Harrow in northwest London received a German bomb at 3:30 AM, the first to fall within the borders of the London Civil Defence Area.
Twelve German bombers, unable to locate their targets during an unusual night attack, scatter their bombs aimlessly on the outskirts of South London despite strict orders from Hitler forbidding attacks on civilian targets, especially the city of London. Nine civilians are killed. In retaliation British bombers will attack Berlin several times during the following weeks.
Weather: Rain and strong winds that developed overnight would continue into the day. Heavy seas to be expected in the Channel with winds reaching gale force at times.
The weather again was to be a deciding factor in the course of the day’s events. Most Luftwaffe units had been grounded for the day, although the RAF reported over 500 sorties. By day, the action was very light for the obvious reasons, but the Luftwaffe stepped up night bombing operations to a number of areas. But the first action of the day was during the morning.
0900 hours: The convoy code named “Totem” was battling heavy seas through the Straits of Dover when they reported that they were under attack. The report was forwarded to Fighter Command, but no reports had come through from the radar stations of enemy activity in the Channel. As it turned out, the convoy was under attack by German gun batteries based at Cape Griz Nez. The convoy later reported that most of the shells were wide and no damage was done to the ships.
The convoy continued on after the eighty minute bombardment without any further enemy attack. But their position had been reported and with the weather postponing any air attacks on the English mainland, it presented a target for the Luftwaffe.
1230 hours: Radar picked up a formation of enemy aircraft coming across the Channel. The plot showed that it was heading towards convoy “Totem”. 11 Group released 54 Squadron Hornchurch (Spitfires), 610 Squadron Biggin Hill (Spitfires) and 615 Squadron Kenley (Hurricanes).
1300 hours: Both 54 Squadron and 610 Squadron arrive over the convoy in time to see the raiders approaching. They go into action immediately, and just as they approach the Ju 88s, they are attacked by Bf 109s. They manage to turn the bombers back, but not before one of the 54 Squadron Spitfires was shot down and crashed into the Channel off the coast of Deal. One Ju 88 was damaged and is thought to have crash landed in France.
One of the 615 Squadron Hurricanes was accidentally shot down by one of the Hurricanes of the same squadron but the pilot escaped without injury after making a forced landing near Deal.
1900 hours: With the afternoon over, the raids continued. On a number of occasions, the Luftwaffe sent over waves of Bf 109 fighters, usually to strafe aerodromes and landing strips. This raid, seemed to be one of those.
Once it was observed that the formation did not consist of any bombers, Fighter Command released only one squadron of Spitfires to intercept the Bf 109s crossing the coast near Deall and possibly heading towards Manston. 616 Squadron Kenley drew the short straw on this occasion and as usual with fighter to fighter combat, just a series of dogfights ensued, but not without casualties.
Possibly the most notable event, and in a way controversial was the bombing of the township of Harrow and the adjoining Wealdstone. Records have always shown that at 0330 hours on the morning of August 22nd 1940, the first bombs to be dropped on London were at Harrow. Geographically, in 1940 Harrow was in the county of Middlesex, the Greater London area did not extend as far as either Harrow or Wealdstone. But as far as the Civil Defence was concerned, Harrow was included and was within the boundaries of Civil Defence Area No.5 which was classed as the London area. To take the matter further, Harrow and Wealdstone also come under the jurisdiction of the London Metropolitan Police. Yet look in any gazetteer, and you will most certainly see Harrow and Wealdstone listed as being in Middlesex.
This marks the first time bombs appear to have been dropped on London intentionally. In and of itself it means little. However, it begins a long, slow process — call it a slippery slope — that ends in absolute devastation of most of the major cities of Europe.
The Luftwaffe also dropped bombs on Aberdeen in Scotland, Bristol in the west and on South Wales industrial areas during the night of August 21st-22nd. It is believed that Bradford and Hull was also bombed during this night, but this cannot be confirmed.
The heaviest attack came during the night of August 22nd–23rd when Ju 88s dropped more than sixteen tons of high explosive on the aircraft works at Filton seriously disrupting production. Special Luftwaffe unit KGr 100 attacks Bristol with 23 Heinkel He 211s flying out of Vannes, France just before midnight using its cutting edge electronic guidance system (X-Verfahren) that the RAF doesn’t even know about yet. As usual, they attack the aircraft factories at Filton, which this time seriously damages the works. Best of all for the Luftwaffe, they don’t lose any of the unique planes.
