Sunday 17 November 1940

A parade in Denmark in support of a fascist takeover of the country. This is a rally by the DNSAP (National Socialist Worker's Party of Denmark) at Rådhuspladsen on 17 November 1940. While the DNSAP is favored by Hitler, it does not play an actual role in the Danish government, which Hitler prefers to keep independent at this time. The DNSAP is always broadly unpopular with voters. A successor to the DNSAP exists in the 21st Century and occasionally fields candidates to run for local office (without success). Source: National Museum of Denmark.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek counter-offensive continues on 17 November 1940, with moderate success all along the front. Greek III Corps, operating in the direction of Korçë, is reinforced with the 13th Division. The larger force is now called "K" Group of Divisions (OMK), under the overall command of Lieutenant-General Georgios Kosmas. While this force is moving forward, it is not making what one would call spectacular progress against the Italian 9th Army, but instead is grinding through each ridge and valley in the snow and mud. The Greeks are almost entirely on foot, which limits their advances and exploitation of breakthroughs (of which there are many).

The other sectors of the front are reasonably stable, with the Greeks on the attack. The Greek Liuba Detachment advances along the coast in the Thesprotia sector, while the 8th Infantry Division advances toward the Kalamas River. The Greek 2nd Infantry Division advances in the Negrades sector. Near Koritsa, the Greek 9th, 10th, and 15 Infantry Divisions make progress.

News of the World, 17 November 1940.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe raids Southampton with a heavy force of 150 bombers, and London with 49 bombers. The Italian Corpo Aereo Italiano chips in with an attack on Harwich by half a dozen bombers.

During the day, the RAF attacks invasion ports. After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends a raid against an oil installation in the Ruhr river valley at Gelsenkirchen, and also sends planes against the U-boat pens at Lorient and various Luftwaffe airfields. The RAF also bombs Hamburg for the second consecutive night, an attack which receives wide play in the London media as retaliation for the "murder raids" on Coventry.

The Luftwaffe loses two competent pilots in action today, Oblt. Eberhard Henrici, Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 26 (seven victories) and Roloff von Aspern of JG 54 (18 victories).

Adolf Galland of JG 26 gains three victories today, his 53rd, 54th, and 55th.

German night fighter pilot Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld scores his first victory during the night of 16/17 November (at 02:05), a Vickers Wellington bomber from RAF No. 115 Squadron. This also is his first encounter with the RAF. Some guys just "have it." The prince commands an independent night fighter commando unit based at Schiphol airport.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-137 (Kptlt. Herbert Wohlfarth), on its third patrol out of Lorient, is perfectly positioned today in the sea lanes several hundred miles west of County Donegal, Ireland. Yesterday, it sank a "romper," that is, a freighter which had outrun its convoy, Convoy HG 46, and thus was unprotected. Today, all that Wohlfarth must do is sit right where he is, and the convoy will come to him. And, sure enough, it does.

U-137 torpedoes and sinks 1044-ton British freighter Saint Germain, which is carrying pit props from Leixoes to Port Talbot. The attack is at 20:14, and the ship takes a day to sink. Everybody on board is saved and taken aboard escort HMS Mallow.

U-137 also torpedoes 1316-ton Swedish freighter Veronica, which is en route from Aguiles to Barrow, a bit later at 20:40. The Veronica is carrying a cargo of 1800 tons of ore and thus sinks quickly. There are only three survivors, while 17 perish. The survivors are fortunate to be picked up by a British fishing boat.

Royal Navy minelayer Teviotbank and destroyer HMS Icarus lay minefield BS 47.

Convoy WS.4B (Winston Special) departs from Liverpool. It is a major military convoy with numerous passenger liners converted to military purposes:

• Andes (25,689 tons)
• Duchess of Atholl (20,119 tons)
• Viceroy of India (19,267 tons)
• Otranto (20, 026 tons)
• Orcades (23, 456 tons)
• Strathallan (23,772 tons) 
• Strathaird (22,284 tons)
• Empress of Canada (21, 517 tons)
• Reina Del Pacifico ( 17,702 tons)
• Strathnaver (22,283 tons).

The Winston Special convoys are composed of infantry and weapons such as tanks and artillery, bound for the Middle East. While the cargo convoys across the Atlantic, of course, are of prime importance, these Winston Special convoys require extensive preparation and absorb much of the Royal Navy's resources.

Convoy OB 244 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 336 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 33 departs from Methil, Convoy HX 89 departs from Halifax. Convoy BHX 89 departs from Bermuda, but for some reason quickly returns there (perhaps due to weather).

One of the destinations of Winston Special (WS) convoys is Egypt, which is where this photo is taken on 17 November 1940. The British are unloading a cruiser tank sent from England. (AP Photo).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Argus releases a dozen Hurricanes and two Fleet Air Arm Blackburn Skuas to fly to Malta pursuant to Operation White. This is a repeat of successful Operation Hurry in August (though some planes were lost then, too). Unlike that earlier operation, though, this one goes disastrously wrong. The Argus releases the planes too early - as it turns out - and 8 of the 12 Hurricanes are lost.

The planes are sent off in two waves, each led by a Skua, and only four Hurricanes from the first wave and none from the second reach Malta. The Skua leading the first wave arrives safely at Malta, while the second gets lost (apparently after the Hurricanes all ditch) and crash-lands on Sicily.

