The question of food for conquered and blockaded Europe assumed increasing importance. Former President Hoover revealed that the relief organization he heads was negotiating with Britain and Germany for permission to send American supplies to the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Norway. Unless permission is given, he said, 18,000,000 persons in those countries face starvation this Winter. London, relying on its blockade to help defeat the Nazis, was reported lukewarm to the proposal.
The Nazis themselves launched a propaganda campaign to place the onus of any food shortage in conquered territory on the British. A German radio broadcaster said Germany had “no obligation, neither moral nor legal,” to feed the peoples of countries she had conquered.
Rudolf Hess, Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s deputy for Nazi party affairs, declared tonight that the German nation was convinced that “the moment now is at hand to break Britain’s power, even to the ruination of the entire empire.”
German occupation government in Luxembourg deemed the French language illegal; the German occupation government in Belgium declared that listening to BBC broadcasts was illegal.
Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach becomes Gauleiter of Vienna.
Artur Axmann becomes leader of Hitler Youth.
Vichy announces 200 French pilots have volunteered to join the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Hermann Göring brushes off the offer and states that the Luftwaffe does not need them.
Hans-Joachim Marseille was assigned to I. (Jagd) Lehrgeschwader 2 based in Marck on the northern coast of France.
The first Free Belgian Brigade — Unite Combattante Belge — is formed in England. It begins with 100 members.
Rumania passes more laws targeting Jews, such as a ban on marriages between faiths and banned from attending state schools. This is part of the government’s continuing effort to ingratiate itself with the German government in Germany.
The Italian Naval Staff issued its first operational order of WW2 for a September 1940 mission against Alexandria, Egypt and an October 1940 mission against Gibraltar.
The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Thunderbolt”) prototype MM.445 makes its first flight. It is an advanced “second generation” design by top designer Mario Castoldi and a sign of life in the faltering Regia Aeronautica. The airframe is comparable in quality to that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and the addition of a Daimler Benz DB 601Aa engine makes it competitive with any fighter in the world. In retrospect, the Thunderbolt is considered Italy’s best and most effective fighter and makes a definite impact on the war in Italy.
The government of Malta plans to set up underground chambers as food storehouses to maintain a six-month supply of food. Empty oil tanks also are to be used.
Whitehall makes the difficult but farsighted decision to ship tanks to the Middle East. Prime Minister Churchill authorizes the transfer despite the continuing threat of invasion.
Vichy French Syria closes its border to British troops. France retains an army and two airfields in the country. The British are concerned that the French will open Syria and Lebanon up to German forces for an invasion of Palestine and, eventually, Egypt and maybe eventually Iraq.
Major General A.R. Godwin-Austen arrives at Berbera, British Somaliland, to assume command of British forces. 2nd Black Watch moves into the line at Tug Argan.
Luftwaffe strength available for attack on Britain is 3,258 combat aircraft, of which about 2,550 are operational. That includes 805 Bf 109s and 224 Bf 110s.
A tentative date for Operation Adlerangriff, or “Eagle Attack,” is set for 13 August. The exact start date depends upon the weather forecast. Poor weather prevents a start to the operation today, 10 August 1040, and releases the pilots to do other things, such as go to the movies and out to dinner.
The Battle of Britain: There was little activity during the day as Luftwaffe aircraft searched for shipping. Eight raids — presumably minelaying — were plotted at night.
Bad weather continued to postpone operations by both sides in the Battle of Britain.
Hermann Göring’s Adler Tag offensive against RAF airfields was postponed due to the weather; only reconnaissance patrols and small attacks on isolated trawlers and merchant ships were launched.
The Luftwaffe raids shipping off Swanage and Beachy Head in the morning, then west of Pembroke. The RAF intercepts the attacks and shoots down a Dornier Do 17.
Later in the morning, the Luftwaffe attacks airfields at West Malling, injuring 10 people. RAF No. 501 Squadron chases the bombers but does not make contact.
Around midnight, II,/KG 27 bombers fly over British ports from Bristol to South Wales, dropping bombs and leaflets. The bombs hit the railway viaduct near Swansea, killing four.
The Luftwaffe damages British freighter Blairclova and Haulerwijk about 20 miles northeast of Holyhead in the Irish Sea.
The Luftwaffe sinks 929-ton freighter Varia about 60 miles southeast of Fastnet in the southwest approaches. There are seven deaths.
No aircraft were lost by either side on this day.
