The issue of propaganda can be very tricky sometimes. The Luftwaffe objects to the use of the term “air pirates” for the lone raiders which are trained to use cloud cover on days of poor weather. However, Hitler specifically wants specially trained raiders to be described thus by the (state-controlled) media. Dr. Goebbels tells the OKW, which has communicated this concern to Goebbels, to buzz off and see the Führer about it. In the meantime, he will continue calling them “air pirates.”
Goebbels does throw the Luftwaffe a bone by agreeing to issue formal denials to British claims that military targets have been hit which in fact have not — unless doing so would blow the cover of a massive deception being launched in which fake “military” sites are created to draw off the RAF bombers.
Generalleutnant Arnold Christian Rüdiger Joseph Maria Freiherr von Biegeleben (16 April 1883 – 11 October 1940) perishes of a heart attack. A Knight’s Cross recipient, he is the commander of the 6th Infantry Division. He is replaced by Generalleutnant Helge Auleb.
Marshal Philippe Pétain, leader of Vichy France, made a radio broadcast in which he announced his intention of collaborating with Germany by advocating that the French abandon their traditional ideas on who were their friends and who are their enemies.
Charles Hunziger presented the Order of Merit and the Croix de Guerre medals to the American Hospital in Paris, France.
Operation MEDIUM: Between 0333 and 0351 hours, British battleship Revenge and destroyers Javelin, Jaguar, Jupiter, Kashmir, Kelvin, and Kipling bombarded Cherbourg, France. German torpedo boats attempted to interfere, but the attack was fought off.
The Belgian Government will fight at the side of the British until final victory, despite reports or rumors to the contrary, Georges Theunis, former Premier of Belgium and Ambassador at Large, now in Britain, said.
Britain has blocked all Rumanian credits in the United Kingdom because of the entrance of German troops into Rumania in an action similar to that already taken by the United States.
Turkey, non-belligerent ally of Britain and stalwart guardian of the Dardanelles, served emphatic notice on Germany tonight that 2,000,000 Turkish bayonets stand athwart any Axis move in this direction against the Near East.
A Finnish Russian agreement that demilitarized the Aaland Islands was signed with the parties “… desiring to strengthen their security and foundations of peace in the Baltic Sea.”
A convoy of 4 merchant ships arrived at Malta from Alexandria, Egypt. The escorting British Mediterranean Fleet began to sail back to Alexandra, but was spotted by an Italian civilian aircraft 100 miles southeast of Malta. Italian destroyers and torpedo boats were dispatched to intercept.
While it might seem trivial, the convoy makes a big impression on the British troops on Malta for a specific reason: it brings the first mail in some time. It is quite old, the voyage around Africa has taken weeks, but the experience is greatly treasured by men who have had no word of the safety of their families and friends back home in the Blitz.
While small raids of 10 or few aircraft harassed southern England, United Kingdom all day, a number of larger raids, with 25 to 90 aircraft, attacked larger towns. The larger raids were composed mostly of fighters as the Germans continued to try to wear down British fighter strength. On this day, the Germans lost 1 Do 17 bomber and 4 Bf 109 fighters, while the British lost 8 fighters with 3 pilots killed. Overnight, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, and the Tyne and Tees areas were bombed; 3 Do 17 bombers were shot down over Anglesey after attacking Liverpool, at the cost of 1 British fighter.
The flying weather is good on 11 October 1940, so the Luftwaffe attacks throughout the day. The raids once again are conducted almost exclusively during the day by fighter-bombers (Jabos), so they don’t cause as much damage as regular bombers would. They do, however, entice the RAF up to do battle, which is the main intent. The Jabos can fly much higher than regular bombers, upwards of 30,000 feet, so interception is difficult except underneath — which is the worst position for a dogfight. Small-scale attacks by small groups continue incessantly throughout the day.
The Jabos start early in the morning, attacking a convoy off Deal around 08:00. RAF No. 72 Squadron rises to intercept, and JG 53 pilots claim two Spitfires.
At 10:30, the Luftwaffe begins sending across four waves of Jabos on the Kent coast, one every fifteen minutes or so. They try to reach London, but after RAF interception mostly drop their bombs at random along the southern outskirts (Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone, Folkestone, Whitstable, and the Thames Estuary). This is a major operation by Fighter Command.
After lunchtime, at 14:00 another major raid develops near Hastings. This group splits up and heads for London, Portland, and Hornchurch. Other raiders cross the Essex coast and head for North Weald and favorite target Biggin Hill. This leads to another major confrontation, and the RAF takes a number of losses.
