290 Jews, old people, cripples and the mentally ill from the Old Peoples Home in Kalisz, Poland, are put in a truck, taken just outside of town to the woods at Winiary, and gassed inside the truck with exhaust fumes. All 290 are buried in the woods.
General de Charles Gaulle formed a free government for France. In an address broadcasted from French West Africa he stated “As long as the French Government and the representation of the French people do not exist normally and independently of the enemy, the powers formerly performed by the Chief of State and by the Council of Ministers will be exercised by the leader of the Free French forces assisted by a Council of Defense.”
Free French forces from Cameroon attacked Vichy French forces in Gabon, penetrating 70 miles across the border and capturing the town of Mitzic. General de Gaulle’s Free Free troops in French Equatorial Africa are on the march into Vichy French Gabon. Under the command of General Edgard de Larminat, they advance from the Congo Valley, take the town of Mitzic, and invest the fortress of Lambarene. These events in central Africa are intended to consolidate de Gaulle’s strength and set up bases for air attacks on the Italian positions further north and east.
The Italians, preparing for their invasion of Greece, order all Jews out of Albania.
Late in the evening, Italian ambassador in Athens Emanuele Grazzi issued an ultimatum, demanding that Italian troops be allowed occupy strategic positions in Greece. Italian ambassador in Athens Emanuele Grazzi peremptorily delivers a demand from Mussolini late in the evening. The note demands that Italian troops be permitted to occupy key points in Greece. Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas replies:
“Alors, c’est la guerre.” (“Then, it’s war”).
Everybody knows this is tantamount to a declaration of war. Metaxas is fully aware of increasing Italian provocations, such as their air raid on Greece on the 26th, but censors such news from the media.
Metaxas has been mobilizing his own troops in great secrecy and they are dug in along the mountains facing Albania. Mussolini, of course, did not deliver the demand in the expectation that it would lead to anything other than such a refusal. The Greek/Albanian front — the traditional invasion route from Italy for millennia — is full of good defensive positions. It also is an extremely restricted front, with almost no maneuvering room. For the time being, Metaxas can concentrate his entire army there, because the Italians also have to worry about the Royal Navy and thus cannot embark on tenuous amphibious invasions further south. Deep-seated historical enmity guarantees that any conflict between the two countries will be fought with great savagery.
The Germans remain in the dark about Italian intentions toward Greece, and news flows to them sporadically from various sources. German Generalmajor Enno von Rintelen, the liaison with the Italian military, calls the OKW at noon and informs them that it is now “practically certain” that the invasion will take place the next morning. This is the first “confirmation” of when the attack will take place, as Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano has been uncommunicative. German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop, meanwhile, already is on his train “Heinrich” for the meeting on the 28th with Mussolini in Florence and remains completely out of the loop. General Alfred Jodl, OKW Chief of Operations, reviews the information and informs Hitler that the Italian attack will take place in the morning; Hitler simply accepts the information, issues no instructions, and leaves as scheduled in his train “Amerika” at 18:00 for Florence. If the attack does take place as anticipated, it will be while Hitler is still crossing the Alps in his train. By 21:00, the Italians reveal their plans officially to the Germans.
British intelligence intercepted a German radio message referring to the continuation of training for the invasion of Britain, and determined that if German troops were still in this early stage of preparations, than an invasion would not take place in the very near future.
5 raids of 50 to 60 German aircraft attacked Britain throughout the day, most of which were German fighter-bombers and medium bombers, but Italians also contributed several BR20M bombers for the attack on Ramsgate, England, United Kingdom; 6 German fighters and 4 bombers were shot down, while the British lost 8 fighters with 4 pilots killed. Overnight, London and Liverpool were bombed. Axis warplanes dropped tons of explosives and fire bombs in opening their fifty-first night attack on the capital last night, but by midnight comparative calm had settled over the darkened capital. Millions remained underground, but a few buses and taxis whirred through otherwise deserted streets. In one east Anglian town a raider swooped low to machine-gun a train but there were no casualties. Houses and buses also were spattered with machine-gun bullets. In another east Anglican town a policeman was killed and several persons injured when a delayed action bomb exploded. Raiders also were active in northeast England where a hospital was struck. London had six alarms from dawn to dusk.
The weather remains acceptable for flying on 27 October 1940, and the pattern of recent days continues — that is, no real pattern. There are disjointed Luftwaffe raids throughout the day which primarily are made by fighter-bombers (Jabos) and cause little damage. They do stretch out the RAF fighter defenses, but they stress the Luftwaffe planes and pilots as well. As usual, the daylight attacks are bifurcated between the usual city targets and RAF airfields, with neither suffering particularly much due to the Jabos’ small bomb loads.
