British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent a memorandum to the British Chiefs of Staff ordering that, “Our first line of defense against invasion must be as ever the enemy’s ports…”
Lord Lothian, British Ambassador to the U.S., provided U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a note concerning the facilities which the British were prepared to “extend to the United States Government…” in return for 50 to 60 old destroyers.
Britain today responded to the recent arrests of seven British subjects in Tokyo by detaining leading Japanese businessmen in London, Rangoon, Hong Kong and Singapore. Japan has protested at the arrests and the British ambassador, Sir Robert Craigie, has been summoned by Mr. Matsuoka, the Japanese Foreign Minister, who described the arrests as “unwarrantable”. Among the detainees is the manager of the London branch of Mitsubishi Trading. Seven officials of the Salvation Army in Japan have been arrested on espionage charges.
General Sir Archibald Wavell flies into Malta from his headquarters in Alexandria. Visits like this are extremely important for island morale. This is the first leg on an extremely hazardous journey to London for consultations, and of course, the entire thing is extremely hush-hush.
The United Kingdom and Poland signed a military agreement. Polish government-in-exile signs agreement with London for arming and equipping Polish forces. The British sign another set of agreements with the Polish government-in-exile. Already, the Poles have staffed two RAF Squadrons which to date are performing extremely well. There have been some agreements before, but the situation continues to evolve. General Sikorski, now Polish Prime Minister and Commander in Chief, signs the agreement. The agreement enables Polish military forces in England to retain their national identity and military customs, such as marches and salutes. They remain under Polish Command in conjunction with the British War Office – ultimately, of course, under British command. They wear British uniforms (with certain modifications to badges and insignia to reflect national traditions) but adopt British Army staff methods, procedures, and organizations. Many locals are taken aback by the presence of the foreign-speaking soldiers with weird badges.
Churchill and de Gaulle agreed on Free French forces organization.
The new French educational policy for girls will lay stress on child-care instead of Latin, home economics instead of higher mathematics, said the new French Minister of Youth and Family in an interview. France wants more and better-tended babies and more farmers, he indicated.
In Holland, butchers are arrested for violating a new law banning the kosher preparation of meat.
Mussolini and Hitler confer. Hitler and Mussolini have discussions. For once, Mussolini has something to brag about in British Somaliland.
OKW Chief of Staff Franz Halder reviews the first operational plans for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union planned for 1941. They have been prepared by staff officer General of Artillery Erich Marcks. It is called Operation Draft East. It proposes two thrusts to reach the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line (the “A-A Line”) during a summer campaign. This would require the capture of Leningrad, Kyiv, Moscow, Stalingrad, the occupation of all territory west of the Volga, and most of the industrialized areas of the USSR, the entire Donetz basin, and the Grozny/Maikop oil fields before the snows hit.
While first drafts are not expected to be perfect, the draft’s fantastic assumptions demonstrate the extreme confidence — over-confidence — of the Wehrmacht in its outlook following the victory in France. The fact that Marcks is not laughed out of Halder’s office, but instead has his draft taken seriously, speaks volumes. Having an artillery officer draft the plans, which will call for extravagant panzer thrusts and highly mobile operations just to occupy that amount of territory in that amount of time, much less pry it out of the hands of the Soviets, shows how unrealistic the entire planning process is.
Germany announced that all citizens will be required to carry a Certificate of Ancestry (Ahnenpass) that proves their Aryan purity dating back to 1800. Interesting, since several German leaders, including Adolf Hitler himself, might have some difficulty producing such documentation themselves.
Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. Latvia joins its fellow Baltic States in “voluntarily” becoming the Soviet Socialist Republic of Latvia.
Lieutenant General Bertoldi’s Italian troops captured Zeila, British Somaliland, on the Red Sea. The Italian invasion from Abyssinia continues against light opposition. Two of the three Italian columns capture their objectives, Hargeisa and Zeila, without much hindrance. The third column is approaching its objective, Odweina. Italian bombers are active throughout the region, attacking various British strong points on the coast such as Berbera, Burao, and Zeila. The British have virtually no air presence in the region.
The Battle of Britain: During the day a number of Luftwaffe shipping reconnaissance flights were conducted off the east and south east, although convoys in these areas were reported no attacks. Raids approached Dover but were driven off with losses. Activity during the night was only slight with minelaying operations appearing to be the main objective.