As daylight dwindles, a final raid is made by Dornier Do 17s against the Midlands and Merseyside regions around 18:00 onwards. RAF No. 312 (Czech) Squadron intercepts, as does No. 611 Squadron. The RAF fighters shoot down three bombers at the cost of two RAF fighters.
After dark, raider head across from all along the Channel coast. They all head for London. Wimbledon Tennis Club takes damage, including Centre Court, and so does the nearby golf course. In London, there is major damage to the City of London Electric Light Co. Bankside Power Station.
Further north, Liverpool also receives its usual visit, along with Aberdeen and the Firth of Forth area. The Liverpool docks area takes particular damage, and four ships in the port are sunk (discussed below). As the night wears on, London becomes the major target, though there are scattered raids (intentional or not) all along the southern coastline and in Scotland. The Luftwaffe also drops mines in the Thames Estuary and East of Scotland.
The day is notable for being a rare Luftwaffe win. The RAF loses 8 planes and the Luftwaffe 7.
Oberst Werner Mölders of JG 51 shoots down a Spitfire over Canterbury during the morning raids for his 43rd victory. This maintains his lead in the top tier of Luftwaffe aces, followed closely by Adolf Galland.
The first Beaufighter night fighter squadron becomes operational.
The coastal guns at Hellfire Corner (Dover/Calais) exchange fire during the night, without any significant hits.
Several cottages were destroyed early yesterday on an estate near the country home of United States Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. Ambassador Kennedy was in bed at the time and was uninjured. The walls of his house trembled and lampshades fell across the bed.
The first production Handley Page Halifax I (L 9485) makes its maiden flight.
During the night, 4 British Hampden aircraft (out of 5 launched) from Lindholme, Yorkshire attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 6 Blenheims on an uneventful daylight sea sweep.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 86 aircraft of all types overnight to oil and shipbuilding targets in Germany, in minor raids to the Channel ports and minelaying. No losses. Bomber Command concentrates on the invasion ports, and also sends some planes to attack targets in Germany. An attack during the night on the Tirpitz by 4 Hampden bombers produces no result.
The RAF bombs Italian positions in Benghazi and Tobruk. It also attacks Asmara, Eritrea and Gura, Abyssinia.
U-48, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Bleichrodt, in attacks on convoy HX.77, sank Norwegian steamer Brandanger (4624grt) in 57-10N, 17-00W and British steamer Port Gisbourne (10,144grt) in 56-38N, 16-40W.
At 2150 hours the Brandanger (Master Elling J. Andresen) in convoy HX.77 was hit on the port side in the engine room by a torpedo from U-48 and sank. Bleichrodt misidentified his victim as the Norwegian steam merchant Emma Bakke (4706 grt). Two crewmen died on watch below and four men drowned when they fell overboard during the launching of their lifeboat. The master and 15 survivors were picked up from a lifeboat and a raft the next morning by HMS Clarkia (K 88) (LtCdr F.J.G. Jones, RNR) and landed at Liverpool on 15 October. Eight survivors in another lifeboat were picked up by the British steam merchant Clan Macdonald (Master A. Mackinley) in 54°09N/13°28W in the afternoon of 16 October and landed in Liverpool three days later. The 4,624-ton Brandanger was carrying general cargo, including lumber and metals and was bound for Liverpool, England.
At 2209 hours the Port Gisborne (Master Thomas Kippins, DSC) in convoy HX.77 was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 about 113 miles west-southwest of Rockall. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats, but one of them capsized in gale force conditions and the occupants drowned. The abandoned wreck sank later in 57°02N/17°24W. 26 crew members were lost. The master, 36 crew members and one gunner were rescued: The survivors in one boat were picked up on 22 October by HMS Salvonia (W 43) (Lt G.M.M. Robinson, RNR) and the remaining survivors in another boat on 24 October by the British steam merchant Alpera and landed at Greenock. The master Thomas Kippins was awarded the OBE and the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea. The 8,390-ton Port Gisborne was carrying refrigerated and general cargo, including bales of wool and bales of sheepskin and was bound for Cardiff, Wales.
At 0920, destroyer HMS Zulu, which was the fourth ship in a line, was badly damaged by an acoustic mine 1.6 cables 064° from Beamer Rock in the Firth of Forth. The mine exploded 40 feet off the starboard side abaft of the bridge. There were no casualties. Many minor leaks, machinery defects and distortion of the bulkheads were caused by the explosion. Zulu was repaired at Rosyth, completed in thirteen weeks on 18 January 1941.
