotland and gave Cometa's crew one hour to abandon ship. At 0220 hours, U-38 hit the abandoned Cometa with one torpedo. The crew of 31, 6 Swedish passengers, and 5 British sailors were later rescued by HMS Northern Sky. ww2dbase [CPC]
- French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud called for his country to wage total war against Germany. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Chinese troops evacuated Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-22 became missing in the North Sea, its crew of 27 was never seen again. It was probable that she hit a mine. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
Russia
- Joseph Stalin refused to meet Adolf Hitler to discuss an issue regarding a border dispute in occupied Poland. ww2dbase [Joseph Stalin | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The British War Cabinet debated French Prime Minister Reynaud's proposal of attacking Soviet oilfields at Baku on the Caspian Sea and Soviet shipping in the Black Sea. Agreeing with the British Prime Minister Chamberlain, the proposals were rejected by the cabinet. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
27 Mar 1940
- New Zealand Prime Minister Michael Savage died from cancer. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
- The French government requested the Soviet Union to recall its ambassador to Paris, France. ww2dbase [Paris | CPC]
US Pacific Islands
- A dredge was towed to Midway Atoll to begin work to enlarge the basin and channels between the two main islands. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Midway | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 27 Mar 1940
28 Mar 1940
- Although the United Kingdom rejected French suggestion to expand the war by attacking the Soviet Union, the two nations agreed on naval mining. Operation Wilfred (mining Norwegian waters) and Operation Royal Marine (mining the Rhine River) were both planned to commence on 5 Apr 1940; the latter was pending approval of the French War Committee. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Norwegian steamer SS Burgos hit a German mine and sank 30 miles west of Skegness, England. Survivors were rescued by British sloop HMS Pelican. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German merchant steamer Mini Horn was scuttled in the Denmark Strait. ww2dbase [Denmark Strait | HM]
29 Mar 1940
- To prepare for the planned mining of Norwegian waters, the British General Staff prepared Plan R4 to react against a possible German intervention by invading Norway. It called for the 1st Cruiser Squadron to deliver an infantry brigade to Narvik and a battalion to Trondheim and for transports to deliver a battalion to each of Stavanger and Bergen. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British armed merchant cruiser HMS Transylvania intercepted German freighter Mimi Horn between Iceland and Greenland. Mimi Horn's crew of 41 scuttled the ship to prevent enemy capture. The crew were rescued by Transylvania. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov declared the Soviet Union neutral in the on-going European War. ww2dbase [Vyacheslav Molotov | CPC]
Germany
- U-1 completed her first war patrol. ww2dbase [U-1 | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 29 Mar 1940
30 Mar 1940
- Germany supplied weapons to the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Winston Churchill acknowledged Soviet neutrality in the European War. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- French Minister of Defense Daladier persuaded the French War Committee not to ratify British proposal to mine the Rhine River. British responded by threatening to abandon the plan to mine Norwegian waters. ww2dbase [Édouard Daladier | CPC]
- Japanese troops began to evacuate Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
China
- Japan installed a puppet government in Nanjing, China under the leadership of Wang Jinwei. ww2dbase [Wang Jingwei | Nanjing | CPC]
Finland
Photo(s) dated 30 Mar 1940
31 Mar 1940
- British Prime Minister Chamberlain called off the mining of the Norwegian coast in protest of the French resistance to the mining of the Rhine River. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
- German WWI-era battleship Hessen (serving as ice breaker) and armed merchant cruisers Atlantis, Orion, and Widder departed from Kiel, Germany for their various anti-Allied shipping missions. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Mussolini informed King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy that Italy would soon enter the European War. ww2dbase [Benito Mussolini | CPC]
- Japanese troops completed the evacuation of Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
- The armed merchant raider Atlantis set sail from Germany. ww2dbase [Atlantis | AC]
United Kingdom
- The British Ministry of Informations introduced paper rationing to publishing and printing industries. The ration, based on consumption over the year 1938-1939, would continue until 1948. ww2dbase [AC]
1 Apr 1940
- Hitler set the date of the Denmark and Norway invasion to be 9 Apr 1940. 2 divisions were allocated for Denmark and 6 division for Norway, while a bulk of the German Navy was to support the overall operation. Coordinated support in the air from the Luftwaffe was also planned. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- British Royal Navy Vice Admiral Max Horton, in charge of submarines operating in Britain, dispatched 9 British submarines, 2 French submarines, and 1 Polish submarine to patrol the waters near Norway and Denmark in anticipation of a German invasion of the two countries. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The towns of Ota, Kuai, Sawano, and Niragawa in Gunma Prefecture, Japan were merged to form a new town of Ota. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The fourth group of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was established. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Otto Kretschmer stepped down as the commanding officer of U-23. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
- Lieutenant Commander Edwin Layton was relieved of command of Wickes-class destroyer USS Boggs. ww2dbase [Edwin Layton | DS]
- Submarine USS Spearfish departed San Diego, California bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i. ww2dbase [Spearfish | DS]
China
French Antilles
Germany
- The work to convert fleet escort ship F2 was halted. ww2dbase [F2 | CPC]
- Fleet escort ship F7 was assigned to the 25th Submarine Flotilla as a torpedo recovery vessel. ww2dbase [F7 | CPC]
- Fleet escort ship F8 was assigned to the 25th Submarine Flotilla as a torpedo recovery vessel. ww2dbase [F8 | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), created by Act of Parliament on 24 Nov 1939, took over the activities of British Airways and Imperial Airways. ww2dbase [AC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 1 Apr 1940
2 Apr 1940
- In the afternoon, Adolf Hitler issued the directive for the invasion of Denmark and Norway, with the planned launch date to be 9 Apr 1940. Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop was made aware of the invasion for the first time so that his office could help develop excuses for the invasion. Meanwhile, Dutch border guards were placed on full alert due to the detected German deployments. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German submarine U-38 sank Finnish steamer Signe of convoy HN-23A at 0021 hours, killing the entire crew of 19. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarines began to patrol waters that Vice Admiral Max Horton suspected to be routes of German invasion of Norway. For example, HMS Unity patrolled the Heligoland Bight while HMS Sunfish patrolled the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Werner Mölders shot down Flight Lieutenant C. D. Palmer's Hurricane fighter of No. 1 Squadron RAF. On this date, he also received the Iron Cross 1st Class award. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Germans attacked Allied Scapa Flow and North Sea convoys. ww2dbase [North Sea | TH]
United States
3 Apr 1940
- Katyn Massacre: Over 20,000 Polish police, military officers, and intellectuals were massacred by the Soviet NKVD. ww2dbase [Katyn Massacre and Related Atrocities | CPC]
- Winston Churchill was appointed to chair a committee for war policy in Neville Chamberlain's cabinet. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- A pro-Axis government came to power in Iraq. ww2dbase [TH]
- Submarine Orzel departed Rosyth, Scotland, United Kingdom to patrol the coast off Kristiansand, Norway. ww2dbase [Orzel | CPC]
- Flight Lieutenant Ryder of No. 41 Squadron RAF became the first RAF pilot to be shot down on home defence duties when he ditched his Spitfire fighter in the sea off Redcar, England, United Kingdom after bringing down a Heinkel 111 bomber. Ryder and the German crew were picked up safely. ww2dbase [AC]
- Chinese troops secured the Wuyuan region in Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Wuyuan | CPC]
- A British Short Sunderland flying boat on patrol off Norway attacked by six Junkers Ju 88 aircraft successfully shot one down, forced another to land immediately and drove the rest off. ww2dbase [S.25 Sunderland | AC]
Germany
- German supply ships began departing Hamburg, Germany for the invasion of Norway; in all 7 freighters of 28,693 tons would set sail. The British cabinet was warned of this action and the German concentration of troops within hours. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Hamburg | CPC, HM]
United States
Photo(s) dated 3 Apr 1940
4 Apr 1940
- Aktion 14 F 13 began; it was the first documented proof that the Nazi German regime conducted mass extermination of the handicapped in concentration camps. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
- British newspapers reported concentrations of troops in German ports. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Vice Admiral Max Horton ordered British submarine HMS Snapper to depart Harwich naval base for the Skagerrak between Denmark and Norway and French submarines Amazone and Antiope (under British command) to depart Harwich for the Frisian Islands and Heligoland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- U-56 began her eighth patrol west of Scotland, United Kingdom; off the Norwegian coast; and off the Shetland Islands, Scotland. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
France
- Winston Churchill traveled to Paris, France to persuade the French on a plan to mine Norwegian waters. Unable to convince French leadership to mine the Rhine River at the same time, Churchill decided that the British would mine Norwegian waters without French cooperation. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | Paris | CPC]
Germany
- U-1 began her second and final war patrol. ww2dbase [U-1 | CPC]
Netherlands
- The Netherlands declared itself in a state of siege. ww2dbase [TH]
5 Apr 1940
- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that a German invasion of Western Europe would not be successful. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Spearfish departed Blyth for the Danish coast in search for potential German invasion fleets for Denmark and Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
China
Germany
Philippines
- USS Stewart arrived at Cavite Navy Yard, Philippines for overhaul. ww2dbase [Stewart | Cavite | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom informed Norway and Sweden of its intent to mine Norwegian waters; British warships departed Scapa Flow at 1830 hours for this operation. Force WB consisting of two minelaying destroyers sailed for the Norwegian coast between the towns of Bud and Kristiansund. Force WS, consisting of minelayer Teviot Bank and destroyers Inglefield, Ilex, Imogen and Isis sailed for waters off Stadtlandet, but this force would be recalled before laying any mines. Force WV consisting of minelaying destroyers Esk, Icarius, Impulsive and Ivanhoe, escorted by the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of 4 destroyers, set sail for waters near Bodö. The operation had a covering force under Vice-Admiral William Whitworth on battlecruiser Renown and destroyers Hyperion, Hero, Greyhound and Glowworm. Glowworm turned back in heavy weather to recover a rating that was washed overboard. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Scapa Flow | Scapa Flow, Scotland | TH, HM]
Photo(s) dated 5 Apr 1940
6 Apr 1940
- RAF Bomber Command suspended leaflet dropping missions in Germany. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-59 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer Navarra 20 miles off the Scottish coast at 0316 hours, killing 12. Finnish steamer Atlas rescued 14 survivors in a lifeboat. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarines Truant and Seal departed Rosyth, Scotland for the Norwegian coast, while Tarpon was ordered to patrol the German coast near Helgoland Bight. ww2dbase [CPC]
- RAF aircraft conducted a photo reconnaissance mission over Kiel, Germany to monitor preparations for the German invasion of Norway. German Kriegsmarine's Marine Gruppe 1 departed Cuxhaven, Germany for Narvik, Norway with 2,000 soldiers on 10 destroyers escorted by battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Marine Gruppe 2 departed Wesermünde, Germany for Trondheim, Norway with 1,700 soldiers on 4 destroyers escorted by cruiser Admiral Hipper. Both departures were made after nightfall to escape British detection. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Orion departed Germany on her first raiding mission. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-1 disappeared in the North Sea, and the crew of 24 were never seen again. The submarine most likely was lost to a British naval mine. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- U-1 struck a British naval mine and sank in the North Sea. ww2dbase [U-1 | North Sea | CPC]
Germany
- Emden embarked 600 troops at Swinemünde, Germany. ww2dbase [Emden | Swinemünde, Pommern | CPC]
- Fleet escort ship F2 was recommissioned into service. ww2dbase [F2 | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 6 Apr 1940
7 Apr 1940
Germany
- In the morning, the first German naval forces set sail for Operation Weserbüng. The huge Frorce was split into 10 groups under overall command of Admiral Rolf Carls. In the force were the old battleship Schleswig-Holstein, the heavy cruisers Hipper, Blücher and Lützow, with light cruisers Köln, Königsberg and Karlsruhe. There were also over 20 destroyers, mineseepers and torpedo boats, as well as tenders and transports. Admiral Karl Dönitz made up 9 submarine groups to accompany the surface vessels, 31 submarines in all; the U-boat operations would end as a total failure: despite good conditions the torpedoes showed defects in the depth-keeping mechanisms and the magnetic fuses failed, ending in only 6 Allied sinkings at the cost of 4 submarines. At 1325 hours, Hudson reconnaissance aircraft of No. 220 Squadron RAF spotted a part of German Marine Gruppe 1 and reported the presence of 1 cruiser and 6 destroyers at 1325 hours, sailing in a northward direction; 12 Blenheim and 24 Wellington bombers were dispatched to attack this group but the attack was not successful. The British Admiralty, receiving reports of major German naval movements, incorrectly assumed the Germans were launching a major attack into the Atlantic Ocean. The Home Fleet departed from Scapa Flow at 2115 hours, while the 1st Cruiser Squadron disembarked the troops already on board in order to prepare for a battle on the open seas. Nevertheless, British submarines continued to patrol the European coast for German activity rather than going out to the open seas; HMS Shark and HMS Seawolf departed Harwich naval base to patrol off Dutch coast, while HMS Clyde and HMS Thistle departed Scapa Flow to patrol the coast of Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC, HM]
Italy
Photo(s) dated 7 Apr 1940
8 Apr 1940
- British destroyer HMS Glowworm discovered German Navy Marine Gruppe 1 at 0800 hours and was fired upon by cruiser Admiral Hipper at close range. Outgunned, Glowworm's captain decided to ram the German cruiser, which caused heavy damage for Admiral Hipper but it also led to her sinking, which killed 118, including commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope, who received a posthumous Victoria Cross, the first of the war; captain Hellmuth Heye of Admiral Hipper spoke highly of Roope's courage. Off Narvik, British destroyers Esk, Icarus, Impulsive, and Ivanhoe mined Vestfjord at 0500 hours in preparation for landings by British and French forces at Namsos, Narvik, and Andalsnes; Norway was informed of this action at 0600 hours. Meanwhile, German Navy Marine Gruppe 3 departed Wilhelmshaven, Germany for Bergen, Norway (1,900 troops aboard 2 cruisers, 1 transport, 1 minelayer, and 5 torpedo boats), Marine Gruppe 4 and Marine Gruppe 6 departed Cuxhaven, Germany for southern Norway (1,250 troops), and Marine Gruppe 5 departed Swinemünde, Germany for Oslo, Norway (2,000 troops aboard 3 cruisers, 8 minesweepers, and 3 torpedo boats). In Britain, Vice Admiral Max Horton dispatched 6 more submarines to intercept these additional German invasion fleets; many of his peers were against this decision, believe there would not be any additional fleets being dispatched by the Germans. Among the 6 newly dispatched British submarines included HMS Ursula, HMS Triad, and HMS Sterlet, which departed to patrol the Skagerrak between Denmark and Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German Field Marshal Keitel ordered the transfer of active military servicemen who were 50% Jewish and those who were married to women who were 50% Jewish to reserve or militia units. ww2dbase [Wilhelm Keitel | CPC]
- Kapitänleutnant Heinz Beduhn was named the commanding officer of U-23. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Germany
Norway
- German passenger-cargo ship Rio de Janeiro, pressed into service by the German Army, was transporting troops and horses for the invasion of Norway when she was attacked by the Polish submarine Orzel (under British command) while off Lillesand in southern Norway at 1150 hours. Orzel's first torpedo missed, and the second scored a hit but failed to sink the ship. With smoke pouring from the stricken transport, the order was given to abandon ship. A third torpedo struck the ship amidships, breaking its back and sinking her. About 150 men including 97 Luftwaffe Flak troops and 80 horses drowned. There were 183 survivors. German sailors rescued by Norwegian ships admitted that they were en route to attack Bergen. ww2dbase [Orzel | TH, HM]
- Albatros attempted to hunt down British submarine HMS Triton, which had tried to attack the German force off the Norwegian coast; Triton escaped unharmed. Later that day, as the German force approached the Norwegian coast, Norwegian patrol boat Pol III rammed Albatros. Albatros fired upon Pol III, thus gaining the honor of having fired the opening salvos of the German-Norwegian war. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Albatros | Oslofjord | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 8 Apr 1940
9 Apr 1940
- German troops crossed into Denmark at 0500 hours, with landings near Copenhagen unopposed; the Danish government surrendered within the same day, and Germany completed the conquest Denmark with only 20 casualties. To the north in Norway, German troops attacked four locations. At Narvik, German destroyers sank Norwegian coastal cruisers Eidsvold and Norge, killing 276. At Trondheim, German warships pretended to be British ships and sailed by the coastal batteries without being hassled, thus the city was captured with relative ease. At Bergen, the coastal batteries at Fort Kvarven damaged German cruiser Königsberg and minelayer Bremse. Off Bergen, German Ju 88 and He 111 aircraft attacked British battleship HMS Rodney and destroyer HMS Gurkha at 1400 hours; Rodney was hit by a dud 500-kg bomb, and Gurkha sank at 1600 hours, killing 15; only four German Ju 88 aircraft were lost in this attack. Finally, at Oslo, the batteries at Oscarborg sank German cruiser Blücher in the Oslofjord, killing 830. Out at sea, British battlecruiser HMS Renown intercepted German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau after they had successfully escorted Marine Gruppe 1 to Narvik; Renown fired first, hitting Gneisenau three times, but received two hits before the German ships disengaged from the battle. Given the dire situation, the Norwegian royal family, the government, and the country's gold reserves (with over 48 tons of gold) departed from Oslo at 0830 hours. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Truant torpedoed and heavily damaged German cruiser Karlsruhe in the Skagerrak at 1957 hours. After the crew was rescued, German torpedo boat Grief scuttled Karlsruhe. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Cruiser Köln participated in the invasion of Norway. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- French submarine Sybille, under British command, departed Harwich, England, United Kingdom to patrol the North Sea west of Denmark. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
Norway
- HMS Rodney was hit by a German aerial bomb off Karmøy, Norway; the bomb failed to detonate. ww2dbase [Rodney | Karmøy | CPC]
- German merchant steamer Seattle was lost off Kristiansand, Norway when she was mistaken for a German Navy supply ship and was fatally damaged by Norwegian 15-millimeter guns of the Odderøya forgress. The surviving crew were taken as prisoners of war for about one day until their civilian identities were confirmed. The wreck of Seattle burned for several days before finally sinking. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Emden transferred 350 of her 600 carried troops onto Räumboote minesweepers, which would act as landing ships for the Oslo, Norway invasion operation. At 1555 hours, Emden began firing on the Oscarborg fortress. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Emden | Oslo, Østlandet | CPC]
- Seeadler arrived off Kristiansand, Agder, Norway, assisted in the capture of the fortress in the morning, and departed for Kiel, Germany at 1800 hours. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Seeadler | Kristiansand, Agder | CPC]
- Albatros was hit by a shell from Norwegian minelayer Olav Tryggvason at Karljohansvern, Horten, Norway, killing two and wounding two. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Albatros | Horten, Vestfold | CPC]
United Kingdom
- HMS Howe was launched at Govan, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Howe | Govan, Scotland | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 9 Apr 1940
See all photos dated 9 Apr 1940
10 Apr 1940
- German submarine U-4 sank HMS Thistle at Stavanger, Norway at 0213 hours, killing the entire crew of 53. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Tarpon attacked a German armed merchant vessel with torpedoes 50 miles off of the Danish coast, which fought back with depth charges. Tarpon was sunk during the counterattack, killing the entire crew of 53. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 torpedoed Swedish motor tanker Sveaborg 10 miles north of the Faroe Islands between Scotland and Iceland at 0215 hours, killing 5. Norwegian merchant vessel Tosca arrived to rescue the 29 survivors on and around the burning Sveaborg. At 0323 hours, U-37 returned and sank Tosca with one torpedo, killing 2. Survivors from both ships were later rescued by British armed boarding vessel HMS Northern Chief. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Henry Tizard established the Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee in the United Kingdom to investigate the feasibility of an atomic weapon. ww2dbase [Operation Trinity and Manhattan Project | CPC]
- Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht daily radio report. ww2dbase [Nikolaus von Falkenhorst | CPC]
- Fleet Air Arm Skua dive bombers sank the German cruiser Königsberg in Bergen harbour in Norway. She was the first major warship to be sunk by dive bombing in the war. ww2dbase [Königsberg | AC]
- U-23 completed her eighth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Iceland
- The Icelanic parliament, Althing, granted full powers of government to the Icelandic cabinet, thus effectively declaring independence from Denmark, which was then under German occupation. ww2dbase [CPC]
Norway
- At the First Battle of Narvik, 10 German destroyers were attacked in the Ofot fjord by 5 British destroyers. 2 German destroyers, 11 merchant ships, and 1 supply ship were sunk. 2 British destroyers were lost. Both commanding officers, British Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee and German Commodore Friedrich Bonte, were killed in the action. Warburton-Lee was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross and Bonte the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Narvik | CPC]
- Emden entered the port of Oslo, Norway and began serving as a communications ship coordinating messages between German Army, Navy, and Air Force units. ww2dbase [Emden | Oslo, Østlandet | CPC]
- Albatros escorted merchant ship Curityba as she unloaded troops on the Norwegian island of Rauøy. Upon completion of the escort mission, Albatros sailed southeast and struck the Gyren shoal southwest of Frederikstad, Norway at the speed of 20 knots. She was lost, and the survivors were taken aboard auxiliary ship V707 Arthur Dunker. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Albatros | Fredrikstad, Viken | CPC]
11 Apr 1940
- British submarine HMS Spearfish damaged the German pocket battleship Lützow, knocking it out of action for one year as one of the six torpedoes fired nearly ripped off the German ship's stern. Not realizing Lützow was unescorted, Spearfish fled from the action as soon as she fired her torpedoes. ww2dbase [Deutschland | CPC]
- In Norway, the German 196th Division moved north from Oslo up the Gudbrandsdal and Østerdal valleys in an attempt to link up with the German forces in Trondheim. In an attempt to halt the German advances, RAF attacked the Stavanger airfield in southern Norway. Norwegian Army General Kristian Laake was relieved of command for his failures in the opening chapters of the German invasion; General Otto Ruge took over as his successor. Meanwhile, German collaborator Vidkun Quisling sent a message to King Haakon VII of Norway, asking him to return to Oslo; seeing through his plot to use him as a puppet, the king chose to ignore the request. Seeing a lack of response from the king and his government, German bombers attacked the village where they were hiding in a failed attempt to wipe out Norwegian leadership. In Britain, Winston Churchill spoke at the House of Commons and used Norway as an example to urge other smaller neutral European countries to join the Allies before Germany violated their neutrality as well. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- British troops occupied the Faroe Islands between Scotland and Iceland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Cruiser Köln returned from Norway, arriving at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
- In a report to the War Office in London, British General Lord Gort of Limerick, VC, stated that his five regular-army divisions were effective, although not up to the standards of the British Expeditionary Force of 1914. The remaining eight Territorial divisions, he reported were, fit only for static warfare. ww2dbase [John Vereker | AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Battleship Warspite and aircraft carrier furious joined the Home Fleet which continued unsuccessfully to find the German force west of Norway. Light cruisers and some destroyers were detached for re-fuelling. A sortie was made by battleships Rodney, Valiant and Warspite, the carrier Furious and the heavy cruisers Berwick, Devonshire and York under command of Admiral Charles Forbes. An unsuccessful attack was undertaken against three German destroyers after the cruiser Hipper set out undetected and heads south with the destroyer Friedrich Eckoldt. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | North Sea | HM]
12 Apr 1940
- The British Cyprus Regiment was established from volunteers from the Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus. ww2dbase [AC]
Denmark
- Seeadler arrived off the Danish coast and provided assistance for the damaged heavy cruiser Lützow. ww2dbase [Seeadler | CPC]
Germany
- Luftflotte 5 was formed in Hamburg, Germany under the command of Generaloberst Erhard Milch for operations in Norway. Milch would soon establish his headquarters in Oslo, Norway. ww2dbase [Erhard Milch | Hamburg | CPC]
Norway
- Norwegian artillery Major Hans Holtermann and 250 volunteers began reactivating the old fort at Ingstadkleiva near Trondheim, Norway, which would become known as Hegra Fortress for defense against the Germans. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Stjørdal, Nord-Trøndelag | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German submarine U-37 sank British ship Stancliffe with one torpedo 45 miles northeast of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0942 hours, killing 21. 16 survivors in one lifeboat would later make a landing at nearby Unst Island. ww2dbase [Shetland Islands, Scotland | CPC]
- Corporal Jack H. Langridge of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, assigned to a Wellington bomber of No. 149 Squadron RAF, became the first of 1,670 New Zealanders to be killed while serving with RAF Bomber Command during the war. The aircraft took off from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, attacked Stavanger Airfield in Norway during daylight, and was shot down around 1610 hours by a Bf 110 fighter just off of the coast southwest of Stavanger. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Mildenhall, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 12 Apr 1940
13 Apr 1940
- RAF Hampden bombers of No. 44, No. 49, No. 50, No. 61, and No. 144 Squadrons began laying magnetic mines in German coastal waters. ww2dbase [AC]
- Oswald Mosley's son Max Rufus Mosley was born. ww2dbase [Oswald Mosley | CPC]
- U-23 began her ninth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- HMS Acasta joined the escort force for Convoy NP1, transporting troops toward Narvik, Norway. ww2dbase [Acasta | CPC]
Norway
- At Narvik, Norway, a British naval force consisted of battleship HMS Warspite and 9 destroyers under the command of Vice Admiral William Whitworth entered Ofotfjord; in the Second Battle of Narvik, Warspite's Swordfish torpedo bomber sank German submarine U-64 with bombs, while surface vessels sank 3 destroyers, with another 5 German ships scuttled by their own crews after suffering extensive damage; three British ships were damaged in the battle; without their ships, 2,600 German sailors went on land and served as infantrymen; Whitworth radioed London, noting that German forces at Narvik were now stranded, and a single brigade could defeat them. Meanwhile, off Trondheim, Norwegian cruiser-minelayer Frøya was damaged by German warships while defending the Agdenes fortress; German submarine U-34 scuttled Frøya to prevent salvage. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Warspite | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Apr 1940
14 Apr 1940
- German minesweeper M6 sank British Royal Navy submarine Tarpon. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 350 British Royal Marines landed at Namsos, Norway to prepare for the arrival of the 146th Territorial Brigade; these Marines were the first British forces to land in Norway. German paratroopers of the 7th Flieger Division were paradropped into Dombås, Norway; after heavy casualties incurred largely due to the fact that they landed right into Norwegian 11th Infantry Regiment's camp, they successfully damage the nearby railways and occupied farmhouses, thus able to hamper with Norwegian transportation efforts for several days. Out at sea, British submarine HMS Sterlet damaged the German gunnery training ship and minelayer Brummer in the Skagerrak between Norway and Sweden with torpedoes; Brummer would remain afloat until the next day. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- King Haakon of Norway appealed to his people to resist but the Germans warned that any civilians aiding the British will be rounded up and shot. ww2dbase [Haakon VII | AC]
15 Apr 1940
- British unemployment figure decreased to 973,000, which was the lowest figure since 1920. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyers Fearless and Brazen sank German submarine U-49 with depth charges near Narvik, killing 1. 41 Germans were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British 15th Brigade boarded transports in France and were sent for Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Vidkun Quisling was removed from power in Norway. ww2dbase [Vidkun Quisling | CPC]
Australia
- Edmund Herring departed Australia for Palestine as a part of Major General Iven Mackay's headquarters. ww2dbase [Edmund Herring | CPC]
Germany
- Walter Grabmann was named the commanding officer of the Zerstörergeschwader 76 wing. ww2dbase [Walter Grabmann | CPC]
Korea
Norway
- British troops landed in the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway in response to German invasion; their original objective was to secure the rail line to Swedish iron ore fields. Also in northern Norway, instead of making a landing directly at Narvik against an unknown number of German defenders, British Major General Pierse Mackesy decided to land his troops north of the city at an undefended location; due to the large amounts of snow on the ground, his troops would have to wait before making a major advance at Narvik. Further south, the British 146th Territorial Brigade landed at Namsos and was immediately ordered to march south toward Trondheim, which saw attacks by RAF Blenheim bombers based in the United Kingdom; it was the first time the Bomber Command sent aircraft based in the UK against targets overseas. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Yugoslavia
- Italian "Barfile" naval infantry battalion landed on Krk (Italian: Veglia), Croatia, Yugoslavia. ww2dbase [Krk, Croatia | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 15 Apr 1940
16 Apr 1940
- The ill-equipped British 24th Brigade landed at Harstat, Norway 37 miles north of Narvik. Meanwhile, at Namsos, the reserve unit 148th Territorial Brigade boarded cruisers HMS Carlisle and HMS Curacoa for Trondheim, without their anti-aircraft weapons due to lack of space. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German submarine U-3 and British submarine HMS Porpoise engaged in combat with torpedoes 10 miles southwest of Egersund, Norway. No hits were scored. ww2dbase [CPC]
Denmark
- Allied troops landed at the Faroe Islands, a constituent country of Denmark. ww2dbase [Faroe Islands | TH]
Iceland
17 Apr 1940
Australia
- RMS Queen Mary arrived at Sydney, Australia. ww2dbase [Queen Mary | Sydney | CPC]
Norway
- Before dawn, British cruiser HMS Suffolk shelled the German-controlled airfield of Sola at Stavanger, Norway. Suffolk's Walrus seaplane, used to drop flares over the airfield, was shot down early in the bombardment, thus the shelling was largely inaccurate and destroyed only 4 aircraft. After sunrise, Suffolk was repeated attacked by German aircraft. She was hit twice and heavily damaged, and was placed out of action until Feb 1941. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the British War Cabinet approved direct troop landings at Trondheim, Norway (rather than the landing done at Narvik in which troops were dropped off at undefended beaches far away). The landing was to be supported by simultaneous landings at Namsos in the north and Åndalsnes in the south. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Sola, Stavanger | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank British steamer Swainby 25 miles north of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1733 hours. 38 survivors reached Norwick Bay in the Shetland Islands on lifeboats. ww2dbase [Shetland Islands, Scotland | CPC]
Yugoslavia
- Italian "Grado" naval infantry battalion landed at Sibenik, Croatia, Yugoslavia. ww2dbase [Sibenik, Croatia | CPC]
18 Apr 1940
- British submarine HMS Sterlet disappeared off Norway. It was either sunk by German anti-submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126, and UJ-128, or sunk after hitting a mine. ww2dbase [TH]
- The German submarine U-99 was commissioned with Captain Otto "Smiling Otto" Kretschmer in command. U-99 would be responsible for sinking 282,000 tons of Allied shipping before being cornered and sunk in Mar 1941. Depth charged to the surface and sunk, U-99's captain and crew were taken prisoner by Donald Macintyre of the corvette HMS Walker. ww2dbase [AC]
Baltic Sea
- Seeadler laid anti-submarine mines in the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden. ww2dbase [Seeadler | Kattegat | CPC]
Norway
- The Norwegian government declared war on Germany after several days of fighting. On the same day, German troops advanced past Oslo, but were held up by Norwegian forces north of the city in the village of Bagn. The British 148th Brigade arrived in Åndalsnes overnight; commanding officer Brigadier Morgan was given conflicting orders, one ordering him to march north to Trondheim, while the other ordered him to march south to support Norwegian troops in the Gudbrandsdal and Østerdal valleys north of Oslo. Meanwhile, troops of the German 181st Infantry Division began to arrive at Trondheim as reinforcements via aircraft, transport ships, and submarines. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | TH]
Photo(s) dated 18 Apr 1940
19 Apr 1940
- Japan informed the United States that Japan had no aggressive intentions toward the Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The first engagement between British and German troops in Norway took place at Verdal, north of Trondheim, when the British 146th Brigade and Norwegian troops clashed with troops of the German 138th Gebirgsjäger Regiment; later on the same day, 45 German paratroopers surrendered to the Norwegian forces at Dombås. Norwegian General Ruge convinced British Brigadier Morgan to lead the British 148th Brigade in an effort to block the German advance from Oslo. Overnight, 3 battalions of French mountain troops arrived at Namsos, Norway, but without their skis, mules, and anti-aircraft weapons. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Three Neubaufahrzeug prototype heavy tanks arrived in Oslo, Norway largely as a show of force to intimidate Norwegians. ww2dbase [PzKpfw NbFz V/VI | CPC]
- Germany announced the formation of the Reich Commissariat for the occupied Norwegian Territories. ww2dbase [CPC]
Norway
- Émile Bertin was damaged by German aircraft off Namsos, Norway; she would be sent to Brest, France for repairs. ww2dbase [Émile Bertin | Namsos | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 19 Apr 1940
20 Apr 1940
- Adolf Hitler authorized the creation of a joint Norwegian-Danish-German SS regiment. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British 148th Brigade arrived at Lillehammer, Norway by train at 0250 hours and began to march south toward the front lines held by Norwegian troops on both sides of Lake Mjøsa. At Namsos, Norway, German aircraft destroyed large quantities of British supplies and equipment piled near the docks; the British could do little to fight back as they were short on anti-aircraft weapons; in an attempt to remedy this, the 263 Squadron RAF dispatched 18 Gladiator biplanes to Scapa Flow, where they would be ferried to Norway by HMS Glorious. In the United Kingdom, the British War Cabinet canceled the plans for direct landings at Trondheim, Norway (Operation Hammer) in fear of heavy casualties; a failure in communications meant that the British 146th Brigade remained in precarious positions near Trondheim. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Keith Park took command of the 11 Group of the Royal Air Force Fighter Command. ww2dbase [Keith Park | CPC]
- Werner Mölders shot down a French P-36 fighter near Saarbrücken, Germany. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
Denmark
- Danish Army began to demobilize. ww2dbase [TH]
Germany
- German High Command issued a secret order to discharge servicemen with mixed Jewish heritage and servicemen who were married to Jewish women. ww2dbase [CPC]
Japan
- Katori was commissioned into service and was attached to the Yokosuka Naval District as a special service vessel. Captain Hisashi Ichioka, previously the Chief Equipping Officer, was named her first commanding officer. ww2dbase [Katori | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 20 Apr 1940
21 Apr 1940
- German troops landed at Verdal and Kirknessvag, Norway, causing the British 146th Brigade near Trondheim to withdraw to Vist. Around Lake Mjøsa, British 148th Brigade reinforced Norwegian positions, but on the same day German forces broke through the line, causing the entire Norwegian-British force to withdraw north toward Lillehammer. Out at sea, German submarine U-26 sank British merchant vessel Cedarbank of convoy AP-1 50 miles northwest of Ålesund, killing 15; destroyer HMS Javelin rescued 30 men, but the vehicles, anti-aircraft weapons, ammunition, and food destined for the British 148th Brigade near Lillehammer were all lost. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- American air attaché to the Nordic countries, US Army Captain Robert Losey, was killed while observing a German bombing on the railway junction at Dombås, Norway; Losey was the first American military casualty of WW2. US Minister to Sweden Frederick A. Sterling ordered Naval Attaché Lieutenant Commander Ole E. Hagen to Norway to retrieve Losey's remains. ww2dbase [CPC]
Baltic Sea
- Togo was damaged by British naval mines in the Kattegat east of Skagen, Denmark. ww2dbase [Togo / Coronel | Kattegat | CPC]
Germany
Italy
Yugoslavia
- Italian "Grado" naval infantry battalion landed at Split (Italian: Spalato), Croatia, Yugoslavia. ww2dbase [Split, Croatia | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 21 Apr 1940
22 Apr 1940
Arctic Ocean
- The anti-aircraft sloop HMS Pelican (L 86/U 86) while on her way to the Romsdal Fjord carrying the personnel of the Naval Base party for Molde, Norway, was crippled in an attack by a German Ju 87 dive bomber off Narvik. She was hit aft, setting of her depth charges. The Pelican was towed to Lerwick, Scotland, United Kingdom and then to Chatham, England, United Kingdom for repairs that would not be finished until Dec 1940. ww2dbase [Norwegian Sea | HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- Two British Hudson bombers attacked German submarine U-43 in the North Sea. U-43 escaped with minor damage. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- The anti-aircraft sloop HMS Pelican, on her way to the Romsdal Fjord carrying the personnel of the Naval Base party for Molde, Norway, was crippled by a dive-bomber and suffered heavy casualties. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | AC]
France
- An Inter-Allied Supreme War Council, also attended by Poland and Norway, met in Paris, France. The meeting was characterized by the political fighting between French leaders Reynaud and Daladier. ww2dbase [Paris | TH]
Norway
- British 146th Brigade began to retreat toward Namsos, Norway as German troops began to surround their positions. British 148th Brigade defended against German attacks north of Lillehammer, Norway and were flanked by mountain troops. The British troops fell back 20 miles to the north overnight and formed a new line at Tretten Gorge. Out at sea, British sloop Auckland, still carrying some troops after a snowstorm prevented her from disembarking all of her passengers, made rendezvous with French transport Ville d'Alger, British destroyer Maori, British cruiser HMS Birmingham, British anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Calcutta, and French destroyers Bison and Foudroyant. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC, HM]
United Kingdom
- The 199-ton Dutch steam merchant Wocana on voyage from Antwerp, Belgium to Goole in the Humber Estuary, north east coast of England, United Kingdom, carrying a cargo of sand, sank after being in a collision with British corvette HMS Pintail (L 21/K 21). The Wacona sank within five minutes but the crew was saved. HMS Pintail would recover from the collision. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | England | HM]
Yugoslavia
- Italian "Grado" naval infantry battalion landed on Hvar (Italian: Lesina), Croatia, Yugoslavia. ww2dbase [Hvar | CPC]
23 Apr 1940
- Budget Day in Britain saw the increase of tax on beer by 1 penny, whisky by 9 pence, and postage by 1 penny. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Members of the Parliament in Britain criticized that the earlier estimate of 1940 war expenditure of £2,000,000,000 was too low. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- HMS Glasgow and HMS Sheffield transferred a few gallons of lubricating oil aboard HMS Glorious after the scheduled arrival of 25 tons of the lubricating oil failed to arrive. ww2dbase [Glorious | AC]
- A brief action took place between the French 8th Destoyer Division under Captain E. G. M. Barthes. The heavy destroyers L'Imdomptable, Le Malin and Le Triomphant engaged the German 7th Patrol Boat Flotillacommanded by Lieutenant Commander G. Schultze. The German called in bombers but their attack scored no hits and the French forces returned to the North Sea. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Skagerrak | HM]
Norway
- British 146th Brigade retreated to Namsos, Norway; the brigade had thus far suffered 19 dead, 42 wounded, and 96 missing. British 148th Brigade's defense line at Tretten Gorge in Norway suffered a heavy artillery barrage in the morning, an attack by light tanks in the early afternoon, and a surprise mountain troops attack from behind the lines; they began to retreat northward at 1900 hours, strafed by German aircraft in the process; the 148th Brigade had thus far suffered 705 killed, wounded, or missing. Near Oslo, British aircraft conducted a raid on German-controlled airfields. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 23 Apr 1940
24 Apr 1940
- Josef Terboven was appointed the Reichskommissar of Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- France urged Italy to stay out of the European War. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Orion sank the ship Haxby in the Atlantic Ocean. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- US Naval Attaché in Norway Lieutenant Commander Ole E. Hagen escorted a group of American citizens fleeting Norway into Sweden. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Cruiser Georges Leygues was ordered to sail to Mers-el-Kébir, French Algeria. ww2dbase [Georges Leygues | CPC]
Egypt
- Duquesne was assigned to Force X stationed in Alexandria, Egypt. ww2dbase [Duquesne | Alexandria | CPC]
Norway
- In Norway, 18 Gladiator biplanes of the 263 Squadron RAF arrived at the frozen Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Norway, which was to become their base of operations; the field had no anti-aircraft defense. Troops of the British 15th Brigade landed at Åndalsnes after a 9-day journey by sea from France; they immediately marched south toward Lillehammer, Norway. Troops of the Norwegian 6th Brigade attacked German positions north of Narvik, Norway; Gratangsbotn was briefly re-captured by Norwegian troops. German troops repelled a British attack near Trondheim. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | TH]
- The 6,503-ton merchant steamer Afrika, a German cargo ship previously captured by Norwegian torpedo boat Stegg, was scuttled by Norwegian troops during the Germans attempt at recapture at Ulvik, Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Ulvik, Hardanger | HM]
- HMS Glorious arrived off off the Norwegian and transferred Gladiator aircraft to airfields on land. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Glorious | AC]
- During an air raid near Molde, Norway, the British trawlers HMT Bradman and HMT Hammond were both sunk by German aircraft. Hammond was salvaged by the German Navy in 1941 and commissioned as the Salier. In 1942 she was renamed NT-04, and after various other names she was broken up in 1971. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | HM]
- British trawler HMT Larwood, requisitioned in Aug 1939 and used as an anti-submarine vessel, was sunk in a German air raid on the coast of Norway. She was later raised by the German Navy and was used under the names Franke (1940), V-6110 (1941), V-6111 (1942), and V-6305 (1944). ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | HM]
- The 1,519-ton Estonian cargo ship Begonia was scuttled by Norwegian authorities, after having been bombed by the German Air Force. Captain Mihkel Kägi was killed during the air raid. ww2dbase [HM]
- Emden was relieved of her duty as the communications ship at Oslo, Norway. ww2dbase [Emden | Oslo, Østlandet | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British House of Commons approved a trade agreement with Spain; it was the first since the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
- Three British cargo merchant steamers were sunk by aerial mines off the River Thames Estuary, England, United Kingdom. The 1,149-ton Stokesley had been on her way to London, England from Antwerp, Belgium carrying 1,600 tons of ammonium sulphate. The 1,969-ton Lolworth from Portsmouth, England on her way to the Tyne in northeastern England in ballast and the 1,049-ton Rydal Force from Sunderland, England for Cowes in the Isle of Wight with coal. Fifteen of the Stokesley's crew died, eleven died on board the Rydal Force, and eight were wounded on board the Lolworth. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | England | HM]
Photo(s) dated 24 Apr 1940
25 Apr 1940
- A new evacuation scheme was introduced in Britain as a Ministry of Health survey showed that only 8% of eligible children had been registered. Later studies revealed that 19% of parents refused to register their children, while 73% of them simply did not respond to the registration. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 3,000 troops of the British 15th Brigade were engaged by 8,500 troops of the German 196th Division at the village of Kvam in Norway, 55 kilometers south of Dombås; despite German numerical advantage and being supported by dive bombers, the British troops held ground and stopped the German advance. Elsewhere, a group of RAF Gladiator aircraft operating on the frozen Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Norway was discovered by the Germans. German aircraft bombed the rough airfield on and off for eight hours, destroying 13 aircraft on the ground. Three German He 111 bombers were shot down by RAF aircraft. By the end of the day, Squadron Leader Donaldson ordered the position to be abandoned; the 5 surviving Gladiator aircraft were to be withdrawn to Stetnesmoen. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- An Irish Republican Army land mine killed 6 in Dublin, Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US President Roosevelt announced that the United States recognized the state of war between Germany and Norway, and reaffirmed American neutrality in that conflict. To that end, he specifically forbade Norwegian submarines from entering American territorial waters. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Wasp (Wasp-class) was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Wasp (Wasp-class) | CPC]
Italy
Norway
United Kingdom
- The 2,470-ton ship Margam Abbey was sunk whilst exiting the Thames Estuary, England, United Kingdom after hitting an aerial laid mine. The ship's bows were blown off and she sank within minutes. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | England | HM]
26 Apr 1940
- Gladiator biplanes based out of Stetnesmoen, Norway intercepted a group of German He 111 bombers, downing one of them; this RAF unit would run out of fuel and ammunition by the end of this engagement, however. Adolf Hitler, unhappy that the British 15th Brigade was able to land in Norway without German interference, ordered Åndalsnes, Norway to be bombed the entire day; part of the British 15th Brigade's supplies were destroyed by the bombing while they continued to hold their line against attacks by the German 196th Division at Kvam, 172 kilometers from Åndalsnes. In the evening, the British 15th Brigade fell back 3 kilometers to form a new line at Kjorem. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank British steamer Lily at 0117 hours, killing the entire crew of 24. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Satisfied with the progress in Norway, Adolf Hitler ordered his generals to resume planning for the invasion of France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- U-56 ended her eighth patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Hawaii
United Kingdom
- In Britain, Lord Beaverbrook's Daily Express published an editorial condemning the stirring up of witch hunts against foreign nationals falsely suspected of being members of a Fifth column. ww2dbase [Beaverbrook | AC]
27 Apr 1940
- A British attempt to deliver much-needed anti-aircraft weapons by ground to Åndalsnes, Norway was turned back by a three-hour German aerial bombardment. At Kjorem, after holding the line against attacks by the German 196th Division throughout the day, the British 15th Brigade withdrew 17 kilometers to the north to form a new line at Otta. Meanwhile, the German 196th Division captured the Østerdal valley in Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
France
- Lorraine departed France for Alexandria, Egypt. ww2dbase [Lorraine | CPC]
Germany
- Chief of the German SS organization Heinrich Himmler gave the order to convert the 22 former artillery barrack buildings at Oswiecim, Poland into a concentration camp, later to be more commonly known by its German name, Auschwitz. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The British submarine HMS Clyde (N 12), under command of Lieutenant Commander D. C. Ingram, RN departed Rosyth in Scotland, United Kingdom for her 8th war patrol. She was to carry out Operation Knife, the supplying of Norwegian forces in the Sondefjord north of Bergen with arms and ammunition. ww2dbase [Rosyth, Scotland | HM]
- The 628-ton British merchant ship Thornhill was involved in a collision with the Circle south of Torbay, England, United Kingdom and sank. She was on route from Barry, Wales, United Kingdom to Caen, France. ww2dbase [Torbay, England | HM]
28 Apr 1940
- Vittorio Veneto was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Vittorio Veneto | CPC]
Norway
- The British War Cabinet ordered the withdraw of British troops at Trondheim, Norway to the dismay of Norwegian leaders. Meanwhile, troops of the British 15th Brigade held their line against attacks by the German 196th Division at Otta throughout the day before they fell back 25 miles to the north to Dombås overnight. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
29 Apr 1940
- British submarine HMS Unity collided with Norwegian freighter Atle Jarl in the harbor of Blyth, England in foggy weather at 1730 hours. Unity sank within 5 minutes, killing 4. Lieutenant John Low and Able Seaman Henry Miller were posthumously awarded the George Cross for their self-sacrifice while helping fellow comrades in their escape. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyers HMS Kelly, HMS Maori, and HMS Imperial and French destroyer Bison departed Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom to evacuate British troops at Namsos, Norway; they were escorted by cruisers and other destroyers. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Kelly | CPC]
Germany
Japan
- Hisao Tani was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun 1st Class. ww2dbase [Hisao Tani | CPC]
- Korechika Anami was awarded Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, first class. ww2dbase [Korechika Anami | CPC]
Norway
- King Haakon VII and the Norwegian government evacuated to Tromsø, Norway via British cruiser HMS Glasgow. ww2dbase [Haakon VII | Tromsø, Troms og Finnmark | TH]
- Troops of the German 196th Division marched out of the Gudbrandsdal Valley in Norway and linked up with German troops near Trondheim, threatening to surround the British 15th Brigade. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
United States
- The US Department of State ended its investigation on the 5 Sep 1939 incident during which British personnel forcefully boarded Filipino Don Isidro at Port Said, Egypt and removed German engineers. Although the Americans did not receive a satisfactory explanation from the British, they assumed that "similar instances will not be permitted to occur in the future." ww2dbase [Washington | CPC]
30 Apr 1940
- At Greenock, Scotland, French destroyer Maille Breeze suffered an accidental detonation of two of her torpedoes in the forward section of the ship and sank. 25 men were killed while 48 were wounded. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeper HMS Dundoon hit a mine at Smith's Knoll near Great Yarmouth and sank, killing 27. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Nikolaus von Falkenhorst | CPC]
- Firefighters from the US Navy Sixth Naval District fought off a fire that had broken out on the Norwegian tanker Willy, which was carrying a load of aviation gasoline, in the Cooper River off Charleston, South Carolina, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- Wilhelm Bauer was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Wilhelm Bauer | CPC]
Greece
- Italian "Barfile" naval infantry battalion landed on Cephalonia, Greece. ww2dbase [Cephalonia | CPC]
Norway
- The German 196th Division arrived at Dombås, Norway on foot as their vehicles had been rendered useless after encountering blown bridges; their initial attacks were held off by the British 15th Brigade; despite causing heavy casualties to the Germans, the British withdrew their defensive line at dusk by train toward Åndalsnes. Near Oslo, RAF bombers conducted attacks on German-controlled airfields in Stavanger and Fornebu, escorted by naval fighters launched by HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious; Germans detected the location of the British carriers and successfully launched a fighter attack that drove off the carriers. Off Namsos, Norway, German Ju 87 aircraft attacked British anti-submarine sloop HMS Bittern, hitting her with a bomb and starting a fire on the stern that killed 20; destroyer HMS Janus rescued the survivors and scuttled HMS Bittern to prevent capture. Off Trondheim, Norway, German aircraft sank British trawler HMS Warwickshire; her wreck was later raised by the Germans and put into service. In the United Kingdom, a British fleet consisted of cruisers HMS Manchester and HMS Birmingham and destroyers HMS Inglefield, HMS Diana, and HMS Delight, under the command of Vice Admiral Layton, departed Scapa Flow, Scotland for Norway; its mission was to evacuate the British 148th and 15th Brigades from Åndalsnes and Molde. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- HMS Glorious provided air cover for troops fighting on land in Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Glorious | CPC]
Poland
United Kingdom
- A German Heinkel bomber crashed into a house in Clacton, Essex, England, United Kingdom and its mines exploded, killing two civilians and injuring 132 others. They were the first civilian casualties of the war in England. ww2dbase [Clacton, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 30 Apr 1940
1 May 1940
- Roosevelt urged Italy to stay out of the European War; Mussolini's response noted that Germany could not be defeated. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Swiss intelligence learned of a potential attack on France to be launched soon and informed the French military attaché, who promptly reported this to Paris. Meanwhile in Germany, Adolf Hitler pushed the invasion decision date to 5 May 1940. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Orion crossed the Equator. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Otto Skorzeny was promoted to the rank of Unterscharführer. ww2dbase [Otto Skorzeny | CPC]
- King Haakon VII and the Norwegian government established the provisional government at Tromsø, Norway. ww2dbase [Haakon VII | CPC]
China
Norway
- Norwegian troops in Lillehammer surrendered. En route to Åndalsnes, Norway for evacuation, the train carrying troops of the British 15th Brigade crashed into a bomb crater at 0115 hours, killing 8 and wounding 30; the surviving troops marched 17 miles through deep snow, arriving at Åndalsnes at 0900 hours. British Vice Admiral Layton's task force consisted of cruisers Manchester and Birmingham and destroyers Inglefield, Diana, and Delight arrived at Åndalsnes, Norway to evacuate the British 148th and 15th Brigades; they embarked 5,084 men overnight and departed at 0200 hours on the next day. Joining the British evacuation was Norwegian General Ruge, who departed Åndalsnes aboard British destroyer HMS Diana to join the Norwegian government at Tromsø. Four British destroyers arrived at Namsos to evacuate the British 146th Brigade and other Allied troops in the area; heavy fog delayed the operation, and only 850 French troops were embarked overnight. In the Kattegat, British submarine HMS Narwhal fired six torpedoes at a German merchant convoy carrying parts of 2nd Gebirgsjager Division to Norway; German steamer Buenos Aires was hit by one of the torpedoes and sank, killing 62 men and 240 horses; another transport, Bahia Castillo, was hit but did not sink, killing 10 men and 26 horses. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Poland
Puerto Rico
- The US Navy established the Naval Air Station Isla Grande in San Juan, Puerto Rico as a part of the Tenth Naval District. The first commanding officer of the base was Captain Virgil C. Griffin, Jr. ww2dbase [Isla Grande Naval Air Station | San Juan | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British government passed a trade union agreement which allowed women to work in munitions factories. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
- A German bomber crashed in Essex, England, United Kingdom, killing the crew and two civilians, wounding a further 150 people. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
Photo(s) dated 1 May 1940
2 May 1940
- German forces reached Aandalesnes, Norway. In southern Norway, British troops began to withdraw, but continued to fight in the north to interrupt the flow of iron to Germany. British Vice Admiral John Cunningham arrived in Namsos, Norway with 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers, and 3 transports to aid with the evacuation of the British 146th Brigade; German aircraft attempted to interfere, damaging HMS Maori with a near miss, killing 5 and wounding 18; through the end of the night, 5,350 men were embarked. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | TH]
- Mussolini offered that Italy would not go to war with the United States if the United States would stay out of Europe. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 93 German combat divisions prepared to invade France and the Low Countries. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 2 May 1940
3 May 1940
- Dutch intelligence detected further hints of German troop gathering near its border; this information was forwarded on to Belgium. Meanwhile, in Germany, forecast of bad weather caused a postponement of the invasion. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- Danish constituent country of Greenland sought American protection as her mother country was now occupied by Germany. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Norwegian troops south of Trondheim surrendered to the Germans. The Allies completed the evacuation at Namsos, Norway. The British destroyer HMS Afridi, left behind to shell British vehicles on the dock that could not be evacuated, departed at 0445 hours. German aircraft found part of the evacuation fleet and attacked the convoy at 0945 hours, sinking French destroyer Bison at 1010 hours, killing 103. HMS Afridi was bombed at 1400 hours and sank 45 minutes later, killing 49 men of the crew, 13 men of 146th Brigade, and 30 rescued men of Bison. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- British RAF aircraft attacked German airfields in Denmark and Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- U-23 completed her ninth war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Malta
- British destroyer Garland, under repair in Malta, was loaned to the Polish Navy, which commissioned the destroyer on the same date. ww2dbase [Garland | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British and French troops evacuated from Åndalsnes, Norway arrived safely at Scapa Flow, Scotland. The French troops were transferred onto French passenger ships bound for Brest. ww2dbase [Scapa Flow | Scapa Flow, Scotland | CPC]
United States
- Karl Bendetson was recalled to active duty in the US regular army at the rank of captain. ww2dbase [Karl Bendetsen | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 3 May 1940
4 May 1940
- German He 115 aircraft bombed British submarine HMS Seal in the Kattegat at 0230 hours. Seal dove from the surface to the depth of 30 meters in response while continuing to deploy mines, her primary mission. While evading anti-submarine trawlers at 1830 hours, she hit a mine and began to settle to the sea floor. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 30,000 Allied troops were present near Narvik, Norway, including units of the French Foreign Legion, French mountain troops, Polish troops, the British 24th Brigade, and Norwegian troops, aiming to take Narvik from the Germans. Meanwhile, German 2nd Gebirgsjäger Division's mountain troops began marching 350 miles north from Trondheim, Norway to relieve the German 139th Gebirgsjäger Regiment in Narvik; detecting this, the Allies deployed 300 to 500 men each at Mosjöen, Mo, and Bodö in an attempt to stop this movement. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Japan
United Kingdom
- The 5,995-ton British steam tanker San Tiburcio owned by the Eagle Oil & Shipping Co Limited of London was carrying 2,193 tons on fuel and a dozen Sunderland aircraft floats when she struck a mine at 2010 hours; the mine had been laid on 10 Feb 1940 by German submarine U-9. This occurred four miles from Tarbett Ness in the Moray Firth in northern Scotland, United Kingdom. A tug and a destroyer, HMS Codrington (65) were sent out to give assistance, but the tanker broke in half after 45 minutes. The Master, Walter Fredrick Flynn and 39 of the crew were picked up by her escort HMS Leicester City (FY 223) and the anti-submarine trawler took them to Invergordon, in the Cromarty Firth north of Inverness, Scotland. Walter Flynn would lose his life on 31 Jan 1942 when his new command, the San Arcado was torpedoed and sunk by U-107 north of Burmuda. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Scotland | HM]
5 May 1940
- Adolf Hitler pushed the decision date for the invasion of France to the following day. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- German aircraft attacked the surfaced HMS Seal, heavily damaged after hitting a mine on the previous day, at 0230 hours in the Kattegat. The British submarine surrendered with a white table cloth. The crew of 60 were captured at around 0530 hours after failing to scuttle the ship. The submarine would later be towed to Frederikshavn, Denmark, repaired, and commissioned into German service. ww2dbase [CPC]
- After a 25-day battle, the Norwegian fortress of Hegra surrendered at 0525 hours. The 190 men were the last Norwegian troops actively resisting German invasion in southern Norway. Civilian nurse Anne Margrethe Bang was also captured. They would all be released within the next two months by the order of Adolf Hitler in recognition of their bravery during the defense. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Norway established a government-in-exile in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
6 May 1940
- Fall Gelb, the German invasion of France, was once again postponed by Hitler. Meanwhile, Pope Pius XII shared the intelligence gathered by Vatican agents that Germany was planning on invading the Low Countries with the Princess of Piedmont Marie José, who was the sister of King Leopold III of Belgium and wife of Italian Crown Prince Umberto. On the same day, a massive German armoured motorised column many miles long was spotted driving west through the Ardennes forest but the Belgian Army did not respond. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | AC]
- British submarine HMS Sealion attacked German transports Moltkefels and Neidenfels in the Skagerrak at 1400 hours. All 6 torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Snapper attacked German armed merchant cruiser Widder 30 miles east of Denmark at 1525 hours. Both torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- Littorio was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Littorio | CPC]
- John Steinbeck won the Politzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath. ww2dbase [AC]
Norway
- German mountain troops of the 2nd Gebirgsjäger Division continued their slow march north from Trondheim, Norway to Narvik, where South Wales Borderers of the British 24th Brigade, French Chasseurs Alpins mountain infantry, and French colonial artillery troops continued to assert pressure on the German troops. Off Narvik, British cruiser HMS Enterprise was slightly damaged by a near miss by an aerial bomb, killing one Royal Marine. Meanwhile, the Norwegian gold reserves arrived in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 6 May 1940
7 May 1940
- Dutch Army suspended all leaves. ww2dbase [TH]
- Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Neville Chamberlain faced criticism during the Norway Debate. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
- German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked British cruiser HMS Aurora off Narvik, Norway at 1641 hours, putting A and B turrets out of action and killing 7 Royal Marines. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler pushed the decision date for the invasion of France to the following day. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
Hawaii
Russia
- Kliment Voroshilov stepped down as the People's Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Kliment Voroshilov | Moscow | CPC]
8 May 1940
- The opposition party in the United Kingdom, the Labour Party, called for a vote of no confidence for Prime Minister Chamberlain's government. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister David Lloyd George called for Chamberlain to step down for the good of the country. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler pushed the decision date for the invasion of France to the following day. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Bruce Fraser was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. ww2dbase [Bruce Fraser | CPC]
China
- American river gunboat Tutuila ran aground on a reef and became stranded in the Yangtze River at Chongqing, China. ww2dbase [Chongqing | CPC]
- Chinese Communist Brigadier General Chen Yi recommended his superiors to launch an offensive against Nationalist positions in Jiangsu Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Huangqiao | CPC]
Malta
- Garland exited drydocks at Malta. ww2dbase [Garland | CPC]
Russia
- Semyon Timoshenko was appointed the Soviet commissar for defense. ww2dbase [Semyon Timoshenko | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 8 May 1940
9 May 1940
- Conscription maximum age in the United Kingdom was raised again to 36. ww2dbase [TH]
- British Prime Minister Chamberlain offered to form a coalition government with the opposition Labour Party, but the attempt was unsuccessful. In the afternoon, Chamberlain began to discuss with Halifax and Churchill, the two leading contenders to be his successor, about the possibility of his resignation. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
- Four Polish battalions arrived at Narvik, Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- British troops occupied Iceland. ww2dbase [Invasion and Occupation of Iceland | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler and his staff arrived at the Felsennest headquarters in the Westwall fortifications on the German-French border. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-9 (Wolfgang Lüth) fired two torpedoes at French submarine Doris 40 miles off of the Dutch coast at 0014 hours. One struck amidships, blowing the boat in half and killing 42 French and 3 British men. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | TH, HM]
- British destroyer HMS Kelly with Lord Louis Mountbatten aboard went on patrol in the Skagerrak between Sweden and Germany, escorted by cruiser HMS Birmingham and destroyers HMS Kandahar, HMS Bulldog, HMS Kimberley, and HMS Hasty. Five German torpedo boats attacked this fleet in the evening. Torpedo boat S-31 damaged HMS Kelly with one torpedo, killing 27; she would require HMS Bulldog to tow her back to port. ww2dbase [Kelly | Skagerrak | CPC]
- HMS Acasta began escorting the badly damaged light cruiser HMS Penelope toward the Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Acasta | CPC]
Belgium
Germany
- Adolf Hitler issued the order to commence the invasion of France and the Low Countries at dawn on the following day. At noon German meteorologists made a firm forecast of clear skies on the following morning; Adolf Hitler gave the meteorology officer a medal on the spot. In the afternoon, Hitler departed Berlin, Germany for this temporary forward headquarters codenamed Felsennest near Bad Münsereifel in the Rhineland region of Germany to observe the coming invasion. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Adolf Hitler | Berlin | CPC, AC]
Luxembourg
- Grand Duchess Charlotte called an extraordinary meeting of her leading ministers, and they decided to place the grand ducal family and the government under the protection of France. She and her family would depart southward on the next day. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Charlotte | CPC]
Singapore
- HMS Eagle completed her repairs at Singapore and departed for Colombo, Ceylon. ww2dbase [Eagle | Singapore | CPC]
United States
- The first Vultee Model 48 Vanguard prototype aircraft collided with a Sirius aircraft at Vultee Field in Downey, California, United States. ww2dbase [P-66 Vanguard | Downey, California | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 9 May 1940
10 May 1940
- Germany invaded the Allied nation of France and the neutral Low Countries. In France, Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed many French aircraft on the ground. German tanks crossed into neutral Luxembourg with relative ease, reaching the edge of the Ardennes Forest; the royal family of Luxembourg was evacuated to the south. In the Netherlands, German paratroopers quickly secured key bridges and airfields around Rotterdam and the Hague, but the plan to land troops at the Ypenburg airfield to capture the Dutch political leaders was foiled when Dutch fighters shot down 18 German Ju 52 transport planes; German tanks penetrated more than 10 miles into the Dutch border by the end of the day. In Belgium, 10 gliders landed 78 German airborne soldiers atop Fort Ebel Emael at the crossings of the Albert Canal and the River Meusse, pinning down the 700 Belgian defenders. British and French leaders enacted the Dyle Plan in response to the invasion, moving troops toward the Dyle River in Belgium where they were to form a defensive line. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain had decided overnight to resign from this post, but the news of the German invasion of France and the Low Countries gave him second thoughts. Nevertheless, he decided to continue his plan to resign. Later in the day, Winston Churchill was asked to assume the post left vacant by Chamberlain. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | TH]
- US Secretary of State Hull reiterated that the United States would not stand for any country establishing a protectorate over the Dutch East Indies; in response, the Japanese Foreign Minister indicated Japan's desire to maintain the political and economic status quo in the Pacific region. ww2dbase [Cordell Hull | CPC]
Belgium
- General Bernard Montgomery's forward units arrived, just after dark, to take up their designated positions on the eastern approaches to Brussels. They were were fired upon by Belgian soldiers who took them for German infiltrators. ww2dbase [Bernard Montgomery | AC]
- Belgian forces seized Latvian steam cargo ship Sigurd Faulbaums of the Max Faulbaum Steamship Line at Bruges, Belgium. ww2dbase [Bruges, Vlaams | CPC]
France
Netherlands
- Fairey Battle light bombers of No. 12 Squadron RAF attacked the Maastricht bridges in the Netherlands with disastrous results. Flying Officer D. E. Garland and Sergeant T. Gray were killed, but each man's bravery whilst under extreme fire was recognised by a posthumous Victoria Cross. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Maastricht, Limburg | AC]
United Kingdom
- RAF Kirton in Lindsey was officially opened as the Fighter Command base responsible for the air defence of the Humber area in northern England, United Kingdom. It had its satellites Coleby Grange, south of Lincoln, and Hibaldstow, just three miles away. No. 222 Squadron, whose pilots included the legendary Douglas Bader, were moved north with their Spitfire fighters from Duxford and were joined by the Hurricane fighters of No. 253 Squadron from Kenley. Bader was later to recall his time at Kirton as the period of "fun" for the squadron. ww2dbase [Lincoln, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 10 May 1940
11 May 1940
- King George VI of the United Kingdom signed the proclamation canceling the Whitsun holiday. ww2dbase [George VI | CPC]
- Switzerland mobilized its military forces in response to the German invasion of the neutral Low Countries on the previous day. Civilians in towns near the German-Swiss border fled south. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British troops landed on Dutch islands of Aruba and Curaçao in the Caribbean Sea. US President Roosevelt announced that these actions were not contrary to the Monroe Doctrine. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC]
- Germany occupied Luxembourg. In Belgium, German airborne troops captured the "impregnable" Fort Eben Emael while tanks crossed Albert Canal bridges in an attempt to move behind Belgian defensive lines. Troops of the German 9th Panzer Division crossed the Meuse River; at 1200 hours, they found an undefended bridge over the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal 50 miles from Rotterdam, where airborne troops of the German 22nd Flieger Division held on to bridges along the Nieuwe Maas River, awaiting the arrival of ground troops. Seven German armored divisions began to spearhead into the Ardennes Forest, brushing aside the few French cavalry units guarding this route into France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Winston Churchill named Lord Beaverbrook the head of the Ministry of Aircraft Production. This ministry reported to the War Cabinet, and was responsible for setting aircraft production priorities. ww2dbase [Beaverbrook | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt announced that the US was now officially recognizing the state of war between Germany and the Low Countries and reaffirmed American neutrality in that conflict. He restricted submarines of any of the nations involved in that conflict to use American ports and territorial waters, exclusive of the Panama Canal Zone. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill appointed Anthony Eden as Secretary of State for War. ww2dbase [Anthony Eden | AC]
United Kingdom
- Isaac Sweers arrived at the Thorneycroft shipyard in Southampton, England, United Kingdom by tow. ww2dbase [Isaac Sweers | Southampton, England | CPC]
- Sir Archibald Sinclair replaces Sir Samuel Hoare as the British Secretary of State for Air. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
12 May 1940
- The United Kingdom began the internment of German civilians. ww2dbase [TH]
Belgium
- The first tank battle of the European War took place at Hannut in central Belgium between the German 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions and two French armored divisions; French S35 and H35 tanks overwhelmed their German counterparts, destroying large numbers of Panzer I and II tanks. In the air over Belgium, five Fairey Battle aircraft of No. 12 Squadron RAF flown by volunteer crews attacked the vital road bridges over the Albert Canal in the face of extremely heavy ground fire; the attack was pressed home with considerable gallantry and one bridge was seriously damaged, but at the cost of all five aircraft. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC, AC]
- Adolf Galland achieved his first three victories near Liège, Beligum. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | Liège | AC]
France
Netherlands
- In the Netherlands, German 9th Panzer Division reached Moerdijk bridges 10 miles south of Rotterdam, relieving the paratroopers who had been holding the bridges since 10 May. After evaluating the situation, Dutch Crown Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard departed for Harwich, England, United Kingdom aboard HMS Codrington. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Winston Churchill appointed the newly created Viscount Simon (former Sir John Simon) to the post of Lord High Chancellor, the Chief Law Officer to the Government, succeeding the Viscount Caldecote. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | AC]
- In Britain, about 2,000 people were rounded on the direction of British Home Secretary Sir John Anderson, on the recommendation by Sir John Dill, Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff, that, on military grounds, adult male aliens along the coast in the south east and east of England should be immediately interned for the duration. ww2dbase [England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 12 May 1940
13 May 1940
- UK Prime Minister Churchill made the famous "Blood, Sweat, Tears, and Toil" speech. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | TH]
- At midnight, which was light due to the latitude, British cruiser HMS Aurora, cruiser HMS Effingham, and battleship HMS Resolution bombarded Narvik, Norway in preparation of the 0100-hour amphibious operation at Bjerkvik, which was the first of the European War. French Foreign Legion and light tanks came ashore at Bjerkvik in landing craft, suffering 36 casualties, then reached and captured Øyjord unopposed. Many Norwegian civilians died during the attack. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- While on the previous day the inferior German tanks suffered against their French counterparts in Belgium, German tank commanders amassed their tanks (while the French commanders decided to divide their tanks to cover a wider front) and punched a hole in the French lines; French troops began falling back toward Gembloux; the Battle of Hannut ended with the French losing 105 tanks and the Germans 160. The German 9th Division reached the outskirts of Rotterdam, which was a part of the final Dutch defensive line, Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Utrecht. In France, Germany Army Group B established bridgeheads at the Meuse River near Dinant and Sedan after penetrating a 50-mile gap in French defensive lines; by the evening, pontoon bridges were set up for tanks to cross. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
Belgium
- Six Defiant fighters of B Flight, 264 Squadron RAF set out to attack enemy troop movements in the Netherlands. In the process they attacked a force of Ju 87 aircraft and claimed four of these, but were then bounced by Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft who swiftly shot down five of the Defiant aircraft (only two crewmen survived by parachute). The sole remaining Defiant aircraft (Pilot Officer Kay and LAC Jones) managed to land at Knocke, belgium and later returned to England. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | AC]
China
- American river gunboat Tutuila, stranded on a reef in the Yangtze River off Chongqing, China since 8 May, was refloated. ww2dbase [Chongqing | CPC]
France
Netherlands
United Kingdom
- The Dutch Royal Family and the Dutch government arrived in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
- Winston Churchill appointed Leo Amery as Secretary of State for India and Burma. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | AC]
United States
- The Bell XFL Airabonita prototype aircraft took its maiden flight. ww2dbase [XFL Airabonita | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 May 1940
See all photos dated 13 May 1940
14 May 1940
- Anthony Eden, UK Secretary of State for War, called for volunteers to create the Local Defense Volunteers (LDV); more than 250,000 enrolled within the first 24 hours. . ww2dbase [TH]
- General Rudolf Schmidt's German 9th Panzer Corps threatened the Dutch city of Rotterdam with aerial bombardment, and the Dutch garrison surrendered; some Luftwaffe aircraft, however, did not get the order to abort; 95 tons of bombs were dropped on Rotterdam, killing 1,000 civilians and rendering 85,000 homeless. Elsewhere in the Netherlands, Dutch Commander-in-Chief General Winkelman ordered his forces to cease fighting as the situation became hopeless. In Belgium, Erwin Rommel personally led a 30-tank charge near Dinant, pushing back French and Belgian forces three miles. Near Sedan, France, Heinz Guderian's three armored divisions crossed the Meuse River. In central Belium, German Gernal Erich Hoepner sent 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions in pursuit of the French defeated at the Battle of Hannut in the previous two days, but French anti-tank artillery fire destroyed many pursuers. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The British Admiralty required the owner of large boats to send in specifications within two weeks. ww2dbase [TH]
- Werner Mölders was shot down over Sedan, France, but was able to bail out to safety. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
France
- Marcel Albert, flying a D.520 fighter, shot down a Do 17 bomber and claimed a Bf 109 fighter later on the same day. ww2dbase [Champagne-Ardenne | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Winston Churchill told American Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy that even if Britain was to be conquered by Germany, the British government would continue the fight from Canada with the Royal Navy. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 14 May 1940
15 May 1940
- The Netherlands surrendered to Germany at 1015 hours; Dutch General Winkelman signed the surrender document. The Battle of Gembloux in Belgium ended with the Germans losing about 250 tanks, which was the equivalent of an entire armored division; the weakened French forces, however, were unable to hold the line despite their effective 75mm artillery and 25mm anti-tank guns; they fell back toward the Belgian-French border. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The British War Cabinet decided to attack the German oil industry, communications centers, and forests and crops; attacks on industrial areas were to focus on the Ruhr region. Also, due to the costly daylight bombings, attacks were to be launched at nights. On the same day these directives were issued, the RAF began attacking industrial targets in the Ruhr, with 99 bombers flying the first mission. The decision to begin bombing civilian property outside of combat zones was the direct result of the German bombing of Rotterdam on the previous day. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | TH]
- British butter ration was reduced from 8 ounces to 4 ounces per person per week. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Winston Churchill sent a message to Franklin Roosevelt, asking for 40 to 50 destroyers, hundreds of fighters, anti-aircraft guns, steel, among other war-related materials. He also asked the US President to order a visit by US Navy warships to Ireland as a show of force. In regards to the situation in the Pacific Ocean, he requests Roosevelt to intimidate the Japanese, offering the Americans the use of Singapore if deemed necessary. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- The Communist Party of the Netherlands held a meeting to organize underground resistance during German occupation. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson reported to US Secretary of State Cordell Hull that there had been an increase in German activities in Uruguay. Although Uruguayan police had been moving against the Germans to a certain degree, the general indifference by the government was beginning to worry him. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Paul von Kleist was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Paul von Kleist | CPC]
France
- At 0730 hours, French Prime Minister Reynaud called his British counterpart Churchill on the telephone, saying "[w]e are beaten. We have lost the battle." Later on the same day in Paris, France, a reported German breakthrough at Sedan caused panic, with fleeing civilians jamming roads and blocking military traffic south and west of the city. ww2dbase [Paris | TH]
Italy
- Luigi Torelli was completed and commissioned into service with Capitano di Fregata Aldo Cocchia in command. ww2dbase [Luigi Torelli | CPC]
United Kingdom
- In London, England, United Kingdom, at a British cabinet meeting attended by Winston Churchill, Archibald Sinclair, Lord Beaverbrook, and Cyril Newall, Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding argued the case for expanding the strength of RAF Fighter Command to 52 squadrons for the immediate air defence of Britain. Despite his insistence that no more squadrons should be sent to France orders were still given to send four more squadrons to France. ww2dbase [Hugh Dowding | London, England | AC]
- HMS Acasta completed escorting the badly damaged light cruiser HMS Penelope to the Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Acasta | Clyde, Scotland | CPC]
United States
- The fast food chain McDonalds opened its first restaurant at San Bernardino, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Bernardino, California | AC]
US Pacific Islands
- A 12-foot clamshell dredge arrived at Johnston Atoll to dredge the lagoon to widen and deepen the entrance channel. ww2dbase [Johnston | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 15 May 1940
See all photos dated 15 May 1940
16 May 1940
- German 6th Army broke through the Dyle Line; British troops withdrew west of Brussels and the Belgian government evacuated to Ostend. From its Meuse River bridgeheads, German Army Group A tanks broke through the French lines, capturing thousands of surrendering French troops. Guderian's units reached Montcornet, while Rommel's units reached Avesnes-sur-Helpe. Fearful that this advance into France would expose the invasion's flanks, the German High Command ordered Army Group A to halt its spearheads so that the infantry could catch up. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- French Prime Minister Reynaud ordered Maxime Weygand to return from Syria to Paris, France. ww2dbase [Maxime Weygand | CPC]
- Remy Van Lierde was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over Belgium, becoming captured. ww2dbase [Remy Van Lierde | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt requested the US Congress to appropriate US$546,000,000 for the US Army, US$250,000,000 for US Navy and US Marine Corps, and US$100,000,000 for his own office for national defense purposes. He also requested the authorization for the military and his own office to issue contracts in the amount of US$186,000,000 and US$100,000,000, respectively. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt responded to British Prime Minister Churchill's telegraph from the previous day, noting that any military aid to Britain must have the authorization from the US Congress, and that the US fleet would remain concentrated at Hawaii in the Central Pacific for the time being. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC]
France
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill flew to Paris, France to meet with his French counterpart Paul Reynaud; witnessing the burning of government archives, he inquired about the strategic reserve, and received the answer "Aucune" ("There is none"). On the same day, Churchill also sent his Italian counterpart Benito Mussolini a message, urging him to keep Italy out of the European War. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | Paris | TH, CPC]
Photo(s) dated 16 May 1940
See all photos dated 16 May 1940
17 May 1940
