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• No. 150 Squadron RAF lost four out of five Fairey Battle light bombers to German Bf 109 fighters. After this unescorted missions were ordered to cease. ww2dbase [AC]
• At 0059 hours, German destroyer Hermann Künne stopped the 1,819-ton neutral Norwegian merchant steamer Kvernaas, which had already been intercepted by German destroyer Wilhelm Heidkamp on the previous day and was already obeying orders to sail to Kiel, Germany. A prize crew from Hermann Künne took control of the ship for the remainder of her journey to Kiel. ww2dbase [HM]

• The German pocket-battleship, Admiral Graf Spee (Kapitän Zur See Hans Langsdorff), intercepted her first victim, the SS Clement, off Brazil. But the 5,084-ton ocean-going tramp steamer reported the pocket-battleship as the Admiral Scheer, a report that confused the eight Raider Hunting Forces formed jointly by the British Admiralty and the French Ministry of Marine. ww2dbase [Admiral Graf Spee | AC]

• French forces on the French-German border fell back to the Maginot Line in anticipation of a German invasion. ww2dbase [Maginot Line | CPC]

• Reinhard Heydrich became the leader of new Reich Main Security Office, RSHA. ww2dbase [Reinhard Heydrich | CPC]
• U-23 completed her second war patrol. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
• Walther von Brauchitsch was awarded the Clasps to his Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class medals as well as the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. ww2dbase [Walther von Brauchitsch | CPC]
• The construction of battleship H was suspended. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | H | Hamburg | CPC]
• The construction of battleship J was suspended. ww2dbase [Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG | J | Bremen, Weser-Ems | CPC]

• Deaths in automobile accidents in Britain at night in the month of Sep 1939 increased from 617 in the previous month to 1,130; night time blackout was blamed. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Joseph Rochefort reported to heavy cruiser Indianapolis at San Pedro, California, United States. ww2dbase [Joseph Rochefort | San Pedro, California | CPC]

30 Sep 1939 Interactive Map