RAF Statistics for the day: 116 patrols were flown involving 354 aircraft. Luftwaffe casualties: None. RAF casualties: None.
RAF Casualties:
None today.
RAF Bomber Command dispatched 22 Blenheims against airfields during the day but only 8 bombed, 2 lost. 6 Blenheims on sea sweep.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 57 Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys to attack nine targets in Germany overnight. 1 Hampden lost. 3 O.T.U. sorties. One of the targets raided on this night was Hamburg, whose local historian, Hans Brunswig, notes that the first R.A.F. 250-lb petrol bombs were recorded at approximately this time. They were described as being packed with petrol-soaked rags — ‘Churchill’s old socks’ suggest the Hamburg humorists.
It is another quiet day in Malta. The only enemy plane spotted is an Italian flying boat well south of the island, perhaps patrolling for submarines. Malta has experienced an extended period without attacks, so the dockyard is returning to somewhat normal conditions. The RAF on the island conducts photo reconnaissance over the Sciacca and Gela airfields on Sicily.
Armed merchant cruiser HMS Transylvania (Captain F. N. Miles Rtd), which departed the Clyde on the 9th, was sunk by U-56, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Otto Harms, west of Ireland in 55-50, 08-03W. At 0100 hours, HMS Transylvania (F 56) (Capt F.N. Miles, OBE, Rtd, RN) was hit aft of the stack by one G7e torpedo from U-56 about 40 miles northwest of Malin Head, Co. Donegal. The ship of the 10th Cruiser Squadron on Northern Patrol had been spotted by the U-boat only 15 minutes before and the Germans had to left her behind because they had no torpedoes left. The disabled vessel was taken in tow but later foundered, while nearby trawlers rescued about 300 officers and ratings assisted by HMS Ashanti (F 51) (Cdr W.G. Davis, RN). Temporary Lt Cdr J. A. Lefevre RNR, Lt (E) R. W. Calderwood RNR, Gunner H. H. Buckley Rtd and thirty two ratings were lost on the armed merchant cruiser.
At 0215, destroyer HMS Ashanti, on passage to the Clyde, was ordered to assist the armed merchant cruiser. Destroyers HMS Havelock and HMS Fortune were ordered to assist HMS Transylvania. Destroyer HMS Hambledon put to sea escorting tugs Salvonia and Englishman to assist the armed merchant cruiser, but this was cancelled when it was found she was found beyond salving. Destroyers HMS Havelock, HMS Fortune, HMS Ashanti, HMS Achates, and HMS Anthony conducted an anti-submarine search for the submarine responsible. Destroyers Ashanti, Fortune, Achates, Anthony, and Havelock proceeded to Greenock after the anti-submarine patrol and arrived at 1915 on the 10th.
Destroyers HMS Cossack, HMS Sikh, HMS Maori, and HMS Duncan departed Scapa Flow at 0830 to join convoy OA.196 which was escorted by sloop HMS Rochester and corvette HMS Primrose. The destroyers stayed with the convoy as far as Cape Wrath, then proceeded to Loch Alsh for minelaying operation SN.13.
Allied convoy OA.196’s Dutch ship Albula and American ship Crescent City collided just north of Scotland. Destroyers HMS Jaguar and HMS Cattistock were to join convoy HX.61 from Cape Wrath to Pentland Firth, but were unable to do so. Convoy HX.61 was delayed by a full northerly gale in the Minches. Destroyer Jaguar rescued the crew of British steamer Albula (329grt) of convoy OA.196. The steamer had been abandoned in a sinking condition after a collision in 58-38N, 4-35. 5W. Destroyer Cattistock was unable to make headway against seas experienced to the westward of Pentland Firth. Destroyers Jaguar and Cattistock arrived at Scapa Flow at 0900/11th.
Destroyer HMS Arrow departed Scapa Flow at 2200 to return to the Western Approaches Command.
S/Lt F. Combes RNR, was lost overboard from Destroyer HMS Anthony at sea.
British Hunt destroyer HMS Holderness was completed. Destroyer Holderness arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th for working up at Scapa Flow in the 23rd Destroyer Division. She departed on 2 September for duty in the Nore with the 21st Destroyer Flotilla.
British steamers City Of Dundee (5273grt) and City Of Brisbane (8006grt) in convoy FS.247 were lost when grounded near Southend in 51-32-30N, 1-23-30E.