A Short Sunderland flying boat sees two of the Hurricanes in the first wave ditch and lands to pick up a survivor. The Hurricane pilot, Sergeant R A Spyer (a very lucky man), reports that he simply ran out of fuel. There are many reasons why a plane can run out of fuel short of its destination - heavier headwinds than expected, for instance - but such things must be accounted for properly when lives are at stake. Launches must be timed with some margin of error. There is no reason to release convoy planes early due to potential enemy threats (and none seem to have been present, except in the minds of excuse-making historians). You can always reverse course and try again another time or show a little courage and simply sail forward for another six hours. In other words - it simply was a fatal mistake to send the Hurricanes off when it was done.

Overall, one must chalk up this disaster to poor RAF/RN staff work. This is one of those great tragedies that nobody remembers and only affects a relatively small group of people but is made all the more poignant from being so easily preventable. Somebody made a boneheaded error, sent these pilots off to die, and no trace of the missing planes or pilots is ever found. Nobody, apparently, ever is called to account for this disaster, either. The pilots simply vanish and soon the entire incident is swept under the rug. Imagine the ruckus if this happened in peacetime.

When you read accounts about how wonderful and perfect the Royal Navy was during the Second World War, remember this incident, too.

Separately, the RAF bombs Mogadishu in Italian Somaliland. The Italian Regia Aeronautica attacks Alexandria.

Hurricanes being ferried to Malta, 1941.

Spy Stuff: Around this date, MI5, the British Intelligence Service, figure out an ingenious way to use captured spy currency to fund its own operations. German spies often carry large sums of money whilst... spying. When captured, that is an awful lot of money to just go to waste (it sometimes must be used as evidence at trial, so cannot just be spent outright). It wasn't like in the 21st Century when global bankers just magically create money via keystrokes whenever they need for whatever purpose suits them - in those days, actual banknotes meant something.

So, the Bank of England and MI5 set up an arrangement whereby the intelligence service gives the bank the confiscated notes in exchange for new British banknotes that can be spent. The Bank of England then keeps the confiscated money somewhere in its vaults until such time as it is no longer conceivably needed for trial. In this fashion, MI5 funds some of its own operations. The British officer in charge of bringing the confiscated banknotes (and it was real currency, not forged, else the bank would not accept it - again, different days) to the bank is Lt. Col. W. E. Hinchley-Cooke, who requires joint approval for the deposits from another member of MI5, Squadron Leader Henry Arnold. Nowadays, there would be all sorts of issues about "oversight" and this and that with this sort of self-funding modus operandi, but again, things were different back in the day.

Do you want to see one of the guys who really win wars? You are looking at one, Lt. Col. W.E. Hinchley-Cooke of MI5.

British Military: RAF Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding is removed from his position. This has been brewing for months and is the end result of an internal power struggle within the RAF. Dowding has supported Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, who has opposed the "Big Wing" tactic where time and effort is taken to assemble massive fighter formations rather than send squadrons into action piecemeal. Both tactics have advantages and drawbacks, but the Big Wing strategy is becoming much more practical with the recovery of the RAF from its summertime losses. Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Sholto Douglas takes Dowding's job, who is relegated to a staff position in the Ministry of Aircraft Production with responsibility for ordering American planes.

Basically, Dowding is being retired, though he will still have a desk and phone. Douglas, meanwhile, has been in a position to decide this political battle to his own advantage due to silent political backing within the Air Ministry. AVM Trafford Leigh-Mallory also has his eyes on Keith Park's job, which is more prestigious than his own. Without Dowding to run interference, that becomes much more likely. The power combination of Douglas/Leigh-Mallory has prevailed over that of Dowding/Park.

Hugh Dowding will remain a revered figure and be granted various honors which are richly deserved. Many take this change in leadership as an indication that the RAF will "lean toward France," as advocated by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard and others. In reality, though, that process is gradual and has more to do with shifting Luftwaffe priorities than it does a conscious decision by the RAF.

Staff changes often happen in bunches to cloak what is really going on, and this is no exception. The RAF forms a new RAF Command for Army Cooperation. Its first chief is Air Marshal Arthur Barratt.
Free France: Charles de Gaulle, having appealed to the Vichy captives at Libreville to join his cause but had little success, returns to London. He remains under a cloud due to the disaster at Dakar.

China: The long-running Battle of South Kwangsi concludes. The Japanese 22nd Army engages in a scorched earth strategy and destroys Chinhsien before withdrawing to Hainan Island.

American Homefront: The Detroit News announces in a banner headline that "Detroit Expedition Ready To Blaze Auto-Trail To Cape Horn." A group led by a Detroit News employee heads out just before midnight in a stock 1941 Plymouth to drive south to the tip of South America. Experts who are familiar with the route caution that, for long stretches, no road exists, and that lines on the map may mean only that a highway is planned, not actually constructed. This is an obvious publicity stunt to sell papers and promote the city's car industry - back when Detroit still had industry.

The Shavano, a regular train (#315) from Salida to Gunnison, Colorado. German prisoners of war soon would be held in this general area. Near Mears Junction, Colorado, 17 November 1940. (Otto Perry).

November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020

Saturday 16 November 1940

A picture of devastated Coventry Cathedral featured on the 16 November 1940 edition of the Daily Express. Accounts of the bombing are still sketchy as of this date, with estimates of 1000 casualties (actually, more than that, though the dead subsequently are estimated to number at 500-600.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Battle of Korytsa, at the town of Korçë, opens on 16 November 1940 in southern Albania in the Morava Mountains. The Italian 9th Army defends the sector against the Greek III Army Corps. This is part of the larger Battle of Morava–Ivan heights. The Italians have strong defenses around the town, but the Greeks are highly motivated and operating on foot, infiltrating through unexpected areas of rough terrain. The Italians also are taken by surprise, overconfident in the balance of forces and who has the initiative - which in fact has switched to the Greeks.

