A wall is built beginning this month around the area of Warsaw designated by the Germans for a Jewish ghetto. Jews are forced not only to build the wall, but also to pay for it. The Warsaw ghetto becomes the largest ghetto established by the Germans in Poland. The section of the city chosen for the ghetto was already home to 280,000 Jews.
Germany starts Operation OTTO to improve road and rail links from Poland to the USSR. Slaves will provide the labor.
The likelihood of Spain entering the war or even joining the axis powers at this time in a formal alliance against Britain was virtually discarded by political circles today as Generalissimo Francisco Franco’s minister of government, Ramon Serrano Suner, conferred with Premier Mussolini. Spain, said Virginio Gayda, authoritative Fascist editor of Giornale d’ltalia, “is and can remain among the non-belligerent powers, but its men and its policy naturally belong to the axis system.” Observers regarded it probable Franco would keep Spain out of the war until the time appeared propitious for the attempt to make a quick capture of Gibraltar by German and Italian forces working in his behalf.
At Zossen, General Halder continues the Army’s perpetual preparations for phantom operations and sets in motion a detailed planning process for Operation FELIX, the projected assault on Gibraltar. These sorts of contingency planning sessions take place in all armies, but the Wehrmacht’s obsession with this particular operation — which would be easy with Spanish cooperation, and impossible without — creates an impression of pointless make-work for an idle staff.
Only Francisco Franco in Madrid can create the conditions necessary for Operation FELIX, and his attitude remains obscure. His Foreign Minister Serrano Suner, having just met with Hitler, meets today with Mussolini in Rome to discuss similar “things.”
Hubert Lanz was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for gallantry during the invasion of France.
Norwegian Jews are forbidden to continue in all academic or other professions by the Nazi authorities. Fortunately, there were none of the killings, beatings, forced labor and expulsions which had become daily events in occupied Poland.
The media publicizes the recipients of the new George Cross and George Medal. These include Thomas Hopper Alderson and Patrick King, both involved in civilian rescues after bomb damage.
A debate rages in England as to whether the government should be building deep shelters for the citizenry (as opposed to mere “surface shelters” which have proven vulnerable to direct hits. Former Prime Minister Lloyd George leads this point of view. Today, Lord Davies writes to the Guardian supporting this argument, calling the refusal properly to acknowledge the air war’s dangers “another legacy of the Chamberlain regime” (which is perhaps the worst insult imaginable at this time).
Davies, George and many, many others would be perhaps discomfited to learn that the government, despite its protestations, indeed is building massive, deep, well-constructed shelters — but only for its own use. Cost, it turns out, is no object when it comes to protecting government bureaucrats. Many of these shelters survive today, virtually intact, down to the teapots and cutlery to be used in 1940. The public is not informed of their existence until the 21st Century.
In a communiqué published after a ministerial council tonight, it is stated that the discussion of the Cabinet turned on fixing a definite status for Jews in France.
All British subjects were expelled from Rumania tonight in a sweeping move believed to have been inspired by the axis powers, according to a dispatch from Bucharest. Expulsion of the British, of whom there were several hundred in Rumania, followed in the wake of stiff British protests over the arrest of five British subjects by Rumanian police last week.
The Finnish government signs an agreement with Germany giving it sole rights to Finnish nickel exports in exchange for arms.
British troops reinforced the garrison on Malta. Cruisers HMS Gloucester and Liverpool, having unloaded their 1000+ troops and cargo, scoot back out of Grand Harbour and head back to Alexandria. The island’s army units spend the day reorganizing and inspecting the new troops.
A new phase opens this month in which the Germans use their main bomber force almost entirely under cover of darkness. In daylight they send over only small numbers of fast Ju88s together with Messerschmitt fighters at high altitude carrying bombs, protected by further fighters above. This activity occurs every day and proves extremely difficult to deal with, but strategically is of little benefit to the Germans. At night London is bombed heavily (by an average of 150 bombers) every night of the month except one. Small raids of 20 to 70 aircraft each attacked RAF airfields in England, United Kingdom; London was not targeted during the day. The Germans lost 4 fighters and the British lost 5 fighters with 4 pilots killed. London was bombed overnight.