Weather: Fine, with light high cloud and much warmer.
Quite a number of enemy aircraft were patrolling the Channel in search of British shipping. 65 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires) engaged five Bf 109’s over the Channel off Dover during the early morning, as did 64 Squadron Kenley (Spitfires) who were pounced upon by Bf 109’s over the Channel off the French coast, while in the afternoon, 41 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires) and 151 Squadron North Weald (Hurricanes) engaged 30+ enemy aircraft over the Channel looking for any shipping that may become targets of opportunity. There were a few combat missions where both sides lost one aircraft each.
First thing in the morning, bombers attack shipping south of Selsey Bill. They have no success and wisely depart upon sighting RAF fighters.
Another formation of Junkers Ju 88s attacks the convoy about an hour later, around 08:00. The Spitfires of No. 65 Squadron based at Hornchurch intervene, and a dogfight erupts between them and Bf 109s of I,/JG54. The British lose a plane and the Luftwaffe has two damaged.
Another battle erupts around the same time along the coastline near Kent. RAF No. 64 Squadron sends its Spitfires up against more JG 54 fighters, both sides losing a fighter and another Bf 109 damaged.
The afternoon features the main event of the day. Junkers Ju 88s escorted by Bf 109s of JG 51 once again fall on Channel shipping. RAF Nos. 41 and 151 Squadrons intercept. A wild melee develops, with 7,/JG51 claiming three Spitfires for one loss of their own.
There also are various small-scale raids around Dungeness, with RAF No. 145 downing a Junkers Ju 88 and Henschel Hs 126, but also losing a Hurricane. Around 15:12, a lone raider bombs Norwich and causes more damage than you might think, blowing up a railroad installation and some nearby lumber yards. Lone intruders also hit various unconnected spots such as Brighton, Leighton Buzzard, Milford haven, Isle of Grain and Middlesborough. There also are some bombs dropped basically in the middle of nowhere around midnight in Northumberland, likely by a lost bomber or two. The attacks are random and scattered, thus difficult to defend against.
Another convoy attack takes place during the afternoon off Yarmouth. RAF No. 242 Squadron downs a bomber or two.
RAF Statistics for the day: 119 patrols were flown involving 447 aircraft. Luftwaffe casualties: Fighters – 4 confirmed, 2 unconfirmed; Bombers – none. RAF casualties: 1 Spitfire confirmed.
RAF Casualties:
0850 hrs. Folkestone. Spitfire L1029. 64 Squadron Kenley. (Aircraft lost)
Sgt L.R.Isaac. Missing. (Presumed shot down by Bf 109 over Channel. Failed to return to base)
1/JG51 suffers perhaps the most serious loss on its home field when Staffelkapitän Hptm. Douglas Pitcairn of 1/JG 51 runs into his wingman on takeoff. He has to be replaced by Oblt. Hermann-Friedrich Jöppien.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 9 Blenheims to Dutch airfields and on a sea sweep off Dieppe; no targets were bombed and no aircraft lost.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 85 Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys overnight to Hamburg, Kiel, Wilhelmshaven and Wismar, to Dutch airfields and to minelaying. No losses. During the night, British Hampden aircraft attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect.
Italian bombers conduct attacks on Aden.
Italian bombers attack Berbera, Burao, and Zeila on the Red Sea coast of British Somaliland.
On Malta, there is an air raid alert at 15:15, but it is only an Italian decoy mission to attempt to engage the new Hurricane fighters. They fly over the island for a while, then fly off after briefly tangling with one of two Hurricanes which rise to challenge them. The Italians may figure that the new pilots brought in on the 2nd via Operation Hurry are inexperienced and thus would be easier to dispose of now rather than after more time passes — a view shared by Malta’s Governor-General Dobbie.
U-56, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Otto Harms, sank British steamer Boma from convoy OB.193 in 55-44N, 08-04W. At 2138 hours, U-56 fired a spread of two torpedoes at the convoy OB.193 northwest of Malin Head and observed that one missed and the other detonated at the end of the run after 7 minutes 25 seconds. However, the Boma (Master Charles Eric Anders) was hit in this attack and sank the next day. Three crew members were lost. The master, 47 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the Vilja, transferred to HMS Viscount (D 92) (LtCdr M.S. Townsend, OBE, DSC, RN) and landed at Liverpool. The 5,408-ton Boma was carrying coal and was headed for Lagos, Nigeria.
