THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: SITUATION
The weather in Britain from this day through August 23 was wet with plenty of low cloud, causing a drop in the frequency of air raids. British ground crews took advantage of the lull in the fighting to repair damaged planes and airfields while Hermann Göring fumed at the loss of time.
Overall, at this stage of the battle, rainy and cloudy weather favors the British, as they are furiously repairing airfields and sorting out units for better defense against the rabid Luftwaffe attacks. The German aircrew along the French coast, on the other hand, get to reflect all day upon all the fine pilots, friends and leaders lost recently in a futile attempt to achieve a big fat nothing which has no lasting effect.
The first phase of the battle was now over and that Fighter Command had more than held its own. A total of 363 German aircraft had been shot down and destroyed between August 8th and the 18th, compared with 211 British fighter aircraft. This comprised of 181 in the air and a further 30 on the ground. Two important German decisions had also been made during this period. They had learnt from their mistake on daylight attacks across the North Sea where the distance was too great for German bombers to have a fighter escort, therefore daylight missions from Luftflotte 5 were withdrawn. They also realized that the ‘Stuka’ Ju 87 dive bomber, although inflicting considerable damage to the British defenses, was also easy prey for the Spitfires and the Hurricanes of Fighter Command. Ju 87 casualties were high and were costing the Luftwaffe dearly. Regular missions by the Luftflotte 2 Ju 87 squadrons were also withdrawn.
But although it did appear that Fighter Command was more than holding its own on these figures, there was still some concern at the Air Ministry.
“…….I do consider that these latest figures are a means of encouragement, but I feel compelled to look at the long term forecast. In a month’s time, how many pilots and aircraft will I have at my disposal?”
- Air Chief Marshal Dowding to the War Cabinet
In that same ten day period Aug 8th – Aug 18th, with total losses at 211 aircraft, the figure that had been presented to Dowding indicated that aircraft replacements between those dates was only 171, they had lost 40 more aircraft than had been produced. Another important factor was that again during this first phase of the battle, Fighter Command had lost 154 pilots, many of them experienced, while the number of pilots that had come out of the RAF training schools numbered only 65, and all of these had never experienced combat experience before, so they were far less skilled than the pilots that they were replacing. This was a slightly different picture to that of only three months prior.
“The Cabinet were distressed to hear from you that you were now running short of pilots for fighters, and they now had become the limiting factor……Lord Beaverbrook has made a surprising improvement in the supply and repair of aeroplanes, and in clearing up the muddle and scandal of the aircraft production branch, I greatly hope that you will, be able to do as much on the personnel side, for it will indeed be lamentable for if we have machines standing idle for want of pilots to fly them”
- Winston Churchill to the Secretary of State for Air June 3rd 1940
“I was worried daily from July to September by a chronic shortage of trained fighter pilots and it was not until the battle was nearly lost that Air Staff of the Air Ministry assisted by borrowing pilots from Bomber Command and from the Royal Navy. Incidentally, in December 1940 when I was posted to Flying Training Command, I found that the flying schools were working at only two-thirds capacity and were following peacetime routines being quite unaware of the grave shortage of pilots in Fighter Command………”
- Air Vice Marshal Keith Park 11 Group relating to the battle and quoted in Paris 1965
“I was absolutely convinced that people [of] my age hadn’t the faintest idea, not a bloody clue, what was going on. It was just beer, women and Spitfires, a bunch of little John Waynes running about the place. When you were nineteen, you couldn’t give a monkey’s…..”
- Paddy Barthropp, Life and Times of W/C Patrick Barthropp, DFC, AFC 1986
But what went on behind the scenes was of no importance to the people of Britain. They carefully studied the newspapers every day and listened to the radio for the ‘latest score’, almost as if the battle was a football match. The media of the day always seemed to inflate the latest result. The British were always winning. But then they had to, for the press was conducting a propaganda war against its own people in an effort to maintain morale.
