Italian troops were driven across the Kalamas River in northwestern Greece by Greek troops. To the south, British cruiser HMS York arrived at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece and disembarked a battalion of troops.
The Greek advance, which sputtered a bit on the 18th, resumes on 19 November 1940 in the Korçë plateau area. The Greek K Group under Lieutenant-General Georgios Kosmas makes progress in capturing the summit of Moravia, which provides a commanding perspective over the surrounding region. The Italians fight hard to keep the summit but give ground.
In northwestern Greece, the Greeks push the Italians back across the Kalamas River. The Greek Liuba Detachment begins crossing the Kalamas River in the Thesprotia sector. In the Kalamas Sector, the Greek 8th Division continues on the offensive. In the Negrades sector, the Greek 2nd Infantry Division captures Agios Kosmas.
The Greek and Italian air forces engage in heavy combat over the Korytsa fighting.
German and Italian diplomacy, which axis spokesmen call “a form of war,” appeared tonight to be directed toward a new agreement among Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria as a prelude to a fresh campaign against the British Empire. The German army in Rumania, estimated by conservative neutral observers at more than 300,000 and possibly 500,000 men, is a possible guide to the trend. Italian sources in Rome asserted that Bulgaria and Rumania would join in forthcoming war moves of Germany and Italy and that Spain’s decision would become known after Spanish Foreign Minister Serrano Suner, fresh from conversations yesterday with Reichsführer Hitler, reached Madrid.
Following his meeting on the 18th with Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano, Adolf Hitler refines his plans for an invasion of Greece (Operation MARITA). Previously, he had been thinking of simply occupying the northern portion of the country, securing the Aegean coast and as a means of rescuing the Italians advancing (or now retreating) in the northwest. Now, he decides to expand the scope of the invasion to include the entire mainland. This requires a great expansion in the forces allocated to the operation, which up to this point have been only a little more than a strengthened corps.
While this may seem like a relatively obvious and almost natural change — Hitler always expands the scope of operations when he can — the change causes grumbling within the Wehrmacht. The Army (Heer, led by the OKH) is far along with its plans for an invasion of Greece from Bulgaria and feels as if it is being given unclear directives by the Military Staff (OKW) which complicate its task. This OKH/OKW tension will remain throughout the war. OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder begins revising the plans for the Greece invasion while complaining in his diary about the “deficient connections between ourselves and OKW.”
Not everybody thinks that new commitments in the Balkans would be a good idea. One thing weighing in favor of invading Greece in Hitler’s mind is the new presence of RAF bases in Greece, which threaten his Rumanian oil supply. Isolating Great Britain is at the heart of all this planning. There are many ways to do this: Hitler also expresses some renewed interest in Operation SEALION, which would be a more direct way of getting at the British Empire than a time-consuming march through the Balkans (and, later, the Soviet Union and North Africa, because all of these operations will flow from the same wellspring). However, the Italian disaster in Albania requires some sort of solution that Operation SEALION could not provide.
Chancellor Adolf Hitler tells Spanish Foreign Minister Serano Suner to make good on an agreement for Spain to attack Gibraltar. This would seal off the Mediterranean and trap British troops in North Africa. But the Spanish dictator, General Francisco Franco, did not want to commit his country to the war, even as he allowed German subs to refuel in Spanish ports and German spies to keep tabs on British naval forces in Gibraltar and he had instructed Suner to stall for time. Suner responds that Spain would require 400,000 tons of grain before entering the war. This is a continuation of tactics that the Spaniards employed at Hendaye in October which show they are not ready to join the war.
King Leopold of the Belgians visits with Hitler.
The German authorities execute a Pole for throwing bread over the wall of the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw.
An inquiry is launched into the loss of the 8 Hurricane fighters that had been launched from HMS Argus on the 18th but failed to make it to shore. The “emergency investigation” led by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Dudley Pound blames the weather for missed communications but also notes that the planes had too small a margin of fuel. The report also notes that the planes flew off from the aircraft carrier 40 miles further west from Malta than during Operation Hurry due to fears of Italian fleet operations.
Noor Inayat Khan, later code-named Madeleine, joined the British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, receiving the rank of Aircraftwoman 2nd Class.
The Swiss government bans the pro-Nazi National Movement. Federal Police close down Kellers NBS, including its 160 chartered cells involving nearly 4,000 members. Kellers NBS is a far-right organization led by Dr. Max Leo Keller and Rolf Henne which wishes to see Switzerland annexed by Germany. The group, working through its cells and financed by Heinrich Himmler’s SS, continues to work underground.
357 German aircraft bombed Birmingham, England, United Kingdom overnight, dropping 403 tons of high explosive bombs and 810 incendiary bombs. About 900 were killed and 2,000 injured. The Luftwaffe is fairly quiet during daylight hours. The Germans have realized that night-time operations are much less costly. They also can be devastating, as proven today.
