Heinrich Himmler went to Madrid and had a meeting with Francisco Franco.
At 23:30 (which is around when he usually holds his nightly war briefing), Hitler embarks on his Special train (Führersonderzug) Amerika. His itinerary is the Spanish border, to visit with Franco, and Montoire to meet with Petain and Laval. Hitler’s twin goals are to draw Spain into the war so that the Wehrmacht can launch Operation Felix against Gibraltar, and to draw Vichy France more tightly into the German orbit. A side benefit would be to lessen tensions between Italy and France. In essence, Hitler aims to create a “Continental Bloc” whose first and primary goal is the destruction of Great Britain.
He privately confides that achieving this would require a “grandiose fraud” wherein governments willingly act against their own countries’ interests. Hitler has little to offer aside from his personal charm, and the governments of both countries have indicated at best lukewarm support for a united military front.
Ribbentrop’s train, “Heinrich,” also leaves. He is carrying a German-Italian-French protocol which is somewhat similar to the Tripartite Agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan. It would guarantee France’s “rightful place in Europe” in exchange for her assistance in the prosecution of the war against the British. The bottom line is that Hitler wants both countries to openly declare war on England. While both are known to be pro-German governments to one extent or another, inducing them to actually go to war and ally openly with Germany (as opposed to covertly, as with Spain, or being a sort of temporary co-belligerent at times, as with Vichy France) is asking a lot.
The trains travel through Aachen, Namur, Yvoir, and Vendome on the way to the first stop, Montoire. Heinrich Himmler already is in Madrid meeting with Francisco Franco and Foreign Minister Serrano Suner to pave the way for Franco’s upcoming meeting with Hitler at Hendaye.
Both sides are courting Vichy France. Marshal Petain secretly notifies Whitehall that he will send emissary Louis Rougier to London via Lisbon to discuss their relationship.
Greenhouse rationing begins in the Netherlands.
Brigadier Colin Gubbins, who essentially has been in charge of special operations in Norway and subsequently, joins Special Operations Executive.
In Rome informed circles said British War Secretary Eden’s visit to Cairo was with the intent of forming an anti-Axis Balkan bloc and of bringing Egypt actively into the war on Britain’s side. One commentator said Mr. Eden was empowered to offer territorial concessions to both Turkey and Egypt, including some Italian possessions, in the event of British victory. Premier Mussolini made his second inspection in recent weeks of troops in Northeastern Italy along the Yugoslav border.
The slaughter of Convoy HX.79 continues through the night of 19/20 October. German U-boats U-46, U-47, and U-100 attacked Allied Convoy HX.79 50 miles northwest of Ireland, sinking 7 and damaging 1 between 0000 and 0720 hours. U-100 sank British ship Loch Lomond; 1 was killed and 111 survived.
In addition to the battle around Convoy HX.79, a bit further west there is a separate attack against Convoy OB.229. U-124 (Kplt. Georg-Wilhelm Schulz). While not nearly as epic a confrontation as that surrounding Convoys SC.7 and HX.79, it adds to the British misery as they begin to contemplate the possibility that the Kriegsmarine actually might be able to shut down the North Atlantic trade routes. In total, U-124 sinks 11,199 tons of shipping during the attack, not a bad haul at all.
Papers retrieved by the Royal Navy from (later sunk) Italian submarine Durbo are used to direct a force of Royal Navy destroyers after another submarine mentioned in them. This leads to a successful interception. An Italian submarine fires a torpedo at Royal Navy destroyer HMS Forester north of Melilla, Spanish Morocco. Royal Navy destroyers HMS Gallant, Griffin and Hotspur spot Italian submarine Lafolè. The destroyers depth-charge, ram and finally sink the Italian sub. There are nine survivors taken aboard the British ships as POWs, along with 37 dead. The Hotspur, meanwhile, takes damage to its bow from the ramming and heads for Gibraltar for lengthy repairs there and at Malta.