THE CONFERENCES
By this time, Fighter Command as well as the Luftwaffe was looking into the reasons as to why very little progress was being made, things now seemed at a stalemate. Both sides called important meetings and conferences as they entered the next phase of the battle. Air Chief Marshal Keith Park told a staff group conference of 11 Group that utmost priority must be given to the defence of the airfields. He informed the meeting that Sector Airfields were under continuous attack and that he had no doubt the Luftwaffe would continue to bomb them especially those in his group which are still the main threat to the German Air Force. He made it quite clear that we must avoid airfields from the devastating attacks like the ones on Kenley and Biggin Hill of the last few days. He pointed out to the conference that ‘….now Göring knows that he can penetrate our inland airfields, there will be no stopping him from continuing.’
Air Vice Marshal Leigh-Mallory still insisted that more use should be made of the ‘big wing’ theory, and Leigh-Mallory was now gaining more supporters of this. But Park still stood firm, stating that a statement of figures had been placed before them regarding the losses and replacements, and that he would still object to the ‘big wing’ theory;
“…..but we are at moment in no position to implement it anyway”.
- AVM Keith Park to the August 19th Conference
Park at this time still had the support of Dowding who agreed that the area 11 and 10 Groups had to cover on the south coast was too great for a ‘big wing’ to be successful at this time. The idea of sending anything up to five squadrons to attack the same formation, would be nothing short of catastrophic, remarked Dowding, his thinking was that the more planes you sent into battle, meant that the possibility of losing more pilots would be greater than ever. Fighter Command could not afford to lose more pilots than absolutely necessary.
Keith Park also brought to the notice of the meeting that he had become aware that many pilots were still chasing the 109 escorts, probably because of the thrill of high speed combat and inexperience. But he went on to add, that now that the Luftwaffe were now concentrating more on bombing missions, that it is imperative that these bombers must be regarded as priority targets. He went on to add that the escorts had only limited fuel once over English soil, and that they would have to return back to their bases, but the bombers had a far greater range, and not only that, could cause far greater destruction. So the order was to be given, “Prime targets are the bomber formations and that fighter to fighter combat must be avoided if such bomber formations are present”. Dowding also agreed to Parks request that immediate assistance be given to 11 Group by 10 and 12 Groups when requested.
When the pilots heard of the order that attacks be given to the German bombers instead of the fighter escorts, they were far from happy about this. The tactic of selected squadrons attacking the escorts above while other squadrons attacked the bombers was working and was far easier to control because the combat would be broken into two different combat actions. If greater priority was given to the bombers, then:
a/. they could be jumped upon by the escorts while concentrating on the bombers, and
b/. if all squadrons were to make attacks on the bombers as first priority, then the escorts would have to come down to the same altitude as the bombers and the task would be made even more difficult, and
c/. if this method was to continue, the the German bomber crews would demand even bigger escorts.
‘The tremendous odds faced by the pilots of the 11 Group squadrons gave rise to criticism of Air Vice Marshal Park’s tactics. I am in a position to comment at first hand on one aspect of these, and that was the policy of using selected Spitfire squadrons to draw off the enemy escort fighters, thus enabling the remaining squadrons, and this included the 12 Group Hurricanes, to concentrate more effectively on the bombers. Though this decision means a much tougher and unrewarding job for the Hornchurch Spitfire squadrons, I do not recall a single pilot saying other than he thought it an excellent idea. I strongly support this view, and on numerous occasions witnessed the rewards reaped when enemy bombers, shorn of the majority of their escort, were set upon by the defending Hurricanes which, excellent as they were, could not have coped so effectively without the intervention of the Spitfires.”
Flight Lieutenant Alan Deere 54 Squadron
But it was not only Fighter Command that was indulging in important conferences. Across the Channel, Göring realizing that at the moment his Luftwaffe was not gaining the upper hand against the RAF was holding an important conference with his commanders at Karinhall also. It was from this meeting, that a number of important changes to strategy would be made.