The day has low-hanging clouds which allow the planes to battle it out in blinding sunshine, but on the ground, it is dark, drizzly and miserable. For some reason, Fighter Command loses (at least temporarily out of action) several planes today due to running out of fuel. This may be related to the standing patrols that it has begun implementing.
The Jabos start early this morning, coming across in waves beginning around 07:30. The primary targets are the airfields around London (Biggin Hill, Kenley) and the city itself. As usual with the early morning raids, Fighter Command is slow off the mark and makes relatively few interceptions. Both sides take losses.
The first series of raids last for two hours, and another series begins around 11:30. This formation flies high and fast and heads for the London docklands. Two Hurricanes run out of fuel and are forced to crash-land, and a Spitfire is lost at Andover.
Another wave of Jabos crosses around 12:30. Fighter Command is ready and waiting for them and prevents any major damage.
The next wave of attacks is just after lunchtime at 13:30. The Jabos split up after crossing the coast, some heading for Central London, others for points further east. RAF No. 603 Squadron takes a beating in this encounter, losing three planes and two pilots.
The largest raids of the day take place around 16:30. This one includes medium bombers, a rare sight during daylight hours. Junkers Ju 88s, Heinkel He 111s and Dornier Do 17s fly over the Thames Estuary to East Anglia. RAF Martlesham and Coltishall are attacked, but they sustain little significant damage. The medium bombers strafe the airfields to little purpose, and the bombs, including some with delayed action fuses, only lightly damage the facilities.
At the same time, Junkers Ju 88s escorted by fighters attack Southampton and Portsmouth. Both sides claim victories in this attack. Further, but smaller, raids take place beginning around 18:30 against a bunch of RAF airfields: Leconfield, Feltwell, Driffield, Kirton-in-Lindsey, and Martlesham. One of the Junkers is shot down near Driffield, and the men at the base recover one of the MG 15 machine guns for their trophy case. Italian BR 20M bombers participate in an attack on Ramsgate
After dark, the main targets are London, Liverpool, and the Midlands. The London raids are of moderate intensity, and the bombers drop their loads all across the southern part of England without any main target. The LMS railway at Tottenham takes a hit which puts it out of action when a water main bursts. The Luftwaffe also drops mines all along the eastern coast, including Harwich and the Thames estuary.
Losses for the day are about even at roughly a dozen apiece. While the Luftwaffe attacks appear disorganized, they cause a fair amount of damage. The Germans do much better when they do not send their formations over “parade-style” but instead, vary the targets and intensity of their raids.
British Losses:
Hurricane L1963, No. 43 Squadron
Sgt. L.V. Toogood killed. Crashed vertically from height during high-altitude aerobatics. Cause unknown but probably oxygen failure.
Spitfire P7539, No. 66 Squadron
P/O J.R. Mather killed. Crashed and burned out at Half Moon Lane, Hildenborough north-west of Tonbridge. Cause unknown but possible anoxia victim.
Spitfire P7526, No. 74 Squadron
Sgt. J.A. Scott killed. Shot down in combat with Bf 109s over Maidstone.
Hurricane P3168, No. 145 Squadron
P/O A.I.R.G. Jottard missing. Shot down by Bf 109 five miles south-east of the Isle of Wight.
Spitfire P7439, No. 603 Squadron
F/O C.W. Goldsmith died 28/10/40. Shot down by Bf 109s south of Maidstone.
Spitfire P7365, No. 603 Squadron
P/O R.B. Dewey killed. Shot down in a surprise attack by Bf 109s south of Maidstone.
A Bf 109 shot down today in the marshes near Canterbury — flown by Oblt. Ulrich Steinhilper of I./JG 52 — will be recovered in 1980 for preservation by the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge. Steinhilper himself, who survived the war as a POW in Canada, visits the plane a few years later.
Another plane lost today at Congburn Dean, Edmondsley, a Hurricane of No. 43 Squadron flown by Sergeant L.V. Toogood, is recovered in October 1978. Toogood perished in the crash. This apparently was not a combat crash, but due to some equipment malfunction such as oxygen failure.
Major Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 claims a Spitfire over Ashford.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 9 Blenheims on daylight sea and coastal sweeps. Ships attacked off Dutch coast No losses.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 82 aircraft to many targets overnight. 76 aircraft bombed their targets; none were lost. 5 Hampden minelaying off Lorient; 1 lost. 2 O.T.U. sorties. Bomber Command attacks several targets in Greater Germany, including oil installations at Hamburg, Hanover, Gelsenkirchen, Magdeburg, and Ostermoor. Other targets include the Skoda plant at Pilsen, ports such as Antwerp, Flushing, Ostend, Lorient, Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg, and warehouses at Krefeld, Hamm, and Mannheim.
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, on a mission out of Alexandria, launches air attacks against the Italian seaplane base at Maltezana, Rhodes, Greece.