The Luftwaffe sends 350 bombers from KG 26, KG 54, KG 55 and KuFlGr 606 against Birmingham in a first wave, then 116 in a second. They drop 403 tons of high explosives and 810 incendiary bombs. There are about 900 killed and 2000 injured. The Luftwaffe loses five planes, one of them brought down by a Beaufighter of RAF No. 604 Squadron that makes the first radar victory of the war.
While this attack is not given nearly as much prominence in accounts of the war as the 14 November 1940 attack on Coventry, it kills and injures many more people. In addition, Birmingham Cathedral is damaged, just as Coventry Cathedral was. The Luftwaffe has honed its nighttime bombing technique, using pathfinders from KG 100 that drop flares and sophisticated guidance techniques that the British continue to have difficulty jamming.
The Luftwaffe also bombs Leicester, England. They drop 150 high explosives which destroy 255 homes, 56 businesses, kill 108 people and seriously injure another 284.
An RAF Fighter Command Bristol Beaufighter Mk I of 604 Squadron, based at Middle Wallop, Hants, claims the first enemy aircraft shot down at night using AI Mk IV radar, a Ju88.
The first prototype of the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was completed. It would be test flown six days later. De Havilland completes prototype E0234, the Mosquito bomber at Hatfield. This prototype undergoes successful engine runs (two Merlin 21 two-speed single-stage supercharged engines driving three-bladed de Havilland Hydromatic constant-speed, controllable-pitch propellers. The prototype remains to be flight-tested. This is not the final form of the aircraft, as it has Handley Page slats on the outer leading wing edges. The “Mossie” will go on to become one of the truly great aircraft of the war, serving in numerous roles.
Over the Atlantic an RAF Coastal Command Short Sunderland flying boat uses air-to-surface-vessel (ASV) radio-location gear for the first time to detect a U-boat nearing a convoy.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 5 Blenheims to Northern Germany during the day but none reached a target. 2 aircraft had combats with Ju 88s but all returned safely.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 63 Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys overnight to 5 targets in Germany and to the Skoda Works at Pilsen in Czechoslovakia. There was little damage. Only 17 aircraft reported bombing their primary targets. 1 Wellington and 1 Whitley lost.
RAF No. 80 Squadron, equipped with Gladiator Mk. II biplane fighters, arrives at Trikkala from Egypt. This is the third RAF squadron to arrive in Greece.
Four Gladiator Mk. II biplane fighters of the Australian No. 3 Squadron, based at Mersa Matruh, are attacked by 18 Italian CR-42 Falco biplane fighters. The RAAF pilots claim six Italian aircraft shot down with the loss of one Gladiator and its pilot.
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa departed Scapa Flow at 0845 to join convoy WN.40. The convoy was attacked by German bombing at 1740. The attacking planes were driven off by cruiser Curacoa’s gunfire and escorting British Blenheim aircraft.
Destroyers HMS Cossack (D.4), HMS Maori, and HMS Eskimo departed Scapa Flow at 0715 on Operation DL, a sweep off the Norwegian coast commencing at 2135 in 63N and passing Budgrunden Bank and Langgrunds Bank until 0200/20th when the course was altered to the west. Only one fishing boat was sighted and the weather was too rough to permit boarding. The destroyers arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0900/21st.
Destroyer HMS Punjabi departed Scapa Flow at 0115 to boiler clean at Rosyth. The destroyer arrived at Rosyth at 1100.
Destroyer HMS Bedouin departed Portsmouth at 1700 to return to Scapa Flow after repairs. The destroyer arrived at Scapa Flow at 1400/21st.
Destroyer HMS Douglas departed Scapa Flow at 2130 to take over the escort of British steamer Kyle Fisher and submarine depot ship HMS Titania to the Clyde.
Destroyer HMS Somali arrived at Scapa Flow.
Destroyers HMS Douglas and HMS Vimy parted company with the convoy at 1600/21st. The destroyers arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1115/22nd.
Destroyers HMS Beverley and HMS Broadway departed Plymouth at 1735 to work up at Scapa Flow. The destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow at 2130/21st.
Destroyers HMS Campbell and HMS Garth on patrol in the Thames Estuary attacked German motor torpedo boats S 38, S 54, S 57 sinking S 38.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Fontenoy (276grt, T/Skipper J. C. Coaker RNR) was sunk by German bombing off Lowestoft in 52‑31N, 1‑55E. There were no casualties on the trawler.
British steamer Folda (1165grt) was damaged by German bombing in 51‑47N, 01‑30E.