First, he confirmed that the Ju 87 and the StG Staffels would cease front line operations against British targets and that only two Staffeln would be maintained. This would be for reasons that some operations may require the services of the Ju 87 for pin-point bombing accuracy that only the Stuka could be used to greatest effect. They would also be used for attacks on any British merchant convoy that would be passing through the Channel.
Another instruction was that because RAF Bomber Command could possibly engage in counter attacks on German airfields and towns, he instructed his Air Fleet Commanders to make continued attacks on airfields of Bomber Command.
One of the orders to come out of this meeting angered many Bf 109 commanders. Göring instructed that on Bf 110 missions, they must be escorted by Bf 109 fighters. This almost seems a laughable situation having fighter aircraft escort fighter aircraft, and not only that, his order was that the Bf 109s should fly in close escort. An order that only goes to show how out of touch Göring was with modern day air warfare.
One of the limitations of the Bf 109 was that it was limited in range. For this reason all of Air Fleet 3s Bf 109 fighters were moved to various airfields in the region of Pas-de-Calais, bringing them under the command of Kesselring, but this would then provide them with greater limits and allow them to stay over England for a longer period of time.
Another decision made by Göring, was that fighter crews be given the chance to ‘get to know’ the bomber crews that they were to escort. They should meet, build up friendships, and work together like brothers. This was further highlighted when the commander stated that all bomber crews should always have the same escorts. A view that was not received with the same enthusiasm by fighter and bomber crews alike. If anyone wanted to do something that would bind the two crews together, they said, then we should be given radio communication with each other, our radios should also be on the same frequencies making for easier and less confusing understanding of radio messages.
The Weather: Overcast and dull during the morning. Forecast was for showers to develop my midday, which they did turning mainly to rain periods especially in the east. In the west, although overcast, it was brighter, although the midday drizzle periods ceased by early afternoon and it remained dry.
1230 hours: After a very quiet morning, a formation of approximately 100 Bf 109s, in two waves, 60 plus being detected just off the coast of Dungeness while forty plus were sighted to the north of Dover and flew along the south coast of England on a ‘free chase’ mission but the RAF were not to fall for such a tactic and ignored them allowing them to return to their bases. (Free Chase is an operation where enemy aircraft patrolled close to the coast in the hope that they would lure the RAF fighters into the air).
1300 hours to 1600 hours: Spasmodic attacks by Bf 109 fighters from Calais airfields during the course of the afternoon made strafing attacks on many of the British coastal airfields. These included Manston, Lympne, Hawkinge and a number of airfields in the south-west. Manston received the most serious damage once again, but was not recorded as being serious.
1430 hours: 602 Squadron Westhampnett (Spitfires) were dispatched to intercept a formation of Ju 88s detected off the Sussex coast. One Ju 88 was shot down off the coast near Bognor with all four crewmen killed. One of the Spitfires was also shot down about 15 minutes later by return gunfire from a Ju 88. The pilot managed to bail out although sustaining burns to both hands and landed near Arundel. All Ju 88s aborted the mission and returned to their bases in Northern France.
1500 hours: Bilbury airfield, a satellite aerodrome of Pembury was attacked by what was thought to be Ju 88s, possibly the same that attacked the oil tanks later at Pembroke. A number of Spitfires were damaged on the ground, but all were repairable.
1520 hours: Believed to be two Ju 88 bombers managed to cross the south-west counties of England without interception by British fighters and cross the River Severn and head for the oil storage tanks at Llanreath close to the Pembroke Docks in South Wales. Two tanks received direct hits and eight tanks of the fifteen total exploded and burst into a flaming inferno. The fire was not brought under control until the early hours of the next morning.
RAF Casualties:
1130 hours: Norwegian Coast. Blenheim L9497 248 Squadron Sumburgh
Sgt J.H. Round Missing.