At Malta, there is an air raid around 10:00 which results in a massive dogfight over the island. Eight RAF planes (six Hurricanes, two Gladiators) take on an equal number of Macchi 200 aircraft. There is no bomb damage and both sides take some damage to a plane (the Italian plane may not have made it back).
Italian submarine Nani sank Swedish steamer Meggie (1583grt) seventy miles south east of Santa Maria, Azores. The entire crew from the Swedish steamer rescued.
Light cruiser HMS Arethusa, on passage from Scapa Flow to Rosyth, sustained minor damage to her bow in a collision with British steamer Flaminian (2699grt) in convoy EN.12 in 58-03N, 02-12W. Light cruiser Arethusa departed Rosyth for repairs in the Tyne on the 29th. Repairs were completed on 26 November. She arrived back at Scapa Flow for duty on 27 November.
Destroyers HMS Vanoc, HMS Volunteer, and HMS Fernie were ordered to intercept enemy merchant vessels in 49-45N, 1-20W. The destroyers departed Portsmouth, but were unable to make contact.
Destroyer HMS Cleveland departed Scapa Flow at 0700 and relieved Norwegian destroyer HNoMS Sleipner off Duncansby Head escorting submarine HMS Sunfish to Muckle Flugga.
Submarine HMS Swordfish damaged a merchant ship from an eight ship convoy of Cherbourg.
British steamer Suavity (634grt) was sunk on a mine in 54-44N, 01-05W. The entire crew was rescued.
British drifter Persevere (19. 8grt) was sunk by mining in the Firth of Forth, 50-100 yards 074° from East Gunnet Ledge Buoy.
British steamer Alfred Jones of convoy OB.234 (5013grt) was damaged by German bombing in 56-00N, 12-08W. Twelve crew of the crew were killed. Destroyer HMS Amazon claimed damaging the attacking aircraft.
British steamer Conister (411grt) was damaged by German bombing at Queen’s Dock, Liverpool.
British steamer Newlands (1556grt) was damaged by German bombing in 45-10N, 10-00W.
Dutch steamer Margaretha (325grt) was sunk on a mine in 51-22N, 03-12W. The entire crew was rescued.
Minesweepers HMS Huntley and HMS Derby arrived at Suez on transfer from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean command.
Convoy OB.235 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers HMS Chelsea, HMS Verity, HMS Veteran, and HMS Withington. The escort was joined on the 28th by corvettes HMS Camellia and HMS Honeysuckle. Corvette Honeysuckle departed the convoy on the 28th, destroyer Witherington on the 30th, destroyers Chelsea and Verity and corvette Camellia on the 31st, destroyer Veteran on 2 November.
Convoy FN.321 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Vivien and sloop HMS Londonderry. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 29th.
Convoy FS.321 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer HMS Woolston and sloop HMS Black Swan. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th.
Convoy SL.53 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser HMS Arawa to 17 November. Destroyer HMS Broke joined the convoy on 14 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 November.
The great industrial centers of the nation become the vote hunting ground for President Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie in this final full week of campaigning. Mr. Roosevelt packed up last night to head for New York and the first of three political addresses this week. Tonight’s speech at Madison Square Garden (7 PM P.S.T., N.B.C.) will give him his first platform opportunity to reply, if he chooses, to John L, Lewis who on last Friday night asked the country’s workers to support Willkie. On Wednesday (7:15 PM P.S.T., N.B.C, C.B.S., M.B.S.), Mr. Roosevelt will talk at Boston to bid for the votes of New England’s labor millions. He will round out the week with a talk at Cleveland on Saturday night.
The 1939-40 New York World’s Fair, which opened in April 1939, closes. A cultural success, it is a financial failure at least in part due to the outbreak of the war in Europe. Many countries have not participated or have withdrawn their participation due to the conflict. The site in Flushing Meadows remains a park to this day and was later used for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, which obliterated the remnants of the earlier fair but used the same basic geography. The monuments leftover from the latter remain clearly visible to travelers on the nearby New York highways. Little is left of the 1939-40 Fair, however, which most people consider having been more historically significant and a classier affair. The site, incidentally, also will be used briefly as the first home of the United Nations.
Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, arriving by plane this evening on what was said to be a brief vacation from his post in London, conferred at length with President Roosevelt before the Chief Executive left by train for campaign talks in the New York area tomorrow. After Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy had dined with the President at the White House, it was said that the Ambassador would make no statement tonight, but would meet newspaper men tomorrow morning at 11 o’clock at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Mr. Kennedy arrived here with Mrs. Kennedy at 6:30 o’clock tonight. He spent only a few minutes at the airport, posing for photographers before being taken to the White House in an official automobile.