The Luftwaffe high command — namely Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring — continues tinkering with its strategy on 1 October 1940. He reverses a recent strategy to send in fighter-bombers ahead of the medium bombers, which drained the fighters of fuel. Now, he orders that each fighter squadron be outfitted with a Gruppe of Bf 109E-7 fighter-bombs (“Jabos”) to entice the RAF fighters up to do battle while leaving the all but the fastest Junkers Ju 88 bombers for night-time activity.
All of these tactical switches have a bad effect on the Luftwaffe’s morale, but not everything that went wrong for the Germans was Göring’s sole responsibility (even if he did have the final say on everything relating to the Luftwaffe except overall strategy). Göring was laboring under several handicaps which included:
Absolutely horrendous military intelligence about the RAF;
The fact that this was the first air campaign of its kind in history;
Equipment not suited to an air campaign of this nature;
Insufficient time to prepare for the campaign after the unexpectedly quick victory over France;
Orders from Hitler to bomb London.
Viewing the battle in its broadest sense, the German air effort in 1940 is a laboratory experiment regarding how to conduct a strategic bombing campaign against fierce defenses. In fact, it is one of the few times in history it ever has been tried. The lessons learned during it have helped every other air force since. Thus, if the Luftwaffe is making mistake after mistake, it is not (solely) because it was being run by stupid people with hideously misplaced objectives.
In the day’s operations, the Luftwaffe gets off to an early start by attacking RAF Carew Cheriton at first light with two bombers. It is an unusually effective attack, destroying two Ansons on the field and several buildings. There were one death and 10 other casualties.
Several hours later, at 10:30, the Luftwaffe sends over a large fighter formation toward Portsmouth and Southampton. The 100+ fighters of JG 2, JG 53 and ZG 26 are met by RAF fighters in the area of the Isle of Wight. Losses are about even for the two sides. A problem with the new strategy arises early on, though, when the Jabos (fighter-bombers) have to jettison their bombs early at random in order to defend themselves, in some ways nullifying the benefits of the strategy. However, from the Luftwaffe’s perspective, the strategy in the larger sense works because it draws the RAF fighters up to do battle, which they might not do otherwise if only pure fighters attacked.
Another formation approaches the coast at The Needles, and another dogfight breaks out. The Luftwaffe pilots appear to get the better of this engagement, shooting down several Spitfires.
After the now-typical lunchtime break, the Luftwaffe sends an attack on London at around 13:00 which consists of Jabos and some Heinkel He 111s escorted by Bf 109s. Fighter Command gets right on this highly predictable attack but suffers a bunch of losses when it runs into elite fighter squadron JG 26.
Shortly after 16:00, the Luftwaffe sends another Jabo/fighter formation to the area of RAF Kenley. This formation manages to reach London, somewhat justifying the change in strategy as the slow Heinkels and other German bombers typically have had to turn back well before then. As a bonus, the Luftwaffe only loses one plane in this bombing, though the Jabos carry far fewer bombs than the bombers and thus cause much less damage than they could have.
After dark, the main targets are London, Liverpool, Manchester, East Anglia, Bristol, and the Midlands — the usual targets. The British are catching on to the German radio direction-finding used by the Luftwaffe at night — the Knickebein system — and are learning how to jam it in RAF No. 80 Signals Section. This is an ongoing process that continues throughout the remainder of the battle. The raids during the night are very moderate, and by now the civilian population has learned how to protect itself as much as possible.
Losses for the day are fairly even, with the usual score given as 6 Luftwaffe losses and 4 RAF ones. This, as usual, does not include planes lost on the ground, RAF bombers lost on their own attacks, and the two-sides respective amounts of bombing damage, which overall gives the Luftwaffe a pretty good day. However, while the change of tactics to reduced bomber use during daylight may be working, it also represents a strategic defeat since the medium German bombers no longer can carry out precision daylight raids.