At Malta, Governor Dobbie sends a request to the War Office for a thousand tons of meat. This is to ensure that the island has sufficient supplies to withstand a siege. The supplies must make the long, perilous route around Africa, which takes about three months from start to arrival in Malta.
Five raids consisting of German fighters and fighter-bombers flew over Kent in southern England, United Kingdom toward London between 0930 and 1500 hours; the Germans lost 6 Bf 109 fighters and 1 Bf 110 fighter, while the British lost 3 fighters. Between 1900 hours and 0100 hours of the next day, London, Coventry, and Birmingham were bombed.
The weather continues to be poor, but is just good enough for a few medium-sized Luftwaffe operations. The Luftwaffe continues to concentrate on fighter-bomber (Jabo) attacks on southern England, with only occasional daylight bomber raids.
The Jabos mount small-scale attacks throughout the morning, but cause little damage and few casualties. The RAF sends up 8 Squadrons to challenge them, and both sides take some losses.
After lunchtime, at 13:00 a 50-plane Jabo raid crosses Dover for London. Once again, the RAF sends up a handful of Squadrons to battle them. Again both sides take losses.
Around 14:30, another Jabo raid crosses over Maidstone. However, it peters out after the RAF intercepts, and from then on there are only scattered skirmishes until nightfall.
After dark, the Luftwaffe sends about 300 bombers against London, Manchester, the Midlands, East Anglia, and Birmingham. The bulk of the attacks are before midnight. Coventry, home of the Armstrong-Siddeley and Singer Motor Works, also takes damage. The Luftwaffe drops mines along the coast of southern and eastern England.
In London, there is a cultural tragedy when The British Museum Newspaper Repository building goes up in flames, taking with it 6000 volumes of 19th Century literary works. The rail stations at Euston, Waterloo and King William Street are hit.
The RAF No. 219 Squadron gets some night fighters in the air, but the Beaufighter interceptors are difficult for the crews to learn. The radar equipment in particular poses problems. However, the RAF believes that the night fighters hold great promise.
British Losses:
Spitfire P7370, No. 74 Squadron
Sgt. T.B. Kirk died of wounds 22/7/41. Shot down at Coxheath in combat with enemy fighters over Maidstone. Pilot baled out severely wounded and admitted to Preston Hall Hospital in Maidstone.
Blenheim P6952, No. 248 Squadron
Shot down in attack on enemy aircraft off coast of Norway.
P/O G.M. Baird captured
Sgt. R. Copcutt missing.
Sgt. D.L. Burton captured wounded and admitted to hospital in Stavanger.
Sgt. S.V. Wood captured wounded and admitted to hospital in Oslo.
Blenheim L9453, No. 248 Squadron
Shot down by Bf 109s from 4./JG 77 off Ballen Hemnefjord, Norway.
P/O S.R. Gane killed.
P/O M.D. Green killed.
Sgt. N.J. Stocks killed.
The Italians are now ready to begin operations against England from their base in Belgium. The planes include BR20 bombers, Cant Z1007 long-range bombers, G50 fighters, and CR42 fighters. None of them are up to the standards of the fierce Channel Front.
There is an exchange of coastal gunfire at Hellfire Corner (Straits of Dover) which does not achieve much. The German shells often do not explode, and today 15 out of 20 fired (some sources say 50 are fired) turn out to be duds.
Werner Mölders was promoted to the rank of Oberstleutnant.
Oberleutnant Helmut Wick becomes Major Wick and assumes command as Kommodore of JG 2, replacing Major Wolfgang Schellmann. A top Luftwaffe scorer, Wick says:
As long as I can shoot down the enemy, adding to the honor of the ‘Richthofen’ Geschwader and the success of the Fatherland, I will be a happy man. I want to fight and die fighting, taking with me as many of the enemy as possible.