Destroyers HMS Achates and HMS Firedrake patrolled in the area of Cape Wrath-North Rona-Butt of Lewis area after a submarine was reported in the area.
Destroyers HMS Ashanti and HMS Mashona proceeded to Lerwick to escort British steamer Lochnagar which departed Lerwick at 1705 for Aberdeen.
Due to heavy losses to shipping by submarine attacks, destroyers HMS Keppel and the A class destroyers were to be transferred to the Commander in Chief Western Approaches. A division of the J and K destroyers were to join the Nore Command.
Minesweeping trawler HMS River Clyde (276grt, Temporary Skipper J. Grant RNR) of Minesweeper Group 6 was sunk on a mine off Aldeburgh Light Float. Eleven ratings were killed and one died of wounds in the trawler. Skipper Grant was wounded.
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 U-boat 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.
HMS Hermes joined a South Africa-bound convoy in the South Atlantic.
German raider Atlantis transfers prisoners to prize vessel Tirrana which, having returned from Italian Somaliland, sails for France.
Convoy OA.194 departed Methil escorted by destroyer HMS Hesperus and sloop HMS Hastings.
Convoy FN.243 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th.
Convoy MT.131 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 5th.
Convoy FS.243 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops HMS Black Swan and HMS Hastings and patrol sloop HMS Kittiwake. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th.
In Washington today, the Senate debated the bill to authorize President Roosevelt to call the National Guard for a year’s training, received a favorable report from its Military Affairs Committee on a modified version of the Burke-Wadsworth military training bill, heard Senators Hatch and Minton charge the Republican party with intent to violate the spirit of the Hatch Act while Senators Vandenberg and Wiley defended their party, received supplemental estimates from the Budget Bureau authori zations and appropriations for the Navy Department, and recessed at 5:05 PM until noon tomorrow. An Appropriations subcommittee heard General George Marshall, Chief of Staff, testify that the current Army recruiting campaign was yielding better results.
The House received President Roosevelt’s request for supplemental appropriations amounting to $11,215,000, over-rode Presidential veto of a bill to grant to the States the right to intervene in certain cases impairing or abridging their powers, received the Vinson Bill to authorize $70,000,000 in naval housing, and adjourned at 4:59 PM until noon tomorrow. A judiciary subcommittee heard Representative Rich of Pennsylvania testify in favor of his bill to require owners, editors and publishers of newspapers to be citizens of the United States.
Legislation for compulsory military training of the nation’s youth finally received the approval today of the Senate Military Committee, whose chairman, Senator Sheppard of Texas, asserted on the Senate floor that he firmly believed Adolf Hitler intends to attack this country. Ready, after many delays and postponements, for consideration in the Senate proper, the measure awaited only the passage of a bill authorizing President Roosevelt to call out the National Guard and army reserve officers for intensive training. So deep is the feeling on the peace-time draft issue that although the Senate debated the National Guard bill throughout the day, the conscription question entered repeatedly into the discussion. A battle of unusual proportions obviously awaited it.
The American Federation of Labor announced today that it was opposed to compulsory military training until a time when such action became “necessary to defend, protect and preserve America.” In a statement by President William Green, the federation said that a voluntary enlistment program should be launched to create an army of a million and a half men. “In providing an adequate army for defensive purposes,” Green said, “”the American way should be followed first.”
Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh was bitterly denounced in the senate today by Senator Pepper, Florida Democrat, as “the chief of the fifth column in this country.” Pepper’s remarks were occasioned by the flier’s speech Sunday urging “cooperation” with Germany if Germany wins the war. Meanwhile, General John J. Pershing’s proposal that American destroyers be made available to Great Britain was denounced as a “direct step toward war” by Senator Wheeler, Montana Democrat, Chairman Pittman, Nevada Democrat, of the senate foreign relations committee, commenting on Pershing’s proposal, suggested the possibility of swapping destroyers for a few British battleships, which he said appeared to be of little practical use in North Sea battles. Pepper, rising in the senate toward the close of a day devoted to a discussion of conscription and related issues, said that “perhaps within a few hours, perhaps. in a few days, perhaps within a few months, the American people will have to decide whether they are going to follow the chief of the fifth column in this country, Colonel Lindbergh, or are going to follow General Pershing.”