Destroyer HMS Bedouin was damaged when she struck a submerged object in 56-31N, 02-15W, and was repaired at Southampton completing on 17 November.
British minefield BS.40 was laid by minelayers HMS Teviotbank and HMS Plover and destroyers HMS Icarus and HMS Impulsive.
German E-boat attacks can be short, sharp and extremely destructive. Such is the case today.
German torpedo boats Falke, Greif, Kondor, Seeadler and Wolf departed Cherbourg for another sortie to the area off the Isle of Wight.
Late on the 11th, in an engagement with anti-submarine trawler Warwick Deeping (445grt, Skipper J. R. Bruce RNR) and former French armed trawler Listrac (778grt, Lt K. P- Kirkup RNR), both of the 17th Anti-Submarine Group, in 50-25N, 01-50W, torpedo boat Greif sank Listrac with a torpedo, and torpedo boats Kondor and Falke sank Warwick Deeping with gunfire. Kirkup and eleven ratings were lost on the Listrac; A/S/Lt R. J. Pickford RCNVR and twenty four ratings were wounded. No crew were lost in Warwick Deeping.
At 0007 on the 12th, the German force contacted and sank French submarine chasers CH.6 (Lt W. B. G. Galbraith, RN) and CH.7 (S/Lt G. A. Gabbett-Mulhallen DSC, RN). The survivors of these ships were picked up by German torpedo boat GREIF. Galbraith, Temporary Acting S/Lt D. B. Walton RNVR and seven ratings were lost on the CH.6; twelve crewmen were taken prisoner. Gabbett-Mulhallen and eleven ratings were killed on CH.7; Acting Lt R. V. Musman RNVR and eight ratings were taken prisoner from CH.7.
Destroyers HMS Jackal, HMS Jaguar, HMS Jupiter, HMS Kelvin, and HMS Kipling came out from Plymouth and two destroyers departed Portsmouth. At 0314 on the 12th, destroyer Jackal engaged two of the German ships at 280°, 27 miles from 50N, 1W. Neither side was damaged and the German ships arrived back at Cherbourg mid-morning on the 12th.
Aircraft carrier HMS Argus departed Greenock with destroyer HMS Achates for Iceland, arrived on the 17th and departed to return on the 20th. They arrived back at Greenock on the 25th. Achates was damaged by weather on the voyage and was repaired at Greenock.
Lt A. F. Adie and Air Mechanic W. H- Souls were killed when their Skua of 760 Squadron crashed on exercises near Tewkesbury.
Anti-aircraft ship HMS Alynbank departed Scapa Flow at 0930 to join convoy HX.76 A. German bombers attacked the convoy off Peterhead in 57-41N, 1-41W at 1927. Gunfire from the escorts and the merchantmen in the convoy drove off the attack. ALYNBANK sustained minor damage from near misses, and repaired at Rosyth completing on the 20th.
Destroyers HMS Matabele and HMS Punjabi departed Scapa Flow at 0800 escorting RFA tanker Montenol (2646grt) to Skaalefjord before proceeding to operation DH. At 1330, a German submarine was reported by aircraft five miles north of this force, 16 miles 020° from Sule Skerry. Punjabi investigated the contact without locating the submarine, and then rejoined Matabele and the tanker. Aircraft carrier HMS Furious, exercising west of Hoy, detached her screen of destroyers HMS Somali, HMS Eskimo and HMS Duncan to investigate the submarine report. The destroyers made no contact and the ships returned to Scapa Flow at 0800/12th.
Destroyer HMS Versatile departed Londonderry for refitting in the Tyne.
Destroyer HMS Fearless departed the Clyde at 1700 after refitting, and then proceeded to Rosyth for Home Fleet operations in the 4th Destroyer Flotilla.
Steamer Thyra II (1088grt) was damaged by German bombing off East Barrow Light Vessel, Thames Estuary.
Armed yacht HMS Aisha (117grt) was lost in mining in the Thames Estuary.
Steamer Inver (1543grt) was damaged by German shore guns in the Straits of Dover.
In German air attacks on Liverpool, steamers Clan MacTaggart (7622grt), Clan Cumming (7264grt), Highland Chieftan (14, 135grt) and tanker Virgilia (5723grt) were damaged.
Steamer Bannthorn (429grt) was damaged by German bombing in Rathlin O’Birne Sound, Eire.
Convoy OG.44 with thirty six ships departed Liverpool, Milford Haven, Glasgow escorted by Canadian destroyer HMCS Skeena and corvette HMS Gladiolus from 11 to 14 October. Skeena and Gladiolus were detached to assist damaged armed merchant cruiser HMS Cheshire. Sloop HMS Wellington escorted the convoy from 11 to 24 October. Destroyer HMS Wrestler escorted the convoy from 22 to 24 October, which arrived at Gibraltar on the 24th.