- Colonel Charles de Gaulle of the French 4th Armored Division launched a 200-tank counterattack at Montcornet, France; the French forces saw initial success, capturing 500 prisoners, but the momentum quickly waned. Guderian seized upon the opportunity and launched his own counterattack in France, driving the French back several kilometers. In Belgium, British Expeditionary Force commander General Lord Gort, fearful of being surrounded, ordered his troops to fall back to the Scheldt River; this move allowed German General Reichenau to capture Brussels. Meanwhile, Dutch resistance to the German invasion comes to an end with the evacuation, by French destroyers, of the survivors of the Franco-Dutch forces in Zeeland and on the islands of Walcheren and Beverland. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- Erwin Rommel was awarded the 1939 clasp to his Iron Cross Second Class medal. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
- HMS Effingham departed Harstad, Norway with 1,020 troops, 10 Bren Gun Carriers, and 130 tons of supplies on board for Bodø, Norway. En route, she hit the southern edge of the Faksen Shoal off Bodø, Norway and was seriously damaged. ww2dbase [Effingham | CPC]
Germany
Norway
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt announced the plans for recommissioning 35 additional flush deck destroyers to meet the requirements of fleet expansion and the Neutrality Patrol. ww2dbase [United States Neutrality Patrol | Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 17 May 1940
18 May 1940
- German troops captured Antwerp, Belgium; meanwhile, the German government re-incorporated into its borders the territory that Germany ceded to Belgium per the Versailles Treaty. In France, Erwin Rommel's German 7th Panzer Division reached Cambrai where it halted to consolidate his supply lines; in the past 5 days the division advanced 85 miles and captured 10,000 French prisoners and tanks, suffering only 150 casualties. The French called the German 7th Panzer Division the "Ghost Division" for its ability to strike in unexpected and vulnerable places. Elsewhere in France, German troops captured Petonne and Amiens. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- German submarines U-60 and U-62 departed Kiel. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Arthur Seyß-Inquart was appointed Reich Commissar of the Netherlands. ww2dbase [Arthur Seyß-Inquart | CPC]
- British Prime Minister Churchill sent a telegram to US President Roosevelt, noting "if American assistance is to play any part it must be available [soon]." ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- HMS Effingham was scuttled by torpedo after suffering serious damage incurred on the previous day after striking the Faksen Shoal off Norway. ww2dbase [Effingham | CPC]
- Lieutenant Commander Harold Page Smith was made the commanding officer of USS Stewart. ww2dbase [Stewart | CPC]
France
- Walter Grabmann, flying a Bf 110 heavy fighter, was shot down by British Hurricane fighters over Douai, France; he parachuted to safety but was captured. ww2dbase [Walter Grabmann | Douai, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | CPC]
19 May 1940
- French Army General Maxime Weygand replaced General Maurice Gamelin as Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief; Marshal Philippe Pétain was made Deputy Prime Minister. ww2dbase [Maxime Weygand | TH]
- German General Guderian resumed his attack, capturing territories between Saint-Quentin and Péronne. His troops were now within 50 miles of the English Channel and had cut off the Allied troops in Belgium. British Expeditionary Force commander General Lord Gort issued the order to withdraw toward port cities, including Dunkirk, while Colonel de Gaulle's French 4th Armored Division made a failed attempt to attack Guderian's flank at Montcornet. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The British Royal Air Force had lost over half of the aircraft it had deployed to France and Beligum by this date. To retain strength for a potential invasion of Britain, the RAF began recalling remaining squadrons back home. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-37 (Victor Oehrn) hit the unescorted 5,066-ton Swedish motor merchant Erik Frisell with one G7a torpedo in the Atlantic Ocean west of Scotland, United Kingdom at 0631 hours. The crew of 34 abandoned ship only after the submarine fired a shot across the bow and the Germans had to order them back to the ship to take the last two men off. Afterwards the ship was sunk by gunfire. She had originally been en route to Stockholm, Sweden with a cargo of animal fodder but was ordered to Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. The survivors were picked up by the British armed trawler HMS Cobbers and landed at Stornoway, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-37 | CPC, HM]
Norway
- A German Heinkel bomber bombed the 263-ton SS Belgica, an ex-barque Norwegian whaler and whale processing ship that was currently being used by the British as an ammunition depot ship, in Isfjorden, Svalbard, Norway. It was thought at the time that a near miss sprang some of her plates and this caused her to sink. However it was later generally accepted that the British scuttled her to prevent capture as the wreck was found to be relatively unharmed and that next to her was a barge, intact with scuttling charges placed in her bilges. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Svalbard | HM]
United Kingdom
- The 2,197-ton HMS Princess Victoria, an old steam ferry requisitioned by the British Admiralty for use as an auxiliary-minelayer, part of the Humber Force, struck a mine at the River Humber entrance on the east coast of England, United Kingdom and sank quickly taking over 30 of her crew with her. She was equipped with an outfit of up to 244 mines, one single 10.16-centimeter QF (4-inch Quick-Firing) gun and two single 5.44-kilogram (12-pounder) anti-aircraft guns. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | England | HM]
Photo(s) dated 19 May 1940
20 May 1940
- In France, Rommel's troops began a new offensive but was held up at Arras. Meanwhile, Guderian's troops continued to advance, capturing Amiens at 0900 hours, Abbeville at 1900 hours, and Noyelles-sur-Mer at 2000 hours; they had reached the English Channel. At Dunkerque on the French coast, small seacraft began gathering for an Allied evacuation. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano began to carry only war news published by the Italian government. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Prime Minister Churchill sent a telegram to US President Roosevelt, again requesting for destroyers; "If they were here in 6 weeks, they would play an invaluable part." ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- US President Franklin Roosevelt expressed his concern regarding the Uruguayan-German tension to Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles. Welles reported to Roosevelt that the Uruguayan government had taken steps to investigate Nazi Party activities in Montevideo. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Oberleutnant Heinrich Driver was named the commanding officer of U-23, relieving Heinz Beduhn. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
China
- 24 G3M bombers of Japanese 13th Air Group attacked Liangshan Airfield in Chongqing, China in the morning at the altitude of 14,700 feet. They were intercepted by eight I-16 fighters of 24th Pursuit Squadron of Chinese Air Force 4th Pursuit Group. The Chinese fighters shot down a G3M bomber, damaged two others (Chinese pilots claimed these as kills but they were able to make it back to base), and shot down an accompanying Ki-15-II aircraft in an observation role. The Chinese lost two I-16 fighters, which were written off due to heavy damage. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Liangshan Airfield | Chongqing | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 20 May 1940
21 May 1940
- German General Rommel bypassed Arras, France and advanced west toward the English Channel. 74 British tanks spearheaded two infantry divisions in an attempt to counter Rommel's offensive, but it was defeated by Rommel's use of 8.8 cm FlaK anti-aircraft guns in an anti-tank role. Elsewhere, the French 9th Army was surrounded and destroyed; commanding officer General Giraud was captured. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- German bombers attacked British ports on the English Channel while RAF bombers attacked refineries near Rotterdam, the Netherlands. ww2dbase [TH]
- The British government announced that over 250,000 men had enrolled in the Local Defence Volunteers organization within the first 24 hours of its existance. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Royal Air Force 263 Squadron and 46 Squadron arrived in Narvik, Norway with 18 Gladiator and 18 Hurricane aircraft to provide additional, but still not adequate, protection for Allied warships in the area. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Orion rounded Cape Horn and entered the South Pacific. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Erwin Rommel was awarded the 1939 clasp to his Iron Cross First Class medal. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
- An official British Admiralty communiqué noted that "[t]he Secretary of the Admiralty regrets to announce that as the result of damage sustained through striking an uncharted rock off the Norwegian coast, HMS Effingham (Captain JM Howson, RN), has become a total loss". ww2dbase [Effingham | CPC]
- U-56 began her ninth patrol north of the Hebrides west of Scotland, United Kingdom and in the Shetland Islands area further north. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
China
- 27 Japanese G3M bombers, unescorted, attacked Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China. Seven I-15III fighters of 21st Pursuit Squadron of 4th Pursuit Group of the Chinese Air Force scrambled in defensive, shooting down one bomber, and damaging another with 70 machine gun bullets. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Lanzhou, Gansu | CPC]
France
- Émile Bertin completed her repairs at Brest, France. ww2dbase [Émile Bertin | Brest, Bretagne | CPC]
- General Gaston Billote, commander of the French First Group of Armies, was fatally injured when his driver crashed into a truck returning from the Ypres conference. ww2dbase [AC]
- In Paris, France, General Robert Altmayer, a retired cavalry general who had retired four years earlier as Inspector-General of Cavalry, was summoned by Maxime Weygand to take command of Group A (later renamed Tenth Army) consisting of the 9th Corps, 10th Corps and 3rd Division Legere Mecanique. He was also told that all BEF troops south of the Somme (1st Armoured Division and 51st Highland Division) would also come under his orders. ww2dbase [Maxime Weygand | Paris | AC]
- The French destroyer L'Adroit (T23) was in company of two other destroyers when German He 111 bombers attacked. One aircraft hit her with a bomb that exploded just in front of the bridge. One third of the ship was ripped off and her commanding officer Captain Henri Dupin de Saint-Cyr beached her at Malo-les-Bains, Dunkerque, France at 0035 hours where she was on fire. As she had just been reloaded with ammunition and torpedoes for a mission on the Scheldt Estuary to the northeast, the entire crew abandoned ship, and locals of Malo-les-Bains were also evacuated. At 0230 hours the ship was destroyed by seven large explosions. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | HM]
Photo(s) dated 21 May 1940
22 May 1940
- In Northern France, Rommel held his ground at Arras as he mistakenly believed he was facing 5 division of Allied troops when he was only facing 2 divisions and 2 tank battalions. Guderian, however, advanced toward Calais, Dunkirk, and Boulogne. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The United Kingdom passed the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, giving the government authority over persons and property for the duration of the war. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 attacked British armed merchant vessel Dunster Grange with four torpedoes and then surfaced to attack with the deck gun off of Land's End in Southwestern England. All four torpedoes missed, and Dunster Grange was able to fight off the attack and arrive in Liverpool safely two days later. ww2dbase [CPC]
China
- Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Chongqing | CPC]
- Two formations of Japanese G3M2 bombers, accompanied by three C5M reconnaissance aircraft (Navy version of Ki-15 aircraft), attacked Baishiyi Airfield in Chongqing, China. Four I-15bis and one I-16 fighters were caught by surprise and were destroyed on the ground; the Japanese had claimed 15 destroyed on the ground. ww2dbase [Baishiyi Airfield | Chongqing | CPC]
France
- French Air Force withdrew Potez 630 heavy fighters from front line service. ww2dbase [Potez 630 | CPC]
- General Gaston Billote died from injuried sustained during an automobile accident on the previous day. ww2dbase [AC]
- Recalled from retirement, General Henry Karslake sailed to France with instructions from General Edmund Ironside to save priority equipment without alarming the French. His top priority was to evacuate anti-aircraft guns that would be urgently needed for the defence of British cites should France fall. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | AC]
- In France, Theodor Eicke's SS Division Totenkopf, a police unit raised to provide concentration camp guards, murdered ninety-two civilians in the town of Aubigny-en-Artois and another forty-five in the villages of Vandélicourt and Berles-Monchel as they headed towards the canal line before Dunkerque. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Aubigny-en-Artois, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | AC]
Germany
- German pilot Hauptmann Wolfgang Falck was ordered to establish Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 wing for the night fighter defence of Germany. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | AC]
United Kingdom
- Cryptologist in Bletchley Park, England broke the Luftwaffe Enigma code. ww2dbase [Enigma Code Broken | Bletchley Park | Milton Keynes, England | TH]
- In London, England, United Kingdom, a Home Morale Emergency Committee was set up to advise the Ministry of Information on how to combat defeatism in Britain. Its chairman was the diplomat, author and wit, Mr. (later Sir) Harold Nicolson, a junior Minister for Information. Another member of the board was the Director of the National Gallery and future Television presenter, Kenneth (later Lord) Clark. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
23 May 1940
- The German 6th Army crossed the Scheldt River in Belgium. In France, British General Lord Gort withdrew his troops from Arras despite being able to halt Rommel's momentum. Elsewhere, German 2nd Panzer Division attacked Boulogne while the German 1st Panzer Division's forward elements reached Calais. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Submarine Marlin was laid down at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery in Maine, United States. ww2dbase [Marlin | CPC]
Belgium
- Latvian steam cargo ship Sigurd Faulbaums, now under Belgian control, was being towed by Belgian tugs Baron de Maere and Graaf Visart when she was hit by two torpedoes from German submarine U-9 15 miles northeast of Zeebrugge, Belgium at 1254 hours. The ship broke in half, with the aft portion sinking quickly. Survivors on the fore portion were rescued by Graaf Visart. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC, HM]
France
Germany
United Kingdom
- Arrests began for British fascists across the United Kingdom as well as known IRA operatives in Northern Ireland. ww2dbase [TH]
- Oswald Mosley and 747 other British Union members were arrested (including ninety-six women including Lady Diana) and interned without charge. ww2dbase [Oswald Mosley | AC]
Photo(s) dated 23 May 1940
24 May 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German aircraft sank British destroyer Wessex off the coast of Calais, France. ww2dbase [TH]
- At 0248 hours, the unescorted neutral 3,994-ton Greek cargo steamer Kyma was struck by a torpedo from German submarine U-37 when sailing about 175 miles south of Cape Clear Island, Ireland and about 200 miles west of Brest, France. The attack was made without warning and despite the neutrality markings. Victor Oehrn, the German commander, regarded he ship as heading for an enemy port within the blockade area. The ship was carrying 6,000 tons of maize and 90 tons of trucks to Avonmouth, Bristol, England, United Kingdom from Rosario, Argentina. The survivors abandoned the Kyma in a lifeboat which was spotted by an aircraft from St Eval, Cornwall, England and the sloop HMS Enchantress (L 56) broke away from the convoy to pick them up. Seven of the 30 crew were lost. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC, HM]
- French destroyer Chacal, under command of Commander J. E. N. Estieene, was sunk in the English Channel off Boulogne, France by German aircraft. ww2dbase [English Channel | HM]
Belgium
Brazil
- The President of Panama expressed support for the Dominican Republic in terms of the 8 Mar 1940 incident where a Canadian destroyer attacked German freighter Hannover in Dominic Republic's territorial waters. He called for the Chairman of the Inter-American Neutrality Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to investigate this violation of the Pan-American Neutrality Zone. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | CPC]
France
- In France, the German 10th Panzer Division began an attack on Calais and captured the town of Boulogne (capturing 5,000 Allied troops), Maubeuge, and Saint-Omer. To the north, the German 1st Panzer Division reached the Aa Canal 10 miles from Dunkerque in an attempt to cut off the Allied troops in Belgium. At this key moment, Adolf Hitler interfered and ordered the tanks to pull back; he was promised by Hermann Göring that the Luftwaffe would be able to prevent the Allied evacuation from taking place; German Army generals protested, but to no avail. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- British Lieutenant Christopher Furness, the son of Viscount Furness, was killed in hand to hand fighting near Arras, France after his Bren gun carrier group engaged a vastly superior enemy force in order to allow a convoy to escape. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. ww2dbase [Arras, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | AC]
- Walter Grabmann was liberated by German troops in France. ww2dbase [Walter Grabmann | CPC]
- The Polish destroyer Burza was ordered to join the British destroyers HMS Vimiera (L 29) and HMS Wessex (D 43) and shell German positions in Calais area on the French coast. At 1620 hours the Allied vessels opened fire on a German armoured column at Sangatte Hill, west of Calais. Ten minutes later they were attacked by 27 German aircraft which hit and sank HMS Wessex about 5 miles off of the coast. HMS Vimiera managed to escape. Then the entire enemy air group concentrated on the Polish destroyer. The two 40-millimeter anti-aircraft guns jammed due to shrapnel hits. Three bombs exploded in the water and they caused boiler damage and loss of speed. The commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Wojciech Francki, ordered to emergency launch the torpedoes and drop all depth charges, trying to avoid additional explosions. Shortly after this, two bombs hit the Burza and badly damaged her. However the airplanes had dropped all of their bombs and broke off the attack. The crew managed to stop the leakage and return to Dover, England, United Kingdom. One German airplane was shot down during the action. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Burza | Calais, Nord-Pas de Calais | HM]
- The 2,939-ton passenger steamship Brighton, in service with the British Admiralty as a hospital ship, was bombed and sunk by German aircraft at Dieppe, France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dieppe, Haute-Normandie | HM]
United Kingdom
- The British War Cabinet issued the order to withdraw the British troops in Norway in light of the situation in France. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
25 May 1940
- British trade union executives accepted Aneurin Bevan's proposal for the Labour Supply Board and Production Council. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The first transport of prisoners arrived at the Mauthausen-Gusen Concentration Camp in occupied Austria region of southern Germany. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
- Illustrious was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Illustrious | CPC]
- Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of the Japanese 4th Division. ww2dbase [Yi Un | CPC]
- Captain Richard F. J. Onslow was named the commanding officer of HMS Hermes, relieving Captain F. E. P. Hutton. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]
- General Maxime Weygand confirmed General Georges Blanchard as the new commander of the French First Army. ww2dbase [AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Béarn made rendezvous with light cruisers Jeanne d'Arc and Émile Bertin in the Atlantic Ocean and transferred French central bank gold bullions to the light cruisers, which would carry them to Canada. ww2dbase [Béarn | CPC]
France
- Adolf Hitler continued to hold off his tanks from engaging on an offensive even though those armored division were merely 10 miles from Dunkerque, France. At Calais, France, Heinz Guderian obediently, albeit frustratingly, ordered his tanks to halt per Hitler's orders, but the field commanders continued to push back the British and French troops. In the evening, British Expeditionary Force commanding general Lord Gort began to fall back to Dunkerque. On the same day, the French Army relieved 15 generals of their commands. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | TH]
United Kingdom
- At a meeting with Winston Churchill, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir Edmund Ironside, agreed to accept the position of Commander-in-Chief Home Forces. He would be suceeded by as CIGS by his deputy, Sir John Dill. ww2dbase [AC]
United States
- A unit of the newly formed US Marine Corps Defense Battalions began the Minor Landing and Base Defense Exercise at San Clemente Island, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Clemente Island, California | CPC]
26 May 1940
- In Britain, Empire Day was declared as a national day of prayer. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German Ju 88 aircraft attacked and sank British anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curlew off Narvik, Norway, killing 9. HMS Curlew was equipped with the only early warning radar set. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German submarines U-13 departed Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarines U-48 departed Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson, in a telegram to US Secretary of State Cordell Hull, reported tension between the Uruguayan and German governments as the Germans were accusing the Uruguayan police in mistreating German citizens living in Uruguay. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Eagle arrived in the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
China
- 36 Japanese G3M2 Model 21 bombers, plus bombers of other types, and accompanied by three C5M reconnaissance aircraft (Navy's version of Ki-15 aircraft) attacked Chongqing, China. Lieutenant Yuan Chin-han, flying a Hawk III fighter, damaged a G3M2 Model 21 bomber over western Chongqing. Captain Chen Sheng-hsing and Lieutenant Gao Youxin, flying I-15bis fighters, shared the credit for downing another bomber. ww2dbase [Gao Youxin | Chongqing | CPC]
France
- At Dunkerque, France, British Expeditionary Force commanding general Lord Gort received the formal authorization for a withdraw; Operation Dynamo, the code name of the massive evacuation, was headed by British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey. Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler rescinded the order to halt the offensive near Dunkerque. At Calais, after a heavy aerial and field artillery bombardment, German troops crossed the canals and moved toward the Citadel; at 1600 hours, Brigadier Claude Nicholson surrendered. Elsewhere, the French 1st Army was nearly encircled by the Germans, while the Belgians was pushed back to the Leie/Lys River. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | CPC]
- General Maxime Weygand issued his Ordre Général d'Operation No. 1184 3/FT: "The battle on which the fate of the country depends will be fought without any idea of retreat, on the line which we hold today." ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Maxime Weygand | AC]
- By this date, the French Army had taken delivery of 432 37L tracked carriers. ww2dbase [37L | CPC]
Italy
- Benito Mussolini informed the Chief of Supreme Staff, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, and Governor of Libya, Marshal Italo Balbo, that he had told Adolf Hitler of his intentions to declare war on England and France after 5 June. Badoglio was horrified and protested vehemently that crippling shortages of equipment in the Italian Army made a such a military adventure a very risky business. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Benito Mussolini | AC]
United Kingdom
- In the United Kingdom, General Sir John Dill became Chief of the Imperial General Staff and Sir Edmund Ironside became Commander-in-Chief of Home Defense. ww2dbase [John Dill | TH]
- United Kingdom government declared the coastal regions from Folkestone to Great Yarmouth designated evacuation areas. ww2dbase [TH]
Photo(s) dated 26 May 1940
27 May 1940
- The British sugar ration was reduced from 12 ounce to 8 ounce per person. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British government abandoned the notion to introduce conscription to Northern Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German tanks and aircraft maintained pressure on the Allies in France, pushing them back four miles toward the coast and placing Dunkirk within artillery range; meanwhile, the first 7,669 British troops were evacuated from Dunkirk. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Troops of the German 3rd SS Panzer Totenkopf Division, commanded by Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein, massacred 97 British prisoners of war by machine gun fire at the village of Le Paradis in France. Two survivors of the massacre would later provide testimony during the post-war war crimes trials against Knöchlein. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank British ship Sheaf Mead 150 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain; 32 men were killed and 5 were rescued. U-37 also forced the Argentinian ship Uruguay to scuttle; 15 men became missing and presumed dead, and 13 were rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Erwin Rommel was awarded the Knight Cross medal. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
- Werner Mölders claimed his 19th and 20th victories southwest of Amiens, France; the victims were both P-36 fighters. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- British General Edmund Ironside stepped down from the position of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. ww2dbase [CPC]
- James Lacey shot down two German He 111 bombers. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
Belgium
- King Leopold III of Belgium offered surrender terms to Germany and decided to remain in the country. Germany responded at 2200 hours, demanding an unconditional surrender. ww2dbase [Leopold III | TH]
China
Germany
Norway
- German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked Bodø, Norway, rendering 3,500 of the town's 6,000 residents homeless. 2 British servicemen and 13 Norwegian civilians were killed. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Bodø, Nordland | CPC]
United States
- The keel of light cruiser Juneau was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey, United States. ww2dbase [Juneau | Kearny, New Jersey | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 27 May 1940
28 May 1940
- German submarine U-37 sank French liner Brazza 100 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain at 0924 hours, killing 79 crew and 300 passengers. 53 crew and 144 passengers were later rescued by French gunboat Enseigne Henry and British armed merchant cruiser HMS Cheshire. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The National Defense Advisory Committee was established in the United States as a group of advisors for US President Roosevelt. Its membership included business and industry leaders such as William Knudsen, Edward Stettinius, and Sidney Hillman and academics such as economist Leon Henderson. ww2dbase [CPC]
- American ambassador to France, William Bullitt, sent a telegram to the United States asking President Roosevelt to dispatch a cruiser to Bordeaux, France to bring weapons for the French police to quell a feared "Communist uprising" and to embark French and Belgian gold reserves. Heavy cruiser USS Vincennes would sortie from Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States with destroyers USS Truxtun and USS Simpson in response to the ambassador's request. ww2dbase [Vincennes | CPC]
Belgium
- King Leopold III of Belgium officially surrendered unconditionally to Germany at 0400 hours; he made this decision without consulting his government nor the Allied nations. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
China
France
- In France, 11,874 Allied personnel were evacuated from Dunkerque harbor and 5,930 from the nearby beaches; the latter was possible due to the arrival of many small fishing boats and pleasure craft. At Lille, seven German Divisions trapped the 40,000-strong French First Army. At Abbeville, the crew of French Char B1 Bis tank "Jeanne d'Arc" gallantly fought on against a German attack despite receiving 90 hits. Across the front lines, between eighty and ninety British prisoners of the 2nd Warwickshire Regiment, the Cheshire Regiment, and the Royal Artillery were murdered by members of No. 7 Company, 2nd Battalion SS Liebstandarte at Wormhoudt, France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH, AC]
Norway
- Allied forces consisted of British, French, Norwegian, and Polish troops attacked Narvik, Norway across the Rombaksfjord and by land starting at 0015 hours. German aircraft did not arrived until 0430 hours, but they were able to force the Allied fleet to withdraw after damaging cruiser HMS Cairo (killing 10 and wounding 7). At 1200 hours, Allied troops captured the city. German troops withdrew to nearby hills. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Narvik | TH]
Photo(s) dated 28 May 1940
29 May 1940
- Allies evacuated 33,558 men from the harbor at Dunkirk, France and 13,752 from the nearby beaches. German aircraft interfered, attacking ships in the sea as well as men waiting on the docks. Destroyer HMS Grenade was hit by three bombs, one of which went down her funnel, in Dunkirk harbor and sank, killing 19. Destroyer HMS Jaguar was badly damaged by a bomb, killing 13 and wounding 19. Minesweeper HMS Waverley, with 600 troops already aboard, was sunk by a bomb, killing 350. Elsewhere in France, German troops captured Lille, Ostend, and Ypres. Also on the same day, French auxiliary cruiser Ville d'Oran took on 200 tons of gold from the French reserve for shipment to Casablanca, French Morocco. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- German torpedo boat S-30 sank British destroyer HMS Wakeful 13 miles north of Nieuwpoort, Belgium at 0040 hours, killing 97 crew and 640 solders rescued from Dunkirk, France. 25 crew and 1 soldier were rescued by minesweepers HMS Gossamer and HMS Lydd, destroyer HMS Grafton, and armed trawler HMS Comfort. Later in the day, German submarine U-62 torpedoed HMS Grafton, killing 4; destroyer HMS Ivanhoe scuttled HMS Grafton after rescuing the survivors. Nearby, HMS Comfort was mistaken for another German torpedo boat and was rammed by HMS Lydd, killing 4 crew and 2 soldiers. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarine U-37 sank French steamer Marie José and British oil tanker Telena off Cape Finisterre, Spain. 18 were killed and 18 survivors were later rescued by Spanish fishing boats. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Werner Mölders was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the first fighter pilot to receive this award. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- No. 264 Squadron RAF based at Manston, England, United Kingdom claimed no less than thirty-eight enemy aircraft destroyed in a single day. The Luftwaffe fighter pilots having mistaken No. 264 Squadron's two-seat Defiant fighters for Hurricane fighters and had dived on the supposedly defenceless tails of the British fighters only to be greeted by a withering concentration of fire. By the end of the month No. 264 Squadron's Defiant fighters would have claimed some sixty-five kills, but the German pilots had learned from their mistakes and adopted new tactics to deal with the Defiant fighters. ww2dbase [P.82 Defiant | AC]
- Friedrich Christiansen became the commanding officer of the German military in the Netherlands. ww2dbase [Friedrich Christiansen | CPC]
France
- The 393-ton former Royal Mail Steam Packet Company paddle steamer Gracie Fields, serving in the capacity of a minesweeper since 1939, was hit by a bomb on her second trip to Dunkerque, France. Eight of her crew died in the attack. The ship remained afloat and an effort to tow her back to Britain would be mounted. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | HM]
Photo(s) dated 29 May 1940
30 May 1940
- The British Admiralty ordered all modern destroyers to leave Dunkerque, France due to the previous day's losses by German Luftwaffe, leaving 18 older destroyers to continue the evacuation; 24,311 were rescued from the harbor and 29,512 were rescued from the nearby beaches on this date. Despite poor weather, German aircraft damaged destroyers HMS Anthony and HMS Sabre, minesweeper HMS Kellet, armed boarding vessel HMS King Orry, and steamers St. Julien & Normannia. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Allied troops began pushing German troops from the Narvik, Norway region back toward the Swedish border. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- President Roosevelt rejected a request from US Ambassador to France William Bullitt of 28 May 1940, which asked for an American fleet to move into the Mediterranean Sea. Secretary of State Cordell Hull, who communicated the rejection to Bullitt, added that the "presence of the fleet in the Pacific at this time is a very practical contribution to the maintenance of peace in the Pacific". ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson reported to his superiors Washington DC, United States noting Nazi German leanings in the public sentiment. ww2dbase [CPC]
Belgium
- The 1,298-ton French destroyer Bourrasque was steaming away from the French coast with 600 French soldiers that it had picked up. A captured coastal gun section at Nieupoort, Belgium opened fire and hit the ship as she steered five miles from the harbour buoy. The Bourrasque took on water rapidly after an explosion in the stern area. Panic broke out amongst the overcrowded soldiers and many had to jump into the sea after lifeboats either failed to launch or capsized. Ships in the area came in to help and some 550 sailors and soldiers were pulled to safety, many covered in oil and injured. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC, HM]
France
- German submarine U-101 struck unescorted 4,831-ton British merchant steamer Stanhall on the starboard side under the bridge with one torpedo 35 miles north-northwest of Ushant, Finistère, Bretagne, France at 1925 hours, killing 1. She sank within eleven minutes. 36 survivors, including the master, were rescued by British steamer Temple Moat, and they would later be landed at Weymouth, England, United Kingdom. The ship was carrying 7,630 tons of raw sugar and 350 tons of onions. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Ushant, Bretagne | CPC, HM]
- The 3,236-ton French steamship Monique Schiaffino was bombed and sunk by German aircraft on at Dunkerque, France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | HM]
- The 393-ton former Royal Mail Steam Packet Company paddle steamer Gracie Fields, serving in the capacity of a minesweeper since 1939 and damaged off Dunkerque, France on the previous day, sank while under tow early in the morning. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | HM]
- The Devonia, a side paddle steamer that had previously been requisitioned by the British Admiralty, came under heavy artillery fire and bombs from Stuka dive bombers as she approached the embarkation jetty by the beaches at Dunkerque, France. The ship had to be abandoned and beached. Her wreckage is still to be found on the beach. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | HM]
Italy
- Benito Mussolini advised Adolf Hitler that Italy was ready to enter the war. ww2dbase [Benito Mussolini | TH]
Japan
- The keel of unnamed transport ship No. 74 was laid down at Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation's shipyard at Kobe, Japan. ww2dbase [Irako | Kobe, Hyogo | CPC]
Norway
- The 291-ton German armed trawler V-1109 (ex-Antares, built 1929) sank after hitting a mine laid by the British submarine HMS Narwhal on 11 May 1940 off Bud, Norway. Eighteen men were rescued but seventeen were missing, including the Norwegian pilot. ww2dbase [Bud, Romsdal | HM]
United Kingdom
- Operation Fish: British battleship HMS Revenge, troop transport HMS Antonia, and troop transport HMS Duchess of Richmond with £40 million, £10 million, and £10 million in gold, respectively, departed from Britain for Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The gold was destined for the vaults of the Bank of Canada in Ottowa for safe keeping during war time. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The 338-ton British Boom defence vessel Cambrian, built in 1924 by Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd. and owned at the time of her loss by British Royal Navy, was sunk by a mine at Spithead roadstead in southern England, United Kingdom whilst attending the Solent Boom. 23 people lost their lives. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Spithead, England | HM]
Photo(s) dated 30 May 1940
31 May 1940
- British sloop HMS Weston sank German submarine U-13 with depth charges 14 miles southeast of Lowestoft, England. The entire crew of 26 were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-101 attacked Allied convoy HG-31F and sank British ship Orangemoor with 8,150 tons of iron on board west of Guernsey, killing 18. The convoy's escorts attacked U-101 with 41 depth charges over the course of 8 hours; the submarine survived the attack. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Ambassador to Argentina Norman Armour and US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson met in Montevideo, Uruguay regarding the deteriorating political situation in Uruguay. They jointly requested Secretary of State Cordell Hull to ask President Roosevelt to sent 40 to 50 warships to the eastern coast of South America as a show of force to prevent Uruguay from partnering with Germany. Later in the day, Hull would inform them that heavy cruiser USS Quincy was dispatched for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil per their suggestion, and she would visit Montevideo on the journey. State Department official Laurence Duggan would suggest Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles to publicize USS Quincy's South American tour. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland joined escort at Capetown for military convoy US3 taking ANZAC troops to UK. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Belgium
- No. 829 Squadron FAA took their newly issued Fairey Albacore aircraft into action for the first time with attacks on German E-boats off Zeebrugge, Belgium and road and rail targets at Westende, Belgium. ww2dbase [AC]
France
- Poor weather clouded over Dunkerque, France, giving the British a chance to bring in modern destroyers into the area to assist the evacuation with less fear of German air attacks; 68,014 (45,072 from harbor and 22,942 from beaches) were rescued on this date, including British Expeditionary Force commanding general Lord Gort. French destroyer Leopart and British destroyers HMS Express, HMS Icarus, HMS Keith, and HMS Winchelsea were damaged by German aerial bombing. German torpedo boats damaged French destroyers Sirocco and Cyclone; Sirocco was finished off by German aircraft, killing 59 crew and 600 troops. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | TH]
- UK Prime Minister Churchill traveled to Paris, France for a Supreme Allied War Council meeting. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | Paris | TH]
- US-built DB-7 medium bombers of the French Air Force saw combat for the first time against German columns near Saint-Quentin in the Picardy Region of northeastern France. ww2dbase [A-20 Havoc | Saint-Quentin, Picardy | CPC]
- Oliver Leese was evacuated from a beach near Dunkerque, France. ww2dbase [Oliver Leese | Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Without regard to her own safety, WAAF Corporal Daphne Pearson pulled Pilot Officer Bond, from his crashed Anson aircraft at RAF Detling, Kent, England, United Kingdom moments before the 120-pound bombs still on board exploded. For her selfless bravery, Corporal Pearson would be awarded the British Empire Medal for gallantry (later exchanged for the George Cross – the first George Cross awarded to a woman) and a Commission. ww2dbase [Detling, England | AC]
- In Britain the government (through the newly created Home Defence [Security] Executive) granted Chief Constables the right to intern any German or Austrian men or women where grounds existed for doubting their reliability. ww2dbase [AC]
- HMS Acasta, HMS Ardent, HMS Acheron, HMS Highlander, and HMS Diana escorted aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious from the Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom to the Norwegian coast to carry out air operations in support of the evacuation of Allied forces from Norway during Operation Alphabet. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Ark Royal | Glorious | Acasta | Clyde, Scotland | CPC]
US Pacific Islands
- The US Marine Corps 14th Naval District dispatched Captain Samuel G. Taxis to survey Midway Atoll with a small reconnaissance party for the planning of building a US Marine Corps presence there. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Midway | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 31 May 1940
See all photos dated 31 May 1940
1 Jun 1940
- Overnight, British troops pulled out of the defensive line around Durkirk, France and headed for the ships, leaving French troops to hold a reduced perimeter. After day break, German bombing sank French destroyer Le Foudroyant (killing 19), British destroyers HMS Basilisk (killing 9; scuttled by destroyer HMS Whitehall), HMS Havant (killing 8, scuttled by minesweeper HMS Saltash), and HMS Keith (killing 36). British minesweeper HMS Skipjack was bombed after embarking 275 soldiers from the beach, taking down 19 crew and most of the boarded soldiers. British steamer Scotia was bombed and sunk, killing 32 crew and 200 to 300 soldiers. 47,081 Allied troops were evacuated from the harbor and 17,348 from the beaches. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- British unemployment figure decreased by 92,000 in May 1940 to 881,000. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The wreck of British trawler HMS Warwickshire, sunk by aircraft on 30 Apr 1940 off Trondheim, Norway, was raised and put into service. She would remain in German service until sunk by Soviet submarine S-56 on 19 Jul 1943. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank Greek ship Ioanna 120 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain at 2300 hours. The entire crew survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US freighter Charles R. McCormick departed Bergen, Norway for the United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Lord Gort was made the aide-de-camp to King George VI. ww2dbase [John Vereker | CPC]
- Heinz Guderian was named the commander of Panzer Group Guderian. ww2dbase [Heinz Guderian | AC]
- Douglas Bader achieved his first kill, which was a German Bf 109 fighter. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | AC]
- Slovakia established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
- French industrial targets in the Rhône Valley were bombed by the German Luftwaffe. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- Under a heavy German air raid at Dunkerque, France, Sergeant George Benton, RAMC, was carrying wounded men on stretchers to a ship at the East Mole when a bomb blew a hole in the walkway. Unflinching, he calmly placed a stretcher over the gap and carried on with the evacuation of the wounded. ww2dbase [Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | AC]
Germany
- Fleet tender Carl Peters was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Carl Peters | CPC]
Norway
- British troops at Narvik, Norway began evacuating to reinforce Britain itself from a potential invasion. British ambassador to Norway Sir Cecil Dormer informed Norwegian King Haakon VII of the news and recommended the royal family and the government to evacuate as well. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | TH]
Philippines
- USS Stewart completed her overhaul work at Cavite Navy Yard, Philippines. ww2dbase [Stewart | Cavite | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Signposts were taken down throughout Britain to prevent use by possible enemy parachutists. ww2dbase [TH]
United States
- Battleship Washington was launched at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, United States. She was the first American battleship to be launched since the 1921 launching of battleship West Virginia. ww2dbase [Philadelphia Navy Yard | Washington | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | CPC]
- A unit of the newly formed US Marine Corps Defense Battalions completed the Minor Landing and Base Defense Exercise at San Clemente Island, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Francisco, California | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 1 Jun 1940
See all photos dated 1 Jun 1940
2 Jun 1940
- Due to costly air attacks, British Admiralty decided that evacuation from Dunkirk, France would only be undertaken at night, particularly because nearly all British troops had already left Dunkirk by this time. On this date, 19,561 troops were evacuated from the harbor and 6,695 from the beaches. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- German submarine U-101 sank British ship Polycarp 41 miles south of Lands End in southwestern England at 0300 hours. The entire crew of 43 were rescued by French ship Espiguette. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-58 sank British coastal defense vessel HMS Astronomer 20 miles off the northeast coast of Scotland at 0600 hours after a six-hour chase and three torpedoe hits. 4 were killed; 52 civilian crewmen, 1 gunner, and 48 Royal Navy sailors were rescued by anti-submarine trawlers HMS Stoke City and HMS Leicester City. ww2dbase [CPC]
- In Norway, New Zealand Pilot Officer Louis Jacobsen of No. 263 Squadron RAF shot down six enemy bombers while flying a near obsolete Gladiator biplane fighter. Jacobsen himself would be dead in less than a week. ww2dbase [AC]
- HMS Cumberland on passage to Freetown, British West Africa (now Sierra Leone) with Convoy US3. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Ireland
- US ship President Roosevelt departed Galway, Ireland with 720 American citizens fleeing the European war zone. ww2dbase [Galway | CPC]
Italy
- US passenger liner Manhattan departed Genoa, Italy with 1,905 passengers fleeing the European war zone. ww2dbase [Genova, Liguria | CPC]
Norway
- The Allies dispatched Polish and French troops to push German troops eastward from Narvik, Norway, while evacuated British troops. Carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious provided air cover for the evacuation of 26,000 British troops. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- HMS Glorious provided escort for British RAF bombers attacking German airfields in Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Glorious | CPC]
3 Jun 1940
- After nightfall, the Allies began to evacuate Narvik, Norway. Through the night and the following day's daybreak, British destroyers and Norwegian fishing boats ferried Allied personnel to six troops transports in various fjords nearby. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | TH]
- The last group of British troops at Dunkirk, France was evacuated before the break of dawn. At 1050 hours, Royal Navy Captain William Tennant signaled the completion of Operation Dynamo, but he was overruled by this superiors as there were still some French troops in Dunkirk. During the day, the British Admiralty acknowledged that 222 British naval vessels and 665 other craft were employed for the Dunkirk evacuation; 6 destroyers, 24 small armed vessels, and 226 other ships were lost. British ships returned to Dunkirk after night fall. By this time, German troops were only 2 miles away. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The British government banned aliens and stateless persons in Britain from leaving home between 2230 hours and 0600 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- French armed merchant cruiser Ville D'Oran, with 212 tons of gold from the French reserves, departed from Pauillac, France. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank Finnish ship Snabb with the deck gun 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain, killing 1. Greek ship Kyriakoula rescued 20 survivors. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross award was established in Germany. ww2dbase [CPC]
Australia
- Roberts Dunstan enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force. ww2dbase [Roberts Dunstan | CPC]
Egypt
- Italian cargo ship SS Umbria arrived at Port Said, Egypt from Genoa, Italy with a secret cargo of 6,000 tons of bombs, 600 cases of detonators, 100 tons of various weapons, more than 2,000 tons of cement, and three Fiat 1100 cars aboard. ww2dbase [Port Said | HM]
France
Italy
Russia
- Soviet troops began the preparation for the invasion of the Baltic States of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Winston Churchill ordered the formation of commando units for raiding occupied Europe. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | TH]
- In Britain, an additional regulation to the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act permitted the police to remove all car radios for reasons of national security. ww2dbase [AC]
4 Jun 1940
- Overnight, 26,175 French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk, France. At 1020 hours, German troops occupied the city and captured the 30,000 to 40,000 French troops, 2,000 British field guns, and 60,000 British vehicles. In total, 338,226 Allied personnel were evacuated through Operation Dynamo. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Churchill delivered the "We shall never surrender" speech to House of Commons. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | TH]
- The United Kingdom banned any recreational camping within 10 miles of the east and southeastern coasts, including the Isle of Wight. ww2dbase [TH]
- German Admiral Wilhelm Marschall launched Operation Juno, sending Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Admiral Hipper, and several destroyers from Kiel for Norway, aiming at disrupting the Allied supply lines to Narvik. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- Konstantin Rokossovsky was promoted to the rank of major general. ww2dbase [Konstantin Rokossovsky | CPC]
- Douglas Bader, while attacking a German Do 17 aircraft, nearly collided with the target. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
- In order to maintain the vital link with North America, British Overseas Airways Corporation commenced a twice-weekly air service between Heston, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom and Lisbon, Portugal, to connect with the scheduled Pan-American Airways New York-Lisbon route. ww2dbase [AC]
- Vasily Kuznetsov was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. ww2dbase [Vasily Kuznetsov | CPC]
Germany
Photo(s) dated 4 Jun 1940
5 Jun 1940
- Germany began the second phase of the invasion of France, Fall Rot. 130 infantry divisions and 10 armored divisions attacked cross the Somme and Aisne Rivers. 66 French divisions attempted to hold the Weygand Line. Across the English Channel, the Allies transported French troops recently evacuated from Dunkirk back into France via ports still under French control; additionally, the Canadian 1st Infantry Division, elements of British 1st Armored Division, and the British 51st Highland Division were also sent to France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- French General de Gaulle was appointed the Undersecretary of State for War by Prime Minister Reynaud. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | TH]
- Small groups of mobile armed men called Ironsides, after the Home Defense Commander, were formed in the United Kingdom to protect against enemy parachutists. ww2dbase [TH]
- 4,900 Allied troops boarded transport ships at Narvik, Norway during the evacuation operation. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German submarine U-48 shelled and sank British armed merchant ship Stancor 80 miles northwest of Scotland at 1118 hours. The entire crew of 19 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Jaguar completed escorting battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper between Kiel, Germany and the Skaggerak. ww2dbase [Gneisenau | Admiral Hipper | Jaguar | Skaggerak | CPC]
France
- Werner Mölders was shot down by French pilot René Pomier-Layrargues near Compiègne, France; he bailed out to safety but was captured by the French. He would be released later upon the French armistice. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | Compiègne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie | TH]
Italy
United Kingdom
- In a BBC radio broadcast the noted author J. B. Priestley berated the British Establishment for its lack of planning and amateurish attitudes. ww2dbase [AC]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt ordered US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark to prepare a US Marine Corps brigade for future deployment to Iceland. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 5 Jun 1940
6 Jun 1940
- German 5th and 7th Panzer Divisions bypassed the strongpoints on the French Weygand defensive line, penetrating near Abeville, Amiens, and Petonne. Nevertheless, the French hedgehog defense along the Weygand Line inflicted German tank losses, with the obsolete 75mm field guns performing surprisingly well as anti-tank guns. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- All Austrian and German citizens in the United Kingdom were ordered to turn in privately-owned radios. ww2dbase [TH]
- The British government banned the manufacture of a large number of household goods. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarine U-46 sank the British armed merchant cruiser Carinthia off the coast of Ireland. ww2dbase [TH]
- 5,100 Allied personnel were transported to troop transports hiding in fjords near Narvik, Norway over the previous night. They then departed the area with about 15,000 troops aboard, escorted by destroyer HMS Arrow and sloop HMS Stork for the first phase of their trip back to Britain. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German submarine U-46 torpedoed British armed merchant cruiser HMS Carinthia west of Galway Bay, Ireland. Carinthia would remain afloat for another 30 hours before sinking. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Galland was appointed Gruppenkommandeur III/JG 26. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | AC]
- Adolf Hitler arrived at the Wolfsschlucht headquarters at Brûly-de-Pesche, Belgium. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Captain Alfred Montgomery relieved Captain Wood as commanding officer of USS Ranger. ww2dbase [Ranger | DS]
China
Egypt
- Italian cargo ship SS Umbria departed Port Said, Egypt with a secret cargo of 6,000 tons of bombs, 600 cases of detonators, 100 tons of various weapons, more than 2,000 tons of cement, and three Fiat 1100 cars aboard. ww2dbase [Port Said | HM]
Italy
Russia
Photo(s) dated 6 Jun 1940
7 Jun 1940
- French armed merchant cruiser Ville D'Oran arrived at Casablanca in French Morocco with 212 tons of gold from the French reserves. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Rommel's troops marched down the French coast toward Rouen, while Kleist's troops were held up by French defensive lines between Amiens and Péronne. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Between midnight and 0330 hours, at about 10 miles north of Ireland, German submarine U-48 sank British ship Francis Massey (killing 33 and sinking 7,500 tons of iron ore) and damaged British ship Eros (no deaths). ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Cumberland arrived Freetown, British West Africa (now Sierra Leone). ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
France
- Flying Officer Edgar Kain DFC, the first five-victory fighter ace of the RAF in WW2 was killed in a flying accident in Échemines, France. ww2dbase [Échemines, Champagne-Ardenne | AC]
Germany
Norway
- King Haakon VII of Norway, Crown Prince Olav, and members of the Norwegian government departed Tromsø in Northern Norway at 2000 hours aboard British cruiser HMS Devonshire. They were headed for Britain. ww2dbase [Haakon VII | Tromsø, Troms og Finnmark | TH]
- The troop transports of British Group II arrived at Narvik, Norway and embarked 5,200 men overnight. Out at sea, troop transports of Group I which had departed Narvik on the previous day were spotted by German aircraft, but they were mis-identified as empty supply ships heading back to Britain, thus spared from attack. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | TH, CPC]
- British pilots without proper carrier landing training safely landed 10 Gladiator and 8 Hurricane aircraft aboard HMS Glorious, completing the evacuation of 46 and 263 Squadrons RAF from Norway. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Glorious | AC]
- Emden departed Oslo, Norway. ww2dbase [Emden | Oslo, Østlandet | CPC]
8 Jun 1940
- French and Polish troops left dummies on the front lines to trick their German foes and fell back into Narvik, Norway for evacuation. British Group II troop transports took on the final 4,600 Allied troops and departed Narvik, escorted by carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruisers HMS Southampton and HMS Coventry, and 11 destroyers. German aircraft conducted nearly continuous attacks on the convoy, while German troops on land quickly realized the situation and moved into Narvik. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- German 5th and 7th Panzer Divisions crossed the Seine River in France, and the troops of the 5th Panzer Division captured the city of Rouen. To the east, the 14th Panzer Corps broke through at Amiens, but the 16th Panzer Corps continued to be held down in Péronne by hedgehogs manned by troops of the French 7th Army. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland was joined by HM Aircraft Carrier Hermes ww2dbase [Hermes | Cumberland | DS]
Arctic Ocean
- During Operation Juno, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau opened fired on British carrier HMS Glorious and her escorts HMS Acasta, HMS Ardent, HMS Acheron, HMS Highlander, and HMS Diana about 170 miles west of Narvik, Norway at 1627 hours. British destroyers made smoke, but did not prevent the Germans from hitting the carrier, causing her to list. In an attempt to save Glorious, destroyer HMS Acasta charged at the German ships, firing two salvos of torpedoes while being struck by German gunfire. One torpedo in the second salvo struck Scharnhorst, tearing a 12-meter (39-foot) hole, at 1734 hours, disabling her starboard engine room. Shortly after, commanding officer Commander C. E. Glasfurd gave the order to abandon ship. Acasta sank stern first at about 1820 hours. Meanwhile, HMS Ardent sank at 1720 hours (killing 151). As for the HMS Glorious, the main German target, Captain Guy D'Oyly Huges of HMS Glorious was blamed for the attack being a surprise, for that he had failed to launch scouting aircraft ahead of the task force. As the flight deck became damaged during the battle, the carrier could not launch any of her aircraft to participate in the engagement. She was ultimately sunk at 1910 hours; 1,474 naval officers and ratings and 41 RAF personnel were killed, 43 survived. Scharnhorst suffered one torpedo hit by HMS Ardent. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | Gneisenau | Scharnhorst | Glorious | Acasta | Norwegian Sea | CPC]
Germany
Italy
Photo(s) dated 8 Jun 1940
9 Jun 1940
- The Norwegian 6th Division, essentially the last Norwegian unit still actively fighting the German invasion, surrendered to the Germans. An armistice was to take effect at midnight. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- American cruiser USS Vincennes and destroyers USS Truxton and USS Simpson arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco. They began taking on what would be 200 tons of gold from the French reserves to be brought back to the United States for safekeeping. ww2dbase [Vincennes | CPC]
- British hospital ship Atlantis made rendezvous with battleship HMS Valiant at 1030 hours and reported the sinking of troop transport Orama by German cruiser Admiral Hipper on the previous day. This was the first time the British Admiralty had solid information on the German sortie known as Operation Juno, which had already completed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-46 sank Finnish ship Margareta 350 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain at 1300 hours, killing 5. 19 survivors would remain adrift in a lifeboat for four more days before being rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyer USS Dickerson departed Casablanca, French Morocco with American passengers for Lisbon, Portugal, where they would board US passenger liner Washington for Ireland and then the United States. ww2dbase [AC]
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
- The Italian passenger-cargo ship SS Umbria with a secret cargo of 6,000 tons of bombs, 600 cases of detonators, 100 tons of various weapons, more than 2,000 tons of cement, and three Fiat 1100 cars aboard, was stopped by British warships HMS Grimsby and HMS Leander in the Red Sea. The captain of the Umbria, Muiesan Lorenzo, was unaware that war had been declared between the Allies and Italy until the ship had been stopped. The British ordered the ship to anchor off Silayet Reef outside of Port Sudan, Sudan. The captain then set scuttling charges without the British guards knowing and then asked if he could run an emergency training session for his crew to launch lifeboats. The British guard agreed, once the crews were clear explosions were heard and the Umbria started to sink, attempts were made to stop the ship taking on water but to no avail and the guards had to radio for help. ww2dbase [Port Sudan | HM]
France
- The German 7th Panzer Division under Rommel pushed the French 10th Army and British 51st Highland Division to the sea at St-Valery-en-Caux, France. To the east, the 14th Panzer Corps under Kleist advanced near Amiens, but his 16th Panzer Corp remained held down at Péronne. Further east, Guderian's tanks attacked toward Reims. French General Weygand announced that the battle was lost and France should attempt to negotiate an armistice. Meanwhile, the French government evacuated Paris, France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Paris | CPC]
- James Lacey was forced to crash land into a swamp in France, which near drowning him. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
Russia
- The Soviet Union issued the order for its military to complete preparations for the invasion of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia by 12 Jun 1940. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 9 Jun 1940
10 Jun 1940
- Norway surrendered to Germany. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | TH]
- Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom, to be effective on the following day. ww2dbase [TH]
- American cruiser USS Vincennes and destroyers USS Truxton and USS Simpson departed Casablanca, French Morocco for the United States with 200 tons of gold from the French reserves. ww2dbase [Vincennes | CPC]
- German aircraft attacked and sank British armed boarding vessel HMS Vandyck off Andenes, Norway, killing 7. 161 survivors were taken prisoner after reaching shore. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British transport ships of Group I reached Clyde, Scotland at 0600 hours with troops evacuated from Narvik, Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech at the graduation ceremony of the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, declaring that the Italian declaration of war on France was like "the hand that held the dagger has struck it in the back of its neighbor". His son, Franklin Roosevelt, Jr., was among those who received degrees that day. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Destroyer USS O'Brien arrived at Bahia, Brazil during her shakedown cruise. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
- Winston Churchill dismissed Major General Vernon Kell and appointed his deputy, Brigadier Oswald Harker, as Director-General of the Security Service (MI5). ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | AC]
- HMS Cumberland's log noted that HMS Hermes was detached. ww2dbase [Hermes | Cumberland | DS]
Canada
- Canada declared war on Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
China
- Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China at 1300 hours; Chinese fighters claimed 5 Japanese aircraft shot down in Bishan County west of the temporary capital, including one G3M bomber. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Chongqing | CPC]
- Liu Zhesheng, flying an I-15bis fighter, together with other pilots, shot down a Japanese G3M2 bomber east of Chongqing, China. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Liu Zhesheng | Chongqing | CPC]
Czechoslovakia
France
- Erwin Rommel's troops continued to march down the French coast, now west of Paris, France. To the east, 1st Panzer Division, under the overall command of Heinz Guderian, was attacked belatedly in its flanks by 86 Char B and Hotchkiss 35/39 tanks of French 3rd Division Cuirasse de Reserve (DCR) at Juniville; the French armor advanced two miles destroying about 100 German armored fighting vehicles and rescuing an encircled infantry regiment before numbers told. Guderian himself, serving at a captured anti-tank gun, found the Char B tank impervious to repeated 47mm shell hits. The small French success at Juniville did not remove the threat that Guderian's forces posed on Chalons-sur-Marne and Paris beyond, however, thus the French government was relocated to Tours, declaring Paris an open city. In Operation Cycle, 3,321 Allied troops embarked aboard ships at St-Valery-en-Caux for evacuation, and 11,059 embarked ships at Le Havre to be transferred to Cherbourg for continued fighting. Off of Le Havre, British destroyers HMS Bulldog and HMS Boadicea were damaged by aircraft, killing 6. HMS Bulldog would have to be towed back and remained out of commission until Feb 1941. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC, AC]
Germany
Malta
- British submarine HMS Grampus departed Malta to mine the port of Augusta, Sicily, Italy. ww2dbase [HM]
Portugal
- Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton relieved Rear Admiral Charles E. Courtney as Commander of US Navy Squadron 40-T on board light cruiser USS Trenton at Lisbon, Portugal. ww2dbase [Lisbon | CPC]
- US passenger liner Washington arrived at Lisbon, Portugal to embark Americans desiring passage to the United States via Ireland. Destroyer USS Dickerson arrived from French Morocco with Americans who wished to board the passenger liner. ww2dbase [Lisbon | CPC]
11 Jun 1940
- German 7th Panzer Division under Rommel captured Le Havre, France, then turned back and drove 30 miles to the northeast to St-Valery-en-Caux, where the German troops succeeded in encircling 46,000 French and British troops. Elsewhere in northern France, troops under Guderian captured Rheims. In the south, Italian troops began crossing the Alps toward the French border. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Foreign Minister Anthony Eden traveled to France for a Supreme War Council meeting at Chateau du Muguet near Briare. Churchill, detecting feelings of defeat, reminded the French that the 28 Mar agreement noted that none of the two countries could seek a separate peace with Germany without the other country's consent. During this meeting, French Navy Admiral François Darlan assured Churchill that the French fleet would not fall into German hands. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- British law dictated that all British citizens who owned an Anderson shelter must have it installed by this date. ww2dbase [Anderson Shelter | TH]
- RAF aircraft attacked German vessels at Trondheim, Norway. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarines U-48 and U-101 sank Greek ships Violando N. Goulandris and Mount Hymettus off Cape Finisterre, Spain. Nearby, U-46 torpedoed British tanker Athelprince, but failed to sink her; Athelprince would be salvaged and returned to service by Jan 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa declared war on Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Due to the Italian entry into the European War, US President Roosevelt declared the Mediterranean Sea and mouth of Red Sea to be combat zones for American ships in accordance with the Neutrality Act. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- British Prime Minister Churchill sent a telegram to US President Roosevelt urging the US to send more destroyers to the United Kingdom especially in light of the Italian entry into the European War. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- US passenger liner Washington, en route from Lisbon, Portugal to Galway, Ireland with 1,020 Americans passengers aboard, was stopped by German submarine U-101 as the German submarine misidentified her as a Greek ship. After her identity became clear via blinker signals, U-101 allowed Washington to continue with her journey. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The first Hurricane Mk II prototype aircraft, actually a converted production Mk I example, took its first flight. ww2dbase [Hurricane | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Norwegian trawler Borgund rescued 37 survivors of sunken HMS Glorious and 2 survivors of sunken HMS Acasta. ww2dbase [Glorious | Acasta | CPC]
France
Germany
- Fleet tender Adolf Lüderitz was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Adolf Lüderitz | CPC]
Italy
Libya
- Before dawn, just hours after Italy had entered the war, a squadron of elderly Rolls-Royce armoured cars from the 11th Hussars, the light cavalry of the British 7th Armoured Division, crossed "the wire", a fence built by Italian engineers along the 400 miles of the border between Libya and Egypt. The cars spread out and the raid penetrated deep into Italian territory attacking Italian frontier positions in Cyrenaica. One troop shot up the Italian camp at Fort Capuzzo, another hit Fort Maddalena, while a third ambushed a small convoy. Although few casualties were inflicted the 11th Hussars returned home jubilant and unhurt. Thereafter the Hussars searched in vain but the Italians preferred to remain behind the barricades of their superbly designed fortresses. ww2dbase [CPC, AC]
Malta
- Ten Italian Z.1007 Alcione bombers attacked Grand Harbour, RAF Hal Far, and Kalafrana in Malta, killing 1 civilian and 6 soldiers. RAF Hal Far was the first of the three major Malta airfields to be attacked during the war. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | RAF Hal Far | Hal Far | TH, CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Capitano Tarantini attacked a merchant ship in the Mediterranean Sea, but the torpedo failed to detonate. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
12 Jun 1940
- The Commander-in-Chief of Home Defense of the United Kingdom Edmond Ironside completed a plan for defense against a potential German invasion. ww2dbase [TH]
- British transports of Group II arrived in the Clyde, Scotland at 2300 hours with troops evacuated from Narvik, Norway. The French troops evacuated were later sent to Brest and Lorient to join the fight against the invading German forces. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-101 sank British ship Earlspark off Cape Finisterre, Spain at 1200 hours, killing 7 and sinking 7,500 tons of coal. Also off Cape Finisterre, U-46 sank British ship Barbara Marie at 1938 hours, killing 32 and sinking 7,200 tons of iron ore, and then sinking Willowbank at 1946 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Navy Department of the United States placed contracts for 22 new warships. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Japan-Thailand Non-Aggression Pact was announced. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS Quincy arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- The Soviet Baltic Fleet received orders to blockade Estonia. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class medal. ww2dbase [Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland was joined by HM Cruiser Devonshire until 14 Jun 1940 when Devonshire was replaced by ships from Home Fleet including HM Battleship Hood and HM Aircraft Carrier Argus. ww2dbase [Hood | Argus | Devonshire | Cumberland | DS]
China
France
- German tanks under Guderian crossed the Marne River at Chalons-sur-Marne, 80 miles east of Paris, France. Meanwhile, in the French capital, US Ambassador William Bullitt, the last ambassador of a major nation left in the city, was named the provisional governor of Paris as the French government moved to Tours. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Paris | TH, CPC]
- French Admiral François Darlan, Commander-in-Chief of the French Navy, assured British Prime Minister Winston Churchill that there would be no question of surrendering the French naval ships. He further asserted that orders would be given to scuttle the ships if such a danger were to exist. ww2dbase [Scuttling of the French Fleet | François Darlan | AC]
French West Africa
Germany
Mediterranean Sea
- The elderly Royal Navy Cruiser HMS Calypso (Captain H. H. Rowley) was torpedoed and sunk by an Italian submarine in the Mediterranean Sea south of Crete, Greece. Survivors were picked up by the Cruiser HMS Caledon (pendant H53) and the destroyer HMS Dainty (pendant I53). Out of a complement of 400 to 500 (many of whom were recalled pensioners and reservists of the RNR and RNVR) one RNR officer and 39 ratings were lost. ww2dbase [AC]
- Morosini sighted Greek freighter Styliani or Stylianos Chandris 85 miles southeast of Cape Palos, Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea at 0745 hours, but was unable to gain an attack position. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
- Alpino Bagnolini sighted two shadows in the Mediterranean Sea 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Cape Lithion, Crete, Greece at 0050 hours. At 0056, the commanding officer, Franco Pittoni, determined them to be enemy warships and ordered an attack on the surface. A bow torpedo was fired at 0058 hours, scoring a hit on the starboard side a minute later, and the submarine dove to avoid the expected counterattack. The target was British cruiser HMS Calypso, which sank at 0335 hours. 39 were killed. 139 survivors were picked up by HMS Caledon and 280 survivors were picked up by HMS Dainty, and they were later landed at Alexandria, Egypt. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]
United States
- Vannevar Bush and Commerce Secretary Harry L. Hopkins met with President Franklin Roosevelt and proposed the formation of the National Defense Research Committee. Within 10 minutes, Roosevelt approved it writing "OK-FDR" on the single-page outline Bush had brought with him. ww2dbase [White House | Franklin Roosevelt | Vannevar Bush | White House, Washington DC | DS]
- The order for the construction of battleships Missouri and Wisconsin was issued. ww2dbase [Missouri | Wisconsin | CPC]
13 Jun 1940
- After sundown and through until the next morning, Orion laid mines off Auckland, New Zealand. ww2dbase [Orion | TH]
- At dawn, 0243 hours, 15 British Fleet Air Arm Skua aircraft from HMS Ark Royal dive bombed German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Trondheim, Norway. Scharnhorst was hit by a 500-pound bomb, but it failed to explode. 8 Skua aircraft were shot down; 6 airmen were killed and 10 were taken prisoner. The remaining 7 aircraft returned to Ark Royal at 0345 hours. Nearby, Ark Royal's escorting destroyers HMS Antelope and HMS Electra collided in fog; both sustained damage that would take them out of action until Aug 1940. ww2dbase [Invasion of Denmark and Norway | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Odin attacked Italian cruisers Fiume and Gorizia. Odin was sunk by destroyers Strale and Baleno, killing the entire crew of 56. It was the first naval skirmish in the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-25 sank British armed merchant cruiser HMS Scotstoun 80 miles west of Outer Hebrides, Scotland, killing 7. 345 survivors were rescued by British destroyer HMS Highlander and would be landed at the Clyde on 14 Jun. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Rear Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. relieved Vice Admiral Charles A. Blakely as Commander Aircraft, Battle Force of the US Navy on board carrier USS Yorktown at Lahaina Roads, Maui, US Territory of Hawaii. Halsey received the temporary rank of vice admiral for this assignment. ww2dbase [William Halsey | CPC]
- William Halsey was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. ww2dbase [William Halsey | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
France
- Maxime Weygand declared Paris, France an open city. Italian aircraft attacked the naval base at Toulon, France. British Prime Minister Churchill flew to Tours, France for what would become the last meeting of the Supreme War Council. Both Britain and France now acknowledged that defeat would be imminent. Churchill encouraged the French to withdraw to North Africa to continue the fight; his French counterpart Reynaud, however, said that France would like to secure Britain's permission to seek an armistice; Churchill refused the request. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Paris | CPC]
Italy
- British submarine HMS Grampus reported that naval mines had been deployed at the port of Augusta, Sicily, Italy. ww2dbase [Augusta, Sicilia | HM]
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Faà di Bruno was attacked with 18 depth charges by an unidentified vessel in the Mediterranean Sea; the Italian submarine was able to escape. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
Romania
- King Carol II allowed the Iron Guard to join the National Renaissance Front political party of Romania. ww2dbase [Carol II | CPC]
Russia
United States
- The American armed vessel Eastern Prince, first of her kind, set sail for Britain. ww2dbase [TH]
- The battleship USS North Carolina was launched at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, United States. ww2dbase [New York Navy Yard | North Carolina | Brooklyn, New York | AC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Jun 1940
See all photos dated 13 Jun 1940
14 Jun 1940
- At dawn, 4 French cruisers and 11 destroyers shelled oil storage tanks at the port of Genoa, Italy. French destroyer Albatros was hit by Italian coastal artillery, killing 12, but she was able to return. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-47 sank British ship Balmoralwood southwest of Ireland; the crew of 41 would later be rescued. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- German submarine U-101 stopped Greek ship Antonis Georgandis 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain with two warning shots from the submarine's 20mm deck gun. After the crew abandoned the ship, U-101 sank her with the deck gun. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-38 sank Greek ship Mount Myrto southwest of Ireland, killing 4. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US President Roosevelt signed the Naval Expansion Act, which increased the carrier, cruiser, and submarine tonnage of the US Navy by 167,000 tons, increased auxiliary shipping by 75,000 tons, and increased the number of authorized naval aircraft to 4,500 planes. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Destroyer USS O'Brien departed Bahia, Brazil. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
- British Fleet Air Arm Swordfish aircraft from "a training squadron" (later to become No. 830 Squadron on Malta) made the first air attack on Italy, hitting Genoa with French bombs. ww2dbase [AC]
- U-56 ended her ninth patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The German submarine UA fired a spread of three torpedoes toward British armed merchant cruiser HMS Andania south east of Iceland; all torpedoes missed and the tracks were not noticed by lookouts aboard Andania. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | UA | HM]
Czechoslovakia
Estonia
- The Soviet Union presented an ultimatum to Lithuania, forcing it to allow the establishment of a new Soviet government. Meanwhile, Soviet aircraft and warships blockaded the Estonian coast, shooting down a Finnish passenger aircraft (killing 9, including American and French diplomats) shortly after takeoff at Tallinn to show that the threat was not empty. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | Tallinn | CPC]
France
- In France, German troops captured the open city of Paris, France without any opposition. To the north, the coastal city of Le Havre fell under German control. To the east, the German 1st Army under General Erwin von Witzleben broke through the Maginot Line near Saarbrücken. The French government moved from Tours to Bordeaux and appealed for the United States to enter the war. Also on this date, all remaining British troops in France were ordered to return. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
Italy
- Cruiser Dupleix, as a part of the French 3rd Squadron (4 heavy cruisers and 11 destroyers in total), bombarded Genoa, Italy, damaing oil storage tanks and military facilities. ww2dbase [Dupleix | Genova, Liguria | CPC]
- Foch bombarded Vado, Italy. ww2dbase [Foch | Vado, Liguria | CPC]
- Colbert bombarded Genoa, Italy as a part of Operation Samoyède. ww2dbase [Colbert | Genova, Liguria | CPC]
- The giant French Farman F.220 bomber "Jules Verne" attacked Italian oil storage tanks at Porto Marghera, Venice, Italy. Eight bombs were dropped and at least one oil tank was seen to be set on fire. ww2dbase [F.220 | Venezia, Veneto | AC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Cappellini sighted a light cruiser, three destroyers, and two gunboats in the Mediterranean Sea just off the Moroccan coast. At 0050 hours, one of the destroyers, HMS Vidette, turned toward the Italian submarine with speed, and Comandante Cappellini fired a stern torpedo, which missed. The submarine was able to escape, but developed rudder problems, and thus she entered the port of Ceuta, Spain at 0200 hours. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
Poland
15 Jun 1940
- US President Franklin Roosevelt approved a revised copy of the Naval Expansion Act which he had approved on the previous day; it increased naval aviation to a strength 10,000 aircraft instead of the previously lower quantity of 4,500. He also replied to the French Premier's "last appeal", saying that America would redouble her efforts if the Allies continue to resist the dictators. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC, AC]
- German submarine U-38 attacked Allied convoy HX-47 60 miles west of the Isles of Scilly off of southwestern England at 0100 hours, sinking Norwegian tanker Italia (killing 19, 16 were recsued) and Canadian ship Erik Boye (21 were rescued). British sloop HMS Fowley would bring the survivors to Plymouth, England on the following day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Quintin Brand was appointed the commanding officer of the No. 10 Group at the rank of acting air vice marshal. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
- British Prime Minister Churchill sent a telegram to US President Roosevelt to again request destroyers, noting that the United Kingdom would carry on the struggle "whatever the odds... but it may well be beyond our resources unless we receive every reinforcement and particularly do we need this reinforcement on the sea". ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- Submarine tender USS Bushnell completed hydrographic surveys of an area of 2,200 square nautical miles off the coast of Venezuela between Cape San Roman and Bahia Vela de Coro, which began on 9 Apr 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Construction began on the new Führer Headquarters Wolfschlucht II in France; it would be halted within days, however, as the German campaign in France would soon end. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
- The German 7th Army under General Friedrich Dollmann crossed the Rhine River into France about 40 to 50 miles north of the Swiss border and penetrated the Maginot Line. To the north, the city of Verdun was captured by German troops. On the coast of the English Channel, the Allies launched Operation Ariel to evacuate troops from Cherbourg and St Malo. In Berlin, Germany, Adolf Hitler gave the German Army the permission to demobilize some divisions once the French campaign drew closer to its end. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
Ireland
- US passenger liner Washington embarked an additional 852 American citizens and set sail from Galway, Ireland for New York, United States. She now carried a total of 1,872 passengers. ww2dbase [Galway | CPC]
Latvia
Lithuania
Mediterranean Sea
- Morosini sighted a French torpedo boat 85 miles southeast of Cape Palos, Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea at 0136 hours; at 0143 hours, she fired a torpedo at the torpedo boat at a distance of 400 meters, which missed. At 0547 hours, she heard turbine noises, and then sighted a convoy of three large ships escorted by destroyers at 0630 hours; the convoy was too far for the Italian submarine to attack. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 15 Jun 1940
16 Jun 1940
- Marshal Philippe Pétain became Prime Minister of France when Paul Reynaud's government resigned. ww2dbase [Philippe Pétain | TH]
- German submarine U-101 sank British merchant ship Willington Star in Bay of Biscay. ww2dbase [TH]
- The Soviet invasion of Latvia and Estonia began. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
- François Darlan was named the Vichy French Minister of the Navy. ww2dbase [François Darlan | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland detached from convoy on arrival in Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Aden
- The 8,215-ton Norwegian diesel motor vessel James Stove was steaming through the Gulf of Aden with 10,800 tons of aviation fuel when her master Olaus Eliassen was informed that the ship was being followed by a submarine; Eliassen had determined that the submarine was British. When the ship started to head for the port of Aden the submarine, now revealed to be the Italian submarine Galileo Galilei, ordered her to stop and announced that in 15 minutes an attack would commence. Despite some panic with Chinese crew members, the lifeboats pulled away and the submarine torpedoed the ship from 500 yards range. After two hits the Norwegian vessel started to sink, and the Galileo submerged only to re-surface and launch another torpedo. This struck amid-ships and the vessel burst into flames and sank about 12 miles south of the port of Aden. The crew were rescued, with some difficulty due to burning oil, by the British Admiralty anti-submarine Trawler HMS Moonstone. ww2dbase [HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- The German submarine UA, which had been following British armed merchant cruiser HMS Andania for the past three days, fired two torpedoes south east of Iceland at 0029 hours; one of them struck the ship aft. Another torpedo launched eight minutes later also hit but failed to detonate. The Andania opened fire with her guns after seeing the torpedo wake but owing to rough seas and the darkness scored no hits. The ship was sinking by the stern and her 347 crew, two of them injured, were taken off by the Icelandic trawler Skallagimur which later transferred the to the destroyer HMS Forester (D 74) and they were taken to Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom. UA fired two more torpedoes at the sinking Andania, but both missed or were duds. The Andania had been a Cunard White Star Line Passenger Liner before being requisitioned by the Admiralty in Sep 1939. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | UA | HM]
- At 1302 hours the 13,212-ton unescorted British motor merchant ship Wellington Star was hit in the bow by a G7a torpedo from German submarine U-101 about 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. After the crew abandoned ship in four lifeboats, the submarine fired three coups de grâce at her, all three hit, but only one detonated, underneath the bridge. The U-101, commanded by Fritz Frauenheim, surfaced, questioned the survivors then sank the ship with 31 rounds from the deck gun at 1645 hours. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-101 | HM]
- The British T-class submarine HMS Tetrarch (N 77) (Lieutenant Commander R. G. Mills) torpedoed and sank the 5,978-ton German tanker Samland south west of Lista, Norway. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
- The 6,465-ton German ship Konigsberg II, built in 1924 and owned by the Nord-Deutscher Lloyd, was scuttled off Vigo, Spain to avoid capture by the Allies. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
China
- 114 Japanese aircraft attacked Chongqing, China after sundown; four I-16 fighters of Chinese 24th Pursuit Squadron rose to intercept, shooting down one bomber near Fuling County near the city, with one fighter shot down by the Japanese. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Chongqing | CPC]
France
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- The 1,249-ton Italian merchant Steamer Rastrello was attacked and sunk by British aircraft off the port of Genoa, Italy. The vessel previously, when named Atle Jarl, had been captured by the German submarine U-78 on 21 Oct 1916, and declared a prize. ww2dbase [HM]
- The French Requin-class submarine Morse (Lieutenant J. G. C. Paris) struck a mine off Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia. All officers and men aboard were lost. ww2dbase [HM]
- At 1900 hours, Italian torpedo boat Circe spotted a periscope east of Sicily, Italy. Circe and Polluce, another torpedo boat, attacked the position with depth charges; a mass of wreckage was observed after the ninth depth charge pattern. The destroyed submarine was likely the British submarine HMS Grampus. ww2dbase [HM]
- Comandante Faà di Bruno experienced a fuel leak while on patrol in the Mediterranean Sea; the commanding officer decided to return to base. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Reginald Jones warned Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding and Air Marshal Sir Philip Joubert that the Germans could have developed a radio navigation system for the guidance of bombers. ww2dbase [Reginald Jones | AC]
- Company Sergeant Major George Gristock of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment, British Army died in Brighton, England, United Kingdom, from wounds he had received while winning the Victoria Cross on 21 May 1940 in an action near the River Escault, Belgium. ww2dbase [Brighton, England | AC]
United States
17 Jun 1940
- Soviet troops entered Latvia and Lithuania without little resistance. In Estonia, although a Signal Battalion would resist in Tallinn until 21 Jun, the government, along with the Army and the Estonian Defence League militia organization, surrendered to Soviet occupation. NKO Commissar Semyon Timoshenko ordered the disbanding of the military organizations of the Baltic States, leaving the task of border protection to NKVD troops. In North America, the United States refused to recognize the Soviet occupation of the two Baltic countries. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