RAF Casualties:
1315 hours: Deal. Spitfire R6708. 54 Squadron Hornchurch
Sgt G.R. Collett Killed. (Shot down into the sea. Body was washed up on beach on Dutch coast)
1935 hours: Dover. Spitfire K9909. 65 Squadron Hornchurch
Sgt M. Keymer Killed. (Shot down by Bf 109 into Channel. Buried at Bazinghem France)
German long-range artillery bombarded the town of Dover in England across the English Channel. A British 14-inch gun returned fire.
Adolf Galland was appointed Geschwaderkommodore JG 26 “Schlageter”. Major Adolf Galland returns to JG 26 and takes over as the new Kommodore. He is replaced as Gruppenkommandeur of III,/JG 26 by Hptm. Gerhard Schöpfel. Galland quickly appoints a new Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 26, Rolf Pinget, showing that he, too, feels there is a need for new blood.
The Luftwaffe awards the Ritterkreuz to:
Theo Osterkamp, former commander of JG 51;
Major Max Ibel, Kommodore of JG 27;
Obstlt. Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp, Kommodore of JG 2 and a former Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77.
Giving the Ritterkreuz to von Bülow-Bothkamp is a bit of an odd choice. He has no victories since World War I, and is one of the old-timers that Goering is getting rid of. The Luftwaffe praises his “leadership” as it eases him toward a desk job (like Osterkamp).
The Luftwaffe shifts JG 2, 27 and 53 from Cherbourg to Calais and transfers them from Luftflotte 3 to 2. Calais is a bit handier for operations against the Channel convoys, and the flight across is a bit shorter, giving British radar smaller lead-time to track interceptors to meet them. It also gives the fighters slightly more time over England and makes it more likely that damaged fighters can make it back to base. Finally, it also is handy to have more fighters nearby to protect the big artillery being put into service at Cap Gris Nez.
Winston Churchill visited RAF Kenley in southern London, England, United Kingdom.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 13 Blenheims to Menille airfield during the day but only 1 bombed. 6 Blenheims on sea sweep. No losses.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 52 Hampdens and Wellingtons overnight against 6 targets in the Ruhr and the Rhineland and to lay mines; 1 of the minelaying Hampdens also attacked a U-boat. 33 Blenheims attacked airfields in France. There were no losses but 4 aircraft crashed in England.
British Swordfish torpedo bombers of 812 Squadron from HMS Peregrine bombed German invasion barges at Daedereide, the Netherlands. One Swordfish aircraft was shot down, with its crew of two taken prisoner.
While no decision to bomb London has been made by the Luftwaffe — actually, it must be ordered by Hitler personally — German radio threatens the destruction of London using “aerial torpedoes carrying many tons of high explosive and guided by radio.” While not a completely nonsensical threat, such weapons are still in the very early development phase. It is quite odd that the propaganda service would reveal anything at all about their supposed existence. This shows the high importance placed by the Germans on psychological warfare.
With little else to do because of the futility of planning an invasion of England that is receding further into the distance every day, the OKH (Army high command) is engaging in meticulous planning for another operation that has little chance of ever happening. This is Operation FELIX, the invasion of Gibraltar. Captain Anton Staubwasser of OKH Intelligence gives General Halder his estimates on British forces at Gibraltar:
— 10,000 British troops;
— Numerous underground tunnels and galleries, more fortified than the Maginot Line;
— Enough food to last for 18 months;
— 19 RAF bombers, 13 reconnaissance planes, 34 fighters;
— numerous anti-aircraft guns.
These actually are very good estimates that tend to conform with reality (certainly not the case with estimates of Soviet strength being made at the same time). Staubwasser points out some flaws in the defenses — positions are not mutually supporting, some gun positions have been neglected, and the British defenses focus almost exclusively on the narrow isthmus connecting Gibraltar to the mainland — and suggests that the operation would be feasible once the German troops actually get on the rock. However, especially given the poor state of the Spanish military (of which the Germans are well aware given their recent collaboration during the Spanish Civil War), Staubwasser argues against the operation because of the difficulty of doing just that.
At its narrowest point, the English Channel is only 20 miles (30 km) wide. This is a shipping bottleneck when England is warring with the Continental powers. During World War II the British nickname it “Hellfire Corner” due to the numerous battles that take there. The Germans have positioned artillery to bombard the English coastline at this point, which is well within reach of the naval guns they have installed at Cap Gris Nez. The artillery also is nicely positioned to shell any ships traversing this area.