Elsewhere, the news is no better for the Italians. The Greeks attack in the Koritsa sector with the 9th, 10th, and 15th Greek divisions. A Greek cavalry division enters Konitsa in the Pindos sector. The Greek 1st Infantry Division takes control of the Kamenik Heights. In the coastal sector, the Greek 8th Division continues its offensive on the Negrades sectors and the Kalamas River.

The British continue using cruisers to ferry troops to Piraeus. At this point, 4230 troops have arrived, many in support of RAF operations.

While Coventry's Holy Trinity Church spire still rises, the city is gutted.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command retaliates for the destruction of Coventry by sending daylight raids against several German cities, including Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerp, and other cities. The raid on Hamburg, a favored RAF target, is particularly heavy, with 131 bombers involved.

The Luftwaffe sends raids against the south coast of England. For the first time, Luftwaffe planes attack the Hebrides. After dark, the Luftwaffe sends 87 planes against London.

King George V tours devastated Coventry.

The RAF creates a photo-reconnaissance unit of adapted Spitfire fighters.


Battle of the Atlantic: German cargo ships Phrygia (4137 ton), Idarwald (5033 ton), Orinoco (9660 ton) and Rhein (6031 ton) depart from Tampico, Mexico in a bid to make port in occupied France. The Orinoco breaks down at the mouth of the Rio Panuco and is towed back to port by an accompanying tug. The other three ships continue to sea, but spot patrolling US destroyers USS Plunkett (DD-431, LtCdr P.G. Hale), McCormick (DD-223, Cdr T.V. Cooper), and Broome (DD-210, LtCdr. T.E. Fraser). The US ships are operating as part of the Neutrality Patrols agreed to by the nations of the Americas in Havana, Cuba.

The crew of the Phrygia mistakes the US ships for Royal Navy ones and scuttles the ship. The two accompanying ships continue to sea, attempting to outrun the shadowing US ships. It is widely known that US ships are openly broadcasting the positions of German ships and tracking them, which Royal Navy ships can pick up and use to intercept German ships, so the fact that US ships continue to shadow them is extremely dangerous for the German freighters.

Elsewhere, the destroyer HMS Naiad spots 384 ton Kriegsmarine weather ship BS 4 Hinrich Freese (a converted fishing trawler) off Jan Mayen Island, Norway. The Royal Navy light cruiser chases it and apparently opens fire. Realizing that the ship cannot outrun the cruiser, the captain of the weather ship intentionally runs it aground on the Søraustkapp, wrecking the ship with the loss of two lives. The rest of the crew survives as POWs, rescued by trawlers HMT Elm and Wistaria. The weather ship has been operating as support of German raiders such as Admiral Scheer and rescuing the crews of downed Luftwaffe seaplanes.

U-137 ( Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth) is on its third patrol out of Lorient and is patrolling in the sea lanes west of Bloody Foreland, County Donegal, Ireland when it spots 5887-ton British freighter Planter. The Planter, carrying fruits and vegetables from Egypt, has been part of Convoy SLS 53, but perhaps out of impatience with the convoy's deliberate speed (convoy speeds are restricted to the speed of the slowest ship), the captain of the Planter has outrun the convoy and become essentially an independent. Such ships are called "rompers." This proves to be a poor decision, as U-137 pumps a torpedo into the ship and sinks it. There are 59-60 survivors and 13 crew perish. The survivors are rescued by HMS Clare.

U-65 (K.Kapt. Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen), on an extended patrol out of Lorient and sailing about 650 km west of Freetown, spots 3059-ton British freighter Fabian. After putting a torpedo into the ship at 14:29, U-65 surfaces and hits the ship with five out of eight shots from its deck gun. There are 6 deaths. The Germans question the 33 survivors in lifeboats and provide them with food and water before leaving the scene. The men are rescued by 7121 British tanker SS British Statesman.

Royal Navy 550-ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Arsenal (Skipper C. R. Radford RNR) collides off Kilchattan Bay (the Clyde estuary) with Polish Navy destroyer Burza, which had barely survived a bomb hit at Dunkirk but been repaired. The crew survives, rescued by HMS Arrow and tug Superman. The wreck is about four miles south of Toward. HMS Arrow, meanwhile, is damaged by exploding depth charges on the Arsenal and requires repairs in the Clyde until January. The Burza also requires repairs in the Clyde that take two months.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy FS 335, damaging 2052-ton British freighter Sherbrooke southeast of Orfordness. In addition, 2178 ton British freighter Dagenham is damaged on a mine northeast of Mouse Light Vessel.

German raider Thor restocks from supply ship the Rio Grande. The Thor also transfers prisoners it has taken to the Rio Grande, which then heads to France.

Heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk returns to service after repairs in the Tyne.

US Navy PBY Catalina flying boats are now patrolling the North Atlantic from bases in Bermuda, supported by seaplane tender USS George E. Badger. They operate from a base obtained in the September 1940 destroyers-for-bases deal with the UK. The deal helps both sides because the British are no longer required to allocate manpower to Bermuda, and the US air patrols can provide useful intelligence to the Royal Navy.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Cotswold (L-54, Lt. Commander Peter J. Knowling) is commissioned and transfers from Greenock to work up at Scapa Flow.

US Navy minesweeper USS Osprey (AM 56, Lt. Commander Cecil L. Blackwell) is commissioned.

Collier's, 16 November 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian bombers raid Alexandria during the night.