Swedish steamer Varia (929grt) was sunk by German bombing sixty miles southeast of Fastnet. Seven crewmen were missing on the Swedish steamer.
British steamer Blairclova (5083grt) was damaged by German bombing twenty miles north, northeast of Holyhead.
Dutch steamer Haulerwijk (3278grt) was damaged by German bombing in 51-54N, 05-45W.
British drifter Young Sid (100grt) was sunk in a collision in Moray Firth with a collier.
Danish steamer Kirsten (1196grt) was sunk on a mine off the Danish coast.
British troopship Neuralia with evacuees from Gibraltar sailed for Madeira, escorted locally by destroyer HMS Gallant.
German armed merchant cruiser Widder sank Finnish barque Killoran (1817grt) south, southwest of the Azores in the Central Atlantic, in 32-30N, 34W. 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. The Finnish crew was returned to Abo. Three Argentines were returned to Argentina. Some of the crewmen were interned.
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.
Convoy FN.248 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Woolston and sloop HMS Fleetwood. Patrol sloop HMS Pintail joined on 11 and was detached later that day. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 12th.
Convoy MT.136 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.248 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyer HMS Wolsey and sloop HMS Egret. Patrol sloop HMS Pintail joined on the 11th and was detached on the 12th.
Convoy BN.3 departed Bombay carrying the troops brought to India in convoy WS.1. Troopships Talmaba (8018grt), Takliwa (7936grt), Devonshire (11,275grt), Dilwara (11,080grt), Lancashire (9557grt), Khedive Ismael (7290grt), Rajula (8478grt), and Rohna (8602grt) comprised the convoy. Armed merchant cruisers HMS Ranchi and HMS Antenor escorted the convoy from 10 to 15 August. Light cruiser HMS Leander escorted the convoy from 15 to 21 August. Sloop HMIS Hindustan escorted the convoy from 16 to 17 August. At Aden, destroyers HMS Kingston and HMS Kimberley and sloop HMAS Parramatta joined the convoy and continued with it until 21 August. On the 21st, sloops HMS Grimsby and HMS Clive joined the convoy and continued with it until arriving at Suez on the 23rd.
A challenge to Burke-Wadsworth compulsory military training bill supporters to submit conscription to a referendum vote of the people was voiced today by Senator Wheeler, Montana Democrat, a leader of senate forces opposing the measure. Contending popular sentiment definitely was against drafting young men into the army, Wheeler said those who believed in the compulsory method ought to be willing to test the popularity of their views at the polls in the November general election. “If proponents of conscription feel it is necessary to have the draft to save democracy, as they repeatedly have said, they ought to be willing to submit the question to the people, because that would be the democratic way to ascertain the public viewpoint,” Wheeler told reporters. Senator Nye, North Dakota Republican, an opponent of conscription, said he thought the senate debate would build up so much popular opposition to the draft that even if he and others of like views were unsuccessful in defeating the measure in the senate, it would almost certainly be compromised in the house.
The compulsory military training principle would sweep to victory in every State in the Union if the voters went to the polls tomorrow to settle the question in a national referendum, a State-by-State survey by the American Institute of Public Opinion has revealed, according to Dr. George Gallup, its director. The referendum currentnly has about 66% support nationally.
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. The country is really getting into its stride on the $10,000,000,000 defense program, President Roosevelt said tonight at the end of a day devoted to inspections of the Boston and Portsmouth Navy Yards and a visit to the Army Arsenal at Watertown, a suburb of Boston. The President expressed the hope that the arms manufacturing plants of the nation would be operating at full capacity by late Fall. Today’s tour by the President, carried out by train, boat and motor, covered half of a travel program which brought him into this New England Democratic stronghold for the first time since he was nominated for a third term, and which will end when he returns to Washington Tuesday.
As he completed the day’s inspections, correspondents asked the President if he was satisfied with what he had observed on his visits to the defense projects. “Very much, very much,” Mr. Roosevelt replied. “Things are going along awfully well. I’m very well pleased with all I saw today, and it shows we are really getting into our stride. “I hope by late Fall all the Navy yards and Army arsenals will be at full production. The cheapest way of producing war materials is to run at full production.”
U.S. Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg John Cudahy was recalled from his post for “consultation”. The Daily Mail quoted him as saying, “I do not retract one word from what I said.” Cudahy has stirred up a hornet’s nest the past few days with his observation that civilians in the Low Countries are going hungry due to the British blockade and his prescription that humanitarian aid should be allowed through the British blockade. Today, he is recalled to Washington. He stands by what he has said. Cudahy is of course right — but at the wrong time. Nazi Germany’s destruction is the greater good.