The Germans already have shelled Dover itself with the guns on 18 August. Today, 22 August 1940, the Germans try attacking some ships which are in a coastal convoy (“Totem”) near Dover. Opening fire at 09:00, they create quite a surprise for the British sailors, who suddenly see 100-foot waterspouts appearing nearby. The escort destroyers quickly make smoke, and the Germans make no hits with their big guns after firing for 80 minutes. The guns at this point include:
— The Siegfried Battery at Audinghen, south of Cap Gris Nez, with one 38 cm (15 in) gun;
— Four 28 cm (11 in) guns at Grosser Kurfürst Battery at Cap Gris Nez.
— Three 30.5 cm (12 in) guns at Friedrich August Battery, to the north of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The British also have big naval guns at Hellfire Corner, including two BL 14 inch Mk VII (35.6 cm) guns positioned behind St Margaret’s. They are taken from spares for battleship King George V. One of them, “Winnie,” is ready and engages in counter-fire whenever the German guns start firing. The RAF also flies missions against the guns, but they are well-defended and in strong emplacements and virtually impervious to ordinary air assault.
The whole affair is a big show without results — nothing of value is hit — but some of the German shells land uncomfortably close to the British ships. The British guns are too slow to aim at shipping, and their accuracy is insufficient to pose a serious threat to the German guns. After the convoys pass, the Germans switch to shelling Dover itself in the evening for 45 minutes and cause a number of casualties.
In a speech broadcast from Vichy to night Foreign Minister Paul Bau doin of the Petain government replied to Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s statements in the House of Commons at London Tuesday with an explosive outburst against Britain. He accuses Churchill of “hostility.”
Mussolini has his military command secretly preparing plans for the invasion of Greece, but he tells them to stop the planning for the time being.
Italian newspapers showed discontent with the plan for the United States to lease naval bases in Britain’s Western Hemisphere possessions by charging today that the United States was seeking to gain territory in the “break-up” of the British Empire.
Mahmoud Fahmy el Kiessy Pasha, Egypt’s War Minister, said today that an Egyptian mobile division had taken up positions alongside British troops in readiness to repel any Italian invasion from Libya.
At Malta, Governor Dobbie receives a telegram from the War Office listing supplies being sent to Malta around Africa and through the Suez Canal. They include three ships carrying:
— Ship 1: ammunition, 11 tractors, 2 3.7″ antiaircraft guns, and 746 tons of supplies for the Royal Engineers;
— Ship 2: ammunition, 12 3.7″ antiaircraft guns, 10 40mm Bofors guns, 70 tons for the Royal Engineers, and other supplies;
— Ship 3: ammunition, 11 tractors, 2 3.7″ antiaircraft guns, and other supplies.
While these supplies will be welcome, a trip around the Cape of Good Horn will take weeks — assuming the ships make it.
Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, heavy cruiser HMS York, light cruiser HMS Sheffield, and destroyer HMS Firedrake departed Scapa Flow at 0730/21st, but due to heavy weather, the Liverpool section could not sail and the ships returned to Scapa Flow at 1430. The force was able to proceed at 1045 on the 22nd. The ships were escorted in the local approaches by destroyers HMS Ashanti, HMS Tartar, and HMS Bedouin. The destroyers were detached on the 24th and joined armed merchant cruiser HMS Salopian, returning from patrol. The armed merchant cruiser was escorted to Liverpool, arriving at 1500/26th. Anti-aircraft cruisers HMS Calcutta and HMS Coventry and destroyer HMS Fortune departed the Clyde at 2030/22nd. Battleship HMS Valiant, light cruiser HMS Ajax and destroyers HMS Faulknor, HMS Foresight, HMS Forester, and HMS Fury departed Liverpool. These groups joined the Scapa Flow group at sea.
In a British raid over Daedereide, Holland, S/Lt (A) R. L. G. Davies and Lt N. M. Hearle in a Swordfish of 812 Squadron from HMS Peregrine were shot down and made prisoners of war.
British steamer Thorold (1689grt) was sunk by German bombing two and a half miles south of Smalls, in 51-41N, 5-40W. Eleven crewmen were lost on the British steamer.
Destroyers HMS Diamond, HMS Ilex, and HMS Juno and Australian destroyers HMAS Stuart and HMAS Waterhen departed Alexandria and were joined by Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney which departed six hours later.