Oblt. Hans Philipp, 4./JG 54, claims 2 Hurricanes to reach 20 victories.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 7 Blenheims on uneventful daylight sea sweeps.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 139 aircraft overnight to many targets, 30 Hampdens to Berlin being the largest raid. 1 Hampden lost and 3 Whitleys returning from the most distant target ditched in the sea. A Whitley of 58 Squadron, based at Linton-on-Ouse, was shot down by a German Intruder on this night and crashed near Thomaby-on-Tees. The Whitley had taken off to bomb the Skoda Works at Pilsen, in Czechoslovakia. The pilot, Pilot Officer E. H. Brown, and 3 other members of the crew were killed and the only survivor was injured. This was the first known success against a Bomber Command aircraft by a German Intruder over the mainland of Britain, though several German pilots had already claimed bombers shot down on the routes over the North Sea. The successful German pilot was Hauptmann Karl Hulshoff of L’NJG 2, the specialist German Intruder unit at that time. Hulshoff claimed the Whitley as a `Hereford’; he survived the war.
Bomber Command raids Berlin twice during the night, starting many fires. RAF bombers also hit points in Italy (Turin, Aosta, Milan), north German ports (Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven), the Krupps factory at Essen, and various invasion ports. The attack on Wilhelmshaven is directed by 7 bombers at battleship Tirpitz, which has become the tar baby of the Kriegsmarine for the RAF. As usual, the bombers achieve no hits against it.
The RAF bombs the Italian depot of Tobruk. The Italian Air Force bombs Cairo for the first time from bases in East Africa. In addition, the Italians send a group of bombers on an epic 4506 km journey from the Dodecanese Islands to bomb oil refinery targets in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and then land in Eritrea. The refineries are American-operated in the British Protectorate of Bahrain. They cause little or no damage to the refineries.
Cairo had its first bombing of the war tonight when a solitary Italian plane swept low and dropped several bombs on the outskirts of the city. One Egyptian was killed and six wounded.
U-46, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Engelbert Endrass, sank Swedish tanker Janus (9965grt) which was straggling behind HX.79 in 56-36N, 15-03W. At 0325 hours the Janus was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-46 and broke in two in a big explosion. Both parts remained afloat for some time. The U-boat had unsuccessfully attacked the tanker with two torpedoes at 0244 hours. The survivors were picked up by HMS Hibiscus (K 24) (LtCdr R. Phillips, RNR) and landed at Methil. The 9,965-ton Janus was carrying fuel oil and was bound for Clyde, United Kingdom.
U-47, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien, sank British steamer La Estancia (5185grt) from convoy HX.79 in 57-00N, 17-00W. At 0037 and 0043 hours, U-47 fired one torpedo at the convoy HX.79 and reported two ships sunk, but both torpedoes probably hit and sank the La Estancia (Master John Meneely). One crew member was lost. The master, 24 crew members and one passenger were picked up by the HMS Coreopsis (K 32) (LtCdr A.H. Davies) and landed at Gourock. Seven crew members were picked up by Induna and landed at Methil. The 5,185-ton La Estancia was carrying sugar and was bound for Middlesbrough, England.
U-47 in attacks on convoy HX.79 sank British steamer Whitford Point (5026grt) in 56-38N, 16-00W and damaged British tanker Athelmonarch (8995grt) in 56-45N, 15-58W.
At 0148 hours, the Whitford Point (Master John Edward Young) in convoy HX-79 was hit by one torpedo from U-47 and sank 90 miles southwest of Rockall. The master, 35 crew members and one gunner were lost. Three crew members were picked up by the British trawler Sturdee and landed at Londonderry. The 5,026-ton Whitford Point was carrying steel and was bound for London, England.
At 0204 hours, the Athelmonarch (Master Thomas James Donovan) in convoy HX.79 was hit and damaged by one torpedo from U-47 (Prien) in position 56°45N/15°58W. The tanker was en route from Santiago de Cuba to Liverpool via Bermuda with a cargo of 13,146 tons of molasses. No casualties in the crew of 41 She arrived at the Clyde on 23 October, was repaired in Liverpool and returned to service in July 1941. The 8,995-ton Athelmonarch was carrying molasses and was bound for Liverpool, England.