The first RAF bomber equipped to drop “Mutton” parachute bombs into the path of approaching Luftwaffe planes goes into operation. This follows on earlier, moderately successful attempts to drop bombs in the path of bombers during August.
Hptm. Helmut Wick of Stab I./JG 2 files claims for two Spitfires, giving him a total of 36 victories.
1,120 Spitfires Mk.III are ordered this month.
The Spitfire PR Mk.ID unarmed long-range reconnaissance version makes its first flight this month. Modified by Heston aircraft, this is the definitive long-range reconnaissance version of the Mk.I. It introduces the D-wing, with 66.5 gallon integral fuel tanks in each wing leading edge. The 8 inch or 20 inch cameras were installed in the aft fuselage. Production PR Mk.IDs are powered by the Merlin 45 engine, and are later called PR Mk.IV. Its balance is awkward, making it more difficult to fly than existing Spitfire marks, but its range makes it the backbone aircraft of RAF reconnaissance during 1941 and 1942.
Luftwaffe ace Erich Hartmann began basic training with Friegerausbildungsregiment 10 at Neukuhren, near Königsberg in East Prussia, Germany. Hartmann would achieve 352 “kills” during the war before being sentenced, as a war criminal, to 50 years forced labor by the Soviets.
Hermann Göring officially awarded Wolfgang Falck the Knight Cross medal, but it would be not be presented to Falck until 7 October 1940.
Also receiving the Ritterkreuz is Oberleutnant Gustav “Micky” Sprick, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26, for his 20th victory on 28 September.
I,/NJG 3 forms at Vechta with Bf 110s. Its first commander is Hptm. Günther Radusch.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 7 Blenheims on uneventful daylight sweeps.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 99 Blenheims, Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys to numerous targets overnight in Germany, to Channel ports and minelaying. 1 Hampden, 1 Wellington and 1 Whitley lost. Bomber Command continues its assault on Berlin, attacking a munitions plant there. Other raids occur on Cologne and Duisburg power plants, the coastal guns at Cap Gris Nez, and various airfields and ports in northwestern Europe. The raid on Berlin is notable because the RAF drops propaganda leaflets. The improving Luftwaffe night-fighter force shoots down four RAF bombers over Berlin, and anti-aircraft claims three others along the coast. The RAF is sending numerous small-scale raids on various targets — 105 separate attacks tonight — which prove difficult to intercept. Individually, however, they do not cause much damage, especially when taking into account poor accuracy endemic to bombers of the period.
U-32, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans Jenisch, attacked Dutch steamer Haulerwijk (3278grt) in 54-28N, 26-33W, and later sank her with gunfire in 53-34N, 27-28W. There were 27 survivors; 4 died. The 3,278-ton Haulerwijk was carrying ballast and was bound for Tampa, Florida.
U-38, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe, sank British steamer Highland Patriot (14,172grt) in 52-20N, 19-04W. At 0647 hours the unescorted Highland Patriot (Master Robert Henry Robinson) was hit amidships by two G7e torpedoes from U-38 about 500 miles west of Bishop Rock. At 0708 hours, the abandoned ship was hit by a G7a coup de grâce, caught fire and sank. Three crew members were lost. The master, 135 crew members and 33 passengers were picked up by HMS Wellington (L 65) (Cdr. R.E. Hyde-Smith, RN) and landed at Greenock. The 14,172-ton Highland Patriot was carrying passengers, general and refrigerated cargo and was bound for Glasgow, Scotland.
Italian submarine Maggiore Francesco Baracca sank Greek steamer Aghios Nicolaos in 40‑00N, 16‑55W, 300 miles off Lisbon. Baracca (C.C. Enrico Bertarelli), operating out of Bordeaux about 300 miles (560 km) west of Porto, Portugal, disembarks the crew and then uses its deck gun to sink 3687-ton Greek freighter Aghios Nicolaos at 16:15. There are 27 survivors and four crew perish.