At 0915, during continuing Mediterranean Fleet operations, destroyer HMS Decoy was detached to Malta to refuel and destroyer HMS Mohawk joined. At 0942, destroyer HMS Imperial was detached to refuel. Imperial was mined at 1105 on the 11th and badly damaged fifteen miles south of Delimara near Malta. One rating was killed in the explosion. She was towed to Malta by Decoy, and Imperial was repaired at Malta, sailing after completion on 28 April. Destroyer HMAS Vampire was detached at 1410 to refuel at Malta.
At 1800, destroyer HMS Nubian, HMS Hero and HMS Havock rejoined the Main Fleet and destroyers HMS Dainty, HMS Defender, and HMS Diamond were detached to refuel.
An Italian civilian plane reported the British Mediterranean Fleet 100 miles southeast of Malta.
In anticipation that these warships would pick up some merchant ships recently arrived at Malta, Italian destroyers Artigliere, Camicia Nera, Aviere and Geniere with torpedo boats Airone, Alcione and Ariel were patrolling an area east of Malta. Four MAS boats were to the north of the Italian force. One destroyer division and MAS boats were stationed to the west of Malta should the British force set out for Gibraltar.
Gunboat HMS Aphis, after refitting, steamer Volo (1587grt) and Fleet auxiliary RFA Plumleaf (5916grt) departed Malta at 2245 on the 11th, escorted by anti-aircraft cruisers HMS Coventry and HMS Calcutta and destroyers HMS Wryneck and HMAS Waterhen.
Late on the 11th, the Mediterranean Fleet began its return to Alexandria.
Sloop HMS Auckland in convoy BS.6 was bombed by Italian bombers at 15-51N, 41-25E, west of Kamaran.
Convoy FN.306 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Woolston and sloop HMS Black Swan. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 13th.
Convoy FS.306 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer HMS Wolsey and sloop HMS Lowestoft. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.
Convoy MF 3 and light cruiser HMS Orion arrived at Malta at 1600. Australian destroyers HMAS Vendetta and HMAS Stuart arrived with the convoy to start refitting in the Malta dockyard.
Convoy BS.6 A departed Port Sudan, escorted by sloop HMAS Parramatta. Destroyer HMS Kingston joined on the 13th. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 15th.
President Roosevelt told a cheering crowd in Akron tonight that he was confident of the ability of the United States “to avoid being brought into war through attack by somebody else on the Americas,” and added that his message to those engaged in defense industries was “speed up all you can.”
“I am glad to see you, I wish I could stay longer in Akron,” he said from the platform of his special train as the throng demanded a speech. “I have had a very interesting day. I have been trying to learn at first hand how this great defense program of ours is going. May I say this to you? You and I know the difficulties and the dangers of these times in the world. For many years we in the United States have managed to keep out of trouble in other continents and I am confident that in the future we shall be able to avoid being brought into war through attack by somebody else on the Americas. But I also believe, and I think most of you do too, that the best way to avoid an attack is to be ready to meet one. And that is why in the steel plants, in Pittsburgh and in Youngstown, I told the foreman and the men in those plants several times that the one thing we ought to work for in speeding up this program is more speed, the quicker, the better. And so, to you, who are a part of defense, to you in this town I give the message, ‘Speed up all you can.’ ”
An estimated 25,000 persons, according to the police, jammed the railroad yards and cheered the President until he spoke to them. Standing in the glare of floodlights he faced this last crowd of the day in his tour of Pennsylvania and Ohio. It converged over railroad tracks, jammed a bridge crossing the yards and perched on the steep terraces flanking the yards.
Asserting that President Roosevelt had given the United States “an irresponsible government,” Wendell L. Willkie charged tonight that the New Deal had encouraged “internal tensions” in the country, and quoted Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propagandist, as having said that it would be “easy to produce a bloody revolution in the United States” because “no other country has so many social and racial tensions.” Speaking to a large crowd in Bees’ Park, home of the Boston National League Baseball Club, the Republican candidate warned the people that world events were moving with incredible speed and that they must decide this year, and not later, whether they wished to have a responsible government and national unity and preserve the democratic way of life. “As in Lincoln’s day, a house divided against itself cannot stand,” Mr. Willkie declared.
United States Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio charged yesterday that the country was drifting “closer to war” and condemned President Roosevelt for “doing nothing” to abate such a trend.