Sgt W.H. Want Missing.
Sgt M.P. Digby-Worsley Missing. (Failed to return from reconnaissance mission over Southern Norway)
1720 hours: Off Orfordness. Spitfire N3182. 66 Squadron Coltishall
P/O J.A.P. Studd Killed. (Hit by gunfire from He 111. Pilot Bailed out, rescued. Did not regain consciousness)
During the night, the specially equipped Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111s of KGr 100 (a special group of 26 Heinkels, 12 typically operational) based at Meucon near Vannes in Brittany attacks the Bristol area and the aircraft factory at Filton. This attack does produce some effective destruction of the large plant. The planes are helped with their navigation by the X-Verfahren radio beams, an advancement on the Knickebein system under development since 1936. At this point, the British are not yet even aware of this particular system (though they know all about the less sophisticated Knickebein system).
Overall, the day’s losses are usually given as 5-10 for the Luftwaffe and 2-5 for the RAF, but as usual, these figures don’t include planes destroyed on the ground (by both sides). Overall, the day is pretty much a wash, with both sides taking the usual infrastructure damage.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 17 Blenheims to airfields in Holland and sea sweeps during the day. Only 2 aircraft bombed — at Flushing airfield and a Flak position north of Amsterdam, 1 aircraft lost.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 120 Blenheims, Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys overnight to 5 targets in north Germany, to Ambes oil refinery in France, to airfields in Holland, Belgium and France, and minelaying. 2 Blenheims and 1 Whitley lost.
The RAF attacks Derna Harbour, oil storage tanks at Bir el Gobi, and the airfield at El Gubbi.
There are two air raids on Malta during the day, but the Italian aircraft stay offshore. A few more Blenheim bombers arrive for offensive missions.
The Malta Fighter Plane Fund announces that it has reached its target of £6000 (Spitfires actually cost a bit more than that), so it launches a second drive for another plane. Contributions are seen as highly patriotic, and many people with titles and all that are eager to contribute to show they are “in it to win it.”
Postal rates to Malta are raised to limit the amount of mail being sent by air.
The government in London declared the entire United Kingdom a defense area. To reinforce the RAF, a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron arrived in Britain.
Abwehr chief Admiral Canaris is back in Madrid seeing if he can get Spanish support for projected Operation FELIX, the invasion of Gibraltar.
The final negotiations between Rumania and Bulgaria are now being held. The two delegations met today to deal with technical questions, the critical question of Southern Dobruja having already been arranged between the two governments. The negotiations have two aspects: The political, which is to be considered as quickly as possible, and the technical, which will be submitted to subcommittees. The atmosphere is said to be favorable and friendly. At Turnu Severin, about fifty miles from Craiova, where the Hungarian delegation has been in negotiation with the Rumanians, there is considerable tension.
The evacuation of British forces from Berbera in British Somaliland to Aden was completed. Approximately 5,700 service personnel and civilians were taken off by Royal Navy cruisers and destroyers.
Italian troops captured Berbera, British Somaliland. The 17 day conflict has cost the British 250 casualties but the Italians more than 2,000. With the British having evacuated on the 19th, the Italians cautiously occupy Berbera today. HMAS Hobart remains around in the harbor during the day to give the Italians a proper rousing welcome and blow up various items that couldn’t be removed to Aden. The Italians have lost roughly 2000 men during the campaign (estimates vary) and the British only 38 dead and 222 other casualties, but the campaign is a huge British embarrassment and a black eye to British prestige despite a competently fought campaign under the circumstances.
Losing to the Italians is particularly galling to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who has been openly and caustically belittling their fighting ability for years. The campaign took only 16 days. Churchill now nurses a grudge against Middle East Commander General Wavell, one of the most highly respected General in the world. Hitler is jubilant, sending Mussolini a message that it is “a great victory in East Africa, a foretaste of British ruin to come at home.”