U-48 sank the damaged Shirak. At 2331 hours the Shirak (Master Lawrence Robert Morrison) in convoy HX.79 had been hit by a stern torpedo from U-47 (Prien), caught fire for a short time and fell behind the convoy where the crew abandoned ship. At 0024 hours on 20 October, the tanker was hit amidships by torpedo from U-48 caught again fire and sank about 90 miles southwest of Rockall. The master and 36 crew members were picked up by HMS Blackfly (FY 1173) (Lt A.P. Hughes, RNR) and landed at Belfast.
U-100, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke, in attacks on convoy HX.79 sank British tankers Caprella (8230grt) in 56-37N, 17-15W and Sitala (6218grt) in 56-37N, 17-15W, one hundred fifty miles southwest of Rockall. At 0015 hours on 20 Oct 1940, U-100 fired two torpedoes at two tankers in convoy HX.79 from within the columns about 150 miles southwest of Rockall and hit Caprella and Sitala, which both caught fire after being torpedoed and sank later.
The burning Caprella (Master Percy Prior) was quickly abandoned by the crew. One crew member was lost. The master and 51 crew members were picked up by HMS Lady Elsa (FY 124) (Lt J.G. Rankin, RNR) and landed at Belfast. On 22 October, the drifting wreck of the Caprella was located in 56°28N/17°53W vertically submerged, showing only the bow 15 metres above water. The 8,230-ton Caprella was carrying fuel oil and was bound for Mersey, England.
The burning Sitala (Master John Lewis Morgans) was quickly abandoned and sank later after breaking in two. One crew member was lost. The master and 42 crew members were picked up by HMS Lady Elsa (FY 124) (Lt J.G. Rankin, RNR) and landed at Belfast. The 6,218-ton Sitala was carrying crude oil and was bound for Manchester, England.
U-100 sank British steamer Loch Lomond (5452grt) which was acting as a rescue ship picking up survivors behind HX.79 in 56-00N, 14-30W. At 0720 hours the unescorted Loch Lomond (Master William James Park), a straggler from convoy HX.79, was torpedoed by U-100 southwest of Rockall. The ship had rescued 72 survivors from the Matheran and fell behind the convoy. The U-boat began shelling the abandoned ship at 1415 hours until she sank after 79 shells were fired. One crew member was lost. The master, 38 crew members and all survivors were picked up by HMS Jason (J 99) (LtCdr R.E. Terry, RN) and landed at Methil. The 5,452-ton Loch Lomond was carrying passengers, lumber, and steel and was bound for Immingham, England.
U-124, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Georg-Wilhelm Schulz, sank Norwegian steamer Cubano (5810grt) from convoy OB.229 in 57-55N, 25-00W. At 0143 hours the Cubano (Master Håkon Martinsen) was torpedoed by U-124 about 360 miles west of Rockall. The ship was abandoned but the lifeboats stayed close to the ship until she finally sank in the morning. Later one of the lifeboats picked up a survivor from the Sulaco, which had also been torpedoed by the same U-boat. On 21 October, all survivors were picked up by HMCS Saguenay (D 79) (Cdr G.R. Miles, RCN) and landed at Greenock two days later. The 5,810-ton Cubano was carrying ballast and was bound for Montreal, Quebec.
U-124 sank British steamer Sulaco (5389grt) from convoy OB.229 in 57-25N, 25-00W. At 0229 hours U-124 fired one torpedo from within convoy OB.229 at Sulaco (Master Henry Carlton Bower), which was hit amidships and sank rapidly about 360 miles west of Rockall. The master, 63 crew members and two gunners were lost. The sole survivor, chief cook James Thompson Harvey, was picked up by HMCS Saguenay (D 79) (Cdr G.R. Miles, RCN) and landed at Greenock on 23 October. The 5,389-ton Sulaco was carrying ballast.
Italian submarine Malaspina attacked a British tanker from dispersed convoy OB.229 in 59N, 29W but failed to sink it.