The Budget Bureau, adding up pyramiding defense outlays, found today that pending appropriations and contract authorizations may push this Congress’ spending total above $20,000,000,000.
Wendell L. Willkie urged today a “decentralization of industry” and said that the return of a proportionate share of America’s industrial plants to smaller communities throughout the country was necessary for the building of an adequate national defense and industrial program. Willkie said today that widespread decentralization of industry was one answer to the country’s defense problem and then told a luncheon meeting that “candy stick government” in France had enabled Germany to crush that nation “like an eggshell.”
President Roosevelt and U.S. Attorney General Robert H. Jackson appear before the Governors of 42 States and urge the passage of laws against foreign spies and “Fifth Columnists.” President Roosevelt called upon Congress and the State Legislatures today to enact additional laws dealing with “subversive activities, seditious acts and those things which might slow up or break down our common defense program.” He made his appeal in a message sent from Hyde Park to a conference of Federal, State and local officials called here to consider this problem. The President emphasized, however, that the task of law enforcement against internal enemies was for trained officials and agents to handle and not for vigilantes or “fussy and malicious busybodies.” Mr. Roosevelt urged that there be “unity of spirit, unity of purpose and unity of action in approaching the practical means to a common end,” but said that the Federal government “must not and will not dictate to the States what procedure they should pursue.”
Plans for actuating further the country’s defense program occupied President Roosevelt today while he continued his holiday at Hyde Park house. He completed arrangements for an informal luncheon tomorrow for several of the chiefs of Latin-American delegations at the Havana conference and continued studies of inspection trips to strategic defense areas in New York which he hopes to visit later this week. Various unverified reports have him planning to visit both the western and eastern portions of New York. He may go first to the arsenal at Watervliet and then westward to Buffalo, where one of the largest airplane manufacturing establishments is located. Later it is possible that Mr. Roosevelt will go to New London, Connecticut, site of a submarine base and the Coast Guard Academy, and then to view the defenses of New York harbor.
President Roosevelt today nominated James V. Forrestal of New York to be undersecretary of the navy, a post created by the president under recently adopted legislation to reorganize the navy. Forrestal, former president of Dillion, Read & Co., has been serving as an executive assistant to Mr. Roosevelt.
Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade and French Vice Admiral Georges A.M.J. Robert concluded an agreement concerning the status of Vichy French warships and aircraft in the French West Indies. The ships in question were the aircraft carrier Bearn, light cruiser Emile Bertin, training cruiser Jeanne d’Arc and auxiliary cruisers Esterelle, Quercy, and Barfleur. Aircraft concerned were 44 SBC-4s, 15 Hawk 75s (an export version of USAAC P-36) and 6 Belgian Brewster fighters (an export version of USN F2A).
Senator Pittman of Nevada, chairman of the important Foreign Relations Committee, suggested a trade of United States destroyers for British battleships as a solution to the questions of law and self-defense involved in the proposed outright sale of fifty over-age destroyers to help Britain arm for the expected invasion.
The U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations established the general ground rules to govern the exchange of scientific and technical information with the British mission under Sir Henry Tizard. The arrival of the Tizard Mission began the Anglo-American effort to jointly develop a wide range of weapons, sensors, and the technical equipment during the war.
Imperial Airways flying boat Clare makes the first of a series of mail/courier flights from Great Britain to New York’s La Guardia Field aka New York Municipal Airport via Newfoundland.
Major League Baseball:
Ernie Bonham, the husky right-hander recently recalled from Kansas City to bolster a crippled Yankee pitching staff, made his debut with the tottering champions at Fenway Park today without discredit to himself, though the Yankees swallowed their third straight defeat, losing to the Red Sox, 4–1. Jimmy Foxx had the biggest hit for Boston, a two-run homer.
Mel Harder, veteran Cleveland right-hander, went the full distance today for the first time this season, pitching a five-hit, 10-to-1 victory over the White Sox in the opener of a four- game series. The Chicago run came on Mike Kreevich’s homer inside the park beyond Center Fielder Roy Weatherly in the third inning. Harder, who never reaches top form until mid-season, now has won seven games and lost seven.