Assurance was given to employers, especially those engaged in defense work, tonight by Clarence A. Dykstra, Director of Selective Service, that their businesses would not be interrupted by the draft. His announcement came as plans were being completed for the drawing next Tuesday of numbers indicating the priority of call of the selected men, in ceremonies to be held in the presence of President Roosevelt, Secretary of War Stimson and other high officials.
Wendell L. Willkie contended today that “the new deal housing program has bogged down” because of faulty administration and failure to admit the real extent of slum clearance subsidies. In a statement issued from his special train, the Republican presidential nominee declared that 13 government building agencies now “compete with and even fight each other, to the detriment of housing as a whole.”
Officers of the C.I.O.’s United Automobile Workers union in Michigan formally disapproved John L. Lewis’ endorsement of Wendell L. Willkie today and within a short time a delegation left for New York to impress the sentiments on President Roosevelt. In addition, the president was to be asked to come to Detroit on a “campaign visit” as well as to “find out for himself” the feelings of the auto workers.
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation and the Republic Steel Corporation may soon sit down at a conference table with C.I.O. representatives and seek to erase the misunderstandings that have kept the steel industry in turmoil since the C.I.O.’s abortive “Little Steel” strike in 1937. It was learned that under orders from John L. Lewis, president of the C.I.O., preliminaries are being speeded up to settle all the cases now pending against the Republic Steel Corporation, whether in the courts or before the National Labor Relations Board.
Navy Day, which was celebrated today, in the United States, the Canal Zone, Alaska and the insular possessions, was the occasion for a warning from Secretary Knox and Admiral Harold R. Stark, the Chief of Naval Operations, that the United States, in the existing world situation must be ready to protect itself from attack in both the Pacific and the Atlantic. Admiral Stark, highest ranking officer in the active service, said he violated no confidence when he declared we must consider the possibility of simultaneous attacks in either or both oceans. “These are days of terror without and of fifth column treason within our nation,” said Secretary Knox. “We must not ignore this well remembered warning: ‘It is later than you think.’” In striking contrast to the celebrations of Navy Day in previous years, the celebrations today were solemn, reflecting the tense world situation which confronts the United States. All ships, on the seas, in home, insular or foreign ports, were barred to visitors, the gates to Navy yards and other naval shore establishments, air bases and stations, were under guard and the order “no visitors” was rigidly enforced.
The light cruiser USS St. Louis arrived at Norfolk, Virginia thus winding up her mission transporting the Greenslade Board.
Highly placed government and diplomatic officials reported tonight that Mexican President Cardenas’ administration had decided to lift the short-lived unofficial embargo on exports destined for Japan because the ban threatened to upset the nation’s economy at this time. Suspension of the embargo on war materials and foodstuffs which secret agents from the federal attorney-general’s office enforced last week was scheduled to take effect tomorrow. The principal fear of the sources disclosing this decision was that it would be misunderstood in the United States.
The Japanese apparently have realized that an attack against Yunnan Province by way of Indo-China is impracticable because of the formidable terrain and therefore the troops that crossed the Indo-China border are returning to Kwangsi, from which, presumably, they intend to drive into Yunnan. Actually the Japanese Indo-China venture gained the advantage of easier penetration of Southwest Kwangsi, and future reinforcements will probably travel by way of Haiphong and across the border. The recent Chinese offensive in Kwangai is reportedly designed to gain the initiative and forestall the new Japanese plan. It is asserted that the Chinese are gradually pressing the Japanese back upon Nanning on a wide front, with three columns carrying out the attack.
Japanese planes hammered the airdrome at Kunming, terminal of the Burma Road, again today, causing unestimated damage. The city was under alarm half the day. The Chinese Central News Agency said 20,000 Chinese recruits had been trained in East Hainan for the purpose of harassing Japanese forces there, and added that a small arsenal had been established to manufacture ammunition.
Field dispatches by Domel, the Japanese news agency, said today that Japanese planes demolished the aircraft factory at Lungwen, in Yunnan Province, yesterday. The plant was organized by Americans. The agency also reported that Japanese planes shot down ten Chinese planes that were convoying five transports near Chengtu, after which the transport planes also were downed. The transports “presumably” were carrying important Chinese officials, Domei said.
Born:
John Gotti, mob boss (head of the Gambino Family), in the Bronx, New York, New York (d. 2002).
Maxine Hong Kingston, American author (“The Woman Warrior”), in Stockton, California.
Anthea Joseph, British folk music promoter, and record company publicist, in London, England (d. 1997).
Héctor Valle, Puerto Rican MLB catcher and pinch hitter (Los Angeles Dodgers), in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.
Bob Butler, NFL tackle (Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets), in Madisonville, Kentucky.
Died:
Augustyn Łukosz, 56, Polish national activist and socialist politician (died in Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp).
History Diaries 