Anti-aircraft ship HMS Alynbank departed Methil at 0630 escorting convoy OA.232 to Duncansby Head.
Destroyers HMS Fearless, HMS Electra, and HMS Brilliant departed Rosyth at 1030 escorting battlecruiser HMS Repulse to Rattray Head. Destroyers HMS Somali, HMS Mashona, and HMS Matabele departed Scapa Flow at 1200 and relieved the Repulse escort at 1630 at Rattray Head.
Destroyer HMS Cleveland departed Kirkwall with British steamer Ben My Chree. They arrived at Aberdeen at 1400/20th. The destroyer then escorted Submarine HMS L 23 from Dundee to Scapa Flow. En route, the destroyer assisted damaged British steamer Conakrian.
Destroyer HMS Eskimo docked at Scapa Flow to repair oil tank leak. Destroyer Eskimo was undocked on the 24th to accommodate damaged destroyer HMS Mendip. Destroyer Eskimo completed her repairs alongside depot ship HMS Maidstone completing at 1900/25th.
Canadian destroyer HMCS Margaree departed Londonderry as the sole escort for the 5-ship convoy OL.8. The OL series of convoys ran very briefly in the early part of WWII. They were relatively small convoys & often not included in references that list the major convoys. Some sources that deal with the subsequent sinking of Margaree indicate that the convoy was bound for Iceland. ‘OL’ stood for ‘Outbound from Liverpool’. The object with all early convoys was to get the ships clear of U-boat danger area around the UK. Once clear, the convoy dispersed & ships proceeded independently to their destination ports. There is no record of whether all or only part of OL.8 was bound for Iceland.
Submarine HMS Ursula departed Portsmouth for the Mediterranean. Submarine Ursula arrived at Gibraltar on the 30th and was under repair through the end of the year.
British steamer Conakrian (4876grt) from convoy OA.232 was damaged by German aerial torpedo, nine miles 130° from Girdleness. Destroyer HMS Cleveland took off the survivors from lifeboats and stood by the steamer. The steamer was taken in tow and safely brought into port. Steamer Conakrian was dragged onto the shore one mile south of the Bridge of Don at 2200/22nd.
British steamer City Of Roubaix (7108grt) was damaged by German bombing at Alexandria Dock, Liverpool.
Destroyers HMS Gallant, HMS Griffin, HMS Hotspur sank Italian submarine Lafole off Mellila in 36-00N, 03-00W. The submarine had fired a torpedo at destroyer HMS Forester. Destroyer Hotspur sustained considerable damage to her bow ramming the submarine. She received temporary repairs at Gibraltar from 22 October to 20 November. Then she went to Malta for repairs from 29 November to 20 February. Destroyer Gallant picked up one officer and one rating from the Italian submarine. Seven ratings were picked up by destroyer Hotspur.
Aircraft carrier HMS Eagle departed Alexandria with destroyers HMS Hasty, HMS Havock, HMS Ilex, HMS Decoy, and HMS Hereward on exercises. All the ships arrived back at Alexandria at 0915 on the 21st.
Heavy cruiser HMS Kent was undocked at Alexandria after emergency repairs for torpedo damage. She was moored astern of submarine depot ship HMS Medway. The heavy cruiser departed Alexandria on the 26th for Port Said.
Convoy OA.232 departed Methil escorted by sloop HMS Weston and corvettes HMS Campanula and HMS Peony from 20 to 23 October.
Convoy FN.315 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers HMS Wallace and HMS Westminster. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 21st.
Convoy FS.315 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 23rd.