Anti-aircraft ship HMS Alynbank departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to cover convoy WN.19 Slow.
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa was escorting convoy WN.19 Fast when it was attacked by German aircraft at dusk. Stragglers from WN.19 Slow were also machine gunned in this raid.
Destroyers HMS Jackal, HMS Kashmir, and HMS Jupiter departed Rosyth at 0200 for Plymouth for duty in the Western Approaches.
Destroyer HMS Versatile departed Invergordon at 1530 with British steamer Ulster Monarch. Both arrived in the Clyde at 2100/2nd.
Off Cape Barfleur, submarine HMS Swordfish (Lt P J Cowell) attacked the four German torpedo boats returning from laying minefield WERNER off Dover. HMS Swordfish claimed sinking one of the torpedo boats, but none were damaged.
Submarine HMS H-49 (Lt M A Langley) attacked a German convoy of six merchant ships off Texel.
Minesweeper HMS Britomart and minesweeper trawler HMS Retako (245grt) were in a collision in the Firth of Forth. Britomart was repaired at Leith, completed on the 18th.
Convoy OB.222 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers HMS Sabre and HMS Walker and corvettes HMS Coreopsis and HMS Mallow from the 1st to 4th and anti-submarine trawlers HMS St Apollo and HMS Sphene from 1st to 5th.
Convoy FN.296 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Westminster and sloop HMS EGRET, and arrived at Methil on the 3rd.
Convoy FS.297 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers HMS Vanity and HMS Wolfhound, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd.
Convoy SHX.77 departed Halifax escorted by Canadian armed yachts HMCS Reindeer and HMCS Husky.
President Roosevelt discussed with Gaston Henry-Haye, French Ambassador, the reported decision of the Vichy government to strengthen naval facilities at Martinique, received the chiefs of staff of the armies of twenty Central and South American republics; heard the Governors of three Midwestern States urge that the industrial facilities of the Midwest be utilized in the national defense program, announced the appointment of Lowell Wellett to be one of his six administrative assistants and, at a press conference, deplored the hurling of missiles at Wendell L. Willkie during the nominee’s campaign in Michigan.
The Senate completed Congressional action on the Excess Profits Tax Bill and on bills designed to speed up merchant marine construction; considered the Truth-in-Fabrics Bill, heard Senator Pepper urge greater aid to Great Britain and adjourned at 5:36 PM until noon tomorrow. The campaign expenditures committee heard charges of padded registration lists in Wilmington, Delaware.
The House approved the conference report on the Excess Profits Tax Bill, passed a Senate bill restricting payment of United States funds to persons in foreign countries under certain conditions, defeated a bill to prohibit importation of products of expropriated properties and adjourned at 5 PM until noon tomorrow.
Congress sent a compromise excess profits tax bill to the White House today amid forecasts in both house and senate still further taxes would bo levied early next year. The bill’s draftsmen estimated it would yield $525,000,000 on 1940 income, including $230,000,000 from an increase in the normal corporation tax, and from $900,000,000 to $1,000,-000,000 on 1941 income. The legislation also contained clauses designed to speed the defense program. These would suspend existing profits limitations on government contracts for construction” of warships and airplanes and permit corporations to charge off against earnings over a five-year period the cost of new defense manufacturing facilities completed after June 10, 1940.
Senator Claude Pepper of Florida, denouncing the Axis pact as an “international squeeze play” to frighten the United States, urged in the Senate today that this country “give till it hurts in augmenting the material resources of England, so that they may be assured of superiority in the air.”
Wendell L. Willkie, declaring “the road to prosperity is paved with jobs,” today placed increased production at the top of a three-fold program to increase employment. Speaking under a setting sun in Campau Square in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before a crowd estimated at 30,000, the Republican presidential nominee said he also wanted to revamp the tax structure to encourage new enterprise and to cut “red tape” from existing federal regulations.