U-A, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Hans Cohausz, sank Hungarian steamer Kelet in 50N, 22W. The Kelet was stopped by U-A with gunfire and at 0910 hours hit by a coup de grâce, but the vessel remained afloat and was shelled until she sank at 1001 hours. Earlier the ship had picked up 41 survivors from the Clan Macphee, which had been sunk by U-30 (Lemp) on 16 August, six of them were lost. The 33 crew members and the remaining 35 survivors were picked up by the Norwegian merchant Varegg and landed at Galway on 26 August. The 4,295-ton Kelet was carrying ballast and was headed for Tampa, Florida.
U-48, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Hans Rudolf Rösing, sank Belgian steamer Ville De Gand in 55-28N, 15-10W. At 0005 hours the unescorted Ville de Gand (Master Raoul Carlier) was hit aft by one of two torpedoes fired by U-48 about 200 miles west of Ireland. The ship sank by the stern in 2 minutes after being hit by a G7e coup de grâce at 01.09 hours. The master and 14 crew members were lost. The 7,590-ton Ville de Gand was carrying shell bullets and was headed for New York, New York.
U-101, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim, sank British steamer Ampleforth in 56-10N, 10-40W. At 0154 hours the unescorted Ampleforth (Master Harry Binham), a straggler from convoy OA.199, was torpedoed and sunk by U-101 west of the Hebrides. Nine crew members were lost. The master and 28 crew members were picked up by HMS Warwick (D 25) (LtCdr M.A.G. Child, RN) and landed at Liverpool. The 4,576-ton Ampleforth was carrying ballast and was headed for Jacksonville, Florida.
After emergency repairs at Greenock, light cruiser HMS Penelope departed Greenock at 1800/19th for the Tyne escorted by destroyers HMS Hambledon and HMS Atherstone. The destroyers then proceeded on to the Nore Command.
Submarine HMS Cachalot laid fifty mines in minefield FD.24 fifty miles off Penmarch in 47-40N, 04-23W.
British steamer Protislaus (9577grt), salved from 21 January torpedoing for use as a blockship, departed Swansea under tow for Scapa Flow, escorted by anti-submarine trawlers HMS Kingston Alalite (412grt) and HMS Kingston Andalusite (415grt). Later on 13 September, the steamer was under the tow of tugs Empire Henchman and Abeille 21 and escorted by anti-submarine trawler HMS King Sol (486grt) and whaler HMS Ellesmere (580grt). The tow parted and the ship was declared derelict seven miles southwest of Skerryvore. The steamer was sunk by gunfire from trawler King Sol.
Italian submarine Malaspina attacked a tanker without success in 39-20N, 21-25W.
Italian submarine Barbarigo attacked British steamer Aguila (3255grt) without success in 31-15N, 13-02W.
British steamer Waldinge (2462grt) was damaged by German bombing at Milford Haven.
Destroyers HMS Hotspur, HMS Greyhound, HMS Encounter, HMS Gallant arrived at Gibraltar to refuel and then departed to rejoin aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and light cruiser HMS Enterprise to meet battlecruiser HMS Renown arriving on the 20th. Destroyers HMS Velox and HMS Griffin also departed Gibraltar to meet the battlecruiser.
British steamer Aska departed Freetown to deliver troops and refrigerated cargo, brought from the UK in Monarch Of Bermuda, to the RAF unit at Takoradi. The steamer arrived back at Freetown on the 31st.
Convoy OG.41 with twenty nine ships departed Liverpool escorted by sloop HMS Wellington and corvette HMS Geranium and from Milford Haven by Anti-submarine trawlers HMS Derby County and HMS Arsenal. Sloop HMS Wellington escorted the convoy from 19 August to 2 September. Corvette Geranium escorted the convoy only on the 19th. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 2 September.
Convoy FN.257 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 21st.
Convoy MT.145 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.257 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.