Malta continues a period free of air raids. Many from the harbor areas who have evacuated to the interior are returning to their homes. There are practical reasons for this, as living far from work is a burden for many people. Estimates are that over 20,000 people have repopulated the area around Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. While this is a nice sign of confidence in the war effort, the lack of underground or "rock" shelters is becoming a major concern.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis rendezvouses with its captured Norwegian tankers Teddy and Ole Jacobs. The Atlantis refuels from the Teddy, then sinks it. The Atlantis then sends captured Norwegian vessel Ole Jacob, full of high-octane aviation fuel (extremely useful to the Axis) and manned by a prize crew, to Japan.

The Ole Jacob carries top-secret British war documents recovered from British vessel Automedon. The documents are to be delivered to the German ambassador in Japan, who will give copies to the Japanese and the German government in Berlin. These are extremely sensitive and Top Secret documents that detail the British military position and plans in the Far East. Many believe they are instrumental in the Japanese decision to initiate war on 7 December 1940.

The classic tuft stitch ladies' jumper knitting pattern is first published in the 16 November 1940 issue of Woman's Weekly. "Skill level: Advanced."

US/Vichy French Relations: Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles has asked (on 13 November) the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, H. Freeman Matthews, to meet with the French about the status of the French battleships Jean Bart and Richelieu. Accordingly, Matthews meets with French leader Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain. Mathews asks if the US can buy the battleships. Pétain demurs. He says that the ships will only be used to defend French territory and not against the British and adds: "Under present circumstances, I have neither the right nor the possibility of selling them."

German Military: Colonel General Heinz Guderian, one of the stars of the Polish and French campaigns while commanding XI Corps, is promoted to command of Panzer Group 2 (these formations are not yet designated Panzer Armies) in Germany. Guderian is one of the most respected men in the Wehrmacht (and internationally) due to his widely read book about tank tactics. Colonel-General Hermann Hoth, another successful panzer leader, takes over Panzer Group 3 in France.

The wall of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Mexico: Protests continue about the results of the 7 July 1940 Presidential election in which Manuel Ávila Camacho prevailed over war hero Gen. Juan Andreu Almazán. Many protesters are jailed. The election results, in which Camacho received 93.9% of the vote, have spurred many of Almazán's supporters to riot to protest a supposedly fraudulent result. Almazán himself has fled the country in hopes of stirring up support for his cause in the United States. The inauguration of Camacho is scheduled for 1 December 1940. The wave of protest against the result is called almazanismo. It is fair to point out that such lopsided election returns in hotly contested elections are rare in democracies, especially those where there is obvious widespread street support for the loser. The US, for its part, does not want to get involved in this foreign quarrel and is not supporting Almazán.

Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto is now walled-off from outside contact. An estimated 380,000-400,000 people are trapped inside an area too small to support them comfortably. Armed guards patrol the wall.

British Homefront: A correspondent with the Daily Express asks the Mayor of Coventry, J.A. Moseley if he intends to order an evacuation of the city. He replies:

Of course not. We stay.

While the Daily Express highlights the Coventry raid's devastation on its front page, other newspapers downplay the damage and instead focus on things like the need to maintain war production there (the Guardian) or simply give short shrift to the entire affair (The Times makes the raid only the third leading article of the day). The Daily Express expresses a need for "more action to beat the night bomber" and "less talk about the so-called slackening of the blitz."

American Homefront: In the "Fifth Down" game between college teams Cornell and Dartmouth, college official Red Friesell mistakenly gives Cornell an extra down during the last seconds of the game. This mistake provides the opportunity for Cornell to score a touchdown which apparently wins the game for it 7-3. Officials (and everyone else) reviewing the game film quickly notice the error and forfeit the win, handing it to Dartmouth. The game is notable not only for the bad call and the reversal but for its unique status as a game. The outcome and score are decided by film only after the game is over and the teams have left the field. Cornell, incidentally, was on an 18-game winning streak at the time, and Dartmouth was only 3-4; the decision was a cruel blow to Big Red supporters.



November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020

Wednesday 13 November 1940

"Fantasia" premieres in New York City.

German/Soviet Relations: Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov continues his visit to Berlin on 13 November 1940. He meets with Adolf Hitler again during the afternoon. Molotov now has had a night to digest Hitler's expansive and air proposals for world domination and thus gets more precise in his responses.

Molotov stresses that the USSR has certain non-negotiable demands prior to any military alliance. The largest of these concern Finland. That country, Molotov emphasizes, lies within the USSR's sphere of influence pursuant to the August 1939 Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. The Stavka is aware of German troop movements in the country - primarily related to transit from Finnish Baltic ports to Narvik - and wants those troops withdrawn.

Another hot spot is in Romania. The Soviet Union already has swallowed part of Romania, and Molotov points out that Hitler has recently guaranteed the reduced Romanian frontiers. This seems aimed at the Soviet Union, which Molotov indicates is not a friendly act.

Molotov also raises other, less critical issues. He indicates that the Soviet Union intends to enter into some kind of arrangement with Bulgaria - the country that Hitler wants to use as a springboard to invade Greece (though Molotov likely has no idea of this). Molotov also indicates that the Soviet Union will be blocking off the Black Sea with bases on the Dardanelles - which raises issues about Turkey and the Balkan states' outlet to the Mediterranean.

Hitler has difficulty responding to some of these points. Regarding German activities in Finland, he responds that German activities there are of no matter and certainly of no concern to the Soviet Union. In fact, Hitler's position throughout the war is that the Soviet Union must be prevented from acquiring Finnish ports in the Baltic. The bases on the Dardanelles and the issue of the Soviet Union's relationship with Bulgaria are not something he can agree to without consulting his allies.

If there is anything that seals the fate of the Third Reich, it is this discussion. Hitler sees that, rather than cooperating in the destruction of the British Empire, the Soviet Union is pushing back against Germany. A military alliance drifts out of the range of feasibility, and the only remaining question becomes how confrontational relations will be.