- Winston Churchill announced to the British people that the United Kingdom would continue to fight until Adolf Hitler was removed from power. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- British unemployment figure decreased by 114,000 in May 1940 to a new low of 767,000. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-46 sank Greek ship Elpis 250 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain; the entire crew of 28 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- French Minister for Foreign Affairs Paul Baudouin privately informed Deputy US Ambassador to France Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., that the French fleet "would never be surrendered to Germany". ww2dbase [Paul Baudouin | CPC]
- US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold R. Stark asked for US$4,000,000,000 to construct a "Two-Ocean Navy". ww2dbase [Two-Ocean Navy Act | Harold Stark | CPC]
- Heavy cruiser USS Quincy departed Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Montevideo, Uruguay. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- The deposed German Emperor Wilhelm II sent a congratulatory telegram to Adolf Hitler regarding the victory over France. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov sent German Ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg a message of congratulations for the successful German conquest of France. ww2dbase [Vyacheslav Molotov | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The 1,147-ton Norwegian merchant steamer Komet, built in 1912 by Laxevaags of Bergen as the Norwegian cargo steamer Pluto for B.Stolt-Nielsen of Haugesund and renamed Charles Schiaffino in 1921 and Komet in 1924, was bombed and sunk by German aircraft in the English Channel near Caen, France. Two of her crew were killed in the attack. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | English Channel | HM]
France
- Prime Minister Philippe Pétain ordered the French Army to stop fighting and sued for an honorable peace as the Germans crossed the Loire River near Orleans, France. Taking advantage of the initial demoralizing effect and confusion this caused, the German 7th Panzer Division under Erwin Rommel advanced 125 miles toward Cherbourg; to the east, tanks under Heinz Guderian reached the Swiss border at Pontalier, encircling 17 French divisions on the Maginot Line. Meanwhile, the Allied evacuation operation, Operation Ariel, continued in Cherbourg, Saint-Malo, Brest, and Saint-Nazaire. At Saint-Malo, private vessels of the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club of Jersey arrived to assist with the evacuations. In the Loire estuary near Saint-Nazaire, British passenger liner Lancastria, with 4,000 to 9,000 British civilians and military personnel on board, was sunk by three bombs by Ju 88 aircraft, causing about 3,000 deaths; it was the worst maritime loss in British history. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH, CPC]
- The 7,405-ton British cargo/passenger ship Teiresias, built in 1914 by Hawthorn Leslie & Co. and owned by Blue Funnel Line, on voyage from Avonmouth, England, United Kingdom to Quiberon Bay, France in ballast, was sunk in an air raid by German bombers, off Saint-Nazaire, France. There was 1 casualty. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
Hawaii
- Civilian contractors began expanding Puunene Airport on Maui, US Territory of Hawaii for US Navy use. ww2dbase [Puunene, Maui | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- The French sloop La Curieuse forced the Italian Marcello-class submarine Andrea Provana to surface off the coast of Oran, Algeria and then sank it by ramming; all 62 Italian submariners were killed. The French vessel also sustained heavy damage on her stem. This was the first Italian submarine to be sunk by the French Navy. ww2dbase [HM]
- Morosini sighted a Spanish ship in the western Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
18 Jun 1940
- The German 7th Panzer Division under Rommel advanced another 75 miles since the prior date, reaching Cherbourg, France but not before most of the Allied personnel had already evacuated the city; also on this date, Le Mans, Belfort, Metz, and Dijon fell under German control. Elsewhere, the Allies completed the Operation Ariel evacuation of La Pallice and Saint-Nazaire, but all the heavy equipment were left behind in the latter location. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Sweden allowed passage of German troops between Oslo, Norway, and Trelleborg, Sweden, on Swedish rail lines, with the only demand being that the number of troops coming from Germany must equal to the number being evacuated, so that it could not be said that Sweden was helping Germany reinforce the front lines. ww2dbase [TH]
- Charles de Gaulle made the "Appeal of June 18" speech, asking the French people to resist German occupation. ww2dbase [Appeal of June 18 | CPC]
- In Brest, French cruisers El Djezair, El Kantara, El Mansour, Ville d'Oran, and Ville d'Alger departed 1,200 tons of French gold for Casablanca, French Morocco while the cruiser Victor-Schoelcher transported 198 tons of Belgian gold (originally held in French banks) from Lorient to the port of Dakar in French West Africa; the French gold would arrive in Casablanca on 21 Jun 1940, but the Belgian gold would be captured by the Germans. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-28 sank Finnish ship Sarmatia southwest of Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-32 sank Spanish trawler Sálvora, Spanish trawler Nuevo Ons, and Norwegian ship Altair southwest of Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Secretary of State Cordell Hull directed Deputy US Ambassador to France Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. to inform the French government that if France failed to keep its fleet out of German hands, France would "permanently lose the friendship and goodwill of the Government of the United States". French Minister for Foreign Affairs Baudouin reiterated that the French fleet "would never be surrendered to Germany". ww2dbase [Cordell Hull | CPC]
- US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson reported that Uruguayan government had arrested eight Nazi leaders and that Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies, in secret session the day before, had begun considering a report on Nazi Party activities in their country. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
Indian Ocean
- In the afternoon, Italian submarine Galileo Galilei spotted a Yugoslavian steamer Drava in the Gulf of Aden and fired a shot across the bow ordering the ship to stop. After seeing the ship was under a neutral flag, the steamer was allowed to leave. However, the gunfire was heard by the anti-submarine warfare trawler HMS Moonstone, which then fired a warning signal. At around 1630 hours, while the submarine was still on the surface, she was attacked by British aircraft. Galileo Galilei was forced to submerge but remained on stations considering a rather weak response to her sighting. When the darkness fell, the boat resurfaced to recharge the batteries, but it was discovered by the British ship forcing the submarine to crash dive and go through a brief but intense depth-charge attack. ww2dbase [Gulf of Aden | HM]
United Kingdom
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made the "the Battle of France is over... I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin" speech before the House of Commons. "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'." On the same day, Churchill wrote to the Commander-in-Chief Home Forces asking for ideas for the creation of "Storm Troops" to be "ready to spring at the throat of any small landing or descent"; secretly he intended to use such a force as the basis for Commando raids on the continent. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC, AC]
- The British War Office placed an order for 300 Canal Defence Light (CDL) tanks, Matilda tanks mounting a large searchlight in the turret that had been suggested by a Mr. Mitzakis in September 1939. ww2dbase [Infantry Mk II Matilda | AC]
- After dark, seventy-one Luftwaffe aircraft crossed the English Channel in the first major air raid on Great Britain. Some were attempting to destroy the oil storage tanks at Thameshaven while others were targeting the airfields at Mildenhall and Honington. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | AC]
19 Jun 1940
- Households in the United Kingdom received pamphlets with information on what to do in case of invasion. ww2dbase [TH]
- French ships sought refuge in British ports. ww2dbase [TH]
- The British Jockey Club announced that horse racing would cease until further notice. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Troops of the German 7th Panzer Division under Rommel shelled fortifications defending the port of Cherbourg, France; Cherbourg surrendered at 1700 hours. On the same day, the 5th Panzer Division captured Brest, but found the port facilities destroyed by Allied personnel who had already been evacuated. Along the coast, Operation Ariel continued, evacuating British, and Polish troops from Saint-Nazaire, La Pallice, Bayonne, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and Gironde. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- Orion captured Norwegian ship Tropic Sea. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Lord Beaverbrook, the Minster of Aircraft Production, announced that British aircraft production had since 10 May 1940 exceeded losses from all causes. ww2dbase [Beaverbrook | AC]
- Peter Drummond was promoted to the rank of acting air vice-marshal. ww2dbase [Peter Drummond | CPC]
Indian Ocean
- In the morning, Italian submarine Galileo Galilei was laying immobile on the seabed in the Gulf of Aden, hiding from British attackers. The first mild symptoms of methylchloride poisoning appeared in some crew members. Meanwhile, the submarine had been detected again by HMS Moonstone who launched another depth-charge attack. Captain Corrado Nardi ordered the submarine to periscope depth, examined his adversary and noted their single 4-inch cannon and a pair of machine guns. Considering possible effects of methylchloride poisoning if the submarine continued staying submerged, and the modesty of trawler's armament, he decided to face HMS Moonstone on the surface with his two 100-millimeter guns and two machine guns. As the fight began, the bow gun's sighting mechanism on the Galileo Galilei failed, greatly affecting the accuracy of shooting. Moonstone also moved too fast for the submarine's crew to aim their cannons effectively. After about ten minutes Galileo Galilei was hit for the first time, wounding Nardi and killing several people around him. Shortly thereafter, the bow cannon was hit killing the gun crew including second in command. The cannon continued shooting, however, under command of Ensign Mazzucchi. The aft cannon soon jammed, and then another salvo from Moonstone killed all those on the conning tower including Nardi. The bow cannon continued shooting until HMS Kandahar arrived at the scene and Mazucchi, as the most senior on board the submarine, ordered Galileo Galilei to stop shooting and surrender. The submarine had lost 5 officers, 7 non-commissioned officers, and 4 sailors. The submarine was then towed into Aden by Kandahar. Though the British side claimed that the submarine's codebooks and operational documents were captured intact by the Royal Navy, and revealed the exact position of other Italian naval units, Italian survivors (including Ensign Mazzucchi) reported that every document was destroyed before surrender, and that no written operational orders were issued to Italian units, only an oral briefing between captains and the submarine command in Massawa before every mission. The claim was reported only to cover the British intelligence activities in Italian East Africa. In British service, Galileo Galilei was renamed X 2 and would be used for training purposes. ww2dbase [Gulf of Aden | CPC, HM]
Jersey
- James Lacey was relocated to the island of Jersey in the English Channel together with the No. 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron RAF. ww2dbase [James Lacey | AC]
New Zealand
- The 13,245-ton British passenger ship Niagara operated by the Canadian-Australasian Line Ltd. became the first victim of mines laid between Cuvier Island and Great Barrier Island in New Zealand by the German auxiliary cruiser Orion 5 days prior. There were no casualties and abandoning of the vessel was helped by the fact that electrical power was kept on. The ship had just left Auckland harbour when she struck the mine off Bream Head, Whangarei at 0340 hours. She sank at 0532 hours, settling in 121 meters of water. She had been secretly loaded with 295 boxes each containing two ingots of gold, 590 ingots in total, with a value of £2,500,000. This was bound for the United States as payment for munitions and supplies. ww2dbase [HM]
United Kingdom
- Oberleutnant Joachim von Arnim, of German Luftwaffe Kampfeschwader 4, was reported to have been the first member of the German armed forces to have been captured by British Local Defence Volunteers, forerunners of the Home Guard. His Heinkel III bomber tasked to attack railway goods yards near Cambridge, England, United Kingdom, but was shot down at Fulbourne (five miles from Cambridge) by a Spitfire fighter from No. 19 Squadron and Squadron Leader O'Brien in a Blenheim bomber of No. 23 Squadron. Both of the British aircraft involved were also shot down by return fire; from the Blenheim, O'Brien survived, but his navigator and his gunner were both killed. Parachuting into a potato field, Arnim and two other members of the four-man crew were arrested by LDV member Ron Barnes, a farm labourer, and handed over to a nearby searchlight post from where they were escorted under guard to barracks in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. These Germans were the first airmen to be captured by the LDV. ww2dbase [Fulbourne, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 19 Jun 1940
20 Jun 1940
- Although the French had already reached out to Rome for peace, the Italians were determined to capture French territory in order to bargain for colonial holdings in North Africa; 32 divisions organized in 2 armies stood ready on the Italian-French border. Meanwhile, German troops captured Brest and Lyons. 9,000 Polish soldiers fighting in France were evacuated from Bayonne aboard the Polish ships Batory and Sobieksi. Also on this date, British RAF bombers attacked the German-controlled airfield at Rouen, France. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The British Parliament met in a secret joint session to discuss the defense against a potential German invasion. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Five weeks after the German conquest of the Netherlands, Dutch civilians began to be conscripted as forced laborers. During the war, 431,500 Dutch civilians would meet this fate. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German battlecruiser Gneisenau and heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper departed Trondheim, Norway for operations near Iceland as a diversion for battleship Scharnhorst's cruise to Kiel, Germany for repairs. British submarine HMS Clyde detected Gneisenau and hit her with a torpedo 80 miles northwest of Trondheim and forced her to return for repairs. ww2dbase [Gneisenau | CPC]
- German battlecruiser Gneisenau and heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper departed Trondheim, Norway for operations near Iceland as a diversion for battleship Scharnhorst's cruise to Kiel, Germany for repairs. ww2dbase [Admiral Hipper | CPC]
- Bureau of Ships was established in the United States with Rear Admiral Samuel M. Robinson as its chief; this new bureau replaced the former Bureau of Construction and Repair and the former Bureau of Engineering. Also, Office of Undersecretary of the Navy was created in the United States for duration of national emergency. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyer USS O'Brien reached Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
- Vichy France opened northern Indochina to Japanese military mission and supporting troops. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | CPC]
- Light cruiser Voroshilov was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Voroshilov | CPC]
- French fighter pilot James Denis commandeered a F.222 bomber, took on 19 passengers, and flew from France to Britain, where the group would later join the Free French Air Force. ww2dbase [F.220 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- At 1730 hours, 7,493-ton Dutch motor tanker Moordrecht was hit in the engine room by a torpedo from German submarine U-48, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Hans Rudolf Rösing. Moordrecht exploded and sank by the stern within two minutes. The master and 24 crew members were lost. The ship had been in convoy HX-49 until 18 Jun 1940 when it was then ordered to proceed alone to her destination port. Four survivors eventually made it to a lifeboat. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-48 | CPC, HM]
- At 0336 hours, German submarine U-38, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe, missed the 1,776-ton unescorted Swedish and neutral steam merchant Tilia Gorthon with a G7a torpedo and then stopped the vessel by gunfire about 45 miles west of the Isles of Scilly in the southwestern tip of England, United Kingdom. At 0412 hours, the Tilia Gorthon was hit in the engine room by another G7e torpedo after the crew had abandoned ship in two lifeboats and sank. The survivors were picked up by the British sloop HMS Leith (U 36). The Tilia Gorthon had previously been on voyage from Bahia, Brazil to Gothenburg, Sweden but was stopped by a British warship and sent to Liverpool, England, United Kingdom and then to Nantes, France, however, near the Loire a new order sent her to Quiberon Bay, France and finally ordered the ship back to Liverpool. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-38 | HM]
- At 1533 hours, German submarine U-51 (Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Knorr) attacked the 4,876-ton British merchant steamer Otterpool of convoy HG-34F, carrying 8,180 tons of iron ore; the attack missed the target. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-51 | HM]
- German submarine U-30 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp) attacked Allied convoy HG-34F, but all torpedoes missed. At 2142 hours, a second attack by U-30 succeeded, hitting the 4,876-ton British merchant steamer Otterpool with one stern torpedo. Otterpool sank about 130 miles west of the French island of Ushant. The master, 21 crew members and one gunner were lost. 16 crew members were picked up by British sloop HMS Scarborough (L 25) and landed at Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-30 | HM]
- At 1315 hours, German submarine U-61 (Oberleutnant zur See Jürgen Oesten) observed how the unescorted and zigzagging 5,911-ton steam merchant Empire Conveyor was hit on the port side forward by a torpedo about 50 miles south of Barra Head, Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom. The attacker must have been German submarine U-122 (Korvettenkapitän Hans-Günther Looff), which was lost shortly afterwards but reported sinking a large freighter in a radio message at 0030 hours on 21 Jun 1940. The Empire Conveyor did not sink immediately, but because the aerials had been damaged the radio operator was unable to call for help. Luckily a flying boat on patrol in the area arrived, dropped bombs to keep the submarine submerged and alerted the British Admiralty. The tug HMS Amsterdam was sent out, escorted by the rescue tug HMS Atherstone (L 05) and the destroyer HMS Campbell (D 60), but at 1600 hours she suddenly sank before the ships arrived. The crew had abandoned ship in three lifeboats and several rafts, but one boat swamped during launch. The master, the second engineer and the cook were lost. 38 crew members were picked up by HMS Campbell (D 60) after six hours. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-122 | HM]
- The 7,638-ton French tanker Brumarire was torpedoed and damaged by a single torpedo from German submarine U-25 (Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze) in the Atlantic Ocean at 0128 hours. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-25 | HM]
Belgium
France
- The 1,177-ton Dutch steamer Berenice departed Bordeaux, France at 1330 hours with 22 passengers on board, mostly Dutch and Belgians refugees, among them the poet H. Marsman and his wife and the Dutch painter T. Bottema. The ship sailed together with the Dutch steamer Orpheus, the coasters Nettie and Ary Scheffer and the tug Seine, but they got dispersed in the following night and only the Nettie was in visual range. ww2dbase [Bordeaux, Aquitaine | HM]
Germany
- Robert von Greim was mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht radio report. ww2dbase [Robert von Greim | CPC]
Hawaii
- Light cruiser USS Phoenix departed Lahaina, Maui, US Territory of Hawaii for the Panama Canal Zone. ww2dbase [Phoenix | Lahaina, Maui | CPC]
Italy
Libya
- After sundown and into the next date, Lorraine bombarded Italian positions at Bardia, Libya. ww2dbase [Lorraine | Bardia | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- The British submarine HMS Parthian sank Italian submarine Diamante off Tobruk, Libya. ww2dbase [HM]
Portugal
- Destroyer USS Herbert departed Lisbon, Portugal for French Morocco. ww2dbase [Lisbon | CPC]
Russia
- Lavrentiy Beria sent Joseph Stalin a list containing names of 232 Soviet prisoners of war returned by Finland and recommended everyone on the list to be executed; in fact, 158 of them had already been killed. ww2dbase [Lavrentiy Beria | Moscow | CPC]
United Kingdom
United States
- American cruiser USS Vincennes and destroyers USS Truxton and USS Simpson arrived at New York, New York, United States with 200 tons of gold from the French reserves. ww2dbase [Vincennes | New York | CPC]
- US President Franklin Roosevelt nominated two well-known Republicans with pronounced pro-Ally sympathies, Henry Stimson and Frank Knox, to be Secretaries for War and the Navy respectively. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | AC]
Uruguay
Photo(s) dated 20 Jun 1940
21 Jun 1940
- French cruisers El Djezair, El Kantara, El Mansour, Ville d'Oran, and Ville d'Alger arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco with 1,200 tons of French gold. ww2dbase [CPC]
- An German Ar 196 aircraft from battlecruiser Scharnhorst mistook German submarine U-99 for an enemy submarine and damaged her with a bomb. U-99 was already en route back to Wilhelmshaven, Germany with a sick sailor; she would now require a longer time to complete repairs. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Estonian Independent Signal Battalion engaged in fighting with Soviet troops at Raua Street in Tallinn, Estonia. The Estonians would be defeated during the night. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
- Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler to discuss the invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [Erich Raeder | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- At 0846 hours, HMS Cape Howe (X 02), a Special Service Vessel, disguised as the Prunella, was hit on the starboard side near the bridge by one of two torpedoes fired by German submarine U-28 about 100 miles west of the Isles of Scilly at the southwestern tip of Britain. The explosion blew open the hatches of No. 1 hold, put the Asdic and steering gear out of order and mortally injured two crewmen. The panic party abandoned the now slowly circling ship in two lifeboats but the submarine did not surface but fired a coup de grâce after about an hour that hit on port side amidships, causing her to slowly settle by the bow until sinking with a list to port at 1230 hours. 54 became missing and would be never found; 40 would be rescued. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-28 | CPC, HM]
- The 7,638-ton French tanker Brumarire was sunk by German aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean. The crew of 37 was saved by the British destroyer HMS Griffin (H 31) and landed in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
- At 0411 hours the 1,144-ton unescorted Finnish freighter Hilda was hit by one torpedo from German submarine U-52 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Salman and sank in a few minutes in the Bay of Biscay, killing 5. The master and ten crew members survived aboard a lifeboat. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-52 | Bay of Biscay | HM]
- At 2007 hours, German submarine U-47 under command of Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien fired a torpedo at a tanker in the middle of Allied convoy HX-49 in a position 50 miles south-southwest of Cape Clear in the southwestern tip of Ireland. The tanker was the 13,056-ton British San Fernando which was carrying 13,500 tons of crude oil and 4,200 tons of fuel oil, and she was hit and came to a stop. Prien then fired two more torpedoes but did not observe the result as he had to submerge rapidly to avoid being seen by a nearby steamer. The damaged San Fernando was taken under tow by two tugs. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-47 | HM]
- At 1636 hours the 8,627-ton British merchant steamer Yarraville in Allied convoy 65-X was hit by a single torpedo from German submarine U-43, caught fire and sank southwest of Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Five crew members were lost. The master and 44 crew members (seven of them wounded) were picked up by the French trawler Marie Gilberte and landed at Gibraltar. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-43 | HM]
- At 1753 hours the 5,809-ton unescorted Belgian freighter Luxembourg was hit aft by a G7e torpedo from German submarine U-38 and sank west of Saint-Nazaire, France. The ship had been bound for Antwerp, Belgium but was diverted to Bordeaux, France and anchored at Le Verdon on 20 Jun 1940 when she was ordered to leave for Falmouth, England, United Kingdom. Five men were killed and one wounded of the 46 crew members on board. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-38 | Celtic Sea | HM]
Brazil
- Heavy cruiser USS Wichita, with Commander Cruiser Division Seven Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens embarked, arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil en route to join heavy cruiser USS Quincy at Montevideo, Uruguay. ww2dbase [Rio de Janeiro | CPC]
Canada
- The first successful west-to-east navigation of Northwest Passage began at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ww2dbase [Vancouver, British Columbia | CPC]
France
- French and German representatives met to negotiate peace at the 1918 Armistice site at Compiègne, France, using the very same rail carriage where the WW1 armistice, brought from a French museum, for the negotiations. Hitler personally attended the negotiation, but at 1530 hours abruptly left the meeting to show disrespect for the French. At 2030 hours, French General Huntzinger called his government and informed that the Germans allowed no room for negotiations and demanded harsh terms; he was told to accept the German terms. Meanwhile, in southern France, the 32 Italian divisions deployed on the French border marched through the Little Saint Bernard Pass in the Alps and along the French Riviera; some of the Italians were met with a heavy snow storm and the latter halted by a very small group of French troops at Menton, which was about 5 miles from the border. According to the diary of Galeazzo Ciano, Benito Mussolini was extremely embarrassed by the inability of his troops to break through the French lines. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Compiègne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie | CPC]
- At 0817 hours, the 1,177-ton unescorted Dutch steamer Berenice, carrying 1,000 tons of manganese ore and 22 passengers, was hit by one torpedo amidships by German submarine U-65 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) just off the island of Belle Île, France, causing her to sink within three minutes, killing 21 passengers and some of the crewmembers. A coastal vessel picked up nine survivors, including the master and Marsman's wife, the only surviving passenger. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-65 | Bangor, Bretagne | HM]
- The 4,281-ton French merchant steamer Mecanicien Principal Carvin was bombed and sunk by German aircraft at Verdon, France on the river Gironde. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | HM]
- The 4,277-ton Greek freighter Adamantios was bombed by German aircraft and forced to beach on the Île de Ré off the west coast of France. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Ile de Re, Aquitaine | HM]
French Morocco
- Destroyer USS Herbert arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco. ww2dbase [Casablanca | CPC]
Guernsey
- As the British evacuated from Guernsey, the control of the island was turned over to a Controlling Committee under the presidency of Attorney General Ambrose Sherwill. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
- Alpino Bagnolini arrived at Gallipoli, Apulia, Italy, ending her first war patrol. At 1320 hours, she departed Gallipoli and sailed to Taranto, arriving at 1610 hours. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | Gallipoli, Apulia | CPC]
Jersey
- Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey James Murray Robert Harrison was withdrawn to Britain, leaving Bailiff Alexander Coutanche the sole civilian leader. ww2dbase [CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Morosini sighted smoke in the western Mediterranean Sea at 0335 hours. She fired a torpedo at 0335 hours at a merchant ship and reported a loud explosion a minute later. Although she claimed a sinking, post war study of various reports could not produce any ships lost in that area on that date. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
Netherlands
Norway
- Jaguar began escorting battleship Scharnhorst from Norway to Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [Scharnhorst | Jaguar | CPC]
Portugal
- Destroyer USS Dickerson departed Lisbon, Portugal for Bilbao, Spain. ww2dbase [Lisbon | CPC]
United Kingdom
- At the urging of Intelligence scientist, Dr. Reg Jones, Winston Churchill ordered up a RAF search aircraft which successfully discovered, in the frequency range predicted by Jones, the Knickebein radio signaled which were used to guide Luftwaffe bombers over Britain. ww2dbase [Reginald Jones | AC]
- HMS Campbell (D 60) landed 38 survivors of steam merchant Empire Conveyor, sunk by German submarine U-122 on the previous day, at Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Liverpool, England | HM]
Photo(s) dated 21 Jun 1940
22 Jun 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- At 1804 hours, German submarine U-65 reported the sinking of an unescorted tanker of 7,000 tons with a spread of two G7e torpedoes about 70 miles southwest of Penmarch in the Bay of Biscay. The ship was immediately covered in burning oil and apparently broke in two before it sank. The ship was the 7,011-ton French tanker Monique. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-65 | Bay of Biscay | CPC, HM]
- German submarine U-122 became missing in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere west of Britain and Ireland; the crew of 49 were never seen again. ww2dbase [U-122 | CPC]
- The 13,056-ton British tanker San Fernando, damaged by German submarine U-47 on the previous day, sank. The master Arthur Richard Buckley and 48 crew members were picked up by the British sloops HMS Fowey (L 15) and HMS Sandwich (L 12) and landed at Plymouth, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [HM]
- The 9,026-ton Norwegian motor tanker Eli Knudsen had been in Allied convoy HX-49, which was dispersed approximately 100 miles southwest of Cape Clear, Ireland after German submarine U-47 had torpedoed the San Fernando in the middle of convoy at 2007 hours on 21 Jun 1940. At 0336 hours German submarine U-32 torpedoed the Eli Knudsen, one of the slowest ships in convoy. All crew members abandoned ship in lifeboats and were picked up a few hours later by the sloop HMS Sandwich and taken to Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. The tanker remained afloat, although she would not survive the incident. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-32 | Celtic Sea | HM]
- At 0158 hours the 3,999-ton unescorted Norwegian steam merchant ship Randsfjord, dispersed from Allied convoy HX-49, was hit by one G7a torpedo from German submarine U-30 about 80 miles south-southwest of Queenstown, Ireland. The torpedo struck on the port side in the foreship and caused the tanker to sink after three minutes. The master and three crew members were lost. Two men were crushed and injured between the starboard lifeboat and the side of the ship when they lost their grip while lowering themselves down to the boat. Some men jumped overboard and were later picked up by the boat. The submarine surfaced and the Germans questioned the survivors, handed them a bottle of brandy before leaving the area at full speed after two destroyers were spotted. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-30 | Celtic Sea | HM]
- The French Flower-class corvette La Bastiase struck a mine whilst on sea trials in the mouth of the River Tees, north east England, United Kingdom. The mines were seen to be dropped by enemy aircraft the previous day. The vessel was a total loss killing her commanding officer Lieutenant de Vaisseau Georges Albert Lacombe, some of her crew and some of the engineers from Smith's Dock who were on board for the trials. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
- At 0217 hours the 5,154-ton unescorted and unarmed Greek merchant steamer Neion was hit in the engine room by a G7a torpedo from German submarine U-38 while steaming without navigational lights lit on a non-evasive course at 10 knots in the Bay of Biscay about 40 miles west-southwest of Belle Île off the coast of Bretagne, France. One crew member was lost. The master, eight officers and 22 crew members abandoned ship in one lifeboat before she sank by the stern after five minutes. The cargo of naphtha drums was recovered in 1948. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-38 | Bay of Biscay | HM]
Egypt
France
Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Naples, Italy, arrived at Castellammare di Stabia, Italy at 1225 hours, and returned to Naples, Italy at 1755 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
Japan
- Yosuke Matsuoka was named the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japanese Prime Minister Prince Fumimaro Konoe's new government. ww2dbase [Yosuke Matsuoka | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- The 1,888-ton Swedish steamship Elgö was torpedoed by Italian submarine Capponi and sank to the north of Sfax, Tunisia. ww2dbase [HM]
Spain
- Destroyer USS Dickerson arrived at Bilbao, Spain to safeguard American interests. ww2dbase [Bilbao | CPC]
United Kingdom
- In Britain, the second evacuation plan by the London County council resulted in over 100,000 children being evacuated to the west. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
- Charles de Gaulle broadcast a speech from London, England, United Kingdom on the BBC; in this broadcast, he used the term Free French for the first time, while declaring himself the French leader in exile. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | London, England | CPC]
- British Foreign Secretary Halifax had his undersecretary Richard Butler contact Swedish Minister in London, England, United Kindom Björn Prytz for a possible Anglo-German negotiations. Germans intercepted Prytz's report back to Stockholm and concluded that the war with Britain was likely to end by the end of the summer. ww2dbase [Halifax | London, England | CPC]
- The Communist Party of Great Britain published a manifesto calling for a "People's Government", claiming that "the same kind of leaders who brought France to defeat are in high places in Britain". Furthermore the manifesto called upon workers to oust their own ruling classes which would encourage German workers to bring down Adolf Hitler. ww2dbase [AC]
- Noor Inayat Khan arrived at Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom with her family. ww2dbase [Noor Inayat Khan | Falmouth, England | CPC]
- Following the discovery during the previous night, by Flight Lieutenant Hal Bufton and wireless operator Corporal Mackie, of German Knickebein radio navigation beams intersecting over the Rolls-Royce factory at Derby in Britain, the Air Ministry established No. 80 Wing of the RAF at Radlett, north of London, under Wing-Commander Edward Addison, to operate anti-beam counter-measures. ww2dbase [AC]
- Eight survivors of Dutch steamer Berenice, which was sunk by German submarine U-65 on the previous day, were landed at Falmouth, England, United Kingdom. The ninth survivor of the sinking, the Berenice's master, died from his wounds after being rescued. ww2dbase [Falmouth, England | HM]
- The British motor yacht Campeador V (FY002) was requisitioned for war service on harbour patrol duties at hire rate £60.0.0d per month. She was sunk after activating a magnetic mine just south of Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom. 20 people lost their lives; two crew members were picked up. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Portsmouth, England | HM]
United States
- The US Congress adopted national defense tax measures designed to yield US$994,300,000 per year. ww2dbase [Washington | CPC]
- Clifton Cates completed his studies at the Army War College in Washington DC, United States. ww2dbase [Clifton Cates | Washington | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 22 Jun 1940
See all photos dated 22 Jun 1940
23 Jun 1940
- Battleship Bismarck entered floating drydock No. V-VI to install propellers and the MES magnetic system. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Using information from Italian submarine Galileo Galilei (captured on 19 Jun), British sloop HMS Shoreham located Italian submarine Evangelista Torricelli and forced her to surface with depth charges. Evangelista Torricelli engaged three British destroyers, HMS Kandahar, HMS Kingston, and HMS Khartoum, with her deck gun, but was sunk near Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea. Later in the day, HMS Khartoum was badly damaged when one of her own torpedoes explodes on deck, killing one. Khartoum was beached on Perim Island to prevent sinking, but she would eventually be declared lost. ww2dbase [CPC]
- French Army Commander-in-Chief General Maxime Weygand expelled Charles de Gaulle from the French Army. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | CPC]
- German submarine U-99, damaged on 21 Jun by German battlecruiser Scharnhorst in a friendly fire incident, was en route to Wilhelmshaven, Germany for repairs when she was bombed by friendly aircraft twice on this date; she suffered only minor additional damage. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The German ambassador in Spain noted that the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, was traveling through Portugal. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov sent German Ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg a message noting that the Soviet Union would like to gain Bessarabia and Bukovina from Romania. This greatly alarmed the German OKW as the German military was dependent on Romania as a source of oil and fodder. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
- The British Long Range Desert Patrol (later to become the Long Range Desert Group) was formed under the command of Major Ralph Bagnold to undertake long-range reconnaissance patrols behind Italian lines in North Africa. ww2dbase [AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The lifeboat containing the four survivors of Dutch motor tanker Moordrecht, sunk by German submarine U-48 three days prior, were picked up by the Greek steam merchant Orion. ww2dbase [HM]
- The survivors of Norwegian steam merchant ship Randsfjord, torpedoed by German submarine U-30 on the previous day, was picked up by the British steam merchant Port Hobart in the Celtic Sea. ww2dbase [Celtic Sea | HM]
France
- Adolf Hitler arrived in Paris, France and did some sightseeing early in the morning; this would be his only visit to Paris. Although Germany and France had already signed an armistice, fighting between Italy and France continued while French delegates negotiated in Rome; General Huntzinger, who signed the German-French armistice at Compiègne on 22 Jun, was once again the a member of the French delegation. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Paris | TH]
French Morocco
- Destroyer USS Herbert departed Casablanca, French Morocco for to Lisbon, Portugal with American refugees. ww2dbase [Casablanca | CPC]
Germany
Portugal
- Portuguese police arrested American 30 sailors of light cruiser USS Trenton in a street brawl in Santo Amaro Oerias outside of Lisbon. Three Americans were injured during the arrest. ww2dbase [Santo Amaro Oerias | CPC]
Spain
- 11 survivors of Finnish freighter Hilda, sunk by German submarine U-52 in the Bay of Biscay two days prior, reached Castro Urdiales, Spain aboard a lifeboat. ww2dbase [Castro Urdiales, Cantabria | HM]
Spanish Morocco
- Comandante Cappellini departed Ceuta, Spain at 2330 hours without being detected by the British. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | Ceuta | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The 294-ton steam tug HMS Coringa was lost while on British Admiralty service but it was never explained what happened. Accounts from researchers and anecdotal accounts stated she was bombed in the Bristol Channel. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | Bristol Channel | HM]
Photo(s) dated 23 Jun 1940
See all photos dated 23 Jun 1940
24 Jun 1940
- British commandos launched an aborted raid on Le Touquet, France. ww2dbase [TH]
- As French warships scattered throughout Dakar, Casablanca, Algiers, and Mers-el-Kébir in French colonies in Africa, Alexandria in Egypt, and Plymouth and Portsmouth and Britain, French Admiral Darlan promised British Prime Minister Churchill that they would not fall into German hands. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-47 sank Panamanian ship Cathrine with the deck gun about 300 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England. As the entire crew of 19 escaped to lifeboats, they were given food and red wine by the crew of U-47 before being set adrift for their eventual rescue. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- British sloop HMS Falmouth sank Italian submarine Luigi Galvani in the Gulf of Oman. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Japan requested Britain to close the Burma Road, a land supply route into China. ww2dbase [Burma Road and the Hump | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- 52 survivors (including Master Trevor Williams) of British motor merchant ship Wellington Star, sunk by German submarine U-101 eight days prior, were picked up by the French steam merchant Pierre L. D. and were later landed at Casablanca, French Morocco. On the same day, the remaining 17 crew members of the Wellington Star in a lifeboat made landfall at Figueira da Foz near Oporto in Portugal. ww2dbase [HM]
- The 9,026-ton Norwegian motor tanker Eli Knudsen, disabled by a torpedo from German submarine U-32 two days prior, sank while in tow by British tanker Corinda. ww2dbase [Celtic Sea | HM]
Germany
- Robert von Greim was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Robert von Greim | CPC]
Italy
- The Franco-Italian armistice was signed at Villa Olgiata near Rome, Italy by French General Huntziger and Italian General Badoglio. Fighting would continue until the following day when the agreement would take effect. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Rome | TH]
- Morosini arrived at Naples, Italy at 2130 hours, ending her first war patrol. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
Malta
- Malta received its first strike aircraft with the arrival and creation of No. 830 Squadron with Fairey Swordfish Mk.1 aircraft; they were left behind by HMS Argus when she departed the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | AC]
United States
- Charles Edison resigned as the Secretary of the Navy of the United States; Lewis Compton, Assistant Secretary of the Navy since 9 Feb 1940, took over as the acting secretary. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Rear Admiral Charles A. Blakely relieved Rear Admiral Joseph R. Defrees as the Commandant of the Eleventh Naval District and the Commandant of the Naval Operating Base in San Diego, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Diego, California | CPC]
25 Jun 1940
Argentina
- Destroyer USS O'Brien departed Buenos Aires, Argentina for Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil. ww2dbase [O'Brien | Buenos Aires | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-51 attacked Allied convoy OA-172 about 370 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England between 1545 and 1930 hours, sinking British steamer Windsorwood (all 40 survived) and British tanker Saranac (4 killed, 39 survived). ww2dbase [U-51 | CPC]
- HMS Snapper (N 39) (Lieutenant W. D. A. King, DSO, RN) torpedoed and sank the 286-ton German armed trawler V 110 south of Stavanger, Norway. The 2,515-ton German merchant Robert Sauber (built 1910) was hit by a dud torpedo and was lightly damaged. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | North Sea | HM]
- The 3,828-ton Norwegian cargo ship Crux, built in 1923 and owned at the time of her loss by Bergenske Dampskibsselskab A/B, on voyage from Cardiff in Britain to Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UA in the Atlantic Ocean. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | UA | HM]
- German submarine U-51 hit 12,049-ton British steam tanker Saranac in Allied convoy OA-172 with one torpedo about 270 miles west-southwest of Lands End at the southwestern tip of Britain at 1551 hours. The ships' crew immediately abandoned the ship. At 1737 hours, the submarine surfaced and failed to sink the tanker by gunfire. At 1915 hours, another torpedo was fired, finally sinking Saranac. Four crew members were lost in this sinking. 31 survivors, including the master Vernon Horace Alcock, were picked up by British destroyer HMS Hurricane (H 06) commanded by Lieutenant Commander H. C. Simms, RN and landed at Plymouth in southern Britain. 9 survivors were picked up by British trawler Caliph and landed at Berehaven, County Cork, Ireland. ww2dbase [Start of the Battle of the Atlantic | U-51 | HM]
France
- The Franco-German Armistice, signed on 22 Jun, took effect at 0030 hours. After fighting ceased, French losses totaled 92,000 killed, 250,000 wounded, and 1,500,000 captured. British losses were 68,111 killed, wounded, or captured. German losses were 29,640 killed and 133,573 wounded and missing. Italian losses were 631 killed, 4,782 wounded, and 616 missing. France declared a National day of mourning, while Hitler ordered the flying of flags and pealing of bells in Germany to celebrate "the most glorious victory of all time". ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Franco-German Armistice | CPC]
- After the Germans made the French surrender at Compiègne, France, the site of the German surrender in 1918, Adolf Hitler ordered the site destroyed, including the rail car used for both 1918 and 1940 surrenders. The statue of Marshal Ferdinand Foch was spared. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Adolf Hitler | Compiègne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie | CPC]
- Canadian destroyers HMCS Fraser and HMCS Restigouche and British cruiser HMS Calcutta were sent to evacuate 4,000 Allied troops near Bordeaux, France. En route, in rough seas and poor visibility, HMCS Fraser collided with HMS Calcutta about 25 kilometers northwest of the mouth of the Gironde Estuary, off of the coast of the Poitou-Charentes region. The smaller Canadian destroyer broke into three pieces and sank. 47 of Fraser's crew and 19 of Calcutta's crew were killed. ww2dbase [Poitou-Charentes | CPC]
- Philippe Pétain announced a new order for France on Radio Bordeaux Sud-Ouest. A period of difficulty would arrive but a intellectually and morally rejuvenated France would rise. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Philippe Pétain | CPC]
- By this date, the French Army had taken delivery of 480 to 490 37L tracked carriers. ww2dbase [37L | CPC]
French West Africa
- Pierre François Boisson was named the Governor-General of French West Africa. ww2dbase [Dakar, Senegal | CPC]
Germany
Ireland
- British Minister of Health Malcolm MacDonald returned to Dublin, Ireland with a proposal from Winston Churchill for a joint union between Eire and Ulster to afford sanctruary for British troops and Irish ports for Royal Navy use. ww2dbase [Dublin | AC]
Spain
- Working together with the Germans, the government of Spain agreed to assist with the German attempt to detain the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- Lord Gort departed Britain by flying boat for Rabat, French Morocco to speak with French ministers; political situations would prevent him from successfully meeting with the French. ww2dbase [John Vereker | CPC]
- British steam merchant Port Hobart landed the survivors of Norwegian steam merchant ship Randsfjord, torpedoed by German submarine U-30 three days prior, at Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. Three of the survivors were admitted to hospital. ww2dbase [Glasgow, Scotland | HM]
United States
- An act by the United States Congress abolished the US Navy Construction Corps. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Isolationist advertising appeared in the American newspaper New York Times; Germany secretly funded this advertising. ww2dbase [CPC]
Photo(s) dated 25 Jun 1940
26 Jun 1940
- General de Gaulle created the French Volunteer Legion in United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | TH]
- The United Kingdom extended the blockade to include the all of France. ww2dbase [TH]
- Norwegian merchant ship Crux was sunk 300 miles west of Cape St. Vincent, Portugal at 0228 hours by a German submarine; the crew of 30 took to lifeboats and would be rescued on the following day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-29 stopped Greek ship Dimitris with a shot across her bow off Cape Finisterre, Spain at 1530 hours. After the crew abandoned ship, the Greek ship was sunk by gunfire. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Soviet Union presented an ultimatum demanding territory in Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina from Romania. Adolf Hitler suggested the Romanians government to give in and satisfy the Soviet demands as Hitler was fearful that Romanian resistance might lead to a Soviet occupation of the entire Romania, which would threaten the oil and fodder that the German military was dependent upon. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
- Corvette Trillium was launched. ww2dbase [Trillium | CPC]
- The French Foreign Minister of the Bordeaux Government announced that the French Ambassador in London, M. Corbin, had resigned. ww2dbase [AC]
- Wolfgang Falck was officially named the commanding officer of the German nightfighters, Nachtjagdfliegerdienst. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | CPC]
- RMS Queen Mary, with 5,000 British troops aboard, set sail for the Middle East. ww2dbase [Queen Mary | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Cappellini sighted British merchant ship Cydonia in the Mediterranean Sea just off of the coast of Spain at 2030 hours. At 2106 hours, she fired one torpedo at a distance of 700 metres, which missed. One minute later, she submerged to avoid colliding with a Spanish vessel. She surfaced at 2124 hours, and the target had already disappeared. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
Russia
- The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in Moscow, Russia called for a 7-day work week and banned the quitting of jobs without official authorization. Also, being late to work for more than 20 minutes was now a criminal offense punishable by prison terms of two to six months. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
United States
- Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, United States received the license from Rolls-Royce to build Merlin engines for the P-51 Mustang fighters, with an order at the size of US$130,000,000 being placed. The first Packard-built Merlin engine, designated V-1650-1, would be ready in Aug 1941. ww2dbase [P-51 Mustang | Detroit, Michigan | CPC, DS]
Photo(s) dated 26 Jun 1940
27 Jun 1940
- German forces reached the Franco-Spanish border. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- German submarine U-47 shelled Norwegian merchant ship Lenda off southwest Ireland at 0400 hours; 1 was killed and 27 survived. At 1700 hours, U-47 shelled Dutch tanker Leticia in the same area; 25 of the crew took to lifeboats, while the other 3 who dove into the water were rescued by U-47 and brought to the lifeboats; the crew of U-47 offered the survivors first aid material, sausages, and wine before leaving. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- Romania ceded Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt declared a national emergency and re-invoked the Espionage Act of 1917 to control shipping in American waters and in waters near the Panama Canal Zone. On the same day, he also established the National Defense Research Committee under chairman Vannevar Bush to coordinate the development of war related sciences and technologies. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Vannevar Bush | CPC]
- Heavy cruiser USS Wichita, with Commander Cruiser Division Seven Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens aboard, departed Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyer USS O'Brien arrived at Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
- The escaping French battleship Jean Bart, which had been fitting out at Saint-Nazaire when France fell, reached safety at Casablanca, French Morocco. ww2dbase [Jean Bart | AC]
- Capitano Tarantini started her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The destroyer HMS Versatile (D 32) (Commander J.H. Jauncey, RN (retired)) picked up 13 survivors from the British special service vessel HMS Cape Howe about 150 nautical miles off Ushant, France. The Q-ship, disguised as the Prunella, had been torpedoed and sunk on 21 Jun 1940 by German submarine U-28. ww2dbase [HM]
Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Castellammare di Stabia, Italy at 0810 hours for exercises, returning at 1705 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- The Italian submarine Console Generale Liuzzi was attacked by the British destroyers HMS Dainty, HMS Ilex, HMS Decoy and HMS Defender together with Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager south of the island of Crete, Greece. The Italian commander Capitano di Corvetta Lorenzo Bezzi ordered the submarine to be scuttled and chose to go down with the ship. ww2dbase [Console Generale Liuzzi | HM]
United Kingdom
- Despite Admiral Darlan's previous assurances that French ships would not fall into German hands, the British War Cabinet ordered the Royal Navy to seize or destroy all French warships in British and North African ports. In turn, Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville was ordered to take the newly-formed Force H to Algeria. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
United States
- The keel for battleship Iowa was laid down at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard in New York, United States. ww2dbase [Iowa | Brooklyn, New York | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 27 Jun 1940
28 Jun 1940
- Soviet Union occupied Bessarabia and the Northern Bukovina, ceded by Romania. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | TH]
- General Charles de Gaulle was recognized by the United Kingdom as the leader of Free French forces. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | TH]
- Pope Pius XII offered to be a mediator for the warring powers. ww2dbase [Pius XII | TH]
- British Blenheim bomber attacked Tobruk in North Africa. Following the raid, Italian Governor-General of Libya Marshal Italo Balbo returned from a reconnaissance flight. Italian anti-aircraft crews, still jumpy from the raid, mis-identified his aircraft for a British bomber and opened fire, killing Balbo. Given Balbo's opposition to Mussolini's alliance with Germany, some believe this friendly fire incident was actually an assassination. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarine U-30 sank British ship Llanarth 250 miles west of Brest, France at 0200 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British trawler Castleton became missing in the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland, probably sunk by U-102 which did not return from this patrol. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Stafford Cripps was appointed the British Ambassador to the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [CPC]
Guernsey
- The British Channel Islands were partially evacuated after being demilitarized to minimize casualties to be caused by the imminent German attacks. On the same day, German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed Guernsey and Jersey, killing 33 and injuring 40. ww2dbase [Guernsey | TH]
Mediterranean Sea
- Capitano Tarantini was attacked by an Allied aircraft in the Ionian Sea, which caused no damage. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | Ionian Sea | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Douglas Bader was named the commanding officer of No. 242 Squadron RAF, flying Hurricane fighters, based at RAF Coltishall at Norwich, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | Norwich, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 28 Jun 1940
29 Jun 1940
- Operation Catapult: The British Admiralty gave Vice Admiral Somerville explicit instructions to secure the transfer, surrender, or destruction of the French warships at Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria. Force H under his command consisted of battleships HMS Valiant and HMS Resolution, battlecruiser HMS Hood, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruisers HMS Arethusa and HMS Enterprise, and 11 destroyers. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- German submarine U-99 was again subjected to friendly fire. Upon leaving Wilhelmshaven, Germany, she was attacked by a German aircraft with 3 bombs. She dove under the surface to avoid the bombs, but sustained minor damage when she hit the sea floor. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-51 sank British decoy ship HMS Edgehill with three torpedoes southwest of Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-47 torpedoed and sank British ship Empire Toucan southwest of Ireland, which broke in half; 3 were killed and 31 were rescued. Destroyer HMS Hurricane scuttled the aft portion of the ship which remained afloat. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- German submarine U-26 sank Greek steamer Frangoula B. Goulandris southwest of Ireland; 6 were killed and 32 were rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyer USS O'Brien departed Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil for Santos, Brazil. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler arrived at his headquarters at Tannenberg in southern Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Maximilian von Weichs was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Maximilian von Weichs | CPC]
- HMS Hermes received orders to set sail toward Dakar, French West Africa. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland joined escort at Greenock for Middle East convoy WS1 for passage to Capetown, South Africa. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Germany
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- Capitano Tarantini sighted a British destroyer, probably HMS Dainty, in the Mediterranean Sea southwest of Cape Matawan, Greece at 0500 hours. She fired a torpedo, which missed. and the British destroyer counterattacked, also without success. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Greek steam merchant Orion landed the four survivors of Dutch motor tanker Moordrecht at Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. Moordrecht had been sunk by German submarine U-48 nine days prior. ww2dbase [Liverpool, England | HM]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt departed Washington DC, United States aboard the yacht Potomac; the ship was accompanied by auxiliary vessel Cuyahoga. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
30 Jun 1940
- German submarine U-65 and U-43 attacked Allied convoy SL-25 300 files west of Brest, France. At 2227 hours, U-43 sank British ship Avelona Star; 1 was killed and 84 were rescued. U-65 damaged British ship Clan Ogilvy, which would need to be towed away; she would remain out of commission until Oct 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-47 sank Greek ship Georgios Kyriakides west of Ireland; all 30 crew members survived. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- As of this date, the US Navy reported the strength of 1,099 vessels and 203,127 personnel (160,997 Navy, 28,384 Marine Corps, and 13,766 Coast Guard). In a separate report, the US Marine Corps reported the active duty strength to be 1,732 officers and 26,545 enlisted men for the total of 28,277. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Heavy cruiser USS Wichita, with Commander Cruiser Division Seven Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens aboard, arrived at Montevideo, Uruguay, joining USS Quincy that was already there. The visit was "to furnish a reminder of the strength and the range of action of the armed forces of the United States". ww2dbase [CPC]
- Alfred Jodl noted in his diary that the United Kingdom was certain to fall in time, regardless of the fact whether an actual invasion was necessary. ww2dbase [Alfred Jodl | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-26 sank Estonian ship Merkur (killing 4) and Norwegian ship Belmoira (all 25 crew members survived) off of France. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
- After repeated attacks, by Stuka aircraft and rail guns, had failed to make any impression, a direct order from General Maxime Weygand finally pursuades the remaining French garrisons still holding out in the Maginot fortresses to leave their defences. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | Maxime Weygand | AC]
Guernsey
- Three German personnel landed on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel by aircraft and demanded surrender from a local policeman. ww2dbase [Guernsey | TH]
- A German reconnaissance aircraft landed on Guernsey in the Channel Islands and unofficially received the surrender of the islanders. ww2dbase [CPC]
Russia
- Submarine S-7 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [S-7 | CPC]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt returned to Washington DC, United States after touring the Potomac River aboard the presidential yacht Potomac. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 30 Jun 1940
1 Jul 1940
- German forces took Jersey, completing the occupation of the Channel Islands. ww2dbase [TH]
- Marshal Philippe Pétain's government moved to from Bordeaux to Vichy, France. ww2dbase [TH]
- Germany requested neutral nations to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Luxembourg. ww2dbase [TH]
- By this date, about 900,000 tons of Allied shipping had been sunk by German U-boats in 6 months of war. ww2dbase [TH]
- British milk price ceiling was increased to 4 pence per pint. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Operation Seelöwe (Sealion), a plan for the invasion of Britain, was first mentioned by the German General Staff. On the same day, German bombers began a campaign against British industrial centers, beginning with a daylight raid on Hull, England and Wick, Scotland, killing 12 and wounding 22. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- German submarines attacked various Allied ships off the French coast. 300 miles west of Brest at 0400 hours, U-30 sank British ship Beignon of Allied convoy SL-36, 6 were killed, 30 crew and 81 survivors of British ship Avelona Star, sunk on the previous day, were rescued. U-102 sank British ship Clearton of Allied convoy SL-36, killing 8; British destroyer HMS Vansittart found U-102 and sank her with depth charges, killing the entire crew of 43; 26 survivors from Clearton were picked up by HMS Vansittart. U-65 sank Dutch ship Amstelland; 1 was killed and 39 survived. U-29 sank Greek ship Adamastos; all 25 crew members survived. Meanwhile, southwest of Ireland, German submarine U-26 damaged British steamer Zarian of Allied convoy OA-175; British corvette HMS Gladiolus forced U-26 to surface with depth charges, which was then bombed by a Sunderland aircraft of the No. 10 Squadron RAAF; the crew of U-26 scuttled the boat before surrendering. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Joseph Stalin told his Ambassador to Tokyo that the non-aggression pact with Germany "was dictated by the desire to unleash war in Europe". ww2dbase [AC]
- British RAF Fighter Command chief Hugh Dowding's son Derek became a pilot with the No. 74 Squadron. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Quintin Brand was promoted to the temporary rank of air vice marshal. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
- The responsibility for nuclear fission research in the United States was transferred to the National Defense Research Committee under Vannevar Bush. ww2dbase [Operation Trinity and Manhattan Project | Vannevar Bush | CPC]
- Rodolfo Graziani was named the Governor-General of Italian Libya. ww2dbase [Rodolfo Graziani | CPC]
- Destroyer USS O'Brien arrived at Santos, Brazil. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
- The US Navy issued contracts for the construction of 44 new ships. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Navy awarded a US$30,870,000 contract to build naval facilities across the Pacific. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Albrecht Lanz was declared the military governor of the Channel Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Maximilian von Weichs was promoted to the rank of Generaloberst. ww2dbase [Maximilian von Weichs | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland joined Ocean Escort for military Convoy WS1 during passage to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (Note: WS1 comprised RMS Aquitania, RMS Mauretania and RMS Queen Mary taking troops to join 8th Army in EGYPT). ww2dbase [Cumberland | Queen Mary | DS]
- After arrival of WS1 at Capetown, South Africa, HMS Cumberland carried out unsuccessful search for the German commerce raider THOR reported in South Atlantic. ww2dbase [Cumberland | Thor | DS]
- U-23 was assigned to the 21st Submarine Flotilla. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
France
- US Ambassador to France William C. Bullitt met with French Marshal Philippe Pétain, who ensured that orders had been given "to every captain of the French Fleet to sink his ship rather than permit [it] to fall into German hands". Later on the same day, Bullitt visited French Admiral François Darlan, who noted that French ships had been ordered to sail for Martinique and Guantanamo should there be a risk that the Germans would gain the French fleet, and if sailing not possible, the ships would be scuttled. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
Guernsey
- German troops landed on the island of Guernsey off the French coast, meeting no opposition. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Castellammare di Stabia, Italy at 0800 hours for exercises, returning at 1715 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
Jersey
- German troops landed on the island of Jersey off the French coast, meeting no opposition. ww2dbase [CPC]
Romania
- King Carol II of Romania renounced the guarantees given to him by the United Kingdom in 1939 and announced that hence-forward his country's alliegance would be with Germany. ww2dbase [Carol II | AC]
United Kingdom
- British liner Arandora Star departed Liverpool, England for Canada with 479 German and 734 Italian civilian internees, 86 German prisoners of war, and 374 British crew and guards. Some of the civilian internees were Jewish refugees who had previously been able to escape from Nazi Germany. Arandora Star failed to display a red cross to denote that she was carrying civilians and prisoners of war. ww2dbase [Liverpool, England | CPC]
- The Free French government-in-exile established its own Military Intelligence Service under Major André Dewavrin - Service de Renseignements. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
- Winston Churchill recorded in his diary that during a meeting with the US Ambassador, Joseph Kennedy had stated that Britain was beaten and that Adolf Hitler would be in London by the 15th of August. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | London, England | AC]
United States
- The Headquarters Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force was established at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California, United States under Brigadier General Ross E. Rowell. ww2dbase [San Diego, California | CPC]
- The noted American aviator James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle was recalled to active service as a Major and began assisting US car manufacturers as they switched to aircraft production. ww2dbase [James Doolittle | AC]
- Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of the 7th Division at Fort Ord, Seaside, California, United States. ww2dbase [Joseph Stilwell | Seaside, California | CPC]
- USS S-26 returned to full duty while at New London, Connecticut, United States. ww2dbase [S-26 | New London, Connecticut | CPC]
2 Jul 1940
- The British government canceled the Aug 1940 bank holiday. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The US Congress passed the Export Control Act, giving the US President the power to control the export of military equipment whenever he thought it was "necessary in the interest of national defense". ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-47 sank the British liner Arandora Star off the coast of Ireland; the liner was carrying 1,500 Italian and German prisoners of war to Canada. ww2dbase [U-47 | TH]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler ordered the planning to begin for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [TH]
Guernsey
- German troops traveled from Guernsey to the islands of Alderney and Sark in the Channel Islands, meeting no opposition. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Castellammare di Stabia, Italy at 0805 hours for exercises, returning at 1700 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
Romania
- King Carol II invited a Germany military mission to be established in Romania to train Romanian troops. ww2dbase [Carol II | CPC]
3 Jul 1940
- Due to such heavy losses from the Luftwaffe the British suspended all traffic through the English Channel. Meanwhile, the British decided that harbors on the Channel coast and German shipping should be the primary targets of bombing. ww2dbase [TH]
- Battle of Mers-el-Kébir: At 0545 hours, Vice Admiral James Somerville and his British Royal Navy Force H arrived off of Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria where a power fleet under French Admiral Marcel Gensoul resided. At 1756 hours, after Gensoul refused to surrender, the British fleet opened fire for 10 minutes. The magazine of French battleship Bretagne was hit, sinking her, taking down 977 French sailors. Battleship Provence, battleship Dunkerque, and destroyer Mogador were damaged. In total, 1,297 French sailors were killed and 350 were wounded. After the battle, French battleship Strasbourg, carrier Commandant Teste, and four destroyers were able to escape from Mers-el-Kébir. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- General Franz Halder, the German Army Chief of Staff, asked his staff to consider a "military blow" in the east, to keep the Soviet armed forces at arm's length. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | AC]
- At dawn, the British Royal Navy boarded two French battleships, nine destroyers, and a number of other smaller warships that were docked at Plymouth and Portsmouth, England; 3 British and 1 French sailors were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Upon hearing the news of British attacks on French warships, six French cruisers and 4 destroyers left various ports in Algiers for Toulon, France. They were attacked by British Swordfish carrier aircraft from HMS Ark Royal en route, but they would arrive at Toulon on 4 Jul 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- USS Tautog was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Tautog | CPC]
- The British founded the Long Range Desert Group under the command of Acting Brigadier Ralph Bagnold with purpose of long range reconnaissance patrols behind the Italian lines, into Libya, to gather intelligence. ww2dbase [AC]
- USS O'Brien departed Santos, Brazil, for Pará, Brazil. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
Egypt
- British Navy Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Cunnigham demanded the French warships under French Admiral René-Émile Godfroy, docked at Alexandria in Egypt, to surrender. Negotiations would continue until 7 Jul 1940. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | Alexandria | CPC]
- Suffren was interned by the British at Alexandria, Egypt. ww2dbase [Suffren | Alexandria | CPC]
Panama Canal Zone
- USS Phoenix arrived at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. ww2dbase [Phoenix | Balboa | CPC]
Spain
- Destroyer USS Dickerson departed Bilbao, Spain. ww2dbase [Bilbao | CPC]
- USS Dickerson departed Bilbao, Spain, for Lisbon, Portugal. ww2dbase [Bilbao | CPC]
Uruguay
Photo(s) dated 3 Jul 1940
See all photos dated 3 Jul 1940
4 Jul 1940
- Despite having his left leg shattered by a bomb blast, British Leading Seaman Jack Mantle continued to fire his anti-aircraft guns as the merchant cruiser HMS Foylebank sank beneath him during an air raid on Portland naval base in England, United Kingdom. Mantle was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross medal. ww2dbase [AC]
Algeria
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
- Italians forces captured a number of British forts, including Kassala and Gallabat, in East Africa. The Italian forward units paused to establish anti-tank defenses. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Kanalkampf: German Stuka dive bombers and motored torpedo boats attacked British Allied Convoy OA178 south of Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom, which was near Portland. Five merchant ships were sunk, which were British ships Elmcrest and Dallas City, Dutch ships Britsum and Decalion, and Estonian ship Kolga; several other ships were damaged. Meanwhile, German aircraft bombed the Royal Navy base in Portland, sinking British auxiliary anti-aircraft ship Foyle Bank, killing 176, as well as tug boat Silverdial. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | English Channel | TH]
China
France
French West Africa
Gibraltar
Guernsey
- The Dame of Sark, ruler of the island of Sark in the English Channel, surrendered to the German forces. ww2dbase [Sark | CPC]
- Sark in the Channel Islands, having been occupied by the Germans since two days prior, officially surrendered. ww2dbase [Sark | CPC]
Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Castellammare di Stabia, Italy at 0800 hours for exercises, returning at 1640 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
- Mario Leoni was made the commanding officer of Alessandro Malaspina, relieving Alfredo Musotto. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Malta
- Italian bombers again raided Malta. ww2dbase [TH]
Romania
- King Carol II swore in Iron Guard member Ion Gigurtu as the new Prime Minister of Romania. ww2dbase [Carol II | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Winston Churchill received his first standing ovation in the House of Commons as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after delivering a speech justifying the attack on French warships. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 4 Jul 1940
5 Jul 1940
- Romania announced that it had joined the Axis Powers. ww2dbase [The Tripartite Pact | TH]
- RAF launched night bombing raids on Kiel and Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | TH]
- The United States banned the trade of strategic materials with Japan. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Nine British Royal Navy Swordfish aircraft of 813 Squadron from HMS Eagle flew 100 miles west from Sidi Barrani, Egypt to attack the Italian naval base at Tobruk, Libya. Destroyer Zeffiro was sunk, destroyer Euro's bow was blown off, troop transport Liguria was damaged and was beached to prevent sinking, merchant vessel Manzoni was sunk, and merchant vessel Serenitas was damaged. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
- German submarine U-34 sank British destroyer Whirlwind off Land's End, southwestern tip of England, United Kingdom. 50 miles southwest of Ireland, U-34 torpedoed British destroyer HMS Whirlwind, killing 59; 51 survivors were rescued by destroyer HMS Westcott before Wescott scuttled Whirlwind. Also off Ireland, U-99 damaged Canadian steamer Magog, breaking her into two; the stern section sank immediately, but the remainder of the ship remained afloat largely due to the timber she was carrying; 23 survivors were rescued by Swedish merchant ship Fidra. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German auxiliary minesweepers M1803 (trawler Spitzbergen), M1806 (trawler Cuxhaven), and M1807 (trawler Mulsum) attacked and damaged British submarine HMS Shark in Boknafjord near Stavanger, Norway at 2200 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Vichy France broke off diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US President Roosevelt used the power given by the Export Control Act, which was was just passed into law three days prior, to restrict the export of strategic minerals, strategic chemicals, aircraft engines, aircraft engine parts, and other equipment to Japan without special license. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- USS Wichita and USS Quincy arrived in Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler presented the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross to Generalluftzeumeister Ernst Udet, the Director General of Luftwaffe Equipment. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Ernst Udet | AC]
- Adolf Hitler departed from his headquarters at Tannenberg in southern Germany, returning to Berlin. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Berlin | CPC]
Italy
Panama Canal Zone
- USS Phoenix departed Balboa, Panama Canal Zone for Valparaiso, Chile. ww2dbase [Phoenix | Balboa | CPC]
Portugal
- USS Omaha relieved USS Trenton as Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton's flagship for Squadron 40-T at Lisbon, Portugal. ww2dbase [Lisbon | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Operation Fish: British battleship HMS Revenge, cruiser HMS Bonaventure, destroyer HMS Garth, and troop transports Monarch of Bermuda, Sobieski, and Batory departed Greenock, Scotland at 0545 hours. The cargo of US$1,750,000,000 worth of gold and securities from the Bank of England was destined for the Bank of Canada's vault in Ottawa. They would arrive at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada safely on 12 Jul. ww2dbase [Greenock, Scotland | CPC]
- In Britain, the south coast of England for twenty miles inland from Bexhill was declared to be a "Defence Area". ww2dbase [England | AC]
United States
- Admiral James O. Richardson arrived in Washington DC, United States to meet with US President Franklin Roosevelt, officials from the Department of the Navy, and the State Department regarding the retention of the US Fleet in Hawaiian waters. ww2dbase [Washington | CPC]
6 Jul 1940
- The first German U-boat base in France was opened at Lorient. ww2dbase [TH]
- German aircraft and minesweepers sank four British submarines (Narwhal, Spearfish, Shark, and Thames). ww2dbase [TH]
- Operation Lever: British Royal Navy Force H under Vice Admiral James Somerville returned to Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria. At dawn, Swordfish aircraft from carrier HMS Ark Royal scored several torpedo hits on French battleship Dunkerque, killing 154 and wounding 8. One torpedo hit patrol boat Terre Neuve, detonating depth charges, killing 8; shock waves from the explosion further damaged Dunkerque. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- British cruisers HMS Capetown and HMS Caledon and destroyers HMS Janus, HMS Juno, HMS Ilex, and HMS Imperial shelled Bardia, Libya near the Egyptian border at 0537 hours, sinking Italian ship Axum and damaged another merchant ship. Italian bombers arrived at 0820 hours, but caused no damage against the British warships. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Shark, damaged by attacks from German auxiliary minesweepers M1803 (trawler Spitzbergen), M1806 (trawler Cuxhaven), and M1807 (trawler Mulsum) in Boknafjord near Stavanger, Norway on the previous day, became captured by the Germans. She was in the process of being towed by the German ships when she suddenly sank, killing 3. The remaining 32 crew members were rescued and became prisoners of war. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German radio stations played the song "Denn wir fahren gegen Engeland" for the first time. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-34 sank Estonian collier Vapper south of Cape Clear, Ireland; 1 was killed and 32 took to lifeboats; German submarine U-99, which had chased Vapper for the past 90 minutes, observed the sinking. To the south, U-30 sank Egyptian ship Angele Mabro west of Brest, France, killing all aboard. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Stephen Beattie was made the commanding officer of destroyer HMS Vivien. ww2dbase [Stephen Beattie | CPC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 6 Jul 1940
7 Jul 1940
- Italy granted France permission to keep her Mediterranean bases armed. ww2dbase [TH]
- Kanalkampf: Six British fighters were shot down during aerial battles with German aircraft, killing four. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank British ship Sea Glory at the very start of the day, killing the entire crew of 29. Toward the end of the day, U-99 struck again, sinking Swedish ship Bissen 80 miles south of Cape Clear, Ireland; the entire crew of 20 survived. Also on this date, U-34 sank Dutch tanker Lucrecia 100 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England, United Kingdom, killing 2; 30 survivors were later rescued by Portuguese ship Alfarrarede. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
China
- USS Stewart arrived in Chinese waters. ww2dbase [Stewart | CPC]
Egypt
- René-Émile Godfroy agreed to keep the French Navy Force X at Alexandra, Egypt, which included the battleship Lorraine and four cruisers, according to British demands. Godfroy secured Andrew Cunningham's pledge that the ships would remain under Godfroy's command and that the sailors would be repatriated. ww2dbase [René-Émile Godfroy | Alexandria | CPC]
French West Africa
- Operation Catapult: British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Hermes attacked the French battleship Richelieu in dock at Dakar, French West Africa. A torpedo hit caused a 40-foot hole, bringing her to the bottom of the harbor (the harbor was shallow enough for her to be refloated shortly after). ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | Dakar | CPC]
- After dark, a boat from HMS Hermes attempted to drop depth charges underneath French battleship Richelieu in Dakar, French West Africa; the attack was not successful. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | Hermes | Dakar | CPC]
Guernsey
- British submarine HMS H43 landed Lieutenant Hubert Nicolle on the Channel Island of Guernsey during the night to collect intelligence for the planned commando raid code named Operation Ambassador. ww2dbase [Guernsey | CPC]
United States
8 Jul 1940
- Expanding on their previous agreement, Sweden allowed Germany to transport war materiel across their rail lines. ww2dbase [TH]
- British Metropolitan Police was ordered to be armed when guarding important locations. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank British ship Humber Arm of Allied convoy HX-53 60 miles south of Ireland at 0753 hours; 42 crew members and 1 passenger were later rescued by destroyer HMS Scimitar. The submarine was attacked with 107 depth charges from various escorting vessels for the following 14 hours, but the German boat under the command of Otto Kretschmer would be able to escape harm. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- The British RAF Fighter Command established the 10 Group for the defense of southwestern Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS Wichita and USS Quincy departed Santos, Brazil for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- USS Phoenix departed Valparaiso, Chile for Callao, Peru. ww2dbase [Phoenix | CPC]
- The US Joint War Planning Committee completed a plan calling for an expeditionary force to be dispatched from New York, New York, United States to the French colony of Martinique; the US 1st Marine Brigade was earmarked for the initial landing force. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
- The French government announced that the French people would have to accept food rationing in the near future. ww2dbase [CPC]
French Morocco
French West Africa
- British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Hermes hit French battleship Richelieu at Dakar, French West Africa for the second consecutive day, despite that Richelieu had already touched bottom from the attacks on the previous day. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | Richelieu | Dakar | CPC]
Germany
- British bombers attacked German heavy cruiser Lützow in dock at Kiel, Germany. Lützow, under repair for extensive torpedo damage to her stern caused by HMS Spearfish on 11 Apr 1940, was hit by a bomb that failed to detonate. ww2dbase [Deutsche Werke Kiel | Deutschland | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- Italian submarine Marconi torpedoed and damaged destroyer HMS Escort southwest of Minorca, Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 2 and wounding 13; HMS Escort would sink about 160 kilometers or 100 miles east of Gibraltar while under tow by destroyer HMS Forester. ww2dbase [Guglielmo Marconi | CPC]
- Italian aircraft bombed cruiser HMS Gloucester, hitting the compass platform of the bridge, wounding 9 and killing 12; the commanding officer was among those killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
9 Jul 1940
- RAF considered this date the official start of their night bombing campaign against Germany. ww2dbase [TH]
- British submarine HMS Salmon was lost 60 miles off of Stavanger, Norway; the entire crew of 39 was never heard from again. She was presumed to have hit a naval mine. ww2dbase [TH]
- The German raider Komet left Bergen, Norway for operations in the Pacific Ocean via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic Ocean assisted by Russian icebreakers. ww2dbase [Komet | TH]
- British government implemented rationing on tea: each person was allowed 2 ounces of tea per week. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British House of Commons passed a £1,000,000,000 war credit. ww2dbase [CPC]
- During the night, 11 British Hampden aircraft (out of 14 dispatched) attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
- German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked shipping in the English Channel and off the British coast. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- USS O'Brien arrived at Pará, Brazil. ww2dbase [O'Brien | CPC]
- German Nachtjagdgeshchwader 1 wing scored its first kill. ww2dbase [AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-34 sank Estonian ship Tiiu southwest of Ireland at 1232 hours; the crew of 20 were rescued by a British trawler. In the same general area, at 2119 hours, German submarine U-43 sank British ship Aylesbury; the crew of 35 were rescued by destroyers HMS Harvester and HMS Havelock. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- At 1515 hours, 50 miles south of Italy, heavily escorted Italian convoy for Benghazi, Libya ran into an equally powerful British convoy for Malta. British battleship HMS Warspite hit Italian battleship Giulio Cesare at the range of 24 kilometers, making it one of the longest naval gun hits of the war. Although Italian ships withdrew first, Italian aircraft forced the British ships back by 1700 hours. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | Warspite | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Douglas Bader's No. 242 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Coltishall at Norwich, England, United Kingdom, was declared fully operational. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | Norwich, England | CPC]
- HMS Dianthus was launched at Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Dianthus | Leith, Scotland | CPC]
- King George VI made a royal visit to RAF Digby during which he presented a Distinguished Flying Cross to Flying Officer Guy Gibson, the future leader of the Dambusters Squadron. ww2dbase [George VI | Scopwick, England | AC]
- Flying Officer Guy Gibson, who would later win the Victoria Cross for leading the daring attack on the Ruhr dams in Germany in May 1943, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) after completing 34 operations in five months with No. 3 Squadron RAF. ww2dbase [AC]
United States
- US Coast Guard cutter Campbell arrived at Boston, Massachusetts, United States with US Consul to Greenland James K. Penfield, Governor of North Greenland E. Brun, and a group of Danish officials on board. They came to Boston to discuss commerce and trade of Greenland as an independent entity due to the German occupation of Denmark. ww2dbase [Boston, Massachusetts | CPC]
US Pacific Islands
- US Marine Corps Captain Kenneth W. Benner was ordered to continue the survey of Midway Atoll with another officer, 8 enlisted Marines, and 2 US Navy corpsmen. He was to relieve Captain Samuel G. Taxis who had been been there since early Jun 1940 on the same mission. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Midway | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 9 Jul 1940
10 Jul 1940
- The Japanese deployed the new A6M Zero fighters against Chinese forces. ww2dbase [A6M Zero | CPC]
- The British government banned the fascist British Union Party. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British authorities put 200 Italian prisoners of war, 251 German prisoners of war, 55 British Nazi sympathizers, and 2,036 civilians from Germany (mostly Jewish refugees), collectively categorized as "enemy aliens", on the British troop ship Dunera whose intended passenger capacity was only 1,600. Over the next 57 days, while en route to Australia, these people would be robbed, beaten, and in one case bayoneted by the British guards while many of them suffered from dysentery. Several of the guards were later court-martialed, including Lieutenant Colonel William Scott. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Scirè sank French ship Cheik 54 miles northwest of Sicily, Italy. Cheik's crew was rescued by Scirè. ww2dbase [Scirè | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Widder sank British ship Davisan 500 miles of the coast of Florida, United States. The entire crew of Widder was taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- German submarine U-34 sank Finnish ship Petsamo close to the southern coast of Ireland, killing 4. On the same day, U-61 torpedoed Dutch ship Alwaki 10 miles off Cape Wrath, Scotland, United Kingdom; the torpedo failed to detonate, but it knocked a hole in the hull, and the ship listed to port; all 41 crew and 10 passengers aboard were rescued by British ship Harmonic. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Henry Stimson became the United States Secretary of War. ww2dbase [Henry Stimson | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Kanalkampf: A large German aerial formation attacked one of the eight British convoys in the English Channel; the target convoy was code named Bread, escorted by 6 Hurricane fighters. Upon detecting the incoming aircraft, four squadrons of British fighters were launched to counter the attack. At the end of the battle, seven British aircraft were destroyed and one of the Bread ships was sunk. The Germans lost 13 aircraft. This surprising victory led to the British announcing that 10 Jul was the start of the Battle of Britain. Elsewhere, the German Luftwaffe's first major targets on land included the Swansea docks and the Royal Ordnance Factory in Pembrey. The British tanker Tascalusa was sunk during one of the attacks. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | English Channel | CPC]
- HMS Hermes collided with armed merchant cruiser HMS Corfu in the Atlantic Ocean in poor weather, injuring two and killing one aboard HMS Hermes. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]