Republican opposition to Administration proposals for cooperation with Latin America was called discouraging by Henry A. Wallace, Democratic candidate for Vice President, in a radio address tonight over a network of the National Broadcasting Company.
The United States government, courting Russia’s adherence to the British-American united front against Japan, has released $7,000,000 of embargoed machine tools for export to the Soviet, it was learned tonight. In furtherance of the united front policy, the maritime commission has approved the charter by the Soviet of upwards of 100,000 tons of American tankers, while disallowing any such charters by Japanese, authoritative quarters disclosed.
The War Department announced today the clearance by the National Defense Advisory Commission of airplane engine contracts totaling $81,569,140.
The University of California board of regents voted unanimously to discharge Kenneth May, a young teaching assistant who was publicly disowned by his father, a Berkeley professor, for being a Communist sympathizer.
American Federation of Labor spokesmen said tonight that a nation-wide waterfront strike would be called in a “few days” unless the International Longshoremen’s Association obtained recognition at three West Coast ports.
The motion picture “Down Argentine Way” is released today. Directed by Irving Cummings, this musical comedy stars Don Ameche, Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, Charlotte Greenwood, J. Carrol Naish and the Nicholas Brothers. The plot has American woman Grable (in the movie that boosted her to stardom) on vacation in Argentina and falling for Argentinean horse breeder Ameche. This was Carmen Miranda’s first American movie. The film is nominated for a best music and two technical Academy Awards.
In New York City, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra record “Make Believe Ballroom Time” for Bluebird Records at the Victor Studios in New York City. This song becomes the theme song for the radio program “Make Believe Ballroom” on radio station WNEW (“Eleven three oh in New York”), in New York City. The show is hosted by Martin Block, America’s first disc jockey. Block creates the aura of doing a “live” radio program, complete with performers (on records) like Harry James or Frank Sinatra, from the ‘Crystal Studios’ at WNEW. His daily program was known to everyone who grew up in the New York City metropolitan area in the 1940s and 1950s (I’ll attest to that). Miller had been so taken with the show’s concept that he actually paid for the “Make Believe Ballroom Time” recording session himself and hired the Modernaires to join in.
Despite Japanese denials, reports persisted in Shanghai of unusually large troop concentrations twelve miles outside the city. Speculation as to the purpose for which they might be used centered on the possibility of forcible occupation of the International Settlement and the French Concession coincident with the reopening of the Burma Road on October 17 by Britain for passage of war supplies to China. American residents in China, however, appeared to be apathetic toward Washington’s advice to come home. They viewed the present crisis as no more menacing than previous experiences they had lived through.
Already tense Shanghai was in a turmoil as the Japanese-controlled puppet Mayor of the city was assassinated in his bed. There was an unconfirmed report that a Japanese officer had been wounded. Streets were barricaded.
The Government of Thailand, the small neighbor of French Indo-China that has been voicing territorial demands on the French colony, has been told by the American Minister in Bangkok of United States interest in maintenance of the status quo in the Far East and respect for international obligations, the State Department said yesterday. Thailand was reported to be massing troops on the frontier and public feeling against Indo-China was said to be rising.
Emphasizing its opposition to any forcible change in the oriental status quo, the United States is actively seeking to dissuade Japan’s friend, Thailand (Siam) from taking any aggressive step. Diplomatic moves along this line were disclosed today, and at the same time it was indicated that the Dutch East Indies, which are arming themselves against any Japanese inroads, would receive continued assistance from American factories.
There are annual naval reviews in Tokyo Bay and Yokohama Bay.
A Japanese diplomatic official, discussing the alliance with Germany and Italy, indicated there were undisclosed understandings outside the language of the published pact that left to each of the three governments the decision as to when its interests had been “attacked.” Thus Germany could not invoke Japanese belligerency against the United States under Article III, on the basis of American war aid to Britain.
General Australian election results, giving Robert Menzies another term as Prime Minister, are announced.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 131.04 (+0.65)
Born:
Bruce McTavish, New Zealand boxing referee (World Boxing Council Referee of the Year 2013, 2015, 2017), in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2025).
Died:
Vito Volterra, 80, Italian mathematician and physicist.
Santōka Taneda, 57, Japanese poet.
Naval Construction:
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IXC U-boat U-156 is laid down by AG Weser, Bremen (werk 998).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-705 is laid down by H C Stülcken Sohn, Hamburg (werk 764).
The Royal Navy “U”-class (Second Group) submarine HMS Usk (N 65) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Peter Ronald Ward, RN.
History Diaries 