09-1940

Diary for Monday, September 30, 1940: Home Fronts Britain: 50 London firemen killed and 501 injured during September. Germany: The mother of the author of this websites was borne in […]

Diary for Sunday, September 29, 1940: Air War Hawker Hurricane fighters intercept formation of Heinkel He 111 bombers over Irish Sea: each side loses 3 aircraft.

Diary for Saturday, September 28, 1940: Home Fronts Britain – Mother and Child evacuation scheme: 489,000 leave London by October 17.

Diary for Friday, September 27, 1940: Politics TRIPARTITE PACT: Germany, Italy and Japan make 10-year military, political and economic alliance in Berlin. Convention of Havana: Whereby the Pan American State

Diary for Thursday, September 26, 1940: Air War Supermarine factory at Southampton bombed: Spitfire production halted. Night raids on London and Liverpool (fires in Docks area).

Diary for Wednesday, September 25, 1940: Occupied countries Norway: Quisling Government formed in Norway. Air War Bristol Aeroplane Company’s factory at Filton bombed. Portal becomes RAF Chief of Air Staff.

Diary for Tuesday, September 24, 1940: Air War Vichy French bombers make ineffectual reprisal raids on Gibraltar (September 24 and 25). Strongest French bombing attack since the beginning of WW2.

Diary for Monday, September 23, 1940: Sea War Atlantic – DAKAR EXPEDITION (Operation Menace): Unsuccessful British-Free French attempt to occupy Dakar, Vichy stronghold in West Africa. Vichy battleship Richelieu (partially

Diary for Sunday, September 22, 1940: Neutrals Egypt: Saadist Party ministers withdraw from Coalition Government in protest against Prime Minister’s failure to declare war on Italy.

Diary for Friday, September 21, 1940: Sea War German invasion fleet in Channel ports now totals 155 steamers, 1,277 barges, 471 tugs and 1,161 motor boats. U-boat U-100 sinks 7

Diary for Friday, September 20, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: First successful U-boat Wolf-pack operation: three of the ‘ace’ commanders – Schepke (U-100), Prien (U-47) and Kretschmer (U-99) – scatter Convoy

Diary for Thursday, September 19, 1940: Sea War Hitler orders dispersal of invasion fleet to reduce losses from British bombing raids. Home Fronts Britain: Waterloo railway station reopened (bombed September

Diary for Wednesday, September 18, 1940: North Africa Italian 10th Army halts near Sidi Barrani, Egypt (captured September 16), and remains inactive for next 3 months because of ‘supply difficulties’

Diary for Tuesday, September 17, 1940: Air War Large formations of Me 109Es carry out sweeps over Kent. Germans lose 8 aircraft; RAF, 5 fighters. Night raiders (total 268) destroy

Diary for Monday, September 16, 1940: Air War Minor daylight raids on Southeast England (bad weather). Night raids on London by 150 aircraft; damage in West End. Göring orders fresh

Diary for Saturday, September 14, 1940: Air War Bombs dropped on Kingston, Wimbledon, Brighton, Eastbourne, Ipswich and in Northwestern England. These relatively successful daylight raids in cloudy weather encourage Göring

Diary for Friday, September 13, 1940: Air War China: Debut of Japan’s Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter: 13 Zeros escort bomber formation to Chungking and shoot down all defending fighters (20-plus);

Diary for Wednesday, September 11, 1940: Air War Dover suffers its worst attack of the war. Sea War Vichy French squadron (3 cruisers and 3 destroyers) makes high-speed dash in

Diary for Tuesday, September 10, 1940: Air War Little daylight activity; ‘hit-and-run’ raiders attack airfields and Portsmouth Dockyards. 148 night raiders sent to London, but massive AA barrage from 199

Diary for Monday, September 9, 1940: Air War Battle of Britain: RAF foils series of intended raids on London, Thameshaven, Tilbury and aircraft factories. Losses: German, 23; British, 20. Bombs