Guernsey
- British Lieutenant Hubert Nicolle, who had been conducting reconnaissance in the Channel Island of Guernsey, returned to Britain. he reported that there were 469 German soldiers on the island, mainly in St. Peter Port, with machine gun posts 2 to 5 miles away along the coast. He estimated that a commando raid would have 20 minutes to wipe out the machine gun posts before reinforcements from St. Peter Port would arrive. ww2dbase [Guernsey | CPC]
Italy
- Nine British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Eagle attacked Augusta, Sicily, Italy at 0940 hours, sinking destroyer Leone Pancaldo. ww2dbase [Eagle | Augusta, Sicilia | CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca was commissioned into service with Capitano di Corvetta Enrico Bertarelli in command. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina conducted exercises out of La Spezia, Italy between 0827 hours and 1140 hours. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
- Alpino Bagnolini conducted exercises out of Taranto, Italy between 1115 and 1610 hours. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | Taranto, Apulia | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 10 Jul 1940
11 Jul 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-34 sank Norwegian ship Janna 100 miles southwest of Ireland at 0700 hours. The entire crew of 25 took to lifeboats and would reach Mizen Head, Ireland 3 days later. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Brazil
France
- Marshal Philippe Pétain declared himself head of state of the French Republic. On radio later on the same day, he spoke of the expected roles of the young people, the parents, and the government. "Let us give ourselves to France. She has always led her people to greatness." Privately, the younger generation responded poorly to Pétain's new vision, critiquing it as discriminatory toward young women, enslaving them as homemakers. ww2dbase [Philippe Pétain | TH]
- Pierre Laval became the 120th Prime Minister of France with the title of the Vice President of the Council. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | CPC]
Germany
- A meeting between Admiral Erich Raeder and Adolf Hitler took place at the Obersalzberg, Berchtesgaden, Germany where matters of how things were in Norway and Hitler's plans for that area were made clear. How to continue the war against Britain was discussed and again Hitler made it clear of his aims and that no invasion was to take place until all efforts had been made to bring the British government to sue for peace. However, within the next few days Hitler would change his mind. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Erich Raeder | Berchtesgaden, München-Oberbayern | CPC, HM]
- Joachim von Ribbentrop requested Spain to assist in the detaining of the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | CPC]
Indian Ocean
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sank British ship City Of Baghdad 400 miles southeast of Ceylon. 2 men were killed and 81 were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Naples, Italy at 0931 hours for exercises, returning at 1635 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina conducted exercises out of La Spezia, Italy between 0800 hours and 1651 hours. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
- Alpino Bagnolini conducted exercises out of Taranto, Italy between 1125 and 1535 hours. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | Taranto, Apulia | CPC]
- Comandante Faà di Bruno departed La Spezia, Italy at 2200 hours, starting her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 2350 hours, starting her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Capitano Tarantini attacked Panamanian tanker Beme in the Mediterranean Sea about 60 miles south of Cyprus at 2300 hours as the tanker was in ballast on a voyage from Haifa, Palestine to Istanbul, Turkey. The first torpedo fired missed, but the tanker was then disabled by gunfire. After removing the tanker's crew, the ship was sunk by a second torpedo. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British Minister for Aircraft Production Lord Beaverbrook announced that there would be virtually no limit to expenditures on US aircraft, with costs working out to over £2 million per day on planes for the RAF. ww2dbase [Beaverbrook | TH]
- German aircraft attacked the British Royal Navy Base at Portland in southern England, United Kingdom; 1 British Hurricane fighter, 2 British Spitfire fighters, 2 German Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, and 2 German Bf 109 fighters were shot down. Off the eastern coast of England Hurricane fighters of No. 66 Squadron RAF attacked a Do 17 bombers on a reconnaissance mission, shooting it down but they also one of their own. Off the coast of Kent in southern England, a German rescue seaplane escorted by 12 Bf 109 fighters was shot down by the British while en route to rescue downed German airmen; 2 of the 6 Spitfire fighters and 2 of the 12 Bf 109 fighters were also lost. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Bernard Montgomery was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. ww2dbase [Bernard Montgomery | CPC]
- Douglas Bader shot down a German Do 17 aircraft off the coast of Norfolk, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | England | CPC]
- Richard Saul was Mentioned in Despatches. ww2dbase [Richard Saul | CPC]
- Richard O'Connor was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. ww2dbase [Richard O'Connor | CPC]
- 1,120-ton converted steam luxury yacht HMS Warrior II was on her way back to Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom when she was seen by a flight of over 50 German bombers. The aircraft attacked in two waves, dropping bombs all around the zigzagging ship. Armed only with a single Lewis machine gun she fought back but was hit by a bomb dropped in the second wave. The bomb went through the decks and Warrior II started to sink. All the crew got away from the ship save for the Chief Steward who had been in the wardroom when the bomb passed through the ship. Warrior II had been built by Fredrick Vanderbilt in 1904 and was then the most luxurious yacht in the world. After almost being wrecked she was sold, she served as HMS Warrior during WW1 and then was used as a hospital ship in the Spanish Civil War, then sold off and then taken over by the British Admiralty. Fitted out with depth charges and a Lewis machine gun she was given the task of escorting British submarines between ports of Portsmouth and Plymouth. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | England | HM]
United States
- US Army approached 135 American automotive manufacturers to submit designs to replace its existing, aging light motor vehicles. They were told that they must submit their first prototypes within 49 days and have 70 test vehicles prepared in 75 days. ww2dbase [Jeep | DS]
- Frank Knox took office as the US Secretary of the Navy. ww2dbase [Frank Knox | CPC]
US Pacific Islands
- Captain Laurence Wild relieved Captain Edward W. Hanson as Governor of American Samoa and Commandant of Naval Station, Tutuila, Samoa. ww2dbase [Samoa | CPC]
12 Jul 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-56 attacked British transport ship Dunera with a torpedo in the North Channel between England, United Kingdom and Ireland; the torpedo glanced off the ship without exploding; the commanding officer of U-56 did not realize that Dunera was carrying, among others, Italian and German prisoners of war bound for Australia. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-56 | North Channel | CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank Greek ship Ia in the Atlantic Ocean 160 miles southwest of Ireland at 0200 hours; 3 were killed and 27 were later rescued. At 2300 hours, U-99 struck again and fired a torpedo at Estonian ship Merisaar, but missed; with shots from the deck gun, she stopped the Estonian ship and forced her to sail into the German-occupied French port of Bordeaux (before reaching Bordeaux, however, a German aircraft would sink her on 15 Jul). ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-99 | CPC]
Brazil
- USS O'Brien departed Pará, Brazil for La Guaira, Venezuela. ww2dbase [O'Brien | Pará | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Pará, Brazil with Marines for cruisers USS Wichita and USS Quincy. ww2dbase [Pará | CPC]
Canada
- Operation Fish: British ships arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with US$1,750,000,000 worth of gold and securities from the Bank of England was destined for the Bank of Canada's vault in Ottawa. ww2dbase [Halifax, Nova Scotia | CPC]
Chile
- USS Phoenix arrived at Valparaiso, Chile on a mission "to cultivate friendly relations". ww2dbase [Phoenix | Valparaiso | CPC]
China
- Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong ordered his troops to move against Nationalist positions in Jiangsu Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Huangqiao | CPC]
France
- Jean de Lattre de Tassigny was made a Grand Officier of the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur. ww2dbase [Jean de Lattre de Tassigny | CPC]
- The Office of the General Secretary of the Youth was established in France with Georges Lamirand as the leader. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- In the Mediterranean Sea, Italian bombers attacked British battleship HMS Warspite and cruiser HMS Liverpool between 0850 and 1150 hours. HMS Liverpool was hit by a dud, but it still killed 1 and wounded 2. One Italian bomber was shot down by a Sea Gladiator carrier biplane fighter from HMS Eagle. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | Warspite | CPC]
Poland
Portugal
- US passenger liner Manhattan departed Lisbon, Portugal with about 800 American citizens and their families fleeing the European War. ww2dbase [Lisbon | CPC]
Turkey
- The Turkish Prime Minister stated that Turkey intended to remain faithful to her friendships, but that any threat to her independence would be met by resort to arms. ww2dbase [AC]
United Kingdom
- German He 111 and Do 17 bombers attacked Allied convoy code named Booty off of Essex and Suffolk, England, United Kingdom; 2 British Spitfire fighters and 1 British Hurricane fighter were lost in the battle, but they prevented sinkings. In southern England, German Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers attacked Portland and Exeter, losing two aircraft. At Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom, a He 111 bomber on a reconnaissance mission was intercepted and shot down, but was able to release one bomb on the city before crashing into the city's ice rink. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 12 Jul 1940
13 Jul 1940
- Kanalkampf: German bombers attacked Allied Convoy CS5 near Dover, England; escorting destroyer HMS Vanessa was damaged by near misses and had to be towed to port by destroyer HMS Griffin. Convoy Bread was attacked once again, this time off the Dorset coast; 6 German bombers were shot down while several British fighters were also lost, killing 3 pilots. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- German raider Atlantis sank British steamer Kemmendine 500 miles southeast of Ceylon; 57 crew and 25 passengers were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- German raider Widder sank British ship King John 200 miles northeast of Antigua; 5 crew and 21 survivors of Panamanian ship Santa Margarita (sank on 2 Jul) were taken prisoner. The total prisoner count aboard Widder was now 100, exceeding her capacity, thus some were put to lifeboats so that they could paddle toward islands in the Carribean Sea on their own. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- USS Wichita and USS Quincy (CA-39) arrived at Santos, Brazil. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Pará, Brazil for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British Army's new parachute force began training at Ringway Airport, Manchester, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [AC]
- Adolf Hitler met with top German military leaders at Obersalzberg, München-Oberbayern, Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov leaked diplomatic communications between Britain and the Soviet Union, which should had been held confidentially between the two countries per general rules of international diplomacy, to Germany. ww2dbase [Vyacheslav Molotov | CPC]
- While under heavy attack by Axis aircraft, Sea Gladiator aircraft launched from HMS Eagle shot down three Italian bombers in the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
France
- Tennis star Jean Borotra was named the head of the Commissariat général de l’éducation générale et aux sports (CGEGS), which was to be officially created in the following month to design sport curriculums for school children in Vichy France. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
Japan
- Kichisaburo Nomura was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. ww2dbase [Kichisaburo Nomura | CPC]
United States
- Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States; among the passengers disembarked were 40 Jewish refugees from Russia, Austria, Germany, Norway, and Britain. ww2dbase [Tatsuta Maru | San Francisco, California | CPC]
14 Jul 1940
- Battleship Bismarck departed the drydock after completing the propeller and MES magnetic system installation. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- German aircraft attacked the Allied convoys in the English Channel, sinking or damaging only 5 ships despite the large number of aircraft sent. German bombers also attacked RAF airfield at Manston in Kent in southern England, United Kingdom and a destroyer in Swanage Harbor, Dorset, causing little damage. BBC reporter Charles Gardner provided the first eyewitness radio report of the Battle of Britain as he watched German aircraft attacking a convoy in the English Channel. Meanwhile, the British Royal Air Force leadership directed its pilots to ignore German aircraft with Red Cross markings, as such aircraft were suspected of conducting military reconnaissance missions in the English Channel. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Vichy French bombers attacked Gibraltar, causing no damage. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- British RAF Bomber Command launched raids against two Luftwaffe bases in Germany, with 9 Whitley bombers of No. 102 Squadron hitting Paderborn and 12 Whitley bombers of No. 10 Squadron and No. 51 Squadron hitting Diepholz. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German armed merchant cruiser Thor sank British ship Gracefield 500 miles off the coast of Brazil. The crew of 36 was taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Thor | CPC]
- The 5,832-ton Norwegian steam tanker Sarita was in ballast and bound for Trinidad when she was hit at 1145 hours on her port side by a single torpedo fired from German submarine UA (Kapitänleutnant Hans Cohausz). The impact at the #7 tank caused enough damage for the master Carsten Grøm to order the abandonment of the vessel. The crew took to a lifeboat and two rafts. After an hour the submarine surfaced and opened fire, after 34 rounds, 11 of which were hits. Sarita listed to port but did not seem to be sinking; the empty starboard tankers were keeping the ship afloat. UA moved in closer and started to fire at the hull with the 2cm anti-aircraft gun. Sarita went under at 1138 hours after which the Germans pulled alongside and took the master onboard with the ship's papers and took care of two injured crew. Cohausz also offered to send a telegram to the ship's agents in St. Vincent to request assistance. Having returned to survivors in the water after speaking to the Germans, the master split the survivors between the lifeboat and rafts. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | UA | HM]
- German submarine U-52 sank Greek ship Thetis A. off Brest, France at 1818 hours. 9 were killed and 20 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Guernsey
- The British commando raid on Guernsey was met with little result. ww2dbase [Guernsey | TH]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Free French leader Charles de Gaulle celebrated Bastille Day at the Cenotaph in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | London, England | CPC]
- British armed merchant cruiser HMS Esperance Bay departed Plymouth, England, United Kingdom at 1250 hours with £10,000,000 in gold. She was intercepted and bombed by German aircraft 100 miles west of the port, killing 7, but she was able to return to Plymouth without losing her cargo. ww2dbase [Plymouth, England | CPC]
15 Jul 1940
- Italians captured British territories in Kenya. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Unemployment figure in Britain increased by 60,431 to 827,266 in Jun 1940 when compared to the previous month, but it was still drastically lower than the level one year prior. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British Home Office banned fireworks, flying kites, and flying balloons. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Richelieu was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Richelieu | CPC]
- The rector of Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom was sentenced to four weeks in prison for ringing his church bell, which violated the 14 Jun 1940 restriction. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Corvette HMS Godetia was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of British corvette Mignonette was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of British destroyer HMS Panther was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Germany demanded unrestricted access through French North Africa. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-108 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Soviet Union announced that recently held plebiscites in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia revealed that the three Baltic States show near-unanimous support for joining the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
- Captain Shutoku Miyazato was relieved as the commanding officer of repair ship Akashi. ww2dbase [Akashi | CPC]
- The YO-49 Vigilant prototype aircraft took its first flight with pilot Al Schramm. ww2dbase [L-1 Vigilant | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-34 sank neutral Greek ship Evdoxia with a G7a torpedo amidships 40 miles southwest of Ireland at 0321 hours; 1 was killed and 22 survived. The torpedo used was the last torpedo aboard U-34. The survivors were later landed at Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-34 | CPC, HM]
- German aircraft bombed and sank Estonian ship Merisaar off Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. The bombers failed to realize that the ship had been captured by the German Navy back on 12 Jul. The German crew survived the sinking, but would be rescued by the British and would become prisoners of war. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The 1,237-ton Irish passenger transport SS City of Limerick was bombed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay at 0800 hours despite her neutral markings following the German demand that Ireland cease food deliveries to Britain. Two crew lost their lives. The survivors took to their lifeboats and were picked up by a Belgian trawler at 1200 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | HM]
- 835-ton Portuguese cargo steamer Alpha (built in 1907 by Sir Raylton Dixon's Shipyard, Midddlesbrough, England, United Kingdom as the SS Ibo for Empreza Nacional de Navegacao a Vapor, Lisbon, Portugal; now owned by Luso-Marroquina) was bombed and sunk in an air raid south of the Isles of Scilly, southwest England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | HM]
- On a voyage from Barcelona, Spain to Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom with a cargo of potash, the 1,255-ton Panamanian steamship Frossoula was bombed by a German aircraft and sank 240 miles north-northwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain. 33 of her crew were lost. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | HM]
Germany
- The German Supreme Command informed the Naval Staff that Adolf Hitler required the invasion operation for Britain to be so prepared that it could be launched at any time from 15 Aug 1940. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | HM]
Guernsey
- Operation Ambassador: Destroyers HMS Scimitar and HMS Saladin delivered 140 British commandos to the Channel Island of Guernsey. 40 men from the No. 3 Commando reached the shore on launches, but found their target barracks actually not used by Germans; 37 men returned to the destroyers, leaving 3 who could not swim behind to later become prisoners of war. Elsewhere, some of the launches landed at the Channel Island of Sark by mistake. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
Norway
- The Norwegian salvage vessel Draugen was en route from Alesund, Norway to Sagvag, Sunnhordland, Denmark when she entered a German minefield, struck a mine and sank. Out of the ten crew on board, six died when she sank halfway between Steinsneset and Danmarkneset. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | HM]
Poland
Portugal
- USS Trenton departed Lisbon, Portugal with members of the royal family of the Duchy of Luxembourg aboard. ww2dbase [Lisbon | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Low cloud and rain kept most aircraft grounded, but small formations of German bombers still ventured into British air space. The attack along the Scottish coast was unfruitful, and the raid on the Westland Aircraft factory at Yeovil, Somerset, England, United Kingdom damaged one runway and one hangar. German bombers were also sent to attack the convoy code named Pilot, but British fighters drove off the bombers before they reached the convoy. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- The United States Marine Corps established the Marine Detachment, London in Britain, consisted of the 12th Marine Company. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
- 1,199-ton British cargo steamer Bellerock (built in 1909) was mined and sunk in the middle of the Bristol Channel in southwestern Britain, between Foreland Point and Porthcawl, with the loss of 17 lives. ww2dbase [Bristol Channel | HM]
- Hampden bombers from RAF Hemswell in England, United Kingdom were sent, in one of the most daring attacks of the war, to raid Wilhelmshaven, Germany in an attempt to cripple the Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer. Six aircraft were detailed to attack Tirpitz and two to attack Admiral Scheer. Other aircraft were detailed to carry out diversionary raids. The raid was not a success. Four bombers were shot down and most of the survivors damaged (one was found to have 150 holes on its return). No damage was incurred by the German warships. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | Hemswell Cliff, England | AC]
- Resulting from a debate in the British Parliament on 10 July 1940 in which some members had argued that internment of foreign aliens was wasteful of human resources and was bringing Britain's reputation into disrepute, it was announced that internment of enemy aliens would stop immediately except for a few special cases. Over the rest of the year and into the next large number of internees would be released with just a small number, who were still considered to be a danger to national security, remaining caged for the remainder of the war. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
- 2,124-ton Polish merchant steamer Zbaraz and 2,855-ton British merchant steamer Heworth were sunk by German bombers 10 miles south of Aldeburgh Light off the coast of Norfolk, England, United Kingdom. Attempts to get Heworth under tow failed and she floundered and sank; four of her crew perished in the attack. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | England | HM]
United States
- The US 2nd Armored Division was formed at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States under the command of Major General Charles L. Scott with Colonel George S. Patton Jr., a brigade commander in the division, in charge of training. ww2dbase [George Patton | Columbus, Georgia | AC]
Photo(s) dated 15 Jul 1940
16 Jul 1940
- Vichy France revoked the French citizenship of naturalized Jews. Meanwhile, in German-occupied Alsace-Lorraine, 22,000 French citizens were forcibly deported to France. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Phoenix attacked Italian torpedo boat Albatros southeast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, with all torpedoes missing their target. Albatros responded with torpedoes of her own, sinking HMS Phoenix and killing the entire crew of 55. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Thor sank British ship Wendover in the South Atlantic, killing 4 and capturing 36 civilian crew and 1 Royal Navy gunner. ww2dbase [Thor | CPC]
- German submarine U-61 torpedoed British tanker Scottish Minstrel 130 miles northwest of Ireland, killing 9; 32 were later rescued by corvette HMS Gardenia. With her cargo of 9,200 tons of fuel oil burning, the tanker would remain afloat for another day before sinking. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Vichy France de-naturalized its Jewish citizens. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyer Whaddon was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of British destroyer Dulverton was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British and Australian warships bombarded Bardia, Libya. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian bombers attacked the British base at Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Hugh Dalton was appointed the political chief of the British Special Operations Executive. ww2dbase [Special Operations Executive | CPC]
- The keel of British submarine Saracen was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Spanish agents met with the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, and warned him that his fellow countrymen were sending him to be the governor of the Bahamas to remove him from power. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Carsten Grøm, master of Norwegian steam tanker Sarita which was sunken by German submarine UA two days prior, still adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, ordered all survivors to disembark rafts and to board the lifeboat, which kept course for Barbados. ww2dbase [UA | HM]
- The 8,194-ton ocean liner SS Lady Somers, serving as an auxiliary cruiser under Commander George L. Dunbar, with 175 crew and passengers, was torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine Morosini, Commander C. C. Athos Fraternale, in the North Atlantic. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | HM]
China
- 54 Japanese aircraft based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China attacked Chongqing, China in two waves; 31 Chinese fighters (I-15bis, I-16, and Hawk III models) rose to intercept, claiming damage on several bombers. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Chongqing | CPC]
- Liu Zhesheng shot down two Japanese aircraft. ww2dbase [Liu Zhesheng | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler issued Führer Directive 16 for the preparation of an invasion plan for southern Britain in mid-Aug. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Italy
Libya
- The British submarine HMS Taku sank the Italian auxiliary minesweeper-schooner Vincenzo P. with gunfire in the Gulf of Sidra. ww2dbase [Sidr | HM]
Mediterranean Sea
- British submarine P33 attacked an Italian convoy south of Punta Sciaccazza, Pantelleria, Italy and sank the 5,293-ton Italian passenger-motor vessel Barbarigo. ww2dbase [HM]
United Kingdom
- British destroyer HMS Imogen collided with cruiser HMS Glasgow in heavy fog off Pentland Firth and Duncansby Head, in northern Scotland, United Kingdom. She caught fire and was later abandoned, drifting 20 miles before sinking; 17 were killed and 133 were rescued. HMS Glasgow saw 2 killed and suffered a 6-foot hole above the waterline; she would be under repair at Liverpool, England, United Kingdom until 4 Sep. ww2dbase [Glasgow | Pentland Firth, Scotland | TH]
- Low cloud, fog, and heavy rain kept German aircraft grounded until the early afternoon. In the mid-afternoon, German bombers crossed the English Channel. One German Ju 88 bomber was shot down over the Isle of Wight by Spitfire fighters of No. 601 Squadron, and one German He 111 bomber was shot down in northeastern Scotland, United Kingdom during the bombing of Fraserburgh and Peterhead by Spitfire fighters of No. 603 Squadron. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- The 268-ton British merchant cargo ship Farfield (built in 1921 by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd. and owned at the time of her loss by Coppack Brothers & Co.) was sunk by German aircraft seven miles off South Stack Light off the north-west coast of Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales, United Kingdom whilst enroute to Gloucester from Penmenmawr. Eight people lost their lives. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | South Stack, Wales | HM]
Photo(s) dated 16 Jul 1940
17 Jul 1940
- The keel of British destroyer Beaufort was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The German Luftwaffe placed Colonel Josef Kammhuber in charge of organizing nightfighter units to counter British bombings. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyer USS Plunkett was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The German OKW assigned forces for the invasion of Britain, planning to put 90,000 men on British shores on the first attack wave. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Lieutenant Colonel Dunford-Slater, Second Lieutenant Peter Young and Regimental Sergeant Major Harry Beesley landed on the German-occupied island of Guernsey in the first Commando raid of the war. ww2dbase [AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- 135 miles northwest of Bloody Foreland, Ireland at 1040 hours, U-43 sank British ship Fellside (12 were killed and 21 were rescued). ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-43 | CPC]
- German submarine U-34 sank 3,531-ton Greek cargo ship Naftilos (built in 1904 and owned by D. J. Goulandris; en route from San Nicolas for Dublin, Ireland with 5,801 tons of grain) with gunfire south of Ireland at 0110 hours. All 28 abandoned the ship, but 1 of them would later die of wounds suffered during this attack. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-34 | HM]
- U-57 sank Swedish ship O. A. Brodin (at 0455 hours; 3 were killed and 21 were rescued) and British ship Manipur (at 2222 hours; 14 were killed and 65 were rescued) in the Atlantic Ocean north of Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-57 | CPC]
- 120 miles south of Ireland, German bombers sank Estonian ship Leola, killing 2. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Burma
- The United Kingdom announced that the Burma Road would be closed as it diverted resources to deal with the war at home. ww2dbase [Burma Road and the Hump | CPC]
France
Mediterranean Sea
- Italian bombers sank Finnish ship Wiiri 30 miles off of Malta; the entire crew of 26 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
Netherlands
- British submarine H31 sank German anti-submarine trawler Steiermark 5 miles off the Netherlands; other anti-submarine trawlers attacked with depth charges in response, but failed to destroy H31. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German bombers attacked Bristol in western England and Scottish industrial towns on the east coast of Britain. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Admiral of the Fleet Roger Keyes became the first Director of Headquarters, Combined Operations, a War Office department tasked with organising raids against enemy occupied Europe. ww2dbase [AC]
- British mooring vessel HMS Steady struck a mine and sank off Newhaven in southern England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Newhaven, England | CPC]
United States
- Admiral James O. Richardson concluded the conferences in Washington DC, United States regarding the rentention of the US Fleet in Hawaiian waters. ww2dbase [Washington | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 17 Jul 1940
18 Jul 1940
- HMS Cumberland departed Simonstown, near Cape Town, South Africa in search for the German armed merchant cruiser Thor, suspected to be off the Brazilian coast. ww2dbase [Cumberland | CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank British ship Woodbury 150 miles southwest of Ireland; the entire crew of 35 survived and took to lifeboats. German submarine U-58 sank Norwegian ship Gyda 30 miles northwest of Ireland at 1641 hours; 11 were killed and 9 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Adolf Galland was promoted to Major. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | AC]
- British bombers attacked the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
- British destroyer Cotswold was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeper Polruan was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German began broadcasting propaganda through Radio Caledonia, aiming at urging Scottish separatism. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-95 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British steam merchant Dunstan spotted the lifeboat containing survivors of Norwegian steam tanker Sarita, which was sunken by German submarine UA four days prior, in the Atlantic Ocean. The survivors were picked up and would be taken to Pernambuco, Brazil. ww2dbase [UA | HM]
Austria
Canada
- Canadian corvette Wetaskiwin was launched in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ww2dbase [North Vancouver, British Columbia | CPC]
- The Canadian Navy placed an order for 12 motor torpedo boat with Canadian Power Boat Company, Limited in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; this order would later result in MTB 332 through 343. ww2dbase [Montreal, Quebec | CPC]
France
Gibraltar
- French aircraft bombed Gibraltar in retaliation for recent British attacks on French warships, but most of the bombs fell into the sea. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- 15 Spitfire fighters of No. 152 and No. 610 Squadron engaged 30 Bf 109 fighters off Beachey Head on the southern coast of England, United Kingdom, resulting in 1 British fighter lost. Elsewhere, German bombers attacked Montrose Aerodrome on the east coast of Scotland, United Kingdom, killing 2 and wounding 3. Further to the south, German bombers sank the East Goodwin Light Vessel. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- The United Kingdom recognized the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
United States
- Franklin Roosevelt received an almost unanimous invitation at the Democrat Convention in Chicago, Illinois, United States to stand as the party's candidate for the 1940 presidential election. If elected he would become the first US President to remain in office for more than two terms. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Chicago, Illinois | CPC, AC]
19 Jul 1940
- The Two-Ocean Navy Act was passed by the US Congress. ww2dbase [Two-Ocean Navy Act | CPC]
- British General Alan Brooke took over as Commander-in-Chief of Home Forces, relieving Edmund Ironside. Ironside was promoted to Field Marshal as consolation; he had only been at the helm of Home Forces for two months. ww2dbase [Alan Brooke | TH]
- Hermann Hoth was promoted to the rank of general. ww2dbase [Hermann Hoth | CPC]
- Battle of Cape Spada: British destroyers HMS Hyperion, HMS Hasty, HMS Ilex, and HMS Hero engaged Italian cruisers Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni. As the British destroyers began to flee from fight, Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney and British destroyer HMS Havock arrived to lend help. Sydney disabled Bartolomeo Colleoni with gunfire, and Ilex and Hyperion launched torpedoes to sink her, killing 121. Giovanni dalle Bande Nere was able to withdraw. 555 survivors of Bartolomeo Colleoni was rescued by Ilex and Hyperion after the battle. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-62 sank a British ship 30 miles northwest of Ireland; 13 were killed and 26 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Thor sank Dutch ship Tela off the coast of Brazil. The entire crew of 33 were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Thor | CPC]
- Werner Mölders was promoted to the rank of Major. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- Daphne Pearson was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal for her 31 May 1940 rescue of a pilot from a crashed bomber at RAF Detling, unspent ammunition exploding all around her. The medal was later updated to the George Cross in 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British Army Intelligence Corps was established. ww2dbase [AC]
- The British Government removed the right of workers to strike. ww2dbase [AC]
- Cruisers USS Wichita and USS Quincy arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived later on the same day with Marines for Wichita and Quincy, respectively. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- Heinz Guderian was promoted to the rank of Generaloberst (Colonel General). ww2dbase [Heinz Guderian | AC]
- Eduard Dietl became the first person to receive Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. ww2dbase [Eduard Dietl | CPC]
- Denmark withdrew from the League of Nations. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Wolfgang Falck was ordered to see Hermann Göring; during this meeting, Falck would be promoted to the rank of Major. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler spoke to the Reichstag at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Germany about Allied warmongering and asked the United Kingdom to listen to reason and avoid war. Within an hour of the conclusion of the speech, the BBC broadcast an unofficial rejection to Hitler's bid for peace. ww2dbase [Reichstag Building and Kroll Opera House | Adolf Hitler | Berlin | TH, CPC]
- Günther von Kluge was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Reichstag Building and Kroll Opera House | Günther von Kluge | Berlin | CPC]
- Hermann Göring was promoted to the rank of Reichsmarschall, a rank created for him so that he would outrank all Field Marshals of the German military. The ceremony took place at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Reichstag Building and Kroll Opera House | Hermann Göring | Berlin | CPC]
- Hugo Sperrle was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Reichstag Building and Kroll Opera House | Hugo Sperrle | Berlin | CPC]
- Wilhelm Keitel was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Reichstag Building and Kroll Opera House | Wilhelm Keitel | Berlin | CPC]
- Ernst Udet was promoted to Generaloberst (equivalent to Air Chief Marshal of the British RAF). ww2dbase [Ernst Udet | AC]
- Walther von Brauchitsch was promoted to the rank of field marshal (generalfeldmarschall) at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Reichstag Building and Kroll Opera House | Walther von Brauchitsch | Berlin | CPC]
- British bombers attacked Bremen, Gelsenkirchen, Kassel in Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
- Robert von Greim was promoted to the rank of General der Flieger. ww2dbase [Robert von Greim | CPC]
Gibraltar
- British troopship Royal Ulsterman departed from Gibraltar for Madeira with evacuated civilians; she was escorted by destroyer HMS Velox. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Defiant turret fighters of No. 141 Squadron RAF were launched to protect a convoy off Folkestone, England, United Kingdom but they were inadequate in defending against German aerial attacks. 6 of them were shot down by 12 German Bf 109 fighters within the first eight minutes of combat (10 killed, 2 survived), with the 3 remaining saved only by the arrival of Hurricane fighters of No. 111 Squadron RAF. Elsewhere, German bombers attacked various targets in southern and eastern Britain, leading to the loss of 3 Hurricane fighters, the death of 42 civilians in Glasgow, damage aboard destroyers HMS Griffin and HMS Beagle, and the sinking of tanker War Sepoy. The Germans lost 3 bombers and 3 fighters on this day. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- The first prototype of the cavity magnetron was delivered to the British radar research center near Swanage, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of British corvette HMS Kingcup was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of British submarine HMS Umbra was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British corvette HMS Bluebell was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British corvette HMS Picotee was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS P611 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMS Crestflower was bombed and sunk by German aircraft off Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a proposal to the British War Cabinet suggesting the creation of Special Operations Executive (SOE) to conduct unscrupulous, underhand methods to be pursued against Germany. ww2dbase [Special Operations Executive | Winston Churchill | London, England | AC]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt departed Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, United States aboard presidential yacht Potomac, along with auxiliary vessel Cuyahoga, for a cruise in the Chesapeake Bay. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 19 Jul 1940
20 Jul 1940
- German aircraft sank transport Pulborough and damaging destroyer HMS Brazen off Dover, England, United Kingdom at the cost of 3 aircraft, shot down by Brazen's anti-aircraft guns. 10 miles off of the Isle of Wight, destroyer HMS Acheron was bombed and damaged by near misses. The day's actions cost the RAF 5 Hurricane fighters, 1 Spitfire fighter, and 1 Blenheim bomber, while 7 pilots and 1 gunner were killed; the Germans lost at least 6 fighters, 2 bombers, and 1 seaplane. The British government released the report that claimed 40 German aircraft shot down in the past week. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- During the night, British aircraft from Hemswell-Lincolnshire attacked Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
- Six British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Eagle attacked Tobruk, Libya in search of Italian cruiser Giovanni dalle Bande Nere that escaped the Battle of Cape Spada on the previous day. The cruiser was not found in port, thus destroyers Ostro and Nembo and transport Sereno were attacked and sank instead. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German pilot Werner Streib of the Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 wing achieved the first night kill of the unit by shooting down a British Whitley bomber. ww2dbase [CPC]
Canada
- Canadian patrol vessel HMCS Ambler departed Quebec City, Quebec, Canada to patrol Riviere du Loup. ww2dbase [Quebec City, Quebec | CPC]
- The keel of Canadian corvette HMCS Trail was laid down in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ww2dbase [North Vancouver, British Columbia | CPC]
- Canadian patrol craft HMCS Norsal was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
Greece
- British submarine HMS Parthian disembarked a British agent on Crete, Greece. ww2dbase [Crete | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- The British government banned the sale of new cars. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS P612 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
- James Lacey shot down his first enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain, a Bf 109E fighter of German Jagdgeschwader 27 wing. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 20 Jul 1940
21 Jul 1940
- Battleship Bismarck underwent an inclining test. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- British Hampden bombers from No. 61 and No. 144 Squadrons attacked German cruiser Admiral Scheer at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, causing no damage. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | CPC]
- British Hampden bombers from No. 61 and No. 144 Squadrons attacked German battleship Tirpitz at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, causing no damage. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
- German submarine U-30 sank British ship Ellaroy 180 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. The entire crew of 16 took to lifeboats and were later rescued by Spanish trawler Felix Montenegro. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Mikio Furusho passed away. ww2dbase [Mikio Furusho | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German aircraft attacked convoys in the English Channel. 1 British Hurricane fighter and 1 British Spitfire fighter were shot down, while the Germans lost 3 fighters and 1 Do 17 bomber. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | English Channel | CPC]
- Nordmark was damaged by British aircraft near Jutland, Denmark. ww2dbase [Nordmark | CPC]
France
Germany
- The German Army High Command submitted a plan to Adolf Hitler for an operation in the Baltic States and the Ukraine. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | AC]
- 3 bombers of No. 51 Squadron RAF attacked Hamm, Germany; the rail marshalling yard was the primary target. 10 bombers of No. 77 Squadron RAF and 10 bombers of No. 102 Squadron RAF attacked Kassel, Germany; the aircraft factory was the primary target. Finally, 5 bombers of No. 78 Squadron RAF attacked Soest, Germany; the rail marshalling yard was the primary target. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
Indian Ocean
- HMS Cumberland reports HM Cruiser Kent joined Ocean Escort for Convoy WS1 in position 34.20S 33.00E. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Lithuania
- The Soviet Union revealed the result of plebiscites in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania held on 14 Jul 1940, claiming that the citizens of the three countries approved the Soviet annexation of their countries. The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was declared. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Edvard Beneš established the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Edvard Beneš | London, England | TH]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt returned to Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, United States after a cruise in the Chesapeake Bay aboard presidential yacht Potomac. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
22 Jul 1940
- USS Phoenix arrived at Callao, Peru. ww2dbase [Phoenix | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Beagle shot down a German Ju 87 aircraft. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Captain Walden Ainsworth was appointed Commander, Destroyer Squadron Two operating as part of the Atlantic Neutrality Patrols. ww2dbase [United States Neutrality Patrol | Walden Ainsworth | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- British submarine HMS Clyde fired 6 torpedoes at another British submarine HMS Truant, in the North Sea off Fejeosen, Norway in an episode of mis-identification. All torpedoes missed their target. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
Canada
- Canadian corvette HMS Eyebright was launched at Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ww2dbase [Montreal, Quebec | CPC]
France
Germany
- Wolfgang Falck received a call from Hermann Göring, who thanked him for the efforts to create an effective nightfighting unit within the Luftwaffe. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | CPC]
- Whitley bombers of 4 Group of British RAF Bomber Command attacked various targets in Germany; 8 bombers of No. 10 Squadron and 8 bombers of No. 58 Squadron attacked the aircraft factory at Bremen (3 of No. 58 Squadron attacked alternate targets), and 7 bombers of No. 51 Squadron attacked industrial targets in the Ruhr region. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
Italy
Japan
- Japanese luxury ocean liner Hikawa Maru departed Yokohama, Japan for Seattle, Washington, United States. Aboard were 82 Jewish refugees originally from Germany. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Yokohama, Kanagawa | CPC]
- Hideki Tojo was appointed the Army Minister in Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe's new cabinet. ww2dbase [Hideki Tojo | Tokyo | CPC]
- Prince Fumimaro Konoe became the 38th Prime Minister of Japan. This was his second time in this office. ww2dbase [Fumimaro Konoe | Tokyo | CPC]
- Hachiro Arita stepped down as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ww2dbase [Hachiro Arita | CPC]
Russia
- Soviet submarine Shch-138 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- The British War Cabinet approved the 19 Jul 1940 document by Neville Chamberlain to create the new secret Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization. ww2dbase [Special Operations Executive | London, England | TH, CPC]
- British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Lord Halifax rejected Adolf Hitler's proposal for peace of 19 Jul 1940. "No one here wants the war to go on for a day longer than is necessary. But we shall not stop fighting until freedom, for ourselves and others, is secure." This was a departure from his previous stance, urging Winston Churchill to negotiate a peace with Germany. ww2dbase [Halifax | London, England | CPC]
- During the day, German Luftwaffe flew only reconnaissance missions over the English Channel, launching no attacks despite of the good weather; British Hurricane fighters of No. 145 Squadron shot down a lone Do 17 bomber off Selsey Bill, West Sussex in southern England, United Kingdom. After sundown, many small German raids bombed coastal towns or lay naval mines off the coast. A radar-equipped Blenheim Mark 1F nightfighter of the British RAF Fighter Command shot down a German aircraft, possibly a Do 17 bomber, in combat over Britain; it was the first victory for this aircraft type. ww2dbase [Blenheim | Battle of Britain | CPC]
- The keel of British minesweeper HMS Lyemun was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of British minesweeper HMS Lantan was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- While escorting convoy CW7, British B-class destroyer HMS Brazen was heavily damaged by German Ju 87 aircraft. She was placed under tow in an attempt to save her, but she would nevertheless sink at 2040 hours about 10 kilometers (5 miles) southeast of Folkestone, Kent, England, United Kingdom. One member of her crew was killed during her loss. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Folkestone, England | CPC]
- The keel of British destroyer HMS Paladin was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMT Campina, a newly converted anti-submarine armed trawler, sank after hitting a mine off Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales, United Kingdom whilst on British Admiralty service. Eleven of the 22 crew wre killed in the explosion. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Holyhead, Wales | HM]
Photo(s) dated 22 Jul 1940
23 Jul 1940
- The British Secretary of War announced that 1,300,000-strong Local Defence Volunteers was to be renamed the Home Guard. ww2dbase [TH]
- British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood announced the third War Budget, rise in various taxes, and the estimation that war expenditure would be about £3,470,000,000 in the following next year. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 8,077 Canadian troops bound for Britain departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on troopships Batory, Antonia, Monarch Of Bermuda, Sobieski, Duchess Of York, and Samaria, escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS Assiniboine and HMCS Saguenay and British cruiser HMS Emerald. The convoy would arrive safely in Scotland on 1 Aug 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The British third war budget raised Income Tax to 8 shillings and 6 pence per pound. ww2dbase [AC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- German aircraft conducted raids on coastal cities in Britain and deployed naval mines overnight. A German Do 17 bomber of 1/KF1Gr 606 attacked British submarines HMS Narwhal and HMS Truant 125 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, sinking the former. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- The British Minister of State for Air Sir Archibald Sinclair reported that the British bomber fleet was capable of dropping 65-70 tons of bombs on Berlin every night for one week. It was a goal to increase that number of 200 tons in the near future. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Sydney Camm, Chief Designer at Hawker aviation, managed to get the Typhoon and Tornado programmes reinstated with reduced priority after the British Air Ministry had decided to throw all resources at the manufacture and repair of existing types. ww2dbase [Typhoon | AC]
24 Jul 1940
- During the night, 14 British Whitley aircraft attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- 1,277 French Navy sailors captured by the British on 3 Jul departed Southampton, England, United Kingdom aboard French passenger liner Meknes for Marseille in southern France for repatriation. At 2230 hours, German torpedo boat S-27 fired a torpedo at the French ship off the northern Brittany coast in the English Channel despite her displays of neutrality, killing 416. British destroyers HMS Viscount, HMS Wolverine, HMS Sabre, and HMS Shikari rescued the survivors. ww2dbase [Southampton, England | TH]
- Reports of the Lancastria disaster (which was sunken by air attack on 17 Jun 1940 with 1,738 killed) were released in London, England, United Kingdom after Winston Churchill lifted the media ban. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
- At 0630 hours, German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed the Rolls Royce factory at Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, but instead the nearby printing works was damaged. At 0730 hours, German Ju 88 bombers attacked shipping in the Bristol Channel in southwestern Britain, with 1 Ju 88 shot down by British Spitfire fighters of the No. 92 Squadron. At 1200 hours, 18 Do 17 bombers escorted by 40 Bf 109 fighters attacked shipping in the Thames estuary in southeastern Britain, sinking minesweeping trawler Fleming, killing 19; ensuing dogfight above resulted in 9 Bf 109 fighters and 2 Spitfire fighters shot down. Finally, German bombers sank anti-submarine trawler Kingston Galena (killing 16) and minesweeper Rodino (killing 4) off Dover. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Glasgow, Scotland | CPC]
25 Jul 1940
- The German Reich Economic Minister outlined the New Order for Europe, citing use of forced labor from occupied nations. ww2dbase [TH]
- Commander of the Swiss military General Henri Guisan vowed that Switzerland would defend against any German or Italian invasion. ww2dbase [TH]
- The United States banned the sale of scrap metal and petroleum to Japan. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German battleship Gneisenau completed its torpedo damage repairs and departed Trondheim, Norway for Kiel, Germany for more thorough repairs. She was escorted by cruiser Nürnberg and destroyers Galster, Lody, Jacobi, and Ihn; torpedo boats Luchs, Jaguar, Kondor, Iltis, and T.5 would join the convoy overnight near Stavanger, Norway. ww2dbase [Gneisenau | CPC]
- USS Wichita and USS Quincy departed Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Bahia, Brazil. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- USS Trenton arrived at Annapolis, Maryland, United States and disembarked members of the royal family of the Duchy of Luxembourg. ww2dbase [CPC]
- U-56 began her eleventh patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Gibraltar
- The United Kingdom evacuated women and children from Gibraltar. ww2dbase [TH]
Italy
United Kingdom
- German aircraft attacked shipping and naval bases at Dover, Portsmouth, Poole, and Portland in Britain; also on this day, aircraft and torpedo boats attacked convoy CW8 in the Dover Strait, sinking 5 vessels and killing 9 men. By the end of the day, 21 German aircraft and 6 British fighters were lost. The British claimed that 25 German aircraft were shot down on this day, which was the highest daily claim yet. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | TH]
- The first design conference for the Blackburn B-37 project took place. ww2dbase [Firebrand | AC]
26 Jul 1940
- Joseph Avenol, the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, resigned from his post. ww2dbase [TH]
- British submarine HMS Thames detected the convoy centered around German battleship Gneisenau 50 miles southwest of Stavanger, Norway; it was bound for Kiel, Germany. A torpedo was fired at Gneisenau, but it hit torpedo boat Luchs instead, sinking her immediately. Thames was never heard from again; it was not certain whether she was lost during this action or hit a naval mine shortly after. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-34 attacked convoy OB-188 with three torpedoes 320 miles west of Ireland at 1447 hours, sinking British passenger ship Accra (which was also carrying 1,700 tons of cargo on this trip), killing 24; 465 survivors were rescued by British ship Hollinside, Norwegian ship Loke, British sloop HMS Enchantress, and British corvette HMS Clarkia. British merchant ship Vinemoor was also hit but without any fatalities; she would remain afloat until the following day after her crew of 32 were rescued by HMS Clarkia. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt, using powers granted to his office by the Export Control Act, restricted the export of aviation gasoline and certain classes of iron and steel scrap to Japan without special license. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- USS Phoenix departed Callao, Peru. ww2dbase [Phoenix | CPC]
- Joachim von Ribbentrop was updated by German agents in Spain and Portugal regarding the attempt to dissuade the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, from leaving for the Bahamas. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Several German raids launched against Britain were turned away by a combination of bad weather and timely RAF fighter arrivals. On this day, 3 German Bf 109 fighters and 1 British Hurricane fighter were shot down. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
27 Jul 1940
- 15 German dive bombers attacked 6 British minesweeping trawlers and escort destroyers in the English Channel 20 miles off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England. Destroyer HMS Wren sank after one of the several near misses she suffered made a large hole below the waterline (killing 37), while destoyer HMS Montrose lost her bow and had to be towed to Harwich, Essex. German aircraft also bombed Dover in southern England, sinking destroyer HMS Codrington who was undergoing boiler cleaning (wounding 3 and killing several civilian workers). At the end of the day, the Germans lost 2 fighters and 1 Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, while the British lost 1 Spitfire fighter and 1 Hurricane fighter. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- The first five Beaufighter IF fighters were handed over to the RAF for evaluation. ww2dbase [Beaufighter | AC]
- A Board of Enquiry was held regarding the sinking of HMS Effingham two months prior. ww2dbase [Effingham | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-34 attacked Allied convoy OB-188 350 miles west of Scotland, United Kingdom before sunrise, sinking 5,260-ton British Royal Mail merchant ship Sambre at 0258 hours. Sambre was hit in the stern and sank slowly; the master and the entire crew of 47 were picked up by HMS Winchelsea (D 46) and later landed at Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. At 0313 hours, U-34 torpedoed and sank the 10,364-ton British motor tanker Thiara; she was hit in the bow by a G7e torpedo and sank about 170 miles southwest of Rockall. 25 crew members aboard Thiara were lost. The master, 31 crew members and four passengers were also picked up by HMS Winchelsea and landed at Liverpool. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC, HM]
Mediterranean Sea
- Alpino Bagnolini sighted a submarine off Cape Santa Maria de Leuca, Italy at 0215 hours, but lost contact shortly after. Around the same time, Reginaldo Giuliani also reported a submarine in the same area. Thus, it was possible that the two Italian submarines had sighted each other. At 1200 hours, Alpino Bagnolini arrived at Taranto, Italy at 1200 hours, ending her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | Reginaldo Giuliani | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The 11,938-ton whale factory ship Salvestria was mined and sunk three miles from Inchkeith Lighthouse at the entrance to the river Water of Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom. Ten men were killed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Edinburgh, Scotland | HM]
- The 477-ton dredging ship Durdham sank after striking a mine off Lavernock Point, Wales, United Kingdom. She was owned by the Bristol Sand Company, and was clearing channels out of the port of Avonmouth in the Severn Estuary. Seven crew were killed in the explosion. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Lavernock, Wales | HM]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and US Congress House of Representatives' Naval Affairs Committee chairman Carl Vinson departed Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, United States aboard presidential yacht Potomac for Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 27 Jul 1940
28 Jul 1940
- All rail lines between occupied France and Vichy France were cut by the Germans. ww2dbase [TH]
- President Jozef Tiso and Prime Minister Vojtech Tuka of the Slovak Republic met with Hitler and Ribbentrop at Berchtesgarden. ww2dbase [TH]
- British HMS Alcantara was hit by 3 shells from German armed merchant ship Thor 740 miles off Brazil, near the island of Trindade; 2 were killed and 7 were wounded; as Thor turned away to disengage from battle, Alcantara fired and hit Thor with 2 shells, killing 3. On the same day, German submarine U-99 sank British merchant ship Auckland Star 80 miles west of Ireland at 0557 hours. The entire crew of 74 were taken to lifeboats and would make it to the Irish shore. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Thor | CPC]
- Werner Mölders flew his first combat sortie in the Battle of Britain; he sustained injuries after being hit by RAF Flight Lieutenant J. L. Webster over Dover, England, keeping him out of action for a month. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- The German Army examined closely the German Navy's draft plan for an invasion of England, United Kingdom, but it was horrified to note that the Navy estimated that it would take ten days to put the first assault ashore in the Dover area. ww2dbase [AC]
China
Italy
Japan
- Japanese police arrested nine British nationals residing in Japan. ww2dbase [AC]
- Katori and Kashima began the last Japanese Navy midshipmen cruise before the Pacific War. They would make port calls at Etajima and Mutsu in Japan, and Dalian and Shanghai in China. ww2dbase [Katori | Kashima | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 100 German aircraft in 5 waves crossed the Strait of Dover at 1335 hours and were intercepted by 4 squadrons of British fighters; 5 German Bf 109 fighters, 2 German He 111 bombers, and 2 British Spitfire fighters were destroyed during the ensuing battle. A few hours later, the Royal Navy withdrew all destroyers from Dover to Portsmouth in southern England, United Kingdom. Overnight, German aircraft deployed mines and bombed British coastal cities. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
29 Jul 1940
- 40 German Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers attacked Dover Harbor in southern England, United Kingdom at 0730 hours, escorted by 40 Bf 109 fighters; British fighters from No. 41, No. 43, No. 56, and No. 64 Squadrons shot down 8 German dive bombers and 7 fighters and anti-aircraft guns shot down 2 German dive bombers, while 2 British Spitfire fighters and 1 British Hurricane fighter were shot down. At 1700 hours, destroyer HMS Delight left Portland in southern England; at about 1830 hours, she was hitting by a bomb from a German aircraft from Cherbourg, France, killing 18 and wounding 59, but she was able to return to Portland under her own power. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | TH]
- British Air Ministry accused Germany of using rescue aircraft with Red Cross markings for reconnaissance purposes. ww2dbase [TH]
- At a conference held in a converted railway carriage, Colonel-General Alfred Jodl, Adolf Hitler's Chief of Operations, announced that the Führer had decided "once and for all" to rid the world of the Soviet menace. However, recognizing that the war against the United Kingdom took a higher priority at this point in time, Hitler pushed the invasion date to the spring of 1941. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | AC]
- British submarine HMS Sealion detected German submarine U-62 on the surface 60 miles southwest of Stavanger, Norway and attacked with 3 torpedoes (which all missed) followed by shots from the deck gun. U-62 dove and escaped the area. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil for Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Sea Gladiator fighters from HMS Eagle shot down an Italian SM.79 bomber while escorting a convoy in the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
- Portugal and Spain added a clause to the 1939 friendship treaty; it was later known as the Iberian Pact. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-99 spotted the 7,336-ton British steam merchant ship Clan Menzies west of Ireland. Clan Menzies was originally built by Greenock Dockyard Company for Clan Line Steamers Limited of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. She was on a Sydney-Melbourne-Panama-Liverpool route. She was sailing alone following a zigzag course when a torpedo from U-99 hit on the starboard side near the engine room where the engineers on duty were killed. The explosion damaged the starboard lifeboats beyond use and made the radio equipment inoperable so that no distress message could be sent. The crew of 88 abandoned ship at about 0215 hours in the remaining lifeboats, 52 survivors in one boat and 36 in the other. The Master was required to give information to the Germans, and they were ordered not to show lights. The Master, Captain Hughes, navigated his boat into the port of Enniscrone whilst a passing Irish vessel, the Kyleclare, picked up the lifeboat with 52 survivors off Mayo Coast on the 30 Jul 1940. All told, 6 were killed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-99 | CPC, HM]
- The 5,925-ton British cargo steamer Clan Monroe struck a mine off Harwich, England, United Kingdom whilst acting as an auxiliary transport. She was taken in tow and beached in Hollesley Bay in a depth of 27 feet at low water. Thirteen people were killed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | North Sea | HM]
- The 1,262-ton British merchant steamer Moidart hit a mine and sank whilst on passage from Greenhithe near London for Newcastle in northern England, United Kingdom, carrying a cargo of cement. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | North Sea | HM]
Ceylon
- HMS Cumberland detached from Convoy WS1 on arrival in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) where troops were transferred to smaller transports for onward passage. (Note: As the two liners were not required to pass through the Red Sea they went to Trincomalee, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) after disembarkation.) ww2dbase [Cumberland | Colombo | DS]
Germany
- German naval command (Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine) issued a memo noting that the mid-Sep 1940 invasion date for Britain as demanded by Adolf Hitler was possible, but considering the present state of affairs, a postponement to May 1941 was suggested. Meanwhile, a special economic board was set up to oversee the looting of British industry upon conquest. ww2dbase [TH]
Italy
Japan
- The Japanese reported that Mr. Melville Cox, one of nine British residents arrested in Japan on the previous day, had "committed suicide" by throwing himself out of a police station window. ww2dbase [AC]
United Kingdom
- The weapons firm Albright & Wilson of Oldbury, England, United Kingdom demonstrated to the British Royal Air Force a self-igniting explosive containing petrol and phosphorus. ww2dbase [No. 76 | CPC]
- Jackie Sorour joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Jackie Moggridge | England | CPC]
- The 1,264-ton ex-Danish merchantman Gronland was sunk by German aircraft at the outer harbour at Dover, England, United Kingdom whilst on passage from Blyth to Plymouth. The 201-ton large private yacht Gulzar was also sank. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Dover, England | HM]
- The 5,601-ton British cargo steamer Ousebridge was mined on the in the Queens Channel leading to the docks of Liverpool, England, United Kingdom; she was on route from Pepel, Sierra Leone for Manchester, England with a cargo of iron ore. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Liverpool, England | HM]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and House Naval Affairs Committee chairman Carl Vinson arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States, via presidential yacht Potomac, for an inspection. After the navy yard, they also visited US Army's Langley Field and the Newport News Ship Building and Drydock Company. ww2dbase [Norfolk Navy Yard | Franklin Roosevelt | Portsmouth, Virginia | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 29 Jul 1940
30 Jul 1940
- The heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire (Captain B. C. S. Martin, RN) departed Freetown, Sierra Leone to patrol in the South Atlantic to search for the German raider Thor. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | HM]
Argentina
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [Buenos Aires | CPC]
Austria
Cuba
- The Act of Havana was signed by the representatives from 21 nations in the Americas; it provided an emergency establishment of a regime of provisional administration "when islands or regions in the Americas now under the possession of non-American nations are in danger of becoming the subject of barter of territory or change of sovereignty". ww2dbase [Havana | CPC]
Italy
- The British submarine HMS Oswald (Lieutenant Commander D. A. Fraser, RN) made an unsuccessful attack on a large Italian convoy about 20 nautical miles to the south of Capo dell'Armi in the Liguria region of Italy. The Italian destroyer Grecale which was near the merchant vessel Col di Lana reported being missed. The convoy attacked by Oswald had departed Naples earlier and had, besides the Grecale, an escort of four torpedo boats and the destroyers Maestrale, Libeccio, and Scirocco. ww2dbase [Motta San Giovanni, Liguria | HM]
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Naples, Italy at 0900 hours for exercises, returning at 1630 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
- Comandante Cappellini departed Cagliari, Sardegna, Italy at 1605 hours. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | Cagliari, Sardegna | CPC]
Panama Canal Zone
- USS Phoenix arrived at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. ww2dbase [Phoenix | Balboa | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Low clouds and rain restricted both German and British flights all day. Five German raids targeted the northeastern British coast in the morning, while other waves of aircraft attacked convoys in the English Channel off Essex and Suffolk, England. A small number of German aircraft were shot down on this day at no cost to the British RAF. Overnight, German bombers conducted raids over southern and central England and southern Wales. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- The 5,183-ton merchant steamer Umvoti, built in 1903, was taken of of service and scuttled at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour in southern Britain. The ship was subsequently cut in half and the two halves were moved to East Sands where in 1944 the wreck was broken up. ww2dbase [Portsmouth, England | HM]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt returned to Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, United States via presidential yacht Potomac. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
31 Jul 1940
- German submarine U-99 sank British ship Jamaica Progress at 0138 hours (killing 7) and British ship Jersey City at 1324 hours (killing 2) 50 miles north of Ireland. She was attacked by depth charges by escort vessels and a bomb from a flying boat, but she was able to escape undamaged. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Whitshed hit a mine off Harwich, Essex, England and lost most of her bow, but she able to be towed to Harwich by the stern by destroyer HMS Wild Swan. She would remain under repair at Chatham, Kent, England until 21 Dec 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin sank British ship Domingo De Larringa in the South Atlantic 1,000 miles east of Pernambuco, Brazil. 8 were killed and 30 were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Spearfish departed Rosyth, Scotland, United Kingdom to patrol off the Norwegian coast. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Heavy cruisers USS Wichita and USS Quincy arrived at Bahia, Brazil. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler announced that he would decide whether the invasion of Britain was to take place in mid-Sep 1940 or May 1941 in a few days; the progress of the Luftwaffe campaign over Britain would be among the key factors in his decision process. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Joachim von Ribbentrop, upon learning that the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, was departing for the Bahamas soon, issued an order to send the British royalty another message overnight, stressing the fact that Germany was attempting to avoid armed conflict with the United Kingdom, which could be achieved with the duke was willing to assist, beginning by not departing Europe for the Bahamas. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | CPC]
- Philippe Leclerc was promoted to the rank of major (Chef d'escadron). ww2dbase [Philippe Leclerc | CPC]
Belgium
- The Germans appointed a commissioner with broad powers to oversee Radio Bruxelles in Belgium. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- At Adolf Hitler's residence near Berchtesgaden, München-Oberbayern, Germany, German military leaders were advised of Hitler's plan to attack the Soviet Union. Hitler made it clear that an invasion of the USSR was a way of securing mastery of Europe, as the fall of the USSR would certainly force Britain to surrender. The military leaders were told to expect the invasion to start in May 1941, and would likely last about five months. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | Berchtesgaden, München-Oberbayern | TH]
Italy
Japan
- Mitsubishi delivered the first production Zero fighter to the Japanese Navy. ww2dbase [A6M Zero | CPC]
United Kingdom
- While German Army and Navy leadership continued to disagree over the plans for the invasion of Britain (with Admiral Erich Raeder convincing Adolf Hitler to delay the invasion until mid-Sep 1940), the Luftwaffe moved forth with its plans and began to shift the main target from English Channel shipping to RAF airfields in southern England. Although 77 RAF aircraft were destroyed and 43 were damaged (along with 67 airmen killed and 23 wounded), aircraft production during the month was greater than aircraft lost. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
- American ambassador in London, England, United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy relayed to US Secretary of State Cordell Hull another request from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for destroyers. "If we cannot get reinforcement," Churchill noted, "the whole fate of the war may be decided by this minor and easily remediable factor." ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC]
United States
- The United States Government prohibited the export of aviation petrol outside of the American continent. ww2dbase [AC]
1 Aug 1940
- Adolf Galland was awarded the Knights Cross for achieving 17 kills. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | AC]
- Yoshijiro Umezu was promoted to the rank of general. ww2dbase [Yoshijiro Umezu | CPC]
Alaska
- The US Navy established the new Alaskan Sector command within the Thirteenth Naval District. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-34 detected British submarine HMS Spearfish on the surface in the North Sea and sank Spearfish with her last torpedo at 1904 hours, killing 41; one survivor, Able Seaman William Pester, was taken aboard U-34 as a prisoner of war. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | North Sea | CPC]
- German submarine U-59 sank Swedish ship Sigyn at 0345 hours 60 miles northwest of Ireland; the entire crew was rescued. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland deployed on interception patrol and trade defense in South Atlantic. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
France
- In the morning, a British Spitfire fighter on a photo reconnaissance mission found a build-up of German aircraft on the Cotentin Peninsula in France. At 1540 hours, 13 British bombers escorted by 10 fighters attacked, causing some damage but in turn losing 1 bomber and 2 fighters. ww2dbase [Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | Basse-Normandie | TH]
- The first Vichy French youth program, Chantiers de la Jeunesse, was formally established. The program was to focus on academics, cultural activities, physical education, and trade skills, and it would carry a heavy emphasis on each youth as a member of the collective community. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- Prinz Eugen was commissioned into servce with Helmuth Brinkmann in command. ww2dbase [Prinz Eugen | CPC]
- Franz Halder and his staff began planning for the invasion of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | CPC]
- RAF bombers attacked the Krupp factory in Essen, Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Essen | CPC]
- U-576 was laid down by the firm Blohm und Voss in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | U-576 | Hamburg | CPC]
- The work to convert F4 from a fleet escort ship to a torpedo recovery vessel ceased. ww2dbase [F4 | CPC]
Italy
- Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi detected British submarine HMS Oswald on the surface 15 miles off of the coast of southern Italy in the Mediterranean Sea, charging batteries and performing routine maintenance. Oswald made no attempt to escape or to attack the Italian ship, possibly because the commander suffers from night blindness when he was suddenly called to the bridge. Oswald was sunk by ramming and depth charges; 3 were killed and 52 were taken prisoner. The British commander (who ordered abandon ship before the ramming occurred, when Vivaldi was 100 yards away) was later court martialled on 5 charges for the loss of his ship and found to have been negligent in performing his duties. He was sentenced to forfeit all seniority as a lieutenant commander, to be dismissed and to be severely reprimanded. ww2dbase [CPC, HM]
Japan
- Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka asked French Ambassador to Tokyo Arsène Henry whether Japanese troops might be allowed to enter Indochina to occupy certain airfields; Henry implied that his government would reject such a request. Meanwhile, Japanese Army aircraft were transferred from Northern China to Southern China. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | Tokyo | CPC]
- Haruki Isayama stepped down as the commanding officer of the 11th Depot Regiment and was attached to the Japanese Army War College in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. On the same date, he was promoted to the rank of major general. ww2dbase [Haruki Isayama | Tokyo | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Operation Hurry: British carrier HMS Argus set sail for Malta with 12 Hurricane fighters for reinforcement. She was escorted by Force H with battlecruiser HMS Hood, battleship HMS Valiant, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruisers HMS Arethusa and HMS Enterprise, and 10 destroyers. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean fleet departed Alexandria, Egypt to conduct diversionary maneuvers in the area of Crete, Greece. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
- Italian submarine Goffredo Mameli sank Greek ship Roula 40 miles south of Crete, Greece; the entire crew was rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
Norway
- Dutch submarine O-21 fired two torpedoes at German submarine U-60 at the distance of 2 kilometers off Norway, but both of them missed their target. ww2dbase [CPC]
Portugal
- The Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, received German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop's message. He turned down Ribbentrop's request for him to help bring peace between Britain and Germany, citing his loyalty to the British government. He did, however, maintain a channel of communications with Germany in the future should his assistance be helpful once again. To Ribbentrop's dismay, the duke departed Lisbon, Portugal for the Bahamas by the end of the day, ending the German attempt to use him to form a new pro-German leadership in Britain. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | Lisbon | CPC]
Russia
- Soviet Foreign Minister reaffirmed Soviet neutrality while bad-mouthing the United States and the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [TH]
United Kingdom
- 30 German He 111 aircraft reached Norwich, England, United Kingdom and bombed the Boulton-Paul Aircraft Works and the Norwich railway station without any opposition, killing 6 and wounding 54 civilians. Meanwhile, in Germany, Hitler issued Directive No. 17, calling for a temporary halt on attacks on British shipping, shifting attention to the RAF. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Norwich, England | TH]
- A convoy consisted of 6 troop transports carrying 8,077 Canadian troops arrived in Scotland, United Kingdom from Nova Scotia, Canada. ww2dbase [Scotland | CPC]
2 Aug 1940
- Lord Beaverbrook was appointed to the British War Cabinet. ww2dbase [Beaverbrook | TH]
- French military court sentenced General de Gaulle to death in absentia. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | TH]
- Overnight, British submarine HMS Thames hit a mine and sank southwest of Stavanger, Norway, killing the entire crew of 62. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German Ju 87 aircraft attacked German submarine U-60 with bombs by mistake off Hagesund, Norway; U-60 was able to escape without damage. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-99 torpedoed British merchant ship Alexia, British merchant ship Lucerna, and Norwegian merchant ship Strinda of convoy OB-191. All three were damaged but none of them sank. No men were killed as the result of the attack. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt and his cabinet discussed the methods to which the transferring 50 or 60 destroyers to the United Kingdom could be conducted. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Hulbert was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Hulbert | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Operation Hurry: 12 British Hurricane fighters were launched from carrier HMS Argus southwest of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea and flew about 300 miles to Malta; they were to form the new No. 261 Squadron. The escorting surface warships turned back for Gibraltar and England, while the escorting carriers (escorted by battlecruiser HMS Hood, cruiser HMS Enterprise, and 4 destroyers) launched an attack consisted of 8 Swordfish torpedo bombers on the Italian airfield at Cagliari, Sardinia, destroying several aircraft and deploying several mines. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
Moldova
- Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was formed. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- Before dawn, two German He 115 seaplanes attacked British ship Highlander of convoy FN.239 20 miles south of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom; one of the aircraft was shot down by sloop HMS Weston, while the other crashed onto Highlander's poop deck after clipping the mast. During the day, German aircraft attacked convoys in the English Channel and along the east coast of Britain, sinking anti-submarine trawler HMT Cape Finesterre off Harwich, Essex, England, United Kingdom, killing 1. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Josef Frantisek joined the British Royal Air Force and was assigned to No. 303 Squadron based at RAF Northolt in South Ruislip near London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Josef Frantisek | South Ruislip, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 2 Aug 1940
3 Aug 1940
- Winston Churchill warned the British people against believing rumors that invasion threat is over. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Japanese luxury ocean liner Hikawa Maru disembarked 82 Jewish refugees at Pier 89, Seattle, becoming the first Japanese ship to take on Jewish refugees to North America. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
- German submarine U-57 sank Swedish ship Atos at 0810 hours north of Ireland; 1 was killed and 27 were rescued. German submarine U-A stopped Yugoslavian ship Rad at 1900 hours 300 miles off of the coast of Senegal in western Africa and later found out she was carrying chemicals from the United States for South Africa; the crew of 29 was put to lifeboats, and U-A sank Rad with a torpedo. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic became a member nation of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
- Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt was assigned the Commander Special Service Squadron aboard gunboat Erie, relieving Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox, Jr. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Buenos Aires, Argentina for Santos, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- A second batch of five Beaufighter IF fighters were handed over to the RAF for evaluation. ww2dbase [Beaufighter | AC]
British Somaliland
Hong Kong
- By this date, all service families and registered non-service British women and children in Hong Kong were evacuated to the Philippines and elsewhere. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Heavy fog restricted the German Luftwaffe to conducting only a small number of raids on Britain during the day. Overnight, German bombers attacked Bradford, Liverpool, Crewe, and the Firth of Forth. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Two Japanese businessmen were arrested in London, England, United Kingdom. In response to a protest by the Japanese Ambassador, the authorities denied that their arrest was a reprisal for the arrest of British citizens in Japan six days prior. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
4 Aug 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-58 sank Greek ship Pindos with two torpedoes 10 miles from the Irish coast at 2120 hours; 3 were killed and 29 took to lifeboats. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-58 | CPC]
- After sundown, German armed merchant cruiser Widder stopped Norwegian tanker Beaulieu with one shot from her gun in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,700 miles east of Florida, United States, killing 4 in the process. 28 survivors were taken to lifeboats and abandoned; they would be rescued by British tanker Cymbeline on 13 Aug 1940. Beaulieu was sunk by scuttling charges. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Widder | CPC]
- German submarine U-52 sank three transports in convoy HX-60 in the Atlantic Ocean 300 miles northwest of Ireland, Geraldine Mary (3 killed, 48 survived), Gogovale (all 37 survived), and King Alfred (7 killed, 34 survived); U-52 was depth charged by Royal Navy escort vessels, causing significant damage, but she was able to escape and sail to Kiel, Germany for repairs; she would be out of action until 17 Nov 1940. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-52 | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted a hostile destroyer in the Atlantic Ocean just west of the Strait of Gibraltar at 0335 hours; she dove to avoid detection. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
British Somaliland
- Italian troops marched in three columns toward Berbera, British Somaliland. The main column marched along the main road through Hargeisa, while two smaller columns flanked to the east and west. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
Germany
- Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld was transferred to the Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 wing based in Gütersloh, Germany. ww2dbase [Egmont | Gütersloh | CPC]
Netherlands
- German anti-submarine trawler Perseus (UJ-175) hit a naval mine and sank off Ameland Island off northwestern Netherlands. ww2dbase [CPC]
Norway
- British submarine HMS Sealion sank Norwegian ship Torun off of the Norwegian southern coast. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- Three British minesweeping trawlers hit German naval mines on this date at different locations on the British coast and were all destroyed: HMT Drummer (2 killed), HMT Marsona (11 killed), and Oswaldian (12 killed, 7 survived). ww2dbase [CPC]
5 Aug 1940
- During the night, British Hampden aircraft attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-56 fired two torpedoes at Allied Convoy OB-193 northwest of Malin Head, County Donegal, Ireland at 2138 hours, scoring one hit on British merchant ship Boma; 3 were killed and 50 survived; Boma would sink on next day ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-56 | CPC]
- HMS Hermes joined a South Africa-bound convoy in the South Atlantic. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]
Brazil
British Somaliland
- Lieutenant General Bertoldi's Italian troops captured Zeila, British Somaliland, preventing forces in French Somaliland from reinforcing the British forces from the west. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | Zeila | CPC]
French West Africa
- British ship Cape St. George hit the wreck of Yugoslavian ship Rad off of the coast of Senegal in western Africa, which was sunk by German submarine U-A two days earlier; as Cape St. George sank, the crew of 65 were rescued by British ship Grodno, which was carrying the survivors of Rad. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Germany
- Germany announced that all citizens will be required to carry a Certificate of Ancestry (Ahnenpass) that proves their Aryan purity dating back to 1800. ww2dbase [TH]
- T10 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [T10 | CPC]
Italy
Latvia
United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom and Poland signed a military agreement. ww2dbase [TH]
- Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle agreed on Free French forces organization. ww2dbase [TH]
- Large German Luftwaffe formations patrolled the Strait of Dover and attacked convoys off the east and southeast coast of England, United Kingdom; 4 German Bf 109 fighters and 1 British Spitfire fighter were shot down as RAF fighters rose to intercept. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT River Clyde hit a naval mine off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom and sank, killing 12. ww2dbase [Aldeburgh, England | CPC]
United States
- The US Navy Chief of Naval Operations established general ground rules to govern the exchange of scientific and technical information with the British mission under Sir Henry Tizard. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Navy Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade and French Vice Admiral Georges A. M. J. Robert amicably discussed the presence of French warships (aircraft carrier Béarn, light cruiser Émile Bertin, training cruiser Jeanne d'Arc, and auxiliary cruisers Esterelle, Quercy, and Barfleur) and aircraft (44 SBC-4 dive bombers, 15 Hawk 75 fighters, and 6 Brewster fighters) in the western hemisphere. ww2dbase [CPC]
6 Aug 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- British merchant ship Boma (Master Charles Eric Anders), damaged by a torpedo from U-56 on the previous day, sank 60 kilometers northwest of Malin Head, County Donegal, Ireland. 3 were killed on the previous day during the attack; 50 survived and were later landed at Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted Spanish freighter Sebastian off Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean at 1320 hours. Shortly after, she sighted Portuguese destroyer Douro. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Brazil