After this meeting, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop has dinner at the Soviet embassy. An air raid during the dinner forces them to take shelter under the Wilhelmstrasse. Ribbentrop decides to give the negotiation - going very badly - a final shot.

Ribbentrop proposes a treaty, including - as with their August 1939 agreement - secret protocols. The USSR would join the Three-Power Pact and acquire a specific sphere of influence, along with Italy, Japan and Germany. The secret protocols would outline what these spheres were and would recognize the Soviet Navy's rights in the Dardanelles.

Molotov is fairly noncommittal in response to Ribbentrop's offers about spheres of influence and the Dardanelles. However, he gets very specific about what the Soviet Union wants in Europe. The Soviet Union, he says, has interests in Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Finland, Bulgaria, Poland and Greece. It also needs a way to ensure Swedish neutrality or at least acquiescence to Soviet passage through the Kattegat and Skagerrak to the Atlantic.

None of Molotov's demands are even remotely acceptable to the Germans.

This meeting between Molotov and Ribbentrop gives rise to an enduring legend. The discussion is held in a shelter (with liveried waiters bringing hors d'oeuvre on trays) to the sound of RAF bombs dropping fairly close by (they rattle the plate glass windows at the Wilhelmstrasse before the guests adjourn to the shelter). Supposedly, Molotov responds to one of Ribbentrop's repeated claims that Britain is finished and the war basically over with a tart observation:

If that is so, why are we in this shelter and whose are these bombs which fall?

This is considered by virtually everyone to be apocryphal. It has that "wise guy" insouciance that smacks of a British propaganda invention, though that is unproven (it may also be an example of sardonic Germanic wit). In fact, however, the British do play an intentional role in this discussion: Winston Churchill later confides that he knew of the meeting (probably from Ultra, though he does not disclose that fact as Ultra remains Top Secret until well after his death). He felt that "it was only right that we should have some say in the matter." Thus, Churchill sent over RAF bombers to pay a special visit at that time.

Molotov meets with Hitler on 13 November.

Italian/Greek Campaign: Today generally is considered the definitive end of the Italian offensive into Greece. In fact, the offensive has been crumbling almost since the day it began, but today is when the Greeks set the stage for their own offensive.

The Greeks complete the occupation of the Grammos and Smolikas mountain ranges in the Pindus sector. The Julia Division is wiped out, losing 5,000 men, and the Greek forces now occupy the initial positions that they held before the war. This concludes the Battle of Pindus with a total Greek victory. Many people attribute a large part of the Greek victory to the efforts of civilians, particularly women, who help with logistics, scouting, shelter and in other ways.

On the coastal sector, the Greek forces stand all along the Kalamas River, having pushed the Italians back across everywhere.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command has 72 bombers in operation over the Continent during the night. It launches a major raid on Berlin to disrupt the Molotov visit.

The  RAF Wireless Intelligence and Development Unit sends two planes (RAF No. 80 Signals) Squadron) on a special mission. The bombers hone in on German radar transmissions to attack German radar installations on the Cherbourg Peninsula.

The Luftwaffe raids Bristol during the night. Both sides lose a plane in a so-far rare night dogfight.

Hauptmann Walter Adolph (III,/JG 27) receives the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) for 15 victories.

RAF flight lieutenant Guy Gibson, a bomber pilot who has been shuttling between units, has volunteered to fly night fighters. This is in response to an appeal b Air Marshal Sholto Douglas and AVM Leigh-Mallory for new recruits to the night units from bomber pilots, who are used to flying at night. Arthur "Bomber" Harris, currently Air Officer Commanding (AOC) No. 5 Group (and not yet known by the nickname "Bomber,"), writes a letter of recommendation calling Gibson "the best" of the volunteers. Today, Gibson is ordered to report to No. 29 Squadron at RAF Digby (actually at RAF Wellingore). He will be the commander of 'A' Flight. As usual with Gibson, he is not particularly liked at this unit at first, partly for reasons beyond his control (the others resent his being promoted over them).

The US is still digging out from the Armistice Day Blizzard. Stories about the storm are of much more concern than that little Royal Navy attack on the Italians in the Mediterranean. Minneapolis Star Journal Headline: Nov. 13, 1940. Courtesy of Minneapolis Star Journal.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe continues its successful recent string of seaplane attacks against British convoys in the North Sea. Heinkel He 115 seaplanes of KGr 706 attack Convoy WN 35 (out of Methil) off Aberdeen and sink two ships (some sources say this was an attack by Junkers Ju 88s and Heinkel He 111s of KG 26 out of Stavanger).

The seaplanes sink 4398-ton Belgian freighter Anvers (Captain De Jonghe) about 9.3 km northeast of Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire. There are 36 survivors and one man perishes (other sources say that there are 15 survivors and 20 deaths - when multiple ships sink in the same area and are picked up by multiple ships records are often confused).

The seaplanes also torpedo and sink 82 ton 1216-ton British freighter St. Catherine nearby. There are 15 deaths.

The Luftwaffe (probably fighter-bombers) bombs and sinks British drifter Shipmates at Dover (some sources place this on the 14th).

A Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor (1,/KG 40, Oberleutnant Hans Buchholz)) operating out over the Atlantic shipping routes bombs and sinks 7359-ton British freighter Empire Wind. Everybody survives, rescued by HMS Arrow.

U-137 (Kptlt. Herbert Wohlfarth), on her third patrol operating out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5094-ton British freighter Cape St. Andrew northwest of Aran Island and west of Tory Island, Ireland. The freighter is a straggler from Convoy OB 240 and is under tow and accompanied by an escorting destroyer. There are 53 survivors, picked up by escort HMS Salvonia, and 15 men perish.