In Washington it was revealed that the British, with the aid of the National Advisory Defense Commission, were making plans to spend about $200,000,000 in the United States for 4,000 tanks. Construction of the tanks would be coordinated with the United States defense program: It was also disclosed that negotiations were in progress for construction by the Chrysler Corporation of a $16,000,000 tank factory. At the end of the year it would be turning out five tanks a day.
Two more consular “listening posts,” in addition to those opened in Greenland and Iceland since the start of the war, are to be established, the State Department announced. One will be at Dakar, nearest point in Africa to South America, and the other on the French island of St. PierreMiquelon, off Canada. They are on possible invasion routes to the Americas.
The salesmanship ability that made James A. Farley the Democratic Party’s master politician the past eight years landed him a job today as chief promoter of Coca-Cola sales abroad. He will take “at least a month’s rest” after his retirement this month as Democratic national chairman and postmaster-general, and then will become chairman of the Coca-Cola Export Corp. A company spokesman here and a close friend of Farley in New York said the appointment would not interfere with “Genial Jim’s” negotiations to buy the New York Yankees American league baseball club.
For the first time since his arrival in Colorado Springs on July 9 for a “vacation,” Wendell L. Willkie took a day off from engagements, interviews with visitors and press conferences and remained closeted in his hotel suite putting the finishing touches on the acceptance speech which he will deliver at Elwood, Indiana, next Saturday.
Sidney Hillman, labor coordinator of the National Defense Advisory Commission and vice president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, has rejected a protest by John L. Lewis, C.I.O. president, against the exclusion of the United Electrical, Radio and and Machine Workers of America, C.I.O., from Mr. Hillman’s labor policy advisory committee. Mr. Lewis sent his protest after being informed by James J. Matles, national director of organization for the C.I.O. electrical union, that it had been denied representation because of Mr. Hillman’s belief that the union was “tinged with ‘Red’” and that it had not taken. steps to “square” itself politically. Replying to Mr. Lewis’s demand that considerations of “political nonconformity” be kept out of the defense program, Mr. Hillman declared that the sole factor involved in the designation of sixteen A.F. of L., C.I.O. and railroad union leaders for membership in the labor advisory committee was the degree to which they could contribute to the task of national defense and assist Mr. Hillman in the discharge of his duties at Washington.
Sidney Hillman, employment director of the National Defense Commission, said today that an arbitration proposal which he had submitted to avert a threatened strike of Boeing aircraft mechanics had been accepted. The strike had been scheduled for midnight tonight.
Evacuation of some 5,000 flood refugees in box cars to near-by Lafayette from the inundated Southwest Louisiana “rice bowl” city of Crowley was underway tonight.
The sovereignty of Miss Alice Marble on the tennis courts, unassailable for three years, reached the absolute today as the blonde Californian administered a crushing defeat to Miss Helen Jacobs of Berkeley, California, former British and American champion, in the final round of the Eastern turf court tournament at the Westchester Country Club.
Major League Baseball:
One more of his famous home-run pitches by Luke (Hot Potato) Hamlin in the sixth inning abruptly halted the Dodgers’ purported pennant drive today, gave the Bees a 4–3 triumph and again dropped the Dodgers six games behind the National League-leading Reds. Hamlin, replacing Lee Grissom with the bases filled, none out and the Dodgers leading, 2–0, in the sixth, pitched only two balls to Chet Ross, Boston left-fielder. Ross dynamited the second over the left-field barrier of the park into the railroad yards and trotted around the bases behind Johnny Cooney, Bami Rowell and Max West while the Boston ladies’ day crowd of 7,284 shrieked its delight at the Dodger disaster.
Harry Gumbert hurled a five-hitter today as the Giants blanked the Phillies, 1–0. Gumbert also doubled and scored the game’s only run. Si Johnson took the loss, despite pitching a five-hit game himself.
With his high, hard one and snapping curve working like a charm, Whitey Moore today pitched the Reds to their third straight victory, a four-hit, 5–0 whitewash of the Cardinals. Frank McCormick hit his 15th homer of the season for the Reds.
Southpaw Vern Olsen held the Pirates to seven scattered hits today and the Cubs capitalized on Dominic Dallessandro’s fourth-inning triple to win, 1–0, and break Pittsburgh’s eight-game winning streak.