Light cruiser HMS Newcastle, which departed Gibraltar on the 17th, arrived at Malta with the 200 airmen and stores for Operation WHITE. Cruiser Newcastle was to have arrived at the same time as the aircraft flown off by aircraft carrier HMS Argus on the 17th, but German minelaying around Plymouth delayed her departure from Plymouth until 13 November, arriving at Gibraltar on the 16th. The light cruiser proceeded to Alexandria arriving on the 22nd.
Destroyers HMS Duncan and HMS Forester departed Gibraltar to meet arriving light cruiser HMS Manchester and troopship Franconia. They arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st.
Light cruiser HMS Sheffield departed Gibraltar to meet light cruiser HMS Southampton relieving her as escort of steamers Clan Forbes, Clan Fraser, and New Zealand Star. Light cruiser HMS Southampton arrived at Gibraltar on the 22ndOn 22 November, destroyers HMS Wishart, HMS Wrestler, and HMS Velox departed Gibraltar to join light cruiser Sheffield. Destroyer HMS Vidette sailed on the 23rd to relieve destroyer Wishart. Light cruiser Sheffield arrived at Gibraltar on the 24th after leaving the convoy. Destroyers HMS Duncan and HMS Hotspur with corvettes HMS Peony, HMS Salvia, HMS Hyacinth, and HMS Gloxinia departed Gibraltar to join the steamers and escort them through the Straits of Gibraltar by dark.
Submarine HMS Upright departed Gibraltar for patrol, then proceeding to Malta.
Convoy FS.339 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers HMS Vanity and HMS Wolfhound. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.
Convoy OG.46 of thirty nine ships departed Liverpool, Clyde, Oban, Bristol with corvette HMS Candytuft from the Clyde and corvette HMS Calendula from Oban escorting the convoy from Home Waters. Destroyer HMS Caldwell escorted the convoy from 19 to 24 November. Corvette HMS Honeysuckle escorted the convoy from 19 to 24 November. Corvette Calendula was relieved on the 20th by corvette HMS Bluebell, which remained with the convoy until 24 November. Corvette Candytuft escorted the convoy until 24 November. Sloop HMS Deptford escorted the convoy from 19 November to 5 December. Destroyer HMS Westcott escorted the convoy on the 22nd. Near Gibraltar, the convoy was joined by destroyer HMS Wishart on 3 December. Destroyer Wishart escorted the convoy until its arrival at Gibraltar on 5 December.
Convoy SLS.56 departed Freetown. Destroyer HMS Leamington escorted the convoy from 5 to 9 December. Convoy SLS.56 rendezvoused with convoy SL.56. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 December.
Convoy BS.9 departed Suez, escorted by sloops HMS Clive and HMS Grimsby. The sloops were detached when the convoy was joined by light cruiser HMS Leander, anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Carlisle, destroyer HMS Kingston, and sloops HMS Auckland and HMIS Hindustan. Light cruiser HMAS Hobart joined on the 26th. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 26th.
Today in Washington, President Roosevelt proclaimed December 17 as Pan-American Aviation Day, sent to the Senate the names of Brigadier Generals Ogden John Ross and Joseph Aloys Sutten Mundy of the New York National Guard to be Brigadier Generals in the National Guard, and conferred with William Allen White of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies.
The Senate elected Senator King president pro tempore for the remainder of the session, approved the conference report on the Ramspeck Civil Service Bill, heard argument on a motion to consider the Walter-Logan bill and recessed at 4:06 PM until noon on Friday. An Interstate Commerce subcommittee continued hearings on wire-tapping charges and the Campaign Expenditures Committee held a hearing on improper campaign literature.
The House defeated a motion to adjourn sine die, completed Congressional action on the Ramspeck Civil Service Bill and adjourned at 3:56 PM until noon tomorrow.
The House of Representatives refused to end this session of congress today, voicing by a 191 to 148 vote a feeling that so long as the foreign crisis continues congress should stay on the job. By its action it upset the plans of Democratic leaders, who brought up the adjournment resolution. The leaders thus were presented with an outright defeat on the first test of their strength since the election of two weeks ago. Their reverse was caused by the defection of 44 Democrats. The House refused today to adjourn for the session, voting 191 to 148 to keep its machinery in readiness for any emergency that may confront the nation. The outcome was a defeat for the Administration at the first convening of the whole Congress since the election, and was accomplished by a solidly voting Republican minority, to whose 144 votes were added forty-four votes from the Democratic side, two from the Progressives and one American-Laborite. Six voted present, making the total number present 345. Aside from three vacancies, eighty-seven members were absent. The result surprised the Senate, which had been half-heartedly debating whether to bring up the controversial Walter-Logan Bill while awaiting House action on the adjournment resolution. The Senate now probably will proceed to a decision on that legislation. Meanwhile both chambers adopted the conference report on the Ramspeck Civil Service Bill and sent that legislation to the White House.