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. ww2dbase [Santos, São Paulo | CPC]
British Somaliland
Burma
- Ba Maw, the pro-Japanese anti-British former Premier of Burma, was arrested for attacking Premier U Pu's policy of supporting Britain in the war against Germany. Ba Maw received a one year jail sentence. ww2dbase [Ba Maw | AC]
Finland
- US Army transport American Legion reached Petsamo, Finland to embark American nationals from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands wishing to return to the United States. ww2dbase [Petsamo | CPC]
Italy
Malta
- Operation Tube: British submarine HMS Pandora reached Malta from Gibraltar with ground equipment and spare parts for the Hurricane fighters delivered by aircraft carrier HMS Argus 2 Aug during Operation Hurry. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- The Italian cruisers Da Barbiano (Ammiraglio di divisione Marenco di Moriondo) and Di Giussano together with destroyers Pigafetta and Zeno deployed 394 mines south south-east of the Italian island of Pantelleria (Barrage 7 AN), under the escort of torpedo boats Cassiopea, Cigno, Pleiadi and Aldebaran. ww2dbase [HM]
Norway
- British submarine HMS Sealion was rammed by German anti-submarine vessel UJ-123 while running at periscope depth attacking a convoy 20 miles off the southern coast of Norway. Sealion would be able to return to the Tyne on 15 Aug and would remain in repair until 23 Oct. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- At 0630 hours, Hurricane fighters of No. 85 Squadron RAF shot down a German Do 17 aircraft on a reconnaissance mission over a convoy east of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom. Also on this day, a lone German aircraft bombed the RAF station at Llandow, Wales, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
United States
- Delos Emmons departed the United States for London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Delos Emmons | CPC]
7 Aug 1940
- Werner Mölders returned to duty without receiving medical clearance. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- American destroyer Grayson was launched. ww2dbase [Grayson | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-38 torpedoed and sank British troopship Mohamed Ali El Kebir 160 miles off Ireland at 2140 hours en route from England to Gibraltar, killing 86 of the 697 military passengers and 10 of the 165 crew aboard. Destroyer HMS Griffin depth charged U-38 for two hours and then returned to pick up all 766 survivors. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-38 | CPC]
- Jaguar, Kondor, Falke, T2, T7, and T8 began escorting minelayers in the southwestern North Sea. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Kondor | Falke | Jaguar | T2 | T7 | T8 | North Sea | CPC]
British Somaliland
- The 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment arrived in British Somaliland to reinforce against the Italian invasion. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
France
- Commissariat général de l’éducation générale et aux sports (CGEGS) was formally established in Vichy France to organize athletic curricula for French schools. It was attached to the Ministry of National Education in the following month. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
Japan
- Lord Halifax of the United Kingdom and US Ambassador to Tokyo Joseph Grew voiced concerns over Japanese demands for French Indochina. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | Tokyo | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German aircraft bombed one convoy, but otherwise very little activity was seen during the day over and near Britain. Overnight, German aircraft bombed coastal cities and laid mines in the English Channel and between Land's End and Liverpool. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
United States
8 Aug 1940
- Laws restricting education and employment were introduced in Romania. ww2dbase [TH]
- Wages of British military personnel increased by 6 pence per day; with this increase, a British Army private's weekly pay was increased to 17 shillings and 6 pence. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Troops of the 2nd Battalion, UK (Scottish) Black Watch arrived in British Somaliland to reinforce against the Italian invasion. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank British ship Upwey Grange, carrying 5,380 tons of frozen beef from Argentina to Britain, 200 miles west of Ireland at 0114 hours; the entire crew of 86 took to lifeboats, but one of the boats, carrying 36, was never seen again. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler ordered Walter Warlimont, Alfred Jodl's deputy, to determine the positions of Soviet troops in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. On the same day, Wilhelm Keitel signed the Aufbau Ost directive, which called for the mobilization of the German military in eastern Germany. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | CPC]
- Edward Brooks was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. ww2dbase [Edward Brooks | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- After several days of little action, the Germans launched continuous operations against the large convoy CW9, codenamed Peewit, of 25 merchant ships with Royal Navy escorts in the Strait of Dover. Torpedo boats attacked before dawn, sinking British ships Ouse, Holme Force (killing 6), and Fefe Coast (killing 5). As the convoy traveled westward, 300 Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers escorted by 150 fighters struck, sinking Dutch ship Ajax (killing 4), British ship Coquetdale, and British ship Empire Crusader (killing 5); as the British fought back, 17 Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, 26 Bf 109 fighters, and 9 Bf 110 fighters were shot down, but the RAF also lost 13 Hurricane fighters, 4 Spitfire fighters, and 1 Blenheim bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Strait of Dover | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Widder sank Dutch collier Oostplein carrying 5,850 tons of coal from Britain to Buenos Aires, Argentina; the entire crew of 34 were rescued by Widder. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- Jaguar, Kondor, Falke, T2, T7, and T8 completed escorting minelayers in the southwestern North Sea. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Kondor | Falke | Jaguar | T2 | T7 | T8 | North Sea | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted Portuguese freighter San Miguel, en route from New York in the United States to Lisbon in Portugal, in the Atlantic Ocean at 1045 hours. Suspecting that the freighter was flying a false flag, the Italian submarine fired a warning shot, forcing the freighter to stop to allow an inspection. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Germany
Italy
Japan
Malta
- Operation Tube: British submarine HMS Proteus reached Malta from Gibraltar with spares for the newly-arrived Hurricane fighters. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- After sundown, Italian minelayer Scilla deployed 216 mines west of the Italian island of Pantelleria. ww2dbase [HM]
- Starting after sundown and lasting through the end of the following next, Italian destroyers Maestrale, Grecale, Libeccio and Sirocco each deployed 216 mines off of the Italian island of Pantelleria. ww2dbase [HM]
- Italian torpedo boats Antares and Sagittario provided escort for minelaying vessels operating off of the Italian island of Pantelleria. ww2dbase [HM]
9 Aug 1940
- Hermann Göring believed Luftwaffe had control of the air having successfully attacked many convoys and excluded Royal Navy ships from the English Channel during daylight. Overestimated downed RAF planes and underestimated Luftwaffe losses further convinced him the RAF was almost beaten; in reality, RAF was stronger than a month ago, with losses (84 fighters) less that half the Luftwaffe's (227 aircraft). Göring ordered new tactics to destroy RAF's fighting capacity by attacking their airfields, control centers and radar. These tactics could not be put into effect, however, as cloudy weather allowed only reconnaissance patrols; 1 He 111 aircraft was shot down. At 1645 hours, R. D. Ritchie of No. 605 Squadron crashed his Hurricane fighter into the sea and died off Dunbar on the east coast of Scotland. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | AC]
- Orion was ordered to make rendezvous with supply ship Regensburg in the Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Heavy cruisers USS Wichita and USS Quincy arrived at Pernambuco, Brazil. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Santos, Brazil for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic was officially incorporated into the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | CPC]
- Friederich Schumacher was named the civilian administrator of the Channel Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]
- It was announced that British troops were to be withdrawn from Shanghai and North China. ww2dbase [AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-30 sank Swedish merchant ship Canton 70 miles west of Ireland at 2032 hours; 16 were killed and 16 survived. Canton was carrying 7,900 tons of cargo (including iron) from India and South Africa to Britain. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | AC]
Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Naples, Italy at 0915 hours for exercises, returning at 1930 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
- Comandante Cappellini arrived at La Spezia, Italy at 0920 hours, ending her second war patrol prematurely due to mechanical trouble discovered on 29 Jul 1940. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- After sundown, Italian minelayer Scilla deployed 200 mines west of the Italian island of Pantelleria. ww2dbase [HM]
- Italian torpedo boats Antares and Sagittario provided escort for minelaying vessels operating off of the Italian island of Pantelleria. ww2dbase [HM]
Panama Canal Zone
- Gunboat USS Erie, with Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt aboard, departed from the Panama Canal Zone for Ecuador. ww2dbase [CPC]
United States
- Charles McGee earned the Eagle Scout award of the Boy Scouts of America. ww2dbase [Charles McGee | CPC]
10 Aug 1940
- German submarine U-56 struck HMS Transylvania 20 miles north of Ireland at 0100 hours with U-56's last torpedo, killing 36. Destroyer HMS Ashanti and several trawlers rescued 300 survivors, and then attempted to tow Transylvania back to port, but Transylvania would sink during the process. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | TH]
- German occupation government in Luxembourg deemed the French language illegal; the German occupation government in Belgium declared that listening to BBC broadcasts was illegal. ww2dbase [TH]
- Romania passed anti-Semitic laws. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Widder stopped Finnish sailing ship Killoran 300 miles southwest of the Azores. Most of the German crew were against sinking this old ship built in 1900, Widder's on-board surgeon wanted a dramatic finale for a film he was making, and persuaded Captain Ruckteschell to sink the sailing ship by gunfire after detaining the crew of 18. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- Allied convoy OA-196's Dutch ship Albula and American ship Crescent City collided just north of Scotland; Albula sank with the entire crew taken aboard by destroyer HMS Jaguar. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Orion detected ship Triona off Brisbane, Australia but determined that she was not fast enough to attack this ship. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Japanese naval blockade of China was expanded to cover southern China. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- U-56 seriously damaged British auxiliary warship HMS Transylvania with one G7e torpedo hit 40 miles northwest of Malin Head, County Donegal, Ireland at about 0100 hours. An attempt was made to tow Transylvania, but she would founder and sink. 36 were killed during the attack, 300 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-56 | CPC]
France
Germany
Gibraltar
- British troop ship SS Neuralia departed Gibraltar, escorted by destroyer HMS Gallant, with 2,000 civilian evacuees bound for the Portuguese island of Madeira 600 miles to the west in the Atlantic Ocean. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
- The Italian Naval Staff issued its first operational order of WW2 for a Sep 1940 mission against Alexandria, Egypt and an Oct 1940 mission against Gibraltar. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0907 hours for exercises, returning at 1640 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Hermann Göring's Adler Tag offensive against RAF airfields was canceled due to the weather; only reconnaissance patrols and small attacks on isolated trawlers and merchant ships were launched. Overnight, German aircraft mined the coast of Britain. No aircraft were lost by either side on this day. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | TH]
- The British government announced the withdrawal of all its forces from Shanghai and other concessions in northern China. ww2dbase [CPC]
United States
- In the United States, President Roosevelt inspected Portsmouth Navy Yard in New Hampshire and Boston Navy Yard in Massachusetts, making the travel aboard presidential yacht Potomac. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
11 Aug 1940
- British Major General Reade Godwin-Austen arrived in Berbera, British Somaliland to take over the defense. The British had maintained prepared defenses at Tug Argan on 6 hills overlooking the Hargeisa-Berbera road, knowing that this was the most likely invasion route. Italian troops attacked 3 of the hills and captured the one defended by the 3rd Battalion of the 15th Punjab Regiment. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
- German submarine U-38 sank British ship Llanfair 125 miles west of Ireland at 1519 hours; 3 were killed and 30 were rescued by American merchant ship California. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- With trade with the outside world seriously effected by the invasion of France, Switzerland signed a new trade agreement with Germany. ww2dbase [AC]
China
- Liu Zhesheng damaged a Japanese G3M2 bomber. ww2dbase [Liu Zhesheng | CPC]
- 1940-08-11 90 Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China. Major Cheng Shao-yu led five others in I-15bis fighters in deploying an innovative new weapon. They dropped time-used 22-pound parachute bombs over the Japanese formation. Although the bombers were unharmed, the confusion caused by the unexpected explosions in the middle of the formation caused several bombers to break away, and one G3M bomber was subsequently shot down by the few fighters that the Chinese was able to scramble. ww2dbase [Chongqing | CPC]
Russia
- With the three Baltic States now annexed by the Soviet Union, Vyacheslav Molotov asked Germany to recall their ambassador to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia within the next two weeks, and to close the embassies by 1 Sep 1940. ww2dbase [Annexation of the Baltic States | Moscow | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Although the weather was fine, the German Luftwaffe did not start its offensive against RAF airfields, instead mounting a carefully prepared feint. Starting at 0730 hours, Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters bombed and strafed Dover Harbor in southern England, United Kingdom as a prelude to a larger attack on Portland Naval base and Weymouth, aiming to draw RAF fighters. Spitfire fighters of No. 64 and No. 74 Squadrons responded, but most RAF units remain on the ground per Keith Park's strategy of sending up only enough fighters to counter the German attack and withholding the remaining in reserve. As a larger formation consisted of 56 Ju 88 bombers and 20 He 111 bombers arrived with 97 Bf 110 fighters in escort was detected in the direction of Cherbourg, France at 0945 hours, there were enough British fighters to counter that attack; the ensuing battle caused 20 British Hurricane fighters, 5 British Spitfire fighters, 27 German bombers, and 10 German Bf 110 fighters to become destroyed. The day's German bombing damaged 4 British destroyers: HMS Windsor in the Thames Estuary, HMS Esk at Harwich, and HMS Scimitar and HMS Skate in Portland Harbor. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- British Commander-in-Chief Middle East Major General General Wavell was in London, England, United Kingdom to discuss the defense of British colonies in Africa and the Middle East. Seeing events in Somaliland and expecting an Italian attack on Egypt, Winston Churchill's War Cabinet made a far-reaching decision to send tanks to defend the vital Suez Canal. Despite the ongoing threat of invasion, 150 tanks (about half the total in Britain), 48 anti-tank guns, 48 field guns, and 20 Bofors anti-aircraft guns were ordered to Egypt. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
United States
- US President Roosevelt departed Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts, United States aboard presidential yacht Potomac, escorted by destroyer USS Mayrant, for Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, arriving later on the same day. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Boston, Massachusetts | CPC]
12 Aug 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- Italian submarine Malaspina sank British tanker British Fame with 6 torpedoes near the Azores, killing 3. Malaspina spent the remainder of the day towing a lifeboat full of survivors to safety. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted British tanker British Fame, which had dispersed from Allied convoy OB 193, sailing from Avonmouth in the United Kingdom to Abadan in Iran, in the Atlantic Ocean at 0550 hours. She submerged immediately, and then fired two torpedoes at 0620 hours at the distance of 1,600 meters, scoring one hit. Dead in the water, the crew of the tanker opened fire with their deck guns toward the direction of the torpedos. The Italian submarine then fired a third from the distance of 600 meters, scoring a hit on the engine room, forcing the freighter's master William George Knight to issue the order to abandon ship. At 1045 hours, the Italians fired a fourth torpedo, which detonated prematurely. Alessandro Malaspina surfaced and sailed close to the lifeboats, taking Knight prisoner. After ensuring that all survivors were far from the disabled ship, the Italians fired 22 rounds into the tanker to sink her at 1120 hours. 3 were killed during the attack, 1 was captured (Knight), and 44 in lifeboats were later rescued by Portuguese destroyer Dao and landed at Lisbon, Portugal. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
British Somaliland
- Italian troops renewed the attack at Tug Argan, British Somaliland, capturing the hill defended by the Northern Rhodesian Regiment as well as two of the four 3.7-inch howitzers. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | Tug Argan | CPC]
Ecuador
- Gunboat USS Erie, with Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt aboard, arrived at Guayaquil, Ecuador for a goodwill visit. ww2dbase [Guayaquil | CPC]
France
- Starting on this day and continuing for one month, the new curriculum for primary school girls in Paris and the Department of the Seine in France called for a focus on mending clothes, cleaning, ironing, personal hygiene, and childcare. Meanwhile, young boys in the same school districts were to visit zoos and museums, play sports, learn trade skills, and learn languages. ww2dbase [Paris | CPC]
Germany
- Flight Lieutenant Rod Learoyd, in a Hampden bomber of 49 Squadron based at RAF Scampton, pressed home an attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal despite of the damage his aircraft had sustained. He would would a Victoria Cross for this raid. ww2dbase [AC]
Italy
Russia
- The Military Collegium of the Soviet NKVD sentenced Red Army divisional commanding officer Grigoriy Fyodorovich to death for deserting his unit in combat during the Winter War. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- It officially became illegal to waste food in the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [TH]
- 20 German Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters, especially converted as fighter-bombers, raided British radar stations along the coast. As the radar station operations were disrupted, almost 100 Ju 88 bombers escorted by 145 Bf 110 fighters attacked Portsmouth and the Ventnor radar station on the Isle of Wight, while Do 17 bombers attacked RAF airfields of Manston, Lympne, and Hawkinge in southern England, United Kingdom. Most of the radar stations would be repaired by the end of the day, but the Ventnor radar station would be out of commission for two weeks. Portsmouth was also bombed, killing 100 civilians. Minesweeping trawler HMT Pyrope was sunk (killing 6), so was HMT Tamarisk (killing 7), by German aircraft during this day. 55 German aircraft were shot down during aerial combat at the cost of 6 British Spitfire fighters and 9 British Hurricane fighters. British anti-aircraft guns claimed 7 bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey was shot down over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | England | AC]
United States
- US President Roosevelt departed Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, United States aboard presidential yacht Potomac, escorted by destroyer USS Mayrant, for Newport, Rhode Island, United States to inspect the Torpedo Station and the Naval Training Station with Secretary of the Navy Knox, Senator David I. Walsh and Rear Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus. He then sailed for the Submarine Base at New London, Connecticut, United States, inspecting submarine operations en route and visiting Electric Boat Company facilities in New London. Finally, he set sail for Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, United States, arriving at night. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | New London, Connecticut | CPC]
13 Aug 1940
Brazil
British Somaliland
- The British Royal Navy cruiser HMS Carlisle shot down an Italian aircraft attacking Berbera, British Somaliland. On the same day, destroyer HMS Kimberley and sloop HMS Auckland shelled the port of El Sheikha, which had recently been captured by Italian forces. On the ground, Italian troops attacked British defenses at Tug Argan, but the defense held. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | El Sheikha | CPC]
China
- Admiral Thomas C. Hart of the US Navy Asiatic Fleet shifted his flag from heavy cruiser USS Augusta to submarine USS Porpoise at Qingdao, Shandong, China and departed for Shanghai. It was the first time a Asiatic Fleet chief had traveled in a submarine. ww2dbase [Porpoise | Qingdao, Shandong | CPC]
France
- The first shells fired from the French side of the English Channel fell upon Dover, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [AC]
- Philippe Pétain gave a speech over radio, speaking about government programs for the youth. His radio speech was written by Minister of Education René Gillouin. ww2dbase [Philippe Pétain | CPC]
Germany
- Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler and attempted to convince Hitler to reduce the landing front for the planned invasion of Britain as the German Navy had little means to maintain the security of a wide landing area. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Erich Raeder | CPC]
Ireland
- German submarine U-60 sank Swedish ship Nils Gorthon 10 miles north of Ireland at 2147 hours; 5 were killed and 16 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- German Luftwaffe launched Adlerangriff, Eagle Attack, in the afternoon, but miscommunications in the morning meant some aircraft took off early and suffered heavy casualties. At 1500 hours, 300 German aircraft were launched. 86 British Fleet Air Arm and 1 RAF Fighter Command aircraft were destroyed on the ground and 13 RAF Fighter Command aircraft (2 Spitfire and 11 Hurricane) shot down; the Germans lost 87 airmen killed or captured; 40 German bombers and 36 German fighters were lost. Overnight, German aircraft damaged aircraft factories in Belfast and Castle Bromwich. The minesweeping trawler HMT Elizabeth Angela was sunk by air attack on this day off Dover, killing 1. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- James Lacey was shot down by a German He 111 aircraft over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | England | AC]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt met with Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, and Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles regarding the possibilities of transferring destroyers to the United Kingdom. Later on the same day, Roosevelt sent a telegram to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill via Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles and Ambassador to London Joseph Kennedy, noting that "it may be possible to furnish to the British Government... at least 50 destroyers" in exchange for the promise of the Royal Navy never turning over its ships to the Germans even in the event of a Germany victory over the United Kingdom and for 99-year leases for land for military bases. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Frank Knox | Henry Stimson | Washington, District of Columbia | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Aug 1940
14 Aug 1940
- Roosevelt approved what later became the Two-Ocean Navy Act. ww2dbase [Two-Ocean Navy Act | CPC]
- The British Ministry of Home Security announced that parachutes had been found in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Scotland, though there were no evidence of German troops on British soil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British and Commonwealth troops engaged in heavy fighting with Italian forces near Berbera, British Somaliland; British commander in area Major General Godwin-Austen requested permission to fall back into Berbera and to prepare for evacuation. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
- On his way to ignite a coup in the Irish Republic and an uprising against Ulster, IRA Chief of Staff, Sean Russell, died aboard a German U-boat of a perforated ulcer. Trained in sabotage by the Germans, he was buried at sea wrapped in a Swastika flag. ww2dbase [AC]
- Cloudy weather prevented Germans from launching large scale raids against Britain early in the day as planned. At 1200 hours, 300 German aircraft flew over the Dover Strait and attacked Dover and Folkestone in southern England, which drew out the No. 65 Squadron RAF for defense, leaving RAF Manston undefended during the attack that came shortly afterwards (though anti-aircraft gun crews were able to shoot down two Bf 110 fighters). At 1545 hours, RAF Middle Wallop in Hampshire was bombed by Ju 87 dive bombers and He 111 medium bombers, killing 3 airmen and 1 civilian. In Portland Harbour, British sloop HMS Kingfisher and tug Carbon were damaged by bombing. On this day, the Germans lost 30 aircraft while the British lost 3 Spitfire fighters and 5 Hurricane fighters. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- German submarine U-59 sank British ship Betty 15 miles north of Ireland at 2034 hours, killing 30. 4 survivors were later rescued by British anti-submarine trawler HMS Man o' War. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Malcolm, destroyer HMS Verity, and three motor torpedo boats attacked a German convoy of 6 trawlers escorted by three motor torpedo boats off Texel Island, the Netherlands. One German motor torpedo boat and one German trawler were sunk. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Orion spent most of this day looking for her Ar 196 floatplane which had been forced to make a water landing due to mechanical issues while conducting reconnaissance on Nouméa, New Caledonia. The aircraft was found and recovered. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Bahia, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler heard from Walther von Brauchitsch, who insisted that the German Army would like to attack Britain on a wide front with four or more main landing sites. ww2dbase [Walther von Brauchitsch | CPC]
- Oberst Alois Stoeckl, the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing, was killed in action. ww2dbase [CPC]
- U-56 ended her eleventh patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Jaguar, Kondor, Falke, T2, T7, and T8 began escorting minelayers in the southwestern North Sea. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Kondor | Falke | Jaguar | T2 | T7 | T8 | North Sea | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted smoke on the horizon in the Atlantic Ocean at 1150 hours. She closed in, sighted a freighter, and fired two torpedoes at 1340 hours at the distance of 3,000 meters, both of which missed. The freighter returned fired two rounds at the submarine as she escaped the engagement. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
China
- US Navy Asiatic Fleet chief Admiral Thomas C. Hart arrived in Shanghai, China aboard USS Porpoise. Upon arrival, he transferred his flag to yacht Isabel. ww2dbase [Porpoise | Shanghai | CPC]
Italy
15 Aug 1940
- Roosevelt approved the National Defense Research Committee, which was a collection of civilian scientists working for the military. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Italian troops continued the attack at Tug Argan, British Somaliland, taking another one of the six hills overlooking the main road. Overnight, British forces withdrew towards Berbera, with African troops, Indian troops, and troops of the Scottish regiment Black Watch forming a rearguard at Barkasan. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
- German submarine U-A sank Greek ship Aspasia 700 miles west of Gibraltar at 2000 hours with two torpedoes, killing the entire crew of 19. Far to the north, 190 miles northwest of Rockall, Ireland, German submarine U-51 sank British tanker Sylvafield, which was carrying 7,860 tons of fuel oil, killing 3; 20 survivors were rescued by Belgian trawler Rubens and 16 survivors were rescued by British minesweeping trawler HMS Newland. In Germany, German Navy ordered the construction of 86 new submarines. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Eric Wilson of British Somaliland Camel Corps manned his machine gun during the Italian attack at Tug Argan Gap, British Somaliland despite being overpowered. A retreat order had already been given but it never got to him. He was captured; he was subsequently freed and joined the Long Range Desert Group. He would later win the Victoria Cross for the action at Tug Argan Gap. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Prime Minister Churchill responded to US President Roosevelt's telegram of 13 Aug 1940 regarding the offer of destroyers, noting "moral value of this fresh aid from your Government and your people at this critical time will be very great and widely felt." ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- The US Navy established a Naval Air Station in Miami, Florida, United States with Commander Gerald F. Bogan in command. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Bahia, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Oberstleutnant Hans Korte was named the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Greece
- Italian Air Force bombers attacked Greek destroyers Vasilissa Olga and Vasilevs Georgios I near the islands of Tinos and Syros. ww2dbase [South Aegean | CPC]
- The 2,640-ton Greek cruiser-minelayer Elli was torpedoed by the Italian Squallo-slass submarine Delfino during a religious festival Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos while at anchor at Tinos Island, Greece at 0825 hours; 9 were killed, 24 were wounded. Delfino also fired a torpedo at anchored passenger ships Elsi and Esperos, but those torpedoes missed, damaging the wharf instead. ww2dbase [Elli | Delfino | Tinos, South Aegean | CPC, HM]
Italy
United Kingdom
- As the weather over Britain cleared up, the German Luftwaffe launched a major strike, with aircraft from Norway and Denmark joining their counterparts based in France. A formation of 1,100 German aircraft crossed the Dover Strait before diverging to different targets, damaging aircraft, runways, hangars, and radar stations. At 1850 hours, German Bf 110 fighter-bombers bombed Croydon airfield south of London, England, United Kingdom by mistake, meeting stiff resistance; one of the shot down Bf 110 aircraft crashed into a London suburb, killing 60 and wounding 120. At the end of the day, 161 aircraft, mostly bombers, were lost, leading to the nicknaming of this day Black Thursday. The RAF lost 34 fighters and 18 pilots. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- US Assistant Chief of Naval Operations Rear Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, US Army Air Corps Major General Delos C. Emmons, and US Army Brigadier General George V. Strong arrived in London, England, United Kingdom for an informal meeting with British officers. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
- James Lacey damaged a German Do 17 aircraft over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
United States
- The US Army contracted with the automobile manufacturer Chrysler to build the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in Michigan, United States. It was to be the country's first government-owned contractor-operated facility. ww2dbase [Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant | Warren, Michigan | CPC]
16 Aug 1940
- British and Commonwealth troops began evacuating Berbera, British Somaliland, while Italian troops marched closer to the capital, though very cautiously and did not attack the British rearguard at Barkasan. Italian aircraft, for the most part, allowed the evacuation operation to take place in order to maintain good relations with Britain. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
- Despite fine weather, German attacks on Britain were limited to small raids. At noon, German bombers attacked shipping in the Thames estuary and various airfields in southern England; at 1630 hours, some of the same targets were hit a second time. Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers attacked RAF Tangmere and Ventnor radar station, destroying many Hurricane fighters and Blenheim bombers in the hangar at the former and damaging radar installations at the latter. Pilot Officer W. M. "Billy" Fiske, an American pilot in the RAF, would become injured during one of the raids and would die on the following day, becoming the only American killed in combat during the Battle of Britain. On this day, the RAF lost 22 fighters while the Luftwaffe lost 72. In Germany, the 5th Directive (intelligence section) of the German Luftwaffe High Command reported the RAF Fighter Command only had about 300 fighters left; in actuality, it had about 400 Hurricane fighters and 200 Spitfire fighters available at the time, which was twice of the estimate. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Despite being badly wounded and with his Hurricane fighter on fire, Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson shot down a German Bf 109 fighter before bailing out. He would later win the only Victoria Cross awarded to a fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine Osiris sank Italian ship Morea 50 miles west of Durrës, Albania. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-100 sank British ship Empire Merchant 150 miles northwest of Ireland, killing 7. 48 survivors were rescued by tug HMS Salvonia. 150 miles further northwest, a German submarine wolfpack consisted of U-30, U-46, and U-48 attacked Allied convoy OB-197, sinking Swedish ship Hedrun (8 killed, 20 survived) and British ship Clan Macphee (67 killed, 41 survived), and damaging Dutch ship Alcinous. In the same general area 170 miles northwest of Ireland, British Coastal Command Sunderland flying boats of 210 Squadron attacked German submarine U-51 with depth charges; U-51 narrowly survived the attack; this was the first successful use of aircraft against a German submarine. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Hungary and Romania began negotiating over Transylvania, which Hungary wished to take over from Romania. The negotiation soon turned into a deadlock. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
- Orion attacked and sank French ship Notu which was en route to Nouméa, New Caledonia. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Adolf Galland recieved the Pilot's Badge in Gold with Diamonds from Hermann Göring. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt announced in a press conference that the United States had engaged with the United Kingdom to acquire land for military bases in the Western Hemisphere. No mention was made regarding the transfer to destroyers from the US to the UK. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- US Army Transport American Legion departed Petsamo, Finland for New York, United States with Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her three children on board. Also on board was a 40-millimeter Bofors gun purchased by the US Navy. American Legion was the last neutral ship to be allowed to depart from Petsamo. ww2dbase [40 mm Bofors | CPC]
- Wilhelm Keitel issued the order that, per Adolf Hitler's decision, the landing area in the invasion plan for Britain was to be slightly narrowed as a compromise between the Army (which wanted a wide front) and the Navy (which lacked the warships to secure too many landing sites). ww2dbase [Wilhelm Keitel | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- James Lacey claimed a probable kill on a German Bf 109 fighter over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
United States
- A "Test" Platoon led by Major William Lee and consisting of 48 volunteers from the US 29th Infantry Regiment made the first US Army parachute jump from an aircraft in order to explore the prospect of bringing troops and equipment into battle by air. ww2dbase [AC]
17 Aug 1940
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Bahia, Brazil for Pará, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
Afghanistan
- The Parliament of the Kingdom of Afghanistan was established. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler announced an air and sea blockade of Britain, threatening that all ships approaching Britain would be sunk without warning. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | TH]
- German leaders designated Berlin as the European financial center after Germany's victory. ww2dbase [Berlin | TH]
Italy
South Africa
- HMS Hermes began receiving repairs at Simon's Town, South Africa for damage caused by the 10 Jul 1940 collision with armed merchant cruiser HMS Corfu. ww2dbase [Hermes | Simon's Town | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Pilot Officer Billy Fiske of No. 601 Squadron RAF died from his injuries at Royal West Sussex Hospital in Chichester, England, United Kingdom after being shot down and badly burned on the previous day. Billy Fiske, an American volunteer, was remembered by a plaque in London's St. Paul's Cathedral as "An American Citizen who Died That England Might Live". ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Chichester, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 17 Aug 1940
18 Aug 1940
- The British evaucation of Berbera, British Somaliland was completed after troopships Chakdina, Chantala, Laomedon, and Akbar and hospital ship Vita departed the port, destined for Aden. Australian cruiser HMAS Hobart was left behind to collect stragglers and destroy vehicles, fuel, and stores. Colonial troops of the Somaliland Camel Corps chose to remain in their homeland; their British officers respected their decision and allowed them to keep their weapons. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | CPC]
- No. 302 (Polish) and No. 310 (Czechoslovakian) squadrons were activated by the RAF. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Rudolf Betzendahl was made the commanding officer of Togo. ww2dbase [Togo / Coronel | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted armed merchant cruiser HMS Circassia in the Atlantic Ocean at 1620 hours. At 1700 hours, at the distance of 800 meters, Circassia suddenly steered toward the submarine, and the Italians dove deeper to avoid being rammed; it was unclear whether Circassia was intending to ram or if she was merely zigzagging. At the distance of 200 meters, Circassia fired three rounds at the submarine's periscope followed by three depth charges, causing some damage with instruments within the conning tower from the vibration. Alessandro Malaspina remained submerged for 30 minutes before extending her periscope again, by which time Circassia had already left the area. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- On this "Hardest Day", German aircraft attacked Kenley and Biggin Hill airfields in southern England in the United Kingdom, among other locations, subjecting the airfields to heavy bombing. Losses on both sides were heavy with the Germans losing 69 aircraft and the RAF Fighter Command 29. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
United States
- US President Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister King signed the Ogdensburg Agreement in Heuvelton, New York, United States, which established the Permanent Joint Board for the Defense of the United States and Canada. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Heuvelton, New York | CPC]
- The keel of Columbia was laid down by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, United States. ww2dbase [Columbia | Camden, New Jersey | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 18 Aug 1940
19 Aug 1940
- Italian troops captured Berbera, British Somaliland. The 17 day conflict has cost the British 250 casualties but the Italians more than 2,000. ww2dbase [Invasion of British Somaliland | AC]
- German submarine U-48 sank Belgian passenger ship Ville de Gand off Ireland just after midnight; 15 were killed and 38 survived. Also off Ireland, at 0154 hours, U-101 sank British ship Ampleforth; 9 were killed and 29 were rescued by British destroyer HMS Warwick. U-A sank British ship Hungarian Kelet off Ireland at 1000 hours, killing 6, all of whom were survivors of the ship Clan Macphee that was sunk by U-30 on 16 Aug 1940; 33 crew and 35 other Clan Macphee survivors were rescued by Norwegian merchant ship Varegg. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- The North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber took its first flight. ww2dbase [B-25 Mitchell | CPC]
- Dudley Morton was named the commanding officer of USS R-5. ww2dbase [Dudley Morton | R-5 | AC]
- U-56 began her twelfth patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted a ship in the Atlantic Ocean at 0120 hours at the distance of 5,000 meters. She closed to 1,500 meters by 0139 hours and fired one torpedo. As her crew heard an explosion followed by the sudden silencing of propellers at 0153 hours, the submarine commanding officer claimed a sinking. No Allied records showed the loss of shipping in that area at that time. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
China
- Twelve A6M2 Model 11 Zero fighters escorted fifty four G3M2 Type 96 bombers on a mission against the Chinese city of Chongqing; this was the first combat mission of the Zero fighter. ww2dbase [A6M Zero | Chongqing | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Cloud and rain limited German reconnaissance capability in the morning. In the afternoon, German Luftwaffe changed its tactics, sending single aircraft, mainly Ju 88 bombers, to attack targets along the southern coast of England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The Germans lost 1 Bf 109 fighter and 4 Ju 88 bombers during the day, while the British lost 1 Spitfighter fighter in the fighting and 1 Blenheim fighter over southern Norway during a reconnaissance mission. Meanwhile, the government in London declared the entire United Kingdom a defense area. To reinforce the RAF, a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron arrived in Britain. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
United States
- USS R-5 was recommissioned into service. ww2dbase [R-5 | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 19 Aug 1940
20 Aug 1940
- Hermann Göring sent peace proposals to Britain via Dutch and Turkish foreign ministries, but the proposals were ignored by the British. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Joseph Stalin's political enemy Leon Trotsky was attacked in his home in Mexico with an ice axe by undercover NKVD agent Ramón Mercader. Trotsky would die on the next day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Orion spotted British ship Turakina 350 miles east of New Plymouth, New Zealand, finally sinking her with gunfire and one torpedo after a prolonged chase; 38 crew members were killed. Despite knowing the New Zealand Navy might already be on the way, Orion's commanding officer nevertheless decided to remain in the area for 5 hours to rescue 21 of Turakina's survivors. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Theodor Osterkamp, the commanding officer of Jagdgeschwader 51, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz). Forty-eight year old Osterkamp was one of only a handful of aviators to see combat in both World Wars. During the Great War he had been awarded both the Knight's Cross of the Royal Hohenzollern House Order with Swords and the Pour le Mérite, and finished the war with thirty kills to his name. In 1940 he added six more victories before his superiors insisted that his further career should be chairbound. ww2dbase [Theodor Osterkamp | AC]
Atlantic Ocean
Canada
China
- Chinese communist forces launched the Hundred Regiments Offensive in Hebei and Shanxi Provinces in China. ww2dbase [Hundred Regiments Offensive | CPC]
Germany
- Luftwaffe leadership ordered that no more Ju 87 Stuka aircraft were to be sent into action over Britain, after suffering unsustainable loss rates; almost 60 were shot down in the past 11 days. ww2dbase [Ju 87 Stuka | TH]
United Kingdom
- At 1445 hours, 190 German aircraft flew over the Thames Estuary in search of British shipping, but failed to find any; British fighters arrived and shot down five German aircraft. Meanwhile, RAF Manston in northeastern Kent, England, United Kingdom was attacked; 1 Spitfire fighter was shot down while attempting to defend the airfield. In total, 7 Luftwaffe aircraft and 3 RAF aircraft were lost today. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made the "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" speech in the House of Commons in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC]
21 Aug 1940
- Joseph Stalin's political enemy Leon Trotsky died of severe brain damage as the result of the previous day's assassination attempt by undercover NKVD agent Ramón Mercader. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Widder sank British collier Anglo Saxon 1,000 miles west of Africa. Survivors in lifeboats were machine gunned. In total, 34 crew members were killed. 7 survivors got away in a lifeboat, but would not reach land, Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, 2,500 miles away, for 71 days; by that time, only 2 were still alive. One of the survivors, Able Seaman Robert Tapscott, would later provide testimony to convict Captain Ruckteschell of Widder as a war criminal. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- Italian submarine Dandolo damaged Dutch tanker Hermes 200 miles west of Lisbon, Portugal. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Pará, Brazil. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Douglas Bader shot down a German Do 17 aircraft off Great Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
- Iride, with four manned torpedoes on board intended for an attack on British ships in Alexandria in Egypt, was sunk by British torpedo bombers in the Gulf of Bomba off Libya. ww2dbase [Iride | CPC]
Italy
Netherlands
- Tsingtau departed for Rotterdam, the Netherlands. ww2dbase [Tsingtau | Rotterdam | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom House of Commons authorized foreign troops of occupied nations to conduct training in Britain under their own flags. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
- Bad weather prevented large formations of German bombers from forming, so the German Luftwaffe dispatched only small one- to two-aircraft raids against coastal Britain. On this day, 1 Hurricane fighter was shot down, 2 RAF personnel were killed on the ground, and 40 RAF personnel were wounded; 4 civilians were killed, and 178 were wounded; several merchant ships were damaged or sunk. On the German side, 13 bombers were shot down. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Violette Bushell and Étienne Szabo were married at the Aldershot Register Office in Manor Park, Aldershot, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Violette Szabo | Aldershot, England | CPC]
22 Aug 1940
- British Swordfish torpedo bombers of 812 Squadron from HMS Peregrine bombed German invasion barges at Daedereide, the Netherlands. One Swordfish aircraft was shot down, with its crew of two taken prisoner. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Three Swordfish torpedo bombers of 824 Squadron of HMS Eagle sank Italian submarine Iride, killing most of the crew of 45, and the depot ship Monte Gargano in the Gulf of Bomba, Libya. Italian torpedo boat Calypso was also damaged. ww2dbase [Eagle | Iride | CPC]
- James V. Forrestal, former Administrative Assistant to the US President and Wall Street broker, was named the first Undersecretary of the Navy responsible for procurement and materiel in the Navy Department. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Galland was appointed Geschwaderkommodore JG 26 "Schlageter". ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | AC]
United Kingdom
- Harrow in northwest London, England, United Kingdom received a German bomb at 0330 hours, the first to fall within the borders of the London Civil Defence Area. After daybreak, bad weather once again prevented large German raids. At 0900 hours, German 38-centimeter guns at Cape Gris Nez, France shelled the convoy "Totem" in the Strait of Dover for 80 minutes, but no ships were hit. At 1300 hours, German Ju 88 bombers, escorted by Bf 109 fighters, attacked the same convoy, but were engaged by Spitfire fighters of No. 54 Squadron and Hurricane fighters of No. 610 Squadron; 1 Ju 88, 1 Spitfire, and 1 Hurricane aircraft were shot down, wit the Hurricane fighter shot down by friendly fire. In the evening, the 38-centimeter gun fired again, this time at the city of Dover; British 14-inch gun "Winnie" returned fire. From 1830 hours through the night, German bombers raided British cities, including Aberdeen, Bristol, and Hull. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
- Winston Churchill visited RAF Kenley in southern London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 22 Aug 1940
See all photos dated 22 Aug 1940
23 Aug 1940
- German propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels launched a new campaign that stressed the British fighting spirit in an attempt to rally Germany behind the war effort. ww2dbase [Joseph Goebbels | CPC]
- Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney, Australian destroyer HMAS Stuart, and British destroyers HMS Diamond, HMS Ilex, HMS Juno bombarded the Italian seaplane base at Bomba, Libya. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 torpedoed Norwegian ship Keret in the Atlantic Ocean 500 miles west of Ireland at 0222 hours, killing 13; 7 survivors in a lifeboat and a raft were rescued by British ship Trident. In the general area, at 1250 hours, U-37 sank British ship Severn Leigh, killing 32 crew and 1 gunner; 10 survivors would make it to Outer Hebrides, Scotland on 5 Sep. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright departed Pará, Brazil for the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. ww2dbase [CPC]
- James Lacey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
Germany
Tunisia
- British destroyer HMS Hostile (H55) hit a mine 10 miles east of Cape Bon, Tunisia at 0317 hours, killing 5 and wounding 3. The mine was laid by Italian destroyer Maestrale during the night of 8-9 Aug 1940. After the survivors were taken aboard by destroyers HMS Hero and HMS Mohawk, HMS Hero (H99) scuttled Hostile with torpedoes. ww2dbase [CPC, HM]
United Kingdom
- Rain and clouds prevented the Germans from mounting large raids against Britain, giving the British airmen a chance to rest and crews a chance to repair airfields. Single-aircraft raids were, however, mounted against southern and central England, as were raids against shipping; two merchant ships were sunk and one was damaged by He 115 torpedo bombers. Overnight, German bombers raided British cities; British fighters shot down two of the night raiders with no losses of their own, while anti-aircraft gunners claimed a third. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
Uruguay
- Heavy cruisers USS Wichita (with chief of Cruiser Division 7 Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens on board) and USS Quincy arrived at Montevideo, Uruguay. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | Montevideo | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 23 Aug 1940
24 Aug 1940
- German submarine U-57 attacked Allied convoy OB-202 2 miles north of Ireland just after midnight; British ships Saint Dunstan and Cumberland were sunk, killing 14 and 4, respectively; British ship Havildar was damaged. German submarine U-48 sank British tanker La Brea, carrying 9,410 tons of fuel oil, 130 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1414 hours, killing 2; 31 survived and made it to the Outer Hebrides on lifeboats. 500 miles west of Ireland, German submarine U-37 sank British ship Brookwood at 0314 hours, killing 1; 35 crew and 1 gunner would remain adrift for 5 days before being picked up by British merchant ship Clan Macbean. At 2038 hours, U-37 struck again, sinking British sloop HMS Penzance escorting Allied convoy SC-1, killing 90; 7 survivors were rescued by British ship Blairmore. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sank British ship King City, carrying 7,300 tons of coal and coke for Singapore, 900 miles east of Madagascar, killing 6. Atlantis remained in the area, in very rough seas, to pick up the survivors. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- Bismarck was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Before dawn, the London Blitz began as a misguided group of German bombers of KG1 unloaded their bombs London's Thames Haven oil terminal, which also damaged the church of St. Gile in East End; Göring demanded to know the crews that did this so to punish them. Clear weather allowed the German attacks to restart in size. German bombers arrived in waves against RAF Hornchurch, RAF North Weald, and RAF Manston in southern England; the Germans lost 22 fighters and 18 bombers, while the British lost 20 fighters. At 1600 hours, 50 German aircraft bombed Portsmouth in southern England, killing 100 civilians and wounding a further 300, while damaging HMS Acheron (killing 2, wounding 3) and HMS Bulldog (killing the commanding officer) in the harbor. Overnight, deliberate bombing of London, England, United Kingdom began, hitting north, east, and west of the city. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down a German Ju 88 aircraft and a Do 17 bomber over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
- Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his first kill, a British Hurricane Mk I fighter, over Kent, England, United Kingdom. While he was congratulated by his commanding officer, he was also reprimanded because he achieved the kill after abandoning his wingman to pursue the target. Later that evening, in his diary, he noted great sadness when he thought about the enemy pilot's mother not being able to see his son again. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 24 Aug 1940
See all photos dated 24 Aug 1940
25 Aug 1940
- Battleship Bismarck fired 52 3.7cm and 400 2cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Allied convoy HX-65 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to Liverpool, England, United Kingdom was tracked and attacked by German submarines all day; at 0245 hours, German submarine U-48 sank the ship Empire Merlin (35 were killed and 1 was rescued by corvette HMS Godetia) and tanker Athelcrest (30 were killed and 6 were rescued by HMS Godetia) 90 miles north of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland; at 0748 hours, German submarine U-57 sank tanker Pecten (49 were killed and 8 were rescued) 75 miles north of Ireland; between 2350 and 2356 hours, German submarine U-124 fired four torpedoes at the convoy 23 miles north of the Outer Hebrides, sinking British ships Harpalyce (42 were killed) and Fircrest (entire crew of 39 was lost), while damaging Stakesby. Also on this date, German submarine U-37 sank British ship Blairmore 500 miles west of Ireland at 0146 hours; 5 were killed and 36 were rescued by Swedish ship Eknaren. Closer to the Irish coast, German submarine U-100 sank British ship Jamaica Pioneer, killing 2. At about 2345 hours, U-37 struck again, sinking British ship Yewcrest. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Germany
- 81 British Hampden bombers of No. 49 and No. 50 Squadrons attacked Berlin, Germany in the first retaliation attack for the raid on London, England. Clouds led to bombs falling largely in suburban lawns and gardens, killing only 6. Nevertheles, Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring was shocked and embarrassed that the British bombers were able to get through in such great numbers. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Berlin | TH]
Italy
United Kingdom
- At 1700 hours, German bombers attacked RAF Warmwell and the harbor of Dover in Britain; during the defense, Czechoslovakian pilot Count Manfred Czernin, flying a Hurricane fighter for the RAF, shot down three Bf 110 fighters in one minute. Overnight, German bombers attacked South Wales, Bristol, Birmingham, and other cities in the Midlands area of England, United Kingdom. In total, the Germans lost 38 fighters and 14 bombers, while the British lost 16 fighters and 2 bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
26 Aug 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- Italian submarine Dandolo sank British steamer Ilvington Court in the Atlantic Ocean, killing 8. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German torpedo bombers attacked two British ships 10 miles east of Kinnaird Head, Scotland, United Kingdom; Remuera would sink and Cape York would remained afloat until the next day. Both crews survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
Canada
- The American-Canadian Permanent Joint Board on Defense convened in Ottawa, Canada. The American attendees were Fiorello H. LaGuardia (President, U.S. Conference of Mayors), Lieutenant General Stanley D. Embick (US Army commander of the Fourth Corps Area), Captain Harry W. Hill, and Commander Forrest P. Sherman (US Navy War Plans Division), Lieutenant Colonel Joseph T. McNarney, and John D. Hickerson (Assistant Chief of Division of European Affairs of the US Department of State). ww2dbase [Joseph McNarney | Ottawa, Ontario | CPC]
French Equatorial Africa
- Territory of Chad of French Equatorial Africa declared war on Germany and Italy. ww2dbase [Chad | TH, CPC]
Germany
- The British RAF bombed Leipzig, Leuna, Hanover, Nordhausen in Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler ordered the transfer of 10 infantry divisions and 2 armored divisions from France to Poland. To avoid Soviet suspicion, he made plans to make this transfer appear as if these fresher troops were coming in to relieve older men who were going to be released back into the work force. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Indian Ocean
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin's seaplane attacked Norwegian tanker Filefjell off Madagascar at 1748 hours. Pinguin soon arrived to capture the ship which was carrying 10,000 tons of gasoline and 500 tons of oil. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
Ireland
- Ireland lodged a protest in Berlin, Germany after bombs were dropped on Campile, County Wexford, Ireland during the day, killing three women. ww2dbase [Campile, Wexford | TH, CPC]
Italy
- The British RAF bombed Turin and Milan in Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Naples, Italy at 0600 hours to patrol waters east of Cape Ferrato, Sardinia, Italy. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
United Kingdom
- With clear weather, the Germans launched three major raids. At 1200 hours, 150 aircraft flew over the Strait of Dover from Calais in France; No. 616 Squadron's Spitfire fighters of RAF Kenley and No. 264 Squadron's Defiant fighters were attacked and devastated by escorting German Bf 109 fighters; the German bombers split up after reaching Britain and bombed RAF Biggin Hill, RAF Kenley, and various towns in Kent. At 1500 hours, 170 German aircraft flew up the Thames estuary, but most were turned back by British fighters; 6 Do 17 bombers made it through the fighter defense and bombed RAF Debden, causing heavy damage. At 1600 hours, 55 German bombers of KG55 escorted by about 100 fighters attacked Portsmouth, but the group was repulsed by 5 No. 11 Group and 3 No. 10 Group squadrons. In total, the RAF lost 28 fighters and the Luftwaffe lost 22 bombers and 24 fighters. While the machine losses were heavy for both sides, the RAF only lost 6 airmen, while most of the downed German crews were killed or captured. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
27 Aug 1940
- US President Roosevelt signed the joint resolution authorizing him to call Army Reserve components and National Guard into federal service for one year; meanwhile, at the US Congress, the legislation that allowed US Navy and US Marine Corps reserve aviators to be called up to active duty was enacted. On the same date, Roosevelt met with Secretary of the Navy Knox, Secretary of War Stimson, and Secretary of State Hull regarding a compromise that might persuade the opponents of the destroyers-for-bases exchange to back down. Subsequently, Roosevelt met with US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark, Secretary of the Navy Knox, Secretary of State Hull, and British Ambassador Lord Lothian to continue destroyers-for-bases discussions; Stark certified that the destroyers in question were available for British use without concerns of weakening US defense. Finally, Roosevelt received a ruling from Attorney General Robert H. Jackson which suggested that the destroyers-for-bases exchange was legal. Meanwhile, out at sea, German submarines continued to attack Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean. German submarine U-46 attacked British armed merchant cruiser Dunvegan Castle with three torpedoes 75 miles northwest of Ireland; 27 were killed and 250 were rescued by destroyer HMS Harvester and corvette HMS Primrose; Dunvegan Castle would sink on the following day. German submarine U-28 sank Norwegian ship Eva 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 1603 hours, killing 1. Finally, German submarine U-37 sank Greek ships Theodoros T. 300 miles west of Ireland at 2231 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin stopped British tanker British Commander off Madagascar at 0418 hours. Shortly after, she stopped Norwegian ship Morviken. Pinguin would imprison both crews and sink both ships by gunfire. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
- Wilhelm Keitel revealed an invasion plan for Britain that featured four separate main landing sites. ww2dbase [Wilhelm Keitel | CPC]
- Philippe Leclerc was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. ww2dbase [Philippe Leclerc | CPC]
Italy
- Caproni's C.C.2 prototype motorjet aircraft took its first flight. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca departed La Spezia, Italy at 0733 hours for exercises, returning at 1245 hours. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Bad weather limited the Germans to flying reconnaissance missions only over Britain during the day. Overnight, German bombers attacked industrial centers and RAF airfields. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 27 Aug 1940
28 Aug 1940
- Radio broadcast in Vichy France announced that laws protecting Jews in France had been removed. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | TH]
- German submarine U-101 torpedoed Finnish ship Elle 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 0425 hours, killing 2; after the 27 survivors were rescued by sloop HMS Leith and delivered to Greenock, Scotland, HMS Leith returned on 30 Aug to scuttle the ship with gunfire. German submarine U-28 sank British ship Kyno 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 2100 hours; 4 were killed and 33 were rescued by British ship Queen Maud. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Werner Mölders' wingman Oberleutnant Kircheis was shot down and became captured; Oberleutnant Georg Claus took over as his new wingman. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- US Army transport American Legion, with destroyers USS Biddle and USS Blakeley in escort, arrived from from Petsamo, Finland to New York City, United States with Norwegian Crown Princess Martha. Also aboard was a 40-millimeter Bofors gun, smuggled in for the US Navy. ww2dbase [40 mm Bofors | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler ordered troops to prepare for an occupation of Romania should war break out in that country. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
Finland
- Simo Häyhä was promoted from the rank of corporal directly to the rank of second lieutenant by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. ww2dbase [Simo Häyhä | CPC]
Germany
Italy
United Kingdom
- Shortly after 0800 hours, German bomber formations were detected above Calais, France; the incoming 33 bombers and 120 Bf 109 fighters would drop 100 bombs on RAF Eastchurch in southeastern Britain, but failed to disable the RAF airfield. At 1235 hours, 30 German fighters attacked RAF Rochford, which received 30 bombs. Two additional raids would reach airfields in southern England in the afternoon. During the day, the Germans lost 14 Bf 109 fighters, 8 modern bombers, and 1 WW1-era Gotha biplane bomber; the British lost 15 fighters; despite the fighter losses, after Winston Churchill's tour of some airfields, he was much more concerned about the German ability to damage runways, which could seriously disrupt fighter operations, thus he ordered more manpower to be assigned to the RAF for airfield repairs. Overnight, Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Sheffield, Manchester, and South Yorkshire were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Uruguay
- Heavy cruisers USS Wichita (with Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens on board) and USS Quincy departed Montevideo, Uruguay for Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | Montevideo | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 28 Aug 1940
29 Aug 1940
- The United Kingdom rejected Germany's proposal to use Red Cross ships to recover downed German airmen in the English Channel. ww2dbase [TH]
- The British Tizard Mission shared radar technology with the United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Ribbentrop and Count Ciano met Romanian and Hungarian Ministers in Vienna, Austria. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
- The French colonies of Equatorial Africa and the Cameroons declared support for Charles de Gaulle. Governor Georges Pierre Masson of Gabon, however, retracted the support after pressure from the French naval commander at Gabon, who sided with the Vichy government. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-100 hit five ships in Allied convoy OA-204 150 miles northwest of Ireland. British ship Hartismere was damaged at 0023 hours; British ship Dalblair was sunk also at 0023 hours (4 killed, 37 survived); British ship Astra II was sunk at 0140 hours (5 killed, 20 survived); Swedish ship Alida Gorton was sunk at 0336 hours (11 killed, 13 survived; 20 survivors of Dalblair were also killed); and British ship Empire Moose was sunk at 0427 hours (all 36 survived). ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Heavy cruisers USS Wichita (with Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens on board) and USS Quincy arrived at Buenos Aires, Argentina. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- Rear Admiral John Downes relieved Rear Admiral William C. Watts as the Commandant of the US Navy Ninth Naval District and as the commanding officer of the US Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Red Army divisional commanding officer Grigoriy Fyodorovich was executed for deserting his unit in combat during the Winter War. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Capitano Tarantini departed waters off the Azores Islands. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
Ireland
- Berlin formally apologized to Ireland for bombing Wexford. ww2dbase [Wexford | TH]
Italy
Russia
- Georgy Zhukov was made a Hero of the Soviet Union for the first time. ww2dbase [Georgy Zhukov | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Low clouds and rain in the morning prevented Germans from launching attacks on Britain; reconnaissance flights were mostly left alone by the British. At 1500 hours and 1915 hours, the Germans launched large groups of fighters in an attempt to draw out British fighters, which was initially successfully, but very quickly Air Vice Marshal Keith Park saw through the German attempt and recalled the fighters; only 9 fighters were lost on either side. On this day, RAF leadership decided to stop using Defiant turret fighters as daylight intercepters as they were no match for German fighters. Overnight, German bombers attacked Portsmouth, Tyneside, Hartlepool, Swansea, Manchester, and Liverpool; decoy fires were lit in the countryside to lure German bombing, which were partially successful. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down a Bf 109 fighter of German Jagdgeschwader 3 wing over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
- Grand Duchess Charlotte made her first radio broadcast from Britain. ww2dbase [Charlotte | London, England | CPC]
United States
- The first mass jump by American paratroopers was carried out at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States in front of a high ranking audience with complete success. ww2dbase [Columbus, Georgia | AC]
30 Aug 1940
- In exchange for a German guarantee of security, Romania ceded the region of Dobrudja to Bulgaria and ceded Transylvania to Hungary. This move was forced on Romania by Hitler in an effort to prevent a possible war between Romania and Hungary. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | TH]
- No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF was deemed operational in Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-32 sank three ships of Allied convoy HX-66A four miles off Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom between 0200 and 0248 hours; British ship Mill Hill was sunk with the entire crew of 34 lost, British ship Chelsea was sunk with 24 lost and 11 rescued by armed trawler HMS Lord Cecil, and Norwegian ship Norne was sunk with 17 lost and 11 survivors rescued by corvette HMS Hibiscus. Several hours later, German submarine U-59 attacked two ships of Allied convoy OB-205 70 miles northwest of Ireland between 0934 and 0953 hours; British tanker Anadara was damaged but remained float and without any casualties, and would be towed to the Clyde in Scotland by tug HMS Schelde; Greek ship San Gabriel also took on damage without sinking, but suffered 2 kills (she would later be declared a loss and her remaining 22 survivors would be taken off by destroyer HMS Warwick). Finally, also on this date, German submarine U-25 sank with all hands near Terschelling, the Netherlands after one of her own mines exploded. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- The brand-new armoured aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, and a powerful escort left Gibraltar. Although her air group was small (only 15 fighters and 18 bomber aircraft), Illustrious was one of the first warships to be fitted with air-warning radars which gave her a big advantage in fleet defence, as she could detect and track hostile aircraft and give her aircraft time to gain altitude. With both Illustrious and Eagle under his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive. ww2dbase [Illustrious | AC]
- Captain Leicester Charles Assheton Curzon-Howe was named the commanding officer of HMS Mauritius. ww2dbase [Mauritius | CPC]
China
- The Japanese-sponsored puppet state Manchukuo established a flight school in Fengtien Province to train military and civilian pilots. ww2dbase [Liaoning | CPC]
Danzig
- Danziger Werft, previously owned by French, British, Polish, and local interests prior of the start of the European War, was officially taken over by the Germans. ww2dbase [Danziger Werft AG | CPC]
Germany
Italy
Japan
- French Ambassador to Tokyo Arsène Henry announced to the Japanese that the French government would allow 6,000 Japanese troops to station in Indochina and would allow the military use of ports, airfields, and railroads in the region. However, the French government attempted to delay on the implementation of the plan as long as they could. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | Tokyo | CPC]
Netherlands
United Kingdom
- Albert Kesselring knew that the British were used to large raids every few hours by this time, so he changed tactics by dispatching smaller raids every 20 to 30 minutes. The airfield at Biggin Hill in England, United Kingdom was attacked repeatedly, but for the most part bombs fell on the town instead of the airfield, killing 39 and wounding 26; nevertheless, the few bombs that hit the airfield did damage the operations room and briefly brought down defense coordination at this site. Other targets attacked by German bombers on this day include Dietling (placed out of commission for remainder of day), Debden, North Weald, Duxford, Eastchurch, Croydon, and Hornchurch. The Ken radars were also brought offline briefly as power lines were damaged. This day, with 1,310 sorties flown by the Luftwaffe, would become RAF Fighter Command's day of greatest casualties, with 40 aircraft destroyed, 9 people killed, and 18 people seriously injured. German losses were great as well: 33 fighters and 30 bombers. Heavy attacks continued in England after nightfall, with Liverpool, London, Portsmouth, Manchester, Worcester, and Bristol bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Douglas Bader's No. 242 Squadron RAF was moved from RAF Coltishall at Norwich, England, United Kingdom to RAF Duxford at Duxford, England. On the same day, the squadron claimed downing 10 German aircraft, with two of which, Bf 110 heavy fighters, claimed by Bader. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | Duxford, England | CPC]
- After shooting down a German He 111 bomber and damaged a Bf 110 fighter over the Thames estuary in southern England, United Kingdom, James Lacey's Hurricane fighter was badly damaged, but he was able to successfully glide the aircraft and crash land the aircraft at Gravesend to the north. ww2dbase [James Lacey | Gravesend, England | AC]
United States
- Rear Admiral Charles S. Freeman relieved Rear Admiral Edward B. Fenner as the Commandant of the US Navy Thirteenth Naval District and as the Commandant of the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, United States. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | Bremerton, Washington | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 30 Aug 1940
31 Aug 1940
- By the end of Aug 1940, a little over 51,000 British citizens had registered as conscientous objectors. ww2dbase [TH]
- Battleship Bismarck fired 46 3.7cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Five British destroyers, ordered to intercept German ships, sailed into a new German airfield. HMS Express hit a mine and received serious damage; 56 were killed. HMS Esk moved closer to HMS Express to assist, but also ran into a mine, caused her sinking; 135 were killed and 25 survivors were captured on the beach. HMS Ivanhoe, also trying to help HMS Express, hit a mine and was damaged, killing 8 and wounding 3; she would be scuttled on the next day, and 23 of her survivors would be taken prisoner. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 8,000 British and French troops departed from Britain for Freetown, Sierra Leone, escorted by British cruisers HMS Devonshire and HMS Fiji and five destroyers. Their destination would ultimately be Dakar in French West Africa, which was still under Vichy control. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- Werner Mölders claimed two victories against British Hurricane fighters. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt called 60,000 men of the National Guard into federal service with the US Army. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Chen Cheng was relieved from his position as the head of the political bureau of the Nationalist military. ww2dbase [Chen Cheng | CPC]
- Conrad Helfrich was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. ww2dbase [Conrad Helfrich | CPC]
- Vannevar Bush met with Henry Tizard to arrange a series of meetings between American scientists and a British scientific delegation that would become known as the Tizard Mission. ww2dbase [Vannevar Bush | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- Allied convoy OB-205 was attacked by German submarines 100 miles north of Ireland; at 0000 hours, German submarine U-60 (Oberleutnant zur See Adalbert Schnee) hit Dutch steam passenger ship Volendam with two torpedoes (one exploded; the other, a dud, lodged in the hull); all of 273 crew and 606 British passengers (many were women and children) survived the attack, but one would die during the rescue. Norwegian fruit freighter Olaf Fostenes (Master Valvatne) rescued 251 of Volendam's survivors; the damaged Volendam was taken in tow by HMS Salvonia for beaching on the Isle of Bute in Scotland, United Kingdom. At 0206 hours, German submarine U-59 sank British ship Bibury, killing the entire crew of 38 and 1 gunner. At 0615 hours, German submarine U-38 sank British ship Har Zion; 33 were killed and 1 survived (rescued by Polish destroyer Blyskawica on the next day). To the west, 100 miles northwest of Ireland, German submarine U-46 sank Belgian passenger ship Ville de Hasselt; the entire crew of 53 survived on 4 lifeboats. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC, HM]
- Jaguar, Kondor, Falke, T2, T7, and T8 began escorting minelayers in the southwestern North Sea. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Kondor | Falke | Jaguar | T2 | T7 | T8 | North Sea | CPC]
Germany
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- While escorting the Operation Hats convoy toward Malta, Garland was lightly damaged by Italian aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Garland | CPC]
Netherlands
- RAF photo-reconnaissance revealed that 56 barges from Antwerp, Belgium and Amsterdam, Netherlands were on the move towards ports on the English Channel. On the same day another 18 barges were spotted at Ostend, Belgium. Over the following weeks the number of barges assembled at the Channel ports increased considerably. Photographic interpreters counted 255 of them at Calais, France; 192 at Dunkirk, France; 230 at Boulogne, France; 140 at Flushing, Netherlands; and 227 at Ostend, Netherlands. Also at Antwerp, a further 600 barges and 200 merchant ships were gathering. ww2dbase [AC]
United Kingdom
- Overnight, the British complete enough repairs to bring RAF Biggin Hill back to operational status. At 0800 hours, radar installations in Kent in southern England, United Kingdom picked up German formations; it was soon discovered to be all fighters, thus fighters already dispatched to intercept were called back, and only 3 fighters (all Canadian) were lost. Before noon, the real German raids arrived. 200 bombers attacked Essex; No. 56 Squadron RAF shot down 1 bomber but lost 4 fighters to German escort fighters from III./ZG26 and III./JG26. Debden, North Weald, Eastchurch, Dietling (strafed by fighters), Croydon (bombed by Bf 109 fighter-bombers of Erprobungsgruppe 210), and Hornchurch were all attacked in the morning. In the afternoon, Hornchurch was attacked again, destroying 2 Spitfire fighters on the ground but at the cost of 5 Bf 109 fighters. At 1800 hours, Biggin Hill was bombed from low level, destroying 2 of the 3 remaining hangars, cutting telephone lines, and destroying the operations room. On this day, the RAF lost 41 fighters and 9 pilots, while the Luftwaffe lost 56 fighters and 29 bombers. After sundown, Liverpool was bombed for the fourth consecutive night; other cities received bombs, too. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down a German Bf 109 fighter over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
United States
- The Hollywood actors Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh married on a ranch in California, United States with only four wedding guests. The glamorous couple, who both divorced previous partners after a scandalous four year affair, had amassed six Oscar awards, five Emmy awards and three BAFTA awards between them. They would stay together for 20 years. ww2dbase [California | AC]
1 Sep 1940
- British Destroyer HMS Ivanhoe sank after hitting a mine off the Dutch coast. ww2dbase [TH]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Royalo hit a mine and sank off Penzance, Cornwall, England; 7 were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Sunfish collided with patrol launch Mesme shortly after departing Grangemouth, Scotland, United Kingdom. Mesme sank with the entire crew of 3 lost. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-101 sank Greek ship Efploia 100 miles northwest of Ireland just after 0000 hours; the entire crew survived on two lifeboats and were rescued by British destroyer HMS Anthony. 200 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1725 hours, U-32 attacked British cruiser HMS Fiji, killing 5 and badly damaging the ship; Fiji would be able to sail to the Clyde, Scotland under her own power for repairs. To the south, near Brest, France, British submarine HMS Tigris sank the small French fishing vessel Sancte Michael with the deck gun. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Cruisers HMS Orion and HMAS Sydney and destroyers HMS Decoy and HMS Ilex shelled the Italian Dodecanese islands of Scarpanto (now Karpathos) and Stampalia (now Astypalea) in the Aegean Sea. HMS Ilex rammed and sank Italian motor torpedo boat MAS537. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Otto Skorzeny was promoted to the rank of Oberscharführer and was transferred to the 2nd SS Division "Das Reich". ww2dbase [Otto Skorzeny | CPC]
- German naval shipping began to move from North Sea ports to ports further south in preparation for the invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Vyacheslav Molotov complained that the Second Vienna Arbitration was in violation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed in 1939. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
Italy
- The Italian Navy established a frogmen training school at the Naval Academy at Livorno, Italy under the command of Lieutenant Wolk. ww2dbase [Livorno, Toscana | CPC]
Poland
United Kingdom
- Formations of German fighters arrived in Britain in the morning to lure British fighters, but the tactic did not succeed. At 1100, 1330, and 1730 hours, large German raids attacked Debden, Biggin Hill, Hawkinge, Lympne, Kenley, Detling, Eastchurch, Tand Sherburn, as well as the Tilbury Docks in the East End of London. Luftwaffe lost 17 fighters and 8 bombers, while the RAF lost 15 fighters (with 6 pilots killed). Overnight, German bombers attacked Kent, Bristol Channel, and South Wales. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- The survivors of Dutch steam passenger ship Volendam were disembarked by Norwegian fruit freighter Olaf Fostenes at Greenock, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Greenock, Scotland | HM]
United States
- In an unprecedented event in United States history, conscription in peace-time was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | AC]
US Pacific Islands
- The US Marine Corps Midway Detachment of the Fleet Marine Force, consisting of 9 officers and 168 enlisted Marines and approximately one-third of the 3rd Defense Battalion's equipment, was established. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Midway | CPC]
2 Sep 1940
- British submarine HMS Sturgeon sank German troop ship Pionier off Skagen, Denmark at 2000 hours. Most of the 750 to 1,000 German troops aboard Pionier, en route to Frederiksstad, Norway, were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-47 sank Belgian ship Ville de Mons with four torpedoes 200 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Scotland at 1900 hours. All 54 aboard survived. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- German submarine U-58 departed Lorient, France; only 30 miles out of the port, she was detected by British submarine HMS Tigris, which fired a spread of torpedoes at her; all torpedoes missed. German submarine U-46 sank British ship Thornlea 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 2200 hours, killing 3; 19 survivors were rescued by Canadian destroyer HMCS Skeena, while another 14 survivors would be rescued on the following day by the Norwegian ship Hild. 200 miles west of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom, German submarine U-47 sank Belgian ship Ville de Mons with four torpedoes at 1900 hours; all 54 aboard survived. Far to the south, German armed merchant cruiser Widder sank British tanker Cymbeline with the deck gun and a torpedo in the Central Atlantic 800 miles west of the Canary Islands, killing 7; Widder remained in the area for four hours and rescued 26 survivors. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Widder | CPC]
- Franklin Roosevelt approved the "destroyers for bases" deal with the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- US Secretary of State Hull and British Ambassador Lord Lothian concluded the destroyers-for-bases deal. The United States was to provide the United Kingdom with 50 WW1-era destroyers; the United Kingdom, in return, was to provide 99-years leases on land in the Bahamas, Antigua, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Jamaica, and British Guiana to build American military bases and to provide land in Newfoundland and Bermuda as gifts to the US. Planning was quickly placed in motion for the dispatch of US Marine Corps units to these newly gained future bases. ww2dbase [CPC]
- No. 25 and 29 Squadrons RAF each received their first Beaufighter fighters. ww2dbase [Beaufighter | AC]
- Ermland was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Ermland | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Germany
Italy
United Kingdom
- Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a British Spitfire fighter, his second kill, over Kent, England, United Kingdom. He received minor damage in the engagement and ran out of fuel, but successfully crash landed on a beach near Calais, France. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | England | CPC]
- In the morning, German bombers attacked RAF Eastchurch (destroyed buildings and down to only one runway), RAF Rochford (bombs fell on Gravesend instead of the airfield), RAF North Weald (most bombers forced back), and RAF Biggin Hill (suffered heavy damage) in England, United Kingdom. In the afternoon, RAF Hornchurch (most bombs missed), RAF Eastchurch (bomb dump detonated), and the Vickers bomber factory at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, England, United Kingdom was attacked. On this day, the RAF shot down 27 German fighters and 10 bombers, while British anti-aircraft fire shot down a further 1 fighter and 3 bombers; 20 RAF fighters were shot down, with 10 pilots killed. Overnight, German bombers attacked Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down two German Bf 109 fighters and a Do 17 aircraft over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
- Josef Frantisek, flying a Hurricane fighter, scored his first kill, a German Bf 109E fighter, as a RAF pilot. ww2dbase [Josef Frantisek | CPC]
- In Britain, the Bletchley Park codebreakers with the help of the newly installed Bombe succeed in breaking the "Brown" cipher thereby providing useful information regarding German Luftwaffe targets. ww2dbase [Enigma Code Broken | Bletchley Park | Bletchley, England | AC]
3 Sep 1940
- German submarine U-57 collided with Norwegian ship Rona at Brunsbüttel, Germany. U-57 sank with 6 lost; there were 19 survivors. She would later be raised to serve as a training ship. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-60 sank British collier Ulva about 150 miles southwest of Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0326 hours; 3 were killed and 17 survived. A British convoy escort vessel depth charged German submarine U-101 200 miles west of Ireland, damaging her and causing flooding, but U-101 would survive and reach Lorient, France on 16 Sep for repairs. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Joachim von Ribbentrop denied that the Second Vienna Arbitration had violated any terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, as Vyacheslav Molotov had accused. Furthermore, Ribbentrop complained that the manner in which the Soviet Union had take over the Baltic States was in itself a violation of the pact. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
China
- He Yingqin ordered Nationalist 18th Army to counter the Communist advance along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Huangqiao | CPC]
Czechoslovakia
- Vojtech Tuka convinced the Slovak assembly to enact Constitutional Law 210 which gave the government powers to establish anti-Semitic laws. ww2dbase [Vojtech Tuka | CPC]
Germany
- Germany began planning Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [TH]
United Kingdom
- 50 German Do 17 bombers escorted by 80 Bf 110 fighters and 40 Bf 109 fighters flew up the Thames Estuary in souther England, United Kingdom, then split up to hit RAF airfields at North Weald, Hornchurch, and Debden. All three airfields were badly damaged, but all remained operational. Biggin Hill also saw two minor raids on this date. Luftwaffe lost 17 fighters and 8 bombers, while the RAF lost 20 fighters and 2 bombers (to friendly fire). During a meeting on this date, Kesselring recommended Göring to cease the bombing of British fighter airfields because there were too many of them; instead, he suggested to bomb London and use the threat of civilian deaths to force large numbers of British fighters to come to battle. Overnight, German bombers attacked Kent, Liverpool, and South Wales. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Four German Abwehr spies landed from rowing boats on the Kent coast in southern Britain. Poorly trained and without papers the four, Charles van den Kieboom, Carl Meier, Jose Waldberg, and Sjoerd Pons, were quickly apprehended and handed over to Colonel Robin Stephens of Military Intelligence for interrogation. ww2dbase [England | AC]
United States
- US President Franklin Roosevelt announced the destroyers-for-bases deal to the public. Captain Ferdinand L. Reichmuth, the commanding officer of destroyers of the US Navy Atlantic Squadron was placed in charge of the transfer of destroyers to Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Light cruiser USS St. Louis departed Norfolk, Virginia with Rear Admiral John F. Greenslade on board, who was placed in charge to survey land recently gained from the United Kingdom for building military bases. ww2dbase [St. Louis | Norfolk, Virginia | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 3 Sep 1940
See all photos dated 3 Sep 1940
4 Sep 1940
- French Army General Maurice Martin took over Franco-Japanese negotiations for Indochina. Japanese intelligence intercepted a French cable that detailed Indochina affairs to the United States and the United Kingdom, signaling that the US and the UK still had influence in Indochina politics. Japanese Army argued that force must now to be used before US and UK openly asserted pressure. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | CPC]
- German motor torpedo boats attacked Allied convoy FS.271 off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. S-21 sank ships Corbrook and New Lambton, S-22 sank Fulham IV (entire crew survived), S-18 sank British ship Joseph Swan (only 1 survived) and Dutch ship Nieuwland (8 killed), and S-54 damaged ship Ewell. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-45 sank Irish ship Luimneach 200 miles west of Brest, France at 2000 hours. 3 were rescued by U-45 and 15 were rescued by a French fishing boat. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German submarine U-47 sank British ship Titan of Allied convoy OA-207 250 miles northwest of Ireland at 0128 hours, killing 6. 89 survivors were rescued by escorting destroyer HMCS St. Laurent. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