The Senate in Washington today approved the bill to amend the Neutrality Act to permit American ships to transport refugee children from Europe; sent to conference the National Guard Mobilization Bill; heard isolationist Senators assail the Philadelphia speech of Ambassador William C. Bullitt; debated the Burke-Wadsworth Compulsory Military Training Bill; received the Danaher resolution for an investigation of Secretary Ickes’s possession of certain stamps, and amendments proposed by Senator Hatch to the Hatch “clean politics” act, and recessed at 5:46 PM until 11 AM tomorrow. The Appropriations Committee approved the $5,008,169,277 National Defense Deficiency Bill.
The House heard Representative Schafer criticize Ambassador Bullitt’s speech, passed several bills of regional interest and adjourned at 4:35 PM until noon tomorrow. The Rules Committee approved the Export-Import Bank Bill for floor consideration.
The White House sent to the Senate the nomination by President Roosevelt of Claude R. Wickard to be Secretary of Agriculture and Paul Appleby to be Under-Secretary.
Secretary of the Interior Ickes, sarcastically calling Wendell Willkie a “simple, barefoot Wall Street lawyer,” tonight accused the Republican presidential nominee of “unpatriotic demagoguery” and “unpardonable references” to President Roosevelt. In a radio speech described as a reply to Willkie’s acceptance address at Elwood, Ind., the interior department head asserted that Willkie’s criticism of Mr. Roosevelt’s conduct of foreign affairs was “contemptible.” Concerning Willkie’s challenge to Mr. Roosevelt to meet him on the same platform in joint debates, Ickes said: “One cannot challenge the president of the United States to go about the country barnstorming, after the pre-radio fashion of the past century, without laying himself open to the charge that he is indulging in cheap bravado.
Wendell L. Willkie said tonight that Secretary Ickes had stated “plain and simple falsehoods” in a radio address tonight and that he was “astonished that the president of the United States would authorize such a speech.” The Republican presidential nominee sent the following telegram to Chairman Joseph Martin of the Republican national committee: “Please waste no money in buying radio time to answer Ickes. It is unworthy of answer. Unable to make any reply to the acceptance speech, the new dealers are evading issue by resort to false personal innuendoes. “I am not surprised that Ickes would stoop to such levels, but I am astonished that the president of the United States would authorize such a speech.”
The Senate today wrote into the pending Burke-Wadsworth conscription bill an amendment designed to safeguard draftees and their families against foreclosures, evictions and other civil actions on fixed obligations which could not be met with a soldier’s pay. The amendment was sponsored by Senator John H. Overton, Louisiana Democrat, and would provide a moratorium for insurance premiums. Overton’s amendment wss adopted unanimously. It would provide for draftees all the benefits of the soldiers’ and sailors’ relief act of 1918. It already had been written into the bill authorizing President Roosevelt to call up 260,000 national guardsmen and reserve officers for extended training.
The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved today a $5,008,169,277 supplemental national defense measure designed to finance construction of a two-ocean navy and the establishment of a fully mechanized army.
Isolationists in the Senate and House of Representatives today characterized as “very little short of treason,” as war mongering, and as advocacy of American dictatorship, the address of William C. Bullitt, Ambassador to France, at Philadelphia last night in which he warned that war was coming toward the Americas. The Administration was sharply criticized for permitting Mr. Bullitt’s speech, in which he said that the German nation was a “predatory army of assault,” and called for the sale of overage American destroyers to Great Britain and for compulsory selective service. Ambassador Bullitt’s speech was mimeographed by the State Department and, the isolationists charged, was made with its knowledge. They recalled that James R. Cromwell, former Minister to Canada, was rebuked for making alleged unneutral remarks, and that John Cudahy, Ambassador to Belgium, was called home to explain remarks attributed to him in praise of the German Army.
The possibility that United States destroyers might patrol Canadian waters, thus releasing British war vessels for home service was indicated in diplomatic circles today in Washington.