President Roosevelt today described as reprehensible the conduct of persons in Michigan who threw eggs at Wendell L. Willkie. The president urged the state to deal out swift punishment. He said at a press conference that a young woman employed in the Reconstruction Finance Corp. office at Detroit, who seriously injured a Willkie parade spectator by dropping a wastepaper basket from an eighteenth-story office window as Wendell Willkie entered the building, unquestionably would lose her job. The president asserted that he had not read newspaper dispatches describing the egg throwing and other unfriendly gestures which greeted Willkie at Pontiac, Mich. A girl autograph hunter, struck on the head by a metal wastebasket as she waited outside a downtown hotel to see Wendell L. Willkie last night, was reported in serious condition today with a skull fracture. The basket was one of several missiles which showered down on the crowd following the Republican presidential nominee shortly after he had entered the hotel. The girl was identified as Betty Wilson, 19. Tracing the source of the missiles, police arrested a woman who gave her name as Doris La Rue, 31, and said she is an employe of the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
Wendell L. Willkie said tonight Gov Herbert Lehman of New York had made a “false, malicious and subversive” statement in saying that President Roosevelt’s defeat would give satisfaction to Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and the Japanese government. In a prepared statement, Willkie said he was “shocked that a man of Governor Lehman’s character and responsibility should stoop to a kind of politics that can only jeopardize the safety and welfare of the American people in a critical hour.” Declaring he had sought to “avoid any risk of suspicion in foreign minds” that this country was in disagreement “on our fundamental attitudes towards aggression and toward aid to Great Britain,” the Republican presidential nominee added: “Whatever may be the explanation for Mr. Lehman’s words, they are, I repeat, false, malicious and subversive. They tend to destroy the unity of this country and they challenge in flagrant fashion the principles upon which I have done my level best to conduct this campaign.”
The Pennsylvania Turnpike, the world’s first long-distance controlled-access highway, opened to the public. The first 160 miles (257.5 km) of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the pioneer toll superhighway in the country, opens today. The section extends from Irwin, 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Pittsburgh, to Middlesex, 13 miles (20.9 km) west of Harrisburg. The road is built at a cost of US$61 million (US$753 million in year 2000 dollars) and the toll for the 160 mile trip for cars is US$1.50 (US$18.50 in year 2000 dollars) one way and US$2.50 (US$30.86 in year 2000 dollars) round trip.
Life and property at the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, where work is being done for the United States Maritime Commission and the Navy, have been threatened by three instances of sabotage within the last four months, according to testimony given to the Dies subcommittee today.
Albert Einstein received his final American citizenship papers.
Uranium produced at the mine located at Shinkolobwe, Belgian Congo (the Democratic Republic of the Congo) is shipped to New York. Director Edgar Sengier stores the final total of 1,140 tons of uranium in a Staten Island warehouse. The ore is freakishly rich, containing 65% U3O8. The mine itself has been closed and its location made classified — it even has been removed from maps — but the US Army at some point sends a squad from the Corps of Engineers there to reopen the mine and upgrade the nearby airfields at Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) and Elizabethville (now Lubumbashi) and the port of Matadi.
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps began the Special Landing Operation No. 2 in the Caribbean Sea.
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Campbell reports to Chief of Naval Operations for duty. She will then proceed to Lisbon, Portugal (see 18 and 22 October)
Clarence L. Tinker is promoted to Brigadier General. He currently serves as Commandant of the Air Services Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas and is considered one of the US Army’s top aviation experts (the US air force still being the US Army Air Corps). He also is a Native American, one of the first to reach the rank of General in the Army.
Jacob Devers is promoted to Major General. He now commands the US 9th Infantry Division based at Fort Bragg.
George Brett was promoted to the rank of major general.
“The Wait for Me, Daddy” photo was taken of The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles) by Claude P. Dettloff in New Westminster, Canada.