China
- Prince Nagahisa passed away in an airplane crash at Kalgan (now Zhangjiakou) in Japanese puppet state of Mengjiang in northern China. ww2dbase [Nagahisa | Kalgan, Chahar | CPC]
France
Germany
- Adolf Hitler addressed a crowd of factory workers, nurses, and relief workers during the Winter Relief Campaign at the Berlin Sportpalast, declaring that Germany would now answer British night raids on German cities with greater ferocity. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Adolf Hitler | Berlin | CPC]
Greece
- Fairey Swordfish aircraft from the British Fleet Air Arm's 815 and 819 Squadrons attacked the Calato and Gadurra airfields on Rhodes, Greece. They should had been accompanied by Swordfish aircraft from 813 and 824 Squadrons but these were delayed in their departure from HMS Eagle and when they arrived the Italian defences were alerted with fighters waiting for them. Four of the Swordfish aircraft were shot down. The Italians lost two aircraft destroyed and seven damaged on the ground. ww2dbase [AC]
Italy
Romania
- Romanian King Carol II handed power over to the pro-German General Ion Antonescu. ww2dbase [Ion Antonescu | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German bombers attacked RAF airfields at Eastchurch, Lympne, and Rochford, along with the Short Brothers factories at Rochester and the Vickers-Armstrong aircraft factory at Brooklands in Surrey (55 killed, 250 wounded). RAF Group Captain Grice at Biggin Hill decided to blow up his own hangars to prevent further German attacks; he was later censured in a Court of Enquiry for this action, but no conclusions were made in court. On this day, the Germans lost 6 Bf 109 fighters, 13 Bf 110 fighters, and 1 He 111 bomber; the British lost 9 Spitfire fighters and 6 Hurricane fighters and combat. Overnight, British cities in South Wales and the Midlands were attacked by German bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
5 Sep 1940
- Japanese troops crossed the border into Indochina without French permission; French negotiator Maurice Martin suspended all talks in protest. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | CPC]
- Hungarian troops entered Northern Transylvania, territory that German and Italy forced Romania to cede to Hungary. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
- 6 Blenheim IV bombers and 6 Hurricane fighters arrived in crates at Takoradi at the British Colony of the Gold Coast. These aircraft would soon be assembled and flown to RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt near the Suez Canal for the war against Italy in North Africa. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Komet completed its voyage across the Northern Sea Route and entered the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait. ww2dbase [Komet | CPC]
- Matrosenobergefreiter Heinrich Mantyk fell overboard from German submarine U-47 300 miles northwest of Ireland while operating the deck gun. He was lost. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
Japan
Romania
- Ion Antonescu became the Prime Minister of Romania and King Carol II transferred most of his dictatorial powers to him. ww2dbase [Ion Antonescu | AC]
- King Carol II swore in General Ion Antonescu as the new Prime Minister of Romania, and transferred a great part of the throne's dictatorial powers to him. ww2dbase [Carol II | CPC]
United Kingdom
- In the morning, German bombers attacked RAF airfields at Eastchurch, Lympne, North Weald, Kenley, and Biggin Hill in England, United Kingdom; in the afternoon, German bombers attacked RAF airfields at Detling and Biggin Hill, as well as the Hawker factories at Brooklands and oil storage tanks at Thameshaven. Eastchurch and Biggin Hill were placed out of action after sustaining heavy damage, while the fires at Thameshaven could be seen from London. When Churchill spoke to the House of Commons on this day, he promised compensation for families who had lost homes due to German attacks. On this day, 23 German aircraft were lost, as were 20 RAF fighters. Overnight, London, Manchester, and Liverpool were bombed by German bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down two German Bf 109 fighters over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
6 Sep 1940
- US military issued contracts for the construction of B-29 and B-32 prototype bombers. ww2dbase [B-29 Superfortress | CPC]
- All French colonies supporting General de Gaulle had the British naval blockade lifted. ww2dbase [TH]
- British troop ship Dunera arrived in Australia with 200 Italian prisoners of war, 251 German prisoners of war, 55 British Nazi sympathizers, and 2,036 civilians from Germany (mostly Jewish refugees). They were robbed and abused by British guards in the past 57 days, and those who committed the abuse were later court-martialed. These "enemy aliens", as they were categorized, were to be trained to the town of Hay, New South Wales, Australia. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Tribune attacked German submarine U-56 40 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland; all torpedoes fired missed. ww2dbase [Tribune | CPC]
- German aircraft damaged British merchant ship Melbourne Star 180 miles west of Ireland and Greek ship Aegeon 30 miles southeast of Dublin. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Argus launched 30 Hurricane fighters for Takoradi in the British Colony of the Gold Coast. They would later be flown to RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt to participate in the Desert War against the Italians. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler in regards to the invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [Erich Raeder | CPC]
- Rudolf von Schmettow was made the military governor of the Channel Islands, succeeding Albrecht Lanz. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German aircraft bombed the town of Grantham. This town, which contained the mansion St Vincents Hall that housed the headquarters of No. 5 Group RAF Bomber Command, would be bombed on twelve occasions up to the end of the year making it, for a while, the most bombed town in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Grantham, England | AC]
Atlantic Ocean
China
Gibraltar
- British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, battleship HMS Barham, battleship HMS Resolution, and 10 destroyers departed Gibraltar for Dakar. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
Romania
- King Carol II abdicated the throne of Romania. ww2dbase [Carol II | CPC]
United Kingdom
- A German paratrooper dressed in civilian clothes with a Swedish passport was dropped in Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom at 0300 hours to report damage to airfields; he was injured upon landing and would be captured at 1720 hours. At 0900, 1300, and 1800 hours, German bombers flew up the Thames Estuary and bombed RAF airfields at Heston, Kenley, and Biggin Hill, as well as the Hawker factories at Brooklands (only minor damage) and the oil storage tanks at Thameshaven (caused large fires). The Germans lost 37 fighters and 7 bombers on this day, while the British lost 22 fighters. Overnight, German bombers attacked London. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Northampton | England | TH]
- Successful tests of the "Plastic Armour" devised by lawyer Edward Terrell were conducted at the Royal Navy gunnery school, HMS Excellent. The trials of this material which consisted of a mastic asphalt and hard granite mix on a steel plate would result in a directive being issued that the bridge and gun positions on merchant ships (and subsequently, in December, for naval ships) should be protected with the new material to deflect bullets. Terrell would later receive an award of £9,500 from the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors for this protective material. ww2dbase [Portsmouth, England | AC]
- British submarine HMS Tribune discovered German submarine U-56 about 28 kilometers northeast of St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom and fired several torpedoes at the German boat. All torpedoes missed. The Germans were unaware that they were under attack. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-56 | St Kilda, Scotland | CPC]
United States
7 Sep 1940
- German submarine U-47 sank British ship Neptunian (killing all 36), British ship José de Larrinaga (killing all 40), and Norwegian ship Gro (killing 11; 21 survived) 300 miles northwest of Ireland between 0400 and 0533 hours. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- Douglas Bader shot down two German Bf 110 heavy fighters; his Hurricane fighters was heavily damaged in a subsequent encounter by a Bf 109 fighter, but was able to return to base despite the damage. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
United Kingdom
- Ignoring the RAF airfields, German bombers instead attacked London, England, United Kingdom as the new Operation Loge commenced; Göring rode his personal train Asia to Pas-de-Calais, France in a freshly made uniform to personally oversee the first night of the operation. At 1600 hours, 300 bombers and 200 Bf 110 fighter-bombers escorted by 600 Bf 109 fighters. British fighters expected the attacking force to split up to attack airfields, thus were unprepared when they flew straight for East End, London. By the time the British fighters arrived, the bombers had already unloaded their bombs. However, as the Bf 109 fighters had already left due to low fuel levels, German bombers became easy prey. During the day, 53 German bombers were shot down, as was 21 Bf 109 fighters; the British lost 27 fighters. Overnight, German bombers continued to attack East End, which saw 490 killed and 1,200 wounded on this day. This would mark the first of 57 consecutive nights of German bombings on the British capital. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- The Luftwaffe bomb St. Mary's Hospital, London, England, United Kingdom which was caring for wounded soldiers, killing two nurses and five patients. Nurse Agatha Joan Credland was buried in an unmarked grave in her home village of Sturton by Stow. Seventy-six years after her death the local historical society were able to find her burial site and a memorial service was held in the village attended by around 40 family members along with many local residents. A headstone, funded by West Lindsey District Council, would be erected at the location. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 7 Sep 1940
See all photos dated 7 Sep 1940
8 Sep 1940
- British cruiser HMS Aurora, escorted by 3 destroyers, shelled German shipping and invasion barges in the harbor of Boulogne, France. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Battleship Bismarck fired 72 3.7cm and 65 2cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- British torpedo boats MTB-14, MTB-15 and MTB-17 sank a German ammunition ship off Ostend, Belgium. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Widder stopped Greek collier Antonios Chandris in the Central Atlantic. Captain Ruckteschell of Widder ordered the crew of 29 to abandon ship. The Greek ship would be sunk by demolition charges on the next day. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- Adolf Galland was nearly shot down on the French coast by fellow pilot Ulrich Steinhilper in an episode of mis-identification. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | CPC]
France
- The French broadcasting station Radio Normandie was taken over by the Germans and made to broadcast programs of Radio Paris, which was already under German control. ww2dbase [CPC]
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Faà di Bruno sighted a dark shadow on the starboard bow in the Mediterranean Sea shortly after midnight. At 0050 hours, the Italian submarine fired one torpedo from a bow tube, and a hit was heard after 3 minutes, but the hit could not be confirmed. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
United Kingdom
- At 1200 hours, 20 German bombers escorted by 30 Bf 109 fighters flew for London, England, United Kingdom, but the group was intercepted by British fighters; 3 German bombers and 1 German fighter were shot down at the cost of 4 British fighters. At 1930 hours, 30 German bombers dropped incendiary bombs on London, causing fires for the purpose of marking target zones for bombers that would arrive during the night. The night time raid saw bombs dropped on East End in London once more; 3 of the German night raiders were shot down by anti-aircraft guns. Meanwhile, the British War Cabinet was convinced that the German invasion of Britain would take place very soon. The warnings passed to local Home Forces commanders led to many church bells across England being rung as some commanders thought the invasion had already started; some of them went as far as blowing up bridges. Finally, on this day, the British government declared the National Day of Prayer. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 8 Sep 1940
9 Sep 1940
- All political parties in Norway were dissolved except for Quisling's Nasjonal Samling Party, which was installed as the pro-Nazi Norwegian government. ww2dbase [TH]
- The US Navy awarded contracts for the construction of 210 new ships, including 12 aircraft carriers and 7 battleships. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian Army Marshal Rudolfo Graziani ordered his troops in Libya to march toward British positions, with troops of the Italian 10th Army under General Mario Berti as spearhead; the Italian goal was to capture the Suez Canal. Italian aircraft bombed British defensive positions while British aircraft flew sorties against Italian supply dumps and troop concentrations. ww2dbase [Invasion of Egypt | CPC]
- Greek collier Antonios Chandris, abandoned by her crew as forced by German armed merchant cruiser Widder, was sunk by demolition charges at dawn. Lifeboats containing 22 of her crew of 29 would be rescued by Portuguese freighter Serpa Pinto on 8 Oct 1940. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- German submarine U-47 sank Greek ship Possidon of Allied convoy SC-2 70 miles north of Ireland at 0024 hours; 17 were killed. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- German submarine U-28 sank British ship Mardinian of Allied convoy SC-2 70 miles north of Ireland at 0447 hours; 6 were killed and 22 survived. Italian submarine Comandante Faà di Bruno damaged British tanker Auris 750 miles west of Gibraltar. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British Skua aircraft of 801 Squadron took off from Royal Naval Air Station Hatston, Orkney, Scotland to attack German shipping off Bergen, Norway; 1 of the Skua was lost during the attack, with two airmen killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sank British tanker Athelking (without any cargo) 1,200 miles east of Madagascar; 6 were killed and 40 were captured. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- Walther von Brauchitsch issued a plan for the future military occupation of Britain which, among other things, called for the rounding up of males between the age of 17 and 35 to be sent to continental Europe as forced laborers and the systematic looting of British goods; this type of harsh treatment was not even implemented in German-occupied Poland at this time. ww2dbase [Walther von Brauchitsch | CPC]
- Douglas Bader shot down a German Do 17 aircraft and damaged the rudder of a He 111 aircraft using his propeller. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
- Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded Iron Cross 2nd Class. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | CPC]
Canada
- At Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the first eight of many American submarines were transferred to the British Royal Navy. ww2dbase [Halifax, Nova Scotia | CPC]
France
- French intelligence reported a possible invasion of Dakar in West Africa by General de Gaulle's forces, supported by the British. In response, French cruisers Georges Leygues, Montcalm, and Gloire, plus three destroyers, were ordered to sail from Toulon, France to reinforce Dakar. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | Toulon Military Port | Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | CPC]
- Montcalm departed Toulon, France. ww2dbase [Toulon Military Port | Montcalm | Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion, the invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [TH]
Greece
- Aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle attacked Italian airfields on the island of Rhodes, Greece; Eagle lost 4 aircraft in this attack. ww2dbase [Eagle | Rhodes | CPC]
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Faà di Bruno sighted British tanker Auris on the horizon in the Mediterranean Sea. After closing in and unsure of the ship's identity, the Italian submarine fired a warning shot at 1126 hours, and the tanker responded with a gunshot while turning to escape. The submarine began firing on the tanker, but rough seas led to inaccurate gunnery. Auris would be able to escape successfully. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German long-range guns shelled Dover, England. ww2dbase [Dover, England | TH]
- A large German raid crossed the English Channel at 1700 hours and flew toward London, England, United Kingdom in two pincers. Unexpectedly, a British "Big Wing" formation came to intercept, shooting down 29 bombers and 21 Bf 109 fighters and prevented most of the German bombers from reaching London. The British lost 20 fighters (6 pilots killed) in the battle. Overnight, London was heavily bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
United States
- The order for the construction of Illinois and Kentucky was issued. ww2dbase [Illinois | Kentucky | CPC]
- At the North American Aviation factory at Mines Field, Inglewood, California, assembly was completed on the North American NA-73X, the first prototype of the new Mustang fighter. ww2dbase [P-51 Mustang | Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
Photo(s) dated 9 Sep 1940
10 Sep 1940
- Battleship Bismarck fired 6 3.7cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Italian troops crossed the Libyan-Egyptian border. ww2dbase [Invasion of Egypt | CPC]
- The French Navy informed the British Naval Attaché in Madrid, Spain at 1800 hours that three cruisers and three destroyers were sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Unaware that these ships were en route to Dakar in West Africa, a British-Free French joint target, the British Royal Navy allowed the French warships to pass. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sank British ship Benarty 1,250 miles east of Madagascar. The entire crew of 49 were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Sturgeon attacked German submarine U-43 in failure 50 miles southwest of Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler postponed the decision for launching Operation Sealion to 14 Sep 1940. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
United Kingdom
- Bad weather restricted the Germans to flying reconnaissance missions only through most of the day. At 1715 hours, 6 small raids approached London, England, United Kingdom; 2 bombers were shot down and all of the rest were turned back by British fighters at the cost of one Spitfire fighter. Also on this date, ocean-going ships were banned from the port of London as these easy targets attracted German attackers. Overnight, the East End section of London was bombed, damaging the Buckingham Palace among others; South Wales, West Midlands, and Liverpool were also attacked during the night. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
11 Sep 1940
- Japanese Army Major General Issaku Nishihara reported to Tokyo, complaining that French authorities were delaying negotiations regarding Indochina matters. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | CPC]
- At 0835 hours, six French warships passed through the Strait of Gibraltar at the speed of 25 knots. Realizing they were heading for Dakar in French West Africa, HMS Renown and three destroyers departed at 1600 hours in an attempt to intercept. Overnight, the French fleet stopped at Casablanca to refuel. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- German submarine U-28 attacked Dutch ship Maas (sank, killing 20) and British ship Harpenden (seriously damaged, killing 1), both of Allied convoy OA-210, 200 miles northwest of Ireland between 0326 and 0328 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank British ship Albionic at 0716 hours, killing 25. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Winston Churchill noted that the coming week was to be dangerous as intelligence showed a German amphibious invasion was about to be launched. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Luigi Torelli began patrolling waters off the Azores Islands. ww2dbase [Luigi Torelli | CPC]
France
- Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his third kill when he shot down a British Hurricane fighter over the French coast at 1705 hours. His fighter received heavy damage and he was forced to crash land at Wissant, France. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | Wissant, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
United Kingdom
- After an entire morning without attacks, 300 German bombers flew across Kent in southern England, United Kingdom and up the Thames Estuary in 2 waves at about 1500 hours. British figthers from No. 11 Group RAF engaged the escorting fighters, while British fighters of No. 12 Group RAF attacked the bombers. Some of those bombers got through and bombed the East End of London. On the same day, Portsmouth and Southampton were also bombed. Off Ramsgate, Kent, destroyers HMS Atherstone and HMS Fernie were attacked in the Strait of Dover, badly damaging HMS Atherstone, which also suffered 6 deaths. Overnight, London and Liverpool were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
United States
- The United States Navy ordered the construction of six Cleveland-class light cruisers for fiscal year 1941. All six ships were to be built by the William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
12 Sep 1940
- Hungary completed the occupation of Northern Transylvania, Maramures, and part of Crisana; these were territory Germany and Italy forced Romania to cede. Meanwhile, the Germans established a military mission in Bucharest, ostensibly to train the Romanian Army, but the intended goal was to safeguard the Romanian oil fields. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | CPC]
- After refueling at Casablanca overnight, three of the six French warships (the three cruisers) departed at 0400 hours, sailing full speed for Dakar in French West Africa. Behind them, HMS Renown's group, now with six destroyers in escort, chased in an attempt to intercept. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- The Italian 10th Army advanced slowly toward the Libyan-Egyptian border. ww2dbase [Invasion of Egypt | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin intercepted British ship Benavon 330 miles east of Madagascar. Benavon resisted with her 4-inch gun, but her inexperienced gun crew failed to fit the shell with fuse caps, thus one of the shells that hit Pinguin right next to the magazine failed to detonate. Pinguin returned fire. After 24 deaths, the remaining 25 members of Benavon's crew surrendered. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
- In a report to his superiors dated this day regarding German aerial attacks on Britain, Keith Park wrote "confidence is felt in our ability to hold the enemy by day and to prevent his attaining superiority in the air over our territory, unless he greatly increases the scale or intensity of his attacks." ww2dbase [Keith Park | CPC]
- The German Navy noted that British naval shelling and air bombing were significantly undermining the German efforts to gather naval forces for the planned invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Nordmark began supporting cruiser Admiral Scheer. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | Nordmark | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Faà di Bruno sighted a ship on the horizon in the Mediterranean Sea at 0700 hours. The Italian submarine submerged at 0705 hours and attempted to gain an attack position, at 0840 hours she would surface again as she failed to close in. At 0918 hours, she submerged, but again failed to gain an attack position. She would eventually give up the target. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Bad weather restricted German activity to small reconnaissance flights over Britain during the day. Overnight, 50 bombers attacked London, England, United Kingdom. St. Paul's Cathedral was hit by a bomb which failed to detonate; Royal Engineers Lieutenant R. Davies and Sapper J. Wylie were later awarded the George Cross for defusing this bomb. On this night when two of the German bombers were shot down, London searchlight and anti-aircraft gun crews attempted to improve their coordination. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
- Lieutenant Robert Davies' company of the British Royal Engineers successfully removed an unexploded one-ton bomb from the southwestern corner of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England, United Kingdom and then brought it to the countryside to detonate it. Davies and fellow sapper George Wylie were awarded the George Cross medals. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]
13 Sep 1940
- Italian troops of the 1st "23 March" Blackshirt Division captured Fort Capuzzo in Libya, which was captured by the British at the onset of the war. ww2dbase [Invasion of Egypt | TH]
- Three French ships carrying troops from North Africa to France hit mines west of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. Transports Ginette Le Borgne and Cassidaigne sank, and Cap Tourane was damaged. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German minesweeping trawler Hermann Krone hit a mine and sank off Hanstholm, Denmark. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Sergeant J. Hannah was awarded the Victoria Cross. An 18-year old wireless operator/gunner on a Hampden bomber of No. 83 Squadron RAF that was hit by intense flak during an attack on invasion barges at Antwerp, Belgium. The wireless operator's and rear gunner's stations were set ablaze by a direct hit on the aircraft's bomb-bay. After two of the crewmen had baled out and with two fuel tanks pierced, Sergeant Hannah single-handedly fought the fire for ten minutes, using a fire extinguisher and his own log book, while rounds of ammunition detonated all around him and the aluminium fuselage beneath his feet melted in the heat. Such unselfish dedication to duty allowed his pilot to bring the wrecked bomber safely home. ww2dbase [AC]
- HMS Cumberland joined escort for military convoy on passage to Dakar with HM Cruiser Cornwall. ww2dbase [Cumberland | Cornwall | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- Comandante Cappellini stopped Yugoslavian freighter Rosina Topic in the Atlantic Ocean west of Lisbon, Portugal. After formal identification, the freighter was allowed to continue her journey. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
China
- 13 Zero fighters escorted bombers on a mission to raid Chongqing, China; the Zero fighters downed 27 of the Chinese I-15 and I-16 Russian-made fighters. ww2dbase [A6M Zero | Chongqing | CPC]
- 27 Japanese G3M bombers, escorted by 13 A6M Zero fighters, attacked Chongqing, China; the Chinese scrambled nine I-16 and 25 I-15bis fighters. Three A6M fighters were damaged in this engagement, one of which was credited to Lieutenant Gao Youxin in an I-15bis fighter. ww2dbase [Gao Youxin | Chongqing | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
United Kingdom
- Bad weather restricted the size of German raids, but still a continuous stream of single-bomber raids attacked London and surrounding RAF airfields in England, United Kingdom throughout the day; one of the bombs landed in front of the Buckingham Palace and another in the palace courtyard. Three of the German bombers were shot down during the day. Meanwhile, Royal Navy transferred battleships HMS Nelson and HMS Rodney to Rosyth and battleship HMS Revenge to Plymouth to deter a possible German landing through the next few days during tide conditions favoring landings. Overnight, German bombers attacked London and Cardiff. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- British passenger ship City of Benares departed Liverpool, southern England for Quebec and Montreal, Canada as the flagship of Allied convoy OB-213 commanded by Rear Admiral Mackinnon. She was carrying 90 British children being evacuated to Canada. ww2dbase [Liverpool, England | CPC]
- James Lacey pursued the He 111 bombers of German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing which had bombed the Buckingham Palace in London, England, United Kingdom and shot down one of them. After the attack, he had to bail out of his Hurricane fighter due to battle damage. ww2dbase [James Lacey | England | AC, CPC]
- HMS Rodney arrived at Rosyth, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Rodney | Rosyth, Scotland | CPC]
- Peter Roderick became the first baby to be born in an air-raid shelter at the height of a German air raid on London, England, United Kingdom. His sister, Doreen, then aged five, later recalled: "There was no midwife. My dad and gran delivered him with just a little torch." ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | AC]
United States
- The P-44 Rocket project, a plan to convert the P-43 Lancer fighter design into a rocket-propelled aircraft, was scrapped. ww2dbase [P-43 Lancer | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Sep 1940
14 Sep 1940
- The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters gave the orders for troops to move into Indochina on 22 Sep 1940 regardless of the state of the Franco-Japanese negotiations. British intelligence intercepted this message, but it would not be deciphered until 20 Sep 1940. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | CPC]
- British battleships HMS Barham and HMS Resolution, several British destroyers, and French sloops Commandant Domine and Commandant Duboc arrived at the Crown Colony of Freetown in West Africa to refuel. These warships were en route to French-controlled port of Dakar. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- German anti-submarine trawler Hinrich Wesselhoft ran aground near Bergen, Norway in the Hardangerfjord. The damage was so great that she would later be scuttled. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Emo attacked British tanker Saint Agnes 500 miles west of Porto, Portugal with torpedo and deck gun. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion once again, to 17 Sep 1940. In the evening, the British RAF mounted a major attack on several launching points for the invasion of Britain, destroying several ships. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Douglas Bader was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland detached from convoy escort with HM Cruisers Devonshire, Australia and HM Aircraft Carrier Ark Royal to establish patrol off Cape Verde for interception of three Vichy French cruisers attempting to reach Dakar. ww2dbase [Australia | Ark Royal | Devonshire | Cumberland | DS]
French West Africa
- Montcalm arrived at Dakar, French West Africa. ww2dbase [Montcalm | Dakar | CPC]
- Cruiser Georges Leygues arrived at Dakar, French West Africa. ww2dbase [Georges Leygues | Dakar | CPC]
Germany
- Walter Grabmann was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Walter Grabmann | CPC]
United Kingdom
- At 1530 hours, 150 German aircraft crossed the coast for London, England, United Kingdom; another 100 approached at 1800 hours. Most bombers were unable to reach their targets due to British fighter opposition. Overnight, there was little bombing of London. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 14 Sep 1940
15 Sep 1940
- German submarine U-99 attacked Canadian ship Kenordoc with the deck gun 200 miles northwest of Ireland just after midnight, killing 7 and wounding 13; heavily damaged, she would later be scuttled by Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Laurent and British destroyer HMS Amazon after the destroyers took the survivors aboard. German submarine U-48 sank British sloop HMS Dundee northwest of Ireland at 0025 hours; 12 were killed and 83 were rescued. At 0123 hours, U-48 attacked Greek ship Alexandros with a torpedo, killing 5; 23 survivors were rescued by destroyer HMS Wanderer. At 0300 hours, U-48 yet attacked again, sinking British ship Empire Volunteer; 6 were killed and 33 were rescued. 180 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0605 hours, German submarine U-65 sank Norwegian ship Hird; the entire crew of 30 survived, rescued by Icelandic trawler Þórólfur. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British Sergeant John Hannah, age 18, of RAF Scampton (today home to the Red Arrows display team) won the Victoria Cross for beating out flames with his bare hands to save his damaged Hampden bomber. ww2dbase [AC]
- British RAF attacked German launching points for the invasion of Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Douglas Bader shot down a German Do 17 aircraft and damaged a Do 17 aircraft and a Ju 88 aircraft over southern England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland reports operation cancelled when French ships entered Dakar. HMS Cumberland carried out surveillance. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
- U-56 arrived at Kiel, Germany and ended her twelfth patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alpino Bagnolini sighted a destroyer in the Atlantic about 80 miles west of Cabo de São Vicente, Portugal at 1542 hours; she dove to avoid detection. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]
China
Germany
- Battleship Bismarck departed Hamburg, Germany for the first time. At 1658 hours, while steaming down the Elbe River, she collided with bow tug Atlantik without damage. At 1902, she anchored in Brunsbüttel roads. During the night, she fired 13 10.5cm, 136 3.7 cm, and 191 2cm shells during a British air raid, without any hits. ww2dbase [Bismarck | Hamburg | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Faà di Bruno sighted a ship in the Mediterranean Sea on the horizon at 0807 hours. She later recognized the ship as Portuguese, and the pursuit was abandoned. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
United Kingdom
- At 1130 hours, 250 German bombers with fighter escort crossed the English Channel, with 100 of them targeting London, England, United Kingdom. At 1430 hours, another 250 bombers arrived in 2 waves, with 70 of them reaching London. At 1600 and 1800 hours, the aircraft factory at Woolston in Southampton, building Spitfire fighters, was bombed, but with little damage. On this day, 56 German aircraft and 29 British aircraft were shot down; 136 German airmen were killed or captured and 12 British pilots were killed. Overnight, the German Luftwaffe conducted heavy bombing raids over Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Southampton. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
- James Lacey shot down a German He 111 bomber and three Bf 109 fighters over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
- Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his fourth kill, a British Hurricane fighter, over southeastern London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 15 Sep 1940
See all photos dated 15 Sep 1940
16 Sep 1940
- US Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act. ww2dbase [TH]
- Battleship Bismarck entered the Kiel Canal. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Italian troops of the 1st Blackshirt Division "23 Marzo" captured Sidi Barrani, Egypt and stopped the advance due to supply problems. This would prove to be the farthest the Italians would go. ww2dbase [Invasion of Egypt | CPC]
- British bombers attacked German invasion barges in French ports along the English Channel, interrupting an amphibious training exercise and causing many casualties. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank Norwegian ship Lotos north of Ireland at 0241 hours; the entire crew of 17 survived in two lifeboats. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German bombers damaged British troop ship Aska in the Irish Sea, kill 11 British crew and 19 French soldiers. ww2dbase [CPC]
- French ship Poitiers, sailing from Libreville, French Equatorial Africa to Dakar, was intercepted by British cruiser HMS Cumberland. After taking the entire crew aboard, HMS Cumberland sank Poitiers by gunfire. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The presence of German troops in Finland, despite the fact that they were ultimately destined for Norway, alarmed the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Cumberland intercepted French mercantile Poitiers on passage to Ivory Coast. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
China
United Kingdom
- At 0730 hours, more than 100 German Bf 109 fighters made a raid on Kent, England, United Kingdom to draw British fighters, which never rose to meet them. Overnight, German bombers attacked London, Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry, Birmingham, and Bristol. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Georges Boris made a broadcast over the BBC from the United Kingdom to the French people, asking them to bear with the British blockade of France, for that hunger suffered now would lead to an eventual French victory against the Germans. He also spoke of the German actions to deprive France of its food and other goods, which was the true cause of the shortages, citing Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf as evidence of the underlying philosophy of the German occupation. ww2dbase [CPC]
17 Sep 1940
- Battleship Bismarck exited the Kiel Canal at 1448 hours, then arrived at Scheerhafen, Kiel. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Franco-Japanese negotiations for Indochina re-opened; the Japanese increased their demands and openly threatened France with military action. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | CPC]
- British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS Illustrious attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. Italian destroyer Borea was sunk by torpedoes and destroyer Aquilone was damaged by a mine. Italian merchant ships Gloria Stella and Maria Eugenia were also sunk. ww2dbase [Illustrious | CPC]
- British cruiser HMS Kent was damaged by a torpedo launched by an Italian aircraft at 1155 hours, killing 31. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyers HMS Janus and HMS Juno departed Alexandria, Egypt and bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt at 1100 hours. At 1130 hours, British gunboat HMS Ladybird bombarded the coastal highway near Sollum, Egypt. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Hitler postponed Operation Sealion via order Nr. 00 761/40 g. Kdos., ordering that no new barges would arrive, but those that were already there (1700 barges and 200 ships, capable of carrying 500,000 men) would remain. British intelligence would continue to think that a German invasion was still probable; as a result, Churchill announced to the Parliament on this date that the next few weeks would be "grave and anxious". ww2dbase [CPC]
- No. 29 Squadron RAF became fully operational with the Beaufighter IF fighters. Meanwhile two more Squadrons (Nos. 600 and 640) were working up with the type. ww2dbase [Beaufighter | AC]
- Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-48 attacked British passenger liner City of Benares 400 miles west of Scotland, United Kingdom; City of Benares was evacuating 90 British children and their families to Canada but this fact was unknown to the German captain; both torpedoes missed and U-48 would continue to stalk her prey. German submarines U-99 sank British ship Crown Arun of Allied convoy HX-71 200 miles west of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0832 hours; the entire crew of 25 were rescued by destroyer HMS Winchelsea. German submarines U-65 sank British ship Tregenna of Allied convoy HX-71 200 miles west of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1626 hours; 33 were killed and 4 were rescued by British ship Filleigh. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
United Kingdom
- At 1400 hours, German Ju 88 bombers attempted to attack factories in Bristol, England, United Kingdom but were turned back by Spitfire fighters of No. 152 Squadron RAF. At 1530 hours, a formation of converted Bf 109 fighter-bombers attacked Kent; 4 were shot down by British fighters without doing much damage. In Berlin, Adolf Hitler postponed Operation Seelöwe indefinitely, but Hermann Göring was allowed to continue the aerial attacks on Britain. Meanwhile, in London, Winston Churchill announced that 2,000 civilians were killed and 8,000 were wounded during the Blitz thus far. Overnight, more than 350 tons of bombs were dropped on London, South Wales, and Liverpool. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
- James Lacey was shot down over Ashford, England, United Kingdom by Bf 109 fighters. ww2dbase [James Lacey | Ashford, England | CPC]
- The British Royal Air Force resumed operations at RAF West Drayton, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom for radar training, thus forcing the WAAF recruit depot at that location to relocate to Harrogate, Yorkshire, England and later to Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. ww2dbase [WAAF: Women in the WW2 Royal Air Force | West Drayton, England | AC]
18 Sep 1940
- German submarine U-48 sank British ship Marina at 0007 hours; 2 were killed and 37 survived. At 1849 hours, U-48 struck again, sinking British ship Magdalena, killing the entire crew of 31. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS S-31 was recommissioned into service. ww2dbase [S-31 | CPC]
- Douglas Bader shot down a German Do 17 aircraft and a Ju 88 aircraft. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland deployed in pursuit of French warships Gloire, Georges Leygues and Montcalm with HM Australian Cruiser Australia (Note: These ships sailed from Dakar without detection. French ships were later intercepted by HM Cruisers Cornwall and Delhi. The cruiser Gloire was persuaded to go into Casablanca but the other ships went back to Dakar). ww2dbase [Australia | Cumberland | Montcalm | Georges Leygues | Gloire | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- U-48 hit the British passenger liner City of Benares, a ship evacuating 90 British children and their families to Canada, with a torpedo 600 miles west of Ireland at 0001 hours. The ship listed heavily, which prevented many of the lifeboats from being launched. She sank at about 0030 hours, taking down 121 crew and 134 passengers (including 77 children). Destroyer HMS Hurricane arrived on the following day and rescued 105 survivors. After this incident, the British government suspended the policy of sending children aboard. ww2dbase [TH]
- Alpino Bagnolini sighted a freighter 20 miles west of Porto, Portugal at 1410 hours. She submerged at 1500 hours, approached, and then identified the target as Spanish freighter Cabo Tortosa. Commanding officer Franco Pittoni considered stopping the ship and checking for papers, but the apperance of smoke on the horizon, feared to be Allied warships, led Pittoni to bypass the checking of papers and to attack the freighter. A bow torpedo hit Cabo Tortosa at 1543 hours, and she sank about 1.5 hours later. All aboard survived and were later rescued by Spanish ship Monte Ayala. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]
China
- Emperor Kangde presided over the dedication ceremony of the National Martyr Shrine of Manchukuo in Xinjing, the capital of the puppet state. ww2dbase [Puyi | Changchun, Jilin | CPC]
France
French West Africa
- Montcalm departed Dakar, French West Africa. ww2dbase [Montcalm | Dakar | CPC]
- Cruiser Georges Leygues departed Dakar, French West Africa. ww2dbase [Georges Leygues | Dakar | CPC]
Japan
Portugal
- Italian submarine Bagnolini torpedoed and sank neutral Spanish ship Cabo Tortosa, owned by the Ybarra & Compania of Seville, off Porto, Portugal. The sinking took over 90 minutes and did not cause any loss of life but was still a regrettable incident. The Spanish vessel was suspected of having cargo destined for Great Britain, but it did not, it was simply ferrying from Huelva to Bilbao. Lieutenant Commander Tosoni Pittoni of the Bagnolini had surfaced in order to verify the identity and cargo of the ship but seeing smoke on the horizon and fearing it may have been Royal Navy Forces from Gibraltar made the decision to attack. The crew members were rescued by Spanish ship Monte Ayala. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Porto | CPC, HM]
United Kingdom
- At about 0015 hours, an indiscriminate German air raid on London's Oxford Street severely damaged both the Peter Robinson and John Lewis stores; elsewhere, the Inner Temple Library and County Hall are also hit. At noon, 70 German Ju 88 bombers escorted by 100 Bf 109 fighters crossed the English Channel and were intercepted by British fighters of No. 11 Group RAF; 60 of the bombers would reach London, England, United Kingdom and drop their bombs. At 1600 hours, 200 bombers in multiple waves attacked targets in Kent in southern England; they were engaged by fighters of No. 11 and No. 12 Groups and suffered 23 bombers and 10 fighters lost, but they were able to shoot down 12 British fighters in exchange. Overnight, London was bombed by several waves of bombers; Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, and other cities were also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC, AC]
- Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his fifth kill, a British Spitfire fighter, over Dover, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | Dover, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 18 Sep 1940
See all photos dated 18 Sep 1940
19 Sep 1940
- Wellington, Hampden, and Whitley bombers of the British RAF attacked German invasion barges in ports along the French coast. One Hampden bomber was lost. After the attack, Adolf Hitler ordered the barges to disperse to minimize further losses. Thus far, 214 of the 1,918 barges assembled for the planned invasion had been destroyed by British aerial attacks. ww2dbase [TH]
- British Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin announced that, as of the end of Aug 1940, there were 51,261 registered conscientious objectors in Britain. ww2dbase [Ernest Bevin | CPC]
- British bombers sank German torpedo boat T-3 at Le Havre, France, killing 9 and wounding 12. T-3 would later be raised and repaired. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarines Archimede and Guglielmotti and destroyers Leone, Pantera, Battisti, and Manin searched in the Red Sea for Allied Convoy BN-5. They failed to locate their target. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Comandante Faa Di Bruno attacked a ship 700 miles west of Gibraltar without success. Italian submarine Guglielmo sank Spanish trawler Almirante Jose De Carranza in the Bay of Biscay north of Spain; only 1 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Italian submarine Serpente mis-identified Italian submarine Marcantonio Colonna as hostile and fired a torpedo 59 miles south of Italy. The torpedo missed. ww2dbase [CPC]
Ceylon
- Rohan Amerasekera signed up for the British Royal Air Force. ww2dbase [Rohan Amerasekera | CPC]
Japan
- During the Imperial Conference, Prince Hiroyasu of Fushimi expressed concerns regarding the alliance between Japan and Germany. ww2dbase [Hiroyasu | Tokyo | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Comandante Faà di Bruno sighted a freighter in the Mediterranean Sea on the horizon at 1720 hours. At 2045 hours, the Italian submarine fired a torpedo, and it missed. At 2053 hours, a second torpedo was fired, and scored a hit 2 minutes and 15 seconds later. The damaged target vessel would be able to escape from the submarine. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Bad weather restricted aerial activity during the day, thus the Germans only launched reconnaissance missions. 5 Ju 88 bombers dispatched on reconnaissance missions were lost, including one that was forced to land at RAF Oakington at 1500 hours due to engine trouble. Overnight, London, England, United Kingdom was bombed several times between 2000 hours and midnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
- No. 71 "Eagle" Squadron was formed at RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, the first fighter squadron made up of American volunteer pilots under the command of Squadron Leader Earnest Bitmead RAF. Initially supplied with Brewster Buffalo fighters the squadron was soon re-equipped with Hawker Hurricane fighters. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Church Fenton, England | AC]
United States
- During a yard maintenance period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, USS Oklahoma collided with harbor tug Goliah. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | Oklahoma | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
- British members of the Tizard scientific mission met with their American counterparts at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington DC, United States and began exchanging results of their scientific research up to that point, including and especially their radar technology. All by itself, this first meeting almost immediately led to vast improvements to radar on both sides and also led to further advancements in related areas, such as development of the proximity fuze. ww2dbase [Vannevar Bush | VT Radio Proximity | Washington DC | DS]
20 Sep 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-A sank Panamanian collier Tuira 400 miles west of Ireland at 0027 hours, killing 2. German submarine U-46 torpedoed and damaged Greek ship Leonidas M. Valmas 50 miles northwest of Ireland at 2150 hours; she would not sink due to its cargo of wood, but 16 crew members died in the fire; 2 survivors were rescued by British destroyer HMS Arrow. 10 miles north of Malin Head, Ireland, German submarine U-138 fired three torpedoes at Allied convoy OB-216 between 2120 and 2126 hours; all three torpedoes hit, sinking Yugoslavian collier Boka was sunk (8 killed, 26 survived) and British passenger liner City of Simla (3 killed, 182 crew and 165 passengers survived); British whale factory ship New Sevilla was damaged but would remain afloat until the next day (2 killed, 282 survived). ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Belgium
French Indochina
Indian Ocean
- Allied convoy BN-5, which had so far successful in evading the Italian destroyers and submarines in pursuit, was detected and attacked by Italian aircraft in the Red Sea. British ship Bhima was damaged by near misses and had to be towed to Aden to be beached. Escorting New Zealand cruiser HMS Leander was attacked but did not sustain any damage. One Italian bomber was shot down. ww2dbase [Red Sea | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sank French passenger liner Commissaire Ramel in the Indian Ocean about halfway between Madagascar and Australia, killing 3. 63 crew members, mostly Australians, were imprisoned abord Atlantis. Fregattenkapitän Rogge of Atlantis had wanted to transfer his 230 prisoners to Commissaire Ramel and send the French ship back to German as a prize ship, but situation did not allow him to do so. On the same day, the British Royal Navy formed a task force composed of Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra, Australian armed merchant cruiser Westralia, British cruiser HMS Capetown, and British cruiser HMS Durban to find and sink Atlantis. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Three waves of German Bf 109 fighters totaling over 100 aircraft flew across the English Channel for London, England, United Kingdom; they successfully lured out British fighters and shot down 7 of them (killing 4 pilots) at the cost of 2 of their own. Overnight, London was attacked by German bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | CPC]
- Werner Mölders shot down two Spitfire fighters of No. 92 Squadron RAF near Dungeness, England, United Kingdom, which were the 39th and 40th victories. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | Dungeness, England | CPC]
21 Sep 1940
- German submarine U-138 attacked Allied convoy OB-216 10 miles off Malin Head, Ireland at 0227 hours, damaging British ship Empire Adventure, killing 21. Empire Adventure was taken in tow, but would sink on 23 Sep. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German submarine U-47 detected Allied convoy HX-72 400 miles west of Ireland. With only one torpedo left and seeing so many potential targets (the convoy contained 41 merchant ships and had only 4 destroyers, 1 sloop, and 2 corvettes in escort), commanding officer of U-47 Günther Prien radioed the finding to eight other German submarines. Between 0312 and 0447 hours, German submarine U-99 sank British tanker Invershannon (16 killed, 32 survived), British ship Baron Blythswood (entire crew of 34 killed), and British ship Elmbank (2 killed, 54 survived). At 0614 hours, German submarine U-48 sank British ship Blairangus (6 killed, 28 survived). At 2310 hours, German submarine U-100 sank British ship Canonesa (1 killed, 62 survived), British ship Dalcairn (entire crew of 48 survived), and British tanker Torinia (entire crew of 55 survived). At 2338 hours, U-48 struck again, damaging British ship Broompark (1 killed). ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- British carrier HMS Ark Royal, battleship HMS Barham, battleship HMS Resolution, cruiser HMS Devonshire, French sloop Commandant Domine, French sloop Commandant Duboc, and French sloop Savorgnan De Brazza, and several destroyers and troop transports departed Freetown, West Africa for Dakar. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- Werner Mölders was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal for being the first fighter pilot to achieve 40 victories. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland joined HMS Ark Royal, HM Battleships Resolution and Barham, HM Cruisers Devonshire, Australia and Fleet destroyers in support of Free French landing at Dakar and carried out defensive patrol offshore (Operation Menace). ww2dbase [Australia | Ark Royal | Devonshire | Cumberland | Barham | Resolution | DS]
United Kingdom
- Through out most of the day, the German Luftwaffe only dispatched reconnaissance missions against Britain. The only major raid of the day came at 1800 hours when over 200 aircraft flew toward London, England, United Kingdom; this attack was turned back by British fighters. In London, the British government officially sanctioned the usage of the Tube underground rail stations as air raid shelters, though this usage had already been in place for some time; many stations had already been equipped with first aid stations, food canteens, bunks, and toilets. The Tube tunnel near the Aldwych branch of the Piccadilly Line was reinforced with concrete and was used to store antiques and artifacts from the British Museum such as the Elgin Marbles. Overnight, London and Liverpool were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 21 Sep 1940
22 Sep 1940
- Moscow radio reported that RAF bombing had largely destroyed the German invasion fleet along the English Channel. ww2dbase [TH]
- France tentatively agreed to meet increased Japanese demands for Indochina. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | CPC]
- British Royal Navy launched 11 Swordfish torpedo bombers and 6 Skua fighters/dive bombers from carrier HMS Furious at 0300 hours to attack German positions at Trondheim, Norway. Rough waters due to bad weather forced HMS Furious to turn back for Scotland ahead of schedule. When the aircraft returned, 1 Swordfish aircraft ran out of fuel while looking for HMS Furious (3 killed), 3 Swordfish aircraft crash landed in Norway (9 captured), and 1 Swordfish and 1 Skua aircraft cash landed in Sweden (5 interned). ww2dbase [Furious | CPC]
- British destroyers HMS Jervis, HMS Janus, HMS Juno, and HMS Mohawk bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Truant sank Italian ship Provvidenza 10 miles west of Naples, Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Osiris sank Italian destroyer Palestro in the Adriatic Sea 75 miles east of Bari, Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Allied convoy HX-72 continued to be attacked by German submarines about 600 miles west of Inishtrahull, Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean after being detected and attacked in the previous day. Between 0022 and 0214 hours, German submarine U-100 (Joachim Schepke) sank British ship Empire Airman (33 killed, 4 rescued), British tanker Frederick S. Fales (11 killed, 32 rescued), British ship Scholar (entire crew of 45 survived), Norwegian ship Simla (5 drowned after jumping overboard including master Hans von Krogh, 31 survived; see further detail), and three other ships. The 6.031-ton Simla, carrying scrap metal and steel, was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side forward of the bridge and sank quickly before the crew could launch the lifeboats; the survivors were picked up by corvette HMS Heartsease (K 15). At 0740 hours, U-32 attacked British ship Collegian with her deck gun, but return fire from Collegian drove off the attack. Meanwhile, 100 miles south of the Faroe Islands, German submarine U-31 sank Faroese trawler Union Jack at 1755 hours by deck gun fire; the entire crew of 7 survived. 1 mile off the French coast near Bordeaux, British submarine HMS Tuna sank Norwegian passenger liner Tirranna; the commanding officer of HMS Tuna did not know that Tirranna was a prize ship taken by German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis back in Jun, and it carried 274 prisoners; of the 88 killed, only one was German; the remainder were all civilians of friendly nations. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Atlantis | CPC, HM]
Italy
United Kingdom
- Bad weather restricted flying on both sides; only 1 German aircraft (Ju 88 bomber on reconnaissance mission shot down near the Isle of Wight, with entire crew captured) and 3 British Hurricane fighters (became lost in fog while on patrol) destroyed during the day. Overnight, London, England, United Kingdom received a heavy bombing from German bombers. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
23 Sep 1940
- Japanese troops invaded Indochina despite French agreement to Japanese demands during negotiations on the previous day. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | TH]
- Operation Menace: General Charles de Gaulle arrived with 3,600 Free French troops at Dakar, French West Africa held by Vichy France; his forces were supported by 4,300 British troops and a powerful fleet. The Vichy French forces imprisoned the crew of two Free French aircraft that had landed at Dakar, and then fired upon a boat containing Free French personnel approaching to negotiate (wounding 2). At 1000 hours, British warships approached the harbor, and were also fired upon (killing 5). At 1130 hours, British ships fell back out of the range of shore batteries; at about the same time, Vichy French submarine Persee was sunk while attempting to torpedo the cruiser Dragon. In the afternoon, cruiser HMAS Australia attacked Vichy French destroyer L'Audacieux, forcing her to beach after 81 were killed. De Gualle's first attempt at a landing, at Rufisque Bay, was repulsed, and he began to show reluctance of killing fellow countrymen. Having heard of this sentiment, Winston Churchill urged de Gaulle to "[s]top at nothing". ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- British submarine H-49 sank German ship Heimdal 7 miles northwest of Terschelling Island, the Netherlands. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- King George VI of the United Kingdom instituted the George Cross award as the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for civilians. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS R-1 was recommissioned into service. ww2dbase [R-1 | CPC]
- Bantam delivered a prototype, officially named the "Pilot" but nicknamed the "Blitz Buggy", to the US Army vehicle test center at Camp Holabird, Maryland, United States for a requirement that would result in the Jeep. ww2dbase [Jeep | DS]
- HMS Cumberland provided naval gunfire support and hit by 9.4in shell from shore battery. Steam pipe fracture caused loss of electrical power and ship withdrawn from operation. (Note: 4in Magazine was flooded as a precaution.) ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Canada
- The United Kingdom received 7 American destroyers at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ww2dbase [Halifax, Nova Scotia | CPC]
China
- USS Stewart departed China. ww2dbase [Stewart | CPC]
France
- Rationing of food began in France. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
United Kingdom
- Two German raids approached London, England, United Kingdom at 0930 hours and 1730 hours, but few aircraft reached London, turned back by RAF fighters; the Germans lost 10 Bf 109 and 1 Bf 110 fighters, while the British lost 11 fighters. Overnight, German bombers attacked London and Liverpool. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
24 Sep 1940
- In Britain, gasoline price rose to 2 shillings and 2 pence per gallon. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Japanese troops occupied Lang Son, Indochina. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | TH]
- Operation Menace: Overnight, Governor of French West Africa, Pierre Boisson, rejected Free French demand for the surrender of Dakar. At 0700 hours, British destroyer HMS Fortune detected Vichy French submarine Ajax, which was forced to surface by depth charges and then sunk with gunfire after the crew of 61 was captured. British battleship HMS Barham shelled French battleship Richelieu in Dakar harbor; Richelieu was damaged with two shells and a misfire of her own. French coastal batteries was able to force back the British fleet at 1000 hours. In the afternoon, the British fleet returned. French coastal artillery opened fire again, hitting Barham with four shells, and forced back the British fleet once again. Far to the north, 64 Vichy French bombers from Algeria and Morocco bombed Gibraltar in retaliation, damaging one ship. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | AC]
- King George VI of the United Kingdom instituted the George Cross medal to award those who displayed courage not in the face of the enemy. ww2dbase [George VI | CPC]
- Douglas Bader was promoted to the war time rank of flight lieutenant. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British submarine HMS Cachalot attacked a German submarine in the Bay of Biscay off France without success. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Cachalot (Grampus-class) | Bay of Biscay | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Tuna sank German catapult ship Ostmark 35 miles west of Saint-Nazaire, France. ww2dbase [Bay of Biscay | CPC]
- German motor torpedo boat S-30 sank British ship Continental Coaster in the North Sea 10 miles off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom, killing 4. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- Alpino Bagnolini sighted a Sunderland aircraft at the distance of 2,000 meters in the Atlantic Ocean. The Italian submarine fired on it with her machine guns and claimed to have hit the aircraft and forced it to turn around. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]
Italy
- Scirè departed La Spezia, Italy for Gibraltar with three manned torpedoes on board. ww2dbase [Scirè | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
United Kingdom
- At 0830 and then again at 1115 hours, 200 German bombers, escorted by 400 fighters, were launched to attack targets in Kent in southern England, United Kingdom; Portsmouth, Southampton, and the nearby Spitfire fighter factory at Woolston were among the targets. Meanwhile, as the British government announced plans to expand evacuation, 444,000 children had already been evacuated from the London area. The arrival of German bombers on this night marked the 18th consecutive night in which London had been bombed; Liverpool, Dundee, and other cities and towns were also bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
25 Sep 1940
- Vichy France instituted a court-martial body for crimes committed against the state. There was no appeal, and sentence was to be carried out within 24 hours. ww2dbase [TH]
- The German merchant ship Weser was captured off the coast of Manzillo, Mexico by the Royal Canadian Navy armed merchant cruiser Prince Robert. ww2dbase [TH]
- France surrendered Indochina to Japan, but fighting continued. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | TH]
- Operation Lucid: The British Royal Navy filled each of the two old tankers War Nizam and War Nawab with 2,000-3,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, diesel oil, and gasoline, then dispatched them from Sheerness in southeast England and Portsmouth in southern England with destroyers, minesweepers, and torpedo boats as escorts. These two oil tankers were meant to act as fire ships against the German invasion barges which had gathered in French ports along the English Channel, but the operation was canceled when War Nizam broke down. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Operation Menace: The British fleet bombarded Dakar in French West Africa in the morning. At 0900 hours, French submarine Beveziers attacked British battleship HMS Resolution, damaging her; she had to be towed back by battleship HMS Barham while the rest of the British warships fell back. The British War Cabinet decided to cancel the operation after all attempts to enter Dakar failed. Meanwhile, Vichy French bombers from Algeria and Morocco again bombed Gibraltar in retaliation to the British and Free French attacks on Dakar, lighting damaging port facilities and sinking British anti-submarine trawler Stella Sirius. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- German submarine U-32 sank British ship Mabriton 500 miles west of Ireland at 0325 hours; 12 were killed and 25 survived. German submarine U-43 sank British ship Sulairia 400 miles west of Ireland at 1330 hours; 1 was killed and 56 survived. Shortly after at 1400 hours in the same general area west of Ireland, German submarine U-29 attacked British ship Eurymedon; she would sink two days later; the final casualty list included 20 crew and 9 passengers killed; 42 crew and 22 passengers survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Adolf Galland was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross by Adolf Hitler for achieving 40 kills. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | AC]
- Joachim von Ribbentrop alerted the German embassy in the Soviet Union that Japan was likely to join Germany and Italy in an alliance. Should this happen, the ambassador was to alert the Soviet Union of this news, and to ensure the USSR that this alliance was meant to deter the United States from entering the war and in no way was meant to be formed against Soviet interests. ww2dbase [The Tripartite Pact | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- At 1145 hours, 27 German bombers escorted by 30 fighters attacked the Bristol Aeroplane Company factory at Filton in southwestern England, United Kingdom; construction sheds and 8 newly-built aircraft were destroyed, while 132 were killed and 315 were wounded; the Germans lost 6 aircraft (8 killed, 10 taken prisoner), while the British lost 4 fighters (1 killed). At 1647 hours, 24 German bombers escorted by 12 Bf 110 fighters attacked Plymouth in southern England, losing 1 bomber. Overnight, London and other cities were bombed, while other German bombers laid mines in the Thames Estuary. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- The British government conceded public defeat with a declaration to the press that the use of London tube stations as air raid shelters has been officially recognised. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 25 Sep 1940
26 Sep 1940
- British submarine HMS Tribune fired four torpedoes at German submarine U-138 off Lorient, France. All torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Tribune | CPC]
- In the late evening, the German ambassador in the Soviet Union shared the news that Japan was about to join Germany and Italy in a military alliance. The Soviet Union immediately complained that, according to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the text of such an alliance should have been shared with the USSR prior to the pact being signed, including any secret clauses. ww2dbase [The Tripartite Pact | CPC]
- Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler, noting that the Italian territories in the Mediterranean Sea was in danger of being attacked by the British as he deduced from the importance the British had placed on the region historically. To prevent this, he recommended Hitler to make plans to seize Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, and the Suez Canal. ww2dbase [Erich Raeder | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-32 (Hans Jenisch) attacked Allied convoy OB 207 400 miles west of Ireland at 0234 hours, damaging British ship Corrientes (entire crew of 50 rescued by Swedish ship Kolsnaren), sinking Norwegian ship Tancred (more details to follow) at 0811 hours, and sinking British ship Darcoila (entire crew of 31 killed) at 0137 hours. Tancred settled by the bow due to flooding of the forward holds, and sank within eight minutes; the 36 crew members took to three lifeboats (and all would survive), but the master and a few others would reboard the ship to recover extra provisions (but failed to recover valuable papers as they found no access to the master's cabin); all would survive the sinking of Tancred. U-32 would fire her deck gun at various ships of the now-dispersing convoy, scoring several hits. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC, HM]
- German submarine U-46 sank British ship Coast Wings 350 miles southwest of Ireland at 0153 hours, killing the entire crew of 16. At 2120 hours, U-46 attacked again, sinking unescorted Swedish ship Siljan; 9 were killed and 18 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German submarine U-137 fired three torpedoes at Allied convoy OB-218 10 miles off the Mullet Peninsula, Ireland between 0050 and 0052 hours, sinking British ship Manchester Brigade (44 crew and 8 navy personnel killed, 4 survived) and damaging British ship Ashantian (4 killed). At 0135 hours, U-137 struck again, sinking British ship Stratford of the same convoy; 2 were killed and 32 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Thor sank Norwegian whaling factory ship Kosmos 400 miles northwest of Natal, Brazil with her deck gun after imprisoning the crew of 89; Captain Kahler of Thor would later be criticized for not transferring Kosmos' valuable cargo of whale oil aboard before sinking the ship. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Thor | CPC]
French Indochina
- Japan conducted an amphibious landing at Dong Tac, Indochina; later that day, Japanese troops captured the Gia Lam airfield and several rail yards near Hanoi. In the evening, Emperor Showa ordered fighting to stop in Indochina since the French had already surrendered on the previous day. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | Dong Tac | CPC]
Italy
United Kingdom
- At 1630 hours, 100 German aircraft attacked Southampton in England, United Kingdom, causing damage to the factory at Woolston producing Spitfire fighters. RAF fighters claimed 16 bombers and 16 fighters shot down, which was likely over-estimated, while losing 10 fighters and 3 pilots. Overnight, London, England was bombed for the 26th consecutive night, while Liverpool and other towns and cities were also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
- In Britain, Henry Willink, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Croydon, was appointed Special Commissioner for the Homeless with particular instructions to organise the aid services for those citizens who had been made homeless through enemy air raids. ww2dbase [AC]
Photo(s) dated 26 Sep 1940
27 Sep 1940
- Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact. ww2dbase [The Tripartite Pact | TH]
- 300 miles west of Ireland, German submarine U-31 sank Norwegian ship Vestvard at 1113 hours (1 killed, 30 survived in one lifeboat) and German submarine U-37 sank Egyptian ship Georges Mabro shortly before midnight (all aboard were killed). 500 miles west of Saint-Nazaire, France, German submarine U-46 dove suddenly due to mechanical failure, killing Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Schenk and Matrosenobergefreiter Wilhelm Reh; control was regained, and the commanding officer aborted the mission to return to Saint-Nazaire for repairs. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Douglas Bader shot down a German Bf 109 aircraft. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British minesweeper HMS Halcyon hit a mine at the mouth of River Tees in the North Sea off northern England, United Kingdom and was heavily damaged. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- The survivors of Norwegian ship Tancred, sunk by U-32 in the Atlantic Ocean on the previous day, were picked up by the Norwegian motor merchant Tricolor; they would be landed in New York, United States about a week later. ww2dbase [HM]
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
United Kingdom
- At 0900 hours, 80 German bombers escorted by 100 fighters flew over Kent toward London, England, United Kingdom; most of the bombers were turned back near Maidstone and Tonbridge, but some got through and released their bombs over London. At 1120 hours, 25 bombers escorted by 45 Bf 110 fighters were intercepted before they reached their industrial targets in Bristol. Between 1200 and 1230 hours, 300 German aircraft, mostly fighters, conducted a sweep and engaged in dogfights near London; 20 bombers within this group were able to bomb London. By the end of the day, the Germans lost 21 bombers and 34 fighters while the British lost 27 fighters with 13 pilots killed. Overnight, London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Nottingham were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down a German Bf 109 fighter over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
- Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down his 6th kill, a British Hurricane fighter, over London, England, United Kingdom. In doing so, he abandoned his duty as wingman to flight leader Staffelkapitän Adolf Buhl, and Buhl would happen to be shot down in combat in this engagement. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | London, England | CPC]
- British newspaper The Daily Herald, on its front page story, reported that six evacuee children from the liner City of Benares, which had been torpedoed by Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Bleichrodt on 17 Sep 1940, had been rescued from a lifeboat in the mid-Atlantic. ww2dbase [AC]
- Georges Boris made a broadcast over the BBC from the United Kingdom to the French people, announcing that the Vichy regime in France was placed in charge of rationing across both occupied and unoccupied zones of France, thus villifying Vichy as a collaborationist regime which supported German occupiers at the cost of the suffering of the French people. Boris reminded the French people that, prior to German occupation, France was self-efficient in agriculture, thus the occupation and the collaborationists were to blame for the lack of food. ww2dbase [CPC]
United States
- The United States announced that, with effect from 15 October 1940, they would be imposing an embargo on the export of iron and steel scrap to all nations except those in the western hemisphere and Great Britain. ww2dbase [AC]
Photo(s) dated 27 Sep 1940
28 Sep 1940
- The first of the purchased US destroyers arrived in Britain. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarine U-32 sank British ship Empire Ocelot 350 miles west of Ireland at 1609 hours; 2 were killed and 32 were rescued by British destroyer HMS Havelock. German submarine U-37 sank the already-abandoned British ship Corrientes at 2000 hours; she was damaged by U-32 on 26 Sep. German destroyers Eckholdt, Riedel, Lody, Galster, Ihn, and Steinbrinck departed Brest, France and laid mines in Falmouth Bay at the western end of the English Channel. Meanwhile, British anti-submarine trawler Recoil hit a mine and sank in the English Channel off Portland Bill in southern England, United Kingdom; 25 were killed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German tanker Shell II was sunk by British bombers in the River Scheldt in the Netherlands. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Australian destroyer HMAS Stuart and British aircraft sank Italian submarine Gondar 12 miles off Egypt. Gondar was carrying three piloted torpedoes intended for use against the British Mediterranean Fleet, thus this plan to attack on the fleet at Alexandria was thwarted. Gondar's entire crew of 43 and the 4 torpedo pilots were rescued by HMAS Stuart. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Pandora sank Italian ship Famiglia 10 miles off Libya between Benghazi and Tobruk. Italian torpedo boat Enrico Cosenz counterattacked unsuccessfully. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down his 7th kill, a British Spitfire fighter, over the English Channel. His fighter received damage in the engagement, but he was able to crash land in France. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci sighted British destroyer HMS Wishart in escort of British battlecruiser HMS Renown in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar. At 1220, she attempted, but failed, to get in position to attack. Two minutes later, she was counterattacked with depth charges by the British, forcing Leonardo da Vinci to remain under the surface until 1929 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Leonardo da Vinci | CPC]
Germany
- Battleship Bismarck departed Kiel, Germany for Gotenhafen (Gdynia), occupied Poland and then into the Baltic Sea for her trials. ww2dbase [Bismarck | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
United Kingdom
- At 1000 hours, over 120 German aircaft crossed the coast of Kent in southern England, United Kingdom in two waves; British fighters intercepted most of them, and only 6 bombers were able to reach London to release their bombs. At 1330 hours, 35 German bombers escorted by 125 fighters attacked targets in Kent; this group was turned back by 1410 hours. At 1415 hours, 60 German aircraft flew toward Portsmouth, southern England from Cherbourg, France; they were intercepted over the English Channel, released their bombs into the water, and returned to base. Although most German missions failed to reach their targets, the kill ratio of the day favored the Germans; 16 British fighters were shot down with 9 pilots killed, while the Germans only lost 6 fighters. Overnight, London was heavily bombed, while Liverpool was also attacked; meanwhile, German aircraft mined the Thames Estuary. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Nearly half a million mothers and children began evacuating London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
United States
- Sumner Welles, US Under-Secretary of State, in a statement said that the overwhelming majority of the American nation was determined to render all material support and assistance to the people of Britain "successfully defending their homes with a heroism which is worthy of the finest traditions of that proud people". ww2dbase [AC]
Photo(s) dated 28 Sep 1940
29 Sep 1940
- Having dispersed Allied convoy OB-218 with previous attacks, German submarine U-32 caught up with British ship Bassa, now sailing alone, from behind and damaged her with a torpedo near the stern southwest of the island of Rockall between Britain and Iceland at 0053 hours. Bassa's crew members were observed by U-32 to have abandoned ship, but captain George Edward Anderson, the other 48 members of the crew, and the 1 navy gunner were never to be seen again. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British warships from Alexandria, Egypt bombarded the coastal road in Libya and attacked Italian shipping along the Libyan coast. ww2dbase [CPC]
- While at sea, Scirè's mission to raid Gibraltar with manned torpedoes was canceled. ww2dbase [Scirè | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland returned to Freetown, British West Africa (now Sierra Leone), British West Africa (now Sierra Leone) when operation abandoned. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- Luigi Torelli departed waters off the Azores Islands. ww2dbase [Luigi Torelli | CPC]
France
Italy
United Kingdom
- At 1600 hours, a large group of German aircraft, mostly fighters, conducted a sweep in Kent in southern England, United Kingdom; this sweep failed to draw British fighters. Overnight, London was heavily bombed, while Liverpool was also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
US Pacific Islands
- The US Marine Corps Midway Detachment of the Fleet Marine Force, under the command of Major Harold C. Roberts, arrived on Midway and began making camp and installing defenses. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Midway | CPC]
30 Sep 1940
- British monitor HMS Erebus fired 17 15-inch shells at German gun emplacements near Calais from the Strait of Dover, escorted by destroyers HMS Vesper and HMS Garth. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British armed yacht HMY Sappho and minesweeping trawler HMT Comet were sunk by German mines laid by destroyers Eckholdt, Riedel, Lody, Galster, Ihn, and Steinbrinck on 28 Sep off Falmouth in southwestern England. 29 and 15 were killed, respectively. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank British ship Samala 300 miles west of Ireland at 1013 hours, killing everyone aboard (65 crew, 1 gunner, and 2 passengers). At 2156 hours, in the same area, U-37 sank British ship Heminge, killing 1; 24 crew and 1 gunner were rescued by British merchant ship Clan Cumming. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Hugh Dowding was made Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Bath. ww2dbase [Hugh Dowding | CPC]
- Georg von Bismarck was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. ww2dbase [Georg von Bismarck | CPC]
- Thomas Adlerson of British Air Raid Precautions was gazetted for a George Cross award for the daring and skillful rescue of many civilians in Bridlington in Aug 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
China
- Communist Chinese New 4th Army withdrew from Jiangyan (now a district of Taizhou), Jiangsu Province, China and moved toward nearby town of Huangqiao ("Yellow Bridge"), where it intended on fighting against the detected Nationalist attack. ww2dbase [Battle of Huangqiao | Jiangyan, Jiangsu | CPC]
France
Italy
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0830 hours for exercises, returning at 1715 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 4 German raids, each consisting of 60 to 200 bombers and escorted by large numbers of fighters, crossed into southern England, United Kingdom at 0900, 1000, 1300, and 1600 hours; some got through to London, but some did not drop their bombs as they had little visibility due to low clouds, overshooting their targets as radar operators misread the Knickebein radio beacon signals. Meanwhile, 2 groups of about 100 bombers each attacked cities on the southern coast. On this day, the Germans lost 14 bombers, 28 Bf 109 fighters, and 1 Bf 110 fighter, while the British lost 19 fighters with 8 pilots killed. Today's daylight attacks would represent the last major raids of such type conducted by the Luftwaffe. Overnight, London, Liverpool, and several others cities were bombed; the aircraft factory at Yeovil was attacked but was only lightly damaged as most bombs fell on the town instead. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
- James Lacey damaged a German Ju 88 aircraft over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
- Over Britain, Josef Frantisek scored his final kill as a fighter pilot. ww2dbase [Josef Frantisek | CPC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 30 Sep 1940
1 Oct 1940
- George Brett was promoted to the rank of major general. ww2dbase [George Brett | CPC]
- Hubert Lanz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for gallantry during the invasion of France. ww2dbase [Hubert Lanz | CPC]
- Chiaki Matsuda was made a staff member at the Institute for Total War. ww2dbase [Chiaki Matsuda | CPC]
- Tsingtau was assigned to the 4th Fast Attack Craft Flotilla. ww2dbase [Tsingtau | CPC]
- Oberleutnant Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke was named the commanding officer of U-23, relieving Heinrich Driver. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-38 sank British ship Highland Patriot 300 miles west of Ireland at 0647 hours; 3 crew were killed, 136 crew and 33 passengers were rescued by sloop HMS Wellington. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-38 | CPC]
- US Navy and US Marine Corps began the Special Landing Operation No. 2 in the Caribbean Sea region. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea | CPC]
- Seeadler completed laying mines in the English Channel. ww2dbase [Seeadler | English Channel | CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca spotted Greek freighter Aghios Nicolaus, carrying 2,200 tons of zinc and 3,982 tons of wood sailing for Belfast in Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom, in the Atlantic Ocean at about 1615 hours. She gave chase in heavy seas, stopped the freighter with warning shots from a machine gun, and forced all 26 crew members to take to lifeboats. Once the freighter was fully abandoned, she sank her with 40 shells from the deck gun at 1955 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
- German submarine U-32 sank Dutch ship Haulerwijk 400 miles west of Ireland; 4 were killed and 27 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-32 | CPC]
Germany
- Luftwaffe ace Erich Hartmann began basic training with Friegerausbildungsregiment 10 at Neukuhren, near Königsberg in Ostpreußen (East Prussia), Germany. Hartmann would achieve 352 "kills" during the war before being sentenced, as a war criminal, to 50 years forced labour by the Soviets. ww2dbase [Neukuhren, Ostpreußen | AC]
- Hermann Göring officially awarded Wolfgang Falck the Knight Cross medal, but it would be not be presented to Falck until 7 Oct 1940. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | CPC]
Malta
- British troops reinforced the garrison on Malta. ww2dbase [AC]
United Kingdom
- Small raids of 20 to 70 aircraft each attacked RAF airfields in England, United Kingdom; London was not targeted during the day. The Germans lost 4 fighters and the British lost 5 fighters with 4 pilots killed. London was bombed overnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
United States
- Belgium Congo uranium began to arrived at Staten Island, New York, United States for safekeeping; a total of 1,140 tons of uranium would arrive throughout this month. ww2dbase [Staten Island, New York | CPC]
- Clarence Tinker was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. ww2dbase [Clarence Tinker | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 1 Oct 1940
2 Oct 1940
- British cruisers HMS Orion and HMS Sydney bombarded the Italian-controlled port of Maltezana, Stampalia, Greece. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-32 sank British ship Kayeson 400 miles west of Ireland at 1825 hours; the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats but none were seen again. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- George Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general. ww2dbase [George Patton | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler ordered Hans Frank and other Nazi officials in occupied Poland to keep the standard of living low and to deprive the Polish population of education, for that the Polish people were now mere low laborers of Germany. Additionally, he ordered that the Polish gentry to be exterminated. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci sighted British armed merchant cruiser HMS Cicilia in the Atlantic Ocean at 1825 hours. At 1910 hours, she fired two torpedoes at the distance of 350 meters. Commanding officer Ferdinando Calda assumed that the torpedo could not miss at such short range and ordered the submarine to surface to sink the target with deck guns, but upon surfacing he was surprised with an unharmed destroyer, and an aircraft carrier, HMS Argus, that the Italians had not detected before. The Leonardo da Vinci dove to escape, firing three rounds at the British ships in the meanwhile; HMS Cicilia also fired 13 rounds. All 16 rounds missed their targets. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Argus | Leonardo da Vinci | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- British destroyers HMS Havock and HMS Hasty sank Italian submarine Berillo 50 miles south of Crete, Greece; all 45 aboard Berillo were rescued. ww2dbase [Berillo | CPC]
United Kingdom
- A German Ju 88 bomber became lost in the darkness during an early-morning reconnaissance mission and landed at Brightlingsea, Essex, England, United Kingdom at 0630 hours and was captured. During the day, the German Luftwaffe launched 6 raids of Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters and fighter-bombers against London and Kent in southern England; only one of the raids contained bombers. The Germans lost 5 bombers and 5 Bf 109 aircraft, while the British lost 1 fighter without the loss of its pilot. Overnight, London, Manchester, and Newcastle were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 2 Oct 1940
3 Oct 1940
- British politician Neville Chamberlain resigned as Lord President of the Council for health reasons. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
France
- Vichy France passed anti-Semitic laws that excluded Jews from positions in the army, government, commerce, industries, and the press. The law was signed by Philippe Pétain, Pierre Laval, Raphaël Alibert, Marcel Peyrouton, Paul Baudouin, Yves Bouthillier, Charles Huntzinger, and François Darlan. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
Japan
- Prince Kotohito stepped down as the Chief of the Japanese Army General Staff. ww2dbase [Kotohito | CPC]
United Kingdom
- London, Worcester, Birmingham, and Wellingborough in England, United Kingdom were attacked by single-bomber raids. The British suffered damage at the De Havilland aircraft factory at Hatfield, while the Germans lost one Ju 88 bomber to ground-based anti-aircraft fire. Overnight, London was the target to several small German raids. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
4 Oct 1940
China
- 6 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron were in transit when they came across 27 Japanese G3M bombers escorted by 8 A6M Zero fighters, en route to attack Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The Zero fighters shot down 1 and forcing 2 to crash land. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | CPC]
- Nationalist Chinese troops launched an attack on Communist Chinese New 4th Army in Huangqiao ("Yellow Bridge"), Jiangsu Province, China, nearly taking the town. ww2dbase [Battle of Huangqiao | Huangqiao, Jiangsu | CPC]
France
- The Secours National, being planned for revival in preparation of the first winter under German occupation, was placed under Philippe Pétain's authority. On the same day, Pétain wrote to Henry Dhavernas, founder of the youth group Compagnons, in support of his efforts. ww2dbase [Philippe Pétain | CPC]
- Comandante Faà di Bruno arrived at Pauillac, Aquitaine, France, ending her third war patrol. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | Pauillac, Aquitaine | CPC]
French West Africa
- General Charles de Gaulle arrived in Douala, French Cameroon via British cruiser HMS Devonshire to organize the invasion of Gabon, which was controlled by Vichy French forces. ww2dbase [Charles de Gaulle | Douala, Cameroon | CPC]
Italy
- Adolf Hitler met Benito Mussolini in the Brenner Pass on the Italian-Austrian border. Benito Mussolini was happy to notice that Adolf Hitler seemed to have given up on any talks of invading Britain. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Brenner, Sudtirolo | TH]
- British submarine HMS Triton attacked various targets at Vado Ligure and Savona, near Genoa, Italy with her deck gun, damaging shore installations and sinking ship Franca Fassio. ww2dbase [Vado Ligure, Liguria | CPC]