The House action will serve to keep Congress in session probably for the rest of the year, since Speaker Sam Rayburn and Representative McCormack, the majority leader, said they would not offer another resolution of that kind “very soon.” Each took the defeat smilingly. They said the decision means there probably will be dayto-day sessions until a new program is formulated, which may be a resumption of the three-day recesses which have been in order since. three weeks before the election. Mr. Rayburn said the House had no program, and indicated that the only business likely to be presented would be relatively minor bills. President Roosevelt, when asked at his press conference whether it made any difference to him that the House had refused to adjourn, said that it did not. Later he was asked whether he had any further work for Congress to do, since it appeared it would be in session the rest of the year. Mr. Roosevelt replied that there were more Army and Navy promotions all the time. He indicated that he had no further defense legislative recommendations at this time.
President Roosevelt appealed to the American Federation of Labor today to promote national unity and national defense by making “an un selfish, a far-sighted and a patriotic effort to bring about a just and honorable peace” within the ranks of labor.
A tumultuous session of C.I.O.’s annual convention, whipped into a cheering frenzy during a bitter attack by John L. Lewis against William Green and the A.F.L. leadership, served notice late today that there would be no immediate peace overtures to the rival labor camp. In a fighting, angry mood, with the cheers of the packed convention hall sometimes drowning out his words, Lewis blasted a proposal by Sidney Hillman’s clothing workers union for immediate conferences to explore labor peace possibilities. “It would be a waste of time,” he declared, “to raise the hopes of the millions of people in this country by making it appear there is any possibility of peace.”
California’s first peacetime draft evader, Joseph J. Zuiiak, 31, was sentenced to five years in prison today a few minutes after a federal jury convicted him of willful failure to register for conscription. The jury deliberated only 10 minutes. Zuziak, who insisted he would not be a “guinea pig for the British,” did not take the stand to testify in his own defense. He gasped as Federal Judge A. F. St. Sure pronounced the sentence. The judge, who previously told Zuziak, “We have to obey the law; if we don’t, we suffer for it,” made no comment as he sentenced the itinerant waterfront worker.
The U.S. Navy places a production contract for the Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, flying boat. In all 210 are built.
Ralph W. Barnes, American citizen and correspondent of The New York Herald Tribune, was killed with three other occupants of a British Blenheim plane in a crash yesterday near Danilovgrad, Montenegro.
The Canadian government approves the start of germ warfare production.
Reports from Jamaica’s northeast area tonight said scores of persons perished in a cloudburst that sent flood waters raging over many districts. The number of dead remained uncounted, according to word reaching this capital over communication lines repaired after the waters had receded following last night’s sudden deluge. One report said many persons who sought refuge in a church in the Portland district had lost, their lives. Damage to banana crops was heavy, authorities said. The rainfall measured between 8 and 12 inches in some areas. High winds accompanied the torrential rain. Tonight, the rain was still falling, though the intensity of the storm had abated.
Reports from Indo-China persist that Japanese warships and transports have recently arrived off Saigon and that the Japanese have demanded the right to occupy the city. Admiral Jean Decoux, Governor of French Indo-China, is said to have referred this demand to Vichy.
The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Houston arrives in Manila to serve as the U.S. Asiatic Fleet’s flagship.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 134.48 (-0.26)
Born:
Bill Saul, NFL linebacker (Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions), in Unionville, Pennsylvania (d. 2006).
Bill Byrne, NFL guard (Philadelphia Eagles), in New York, New York (d. 2021).
Alberto Villalpando, Bolivian composer (Phantastischen Liturgie), born in La Paz, Bolivia.
Died:
Charles W. Woodworth, 75, American entomologist.
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawler HMS Mull (T 110) is laid down by Cook, Welton & Gemmill (Beverley, U.K.); completed by Holmes.
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawlers HMS Rysa (T 164) and HMS Shapinsay (T 176) are laid down by Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd. (Selby, U.K.); completed by Amos & Smith.
The Nihon Kaigun (Imperial Japanese Navy) No.13-class submarine chaser CH-16 is launched by Nippon Kokan K. K. (Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan).
The Royal Navy Fairmile B class motor launch HMS ML 138 is commissioned.
The Royal Navy Assurance class rescue tug HMS Prudent (W 73) is commissioned.
The Royal Navy motor minesweeper HMS MMS 1, first of her class of 330, is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Richard Kennedy Husband, RN.
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Freesia (K 43) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Thomas George Hill, RNR.
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Hollyhock (K 64) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Thomas Edward Davies, OBE, RNR.
The Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette HMCS Collingwood (K 180) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is T/Lieutenant Norman G. Bennett, RCNR.
History Diaries 