Gallup published the results of a poll asking Americans whether they approved of a proposal to sell 50 old destroyer ships to England. 62% approved of the idea, 38% disapproved.
The first meeting of a permanent United States-Canadian board of defense was projected for early next week as President Roosevelt began today selection of its American members. By telephone from his ancestral home, Mr. Roosevelt asked state, war and navy department officials in Washington to recommend four or five persons, drawn chiefly from the armed forces, to serve on the board with an equal number of Canadians. There was nothing to indicate whether he would call on the army and navy high command for the personnel or rely on subordinate officers. But he hoped to complete his choice by Thursday in preparation for the board’s initial meeting at a place not yet designated.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the local WPA headquarters yesterday morning and after observing the procedure followed in the selection of applicants for national industrial emergency training urged the speedy signing of national defense contracts.
The War Department reported that army recruiting, steadily rising since, last May, reached a peak of 8,605 enlistments during the week of August 11 to 18.
F. K. Baker, 21, seaman from Chillicothe, Mo., died today when a dive bomber in which he was flying with Lieut. Grafton B. Campbell, 28, Coronado, crashed in flames at Miramar, California. Campbell bailed out when the crippled plane was at an altitude of 600 feet. He received several contusions. The plane was engaged In bombing practice. Campbell at first was believed to have met the same fate as Baker, but an opened parachute later found in the vicinity indicated he had reached earth safely. Later he was reported safe. The plane was attached to the aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
The prototype North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber took its first flight.
Major League Baseball:
Hot-hitting Jimmie Foxx belts his 33rd home run, against Cleveland, as the Red Sox crush the Indians, 16–7. The Red Sox gained their most decisive triumph of the season over the American League-leading Indians today by hammering three pitchers for fourteen hits, including four homers. The defeat cut Cleveland’s lead over the Tigers to three games.
The Yankees-Tigers game was rained out. The Yankees, who could use a break, got one yesterday at Yankee Stadium, but it was a bad one. For in the midst of a drive that had produced three runs against the Tigers, and with runners on third and first and two out in the fourth inning, the rain which had been threatening since the start came down in torrents.
The game between the White Sox and Athletics in Philadelphia was also rained out.
The Giants gave Carl Hubbell, a four-run edge in a first-inning bombardment of Paul Derringer, and the old master, surviving a rocky first inning, in which Ival Goodman drove his tenth home run, proceeded to pitch New York to victory over the Reds, 9–2. Hubbell had the encouragement of a noisy fourteen-hit assault by his mates which included Melvin Ott’s tenth homer and six doubles.
Dick Errickson pitched the Bees to a 3–0 victory today over Pittsburgh, scoring his ninth victory of the season, against nine defeats, and tumbling the Pirates into sixth place from a tie for fifth in the National League standing.
Cleveland Indians 7, Boston Red Sox 16
New York Giants 9, Cincinnati Reds 2
Boston Bees 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Mexico, on watch against any attempts to land arms for a revolution, stopped the American freighter Herman Frasch off Acapulco, on the Pacific Coast today, but quickly permitted the ship to go on her way.
The U.S. Navy heavy cruisers USS Wichita (CA-45) (Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens) and USS Quincy (CA-39) departed Santos, Brazil.
Twelve A6M2 Model 11 Zero fighters escorted fifty four G3M2 Type 96 bombers on a mission against the Chinese city of Chungking; this was the first combat mission of the Zero fighter. Zero fighters (A6M2) have been operational with the 12th Rengo Kōkūtai since July, but they have been used only for training so far. The Chinese are still using ancient biplane fighters in the defense which are no match for the cutting edge Zeros.