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0825 hours for exercises, returning at 1600 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- British submarine HMS Rainbow collided with Italian ship Antonietta Costa and sank in the Adriatic Sea 20 miles north of Brindisi, Italy. All 55 aboard were lost. ww2dbase [Adriatic Sea | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Tetrarch attacked an Italian merchant ship west of Italy without success. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- The British Admiralty announced the sinking of seven German submarines. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | TH]
- In Britain, German bombers attacked Kent in southern England and the area near London, damaging homes, farms, and factories. The Germans lost 2 Ju 88 bombers and the British lost 3 fighters with 1 pilot killed. Overnight, London was bombed between 1900 and 2100 hours. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- In Operation Lucid, British tankers War Nizam and War African, filled with oil and gasoline and to be used as fire ships, departed Sheerness and Harwich in England, United Kingdom with 11 destroyers, 6 minesweepers, and a number of torpedo boats in escort. They were dispatched to destroy ports on the English Channel coast that housed German invasion barges, but rough seas caused the mission to be canceled shortly after commencing. ww2dbase [Sheerness, England | CPC]
- Sir Cyril Newall retired as British Chief of Air Staff and was replaced by Sir Charles Portal. ww2dbase [Charles Portal | AC]
- Sir Richard Peirse became Commander-in-Chief of the British RAF Bomber Command. ww2dbase [AC]
5 Oct 1940
- British submarine HMS Regent sank Italian ship Maria Grazia 10 miles off of Bari, Italy by ramming. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox ordered all organized reserve divisions and aviation squadrons of the US Marine Corps to be on call for active duty. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The US Marine Corps organized the Air Detachment, Marine Barracks, Parris Island in South Carolina, United States; it would later be renamed Marine Corps Air Station, Parris Island. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Hauptmann Helmut Wick, the Gruppenkommandeur of 1/JG 2, claimed the destruction of five RAF fighters in one day. This took his overall total to 41. ww2dbase [AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Italian submarine Nani sank British trawler HMT Kingston Sapphire 20 miles south of Cádiz, Spain; 3 were killed and the remaining rescued by a Spanish trawler. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Tigris spotted a group of Axis warships (Italian submarine Maggiore Baracca, Italian submarine Reginaldo Giuliani, German minesweeper M-9, German minesweeper M-13, and German auxiliary Cap Hadid) and fired four torpedoes at the distance of about 2,500 yards, about 20 miles west of the French coast at 0815 hours. All torpedoes missed the targets, but two of the torpedoes were detonated some distance after missing the targets. British commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Howard Bone had originally mistaken one of the German ships as a third submarine, thus even though all four torpedoes missed, having seeing only two submarines after the detonations Bone thought he had destroyed one enemy submarine. Maggiore Baracca arrived at Pauillac, France in the evening, ending her first war patrol. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | M9 | M13 | Maggiore Baracca | Reginaldo Giuliani | CPC]
China
- Communist Chinese New 4th Army counterattacked and defeated Nationalist Chinese troops at Huangqiao ("Yellow Bridge"), Jiangsu Province, China, capturing great quantities of weapons and ammunition. ww2dbase [Battle of Huangqiao | Huangqiao, Jiangsu | CPC]
France
United Kingdom
- Between 0930 and 1600 hours, 4 German raids of mainly fighters attacked southern England, United Kingdom. At 2035 hours, the Royal Navy base at Portland was bombed. The Germans lost 2 bombers and 20 fighters, while the British lost 9 fighters with 2 pilots killed. Overnight, London suffered a heavy raid which started a large fire at the West India Dock on the River Thames in the East End area of the city. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
United States
- Henry Arnold submitted a proposal for the reorganization of US Army air units to US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall; the proposal called for a separate staff for air apart from the ground and supply units. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 5 Oct 1940
6 Oct 1940
- German submarine U-123 sank British ship Benlawers 400 miles west of Ireland at 1304 hours; she was carrying military supplies from Britain to Egypt, including trucks; 23 crew members and 1 Royal Navy gunner were killed, and 27 were rescued by British ships Bengore Head and Forest. German submarine U-103 sank Norwegian tanker Nina Borthen west of Ireland at 2204 hours, killing the entire crew of 35. German submarine U-37 damaged British tanker British General with a torpedo west of Ireland at 1855 and then again at 2310 hours; U-37 could not surface to finish off the tanker with the deck gun because the British ship was armed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Hauptmann Helmut Wick, the Gruppenkommandeur of 1/JG 2, was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross, making him only the third German fighter pilot (after Mölders and Galland) to be so honoured. ww2dbase [AC]
France
Greece
- Italian submarine Tricheco sank Italian submarine Gemma 5 miles south of the Greek island of Karpathos in a case of mis-identification. ww2dbase [Gemma | Tricheco | South Aegean | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighter-bombers conducted day time raids against British factories and RAF airfields, accompanied by a small number of medium bombers. On this day, the Germans lost one Do 17 bomber and the British lost one fighter with the pilot killed. Overnight, London, England, United Kingdom sustained a small raid. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
7 Oct 1940
- Operation Lucid: British tankers War Nizam and War African, filled with oil and fuel and to be used as fire ships, departed for French channel ports to attack German invasion barges. The mission was once again canceled, this time after destroyer HMS Hambledon hit a mine off the coast near Folkestone, Kent, England. ww2dbase [CPC]
- In the morning, Hermann Göring presented Wolfgang Falck the Knight Cross medal, which was officially awarded to Falck six days prior; the medal was placed around Falck's neck by Major Bernd von Brauchitsch, son of the army chief of staff and Göring's adjutant. During the lunch after the award ceremony, Falck asked Erhard Milch to consider changing the Luftwaffe rule which stated that the family of servicemen who died with less than 10 years of service received no pension. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | CPC]
- Capitano di Fregata Primo Longobardo was made the commanding officer of Luigi Torelli, relieving Aldo Cocchia. ww2dbase [Luigi Torelli | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-59 sank Norwegian ship Touraine 50 miles northwest of Ireland at 1600 hours; 1 was killed and 34 survived in 3 lifeboats. German submarine U-37 hit British tanker British General with two torpedoes 400 miles west of Ireland at 2000 hours after already damaging her with two torpedoes on the previous day; British General sank with all 47 hands lost. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Indian Ocean
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin stopped Norwegian tanker Storstad 500 miles northwest of Australia. With 12,000 tons of diesel oil on board, Storstad was taken as a prize ship and sent back to Germany; she would later be commissioned into German Navy service as Passat. 25 of Storstad's crew became captives aboard Pinguin, while 5 of them chose to serve the Germans aboard Storstad/Passat. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
Italy
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0827 hours for exercises, returning at 1747 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German Luftwaffe dispatched large raids of 50 to 100 aircraft against southern England, United Kingdom, with fighters being 66% to 75% of each wave. On this day, 21 German fighters and 6 bombers were shot down, while the British lost 16 fighters with 6 pilots killed. Overnight, London, Bristol, Liverpool, Firth of Forth, and other locations were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey claimed a probable kill on a German Bf 109 fighter over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
8 Oct 1940
- During the night, 17 British aircraft from Waddington, Lincolnshire attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
- Orion made rendezvous with raider Komet and Komet's supply ship Kulmerland. Orion and Komet began operating together against Allied shipping. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- The United States transferred 8 more old destroyers to the British Royal Navy as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British submarine HMS Trident and German submarine U-31 exchanged fire in the Bay of Biscay off France; Trident hit U-31 with the deck gun, causing minor damage; both torpedoes fired missed. German submarine U-58 hit British ship Confield 88 miles west of Barra Head, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 2131 hours with two torpedoes, killing 1; the ship remained afloat, allowing the remaining 36 to escape via lifeboats. Far to the south, 350 miles northeast of Natal, Brazil, German armed merchant cruiser Thor attacked British refrigeration ship Natia, killing 2; after the remaining 83 crew members were captured, Natia was sunk by a torpedo and two more shells from Thor's 150-mm gun; after this attack, Thor now had 368 prisoners aboard, outnumbering her crew. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Thor | CPC]
- Seeadler patrolled off the Isle of Wight, southern England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Seeadler | English Channel | CPC]
- After sundown, Jaguar and Wolf made an unsuccessful sortie off the Isle of Wight. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Wolf | Jaguar | English Channel | CPC]
- Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci sighted the liner Highland Brigade in the Atlantic Ocean at 1600 hours. At 2024 hours, she fired two torpedoes at the distance of 2,500 meters; both missed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Leonardo da Vinci | CPC]
Egypt
- The British Mediterranean Fleet departed Alexandria, Egypt to escort a supply convoy to Malta. The fleet consisted of battleship HMS Warspite, battleship HMS Valiant, battleship HMS Malaya, battleship HMS Ramillies, aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, 12 cruisers, 16 destroyers, and 6 submarines; they escorted four British transport ships. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | Warspite | Alexandria | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The German Luftwaffe mounted 4 raids of 30 to 160 aircraft consisted mostly of fighter-bombers and fighters, with few medium bombers, against London, England, United Kingdom; various government offices in Whitehall and the Charing Cross Railway Station were damaged by bombs. The Germans lost 1 Bf 109 fighter and 3 bombers; the British lost 4 fighters with all 4 pilots killed. Overnight, London, East Anglia, East Midlands, Portsmouth, and Southampton were bombed, with a serious fire damaging wharves and nearby warehouses. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Czech-born fighter ace Sergeant Josef Frantisek of No. 303 "Warsaw-Kosciuszko" Squadron RAF was killed when his Hurricane crashed whilst landing at RAF Northolt at Ruislip near London, England, United Kingdom. At the time of his death Frantisek had a score of 17 kills and had been awarded the British Distinguished Flying Medal. Posthumously he was commissioned lieutenant, and awarded a Bar to his DFM, the Czech Military Cross, the Polish Cross of Valour (with three bars) and the Polish Virtuti Militari. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
- Josef Frantisek passed away in Ewell, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Josef Frantisek | Ewell, England | CPC]
United States
- The United States Department of State released an announcement advising American citizens to leave the Far East and return to the US. ww2dbase [Washington | CPC]
9 Oct 1940
- HMS Cumberland relieved HM Cruiser Sheffield as escort of military convoy to Middle East. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-103 attacked Allied convoy SC-6, sinking Greek ships Zannes Gounaris (1 killed) and Delphin (all survived) and damaging British ship Graigwen (7 killed, 27 survived). U-103 was subjected to a depth charge attack, but escaped unharmed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMS Sea King hit a mine and sank 28 miles east of Grimsby, England, United Kingdom; 14 were killed. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- Seeadler completed her patrol off the Isle of Wight, southern England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Seeadler | English Channel | CPC]
France
- British Albacore biplanes of No. 829 Squadron from Royal Navy station HMS Peregrine attacked Brest, France overnight, damaging German destroyers Eckholdt, Lody, and Riedel with near misses. 1 Albacore aircraft was shot down with its three crew captured, including squadron commander Lieutenant Commander Stevinson. ww2dbase [Brest, Bretagne | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina departed Bordeaux, France at 1420 hours for her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- British submarine HMS Regent hit Italian merchant ship Antonietta Costa 20 miles west of Durrës, Albania with a torpedo; Antonietta Costa did not sink but went aground and was lost 10 miles off the coast near Durrës. ww2dbase [Adriatic Sea | CPC]
Netherlands
Romania
United Kingdom
- Winston Churchill became the head of British Conservative Party. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | England | TH]
- German fighter-bombers dropped bombs in London, Maidstone, Hastings, Falmouth, and other British towns. 3 German fighters and 1 German Ju 88 bomber was shot down, while the British lost 1 fighter with the pilot unhurt. Overnight, London, Liverpool, and Manchester were bombed; St. Paul's Cathedral in London was hit, destroying choir stalls and the High Altar but the building was not structurally damaged. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
United States
- Harold George was promoted to the rank of colonel. ww2dbase [Harold George | CPC]
10 Oct 1940
- During the night, 14 British aircraft from Waddington, Lincolnshire and Lindholme, Yorkshire attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British ship Graigwen, damaged on the previous day and abandoned, was sunk by German submarine U-123 at 2333 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British motor torpedo boats MTB-22, MTB-31, and MTB-32 attacked a German convoy in the middle of the Dover Strait, sinking German trawler Nordenham and capturing 34 prisoners. ww2dbase [Dover Strait | CPC]
China
- Communist Chinese New 4th Army linked up with Communist Chinese 8th Route Army at Baiju Village, Dongtai County, Jiangsu Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Huangqiao | Baiju, Jiangsu | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler initiated the Führer-Sofortprogramm, an emergency program to build shelters for the urban populations of Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Italy
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0800 hours for exercises, returning at 1405 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
Trinidad
- US forces arrived on Trinidad. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- A lone German Do 17 bomber on a reconnaissance mission was caught over RAF Tangmere in England, United Kingdom by British fighters. While attempting to shoot it down, two British fighters collided, killing both pilots. Then, another fighter, piloted by Sergeant Ellis, was damaged by the German bomber's guns, and crash landed The Do 17 bomber sustained heavy damage, but was able to make it back to France, crash landed, and saved all of its photographs. During the day, four German raids of 20 to 100 aircraft were mounted, with bombs dropping on London and other towns. Through the day, the British lost 5 fighters with 3 pilots killed, while shooting down 3 German fighters and 1 Do 17 bomber. Between 1824 and 1844 hours, Dover was struck by 18 shells from German guns at Calais, France. Overnight, London, Manchester, and various airfields were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 10 Oct 1940
11 Oct 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German torpedo boats Falke, Greif, Kondor, Seeadler, and Wolf sank British anti-submarine trawler HMT Warwick Deeping (no deaths), French submarine chasers Ch.6 (9 killed, 12 captured) and CH.7 (12 killed, 8 captured), and French armed trawler Listrac (12 killed, 25 wounded) in the English Channel off the Isle of Wight overnight. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Seeadler | Greif | Kondor | Falke | Wolf | English Channel | CPC]
- Seeadler patrolled in the English Channel. ww2dbase [Seeadler | English Channel | CPC]
- German submarine U-48 attacked Allied convoy HX-77 250 miles northwest of Ireland in the evening; at 2150 hours, Norwegian ship Brandanger was sunk (6 killed, 24 survived); at 2209 hours, British ship Port Gisborne was sunk (26 killed when lifeboat capsized, 38 survived). ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-48 | CPC]
France
- Between 0333 and 0351 hours, in Operation Medium, British battleship Revenge and destroyers Javelin, Jaguar, Jupiter, Kashmir, Kelvin, and Kipling bombarded Cherbourg, France. German torpedo boats attempted to interfere, but the German boats were fought off. ww2dbase [Cherbourg, Basse-Normandie | CPC]
- Charles Hunziger presented the Order of Merit and the Croix de Guerre medals to the American Hospital in Paris, France. ww2dbase [Charles Huntziger | Paris | CPC]
- The Vichy French government forbade employment of married women in the public sector; this was one of a series of policies with the goal of boosting birth rate. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Vichy France passed the Married Women's Work Act, which forbade a wife from public sector employment if her husband could provide for the family. This law would be suspended on 12 Sep 1942. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- During the night, 4 British Hampden aircraft (out of 5 launched) from Lindholme, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom attacked battleship Tirpitz at Wilhelmshaven, Germany to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | CPC]
Indian Ocean
- Italian bombers attacked Allied convoy BS.6 in the Red Sea 50 miles off of Italian East Africa, damaging escorting vessel British sloop HMS Auckland. ww2dbase [Red Sea | CPC]
Japan
- Repair ship Akashi participated in the annual naval review in Tokyo Bay, Japan. ww2dbase [Akashi | Tokyo Bay | CPC]
- Settsu participated in a naval review in Yokohama Bay, Japan. ww2dbase [Settsu | Yokohama, Kanagawa | CPC]
Malta
- A convoy of 4 merchant ships arrived at Malta from Alexandria, Egypt. The escorting British Mediterranean Fleet began to sail back to Alexandra, but was spotted by an Italian civilian aircraft 100 miles southeast of Malta. Italian destroyers and torpedo boats were dispatched to intercept. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
- Garland entered drydocks at Malta for repairs. ww2dbase [Garland | CPC]
United Kingdom
- While small raids of 10 or few aircraft harassed southern England, United Kingdom all day, a number of larger raids, with 25 to 90 aircraft, attacked larger towns. The larger raids were composed mostly of fighters as the Germans continued to try to wear down British fighter strength. On this day, the Germans lost 1 Do 17 bomber and 4 Bf 109 fighters, while the British lost 8 fighters with 3 pilots killed. Overnight, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, and the Tyne and Tees areas were bombed; 3 Do 17 bombers were shot down over Anglesey after attacking Liverpool, at the cost of 1 British fighter. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Zulu hit an acoustic mine in the Firth of Forth, Scotland at 0920 hours, badly damaging the ship, but incurred no casualties. She would remain under repair at nearby Rosyth until Jan 1941. ww2dbase [Firth of Forth, Scotland | CPC]
- Werner Mölders claimed his 43rd victory over Canterbury, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | Canterbury, England | CPC]
12 Oct 1940
- A new German military mission was set up in Bucharest, Romania to direct the training program for the Romanian Army. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | TH]
- German submarines U-48, U-59, and U-101 attacked Allied convoy HX.77 150 miles northwest of Ireland, sinking Norwegian tanker Davanger just after 0000 hours (17 killed, 12 survived), British ship Pacific Ranger at 1800 hours (entire crew of 55 survived), and Canadian steamer Saint Malô at 2325 hours (28 killed, 16 survived). ww2dbase [First Happy Time | TH]
- British minesweeping trawler HMS Resolvo hit a mine in the Thames estuary in southern England, wounding 2. She would be beached and abandoned the next day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Werner Mölders shot down three British Hurricane fighters over England, United Kingdom, bringing his total kills count to 51. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- The TsKB-57 prototype aircraft of the Soviet Ilyshin Il-2 Shturmovik ground attack aircraft design made its maiden flight. ww2dbase [Il-2 Shturmovik | CPC]
- HMS Eagle was damaged by near misses from bombs released by Italian SM.79 bombers. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Germany
- Germany postponed Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain, until the spring of 1941. Preparations and training for the invasion would be scaled back, but not eliminated, in order to put continuous pressure on Britain. ww2dbase [TH]
Hawaii
Mediterranean Sea
- Battle of Cape Passero: On the previous day, the British Mediterranean Fleet departed Malta after an escort mission, and was detected by Italian aircraft. At 0200 hours, Italian torpedo boats Ariel, Alcione, and Airone caught up with the fleet and attacked British cruiser HMS Ajax east of Malta; Ariel and Airone were sunk by Ajax. At 0215 hours, Ajax's radar detected Italian destroyers Artigliere and Aviere and opened fire, damaging Aviere and rendering Artigliere dead in the water; Artigliere returned fire and hit Ajax four times, damaging gun turrets and disabled the radar while killing 13 and wounding 20. Ajax was able to retire from the battle under her own power, while Artigliere was towed away by destroyer Camicia Nera. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
Poland
United Kingdom
- German reconnaissance aircraft scouted England, United Kingdom between 0650 and 0900 hours, and then between 0900 and 1715 hours several raids attacked southern England, many of which reached London. During this day, Germans lost 9 Bf 109 fighters and 1 Ar 95 seaplane over the Dover Strait; the British lost 10 fighters with 4 pilots killed. Overnight, London received light bombing, while Birmingham and Coventry were also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down a German Bf 109 fighter over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
13 Oct 1940
- During the night, many British aircraft were launched to attack battleship Tirpitz in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, but in poor weather only 4 Hampden aircraft were able to locate the port. Not hits were scored on Tirpitz. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
- British rescue tug HMRT Danube III hit a mine in the mouth of the Thames Estuary and sank off Sheerness, Kent in southern England; 11 were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-103 attacked Estonian ship Nora 200 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0846 hours with a torpedo; as Nora remained afloat, Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze of U-103 realized Nora's lifeboats were all destroyed during the attack, and broadcasted a distress message with the damaged ship's position; British sloop HMS Leith would arrive several days later and would rescue 19 survivors. German submarine U-37 sank British ship Stangrant west of Scotland, United Kingdom at 1957 hours; 8 were killed and 30 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- At dawn, a British flying boat spotted Italian destroyer Camicia Nera towing destroyer Artigliere, which was damaged on the previous day during the Battle of Cape Passero east of Malta. Aircraft from HMS Illustrious forced Camicia Nera to cut the tow line, and then cruisers HMS York and HMS Ajax and four destroyers sank Artigliere with torpedoes. The British warships dropped rafts for the Italian survivors before departing; many of the survivors would be rescued by an Italian hospital ship on the following day. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | York | CPC]
- HMS York sank the abandoned Italian destroyer Artigliere in the Mediterranean Sea, which had been disabled by HMS Ajax on the previous evening. ww2dbase [Artigliere | York | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Four raids of 25 to 50 aircraft attacked southern England, United Kingdom between 1230 and 1600 hours, consisted mostly of fighters. The Germans and the British each lost 2 fighters. Overnight, London was bombed from 1900 hours until 0600 hours of the next day; Middlesborough, Hull, Huddersfield, Grantham, Liverpool, and Manchester were also attacked overnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
14 Oct 1940
- Three American passenger liners were sent for Japan and China to repatriate American citizens. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British anti-submarine trawler HMT Lord Stamp hit a mine and sank off Dorset, England, United Kingdom in the English Channel; 25 were killed. German submarine U-137 hit British armed merchant cruiser HMS Cheshire with a torpedo 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 2128 hours; Cheshire remained afloat, and the 220 crew members were rescued by Canadian destroyer HMCS Skeena and British corvette HMS Periwinkle. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Orion stopped and scuttled Norwegian ship Ringwood in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles northwest of New Ireland, Bismarck Islands. The crew of 35 was taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Major Friedrich Kless of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Kapitänleutnant Werner Pfeifer was made the commanding officer of U-56, relieving Otto Harms. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- En route from Malta to Alexandra, Egypt, aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious detached from the British Mediterranean Fleet and launched an air attack against the Italian Dodecanese Island of Leros. Later in the day, at 1855 hours, an Italian SM79 bomber attacked the fleet 50 miles south of Crete, hitting cruiser HMS Liverpool with a torpedo and blew off her bow after detonating the aviation fuel store, killing 30 and wounding 35; Liverpool would survive the attack and would be towed to Alexandra to receive temporary repairs. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Poor weather limited German ability to attack southern England, United Kingdom, thus only a few small attacks were launched against coastal areas; no losses were suffered on either side on this day. Overnight, London, Birmingham, Coventry, Liverpool, Blackburn, and Preston were bombed; at 2002 hours, a 1,400-kg armor piercing bomb hit Balham Tube Station in London, causing flood that killed 66 of the about 600 civilians using the station for shelter. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
15 Oct 1940
- British submarine HMS Triad detected Italian submarine Enrico Toti while running on the surface 100 miles south of Taranto, Italy at 0100 hours. Triad hit Enrico Toti twice with her deck gun, but the torpedo fired missed; Enrico Toti's damage prevented her from diving. Enrico Toti returned fire, hitting Triad twice with the deck gun and sprayed her with machine gun. As Triad attempted to dive, Enrico Toti scored a hit with a torpedo, sinking Triad at about 0130 hours and killing the entire crew of 59. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Foca sank while laying a minefield off Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-93 sank British ship Hurunui of Allied convoy OA-228 100 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom just after 0000 hours; 2 were killed and 72 survived. Five hours later in the same general area, German submarine U-138 sank British ship Bonheur (all survived) and damaged British tanker British Glory (3 killed) of Allied convoy OA-228 between 0510 and 0515 hours. German submarine U-103 sank British ship Thistlegarth 100 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1933 hours; 30 were killed and 9 survived. Far to the south, Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini sank Belgian ship Kabalo 800 miles west of Casablanca, Morocco; 1 was killed. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- US Marine Corps mobilized its reserve battalions, ordering that these reserve personnel to be assigned to active duty no later than 9 Nov 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler noted that about half the Czechs in occupied western Czechoslovakia could be assimilated into the German population. The other half, which included the intellectuals, were to be eliminated. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Comandante Cappellini sighted Belgian cargo ship Kabalo in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores islands at 2315 hours, and the freighter turned away and increased speed shortly after. The cargo ship fired her stern gun at the distance of 1,500 meters, and when the distance was closed to 1,000 meters, the Italians returned fire with her deck gun, scoring a hit on the cargo ship with the third round. Shortly after, Comandante Cappellini fired three torpedoes, the first two missed and the third struck without detonating. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
Japan
- Captain Sadayoshi Yamada was named the commanding officer of Kaga. ww2dbase [Kaga | CPC]
- Captain Matsuji Ijuin was named the commanding officer of Naka. ww2dbase [Naka | CPC]
- Captain Hisashi Mito was made the commanding officer of Katori, relieving Hisashi Ichioka. ww2dbase [Katori | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The German Luftwaffe launched 5 fighter sweeps toward London and 1 over Southampton, both in England, United Kingdom; the Germans lost 16 fighter and 3 bombers, while the British lost 15 fighters with 6 pilots killed. Overnight, 400 German bombers dropped 530 tons of high explosives on London, killing 400 and wounding 900; Bristol and Birmingham were also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
United States
- It was reported that 16,000,000 Americans had already registered for National Service. ww2dbase [AC]
Photo(s) dated 15 Oct 1940
16 Oct 1940
- British motor torpedo boat MTB-106 hit a mine and sank near the Nore lightship at the mouth of the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom. German submarine U-124 sank Canadian ship Trevisa 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0350 hours; 7 were killed and 14 survived. British submarine HMS Tigris sank small French trawler Cimcour with gunfire in the Bay of Biscay 120 miles west of La Rochelle, France. The 30-ship Allied convoy SC-7 was attacked by 7 German submarines on the last leg of its journey from Sydney, Australia to Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom; attacks followed for 3 more days, and the overall losses amounted to 20 ships totaling 79,646 tons. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Aircraft of British carrier HMS Furious bombed German oil storage tanks, seaplane base, and shipping at Tromsø, Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Battleship King George V departed Newcastle upon Tyne, England for Rosyth, Scotland, both of which were in the Unite Kingdom. ww2dbase [King George V | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Belgian cargo ship Kabalo, which had been damaged by gunfire from Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini just before midnight on the previous date, was struck by additional shells from the Italian submarine, leading to her sinking at 0400 hours in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores islands. 1 crew member, a Congolese sailor, was killed. 26 of the 42 survivors were picked up by Comandante Cappellini; the 16 others were picked up by Panamanian tanker Panam. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
Japan
- Aviation engineers Ichiro Sekine (Nakajima), Joji Hattori (Mitsubishi), Yu Nakajima (Mitsubishi), Shuzo Kito (Mitsubishi), and Tomio Kubo (Mitsubishi) were awarded the Nagao Memorial Award for the excellence for aviation engineering. ww2dbase [Joji Hattori | CPC]
Poland
United Kingdom
- Two ARP rescue workers who helped themselves to £16 they found in a bombed-out house were each jailed for 12 months at the Old Bailey in central London, England, United Kingdom for looting. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
- Heavy fog during the day limited operations, thus the day's losses were limited to 1 German aircraft damaged and 1 British Hurricane fighter lost. Overnight, London, Bristol, Liverpool, Birmingham, Perth, and other locations in the United Kingdom were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 16 Oct 1940
17 Oct 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-93 attacked Allied convoy OA-228 300 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom, sinking Norwegian ship Dokka at 0317 hours (10 killed, 7 survived) and British ship Uskbridge at 0339 hours (2 killed, 6 survived); U-93 was depth charged at 0400 hours by HMS Folkestone, depth charged at 1015 hours, and attacked by aerial bombs in the evening; none of the attacks caused damage. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German submarine U-48 fired 3 torpedoes at Allied convoy SC-7 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0553 hours, sinking British ship Scoresby and damaging British tanker Languedoc; British corvette HMS Bluebell scuttled Languedoc with gunfire and rescued the 39 survivors from Scoresby and 39 survivors from Languedoc. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- At 1052 hours, German submarine U-38 sank Greek ship Aenos with the deck gun in the Atlantic Ocean; 4 were killed and 25 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- In the North Sea, German motor torpedo boats S-24 and S-27 attacked Allied convoy FN.311 10 miles off Lowestoft, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom; British ship Hauxley was damaged by a torpedo, killing 1, sinking on the next day. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | North Sea | CPC]
- 4 German destroyers and 6 torpedo boats departed from Brest, France to attack shipping in the Bristol Channel, but they were detected by British reconnaissance aircraft at 0719 hours; British cruiser HMS Newcastle, cruiser HMS Emerald, and 5 destroyers were dispatched from Plymouth at 1100 hours to intercept; at 1600 hours, the British ships found their targets and exchanged fire at the range of 11 miles; no hits were made by either side. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted U-37 in the Atlantic Ocean at 0330 hours. ww2dbase [U-37 | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Russia
- A message from Joachim von Ribbentrop to Joseph Stalin to invite Vyacheslav Molotov to Berlin, Germany to speak about the recent deterioration of German-Soviet relations was delivered, at a few days delay, to Vyacheslav Molotov. Ribbentrop was not happy regarding the delay, and the fact that the letter was delivered to the Soviet foreign ministry rather than to Stalin himself. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | Moscow | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The German Luftwaffe mounted four raids against southern England, United Kingdom during the day. Meanwhile, at 1530 hours, at the Air Council room at the Air Ministry in London, British fighter commanders including Portal, Douglas, Dowding, Park, Bader, and others gathered to discuss strategy; specifically, Park's approach was attacked by some of the others. Overnight, London, Liverpool, and Birmingham were heavily bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- British minesweeper HMS Dundalk hit a mine 20 miles northeast of Harwich, England, United Kingdom, killing 4 and wounding 7; she was towed into the harbor for repairs, but she would sink on the next day. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Harwich, England | CPC]
18 Oct 1940
- Vichy France officially published the Statute of 4 Oct 1940 in which Jews who were not French citizens were no longer protected by French law. 'Special camps' were established to begin housing these stateless Jews. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarines attacked Allied convoy SC-7 all day; U-38 attacked British ship Carsbreck at 0636 hours; U-99 sank British ship Fiscus 100 miles northwest of Ireland, killing 38 of 39 aboard; U-100 and U-123 damaged British ship Shekatika 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 2225 hours, with all 36 aboard surviving. German submarine U-48 sank British ship Sandsend 500 miles west of Ireland at 2225 hours, killing 5. German submarine chasers UJ-116 and UJ-118 sank British WW1-era submarine H-49 off Texel Island, the Netherlands; 21 were killed and 1 survived and captured. British anti-submarine trawler HMT Kingston Cairngorm hit a mine in the English Channel; she was able to be towed back to the harbor, but would sink on the following day. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Two British flying boats of No. 202 Squadron RAF spotted Italian submarine Durbo 120 miles east of Gibraltar off Alboran Island. British destroyers HMS Firedrake and HMS Wrestler attacked with depth charges, forcing Durbo to the surface and be scuttled. British sailors managed to capture information regarding Italian submarine dispositions from the submarine before she sank. Durbo's crew of 48 was taken prisoner. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German guns near Calais, France fired 10 shells at Dover, England, United Kingdom; two of the shells detonated. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Comandante Cappellini landed the 26 survivors of Belgian cargo ship Kabalo, which was sunk by Comandante Cappellini three days prior, on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores islands. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alessandro Malaspina arrived at her patrol area in the Atlantic Ocean west of Scotland, United Kingdom. At 1625 hours, she was ordered to intercept an Allied convoy observed some distance away from her present location. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Burma
Italy
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0726 hours for exercises, returning at 1202 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Foggy weather limited German ability to attack southern England, United Kingdom, thus only few aerial battles were fought with no losses for either side. Overnight, London was bombed, hitting the Rose and Crown Pub which resulted in 42 killed and 6 injured; Liverpool and Birmingham were also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 18 Oct 1940
19 Oct 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarines U-38, U-46, U-47, and two others attacked Allied convoy HX-79 200 miles west of Ireland, sinking 5 ships and damaging tanker Shirak. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-47 | U-38 | U-46 | TH]
- German submarines U-99, U-100, U-101, and U-123 continued to attack Allied convoy SC-7 100 miles northwest of Ireland. U-123 sank British ship Shekatika as Shekatika received her fifth torpedo hit. U-99 sank Norwegian ship Snefjeld; the entire crew of 21 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | U-99 | U-100 | U-101 | U-123 | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted Dutch freighter Bussum in the Atlantic Ocean at 2345 hours and began to give chase. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Canada
- While escorting Romanian freighter Ingener N. Vlassopol Canadian auxiliary minesweeper HMCS Bras d'Or sank during a storm in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in northeastern Canada, killing the entire crew of 30. ww2dbase [Gulf of Saint Lawrence | CPC]
France
- The Secours National, established during WW1, was revived by French government decree in preparation of the coming first winter under German occupation. ww2dbase [CPC]
Japan
- I-68 was decommissioned from service. ww2dbase [I-68/I-168 | CPC]
United Kingdom
- During the day, a German Ju 88 bomber was shot down near Maidstone, Kent and another near Falmouth, Cornwall in England, United Kingdom. A raid of 60 German fighters and fighter-bombers for London was intercepted by 5 RAF squadrons over Kent at 1430 hours; 2 British fighters were shot down during the battle with 1 pilot killed. Overnight, London, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, and Coventry were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Venetia hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary 10 miles north of Herne Bay, Kent in southern England; 35 were killed and 18 were wounded. ww2dbase [Herne Bay, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 19 Oct 1940
20 Oct 1940
- During the night 7 British Wellington bombers attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
- Orion and Komet were replenished by supply ship Kulmerland. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- British destroyers HMS Gallant, HMS Griffin, and HMS Hotspur located Italian submarine Lafole off Mellila, Morocco in the Mediterranean Sea, using information captured from Italian submarine Durbo on 18 Oct. Hotspur sank Lafole by ramming; 37 Italians were killed and 9 survived and captured. Hotspur's bow was damaged, forcing her to be out of commission until 20 Feb 1941 for repairs. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-124 sank Norwegian ship Cubano (2 killed, 29 survived) and British ship Sulaco (65 killed, 1 survived) 200 miles west of Ireland. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- German submarines U-46, U-47, and U-100 attacked Allied convoy HX-79 50 miles northwest of Ireland, sinking 7 and damaging 1 between 0000 and 0720 hours. U-100 sank British ship Loch Lomond; 1 was killed and 111 survived. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- Italian BR20 bombers, Z1007 bombers, G50 fighters, and CR42 fighters arrived in Belgium and began to prepare their missions against Britain. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German guns near Calais, France fired 50 shells at Dover, England, United Kingdom; 15 of the shells detonated. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Werner Mölders was promoted to the rank of Oberstleutnant. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alessandro Malaspina fired a torpedo at 0002 hours at Dutch freighter Bussum which had been sighted in the Atlantic Ocean at 2345 hours on the previous date. Shortly after, she fired a second torpedo. One explosion was observed by the Italians, but Bussum continued to sail at speed. At 0027 hours, a third torpedo was fired, followed by a fourth at 0046 hours, both of which missed. The two ships then exchanged several rounds of gunfire on the surface before Bussum successfully escaped from the Italian submarine at around 0200 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 5 raids consisted of German fighters and fighter-bombers flew over Kent in southern England, United Kingdom toward London between 0930 and 1500 hours; the Germans lost 6 Bf 109 fighters and 1 Bf 110 fighter, while the British lost 3 fighters without losing any pilots. Between 1900 hours and 0100 hours of the next day, London, Coventry, and Birmingham were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
21 Oct 1940
- Italian destroyers Manin, Sauro, Battisti, and Nullo attacked Allied convoy BN-7 in the Red Sea at 0219 hours. 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. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMS Waveflower hit a mine and sank off Alderburgh, Suffolk, England; 15 were killed and 7 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British motor torpedo boat MTB-17 hit a mine and sank off Ostend, Belgium. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German guns near Calais, France fired 6 shells at Dover, England, United Kingdom between 1400 and 1600 hours; only some of the shells detonated. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Friedrich Ruge was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal. ww2dbase [Friedrich Ruge | CPC]
Germany
Italy
- Scirè departed La Spezia, Italy for Gibraltar with three manned torpedoes on board. ww2dbase [Scirè | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Between 1100 and 1400 hours, heavy fog limited Germans to small raids against southern England, United Kingdom and kept British fighters on the ground; as the result, bombs were successfully dropped on London, Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Sussex, and Kent; 1 Ju 88 bomber was lost. Overnight, London, Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, and South Wales were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
22 Oct 1940
- British Ambassador to Moscow attempted to distance the Soviet Union away from Germany. ww2dbase [TH]
- Aktion Burckel: 29,000 Jews in Alsace-Lorraine, Saarland, and Baden were deported to Southern France. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 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. ww2dbase [TH]
- British minesweeping trawlers HMT Joseph Button hit a mine and sank 6 miles off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, killing 5; HMT Hickory also hit a mine and sank in the English Channel South of Weymouth, England, killing 24. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Werner Mölders claimed his 50th victory. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- 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. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
China
- Heitaro Kimura was named the chief of staff of Kenkichi Ueda (Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China). ww2dbase [CPC]
Russia
- Joseph Stalin accepted Joachim von Ribbentrop's invitation for Vyacheslav Molotov to visit Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Joseph Stalin | Moscow | CPC]
United Kingdom
- As the heavy fog dissipated in the afternoon, two German fighter sweeps attacked southern England, United Kingdom; 3 German fighters and 6 British fighters were shot down. Overnight, London, Liverpool, and Coventry were bombed; Coventry suffered 150 fires. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
23 Oct 1940
Canada
- 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. ww2dbase [Halifax, Nova Scotia | CPC]
France
- Adolf Hitler met with Francisco Franco on the Franco-Spanish border at Hendaye, France. Franco promised Spain will fight at Germany's side, but refused to commit his nation to war. ww2dbase [Meeting at Hendaye | Hendaye, Aquitaine | TH]
United Kingdom
- Germans only mounted small raids against southern England, United Kingdom due to poor weather; no aircraft were shot down on either side during the day. Overnight, light bombing hit London, England and Glasgow, Scotland. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- The only example of the Hertfordshire aircraft crashed near RAF Hendon in London, England, United Kingdom, killing all 11 aboard, including Air Vice-Marshal Charles Blount. ww2dbase [DH.95 Flamingo | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 23 Oct 1940
24 Oct 1940
- The British government declared that the daylight-savings Summer Time was to be continued throughout the coming winter winter. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 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. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
United Kingdom
- 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. ww2dbase [Scapa Flow | Scapa Flow, Scotland | CPC]
- During hte day, poor weather restricted German efforts against Britain, limiting missions to that of reconnaissance only; one Do 17 bomber was shot down on such a mission. Overnight, London and Birmingham were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 24 Oct 1940
25 Oct 1940
- US Navy began to mobilize its aviation arm. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Lord Inchcape hit a mine and sank off Plymouth, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 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. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- British gunboat HMS Aphis bombarded Italian troops 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani, Egypt. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Ermland was ordered to set sail on a supply mission for battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisneau. ww2dbase [Ermland | CPC]
Germany
Italy
- The Italian Navy formed the Forza Navale Speciale (FNS) under Vice Admiral Vittorio Tur. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Morosini departed Naples, Italy at 0800 hours, starting her third war patrol. ww2dbase [Morosini | Naples, Campania | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 16 Italian BR20M bombers attacked Felixstowe and Harwich in Britain; 1 crashed on take off and 2 crashed on the return flight. Meanwhile, four groups of German Bf 109 fighters swept southern England, United Kingdom, shooting down 10 British fighters while losing 14 of their own. At dusk, German He 111 bombers attacked Montrose airfield in Scotland. Overnight, London, Birmingham, Pembroke, Cardiff, and Liverpool were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Jean Marin made a broadcast over the BBC from the United Kingdom to the French people, speaking of the Germans depriving France of food and other goods, denouncing the Vichy regime, while avoiding to vilify Philippe Pétain personally. Instead, Pierre Laval was noted as the collaborationist who had tricked Pétain. ww2dbase [CPC]
26 Oct 1940
- Italy lodged a protest against Greece, citing its anti-Italian attitude. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- British Ministry of Food subsidised fish and chip shops to encourage potato consumption. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Thunderbolt was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Thunderbolt | CPC]
- Hubert Lanz was given command of 1. Gebirgs-Division. ww2dbase [Hubert Lanz | CPC]
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. On the same day, German Fw 200 Condor bomber discovered and hit British troop ship Empress of Britain with two 250kg bombs 70 miles northwest of Aran Island in the Atlantic Ocean; 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. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | AC]
China
United Kingdom
- The German Luftwaffe conducted the longest night time raid on London, England, United Kingdom to date. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | TH]
- James Lacey shot down a German Bf 109 fighter over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
United States
- The US Marine Corps organized a Marine Parachute Detachment at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey, United States. ww2dbase [Lakehurst, New Jersey | CPC]
- At Mines Field in Inglewood, California, United States, test pilot Vance Breese took the North American Aviation NA-73X, prototype for the P-51 Mustang, on a five-minute maiden flight. ww2dbase [P-51 Mustang | Mines Field | Inglewood, California | CPC]
27 Oct 1940
- Free French forces from Cameroon attacked Vichy French forces in Gabon, penetrating 70 miles across the border and capturing the town of Mitzic. ww2dbase [Battle of Gabon | CPC]
- Men of British destroyer HMS Broke was 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, United Kingdom with destroyers and aircraft in escort. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Nani sank Swedish ship Meggie 70 miles southeast of the Azores Islands; the entire crew of Meggie survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
- Late in the evening, Italian ambassador in Athens Emanuele Grazzi issued an ultimatum, demanding that Italian troops be allowed occupy strategic positions in Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- 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, than an invasion would not take place in the very near future. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Italian submarine Maggiore Baracca encountered German auxiliary cruiser Widder in the Atlantic Ocean at 1505 hours. ww2dbase [Widder | Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
- Comandante Cappellini stopped French fishing vessel Marcella in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores islands at 0230 hours. After formal identification she was allowed to continue her journey. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Comandante Cappellini | CPC]
Greece
- Aircraft from HMS Eagle struck the Italian seaplane base at Maltezana, Rhodes, Greece. ww2dbase [Eagle | Rhodes | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 5 raids of 50 to 60 German aircraft attacked Britain throughout the day, most of which were German fighter-bombers and medium bombers, but Italians also contributed several BR20M bombers for the attack on Ramsgate, England, United Kingdom; 6 German fighters and 4 bombers were shot down, while the British lost 8 fighters with 4 pilots killed. Overnight, London and Liverpool were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 27 Oct 1940
28 Oct 1940
- Pierre Laval became the Foreign Minister of Vichy France. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | TH]
- German raider Pinguin and auxilliary minelayer Passat began to lay mines off Sydney, Newcastle, Hobart, Melbourne, and other locations along the long Australian coast line. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
- HMS Edinburgh completed her refitting at Tyne, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Edinburgh | CPC]
- HMS Eagle patrolled the western coast of Greece. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-32 sunk British troop ship Empress of Britain, under tow as she was damaged by aircraft two day 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. ww2dbase [AC]
- Ermland broke through the Denmark Strait into the North Atlantic Ocean, but since battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisneau could not do the same, Ermland was ordered to sail to Brest, France. ww2dbase [Ermland | Denmark Strait | CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca took on 5 tons of water through the conning tower hatch in heavy seas in the Atlantic Ocean. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
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"). 85,000 Italian troops crossed the border from Albania, outnumbering the 30,000-strong Greek Army. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Ioannis Metaxas | TH]
Italy
- 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. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Florence, Toscana | TH]
- At the Axis leaders' meeting in Florence, Italy, Adolf Hitler told Benito Mussolini that "Germany could make available a division of airborne troops and a division of parachute troops" should he wish to invade Crete, Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Adolf Hitler | Florence, Toscana | AC]
United Kingdom
- An additional 489,000 children had been evacuated from the greater London area in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
- At 1300 and 1430 hours, German fighters conducted sweeps towards the British airfield at Biggin Hill in England, United Kingdom, but were turned back. Between 1630 and 1710 hours, Bf 109 fighter-bombers and Ju 88 bombers attacked various sites in southern England; 2 Bf 109 and Ju 88 aircraft were shot down without any British aircraft losses. Overnight, London and Birmingham were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain pledged support for Greece against the Italian invasion. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC]
29 Oct 1940
- The first British troops arrived at Suda Bay, Crete in Greece; meanwhile, a fleet of 4 battleships, 2 carriers, and 19 destroyers departed from the British naval base at Alexandria, Egypt for Crete. To the north, the Italian invasion advanced slowly. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- Conscription, as allowed by the Selective Training and Service Act, began; it was the first military draft during peacetime in US history. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The full mobilization of the Italian Blackshirt units began. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 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. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-29 made 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. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- Werner Mölders claimed his 54th victory. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Germany
Gibraltar
- 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. ww2dbase [Scirè | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German bombers conducted several raids in southern England, United Kingdom all day, escorted by Bf 109 fighters, damaging areas of London and Portsmouth. At dusk, German Ju 88 aircraft, acting as dive bombers, attacked airfields in East Anglia, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire. Italian BR20M bombers bombed Ramsgate in formation. During the day, the Germans lost 22 Bf 109 fighters, 3 Bf 110 fighters, and 2 Do 17 bombers; the British lost 7 fighters with 2 pilots killed; the Italians lost 5 bombers. Overnight, London, Birmingham, and Coventry were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
30 Oct 1940
- RAF Bomber Command received orders to begin area bombing. ww2dbase [TH]
- German submarine U-32 attacked British ship Balzac in a rain storm 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 1240, but the torpedo detonated prematurely, alarming Balzac's crew, which called for support. British destroyers HMS Harvester and HMS Highlander raced from 45 miles away to attack U-32. U-32 dove, but was damaged by depth charges. At 1908 hours, U-32 surfaced in an attempt to flee, but HMS Highlander's crew was able to detect U-32 despite a stormy night. Hit by gunfire that killed 9, U-32's crew scuttled the submarine. Back in Germany, a fake news regarding U-32's triumphant return was broadcast shortly after to hide the news of the loss. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Fearless collided with British ship Lanark in stormy weather off Gourock, Scotland, United Kingdom. HMS Fearless was heavily damaged and would remain in repair until the end of the year. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Sturdy ran aground at Tiree, Scotland, United Kingdom in stormy weather; 5 men drowned while swimming ashore. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Galland claimed his 50th victory. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
Malta
- Wing Commander J. R. O'Sullivan was ordered to form a fighter squadron at the civilian airfield at Ta' Qali, Malta. ww2dbase [RAF Takali | Ta' Qali | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The German Luftwaffe launched two raids over southern England, United Kingdom at 1130 and 1540 hours; the Germans lost 8 Bf 109 fighters and 1 He 111 bomber, while the British lost 5 fighters with 4 pilots killed. London was bombed overnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
- James Lacey shot down a German Bf 109 fighter and damaged another over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
United States
- USS R-5 was assigned to US Submarine Division 42 at New London, Connecticut, United States. ww2dbase [R-5 | New London, Connecticut | CPC]
31 Oct 1940
- As the Italian invasion of Greece began to slow to a stop in the Epirus Mountains, British forces landed on the islands of Lemnos and Crete in southern Greece to prevent Italian landings on Greek islands. Greek destroyers Spetsai and Psara departed the Gulf of Patras and used their 120-mm guns to bombard Italian troops on the Ionian coast of Albania and northern Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- German submarine U-124 sank British ship Rutland 300 miles northwest of Ireland at 2158 hours, killing the entire crew of 24. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Widder arrived at Brest, France after a 179-day long operation in the Atlantic Ocean that saw the sinking of 10 ships totaling 58,645 tons. ww2dbase [Widder | CPC]
- HMCS Trillium was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Commander Ronald Fraser Harris in command. ww2dbase [Trillium | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Maggiore Baracca spotted a freighter in the northern Atlantic Ocean at about 1935 hours. At 2109, she fired a torpedo, which missed. The freighter turned to ram the submarine, but Maggiore Baracca was able to avoid being struck by going full astern. The Italian submarine would continue to give chase through the end of this day. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted a group of 7 Allied merchant ships escorted by two destroyers in the Atlantic Ocean at 1315 hours. She was spotted in return by the destroyers, which forced her to submerge. The Italian submarine surfaced at 1730 hours and observed that the convoy was about 48 miles away. At 2040 hours, she informed the Italian base at Bordeaux, France that she had sighted this convoy. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
France
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
United Kingdom
- According to a British Air Ministry pamphlet published in 1941, this date was the official end of the Battle of Britain, but bombings on London, England, United Kingdom would continue. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | TH]
1 Nov 1940
- 11,000 Italian mountain troops marched for the pass at Metsovo, Greece but were trapped by 2,000 Greek troops, who knew the terrain far better than the Italians, in the Vovousa Valley 5 miles before they reached the pass. In southern Greece, British destroyers Ajax landed more troops at Suda Bay, Crete while under attack by Italian bombers. Meanwhile, Turkey declared neutrality in the Italo-Greek war. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- The British mined the Bay of Biscay off France. ww2dbase [TH]
- German bombers attacked British shipping in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom, sinking Letchworth (1 killed), sinking minesweeping trawler HMT Tilbury Ness (10 killed), and heavily damaging sloop HMS Pintail (10 killed, 3 wounded); one German bomber was shot down by the anti-aircraft ship Royal Eagle. On the same day, a force of around ten Italian BR.20 bombers escorted by forty CR.42 fighters set off to attack the docks at Harwich, England; eight of the bombers were claimed as destroyed by the RAF, which contributed to the Italian decision to withdraw from the Battle of Britain in the next few weeks. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- German submarine U-124 sank British ship Empire Bison 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0706 hours, killing 30 crew and 1 gunner. 6,067 tons of scrap steel and 94 trucks, all from the United States, were lost with the ship. 4 survivors were rescued by Danish merchant ship Olga S. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British sloop HMS Black Swan was damaged by a mine in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. She would remain under repair until Apr 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Galland was promoted to the rank of Oberstleutnant. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | CPC]
- Chuichi Nagumo was named the commandant of the Japanese naval war college. ww2dbase [Chuichi Nagumo | CPC]
- U-56 was assigned to 24th Flotilla for training. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Maggiore Baracca abandoned the pursuit of a freighter in the northern Atlantic Ocean at 0020 hours; she had been pursuing the unidentified target freighter since the previous date. At 1820 hours, she sighted a convoy of three to five ships at the distance of 6,000 meters, she gave pursuit. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
China
- Rear Admiral Keizo Tanimoto replaced Rear Admiral Isamu Takeda as the chief of staff of Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya (Ryojun Military Port, northeastern China). ww2dbase [Ryojun Guard District | Lushunkou, Liaoning | CPC]
Germany
- The German Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at the Colditz Castle, until now a transit camp, was redesignated an actual holding camp as Polish prisoners of war were transferred there from nearby Oflag IV-A and Oflag VIII-B. ww2dbase [Colditz Castle | Colditz, Sachsen | CPC]
Japan
- During this month, Japanese Navy began receiving the carrier version of the A6M Zero fighter. ww2dbase [A6M Zero | CPC]
- Captain Shunji Izaki was named the commanding officer of Settsu. ww2dbase [Settsu | CPC]
- Tanikaze was launched by Fujinagata Shipyards in Osaka, Japan. ww2dbase [Tanikaze | Osaka | CPC]
Norway
- Bremse was rammed by refrigerated cargo ship Donau off Bergen, Norway, causing some damage. ww2dbase [Bremse | Bergen | CPC]
United States
- N-3PB prototype seaplane, developed from the A-17 design, made its maiden flight. ww2dbase [N-3PB | CPC]
2 Nov 1940
- British destroyer HMS Antelope attacked German submarine U-31 with depth charges, killing 2. Forced to the surface, the crew of U-31 scuttled the submarine before abandoning her. As HMS Antelope rescued the 43 German survivors, the wrecked hull of U-31 drifted into her, causing damage that would keep HMS Antelope under repair until Dec 1940. U-31 had previously been sunk by British aircraft on 11 Mar 1940, but was later raised and put back into action; she was the only German submarine to be sunk twice during the war. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Turkey moved 37 divisions to the Bulgarian border and warned Bulgaria not to participate in the Italo-Greek war. Meanwhile, Italian troops reached the main Greek defensive line on the Kalamas River between Elia and Kalamas. Off Suda Bay, Crete, as British warships departed after unloading troops, Italian bombers scored near misses against them but failed to cause damage. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Intrepid hit a mine off Hartlepool, Durham, England, United Kingdom, damaging both of her engines; she would remain under repair until late Dec 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Rinovia hit a mine and sank 10 miles south of St. Austell, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, killing 15. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Maggiore Baracca abandoned the pursuit of a convoy in the northern Atlantic Ocean at 1705 hours; she had been pursuing the convoy since the previous date. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
South Africa
- HMS Hermes completed her repairs at Simon's Town, South Africa. ww2dbase [Hermes | Simon's Town | CPC]
3 Nov 1940
- In the Pindus Mountains in northern Greece, Greek Pindus detachment counterattacked against Italian Julia Division, recapturing the villages of Samarina and Vovousa. Further west, Italian tanks were brought up to attack the Greek defenses on the Kalamas River, but the terrain was poorly suited for mobile operations. Far to the south, British troops began arriving on mainland Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- British submarine HMS Sturgeon sank Danish ship Sigrun in the Oslofjord, Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank British ship Casanare 150 miles west of Ireland at 2140 hours, killing 9. Casanare sent out a distress signal prior to her sinking, which brought British armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus to the area; U-99 disabled HMS Laurentic after hitting her with torpedoes at 2250 hours, 2310 hours, and 2330 hours, killing 49; 368 survivors abandoned the ship and were rescued by Patroclus. ww2dbase [TH]
Atlantic Ocean
- Morosini sighted a ship in the Atlantic Ocean at 1135 hours. After closing to 1,000 meters, she identified the target as a hospital ship, and halted the pursuit. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
United Kingdom
4 Nov 1940
- German submarine U-99 attacked British armed merchant cruiser HMS Patroclus 150 miles west of Ireland while she was rescuing survivors of HMS Laurentic, which was disabled by U-99 at the end of the previous day. U-99 fired torpedoes at 0022 hours, 0044 hours, and 0118 hours from the surface, and then dove to avoid attacks. At 0435 hours, U-99 resurfaced, sinking HMS Laurentic with a torpedo which detonated Laurentic's depth charges. Patroclus was sunk at 0525 hours, killing 56. British destroyers HMS Hesperus arrived and chased away U-99 with depth charges. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Italian Julia Division continued to be trapped in the Vovousa valley in northern Greece, incurring heavy casualties as Greek troops mounted repeated attacks in an attempt to eliminate this pocket. Further west, Italian troops established a bridgehead across the Kalamas River, but failed at their first attempt to break out. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler met with his top military leaders in Berlin, Germany to explore the possibility of attacking Gibraltar, Azores Islands, Madeira, and Portugal as means to block the British Royal Navy from entering the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- British convoys A. N. 6 and M. W. 3 set out from Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt for the Aegean Sea and Malta. The ships were covered by the anti-aircraft cruisers Calcutta and Coventry with the destroyers Dainty, Vampire, Waterhen, and Voyager. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted Allied convoy OG 45, consisted of 17 merchant ships escorted by an auxiliary cruiser, in the Atlantic Ocean at 1310 hours. She gave chase, but failed to gain a favorable attack position. At 1650 hours, the convoy detected the presence of Alessandro Malaspina, and the armed merchant cruiser was successful in putting some distance between the submarine and the rest of the convoy. The Italians lost sight of the convoy at 1720 hours. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
France
United States
5 Nov 1940
- Roosevelt was re-elected as President of the United States. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | TH]
- German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer approached Allied convoy HX-84 in the North Atlatic in the late afternoon, and British armed merchant cruiser Jervis Bay moved in to intercept. Hopelessly outgunned, Jervis Bay was sunk within 15 minutes of the gun battle; 190 were killed and 65 survived; Captain Fegen of Jervis Bay would be awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his efforts to slow Admiral Scheer. Nevertheless, Admiral Scheer was able to sink 5 additional British ships in the convoy before the convoy scattered and escaped, killing an additional 208 sailors. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | TH]
- Free French troops captured Lambaréné, French Equatorial Africa (in present day Gabon) about 100 kilometer inland up the Ogooué River. Meanwhile, Free French, Foreign Legion, and Colonial troops set sail from Douala, French Cameroun for another Vichy-held city in French Equatorial Africa, Libreville. ww2dbase [Battle of Gabon | CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank British tanker Scottish Maiden 180 miles northwest of Ireland at 0255 hours, killing 16; she was carrying 3,000 tons of diesel oil and 6,500 tons of marine fuel. British destroyer HMS Beagle picked up 28 survivors. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Greek cavalry troops under General Georgios Stanotas began a new attack on the enveloped Italian Julia Division in the Vovousa valley in northern Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- British cruisers Sydney and Ajax departed Alexandra, Egypt to land supplies at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
- British cruisers Sydney and Ajax landed supplies at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece and then joined the Mediterranean Fleet at sea. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alessandro Malaspina sighted British auxiliary cruiser HMS Salopian in the Atlantic Ocean at 0710 hours. She was sighted in return, and the auxiliary cruiser changed course to intercept. The Italian submarine dove after being fired upon by deck guns at 0740 hours. At 0930 hours, the Italians recorded that propeller noises could no longer be heard. After confirming that the British ship had indeed departed the area, Alessandro Malaspina set course for Bordeaux, France. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
Egypt
- While at Alexandria, Egypt, a leak was found in the fuel system of HMS Eagle, requiring her to receive repairs; the damage was caused by near misses by Italian bombers on 12 Oct 1940. ww2dbase [Eagle | Alexandria | CPC]
France
- Hermann Göring issued an order to loot the art treasures at the Louvre museum in Paris, France, which were to be distributed to German museums and private collections of Nazi leaders, with a large portion of the art reserved for himself. ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | Paris | CPC]
- Comandante Cappellini departed Pauillac, Aquitaine, France at 0825 hours, and arrived at Bordeaux, France at 1115 hours. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | Pauillac, Aquitaine | CPC]
United States
6 Nov 1940
- The British promise of financial aid to Greece was cemented with an advance of £5,000,000. ww2dbase [TH]
- The British Under-Secretary for War announced measures to provide the Home Guard better equipment without altering its 'local and friendly character'. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Comandante Faà Di Bruno attacked British ship Melrose Abbey 200 miles northwest of Ireland with her deck gun. As Canadian destroyer HMCS Ottawa and British destroyer HMS Harvester approached with guns firing, Comandante Faà Di Bruno dove under the surface. The subsequent depth charging by the destroyers successfully destroyed the Italian submarine, killing the entire crew of 57. ww2dbase [TH]
- British destroyer HMS Encounter misidentified British submarine HMS Utmost for an enemy submarine and rammed her off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal at 1225 hours. HMS Utmost sustained damage, but did not sink. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping whaler HMS Sevra hit a mine and sank off Falmouth, England, United Kingdom without any casualties. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Greek 2nd Army Corps mounted another attack on the enveloped Italian Julia Division in the Pindus Mountains region in northern Greece. To the west, Italian forces at the Kalamas River continued their attempt to break out of the bridgehead. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British freighter Melrose Abbey II of Allied Convoy HX 84 was pursued by a hostile submarine in the Atlantic Ocean starting around 0842 hours. At 1130 hours, British sloop HMS Deptford made ASDIC contact with a target and attacked it with depth charges; Canadian destroyers HMCS Skeena and HMCS St. Laurent later joined in; the target was not destroyed. At 1216 hours, Melrose Abbey II reported being pursued by a hostile submarine once again. At 1517 hours, Canadian destroyer HMCS Ottowa and British destroyer HMS Harvester hunted for the submarine, dropping a total of 88 depth charges through the night. The hostile submarine had not been identified, and it could have been Italian submarine Comandante Faà di Bruno, and the degree to which this hostile submarine was damaged was not known. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | CPC]
Canada
- Frederick Aikman enlisted with the RAF in Canada. ww2dbase [Frederick Aikman | CPC]
Germany
- Three Canadian prisoners of war who had previously served in the British Royal Air Force arrived at the Oflag IV-C camp at the Colditz Castle. The men were Donald Middleton, Keith Milne, and Howard Wardle. They were transferred from Oflag IX-A/H. ww2dbase [Colditz Castle | Colditz, Sachsen | CPC]
Norway
- German 1st and 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotillas (torpedo boats T1, T4, T6, T7, T8, T9, and T10) departed Trondheim, Norway to intercept an Allied convoy sailing toward Kinnaird Head, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [T1 | T4 | T6 | T7 | T8 | T9 | T10 | Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag | CPC]
7 Nov 1940
- Operation Coat was launched with carrier Ark Royal, cruiser Sheffield, and six destroyers to cover British naval forces en route toward Sardinia, Italy. The force was discovered and attacked by Italian aircraft. Italian submarines were also launched, but they failed to locate the British force. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- Vichy French submarine Poncelet fired a torpedo at the Allied invasion fleet sailing for Libreville, French Equitorial Africa 50 miles southwest of Libreville, hitting sloop HMS Milford, but the torpedo failed to explode. Poncelet was forced to surface by Milford's depth charges, and then was damaged by bombs from two Walrus biplanes of HMS Devonshire. All but one of Poncelet's complement of 61 surrendered after scuttling the ship; commanding officer Commander de Saussine decided to go down with the ship. ww2dbase [Battle of Gabon | CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT William Wesney hit a mine and sank in the North Sea 13 miles east of Harwich, England, United Kingdom; 5 were killed and 7 survived. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- Free French minesweeping trawler Poulmic hit a mine and sank off Plymouth, England, United Kingdom; 11 were killed and 7 survived. ww2dbase [English Channel | CPC]
- German 1st and 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotillas (torpedo boats T1, T4, T6, T7, T8, T9, and T10), while sailing to intercept an Allied convoy sailing toward Kinnaird Head, Scotland, United Kingdom, entered a British minefield 40 miles north of the convoy. T6 struck a mine shortly after midnight at the beginning of this day and sank; the survivors were picked up by T7 and T8. The operation was canceled and the two flotillas returned to base. ww2dbase [T1 | T4 | T6 | T7 | T8 | T9 | T10 | CPC]
Australia
- British ship Cambridge hit a naval mine laid by German ship Passat and sank 6 miles off Wilson's Promontory, Australia; 1 was killed and 57 were rescued by Australian auxiliary minesweeper Orara. ww2dbase [Victoria | CPC]
France
- Alpino Bagnolini arrived at Bordeaux, France at 1300 hours, ending her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
- Vichy France passed a law concerning how skiing should be taught, signifying the importance of sports in the new French education philosophy. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- Krupp factories in Germany were bombed again by the RAF. ww2dbase [TH]
- Emden entered drydocks for maintenance. ww2dbase [Emden | CPC]
Gibraltar
- Rammed by British destroyer HMS Encounter in an episode of misidentification on the previous day, the damaged British submarine HMS Utmost reached Gibraltar, where she would remain for repairs until 23 Nov 1940. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- British submarine HMS Swordfish hit a mine and sank 7 miles south of the Isle of Wight, England, United Kingdom, killing the entire crew of 39. ww2dbase [England | CPC]
- US diplomat Tyler Kent, a cipher clerk at the American Embassy in Britain, was convicted of espionage by the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, London, England, United Kingdom and sentenced to seven years imprisonment. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
- King George VI became Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Army. ww2dbase [George VI | London, England | AC]
United States
- Submarine Gar was launched, sponsored by the wife of Rear Admiral George Pettengill. ww2dbase [Gar | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 7 Nov 1940
See all photos dated 7 Nov 1940
8 Nov 1940
- After failing to expand from the Kalamas River bridgehead in western Greece, Italian troops in that region began to pull back. In the Pindus Mountains in northern Greece, the enveloped Italian Julia Division also began to attempt to break out for a retreat. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- RAF bombed Munich, Germany, narrowly missing Hitler. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | TH]
- French Legionnaires and colonial troops from Senegal and Cameroun landed north and south of Vichy-French-held Libreville, French Equitorial Africa. Heavy fighting began immediately. ww2dbase [Battle of Gabon | CPC]
- Operation Crack: Aircraft of British carrier HMS Ark Royal attacked the seaplane base at Elmas near Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British tug HMS Muria hit a mine and sank off the Isle of Thanet near Dover, England, United Kingdom, killing the entire crew. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German bombers attacked a convoy in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom, sinking or damaging several merchant ships. Two Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers were shot down by destroyer HMS Winchester, which soon hit a mine and was damaged. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German bombers damaged Swedish ship Vingaland 300 miles west of Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Dutch submarine O-22 disappeared in the North Sea 40 miles southwest of Norway; 42 Dutch and 3 British sailors were missing and were presumed dead. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
France
- At 1030 hours, the Italian submarine commanders at Bordeaux, France requested Italian submarine Comandante Faà di Bruno to provide her position, but the submarine failed to answer. At 2100 hours, the request was sent again, and there was still no reply. ww2dbase [Comandante Faà di Bruno | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
Malta
- RAF Station Takali was officially operational on Malta. ww2dbase [RAF Takali | Ta' Qali | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 8 Nov 1940
9 Nov 1940
- Neville Chamberlain passed away of cancer. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | CPC]
- Free French forces entered Libreville, Gabon, French Equatorial Africa, engaging in street fighting with Vichy French forces. Off Libreville, Free French sloop Savorgnan de Brazza sunk Vichy sloop Bougainville by gunfire (they two were sister ships of the same class), while Free French sloop Commandant Domine prevented Vichy armed merchant cruiser Cap Des Palmes' crew from scuttling the ship and captured her. ww2dbase [Battle of Gabon | CPC]
- Sebastiano Visconti Prasca was relieved as commander of Italian operations in Greece for the failures to breakthrough Greek defense lines in northern Greece. He was replaced by General Ubaldo Soddu. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis, disguised as British auxiliary cruiser HMS Antenor in the darkness before dawn, closed in on Norwegian tanker Teddy in the Bay of Bengal and captured the ship with a boarding party without firing a shot. Atlantis refueled from Teddy's cargo of 10,000 tons of fuel oil and captured the crew of 32. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- American ship City Of Rayville hit a naval mine (laid by German ship Passat) and sank 20 miles off Cape Otway, South Australia, Australia; 1 was killed and 39 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Swedish ship Vingaland, damaged on the previous day by German bombers west of Ireland, was sunk by Italian submarine Guglielmo Marconi; the 19 survivors were picked up by British ship Danae II. ww2dbase [Guglielmo Marconi | CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca sighted a tanker in the northern Atlantic Ocean at 0945 hours. She attempted an attack while submerged, failed to get in a good attack position. She lost contact with the target and gave up the pursuit at 1645 hours. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
Finland
- Alpo Marttinen was promoted to the rank of major. ww2dbase [Alpo Marttinen | CPC]
France
United Kingdom
- Winston Churchill moved his weekend retreat to discrete Ditchley Hall, near Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom as a precaution against a possible German assassination attack on the Prime Ministers' official retreat at Chequers, Buckinghamshire, or on his home at Chartwell House in Westerham, Kent. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | Charlbury, England | AC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 9 Nov 1940
10 Nov 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- Maggiore Baracca sighted two destroyers at the distance of 5,000 meters in the northern Atlantic Ocean at 1117 hours. She dove and approached, hearing three depth charges, but she was not able to get in a good attack position. Meanwhile, British destroyers HMS Jaguar, HMS Jackal, and HMS Jupiter reported an attack on an enemy destroyer in the general area at approximately 1100 hours. It was unclear whether Italian report and the British report were of the same event. Later on the same day, she was informed of an Allied convoy near her in the northern Atlantic Ocean and set sail in that direction. ww2dbase [Jaguar | Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
- Morosini sighted an illuminated ship in the Atlantic Ocean at 0630 hours. She assumed the ship to be a neutral ship and thus did not pursue. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
Egypt
- British gunboat HMS Aphis shelled Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt overnight. ww2dbase [Sidi Barrani | CPC]
France
- Philippe Pétain spoke on radio, asking people to donate blankets, clothing, etc. to those in need in preparation for the predicted harsh winter. ww2dbase [Philippe Pétain | CPC]
Greece
- In northern Greece, Greek troops continued to push Italian troops back toward the Albanian border both in the coastal region as well as in the Pindus Mountains. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
Indian Ocean
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis, disguised as British auxiliary cruiser HMS Antenor in the darkness before dawn, closed in on Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob in the Bay of Bengal. After a tense stand-off, the Norwegian captain decided to surrender, fearing that a gunfight might ignite the cargo of 11,000 barrels of high-octane aviation fuel. Ole Jacob was captured as a prize ship and sent first to Japan and then to France, carrying a cargo of aviation fuel and the captured prisoners from Ole Jacob and Teddy. Ole Jacob's distress signal would resulted in the dispatching of Australian cruisers Canberra, Capetown, and Durban, but they would fail to catch Atlantis. ww2dbase [Canberra (County-class) | Atlantis | Bay of Bengal | CPC]
Italy
- In appalling weather, Flying Officer Adrian Warburton RAF flying a Maryland photographic reconnaissance aircraft from Malta made two low-level sweeps over the Italian port of Taranto, noting the names of five battleships, 14 Cruisers and 27 destroyers along with their precise locations. He flew so low that his Maryland returned to Malta with a ships radio aerial dangling from its tailwheel. On the following day, he would fly the same mission again. The information his photographs revealed was passed on to the waiting torpedo-bomber crews on board HMS Illustrious. ww2dbase [Attack on Taranto | Taranto, Puglia | AC]
Malta
- British monitor HMS Terror departed Malta for Suda Bay, Crete, Greece to serve as a guard ship. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Force F made rendezvous with the Mediterranean Fleet and dropped 2,500 troops on Malta. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
- British convoy M. E. 3, with several empty ships, departed Malta. The convoy was detected by Italian submarine Topazio, which attempted to attack the convoy with torpedoes; all torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
Newfoundland
- The first delivery of much needed American aircraft to Britain commenced when seven Hudson aircraft set out from Newfoundland for Northern Ireland and all seven landed safely 10.5 hours later. This pioneering flight, led by Captain Don Bennett BOAC (later AVM, AOC No.8 (PFF) Group RAF) was undertaken by a mixed batch of service and civilian volunteer pilots of the recently created Air Ferries Department. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | AC]
United Kingdom
- British anti-submarine trawler HMS Kingston Alalite hit a mine and sank off Plymouth, England, United Kingdom, killing 6. ww2dbase [Plymouth, England | CPC]
- The first Avro Manchester Mk. 1 bomber to be delivered went to No. 207 Squadron RAF (Squadron Leader Noel Challis Hyde) based at RAF Waddington in the county of Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Lancaster | Waddington, England | AC]
United States
- The Director of the US Marine Corps Reserve formally integrated his organization into the regular US Marine Corps. ww2dbase [CPC]
11 Nov 1940
- At 2300 hours, 21 Swordfish aircraft of British carrier HMS Illustrious flew over Taranto Italy, where the Italian fleet was harbored. 11 aircraft attacked with torpedoes, sinking battleship Conte di Cavour was sunk, and damaging battleships Littorio and Caio Duilio. 10 aircraft attacked the inner harbor, causing minor damage on shore facilities. 2 aircraft were shot down (2 killed, 2 captured). ww2dbase [Attack on Taranto | TH]
- At 1330 hours, British radar at Essex, England picked up incoming aircraft, which turned out to be 12 Italian BR.20M bombers and 12 CR.42 biplane fighters heading for Harwich. Hurricane fighters from No. 257, No. 46, and No. 17 Squadrons RAF were launched to intercept over the Thames Estuary, shooting down 3 bombers and 3 fighters, while damaging 2 bombers, without incurring any losses. Winston Churchill would later quip that the Italian aircraft "might have found better employment defending the fleet at Taranto", referring to the successful British raid to take place later on the same day. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | TH]
- British destroyer HMS Vega hit a mine and was badly damaged 5 miles north of Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, England, United Kingdom while escorting a convoy; she would later be towed to Sheerness, Kent for repairs. On the same day, British minesweeping trawler HMT Stella Orion hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary without any casualties. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British corvette Rhododendron attacked German submarine U-103 with depth charges 200 miles northwest of Ireland; U-103 would be able to escape without any damage. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis stopped British ship Automedon with gunfire in the Bay of Bengal, killing 7 crew and 1 gunner. The crew of Atlantis boarded Automedon, capturing 87 survivors, cargos of food and cigarettes, and top secret Royal Navy documents detailing military deployment in Asia and code schemes. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- The US army took delivery of its first Jeep. The origin of the name is still a mystery. Some say it is from the Army designation GP (General Purpose) but others prefer the reference to a character from the Popeye cartoon strip known as Eugene the Jeep. The character could walk through walls, climb trees, fly and go just about anywhere it wanted, and it is thought that soldiers at the time were so impressed with the new vehicle’s versatility that they named it after the Jeep. ww2dbase [Jeep | CPC]
- No. 640 Squadron RAF recorded the first Beaufighter "kill" when a German Ju 88A aircraft was shot down with the aid of the A.I.IV radar. ww2dbase [Beaufighter | AC]
- A convoy launched specifically to coincide with the British attack on Taranto, Italy reached Malta successfullly. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
France
Hawaii
12 Nov 1940
- The 19 surviving Swordfish aircraft of the 21 sent to attack Taranto, Italy at 2300 hours on the previous day returned to the British carrier HMS Illustrious. Italian battleships Vittorio Veneto, Andrea Doria, and Giulio Cesare, having survived the attack, departed the harbor with cruisers in escort for Naples, Italy, to avoid being caught by a second attack by the British, which was indeed planned but failed to launch due to bad weather. ww2dbase [Attack on Taranto | CPC]