British 1951 ton tanker Leon Martin hits a mine and sinks off Falmouth, Cornwall. There are 16 deaths (some sources place this sinking on the 11th).

British 300 ton coaster Buoyant hits a mine and sinks off Skegness, Lincolnshire just off the mouth of the Humber. This is the date that the Buoyant was last sighted, it is presumed that she hit a mine. There are no survivors.

Royal 178 ton Navy Boom Defence Vessel HMT Ristango fouls the Medway boom at Sheerness, Kent and sinks.

German 325 ton tanker Wilhelmsburg runs aground at the entrance to Boulogne Harbor, capsizes, and is lost.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tigris torpedoes and sinks 201 ton Vichy French schooner Charles Edmond in the Bay of Biscay, about 110 km off the mouth of the Gironde.

Soviet Submarine Dekrabist (the lead ship of the class) sinks for unknown causes in Motovosky Bay (near Murmansk) during a training mission. All 53 aboard perish.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Garland sustains damage due to harsh weather conditions in the Atlantic and loses two men overboard. The ship returns to Govan for repairs, which took until 26 December.

Five Royal Navy minelayers establish minefield SN 45 off the northwest coast of Ireland.

Convoy OB 243 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 333 departs from Southend, Convoy SC 12 departs from Halifax.

U-149 (Oberleutnant zur See Horst Höltring) is commissioned.

The SS Normandie at left, and Queen Elizabeth at the same slip in New York City. The good ship Queen Elizabeth sails on 13 November 1940, leaving the Normandie.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian bombers raid Alexandria Harbour and bad damage Royal Navy destroyer HMS Decoy. There are 8 deaths and 3 other casualties. The destroyer heads to Malta for repair.

The RAF bombs Taranto again. The Italians have moved the major warships to other ports following the 11 November carrier raid that sank three Italian battleships.

Malta's new Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Officer, Lt. E.E. Talbot, who just arrived at the island on Sunday, tackles his first unexploded bomb. Talbot has been decorated for defusing a bomb in South Wales. The procedure goes off without a hitch, a big relief to the island's military because unexploded bombs have become a major issue.

The Malta military government also segregates certain bars as for officers only, and others for non-officers.

US/Vichy French Relations: Sumner Welles, acting Secretary of State, asks the US Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Spain, H. Freeman Matthews, to tell the French that the US would be willing to purchase its battleships Jean Bart (Casablanca) and Richelieu (Dakar).

British Military: The Handley Page Halifax bomber becomes operational with RAF No. 35 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse. However, the Halifax takes time to work up and its first mission will not be until March 10/11, 1941. The Handley Page Halifax suffers by comparison with some other bombers but becomes an integral part of RAF Bomber Command's fleet. Many in the RAF consider it inferior to the Avro Lancaster, but it fills a role primarily in secondary theaters.

A Willys Quad with four-wheel steering. These initial versions did not meet US Army weight requirements. Willys pulled some strings to keep its bid alive.

US Military: Heavy cruiser USS Louisville continues its "Show the Flag" mission in Latin America, arriving at Santos, Brazil.

Willys officially delivers its two pilot models, called Quads, of what later become known as Jeeps. The Jeeps are identical to the Bantam prototype which Willys has studied, with the addition of four-wheel steering. The Quads are put through tests at Camp Holabird, Maryland.

Switzerland: The government bans both the Communist Party and the fascist National Movement of Switzerland.

Singapore: The British War Cabinet creates the new post of Commander-in-Chief, Far East, with its headquarters in Singapore. Air Chief-Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham is appointed as its first chief.

American Homefront: Walt Disney Studios' animated classic Fantasia has its world premiere at the Broadway Theater in New York City. The film is well-received but requires special upgrades to theaters which are costly and make it unprofitable. Among other firsts, the film is the first commercial motion picture to be distributed with stereo sound - hence the added cost. One can make the argument that "Fantasia" invents the music video.


November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020

Monday 14 October 1940

Damage to Balham underground station. The bomb on the High Road created a crater 50 feet wide. A bus (nobody hurt) drove into the crater in the darkness due to blackout conditions. (The New Guardian).

Battle of Britain: The fickle weather of 1940 continues on 14 October 1940. Today there are clouds and intermittent shows. Missions are scattered throughout the day until the skies clear after dark.

Before dawn, a Dornier Do 17 from 4(F)./14 drops a stick of bombs on Bristol. Otherwise, it is a fairly quiet early morning. The first real operations begin at 10:30 when high-altitude fighter-bombers (Jabos) fly up from the Cherbourg area. The attack does not accomplish much, however, due to the weather and the lurking presence of RAF fighters.

RAF North Weald receives attention late in the morning. Four squadrons are based there, so it is a vital link in the chain of fighter airfields across southern England. While the attacks are small-scale affairs, bombing accuracy during the day is notably better than at night.

Since the weather is poor, the Luftwaffe apparently feels better about including more lumbering Heinkel He-111s and other medium bombers in the mix. London, Portsmouth, East Anglia and nearby points are bombed. Airfields hit in the London region include RAF Hawkinge and Duxford, with bombs also falling over nearby South London either intentionally or due to bombing inaccuracy. A direct hit on an air-raid shelter in Middlesex kills 20 people.

An odd incident happens during the afternoon. Fighter pilots of RAF No. 17 Squadron spot a Dornier Do 17 bearing British markings on all the upper surfaces. As it banks to turn, however, German markings are seen on the underside. When attacked, the bomber fires two Very rockets - but of the wrong color. Despite being damaged, the odd plane makes it away safely through the balloons over Harwich.