Mexican soldiers pounced today on Brigadier General Andres Zarzosa and shot him to death a few hours, they said, before the zero hour for a revolutionary coup intended to capture Monterrey, Mexico’s greatest industrial city, and seize power in this American border state. Zarzosa, 49, was an old friend, active campaign supporter and military subordinate of Juan Andreu Almazan, who lost on the basis of official returns in his attempt to become president of Mexico over the opposition of the present administration party. He was shot to death and a band of his adherents was blasted out of a villa they had rented in this city after a wild gun-battle early this morning.
Dr. Arnulfo Arias took the oath as President of Panama this morning before 30,000 spectators in the National Stadium in Panama’s first public Presidential inauguration. He is 39, Latin America’s youngest President.
The Japanese 22nd Army, weakened by transfers south for the invasion of French Indochina, battles fiercely to hold its supply lines in the continuing Battle of South Kwangsi.
The Chinese Communist and Nationalist armies skirmish around Huangqiao. The Nationalist 89th Army attacks Chen Yi’s New Fourth Army at Taixing.
Chinese dispatches reported today that Japanese troops that entered French Indo-China from Kwangsi Province were pushing northward in the direction of the Yunnan frontier.
Weihhaiwei is occupied by the Japanese.
Light cruiser HMS Dauntless arrived at Penang.
The Chermside Army Camp is established in Brisbane, Australia, with construction beginning. It can accommodate 3500 militia troops housed in tents and, eventually, barracks.
Petrol rationing is imposed in Australia.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 134.33 (+1.69)
Born:
John Schuerholz Jr., Baseball HOF executive (GM Kansas City Royals, World Series 1985; Atlanta Braves, World Series 1995), in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jeannine Riley, American actress (“Petticoat Junction”), in Fresno, California.
Larry Keenan, Canadian NHL left wing (Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers), in North Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Laura Bergt, Alaska Native activist and model, in Candle, Alaska (d. 1984).
Richard Corben, illustrator and comic book artist, in Anderson, Missouri (d. 2020).
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Shakespeare-class minesweeping trawlers HMS Romeo (T 10) and HMS Rosalind (T 135) are laid down by A & J Inglis Ltd. (Glasgow, Scotland); completed by Aitchison Blair.
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawler HMS Burra (T 158) is laid down by the Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd. (Goole, U.K.); completed by Amos & Smith.
The Royal Canadian Navy Bangor-class (VTE Reciprocating-engined) minesweepers HMCS Drummondville (J 253) and HMCS Swift Current (J 254) are laid down by Canadian Vickers Ltd. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-90 is laid down by Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 294).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IXC U-boat U-155 is laid down by AG Weser, Bremen (werk 997).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIID U-boat U-213 is laid down by F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 645).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-380 is laid down by Howaldtswerke AG, Kiel (werk 11).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boats U-439 and U-440 are laid down by F Schichau GmbH, Danzig (werk 1490 and 1491).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boats U-583, U-584, U-585, and U-586 are laid down by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 559–562).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Monkshood (K 207) is laid down by Fleming & Ferguson Ltd. (Paisley, Scotland).
The Royal Canadian Navy Bangor-class (VTE Reciprocating-engined) minesweeper HMCS Nipigon is launched by the Dufferin Shipbuilding Co. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
The Royal Navy “U”-class (Second Group) submarine HMS Union (N 56) is launched by Vickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Verbena (K 85) is launched by Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.).
The Royal Indian Navy Black Swan-class sloop HMIS Sutlej (U 95) is launched by William Denny & Brothers (Dumbarton, Scotland).
The Marynarka Wojenna (Polish Navy) White 70 foot-type motor anti-submarine boat ORP S 1 is commissioned.
The Royal Navy Higgins 70 foot-class motor gun boat HMS MGB 69 is commissioned.
The Royal Navy battleship HMS King George V (41), lead ship of her class of 5, is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Captain Wilfrid Rupert Patterson, RN.
History Diaries 