- Vichy French forces in Gabon, French Equitorial Africa surrendered to Free French forces at Port Gentil 70 miles south of Libreville. Having successfully negotiated the surrender, Governor Georges Pierre Masson committed suicide shortly after the agreement was reached. ww2dbase [Battle of Gabon | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler issued Directive 18 for the capture of Gibraltar, Azores Islands, Madeira, and Portugal. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
Germany
- Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov arrived in Berlin, Germany for discussions about spheres of influence in the Balkan Peninsula and in Finland. In the morning, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop reassured Molotov that Germany had no further interest in eastern and southern Europe. In the afternoon, Molotov met with Adolf Hitler and relayed Joseph Stalin's request for Hitler to explain the recently formed German-Italian-Japanese military alliance and the recent German move into Romania; before Hitler gave a concrete answer, he noted that as the hour was getting late, the risk of British bombing was getting greater, thus the meeting should be broken up. ww2dbase [Vyacheslav Molotov | Berlin | TH]
- Adolf Hitler issued a directive to the German army to be prepared in invade Greece so that the Luftwaffe could attack airfield from which the RAF might attack the oilfields of Romania. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | AC]
- Having realized that his staff made plans to move visiting Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov to bomb shelters in case Allied bombers attacked Berlin, Adolf Hitler realized that the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany did not have an adequate bunker, and immediate ordered for a plan to be drawn up. Digging would begin in the middle of the Chancellery garden in 1943, but the construction would never be finished. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Berlin | CPC]
United Kingdom
- A captured German airman warned of a planned bombing against the British city of Coventry; British intelligence officers thought the airman was fed incorrect information in case he was captured, and the actual target would be London. On 14 Nov, a massive raid on Coventry by 440 German bombers killed 568, injured 863, and destroyed the city's 14th century cathedral. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 12 Nov 1940
13 Nov 1940
- Hitler, Ribbentrop, and Molotov continued their meeting in Berlin, Germany. Hitler attempted to divert Soviet aggression out of the Balkan Peninsula and Finland, and instead focus, together with Germany, to defeat the United Kingdom, with the ultimate prize being the partition of the British Empire among Germany, the Soviet Union, Italy, and Japan. Molotov, who was not moved, asked Hitler whether Germany would feel comfortable with a Soviet guarantee of Bulgarian borders much like how Germany had recently guaranteed Romanian borders; unable to answer that question, Hitler again broke off the discussion on the excuse of potential British bombings as the hours were getting late. Indeed, having known that Molotov was visiting Berlin, the British RAF launched bombers to attack Berlin as a show of force to convince Molotov that Britain was still in the fight. Ribbentrop and Molotov continued the meeting in a underground bunker amidst the bombing where Ribbentrop failed to entice Molotov with a four-power (Germany, Italy, Japan, and Soviet Union) military alliance proposal. ww2dbase [Vyacheslav Molotov | CPC]
- By the end of the day, Greek troops had pushed most Italian troops in northern Greece back to the Albanian border. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- German submarine U-137 torpedoed and sank British ship Cape St. Andrew, which was under tow by tug HMS Salvonia, 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 2108 hours. 14 crew and 1 gunner were killed. 53 survivors were picked up by Salvonia. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Tigris sank French trawler Charles Edmonde 100 miles west of Bordeaux, France. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian bombers damaged British destroyer HMS Decoy at Alexandria, Egypt, killing 8 and wounding 3. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Air Chief-Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham was appointed Commander-in Chief, Far East, with his headquarters in Singapore. This post was a new creation. ww2dbase [AC]
- British convoy M. E. 3 arrived at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | HM]
Atlantic Ocean
- Garland was seriously damaged by a storm while escorting battleship HMS Revenge in the Atlantic Ocean. Two men were killed. ww2dbase [Garland | CPC]
United States
14 Nov 1940
- Kamoi was assigned to the 24th Air Flotilla. ww2dbase [Kamoi | CPC]
Albania
- As Greek troops began to cross into Albanian borders, the Axis suffered its first land defeat of the war. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | AC]
Canada
- The first contingent of aircrews to graduate from advanced training in Canada embarked for Britain. ww2dbase [AC]
Egypt
- German bombers raided Alexandria, Egypt, sinking Egyptian steamer Zamzam. ww2dbase [Alexandria | CPC]
Panama Canal Zone
United Kingdom
- A massive night time raid on Coventry, England by 437 German He 111 bombers, dubbed Operation Moonlight Sonata, killed 568, injured 863, and destroyed 60,000 buildings (including the city's 14th Century cathedral) with 450 tons of high explosive bombs, 50 parachute bombs, and 36,000 incendiary bombs. Only one German bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. British intelligence officers received this information two days prior from a captured German airman, but they incorrectly thought the information was meant for deceit and the actual target would be London. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Coventry, England | AC]
- Neville Chamberlain's funeral was held at Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, or Westminster Abbey, in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Neville Chamberlain | London, England | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 14 Nov 1940
15 Nov 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-65 sank British ship Kohinur 200 miles southwest of Sierra Leone at 1511 hours; 17 were killed. As Norwegian tanker Havbør stopped to pick up the 68 survivors, U-65 attacked her with a torpedo at 1816 hours, igniting her cargo of 11,500 tons of cruide oil, killing 28 of her crew and 31 survivors of Kohinur. Only 36 from Kohinur and 4 from Havbør would ultimately survive. ww2dbase [CPC]
China
- Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu succeeded Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya as the commanding officer of the Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China. ww2dbase [Ryojun Guard District | Lushunkou, Liaoning | CPC]
Egypt
- A convoy of 5 transports, escorted by British warships, departed from Alexandra, Egypt for Pireaus, Greece, carrying 4,230 troops, 700 trucks, gasoline, and other supplies. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Alexandria | CPC]
France
- Jean Masson spoke on radio, asking the youth and the general population of France to assist the Secours National as the nation prepared for winter. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
Japan
- Akagi was assigned as special duty ship in Yokosuka Naval District, Japan. ww2dbase [Akagi | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
- Isoroku Yamamoto was promoted to the rank of admiral. ww2dbase [Isoroku Yamamoto | CPC]
- Hiroaki Abe became the commanding officer of Japanese Navy Destroyer Squadron 6. ww2dbase [Hiroaki Abe | CPC]
- Tenryu began a period of modernization, replacing her coal boilers and receiving better anti-aircraft weaponry. Captain Yuji Takahishi was named her new commanding officer. ww2dbase [Tenryu | CPC]
- Captain Tamotsu Takama was named the commanding officer of Nachi. ww2dbase [Nachi | CPC]
- Vice Admiral Tsunejiro Ishii was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. ww2dbase [Maizuru Naval Arsenal | Maizuru, Kyoto | CPC]
- Captain Tamotsu Furukawa was made the commanding officer of Kamoi. The ship was officially re-rated as a flying boat tender on this date. ww2dbase [Kamoi | CPC]
- Katori was made the flagship of Vice Admiral Mitsumi Shimizu of Japanese Sixth Fleet. ww2dbase [Katori | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
Korea
- Rear Admiral Shigeki Ando was named the chief of staff of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea. ww2dbase [Chinkai Guard District | Chinkai, Gyeongsangnam | CPC]
- The Japanese Navy Genzan Air Group was established at Genzan Airfield, Japanese-occupied Korea. The unit began its service as a part of the Second Air Fleet, with 33 G3M1 bombers and 25 A5M4 fighters. ww2dbase [Genzan Airfield | Genzan, Hamgyongnam | CPC]
Poland
United Kingdom
- British tug HMS Guardsman hit a mine and sank in the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England, United Kingdom, killing 2. ww2dbase [England | CPC]
- Radio Inconnue, a black radio station operated by the propaganda section (S01) of SOE, began broadcasting from Britain, though claiming to be from Toulouse. ww2dbase [Special Operations Executive | CPC]
16 Nov 1940
- American destroyer Punkett intercepted German tanker Phrygia; Phrygia's crew scuttled the ship to avoid capture. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Greek 3rd Army Corps broke through the Italian 9th Army defensive line at Korcë, Albania. Far to the south, 4,230 British troops arrived at Pireaus, Greece by sea. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- German submarine U-65 sank British ship Fabian with torpedo and her deck gun 250 miles southwest of Sierra Leone, killing 6. 33 survivors were briefly interrogated, given food and water, and placed in lifeboats; they would later be rescued by British tanker British Statesman. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-137 sank British ship Planter 30 miles north of Ireland at 2015 hours; 13 were killed and 60 survivors were picked up by British destroyer HMS Clare. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British anti-submarine trawler HMT Arsenal collided with Polish destroyer Burza 4 miles south of Toward, Clyde River estuary, Scotland, United Kingdom. Arsenal sank as her depth charges were detonated, which damaged HMS Arrow which came to rescue survivors. Tug Superman also participated in the rescue. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Heinz Guderian was named commander of Panzer Group 2. ww2dbase [Heinz Guderian | AC]
Germany
17 Nov 1940
- Adolf Galland claimed his 53rd, 54th, and 55th victories. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | CPC]
- British Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding was removed as the head of RAF Fighter Command after losing a political struggle with Sholto Douglas and other Big Wing proponents. ww2dbase [Hugh Dowding | CPC]
- German submarine U-137 attacked Allied convoy HG-46 40 miles north of Ireland, sinking British ship Saint Germain at 2014 hours (entire crew of 18 survived) and Swedish ship Veronica at 2040 hours (17 killed, 3 survived). ww2dbase [CPC]
- Greek 3rd Army Corps engaged in heavy fighting with Italian 9th Army near Korcë, Albania. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld scored his first victory; his victim was a British Wellington bomber. ww2dbase [Egmont | CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca spotted a German aircraft in the northern Atlantic Ocean at 1200 hours. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
France
Germany
Mediterranean Sea
- British aircraft carrier HMS Argus launched 12 Hurricane and 2 Skua aircraft to reinforce Malta, but 6 Hurricane aircraft were ditched at sea and 1 Skua aircraft crash landed on Sicily, Italy after becoming lost. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Radio Travail, a black radio station operated by the propaganda section (S01) of SOE, began broadcasting from Britain, though claiming to be from France. ww2dbase [Special Operations Executive | CPC]
18 Nov 1940
- Overnight, RAF bombers raided Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr region of Germany, bombing the Scholven/Buer hydrogenation plant, which made aviation fuel, and Gelsenberg-Benzin-AG plant, which converted bituminous coal to synthetic oil. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
- German submarine U-65 sank British tanker Congonian 125 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone at 1802 hours; 1 was killed and 35 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British cruiser HMS York departed Port Said, Egypt with a battalion of troops for Suda Bay, Crete, Greece, and anti-aircraft guns for Piraeus, Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | York | CPC]
- HMS Edinburgh departed Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom to escort Allied convoy WS4B to Freetown, British West Africa. ww2dbase [Edinburgh | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Maggiore Baracca set course for Bordeaux, France in the northern Atlantic Ocean at 1130 hours. At about 1735 hours, she spotted smoke, but an accidental fire in the starboard diesel engine caused her to slow her approach. Nevertheless, she caught up with British freighter Lilian Moller of Allied convoy SLS 53D, carrying pig iron from Calcutta in India for the United Kingdom, at 2147 hours. She fired a torpedo from a bow tube, which missed. At 2303 hours, she fired another torpedo from a bow tube, hitting the freighter in the stern. Lilian Moller sank at 2347 hours. One lifeboat with survivors was observed, but it would never been seen again, thus all 49 aboard the freighter were lost as the result of the sinking. 42 of those lost were Chinese sailors. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]
- Capitano Tarantini began patrolling waters northwest of Ireland. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 18 Nov 1940
19 Nov 1940
- 357 German aircraft bombed Birmingham, England, United Kingdom overnight, dropping 403 tons of high explosive bombs and 810 incendiary bombs. About 900 were killed and 2,000 injured. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | TH]
- Italian troops were driven across the Kalamas River in northwestern Greece by Greek troops. To the south, British cruiser HMS York arrived at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece and disembarked a battalion of troops. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | York | CPC]
- RAF bombers attacked the Skoda armament plant at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia with little effect. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- German bombers attacked an Allied convoy in the North Sea 12 miles off the coast of East Anglia, England, United Kingdom, sinking minesweeping trawler HMT Fontenoy and damaging 3 freighters. Sloop HMS Lowestoft shot down one German bomber. ww2dbase [England | CPC]
- Noor Inayat Khan joined the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force, receiving the rank of Aircraftwoman 2nd Class. ww2dbase [Noor Inayat Khan | CPC]
- German bombers arrived over Leicester, England, United Kingdom at 1940 hours and by the time they left their 150 high explosive bombs had killed 108 people, injured 284, and destroyed 255 homes and 56 industrial premises. This was the worst night of bombing that Leicester experienced during the war. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Leicaster, England | AC]
- The four spies captured in Kent, England, United Kingdom on 3 Sep 1940, found unsuitable for use as double agents the four spies appeared for trial before Mr. Justice Wrottesley in a secret hearing at Court One of the Old Bailey in London. Three of the spies (Charles van den Kieboom, Carl Meier and Jose Waldberg) were found guilty under the Treachery Act and later executed. The fourth defendant, Sjoerd Pons, managed to convince the jury that he had had no intention of aiding the enemy, and was acquitted, only to be re-arrested by MI5 as he left the Court and interned until the end of the war, subsequently being deported back to his native Netherlands. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
20 Nov 1940
- Hungarian Prime Minister Teleki and Foreign Minister Csaky signed a protocol in Vienna, Austria, joining the Tripartite Pact. ww2dbase [The Tripartite Pact | TH]
- British cruiser HMS York delivered anti-aircraft guns to Piraeus, Greece and returned to Alexandria, Egypt. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | York | CPC]
- British bombers sank Italian ship Ardita III in the Red Sea off Assab, Italian East Africa. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian torpedo boat Confienza sank after colliding with Italian armed merchant cruiser Capitano A. Cecchi off Brindisi, Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin stopped British ship Maimoa with gunfire in the southern Indian Ocean after a long chase. The crew of 87 were taken prisoner and the ship was scuttled. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
- 116 German bombers dropped 132 tons of high explosive bombs and 296 incendiary bombs on Birmingham, England, United Kingdom overnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Wilhelm Gustloff completed its service as a Navy hospital ship. ww2dbase [Wilhelm Gustloff | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Morosini received intelligence at 2000 hours regarding an Allied convoy having departed Gibraltar at 1400 hours. She sailed toward Gibraltar to intercept, but would not find any targets. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
Malta
- No. 261 Squadron RAF was transferred to RAF Station Takali. ww2dbase [RAF Takali | Ta' Qali | CPC]
United States
- North American Aviation’s chief test pilot, Paul Balfour, made his first flight in the NA-73X, the prototype for what would become the P-51 Mustang from Mines Field, Inglewood, California (Balfour's first flight in the airplane, not the airplane's first flight). After 12 minutes of flight, Balfour neglected to switch fuel tanks and the engine starved. Balfour made a dead-stick landing in a farmer's field but when the wheels dug into the soft earth, the airplane nosed over onto its back. Balfour was not injured and the airplane was repaired. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
Photo(s) dated 20 Nov 1940
21 Nov 1940
- Greek troops defeated the Italian IX Army and captured Koritza, Albania. The Greeks took 2,000 prisoners and captured 135 field guns and 600 machine guns. The surviving elements of the Italian IX Army was able to escape without being harassed as the Greeks were poorly motorized and could not give chase. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Köln, and Leipzig departed for a sweep against Allied shipping between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. ww2dbase [Scharnhorst | CPC]
- The German 6th Army exercised a simulated invasion of Ireland. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin attacked British freighter Port Brisbane in the southern Indian Ocean after sundown, killing the radio operator in the process; 67 were taken prisoner and 27 escaped in a lifeboat. Port Brisbane was sunk by torpedo after scuttling charges failed to sink her. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
- German submarine U-103 fired torpedoes from a surfaced position at Allied convoy OB-244 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 0740 hours, sinking British ship Daydawn (2 killed, 36 survived) and Greek ship Victoria (entire crew of 27 survived). A ship in the convoy attempted to ram U-103, but U-103 dodged the ramming attack; U-103 fired a torpedo at her attacker, but that torpedo, though striking the target, failed to detonate. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
- A German aircraft bombed the British Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom, damaging the diplomatic section, the telephone exchange, and the typists room. There were no casualties. The attack was almost certainly accidental, as the Germans did not know of the importance of this site. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Bletchley Park | Milton Keynes, England | CPC]
- The British No. 2 Commando Battalion was redesignated 11th Special Air Service Battalion for training as paratroopers. ww2dbase [CPC]
Photo(s) dated 21 Nov 1940
22 Nov 1940
- Italian 9th Army was defeated in Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- British destroyers HMS Faulknor and HMS Forester approached Vichy French destroyer Boulonnais and freighter Charles Plumier off Spanish Morocco. Boulonnais backed off from the engagement, thus allowing Charles Plumier to be captured. Charles Plumier would later be pressed into British service as amphibious command ship HMS Largs. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-123 sank British ship Cree 365 miles west of Ireland shortly after midnight, killing the entire crew of 45. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British motor launch ML.127 hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom, killing all 11 aboard. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian aircraft bombed Alexandria, Egypt, damaging British tanker Zahra. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- The German merchant raider, Atlantis, was scuttled by her crew in the South Atlantic after receiving a salvo from the 8-inch guns of the British cruiser Devonshire. Captain Bernhard Rogge and his crew took to the boats and survived the war. The position given to Atlantis to make a refueling rendezvous with the submarine U-126 in the South Atlantic had been revealed through an Enigma intercept by the Bletchley Park codebreakers. After the fall of Singapore Rogge was presented with a Samurai sword by the Japanese Emperor (Hermann Göring and Erwin Rommel were the only other German recipients of this wartime honour). ww2dbase [AC]
Poland
23 Nov 1940
- German submarine U-100 attacked Allied convoy SC-11 100 miles off Ireland throughout the day, sinking 6 ships totaling 24,601 tons and killing 119. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-123 attacked Allied convoy OB-244 250 miles west of Ireland between 0416 and 0914 hours, sinking 4 ships totaling 20,885 tons and killing 119. After one of the attacks, U-123 collided with one of the sinking ships, damaging the periscope and conning tower, forcing her to sail for Lorient, France for repairs. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German bombers attacked Southampton, England, United Kingdom overnight, damaging British troopship Llandovery Castle and paddle minesweeper Duchess Of Cornwall. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Vasily Kuznetsov was made the commanding officer of 1st Shock Army. ww2dbase [Vasily Kuznetsov | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- At 0418 hours the 5,407-ton unescorted British steam merchant ship Oakcrest (Master Samuel Gordon Dyer), in ballast and a straggler from Allied convoy OB-244 due to steerage gear trouble since the evening of 21 Nov 1940, was hit on starboard side underneath the bridge by one G7e torpedo from German submarine U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) between Ireland and Iceland. She immediately developed a heavy list and sank about 170 miles west-southwest of the granite islet of Rockall at 0424 hours. Moehle had first sighted the ship when she suddenly appeared out of a rain squall the previous afternoon and he had to order an immediate crash dive to avoid hitting the ship and to avoid detection. It was another nine hours before the submarine found the ship again. The Oakcrest's master, chief officer, chief engineer officer and nine other crew members were lost in the sinking. A lifeboat with four young sailors drifted away never to be seen again. Another lifeboat carried 24 crew members and a gunner; 11 of this group died of exposure before the boat reached the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, United Kingdom on 1 Dec 1940, two more men died when the boat capsized while trying to make landfall in a rocky gully near Tangasdale, and six others died ashore during the following night before they received proper medical attention. ww2dbase [HM]
China
- Japanese 11th Army began to prepare for an offensive in Hubei Province, China. The army was organized into five groups under the overall command of Lieutenant General Waichiro Sonobe. ww2dbase [Battle of Han River | Hubei | CPC]
Germany
Japan
United States
- It was announced in the United States that Admiral William Leahy was to be appointed Ambassador to France in place of Mr. William Bullitt. ww2dbase [William Leahy | AC]
24 Nov 1940
- Prime Minister Vojtech Tuka of Slovakia signed the Tripartite Pact. ww2dbase [The Tripartite Pact | TH]
- The British Treasury canceled the bank holiday Boxing Day. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German destroyers Galster, Lody, and Beitzen departed Brest, France after sundown to attack British shipping off Cornwall, southwestern England, United Kingdom, sinking Belgian trawler Marguerite Simonne and Dutch ship Apollonia (killing 15). Five British destroyers were dispatched to hunt down the attackers, but failed to locate them. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British anti-submarine trawler HMT Amethyst hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom; the entire crew of 7 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer stopped British ship Port Hobart near the Azores; the crew was imprisoned and Port Hobart was scuttled. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | CPC]
- German bombers dropped 156 tons of high explosive bombs and 12,500 incendiary bombs on Bristol, England, United Kingdom. Historical buildings such as the Dutch House and St Peter's Hospital, and various buildings in the historical Castle Park district, were damaged. 207 were killed, 689 were injured, and 1,400 were made homeless. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Formidable was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Formidable | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland joined Hunting Group in search for German battleship Admiral Scheer off Brazil. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | Cumberland | DS]
France
Libya
- After dark and into the next date, aircraft from HMS Eagle struck Tripoli harbor, Libya. ww2dbase [Eagle | Tripoli | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Operation Collar: Allied convoy ME4, with 3 merchant ships and a powerful escort fleet, passed the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea, sailing for Malta. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
25 Nov 1940
- During the night 5 British aircraft attacked battleship Tirpitz in bad weather conditions; they scored no hits. ww2dbase [Tirpitz | CPC]
- A Hitler decree (the basic law of social housing construction) gave Robert Ley's German Labour Front the project of building 6 million homesteads, at the rate of 300,000 per year. Priority was given to providing homes for German families with children and Hitler alone kept personal responsibility for deciding how many houses should be built. The decree stated that houses were to have a minimum floor area of 62 square metres, a kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom, hallway and balcony. Each home was also to have an air-raid shelter built to resist a direct hit and large enough to house everyone in the family. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | AC]
- Jewish paramilitary group Irgun destroyed British liner Patria in Haifa Harbor, Palestine as Patria began to embark Central European Jewish refugees. 213 refugees were killed along with 50 of the 130 British crew. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Conquistador collided with another vessel and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Kennymore hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom, killing 4. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British motor launch ML-111 hit a mine and sank 10 miles off Grimsby in the Humber Estuary in England, United Kingdom, killing 2. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Talisman disabled a German tanker with a torpedo and captured the French trawler Le Clipper in the Bay of Biscay 10 miles south of Lorient, France. ww2dbase [CPC]
China
Gibraltar
- Operation Collar: British Royal Navy Force H under Admiral Somerville departed from Gibraltar to escort Allied convoy ME4 to Malta. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
Pacific Ocean
- German armed merchant cruisers Orion and Komet, supported by supply ship Kulmerland, caught up with 546-ton New Zealand Holm Line coaster Holmwood off of the Chatham Islands 500 miles east of New Zealand. Captain Robert Eyssen of Komet ordered Holmwood to stop and not to use her radio. Holmwood's captain complied to safeguard the lives of the 17 crew and 12 passengers (all from the Chatham Islands) on board, four of whom were women and five were children. The ship was also carrying 1,370 sheep, 1 horse, and a cargo of wool from the island of Lyttelton, New Zealand. Eyssen briefly considered capturing the ship for use as a minelayer, but after realizing the ship's maximum speed was only 9 knots, he decided to sink her. The horse was shot, and then the passenger, crew, and some of the sheep were moved to the three German ships; a number of sheep remained on Holmwood. Komet and Orion then proceeded to fire on Holmwood for 30 minutes until its sinking. While the crews of all three ships welcomed the fresh sheep meat, not surprisingly, in no time at all, they came to detest the taste of mutton. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC, HM]
United Kingdom
- The prototype of the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito unarmed light bomber was flown for the first time from Hatfield Aerodrome, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom. The aircraft was flown by Geoffrey de Havilland, accompanied by engineer John E. Walker. ww2dbase [Mosquito | Hatfield, England | AC, CPC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 25 Nov 1940
26 Nov 1940
- 10 more old US Navy destroyers were handed over to the British Royal Navy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German aircraft torpedoed and sank Free French armed patrol ship Medoc, captained by Polish Commander Stankiewicz and manned by a mostly British crew, in the English Channel. The entire crew of 41, 3 Polish and 38 British, was killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Lord Rothermere, the proprietor of the Daily Mail and a former Air Minister, passed away. He had championed the advancement of British aviation from the early days of flight. ww2dbase [AC]
- James Lacey was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Medal. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Morosini set sail for Bordeaux, France at 2000 hours. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
France
Japan
Libya
- Eight Swordfish aircraft from British aircraft carrier HMS Eagle attacked Tripoli, Libya at 0520 hours. ww2dbase [Eagle | Tripoli | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Operation Collar: Aircraft from British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious raided the Italian seaplane base in Port Laki, Leros, Dodecanese Islands to distract Italian forces while Allied convoy ME4 sailed for Malta from Gibraltar, but the Italians did not fall for the feint and launched a powerful fleet westward to intercept the convoy. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The British 27th Armoured Brigade was established, under the command of Brigadier C. W. Norman, from the conversion of the 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade. The Brigade would be mainly employed in the trialing of specialised armoured vehicles. ww2dbase [AC]
- No. 826 and No. 829 Squadrons of the British Fleet Air Arm embarked on carrier HMS Formidable for convoy escort duties to Cape Town, South Africa. ww2dbase [Albacore | AC]
27 Nov 1940
- German armed merchant cruisers Orion and Komet stopped the 16,712-ton passenger ship Rangitane 400 miles east of New Zealand at 0300 hours. Of the 201 crew and 111 passengers, 16 were killed during the attack and the remainder were captured. Due to the distress signal sent out by Rangitane's crew, the Germans only had time to transfer the captives aboard but not the 14,000 tons of food and 45 bars of silver before Komet sank Rangitane with a torpedo. Rangitane was the largest passenger ship to be sunk by German merchant raiders during WW2. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- German submarine U-95 sank British ship Irene Maria northwest of Ireland at 0100 hours, killing the entire crew of 25. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-104 damaged British tanker Charles F. Meyer and sank British ship Diplomat (14 were killed, 39 survived). ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-103 sank British ship Glenmoor northwest of Ireland at 1956 hours; 31 were killed, 2 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Morosini sighted two vessels near the Spanish coast at 1037 hours. She approached, but the vessels moved out of view. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]
China
- Chinese 27th, 31st, and 44th Divisions counterattacked against the Japanese offensive in Hubei Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Han River | Hubei | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Battle of Spartivento: At 1000 hours, spotter aircraft from British Force H (Operation Collar; escorting Allied convoy ME4) and the Italian interception fleet found each other, and a surface battle soon broke out. The British were initially outgunned (especially as the carrier aircraft were held back), but at 1130 hours the arrival of battleship HMS Ramillies and cruisers HMS Berwick and HMS Newcastle evened up the two sides. Italian Admiral Campioni, with orders to avoid combat unless his forces were superior, began to withdraw at about 1230 hours; battleship Vittorio Veneto's heavy fire stopped the British pursuit. British cruiser HMS Berwick was hit by cruiser Fiume twice at 1222 and 1235 hours (7 killed), while Italian destroyer Lanciere had to be towed back to port after being hit by cruiser HMS Manchester. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | TH]
Romania
- In Romania, the ruling party Iron Guard arrests and executes over 60 of exiled King Carol II of Romania's aides, including former minister Nicolae Iorga. ww2dbase [CPC]
United States
- Kichisaburo Nomura was named the Japanese Ambassador to the United States. ww2dbase [Kichisaburo Nomura | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 27 Nov 1940
28 Nov 1940
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Manx Prince hit a mine and sank in the mouth of the Humber Estuary in England, United Kingdom. The entire crew survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-104 disappeared off the northern coast of Ireland, presumably sunk by a mine. The crew of 49 was never heard from again. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-103 sank Greek ship Mount Athos northwest of Ireland at 0842 hours (19 killed) and sank British ship St. Elwyn at 2024 hours (24 killed, 16 survived). ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-95 attacked Norwegian ship Ringhorn with two torpedoes 300 miles northwest of Ireland, with both missing. At 1025 hours, U-95 fired her deck gun and temporarily stopped Ringhorn; seeing the ship did not sink and U-95 had left the area, the escaped crew reboarded the ship and sailed the ship to Belfast. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian destroyers Pigafetta, Da Recco, Pessagno, and Riboty bombarded Greek positions on the island of Corfu. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- Flight Lieutenant John Dundas of No. 609 squadron shot down Major Helmut Wick in air combat over the English channel, south of the Isle of Wight. Wick, the Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2, was Germany's current highest scoring ace of the war at the time with 56 kills to his credit. Major Wick was seen to parachute from his Messerschmitt and drift towards the water but his body was never recovered. By a cruel twist of fate, on the day that he died, Major Wick was pictured standing with Hermann Göring on the front cover of the Berlin magazine Illustrirte Zeitung. ww2dbase [AC]
China
- Lieutenant General Waichiro Sonobe ordered the Japanese 11th Army to fall back in Hubei Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Han River | Hubei | CPC]
France
Japan
- Captain Tokuji Mori was named the commanding officer of Settsu. ww2dbase [Settsu | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Operation Collar: British Royal Navy Force H handed off the responsibility of escorting Allied convoy ME4 to the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet. At 1430 hours, British freighters Clan Forbes and Clan Fraser of this convoy reached Malta. British freighter New Zealand Star would continue sailing, escorted by cruisers and destroyers, for Alexandria, Egypt. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
Poland
- German Reserve Police Battalion 101 was deployed to the Łódź ghetto and was given orders to shoot anyone who came too close to the fence. ww2dbase [Łódź | CPC]
United Kingdom
- German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Liverpool, England, United Kingdom overnight. A parachute mine hit Edge Hill Training College on Durning Road, the site of a large underground shelter; the blast, boiling water from a damaged boiler, and gas from damaged pipes killed 166 of the about 300 civilians taking shelter there. 96 were seriously injured. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Liverpool, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 28 Nov 1940
29 Nov 1940
- General Freyberg's British and New Zealand troops occupied all of Crete. ww2dbase [Bernard Freyberg | TH]
- Draft plan issued by German military leaders for the invasion of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [TH]
- New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Leander bombarded a factory and a radio station at Banda Alulu, Italian Somaliland at 1038 hours. Italian aircraft counterattacked without success. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Delfino attacked Greek destroyer Spetsai south of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, without success. ww2dbase [Delfino | CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Calverton hit a mine and sank in the mouth of the Humber Estuary in England, United Kingdom, killing 2. ww2dbase [CPC]
British West Africa
France
- German destroyers Galster, Lody, and Beitzen departed from Brest, France and raided British shipping off southern England, United Kingdom. British tug Aid, Free French tug Abeille, and British barge BHC10 were attacked and sunk. Royal Navy destroyers HMS Javelin, HMS Jersey, HMS Jackal, HMS Jupiter, and HMS Kashmir intercepted the raiders and engaged in combat 20 miles south of The Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. HMS Javelin was seriously damaged by torpedo and gunfire, killing 46 aboard and causing her to lose both her bow and her stern, but she would be successfully towed to Devonport for repairs. The Germans suffered no casualties. ww2dbase [Brest, Bretagne | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 29 Nov 1940
30 Nov 1940
- German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin attacked British ship Port Wellington in the southern Indian Ocean overnight. 2 were killed and 87 were captured. Seeing some of the female captives were shivering in their nightgowns, Pinguin's First Officer personally returned to the burning wreck and retrieved clothes for the women. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
- German submarine U-101 sank British ship Aracataca 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0204 hours. 36 were killed and 34 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British motor torpedo boats MTB.30 and MTB.31 attacked an anchored German convoy off the mouth of the Scheldt River off the Netherlands. German ship Santos was damaged by a depth charge from MTB.31, while MTB.30 was damaged by gunfire. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Chestnut hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom. The entire crew survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
China
- In Hubei Province, China, Chinese troops halted the offensive launched by the Japanese 11th Army five days prior. ww2dbase [Battle of Han River | Hubei | CPC]
- Wang Jingwei of the Japanese-sponsored puppet government in Nanjing, China established diplomatic relationship with fellow puppet state Manchukuo. ww2dbase [Wang Jingwei | Nanjing | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Southampton, England, United Kingdom was bombed by 128 German bombers during the night causing extensive damage along the High Street and main shopping area. One bomb fell into an air-raid shelter killing all but three of the twenty-eight people taking shelter within. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Southampton, England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 30 Nov 1940
1 Dec 1940
- Italian submarine Argo torpedoed Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay 200 miles west of Ireland, destroying the bow and killing 21. Saguenay would later able to reach Barrow in Furness, England, United Kingdom for repairs that would last until 22 May 1941. ww2dbase [TH]
- Werner Mölders claimed his 55th victory. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- Norwegian troop ship Oslofjord hit a mine and sank in the River Tyne, England, United Kingdom at 0820 hours; 1 was killed and 179 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer sank British ship Tribesman 500 miles west of the Cape Verde islands; 8 were killed and 14 survived. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank British ship Palmella 200 miles west of Porto, Portugal at 2022 hours. 1 was killed; 28 survivors were picked up by Spanish trawler Navemar. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Allied convoy HX-90 became undefended 340 miles west of Ireland after her ocean escorts departed and coastal escorts failing to arrive due to poor weather. At 2012 hours, German submarine U-101 sank the already-damaged British tanker Appalachee (7 killed, 32 survived) and damaged British ship Loch Ranza. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-101 sank the already-damaged British tanker Appalachee (7 killed, 32 survived) and damaged British ship Loch Ranza. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Major General Thomas Holcomb was appointed to a second term as the Commandant of the US Marine Corps. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Galland was promoted to the rank of Oberst. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | CPC]
- Romania established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo. ww2dbase [CPC]
Mexico
Photo(s) dated 1 Dec 1940
2 Dec 1940
- German submarine U-99 attacked British armed merchant cruiser HMS Forfar with five torpedoes between 0546 and 0657 hours, sinking her; 172 were killed, 21 survived. Shortly after, German submarines U-47, U-52, U-94, U-99, and U-101 attacked Allied convoy HX-90 unescorted 300 miles west of Ireland between 0400 and 0730 hours; her ocean escorts had departed on the previous day, and her coastal escorts failed to arrive due to poor weather. 5 ships were sunk (totaling 22,868 tons), while 2 were damaged; 119 were killed. After the coastal escorts finally arrived, U-94 pressed one further attack after dark, sinking two more ships, killing 5. ww2dbase [U-47 | CPC]
- German submarine U-37 sank Swedish ship Gwalia at 0418 hours (16 killed, 4 survived) and British ship Jeanne M. at 0446 hours (7 killed, 19 survived); both attacks were about 230 miles north of Cape Roca, Portugal. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-43 sank British ship Pacific President at 0901 hours (entire crew of 50 killed) and British tanker Victor Ross at 0941 hours (entire crew of 44 killed). ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-99 sank Norwegian ship Samnanger at 2050 hours, killing the entire crew of 30. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Overnight, German bombers bombed Britstol, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Crown Prince Yi Un was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in the Japanese Army. ww2dbase [Yi Un | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- HMS Hermes made rendezvous with light cruiser HMS Dragon in the South Atlantic. ww2dbase [Hermes | CPC]
- Jaguar and Iltis began laying a minefield off Dover, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Iltis | Jaguar | English Channel | CPC]
- Capitano Tarantini discovered a large Allied convoy, but she was discovered by the convoy's escorts in turn. The submarine survived a long depth charge attack; Capitano Tarantini's crew counted 106 depth charge detonations. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
China
- Colonel Seiichi Miyamoto was named the commanding officer of Japanese Unit 516 chemical weapons research unit based in Qiqihar, Nenjiang Province, China, replacing Colonel Oyanazu Masao. ww2dbase [Qiqihar, Nenjiang | CPC]
Gibraltar
- British Admiral of the Fleet William Boyle (Earl of Cork and Orrery) arrived at Gibraltar aboard destroyer HMS Jersey to conduct a Board of Inquiry into Admiral James Somerville's decision to disengage at the Battle of Spartivento. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
Taiwan
- Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma was named the commanding officer of the Taiwan Army. ww2dbase [Masaharu Homma | CPC]
United States
- Henry Arnold was promoted to the permanent rank of brigadier general. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | CPC]
3 Dec 1940
- Allied convoy HX-90 was attacked by German submarine U-99 (which sank the damaged and abandoned British ship Conch at 1058 hours), a German Fw 200 aircraft (which sank British ship W. Hendrik, killing 5), and German submarine U-140 (which sank British ship Victoria City at 2142 hours, killing the entire crew of 43). ww2dbase [CPC]
- Greek troops pushed Italian troops back 15 miles, capturing Sarandë, Albania. To the far south, Italian torpedo bombers attacked the British naval base at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece at 1540 hours, damaging British cruiser HMS Glasgow with two torpedoes (3 killed, 3 wounded). ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Glasgow | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Campbeltown collided with British tanker Conus off Liverpool, England, United Kingdom; she would be out of commission for repairs until 28 Mar 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 51 German aircraft bombed Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, dropping 55 tons of high explosive bombs and 448 incendiary bombs. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Seeadler began laying mines in the English Channel near Dover, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Seeadler | English Channel | CPC]
- Jaguar and Iltis completed laying a minefield off Dover, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Iltis | Jaguar | English Channel | CPC]
Poland
- German armed merchant cruiser Kormoran departed Gotenhafen (Gdynia), occupied Poland to raid Allied shipping, carrying supplies for 12 months, 280 naval mines, 40 land mines, and spare parts and torpedoes to supply submarines. ww2dbase [Deutsche Werke Gotenhafen | Kormoran | Gdynia, Pomorskie | CPC]
4 Dec 1940
- F4F-3 Wildcat fighters entered service with the US Navy; VF-41 received the first of these aircraft. ww2dbase [F4F Wildcat | CPC]
- Greek forces captured Përmet (capturing 500 Italians), Pogradec, and Sarande in Albania. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- German submarine U-37 sank Swedish ship Daphne 15 miles southwest of Cabo Espichel, Portugal at 0457 hours; 18 were killed, 1 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 62 German bombers dropped 77 tons of high explosive bombs and 184 incendiary bombs on Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Seeadler completed laying mines in the English Channel near Dover, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Seeadler | English Channel | CPC]
5 Dec 1940
- Scottish Independent Labour Party politician John McGovern's peace amendment was rejected by the British House of Commons, 341 votes against the amendment to 4 votes in favor. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Battleship Bismarck completed her trials in the Baltic Sea and set sail for Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Cameron was damaged by German aircraft while in drydock at Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom, killing 14. As the drydock flooded, she capsized, and would remain so until Feb 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Thor and British armed merchant cruiser HMS Carnarvon Castle exchange 6-inch shells 300 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. HMS Carnarvon Castle was hit 27 times (4 killed, 32 wounded) while Thor was able to disengage unharmed. HMS Carnarvon Castle would soon receive temporary repairs at Montevideo, Uruguay, using steel plates salvaged from the scuttled German pocket battleship Graf Spee. ww2dbase [Thor | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Sunfish sank Finnish ship Oscar Midling off the Stadlandet peninsula, Norway, killing all aboard. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British motor torpedo boats MTB.32, MTB.29, and MTB.31 patrolled the coast of the Netherlands near the mouth of River Scheldt, sinking German ship Paranagua. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Argo sank British ship Silverpine 250 miles west of Ireland, killing 35. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian torpedo boat Calipso hit a mine and sank 6 miles off Cape Misurata, Libya. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Hitler received the military plans for an invasion of the USSR. He duly approved them all, and proposed a timetable for invasion in May of the following year. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | AC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Sergio Ciotti, a sailor aboard Capitano Tarantini, was washed away by a large wave off of the conning tower while the submarine was underway northwest of Ireland; he would never be found. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
France
- Alpino Bagnolini departed Bordeaux, France at 1135 hours. She arrived at Pauillac, Aquitaine, France at 1615 hours for unexpected repairs. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The second Tornado prototype aircraft took flight. ww2dbase [Tornado | AC]
Photo(s) dated 5 Dec 1940
6 Dec 1940
- Santi Quaranta, Albania was taken by Greek forces. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- Italian General Cavallero replaced Marshal Badoglio who had resigned at his own request. ww2dbase [Ugo Cavallero | TH]
- Vichy France held a War Guilt trial, indicting Blum, Daladier, La Chambre, and Gamelin. ww2dbase [TH]
- German armed merchant cruisers Komet and Orion stopped freighter Triona with gunfire 200 miles south of Nauru, killing 3 in the process. 54 crew and 7 passengers were taken off the ship before Orion sank Triona with a torpedo. German Navy admirals would later criticize this use of torpedo as a waste. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- Captured (by German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis on 10 Nov) Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob arrived in Japan, carrying aviation fuel and the captured crew of tankers Ole Jacob and Teddy. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Regulus hit a mine and sank in the Strait of Otranto between Italy and Albania; the entire crew of 55 were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Triton attacked and damaged Italian ship Olimpia 40 miles off Brindisi, Italy. Italian torpedo boats Altair and Andromeda counterattacked, but HMS Triton was able to escape unharmed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-43 sank Norwegian ship Skrim 400 miles west of Ireland at 2248 hours; the entire crew of 23 was killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German bombers attacked Bristol, England, United Kingdom overnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- British 7th Armoured Division, British 16th Infantry Brigade, and Indian 4th Infantry Division began preparing for Operation Compass in Egypt. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
Hawaii
United States
- The keel of submarine Flying Fish was laid down by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, United States. ww2dbase [Flying Fish | Kittery, Maine | CPC]
7 Dec 1940
- Admiral Hipper departed Kiel, Germany for an anti-shipping sortie in the Atlantic. ww2dbase [Admiral Hipper | TH]
- Battleship Bismarck entered the Kiel Canal. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Orion and Komet sank the ship Vinni off Nauru; shortly after, Komet sank the ship Komata. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- The Fairey Barracuda dive bomber took its first flight. ww2dbase [Barracuda | AC]
- The 100th Beaufighter aircraft rolled off the production line at Filton, South Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Beaufighter | AC]
France
Hawaii
- Lieutenant Commander Edwin Layton was appointed to the staff of Admiral James O. Richardson, commander of the Pacific Fleet, as the Fleet Intelligence Officer. ww2dbase [Edwin Layton | Pearl Harbor, Oahu | DS]
8 Dec 1940
- British light cruiser Diomede intercepted German freighter Idarwald while American destroyer Sturtevant stood by without any interference. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Franco determined Spain was not ready to enter the war. ww2dbase [Francisco Franco | TH]
- Battleship Bismarck exited the Kiel Canal. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- The British launched Operation Compass from Egypt, aiming to push back Italian troops into Libya. The forces moved through the gap between Italian camps Nibeiwa and Sofafi without being detected. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Orion sank the ships Triadic (1 killed, 11 captured) and Triaster (64 captured) off Nauru. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- German submarine U-103 sank British liner Calabria 295 miles west of Ireland at 2058 hours. 360 were killed, 230 of whom were Indian sailors who were being ferried to Britain to crew other ships; 21 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-140 sank Finnish sail ship Penang 75 west of Ireland at 1226 hours, killing the entire crew of 18. At 2025 hours, U-140 struck again, sinking British ship Ashcrest, killing the entire crew of 37. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Windsor hit and mine off Aldeburgh, Surrey, England, United Kingdom; she would be towed to Harwich, England by HMS Garth. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Komet sank Komata off Nauru, killing 2 and capturing 33. ww2dbase [Komet | CPC]
Albania
- Greek troops captured Gjirokastra and Delvinë in Albania. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH, CPC]
France
Germany
- Ernst Vogelsang completed submarine commander school and was made the commanding officer of U-18. ww2dbase [Ernst Vogelsang | CPC]
Italy
- Inigo Campioni was relieved of command with the Italian Navy 1st Naval Squadron. ww2dbase [Inigo Campioni | CPC]
9 Dec 1940
- Beginning at 0500 hours, Allied artillery and aircraft bombarded the Italian camp at Nibeiwa, Egypt for two hours. At 0715 hours, ground troops began moving toward the rear of the fort for attack; they were spotted by Italian aircraft, but it was too late for the Italians to reorganize the defenses. Troops of the Indian 4th Infantry Division, supported by tanks of the British 7th Royal Tank Regiment, captured the camp at 0830 hours. Italian positions at Tummar West and Tummar East were also captured by dusk. Along the coast, tanks of the British 4th Armoured Brigade cut off the main road to prevent an Italian withdrawal. Meanwhile, British monitor HMS Terror and gunboats HMS Ladybird and HMS Aphis bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani and Maktila. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- German submarine U-103 sank British ship Empire Jaguar 250 miles west of Ireland at 0132 hours, killing the entire crew of 37. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Special Landing Operation No. 2 exercise, conducted by US Navy and US Marine Corps in the Caribbean Sea, was completed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Cumberland deployed with HM Cruiser Enterprise in search for German commerce raider Thor. ww2dbase [Cumberland | Thor | DS]
Atlantic Ocean
- Capitano Tarantini departed waters northwest of Ireland. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | CPC]
French Indochina
- The French Groupe Occasionnel squadron was formed in French Indochina, consisted of a light cruiser and four avisos. ww2dbase [Franco-Thai War | CPC]
Germany
- Battleship Bismarck arrived at Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Bismarck | Hamburg | CPC]
10 Dec 1940
- Georg von Bismarck was named the commanding officer of the 20th Rifle Brigade. ww2dbase [Georg von Bismarck | CPC]
- Before dawn, colonial troops of the Libyan 1st Division withdrew from Maktila, Egypt. In the afternoon, Indian 4th Infantry Division and British 7th Royal Tank Regiment captured Sidi Barrani, pushing Italian 4th Blackshirt Division and another Libyan colonial division into the desert. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- A shell fired randomly across the English Channel from one of Germany’s massive 280mm rail guns fell within a few feet of the British 13.5in "Peacemaker" rail gun at Martin Mill, England, United Kingdom severely damaging one of its bogies and mortally wounding one of the Royal Marine gunners. ww2dbase [AC]
United States
- USS R-1 departed Groton, Connecticut, United States with Submarine Squadron 3 of Submarine Division 42. ww2dbase [R-1 | Groton, Connecticut | CPC]
- USS R-5 departed New London, Connecticut, United States for Cocos Solo, Panama Canal Zone. ww2dbase [R-5 | New London, Connecticut | CPC]
11 Dec 1940
- German freighter Rhein, already being monitored by American destroyers Simpson and MacLeish, was intercepted by Dutch destroyer Van Kinsbergen near the Florida Straits; her crew scuttled the ship to avoid capture. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British 7th Armored Brigade attacked Buq Buq, Egypt, forcing Italian 64th Infantry Division to surrender; meanwhile, Indian 4th Infantry Division and British 7th Royal Tank Regiment forced the surrender of Italian 4th Blackshirt Division and two colonial Libyan divisions in the desert. On the coast, British battleships HMS Barham and HMS Valiant bombarded Italian positions at Sollum, Egypt. The Allied forces had now captured 38,000 Italian prisoners of war, 237 guns, and 73 tanks. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- German submarine U-96 attacked Allied convoy HX-92 125 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom, sinking British liner Rotorua at 1512 hours (21 were killed, including HX-92 commodore Rear Admiral Fitzgerald; 108 survived) and Norwegian ship Towa at 2242 hours (18 were killed, 19 survived). ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-94 sank British ship Empire Statesman 225 miles west of Ireland at 1912 hours, killing the entire crew of 31. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 278 German aircraft attacked Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, dropping 277 tons of high explosives and 685 incendiary bombs. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- HMS King George V was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [King George V | CPC]
Italy
- Arturo Riccardi was made the Chief of Staff of the Italian Royal Navy. ww2dbase [Arturo Riccardi | CPC]
12 Dec 1940
- Hungary and Yugoslavia signed the Treaty of Eternal Friendship. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Philip Kerr passed away. ww2dbase [Lothian | CPC]
- British 7th Armored Brigade moved into the desert to outflank Italian forces at Sollum, Egypt and to cut the road to Bardia, Libya, as the latter port was subjected to carrier aircraft attack by HMS Illustrious. Meanwhile, the first groups of Italian prisoners of war began to arrive by truck at the British headquarters at Mersa Matruh, Egypt. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- German submarine U-96 attacked Allied convoy HX-92 12 miles south of St. Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom, sinking Swedish ship Stureholm at 0156 hours (killing entire crew of 32) and Belgian ship Macedonier at 0431 hours (4 killed, 37 survived). ww2dbase [CPC]
- Maxim Gorkiy was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Maxim Gorkiy | CPC]
- Philippe Pétain received an invitation from Adolf Hitler to attend the ceremony in which Napoleon II's remains were to be returned from Austria to the Les Invalides cemetery in Paris, France. ww2dbase [Philippe Pétain | CPC]
- Vichy-France established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo. ww2dbase [CPC]
Hawaii
United Kingdom
- HMS Edinburgh arrived at Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Scapa Flow | Edinburgh | Scapa Flow, Scotland | CPC]
- British monitoring stations detected X Verfahren radio beams being laid across northern England, United Kingdom, and suspected a German attack would take place on the city of Sheffield. In the evening, 13 He 111 bombers of Kampfgruppe 100 arrived over the Sheffield suburbs of Norton Lees and Gleadless at 1941 hours, dropping 16 SC50 high explosive bombs, 1,009 B1 E1 ZA incendiaries, and 10,080 B1 E1 incendiaries. Shortly after, three groups of German bombers, the main force, attacked. The first group was consisted of 36 Ju 88 bombers and 29 He 111 bombers; the second group was consisted of 23 Ju 88 bombers, 74 He 111 bombers, and 7 Do 17 bombers; the third group was consisted of 63 Ju 88 bombers and 35 He 111 bombers. The 280 German aircraft heavily damaged the city center and residential districts through the night through 0400 hours on the next day. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Sheffield, England | CPC]
13 Dec 1940
- Führer Directive 20 was issued to prepare for Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- German Army units began redeployment in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. ww2dbase [TH]
- British 4th Armored Brigade crossed the desert between Halfaya and Sidi Omar in Egypt in an attempt to cut the road to Tobruk, Libya. To counter the British naval bombardment, Italian submarine Neghelli attacked British cruiser HMS Coventry 40 miles northeast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt at 2042 hours, nearly blowing off her bow; she was able to sail under her own power to Alexandria, Egypt for repairs. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Truant sank Italian ship Sebastino Bianchi 20 miles off the southern tip of Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-43 torpedoed and damaged British ship Orari 450 miles west of Land's End, England, United Kingdom at 2046 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Manchester arrived in Britain from the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Douglas Bader was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | AC]
France
- Pierre Laval was dismissed as the Vice President of the Council, which in effect was the Prime Minister of France. He was placed under arrest shortly after. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | Vichy | TH]
- Morosini undocked at Bordeaux, France. ww2dbase [Morosini | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
14 Dec 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- The 680-ton French-built Melpomène-class torpedo boat HMS Branlebas, a poorly designed former French Navy craft now operating with the Royal Navy with a mixed French and British crew, broke her back at the after end of the engine room due to a heavy head sea in the English Channel off Eddystone Rocks at 0900 hours. She had been escorting a convoy out of Darthmouth, England, United Kingdom but had fallen behind and lost contact with the convoy. Her stern section separated, turned over and sank immediately. Only three sailors survived, and they were picked up from a life raft four days later. One of the British survivors was telegraphist Wilfred Sealey. ww2dbase [English Channel | HM]
France
- Philippe Pétain declined Adolf Hitler's invitation to attend the ceremony during which the remains of Napoleon II would be re-interned at the Les Invalides cemetery in Paris, France. In the same message, he also told Hitler that Pierre Laval had been dismissed from his leadership position in Vichy France, which angered Hitler. ww2dbase [Philippe Pétain | CPC]
United States
- At University of California, Berkeley in the United States, the team led by Glenn Seaborg synthesized neptunium-238 by bombarding uranium-238 with deuterons, creating neptunium-238. Neptunium-238 would then decay to become plutonium-238. This would not be published until 1948. ww2dbase [Berkeley, California | CPC]
15 Dec 1940
- Italian troops were driven out of Egypt by the British Operation Compass offensive. At Bardia, Libya, British monitor HMS Terror bombarded the port from 1220 to 1717 hours. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Thunderbolt sank Italian submarine Tarantini 2 miles off of the Gironde Estuary, France in the Bay of Biscay, killing the entire crew of 58. ww2dbase [Thunderbolt | CPC]
- Free French submarine Narval hit a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea 40 miles northeast of Sfax, Tunisia, killing the entire crew of 54. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German motor torpedo boat S.58 sank Danish ship N. C. Monberg off Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom, killing 9. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
- The remains of Napoleon II were relocated to the Les Invalides cemetery in Paris, France. Benito Mussolini continued to assert his objection to this friendly gesture by Adolf Hitler to France. ww2dbase [Paris | TH, CPC]
- Pierre Laval was freed from imprisonment. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | CPC]
- Capitano Tarantini was sunk by a torpedo from HMS Thunderbolt in the Bay of Biscay 10 kilometers west of Grayan-et-l'Hôpital, France. Executive officer Lieutenant Attilio Frattura and four others survived the sinking; commanding officer Captain Alfredo Iaschi was lost.45.41, -1.38 ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | Grayan-et-l'Hôpital, Aquitaine | CPC]
New Zealand
- Captain J. P. Williams and diver John Edwards "Johnno" Johnstone, aboard the 260-ton coastal steamship Claymore, began to search for the wreck of SS Niagara, which sank in Jun 1940 along with its secret cargo of gold. ww2dbase [HM]
United Kingdom
- 16 German He 111 bombers dropped 11,520 B1 E1 incendiaries on the city of Sheffield in central England, United Kingdom between 1900 and 1950 hours, starting large fires as a beacon for the main force of 50 He 111 bombers and 11 Do 17 bombers. The German raid ended at 2215 hours, damaging steelworks. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Sheffield, England | CPC]
16 Dec 1940
- 134 RAF bombers attacked Mannheim, Germany in retaliation for German raids on British cities; 34 civilians were killed, 81 were injured, and 1,266 homes destroyed by 100 tons of high explosive bombs and 14,000 incendiary bombs. This was the first Allied area bombing raid of the war against a populated target, as opposed to targets of military or industrial value. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | TH]
- Korvettenkapitän Adalbert Schneider became the acting commanding officer of battleship Bismarck while Captain Lindemann was away on Christmas leave. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- British 4th Armoured Brigade captured Sidi Omar, Egypt, taking 900 Italian troops prisoner. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- German submarine U-37 attacked wooden Spanish ship San Carlos off Cape Juby, Morocco at 1950 hours, stopping her with one torpedo and 21 shells from the deck gun, killing 1. German sailors scuttled the ship after the 28 survivors took to 2 lifeboats. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Truant sank Italian tanker Bonzo in the Ionian Sea 2 miles off the coast of Calabria, Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
Taiwan
- Admiral Kiyoshi Hasegawa was named the governor-general of Taiwan. ww2dbase [CPC]
United States
- US Marine Corps Reserve aviation units were disbanded, and their men were assigned to active duty in the regular US Marine Corps. On the same day, US Marine Corps established the 7th Defense Battalion at San Diego, California, United States. The infantry-artillery battalion was to be assigned to Tutuila, American Samoa. ww2dbase [San Diego, California | CPC]
17 Dec 1940
- British Home Office announced the hanging death of a third German spy. On the same day, a British housewife was sentenced to death for spying. ww2dbase [TH]
- German seaplane base on Sylt Island was bombed. ww2dbase [TH]
- The British government announced a ration increase for Christmas week. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Acheron hit a mine and sank while running sea trials 5 miles southwest of the Isle of Wight at 0640 hours, killing 153 crew and 22 shipyard workers; 13 crew and 3 shipyard workers survived. ww2dbase [TH]
- British monitor HMS Terror and gunboat HMS Ladybird bombarded Bardia, Libya, sinking Italian ships Galata, Vincenzino, and Giuseppina D. in the harbor. On the same day, the British announced that they had captured 20,000 Italian prisoners, including three generals, in Egypt. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul became the commanding officer of No. 12 Group RAF. ww2dbase [Richard Saul | CPC]
United States
- President Roosevelt held a press conference in Washington DC, United States, revealing the Lend-Lease program to journalists. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Washington | CPC]
18 Dec 1940
- Führer Directive 21 was issued, confirming the plans for Unternehmen Barbarossa. ww2dbase [TH]
- British submarine HMS Tuna sank French tug Chassiron and attacked (in failure) Italian submarines Brin and Bianchi in the Bay of Biscay 40 miles off of the Gironde Estuary, France. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British minesweeping trawler HMT Refundo was damaged by a mine, killing 2. Another ship attempted to tow her, but she sank 1 miles off the coast of Suffolk, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-96 damaged Dutch tanker Pendrecht at 1615 hours with torpedo. The crew began to abandon ship, but as two armed tankers arrived to drive away U-96, the crew reboarded, set her toward Scotland, United Kingdom for repairs. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-100 sank British ship Napier Star at 9820 hours, killing 59 crew and 12 passengers; 5 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Italian submarine Veniero damaged Greek ship Anastassia in the North Atlantic with a torpedo, killing 18. 10 were taken prisoner. The Italians let the disabled ship drift away. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German cruiser Admiral Scheer captured British ship Duquesna in the South Atlantic 800 miles south of Cape Verde Islands, capturing 91 crew and 8 passengers. Captain Theodor Krancke of Admiral Scheer purposefully allowed Duquesna to radio to help in order to distract the Royal Navy, hoping to indirectly help cruiser Admiral Hipper to break out into the Atlantic Ocean from the Denmark Strait. Duquesna, with 3,500 tons of frozen beef and 15 million eggs on board, was kept in operation by the Germans in the South Atlantic until 18 Feb 1941 to supply German ships in the area. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | CPC]
- Italian cruisers Eugenio and Montecuccoli and destroyers Pigafetta, Da Recco, Pessagno, and Riboty shelled Greek forces on the Albanian coast near Corfu. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Triton sank in the Otranto Strait off Taranto, Italy; the exact cause was unknown. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, US Navy scout-bomber, took its first flight. ww2dbase [SB2C Helldiver | AC]
- Otto Skorzeny departed the Netherlands for northern France as a member of 2nd SS Division "Das Reich". ww2dbase [Otto Skorzeny | CPC]
- HMS Cumberland diverted with HMS Enterprise to join HM Cruiser Newcastle in renewed search for Admiral Scheer. then reported between Rio de Janeiro and the Plate. Later was also deployed to search for commerce raider Pinguin. ww2dbase [Admiral Scheer | Newcastle | Cumberland | DS]
Photo(s) dated 18 Dec 1940
See all photos dated 18 Dec 1940
19 Dec 1940
- British battleships HMS Valiant and HMS Warspite shelled Italian defensive positions at Vlorë, Albania overnight in support of Greek advances. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Warspite | CPC]
- German submarine U-37 mistakenly torpedoed and sank Vichy French submarine Sfax (4 killed, 69 survived) and support ship Rhône (11 killed) 7 miles north of Cape Juby, Morocco. The captain of U-37 chose to not record this incident on the ship's logs. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British gunboat HMS Aphis bombarded Bardia, Libya in support of Operation Compass. Meanwhile, General O'Connor reported that in the first 10 days of the offensive his forces had suffered 141 killed or missing and 387 wounded. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- Italian submarine Bagnolini sank British ship Amicus 200 miles west of Ireland, killing all aboard. ww2dbase [CPC]
- U-56 was assigned to 22nd Flotilla to serve as a school boat. ww2dbase [U-56 | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Alpino Bagnolini sighted British freighter Amicus in the Atlantic Ocean at 1750 hours and submerged to approach. At 1915 hours, she lost sight of the target, and surfaced in order to regain contact. At 2010 hours, the Italian submarine fired a bow torpedo. At 2011 hours, with the first torpedo still traveling (the target's distance was further than the Italians had estimated), a second bow torpedo was fired. 10 seconds after the launch of the second torpedo, the first one scored a hit, sinking Amicus 20 minutes later. All 36 aboard were lost. HMS Westcott was dispatched to assist survivors, though there would be none. Commanding officer Franco mistakenly reported the name of the victim as Amiens. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]
Poland
- Archbishop Sapieha of Krakow, Poland sent a letter to Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss requesting permission for Christmas mass to be held in the camp for Catholic prisoners. Höss turned down the request because the camp rules did not permit religious observations, but did agree that approximately 6,000 one-kilogram food parcels could be sent to all the prisoners over the holidays. ww2dbase [Auschwitz Concentration Camp | Rudolf Höss | Oswiecim | CPC]
United Kingdom
- British destroyers HMS Veteran and HMS Verity collided in Lough Foyle near the Royal Navy base at Londonderry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. HMS Verity's engine room was flooded, requiring her to remain out of commission for repairs until 5 Mar 1941. ww2dbase [Londonderry, Northern Ireland | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 19 Dec 1940
20 Dec 1940
- 15 British carrier aircraft from HMS Illustrious attacked an Italian convoy off Kerkennah islands, Tunisia between 0515 and 0615 hours, sinking two of the three ships in the convoy. ww2dbase [Illustrious | CPC]
- Italian submarine Calvi sank British ship Carlton 300 miles west of Ireland, killing 31. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British destroyer Berkeley hit a mine in the River Medway in southern England, United Kingdom; she was damaged but did not sink. ww2dbase [CPC]
- US President Roosevelt named a four-member defense board under William A. Knudsen to prepare defense measures and to hasten the aid to the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
France
- Two Spitfire fighters of No. 66 Squadron from RAF Biggin Hill in London, England, United Kingdom carried out a sweep over Breck and Le Touquet in France, strafing power transformers, camps and road traffic. This marked a change in RAF fighter tactics to a more offensive role. ww2dbase [AC]
Malta
- The British Royal Navy battleship, HMS Warspite, arrived at Malta's Grand Harbour to a rapturous welcome from the islanders. ww2dbase [Warspite | AC]
Russia
- The Defense Committee of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union officially adopted the PPSh-41 submachine gun. ww2dbase [PPSh-41 | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Liverpool, England, United Kingdom was bombed by the Luftwaffe. 42 were killed when two official shelters collapsed, 72 were killed when bombs destroyed a shelter in the Blackstock Gardens tenement, and a further 42 were killed when an unofficial shelter at Bentinck Street under railway arches was hit. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Liverpool, England | TH]
United States
- The Maritime Commission formally issued contracts to Henry Kaiser and Joseph Todd to build a new shipyard on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in the tidal flats of Richmond, California. The contract also called for Kaiser and Todd to build 30 merchant ships according to a British design. ww2dbase [Kaiser Richmond Shipyards | Henry Kaiser | Richmond, California | DS]
21 Dec 1940
- German raiders Komet and Orion and support ship Kulmerland released 514 prisoners captured from various ships, mainly women, children and the injured, at Emirau Island, Bismarck Islands. They were given food before being turned over to two English families living on that island. British ship Nellore would arrive on 29 Dec to pick them up. 150 prisoners remained aboard Orion. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
- German submarine U-65 attacked Panamanian tanker Charles Pratt with 2 torpedoes 250 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa (now Sierra Leone) at 1600 hours. The cargo of 96,069 barrels of fuel was ignited, but only 2 were killed. 40 survivors took to two lifeboats; they would be rescued 4 to 5 days later by British ships. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Allied convoy MG1 departed Malta at noon for Gibraltar. The convoy consisted of British merchant ships Clan Fraser, Clan Forbes, and Ulster Prince; it was escorted by battleship HMS Malaya and eight destroyers. ww2dbase [Malaya | CPC]
- Luftwaffe bombers struck Liverpool, England, United Kingdom overnight. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- RAF bombers bombed Porto Marghera, Italy, hitting docks and oil tanks. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The rear echelon of the newly established US Marine Corps 7th Defense Battalion arrived at Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
France
Germany
22 Dec 1940
- Italian submarine Serpente attacked Allied convoy MG1 24 miles east of Cape Bon, Tunisia in the Strait of Sicily at 0156 hours as the convoy attempted to sail from Malta to Gibraltar. Destroyer HMS Hyperion was damaged, killing 2 and wounding 14. HMS Ilex took off the survivors, and then HMS Janus scuttled Hyperion before sunrise. ww2dbase [CPC]
- 270 Luftwaffe bombers attacked Manchester, England, United Kingdom, dropping 272 tons of high explosive bombs and 1,032 incendiary bombs; the Piccadilly area was engulfed in large fires, while the Gibsons shelter at the Hulme Town Hall collapsed without any deaths. During the same night, Liverpool was bombed for the third night in a row. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- Winston Churchill replaced Anthony Eden with Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury David Margesson (later Viscount Margesson) as the Secretary of State for War in the British Cabinet. ww2dbase [AC]
Albania
Atlantic Ocean
France
23 Dec 1940
- Greek submarine Papanikolis sank the Italian motor ship Antonietta. ww2dbase [Papanikolis | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Havock collided with battleship HMS Valiant during gunnery practice, causing the destroyer to be out of commission for repairs until 20 Feb 1941. ww2dbase [Valiant | CPC]
Albania
- In Albania, Greek forces pushed back Italian troops another 20 miles up the Ionian coast. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
Japan
- Light carrier Hosho was deemed not suitable for modern carrier aircraft ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
Libya
- In Libya, Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa General Rodolfo Graziani replaced General Mario Berti of Italian 10th Army with his Chief of Staff General Giuseppe Tellera after the failures in the initial stages of the British Operation Compass offensive. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Anthony Eden was appointed Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Anthony Eden | TH]
- Propagandist William Joyce, "Lord Haw-Haw", warned of a second night of bombing for Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Overnight, from 1915 until 0129 hours the next day, 171 German aircraft attacked the still-burning Manchester with 195 tons of high explosive bombs and 893 incendiary bombs. In two nights, 363 civilians were killed and 1,183 were wounded. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | William Joyce | Manchester, England | CPC]
24 Dec 1940
Atlantic Ocean
- German submarine U-65 sank British tanker British Premier 50 miles off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1641 hours, killing 32. 9 survivors were picked up by cruiser HMS Hawkins on 3 Jan 1941; another lifeboat of 4 survivors was not discovered until 3 Feb 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German 1st Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron attacked a British convoy in the North Sea off Aldeburgh, England, United Kingdom. S-28 sank British minesweeping trawler HMT Pelton, killing 20. British destroyer HMS Verdun reported sinking one of the torpedo boats. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- German cruiser Admiral Hipper detected Allied convoy WS.5 700 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain late in the afternoon. The convoy was consisted of 19 troopships and freighters; not noticing that it was escorted by two carriers, three cruisers, and four corvettes, the German commander Admiral Wilhelm Meisel prepared the crew for an attack in the morning. ww2dbase [Admiral Hipper | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
- Greek submarine Papanikolis sank the 3,952-ton troop transport Firenze near Sazan Island in the southern Adriatic Sea. ww2dbase [Papanikolis | Adriatic Sea | CPC]
United States
- The US 1st Marine Aircraft Wing completed its transfer to the west coast of the United States. On the same day, the 2nd Marine Brigade was activated under the command of Colonel Henry L. Larsen at Camp Elliott, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Diego, California | CPC]
25 Dec 1940
- German Admiral Wilhelm Meisel aboard cruiser Admiral Hipper ordered an attack on Allied convoy WS.5 in the morning, taking advantage of mist and rain; the convoy had been detected on the previous day and the ship's crew had been shadowing it through the night, but failing to realize it was heavily escorted. At 0808 hours, Admiral Hipper fired on troopship Empire Trooper (16 soldiers killed) and freighter Arabistan, but she was soon chased off by a corvette and three cruisers. In retreat, Admiral Hipper fired at her pursuers, striking cruiser HMS Berwick at the rear gun turret, killing 4. Carriers HMS Argus and HMS Furious launched aircraft to hunt for Admiral Hipper as she retreated toward Brest, France for repairs, but the German cruiser would not be found. Later on the same day, 150 miles to the east, Admiral Hipper detected and sank British ship Jumna; 111 survivors in the water were left to drown. ww2dbase [Admiral Hipper | TH]
United Kingdom
- Two FAA Martlet I fighters of British 804 Naval Air Squadron, on patrol over Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom, intercepted and destroyed a prowling Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, the first victory for a US-built aircraft in British service. ww2dbase [F4F Wildcat | Scapa Flow | Scapa Flow, Scotland | AC]
26 Dec 1940
- Australian destroyer HMAS Waterhen stopped Italian schooner Tireremo Diritto in the Mediterranean Sea between Bardia and Tobruk, Libya. After removing the crew, Waterhen sank Tireremo Diritto. ww2dbase [Waterhen | CPC]
- British cruiser HMS Bonaventure intercepted German ship Baden 500 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. Baden's crew abandoned the ship after setting scuttling charges to prevent capture; HMS Bonaventure then sank Baden with one torpedo. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-95 damaged British ship Waiotira with two torpedoes 300 miles south of Iceland at 2003 hours, but fled before she could deliver a fatal blow due to the arrival of three Allied destroyers. ww2dbase [CPC]
27 Dec 1940
- German armed merchant cruiser Komet arrived at Nauru and warned the British dock personnel to evacuate without signaling any alarm. Upon the completion of the evacuation, Komet shelled the facilities, destroying much of the port. Nauru's dock would be rebuilt in 10 weeks, but the port never returned to full capacity during the war. ww2dbase [Komet | CPC]
- Italian submarine Tazzoli sank British ship Ardanbhan 200 miles south of Iceland, killing the entire crew of 37. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German cruiser Admiral Hipper arrived at Brest, France, ending an one-month patrol in the Atlantic Ocean. ww2dbase [Admiral Hipper | CPC]
- German submarine U-65 attacked Norwegian ship Risanger with shells and one torpedo 300 miles off Senegal, French West Africa. at 2331 hours. The entire crew of 29 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British ship Waiotira, damaged by German submarine U-95 300 miles south of Iceland in the previous night, was detected by U-38, which sank Waiotira at 0146 hours; 1 was killed and 89 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Zuiho was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Zuiho | CPC]
Germany
- Erich Raedar met with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Erich Raeder | Berlin | CPC]
United States
Photo(s) dated 27 Dec 1940
28 Dec 1940
- Mussolini requested German aid against the Greeks in Albania. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- British monitor HMS Terror bombarded Bardia, Libya keeping up pressure on the 40,000 besieged Italian troops. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- German bombers attacked two destroyers under construction at Southampton, England, United Kingdom; future destroyer Norseman was blown in half, and future destroyer Opportune was also heavily damaged. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Valorous collided with minesweeping trawler HMT Libyan in Sheerness Harbour in the Thames Estuary, England, United Kingdom. HMS Valorous would be repaired at Chatham, England until 11 Jan 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
Photo(s) dated 28 Dec 1940
29 Dec 1940
- Greek submarine Proteus attacked Italian ships Sardegna, Italia, and Piemonte 40 miles east of Brindisi, Italy, sinking Sardegna. Escort torpedo boat Antares dropped 11 depth charges, forcing Proteus to the surface, which was then rammed and sunk by Antares, killing the entire crew of 48. ww2dbase [CPC]
- In Libya, British aircraft bombed Bardia and airfields at Tobruk, Derna, and Benina. Meanwhile, troops of Australian 6th Division rehearsed attacks on defensive positions similar to those at Bardia. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- US President Roosevelt broadcasted a fireside chat, urging the country to increase production in preparation for war, but also promising to keep the United States out of the fighting. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
United Kingdom
- 244 German Luftwaffe bombers dropped 30,000 incendaries on the historic city center of London, England, United Kingdom, destroying the London Guildhall and eight Wren churches. St. Paul's Cathedral, however, was saved by clergymen who successfully prevented the flames on the roof from spreading. In the aftermath the Government ordered that "fire-watchers" be stationed on all factories, offices, and shops to act as spotters to provide early warning. This order proved to be very unpopular with Trade Unions. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | London, England | AC]
United States
- In his broadcast to the American nation, President Franklin Roosevelt declared that the United States would not be deflected, by Axis threats, from its policy of providing Great Britain and her Allies with all possible aid short of war. He further declared that the risk of war would not deter America in the slightest degree, and that victory by those resisting aggression was of paramount interest to the United States, and that he was confident that the Axis powers would not win the war. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | AC]
Photo(s) dated 29 Dec 1940
30 Dec 1940
- In Libya, RAF bombers continued to bomb Italian defensive positions at Bardia and airfields at Tobruk, Derna, Benina. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- British anti-submarine trawler HMT Bandolero collided with Australian destroyer HMAS Waterhen off Sollum, Egypt; Bandolero sank with no casualties. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMAS Waterhen entered Port Taufiq on the Suez Canal in Egypt for repairs, which would be completed in Jan 1941. ww2dbase [Waterhen | CPC]
- Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager captured Italian sailing craft Zingarella on the Libyan coast, transporting British prisoners of war from Bardia to Tobruk. Zingarella would later serve in the British Royal Navy as a store carrier. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Destroyer HMS Venomous hit a mine off Liverpool, England, United Kingdom but did not sink. She would remain in Liverpool for repairs until 18 Feb 1941. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- British ship Calcium hit a mine in the North Sea (killing 1), and then collided with British ship Sodium. Calcium would ultimately sink. ww2dbase [North Sea | CPC]
- Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci intercepted a distress message from freighter Bodnant in the Atlantic Ocean. She searched for the Allied vessel, but failed to find her. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | CPC]
United Kingdom
Photo(s) dated 30 Dec 1940
31 Dec 1940
- Allied merchant shipping sunk by German submarines world-wide in the year of 1940 was 567 ships, totaling 2,771,483 gross tons. 24 German submarines were lost in the same time period. ww2dbase [TH]
- Captain Lindemann returned to Bismarck from his Christmas leave and assumed command of the battleship. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Greek submarine Katsonis sank Italian tanker Quinto with the deck gun off Vlorë, Albania. ww2dbase [CPC]
- RAF bombers attacked Vlorë, Albania. ww2dbase [CPC]
- RAF bombers attacked Rotterdam and Ijmuiden, the Netherlands. ww2dbase [CPC]
- RAF bombers attacked the bridge over the Rhine River at Emmerich, Germany and Köln, Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
- British destroyer HMS Dainty stopped Italian schooners Tiberio and Maria Giovanni between Bardia and Tobruk, Libya and forced them to sail to Sollum, Egypt for capture. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-38 sank Swedish ship Valparaiso 200 miles south of Iceland at 2312 hours; 35 survivors drown in the freezing water. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-65 damaged British tanker British Zeal with two torpedoes 200 miles off Dakar, French West Africa. The crew abandoned the ship, but after U-65 departed the scene, the crew reboarded and successfully maneuvered the damaged ship to Freetown, British West Africa. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
- Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci continued to search for freighter Bodnant in the Atlantic Ocean after she had intercepted a distress message from this ship on the previous day. At 0750 hours, she intercepted another message from British steamer Oporto indicating that Bodnant had sunk from a collision and had picked up the survivors. Leonardo da Vinci thus abandoned the search. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | CPC]
South Africa
- HMS Hermes set sail for Simon's Town, South Africa. ww2dbase [Hermes | Simon's Town | CPC]
United Kingdom
Photo(s) dated 31 Dec 1940
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