The Japanese brought to a climax a series of day and night raids on the province of Szechwan today by sending an estimated 200 bombers to attack Chungking and Chengtu. The bombardment of the national capital was carried out by more. than 100 planes coming in three squadrons. It was the most destructive so far this year. After two squadrons had blasted. fresh ruins with demolition bombs, a third unloaded salvos of incendiary bombs, which set fire to the thickly built up district in the heart of the city. The blaze was still raging eight hours after the attack. The flames swept an area almost a mile long and three blocks wide. Reports from Chengtu are not available here tonight, but it is feared that almost 100 Japanese raiders, which attacked the provincial capital, caused damage similar to that here. The Chinese declare that the Japanese are attempting to imitate the German mass air raids on England.
The United States is insisting upon the maintenance of the status quo in the International Settlement Shanghai pending an adjustment of questions at issue there in negotiations between the Washington and Tokyo Governments. To this end Sumner Welles, Acting Secretary of State, announced today that instructions had been sent to Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Commander in Chief of the Asiatic Fleet. who has represented the United States in the discussions among local authorities at Shanghai, that this government was agreeable, as a transitory provision, for the sector in the Settlement formerly controlled by British forces to be policed by the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, pending the outcome of further discussions between the American and Japanese Governments. Joseph C. Grew, United States Ambassador in Tokyo, has been informed to the same effect. The Volunteer Corps is made up of representatives of the various nationalities in the Settlement and is under the direction of the Municipal Council there.
The Children’s Overseas Reception Board begins evacuating children to Australia. Heretofore, evacuations were usually to more rural areas of England where parents could visit on the weekends (and also some to Canada), so this is a bit of a wrenching change for many.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 122.06 (+0.08)
Born:
Jill St. John [Jill Arlyn Oppenheim], American actress (“Diamonds Are Forever”), in Los Angeles, California.
Johnny Nash, American pop-reggae-soul singer-songwriter and record producer (“I Can See Clearly Now”), in Houston, Texas (d. 2020).
Roger Cook, British songwriter (with Roger Greenaway: “You’ve Got Your Troubles”; “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”, “Melting Pot”), singer (Blue Mink), and record producer, in Fishponds, Bristol, England, United Kingdom.
Floyd Dean, NFL linebacker (San Francisco 49ers), in Luverne, Alabama (d. 2003).
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawler HMS Cava (T 145) is laid down by Fleming & Ferguson Ltd. (Paisley, Scotland).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Lithgow (J 206) is laid down by the Morts Dock & Enginering Co. Ltd. (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvettes HMS Abelia (K 184) and HMS Alisma (K 185) are laid down by Harland & Wolff Ltd. (Belfast, Northern Ireland).
The Royal Navy Hunt-class (Type II) escort destroyer HMS Oakley (L 98) is laid down by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland).
The Royal Navy “Q”-class (Flotilla Leader) destroyer HMS Quilliam (G 09) is laid down by Hawthorn Leslie & Co. (Hebburn-on-Tyne, U.K.).
The Royal Navy Bangor-class (Turbine-engined) minesweeper HMS Rye (J 76) is launched by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (Troon, Scotland).
The Royal Navy “U”-class (Second Group) submarine HMS Urge (N 17) is launched by Vickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Sunflower (K 41) is launched by the Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Hollyhock (K 64) is launched by John Crown & Sons Ltd. (Sunderland, U.K); completed by N.E. Marine.
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Hyacinth (K 84) is launched by Harland & Wolff Ltd. (Belfast, Northern Ireland). Transferred in 1943 to the Royal Hellenic Navy, becoming the RHS Apostolis (K 84).
The Royal Navy Hunt-class (Type II) escort destroyer HMS Liddledale (L 100) is launched by Vickers Armstrong (Newcastle-on-Tyne, U.K.); completed by Parsons.
The old U.S. Navy “R”-class submarine USS R-5 (SS-82) is recommissioned into service. Her commander on recommissioning is Commander Dudley “Mush” Morton, who will go on to considerable fame during World War II as skipper of the U.S. submarine USS Wahoo.
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IXB U-boat U-104 is commissioned. Her first commander is Kapitänleutnant Harald Jürst.
History Diaries 