British air attack on Bomba was carried out by three British land based Swordfish, piloted by Captain O. Patch RM, Lt (A) J. W. C. Wellham, Lt (A) N. A. F. Cheesman, of 824 Squadron from aircraft carrier HMS Eagle. Italian torpedo boat Calipso had brought SLC’s to Bomba for Italian submarine Iride to carry onto Alexandria that night. In this attack, submarine Iride and depot ship Monte Gargano (1976grt) were sunk and torpedo boat Calipso was damaged.
Force A of destroyers HMS Mohawk, HMS Nubian, and HMS Hostile and Force B of light cruisers HMS Orion and HMS Liverpool and destroyers HMS Jervis and HMS Janus departed Alexandria on the 20th to patrol in area of Gavdo Island in Operation MD 7. Light cruiser Liverpool and destroyers Jervis and Janus rendezvoused with British steamer Myriel (3560grt) and French tanker Phenix (5907grt) from Chanak en route to Port Said. Destroyers Hostile, Nubian, Mohawk, and HMS Hero arrived at Malta after an anti-submarine sweep on the 22nd. They refueled and departed for Gibraltar the next day to assist in Operation HATS. However, destroyer Nubian was forced to return to Malta with a lubrication defect. Light cruisers Orion and Liverpool arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd. Destroyer Janus was detached from the convoy and arrived later on the 23rd. Destroyer Jervis and the convoy safely arrived at Port Said.
Anti-submarine trawler HMS Loch Melfort reported a submarine contact at 13 miles 320° from Ras el Tin. Destroyers HMS Juno and HMS Ilex departed Alexandria to assist, but no further contact was made.
Convoy AP.1 of liners Duchess of Bedford (20123grt, Convoy Commodore), Denbighshire (9100grt), and Waiotira (12823grt), departed the Clyde on the 23rd escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Coventry which travelled with this group.
Convoy AP.2 of liner Sydney Star (11095grt) and aircraft carrier HMS Argus departed the Clyde escorted by light cruiser HMS Ajax later that day.
The AP convoys and AP.3 departing in September were designated operation APOLOGY.
The British Mediterranean Fleet reinforcements were designated Force F.
In the group of merchant ships was also British steamer Royal Scotsman (3244grt) which was detached on the 28th Gibraltar. Steamer Royal Scotsman arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th, escorted by destroyers HMS Velox and HMS Vidette.
Convoys AP.1 and AP.2 continued past Gibraltar escorted by heavy cruiser HMS York and light cruiser HMS Ajax and arrived at Freetown. AP.1 with York arrived on 1 September and departed later that day.
Convoy AP.2 with light cruiser HMS Ajax and aircraft carrier HMS Argus arrived on 2 September and sailed later that day. Light cruiser HMS Enterprise arrived at Freetown from Gibraltar at the same time as the convoy.
Aircraft carrier HMS Argus was detached en route to Takoradi and arrived at Takoradi on 5 September to fly aircraft overland via Khartoum to Egypt. The convoy AP.1 arrived safely at Capetown and the heavy cruiser at Simonstown on 9 September. Heavy cruiser HMS York departed Simonstown and the convoy from Capetown on 10 September.
Convoy AP.2 and light cruiser HMS Ajax arrived at Durban 13 September and sailed later that day.
Convoy AP.1 was escorted in the Red Sea by cruisers HMS York and HMAS Hobart and destroyers HMS Kandahar and HMS Diamond and arrived at Suez on 23 September.
On 22 September convoy AP.2 was joined by British steamer Armadale (5066grt) and heavy cruiser HMS York and destroyers HMS Dainty and HMS Kingston. The convoy arrived at Suez on 25 September.
Convoy OA.203 departed Methil escorted by sloop HMS Leith, escort ship HMS Jason, corvette HMS Hibiscus until 27 August.
Convoy FN.260 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 24th.
Convoy MT.147 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.259 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th.
President Roosevelt returned to Washington from Hyde Park, conferred with members of the Cabinet on the Canadian-American Defense Board and related matters, discussed other executive problems with legislative and administrative officials, and announced that he would speak on Labor Day at ceremonies dedicating the Chickamauga Dam and the Great Smoky National Park.
The Senate debated the Burke-Wadsworth Compulsory Military Training Bill and recessed at 5:18 PM, until 11 AM tomorrow.