The Tigers stretched their American League lead to one game today with a 5–2 victory over the White Sox in a contest cut to five innings by rain before 17,247 spectators at Comiskey Park. Schoolboy Rowe won his 11th game against two losses. The second game of their doubleheader was rained out.
The Yankees crushed the Athletics, 13–0. The Yankees pounded Philadelphia pitchers Nelson Potter, Chubby Dean and Bill Beckman for five homers, four doubles and four singles, while the freshman of the champions’ pitching staff, Ernie (Tiny) Bonham, spun his first major league victory, a neat five- hitter in which he never really was threatened. They were the Yankees of old. Charley Keller, Joe Gordon and Red Robert Rolfe hit homers with none on, Babe Dahlgren and Joe DiMaggio each hit one with a mate aboard. Rolfe also contributed a double, as did DiMaggio. Tommy Henrich smacked two doubles.
Earl Johnson, rookie left-hander from the Piedmont League, checked the Senators today while the Red Sox made the most of five hits off Ken Chase and Walter Masterson to deal Washington a 3–0 defeat.
The doubleheader between the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Browns was rained out in St. Louis.
Brooklyn Dodgers 3, Boston Bees 4
Detroit Tigers 5, Chicago White Sox 2
St. Louis Cardinals 0, Cincinnati Reds 5
Philadelphia Athletics 0, New York Yankees 13
New York Giants 1, Philadelphia Phillies 0
Chicago Cubs 1, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Boston Red Sox 3, Washington Senators 0
The police today discovered a clandestine broadcasting station in the center of Mexico City allegedly engaged in “subversive” propaganda and attempting to induce the people to rise in arms against the government in favor of General Juan Andreu Almazan, Opposition candidate in the recent Presidential election.
Argentina announced that an investigation of Nazi activity there had resulted in an order of deportation against a Gestapo agent, the arrest of twenty-five Nazi party leaders and the unearthing of large stocks of machine guns, rifles and ammunition. The government is cooperating with Paraguayan officials to discover whether other arms have been smuggled across the border and concealed in Paraguay.
The U.S. Navy destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Japanese naval blockade of China was expanded to cover southern China.
Domei, Japanese news agency, reported today that numerous anti-British posters had been placed on the walls of Tokyo last night by nationalist groups calling for an “attack on England” and for Japan to “make use of the entire strength of our nation.”
A demand that the British defense sector in Shanghai be transferred to Japanese control to meet “the actual situation” created by British troop withdrawals was voiced today by the newspaper Tairuku Shimpo, regarded as the mouthpiece of the Japanese army in China. It said Britain had been forced to make “sweeping changes in her Far Eastern policy.”
A Japanese newspaper dispatch today accused a United States consul of taking undue interest in negotiations between Japanese Army men and officials of French Indo-China and said he was “clearly active for the purpose of sprinkling cold water on Japan-Indo-China negotiations.”
Former French Indo-China Governor General Catroux departs for Singapore and Europe.
German raider Orion detected the ship Triona off Brisbane, Australia but determined that she was not fast enough to attack this ship.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 126.99 (+0.59)
Born:
Bobby Hatfield, singer and one-half of the Righteous Brothers (“Unchained Melody”, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”), in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (d. 2003).
Michael “Tunes” Antunes, American rock and blues saxophonist (John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band), and actor (Eddie And The Cruisers), in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Barbara Mills, British barrister (first female Director of Public Prosecutions), in Chorleywood, England, United Kingdom (d. 2011).
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawler HMS Balta (T 50) is laid down by Cook, Welton & Gemmill (Beverley, U.K.); completed by Holmes.
The Royal Navy “S”-class (Third Group) submarine HMS P-222 is laid down by Vickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-132 is laid down by Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack (werk 11).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-655 is laid down by Howaldtswerke Hamburg AG, Hamburg (werk 804).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IID U-boat U-143 is launched by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 272).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Lismore (J 145) is launched by Morts Dock (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Spikenard (K 198) is launched by the Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd. (Lauzon, Quebec, Canada). She is transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy before completion as commissions as the HMCS Spikenard (K 198).
The Royal Navy British Power Boat 70-foot-class motor anti-submarine boat HMS MA/SB 12 is commissioned.
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-94 is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch.
The Royal Navy Hunt-class (Type I) escort destroyer HMS Holderness (L 48) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Douglas Eric Holland-Martin, RN.
History Diaries 