After dark, the pace of attacks increases dramatically. The Luftwaffe sends a total of 240 across the Channel, helped by a full moon. London, Birmingham, Coventry, Liverpool, Preston, Bristol, Avonmouth, and East Anglia take damage. The scale of the attacks is reflected in the fact that 565 people are killed and 2125 seriously injured. Coventry, with many medieval wooden buildings, is consumed by fires caused by incendiary oil bombs. In London, The Carlton Club is hit, but nobody is hurt.

The Balham bus after being hoisted out of the hole.

In a notorious incident which since has become iconic for The Blitz, a 1400 kg armor-piercing bomb hits the Balham underground station at 20:02. It sends those inside who survive (66 people perish) fleeing when the water mains, a gas pipe, and a sewer pipe burst and flood the north-bound tunnel with a tidal wave of smelliness. The water rises 25 feet above the trackbed. Many people drown in the slurry. A bus drives into the immense creator in the blackout darkness, but nobody in it is hurt. The underground line is out of operation until 1941, with bodies being recovered past Christmas. This incident features in the Ian McEwan novel "Atonement," made into a feature film starring Keira Knightley. A plaque is laid at the site in 2010 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the tragedy.

In London alone, 500+ casualties are taken to the hospital or killed.

Due to the small-scale of the raids, the inability of the RAF to manage effective interceptions due to the weather, and the majority of the raids being undertaken at night, both sides take less than a handful of casualties (some accounts say no losses on either side). The day is a successful one for the Luftwaffe, which takes sustainable losses but still inflicts measurable damage both to civilian and RAF targets.

Rear Admiral I.B.B. Tower, DSC, perishes in an air raid "on the steps at the bottom of Regent's Street." He has been in charge of gunnery training ship HMS President and has held a number of senior staff positions, including chief naval liaison officer to the Commander-in-Chief Home Forces, General Sir Alan Brooke.

KG 53's Major Friedrich Kless receives the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Another view of the Balham blast.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids Berlin, oil plants in Stettin, the ports of Hanover, Hamburg and Le Havre, and various airfields in northwest Europe.

Night fighter ace Werner Streib, Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1 and the man considered to be the "Father of German night-fighter forces," scores his tenth night-fighter victory during the evening.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-137 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth) torpedoes and damages 10,552 ton Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS Cheshire northwest of Ireland. The 220 onboard are taken off by destroyer HMS Periwinkle and corvette HMCS Skeena. The Cheshire is taken under tow and makes it to Belfast Lough where it is beached. It ultimately is brought to Liverpool for extensive repairs.

Royal Navy 683 ton pilot vessel Reculver hits a mine and sinks in the Humber Estuary south of Spurn Point. All 31 aboard survive.

Royal Navy 448 ton trawler HMS Lord Stamp (Chief Skipper J. D. McKay RNR) hits a mine and sinks about 31 km from Portland Bill, Dorset. The 23 crew on board perish.

British 1076 ton collier Glynwen sinks in the English Channel of unknown causes relating to enemy action.

German submarine chaser UJ-173 Heinrich Wesselhöft runs aground near Kvitsøy, off Stavanger in the North Sea. It is a total loss.

German 1879 ton freighter Euler hits a  mine and sinks off Saint-Nazaire in the Bay of Biscay.

As discussed in our entry for 13 October, sometime during the night Captain Phillip Vian of HMS Cossack leads a destroyer force in Operation DN. It torpedoes and sinks German net layer Genua off Egersund, Norway. There are 78 deaths. The vessel sinks in shallow water and can be refloated and returned to service. It is the only success of the night engagement despite somewhat more elaborate claims by the Royal Navy at the time.

Convoy FN 308 departs from Southend, Convoys FS 309 and OA 229 departs from Methil.

The escort destroyer HMS Mendip (L 60) is commissioned.

General Wavell, British Middle East Commander, makes the cover of Time Magazine on 14 October 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: In the early hours of the morning, Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, returning to Alexandria after escorting a convoy to Malta, detaches briefly from the main force with cruisers HMS Gloucester and Liverpool. It conducts airstrikes against the Italian bases at Leros. The Illustrious then returns to the main battle group.

At 16:55, the Italians reciprocate for the attack on Leros by launching their own strike on the Royal Navy forces nearby. An Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM79 bomber torpedoes HMS Liverpool, which sets off fuel and other flammables in the ship and blows off its bow from just ahead of the bridge. There are 30 deaths when all is said and done, with 42 others wounded. Light cruiser HMS Orion takes the Liverpool in tow back to Alexandria. Liverpool eventually will go to Mare Island, California for full repairs shortly before the Pearl Harbor attack.

Battlecruiser HMS Renown, light cruiser HMS Sheffield, and destroyers HMS Gallant, Firedrake and Griffin arrive in Gibraltar to reinforce Force H.

The RAF bombs Italian forces in Benghazi.

At Malta, Governor Dobbie and the local military institute new rules for shore-based artillery. They are to wait until opening fire until the target has approached within 5000 yards by day and 1800 yards by night. Local gunners are given independent authority to open fire if they deem the intruder to be hostile. In addition, it is "fire at will" on any submarine unless they have been notified of a friendly submarine in the vicinity. The cargo from the recent convoy is still being processed, with ammunition being dispersed to the gunners.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Orion stops and sinks 7302-ton Norwegian freighter Ringwood in the Pacific about 600 miles Northwest of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. The 35 neutral crewmen and the ship's cat become the ship's "guests" and eventually are repatriated to Norway.

Meanwhile, German raider Pinguin and converted minelayer Passat continue heading south toward their destinations off the coast of southeastern Australia. The voyage will take roughly two weeks.