The House approved the conference report on the bill authorizing the President to call out the National Guard and reserves, passed a bill empowering the President to requisition machine tools awaiting shipment abroad and adjourned at 2:56 PM until noon on Monday. The Naval Affairs Committee questioned Rear Admiral Chester Nimitz on enlistments of naval reserve aviators.
The U.S. House of Representatives pushed the National Guard mobilization bill to final congressional approval today and then voted to empower President Roosevelt to seize for this country’s use machine tools and other war supplies sold, but not yet delivered to foreign nations. The latter measure, which now goes to the senate, was aimed primarily at a quantity of sold machine tools barred from export recently under presidential order. There was no expectation the bill, if finally passed, would interfere with flow of planes, munitions and other supplies to Great Britain. Action on the guard measure empowering the chief executive to call out 242,000 militiamen and 166.000 army reserves for a year’s training consisted of a routine vote approving the measure as revised to bring the differing bills originally passed by house and senate into conformity. Similar action by the Senate will send the legislation to the White House for the president’s signature.
Fears that a filibuster was developing against the Burke-Wadsworth Selective Service Bill were expressed today by proponents of the measure as the Senate failed to vote on one of the dozen or more amendments to the bill. Senator Schwartz of Wyoming bluntly charged that a filibuster was in progress and Senator Barkley, majority leader, who said yesterday on the floor that the American people expected action on the draft legislation, admonished Senators that they could not permit other Senators to make long speeches during their time without losing the floor. While Senator Barkley followed his usual procedure in such cases of asserting that he did not believe there was a definite effort to avoid a vote, he was forced to carry out his threat of holding a Saturday session, asserting later that one would be held and that he had nothing more than a “hope” of a vote this week. Except in the case of anti-lynching legislation, Senators seldom admit that they are filibustering and insist that they are merely debating.
Members of the joint board who will coordinate the defense of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere were named late tonight by President Roosevelt and Premier Mackenzie King of Canada. Among those appointed for the United States was Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia of New York. The announcement was made by the White House in a joint statement issued on behalf of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister King. Each delegation consists of a civilian and spokesmen for the Army, Navy and air forces and the State Department of the United States and the Department of External Affairs of Canada. The board was formed only four days after Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Mackenzie King reached an agreement at a conference on the president’s train at Heuvelton, in Northern New York. The first meeting will take place Monday in Ottawa. The board is charged with studying all plans necessary to coordinate defense by the armed services and to supply them with necessary matériel.
Wendell L. Willkie decided tonight to make a 3,800 mile campaign tour through 18 states of the middle and far west. After a conference with Chairman Joseph W. Martin of the Republican national committee, the presidential nominee announced that he would leave his temporary headquarters in Rushville, Indiana, September 14 and would go by special train to Coffeyville, Kansas, where he will open his campaign formally two days later. Willkie said he probably would make seven major addresses and between 20 and 25 informal talks. Besides Coffeyville, the main speeches are expected to be at Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and an undesignated town in Iowa.
Speeches will be made on Labor Day in the South and Middle West by President Roosevelt and Secretary Wallace, Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, respectively, under a program made public today at the White House
Authorization since July 1 of expenditures of $34,392,000 for national defense, including $7,271,000 for fifty-eight new projects approved in the first two weeks of August, was announced today by Howard O. Hunter, Deputy Works Projects Commissioner.
Twelve medical volunteers, comprising three surgical teams under the leadership of Dr. Philip D. Wilson, chief surgeon of the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled of New York, were en route yesterday to give their services to Great Britain’s war victims.
James V. Forrestal, former Administrative Assistant to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Wall Street broker, became the first Undersecretary of the U.S. Navy. His office would become the most important coordinating agency for procurement and materiel in the Navy Department.
Les Mueller, pitching for Beaumont (Texas League) pitches a no-hitter over Dallas.
Major League Baseball:
Relief pitcher Freddie Hutchinson hurled shutout ball after replacing Buck Newsom in the second inning today and drove in the winning run as the second-place Detroit Tigers topped the Boston Red Sox, 9–8, in ten innings. The victory, breaking a six-game Detroit losing streak, dropped the Red Sox from third to fourth place, behind the Yankees. Hutchinson allowed only four hits in the eight and one-third innings he pitched. He had entered the game with the Tigers trailing, 8–2.
The Yankees are the hottest team in baseball at the moment. They scorched the league-leading Cleveland Indians before 12,732 fans at Yankee Stadium today, parboiling them with a nine-run second inning and triumphing, 15–2. The deluge is highlighted by Joe DiMaggio’s 26th home run, a grand slam.