St. Louis Brown’s pitcher John Whitehead no-hits the Detroit Tigers, 4-0 in 5 ½ innings, in the rain shortened nightcap of a doubleheader. Whitehead allowed just two runners, ona walk and an error. Neither reached second base. Schoolboy Rowe and the Tigers easily won the opener in a 9–2 rout. Rowe (10–2) limited the Browns to six hits.
The superb pitching of John Whitlow Wyatt and the hitting of Dixie Walker were insurmountable obstacles for the Giants as they and the Dodgers wrote a new page in their historic rivalry under the lights at Ebbets Field last night. The Dodgers won, 6–0, as Wyatt blanked New York on six hits. Walker banged out four hits, including a double, and scored three times.
New York Yankees 1, Boston Red Sox 4
New York Giants 0, Brooklyn Dodgers 6
Cleveland Indians 10, Chicago White Sox 1
Detroit Tigers 9, St. Louis Browns 2
Detroit Tigers 0, St. Louis Browns 4
Mayor Camillien Houde of Montreal has been taken into custody under the war measures act, it was announced early today by Superintendent H. R. Gagnon of the Royal Canadian mounted police. Opposition Leader R. B. Hanson had charged in the House of Commons on Saturday that Houde had “openly defied the law of Canada” by urging the public to disregard national registration August 19-21. Gagnon said this morning: “Mr. Houde has already left for an internment camp. He was taken into custody shortly after 11 o’clock last night in a joint action of the provincial police and the Royal Canadian mounted police.” The arrest came three days after the mayor issued an initialed statement to Montreal newspapermen, expressing opposition to the compulsory registration program. Police said that since this statement, in which they said the mayor advised “the population” not to register, they had kept him under constant watch.
The U.S. Navy heavy cruisers USS Wichita (CA-45), under command of Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens, and USS Quincy (CA-39) departed Bahia for Pernambuco, Brazil. These ships were visiting South America “to furnish a reminder of the strength and the range of action of the armed forces of the United States.”
Satoru Makihara, one of the two Japanese businessmen arrested Friday night, has been released from Brixton Prison and has returned to his London house. With the release of one of the two prominent Japanese arrested last week in London, there was hope that Japanese-British relations might improve. That view was expressed in Japanese circles there. In Tokyo, however, there were hints of further drastic steps unless Britain did a complete about-face on her round-up of Japanese personages. Some of the press even urged a declaration of war.
A local settlement has been reached in Soochow, forty-five miles west of Shanghai, between Japanese Army authorities and the wife of an American missionary who last week was reported slapped and manhandled by a Japanese sentry.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 126.44 (+0.08)
Born:
Roman Gabriel, College Football and NFL quarterback (College Hall of Fame, NC State Univ.; NFL MVP, 1969; Pro Bowl, 1967-1969, 1973; Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles), in Wilmington, North Carolina (d. 2024).
Wendell Hayes, NFL and AFL fullback and halfback (Super Bowl IV and AFL Champions-Chiefs, 1969; Dallas Cowboys; Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs), in Dallas, Texas (d. 2019).
Bill Pashe, AFL defensive back (New York Jets), in New York, New York.
Died:
Frederick Cook, 75, American explorer, claimed to have 1st discovered North Pole.
Naval Construction:
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-208 is laid down by F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 637).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-760 is laid down by Kriegsmarinewerft (KMW), Wilhelmshaven (werk 143).
The Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette HMCS Sherbrooke (K 152) is laid down by Marine Industries Ltd. (Sorel, Quebec, Canada).
The Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette HMCS Lethbridge (K 160) is laid down by Canadian Vickers Ltd. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada).
The Royal Navy Black Swan-class sloop HMS Erne (U 03) is launched by Furness Shipbuilding Ltd. (Haverton Hill-on-Tees, U.K.); completed by Richardson Westgarth.
The Royal Navy British Power Boat 70-foot-class motor anti-submarine boat HMS MA/SB 56 is commissioned.
The U.S. Navy Dixie-class destroyer tender USS Prairie (AD-15) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Commander John Beresford Wynn Waller, USN.
History Diaries 