Italian/German/Romanian Relations: Mussolini protects Italy's historic interest in the Balkans by sending air officers to Bucharest. They join the German troops who have arrived there and elsewhere in the country. Their purpose is to set up a seaplane base at the Romanian port of Constanta on the western coast of the Black Sea, 179 nautical miles (332 km) from the Bosphorus Strait.

Hitler's fears about British sabotage in Romania are perhaps heightened today when a fire breaks out in Băicoi, a train stop away from the main oil center of Ploiești. The fire destroys three oil wells.

German/Soviet Relations: The German embassy staff in Moscow is still translating von Ribbentrop's interminable letter to Stalin about a New World Order ruled by Germany, the USSR, Italy and Japan. It will take several more days.

Another view of the Balham incident.

US/Japanese Relations: With war tensions rising, the US State Department announces that it is sending three passenger liners (Monterey, Mariposa, and Washington) to Japan and China for the purpose of repatriating American citizens. China, in particular, is a top destination for missionaries. The Monterey is headed for Yokohama and Shanghai, and the Mariposa to Shanghai, Chinwangtao, and Kobe, Japan.

Soviet Military: The Politburo stamps its approval on the war plan recently submitted to it by the Stavka for an attack on Germany. There is no such operation currently contemplated but one is a contingency plan for the future. The plan is in some respects the mirror image of the war plans currently being drafted at OKW headquarters at Zossen for Operation Barbarossa.

Italian Military: Benito Mussolini is the in final stages of planning his strategy following the meeting with Hitler at the Brenner Pass earlier in the month. He has decided not to invade Yugoslavia, but Greece is an open question. He is not keeping the Germans informed of his decision-making process. Today, he meets with General Staff Marshal Badoglio and Army Chief of Staff General Roatta, both of whom are known to be very realistic about Italian military capabilities - but they have little influence on Mussolini.

US Military: The US Navy sends heavy cruiser USS Louisville from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as part of the continuing series of "Show the Flag" missions being undertaken throughout the year.

US Government: President Roosevelt signs into law the Nationality Act of 1940. It provides for three classes of persons eligible for citizenship and defines how one could lose citizenship. It is the first comprehensive attempt at a nationality and naturalization policy in US history. Among other things, the Act specifies that US citizens can lose their citizenship if they emigrate abroad to, say, England and stay there. The law in effect requires many Americans living in Great Britain to return to the United States or risk losing their citizenship - which in fact happens to hundreds of people.

German Propaganda: Dr. Goebbels fine-tunes his ministry's depiction of the effect of the air war on England's capital and Berlin. He cautions his press people via the Reich Press Chief to keep accounts of damage to the respective cities moderate. The aim, the Press Chief writes, is that "the possibility of intensified attacks must be preserved."

Romania: In a sign of further attempts by the Romanian authorities to ingratiate themselves with the Germans, they ban Jewish students from Romanian schools.

China: In the continuing Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Infantry Division fights off the Chinese Nationalist attack on Lungchin.

American Homefront: Charles Lindbergh makes another national broadcast radio speech. In it, he all but endorses Republican candidate for President  Wendell Willkie, though he does not mention him. Lindbergh, in particular, implies indirectly that President Roosevelt has a hidden agenda to embroil the United States in the European War - which the evidence supports to one degree or another - and states that the country should elect a leader "whose promises we can trust, who know where they are taking us, and who tell us where we are going."

Future History: Cliff Richard is born to his British parents in Lucknow, United Provinces, British India. Richard becomes a top British pop star in the late 1950s as the front-man of The Shadows, continues his success thereafter with various twists and turns in his career, and establishes numerous "records" for longevity in terms of the success of his singing career. Richard remains quite active and in the news during the 21st Century and often is referred to as "ageless."

Life Magazine, 14 October 1940. On the cover is actress/swimmer/model "Jinx" Falkenburg. While largely forgotten now, Jinx (after the war) helped create the modern celebrity chit-chat television show format. She became a long-time resident of Manhasset, Long Island, New York (where I am from, and thus I mention it). Along with her husband, Jinx was instrumental in building the North Shore University Hospital, one of the premier medical centers in the region. Jinx passed away in 2003 and has a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.

October 1940
October 2, 1940: Hitler's Polish Plans
October 3, 1940: British Cabinet Shakeup
October 4, 1940: Brenner Pass Meeting
October 5, 1940: Mussolini Alters Strategy
October 6, 1940: Iron Guard Marches
October 7, 1940: McCollum Memo
October 8, 1940: Germans in Romania
October 9, 1940: John Lennon Arrives
October 10, 1940: Führer-Sofortprogramm
October 11, 1940: E-Boats Attack!
October 12, 1940: Sealion Cancelled
October 13, 1940: New World Order
October 14, 1940: Balham Tragedy
October 15, 1940: Mussolini Targets Greece
October 16, 1940: Japanese Seek Oil
October 17, 1940: RAF Shakeup
October 18, 1940: Convoy SC-7 Catastrophe
October 19, 1940: Convoy HX-79 Catastrophe
October 20, 1940: Convoy OB-229 Disaster
October 21, 1940: This Evil Man Hitler
October 22, 1940: Aktion Wagner-Burckel
October 23, 1940: Hitler at Hendaye
October 24, 1940: Hitler and Petain
October 25, 1940: Petain Woos Churchill
October 26, 1940: Empress of Britain Attack
October 27, 1940: Greece Rejects Italian Demands
October 28, 1940: Oxi Day
October 29, 1940: US Draft Begins
October 30, 1940: RAF Area Bombing Authorized
October 31, 1940: End of Battle of Britain

2020