Led by Johnny Berardino, who got five hits in five trips to the plate, the St. Louis Browns pounded out eighteen safeties tonight to beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 8–4.
The White Sox-Senators game in Washington is rained out.
Bill Werber has been hitting home runs only on occasion this season, but today he got his twelfth at the best possible time and the Reds finally gave Bucky Walters his long-awaited seventeenth victory. The Boston Bees were the victims, 3–2.
The Giants split a twinbill with the Pirates, winning 5–4 in twelve innings, then getting shut out, 4–0, as Truett Sewell won his eleventh with a five-hitter. Paul Dean won the opener in relief for the Giants.
Vern Olsen of the Cubs shuts out the Dodgers, 5–0, with a two-hit gem. Olsen took a no-hitter into the seventh before surrendering two singles.
The onrushing Cardinals, who may have started too late, won their seventh straight victory today, beating Philadelphia, 9–0, and jumping into a tie with the Giants for third place in the National League. Morton Cooper limited the Phils to six hits, while the Cardinals were pounding out twelve, including Johnny Mize’s thirty-sixth home run of the season. It came with two men on in the first inning after Terry Moore had driven in a run with a double.
Detroit Tigers 9, Boston Red Sox 8
Brooklyn Dodgers 0, Chicago Cubs 5
Boston Bees 2, Cincinnati Reds 3
Cleveland Indians 2, New York Yankees 15
St. Louis Browns 8, Philadelphia Athletics 4
New York Giants 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 4
New York Giants 0, Pittsburgh Pirates 4
Philadelphia Phillies 0, St. Louis Cardinals 9
A symbolical funeral for Leon Trotsky took place in Mexico City this afternoon, his body being taken in a procession from the undertaker in the center of the city to what formerly was known as the American cemetery and now is called the modern Pantheon.
Argentine President Roberto M. Ortiz resigned today in the midst of an acute government crisis because of a Senate resolution associating him by implication with the socalled Palomar land scandal, which has created a public sensation.
Two waves of Japanese planes severely bombed Shiukwan, which is the provincial government headquarters for Northern Kwangtun, on Tuesday, demolished more than a score of dwellings and caused more than 100 civilian casualties. Shinkwan authorities, expecting repeated raids, have ordered civilians not having special business there to evacuate to the interior, reducing the populace by 40 percent.
Nearly a century of British control of the wealthy International Settlement in Shanghai was ended today when approximately 1,300 troops, last of the garrisons upon which British prestige has rested, went aboard two transports to sail southward for “duty elsewhere,” presumably in Hong Kong or Singapore. The departure left some 1.100 United States Marines as the only effective foreign garrison in the settlement and was frankly conceded by many Britons to mean that the empire, for the time being. at least. virtually has abandoned one of its great foreign trade outposts. Japanese greeted the departure of the last British soldiers with unconcealed pleasure and said that eventually the foreign areas of Shanghai would be restored to the Japan-sponsored “national government of China” in Nanking.
In the most drastic purge ever conducted in Japan’s foreign service, forty diplomats now serving abroad, including five Ambassadors and nineteen Ministers, were ordered home tonight.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 126.46 (+1.39)
Born:
Bill McCartney, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Colorado Buffaloes 1982–94; NCAA Championship 1990), in Riverview, Michigan (d. 2025).
Howie Montgomery, NBA small forward (San Francisco Warriors).
David R. Vance, American horse trainer, bon in Logansport, Indiana.
George Reinholt, American actor (“Another World”, “One Life to Live”), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2013).
John Banham, British businessman, director-general CBI, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom (d. 2022).
Died:
Oliver Lodge, 89, British physicist; Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland, 79, Maltese and British politician and peer; Mary Vaux Walcott, 80, American artist and naturalist.
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Hunt-class (Type III) escort destroyer HMS Aldenham (L 22) is laid down by Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.).
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ranger-class fleet support tanker RFA Black Ranger (A 163) is launched by Harland and Wolff (Govan, Scotland).
The Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette HMCS Alberni (K 103) is launched by Yarrows Ltd. (Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Gloxinia (K 22) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Arthur John Cinnamond Pomeroy, RNVR.
The Royal Australian Navy Grimsby-class sloop HMAS Warrego (L 73; later U 73) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Commander Ross Valdar Wheatley, RAN.
History Diaries 