Convoy HX.82 departed Halifax at 1300 escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS St Croix and HMCS St Francis and auxiliary patrol boats HMCS Husky and HMCS Reindeer. The destroyers turned the convoy over to ocean escort, armed merchant cruiser HMS Alaunia, which was detached on the 31st. On 1 November, destroyers HMS Chelsea, HMS Verity, HMS Veteran, and HMS Witherington, and corvettes HMS Camellia and HMS Honeysuckle of the OB.235 escort joined the convoy. Also joining on 1 November were destroyers HMS Broke, HMS Malcolm, and HMS Sardonyx and corvettes HMS Arabis, HMS Gentian, and HMS Heliotrope. On 3 November, destroyers Broke and Malcolm and corvettes Arabis, Camellia, and Heliotrope were detached. On 4 November, destroyers Chelsea, Verity, Veteran, and Witherington and corvette Gentian were detached. Destroyer Sardonyx and corvette Honeysuckle arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 6 November.
Convoy BS.6B departed Port Sudan, escorted by destroyer HMS Kingston and sloop HMS Flamingo. The destroyer was detached on the 21st. Sloop HMIS Indus joined on the 22nd. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 24th.
Convoy BS.7 departed Suez. The convoy was joined on the 21st by sloop HMS Grimsby and on the 22nd by sloop HMS Clive. Both sloops were detached on the 24th when the convoy was joined by light cruiser HMS Leander, anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Carlisle, destroyer HMS Kingston, sloops HMS Auckland and HMAS Yarra. The convoy dispersed off Aden on the 28th.
U.S. President Roosevelt, completing a weekend conference which may presage increased aid for Great Britain, today played host to visiting royalty from Canada and Luxembourg. Amid reports that an agreement has been consummated for sale of the army’s “flying fortress” bombers to Great Britain, Mr. Roosevelt ended a two-day meeting with the Earl of Athlone, Governor-General of Canada who represents the ruling family of the British empire in the dominion. Temporary White House officials disclaimed knowledge of the reports. Insisting that the conference was informal, Mr. Roosevelt’s aides indicated that no statement on the conversations would be issued.
Wendell L. Willkie, Republican Presidential candidate, renewed tonight his challenge to President Roosevelt for a debate on the issues of the campaign, offering to share time with Mr. Roosevelt in a hall which the Republicans have obtained for the night of October 30.
Charges and counter-charges of misrepresentation were flung at rival political groups today as the 1940 Presidential race entered the homestretch. Representative Ralph E. Church, Republican, of Illinois, accused Louis Johnson, former assistant secretary of war, of presenting “misinformation” concerning the status of the defense program and demanded to know if the New Deal was conducting the third-term campaign on the principle that “big lies” would be believed because of their “very brazenness.” The National Committee of Independent Voters, of which Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska is honorary chairman and Mayor La Guardia of New York City is chairman, in a statement said that “probably never before in history has a candidate for President made so many misstatements of fact as Wendell L. Willie has made during the current campaign.”
The American College of Surgeons tonight announced 35,078 five-year cancer cures in the United States, These are persons who had cancer and who, five years after treatment, are free of the disease. The figure is an increase of 6,000 over the number of five-year cures three years ago when the college took its last formal cancer census. The figures were issued as evidence not only that cancer is curable, hut that the number of cures is rising notably. The first census, taken in 1931, showed only about 20,000 five-year cures.
Standard Oil Co. of California today received a message from its Arabian and Bahrain island representatives saying its oil holdings there were bombed Saturday but that damage was “negligible” and that none of the American workers was injured.
Secretary Knox, in a message today to the naval service on the observance of Navy Day a week hence, declared that it would be the most momentous celebration of its sort since the inception of Navy Day in 1922.
Special border permits will be issued for the convenience of Canadians who visit the United States often, the Foreign Exchange Control Board in Ottawa announced today.
U.S. Navy light cruiser USS St. Louis (CL-49), with Greenslade Board embarked, arrives at San Juan, Puerto Rico (see 21 October).
Troop convoy US.6 of British troopships Queen Mary (81235grt) and Aquitania (45647grt) departed Sydney on the 20th. British troopship Mauretania (35738grt) departed Melbourne on the 21st and joined at sea. The convoy departed Fremantle on the 26th escorted by light cruiser HMAS Perth. The light cruiser was relieved on the 30th at 12-30N, 96E by heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra which continued with the convoy to Bombay. The convoy arrived safely at Bombay on 4 November and the troops went aboard four smaller ships, one of them the British steamer Rohna (8602grt). The four steamers arrived safely at Suez on 26/27 November.
Convoy BM.2 departed Bombay with steamers Dunera (11,162grt), Islami (5,879grt), Jalahoham (5,100grt), Santhia (7,754grt), Talma (10,000grt), escorted by armed merchant cruiser HMS Hector from 20 to 26 October and light cruiser HMS Danae from 26 to 30 October when the convoy arrived at Penang. Steamer Talma went on to Singapore and arrived on the 31st. The oiler USS Ramapo delivered the district patrol craft YP-16 and YP-17 at Apra Harbor to augment the local defenses at Guam.
Chinese dispatches reported a major victory in Kiangsi Province, south central China, today, but admitted that the Japanese Air Force was carrying out widespread bombing operations in the vital southwest defense area around Kunming, Yunnan province, on the reopened Burma munitions highway. Strong Chinese forces west of Nanchang, in north central Kiangsi Province, scored “the biggest victory of this month’s fighting” Saturday, it was asserted. The Chinese, operating from bases between Nanchang and Changsha, captured the important town of Fengain after killing an estimated 2,000 Japanese, it was said.
In the southwest defense area, it was admitted, Japanese planes were active throughout today. Twenty-seven planes flew over Kunming, where air alarms were sounded for five hours, but dropped no bombs on the capital which had suffered heavily in raids last week. No mention was made of new bombing attacks on bridges and stations of the Burma Road.
Japanese naval airmen, conducting their second raid on the Burma Road yesterday, after taking off from their new bases in Indo-China, the location of which were not disclosed, had difficulty in locating their targets owing to dense clouds, it was stated today. Eventually the atmosphere cleared and the fliers found the bridges they had been sent to bomb. They claim to have caused considerable damage. Trucks seen moving along the road to the interior were not pursued. Another force of Japanese bombers attacked munitions factories along the Burma Road and claimed to have destroyed them.
As long as two months ago, it was learned in Hong Kong, intake valves for United States submarines were shipped to the British naval base there. They were the only materials lacking to provide complete overhaul service for American undersea craft. It was taken as an indication of long-range planning for possible United States naval cooperation with the British in the Far East. Tacticians said submarines based on Hong Kong could raise havoc with Japan’s supply lines to her forces in China. Hong Kong was said to be vulnerable only to air attack on its water supply.
Neutral observers in Tokyo said Japan was anxious to avoid any overt act against Britain or the United States, but would not suffer a long-range economic blockade without retaliation. Japan was said to hold high hopes for success of her economic mission to the Netherlands Indies for oil and of her diplomatic mission to Moscow seeking an anti-aggression treaty with the Soviet. London believed Britain would not block a limited agreement for oil from the Netherlands Indies to Japan.
German raiders Orion and Komet were replenished by supply ship Kulmerland.
U.S. Navy oiler USS Ramapo (AO-12) delivers district patrol craft YP-16 and YP-17 at Apra Harbor to augment the local defenses at Guam.
Born:
Robert Pinsky, American poet, essayist, literary critic and translator (Poet Laureate of the United States), in Long Branch, New Jersey.
Kathy Kirby, English singer (“Secret Love”), in Ilford, England, United Kingdom (d. 2011).
Died:
Gunnar Asplund, 55, Swedish modernist architect (The Woodland Crematorium).
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawler HMS Inchcolm (T 18) is laid down by Cook, Welton & Gemmill (Beverley, U.K.); completed by Holmes.
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawler HMS Hoy (T 114) is laid down by Cook, Welton & Gemmill (Beverley, U.K.); completed by Amos & Smith.
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Crocus (K 49) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Edward Wheeler, RNR.
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMCS Windflower (K 155) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is T/Lieutenant John Hubert Smith MacDonald, RCNR.
History Diaries 