[Homer_J_Simpson]

I hope nobody gets eye strain trying to read this. The dang stripe down the page is heavy for a couple days here.

President is Firm – 2
Incidents in the European Conflict – 3
London is Jubilant – 4-5

[abb]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1939/oct39/f14oct39.htm

U-47 sinks HMS Royal Oak
Saturday, October 14, 1939 www.onwar.com

In Britain... At 0130, the British battleship, Royal Oak (29,150 tons), is sunk at anchor in the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands, by U-47 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Prien. Three of 7 torpedoes hit and in 13 minutes the ship capsized. British losses are about 800 dead (786-810) and 414 survivors of a crew of 1200. German aerial reconnaissance photographs had revealed a 50-foot gap in the defenses at the entrance to Kirk Sound — wide enough for a U-boat. This is a major blow to British prestige as well as an indication of a very serious real weakness in the defenses. Meanwhile, the Polish submarine Orzel reaches British waters after a daring escape from the Baltic Sea.

On the Western Front... General Gamelin, French Commander-in-Chief, issues an Order of the Day predicting a massive German offensive “at any moment.”

In Latvia... The first group ethnic German Latvian citizens leaves for the Third Reich leaves by sea.

In Moscow... Soviet and Finnish representatives conclude the talks to discuss border revisions. There is little change in the terms offered by either side. Finnish counterproposals for a land exchange on their mutual border are refused by the Soviet negotiators.

In the United States... Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, and the New York Herald Tribune, as well as many Canadians, protest the comments made by Charles Lindbergh in a radio broadcast last night.

In France... The escaped Polish Intelligence team resumes code-breaking operations with their highly secret replicas of the German “Enigma” machine.

[tcrlaf]

NAVAL EVENTS-Saturday, 14 October 1939

Light cruisers AURORA at 0829 and BELFAST at 0730 and most of the fleet auxiliaries in the Orkneys left for Loch Ewe, arriving on the 14th. Anti-aircraft ship CURLEW was able to proceed there on the 16th.

The cruisers on Northern Patrol were transferred to Sullom Voe which was only protected by an anti-submarine net. Light cruisers CALEDON, CARDIFF, DELHI and COLOMBO at 0730 and armed merchant cruisers CALIFORNIA, MONTCLARE, SCOTSTOUN, SALOPIAN and CHITRAL departed Scapa Flow on the 14th, and AMCs AURANIA, RAWALPINDI and TRANSYLVANIA on the 15th.

Remaining at Scapa Flow were: base ship IRON DUKE, accommodation ship VOLTAIRE, destroyers SOMALI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, ASHANTI which were standing by for convoy duty, destroyer TARTAR with serious defects and minesweepers HAZARD, HEBE, SEAGULL, SHARPSHOOTER, SPEEDY.

Light cruiser CALEDON arrived at Kirkwall on the 18th, and COLOMBO at Sullom Voe on the 18th.

Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU which had departed Gibraltar on the 11th, arrived at Portland. Sister ship NUBIAN, left with the other three, and reached Portsmouth on the 14th. Because of turbine defects, she was towed to Southampton on the 20th and was under repair until 23 November, but did not leave Portsmouth until the 30th for duty with the Home Fleet. The final unit of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, destroyer SIKH, remained in the Mediterranean with turbine defects until 20 December and did not arrive at Dover until the 23rd.

Submarine STURGEON fired three torpedoes at U.23, 20 miles E of the Skaw, at 1452.

Polish submarine ORZEL, which escaped internment at Tallinn on 18 September, was met in the North Sea 30 miles east of May Island by fast escort ship/destroyer VALOROUS and escorted into Rosyth.

Convoy FS.21 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers VIVIEN, WHITLEY, WITCH and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 16th. There was no convoy FN.21.

French destroyers BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS departed Brest for Cherbourg, where BRESTOIS began refitting. The third destroyer of the 5th Division, FOUDROYANT, was on escort duty in the Atlantic and joined the other two on 2 November.

U.48 sank steamer SNEATON (3678grt), 150 miles SW of Fastnet, with the loss of one crewman. The survivors were picked up by Belgian tanker ALEXANDRE ANDRE (5261grt).

A group of merchant ships from convoy KJF.3, en route to France and escorted by French submarine SURCOUF, were attacked by U.37, U.45, U.46, U.48, south of Ireland early on the 14th, after SURCOUF lost touch in a storm. U.45, on her second war patrol, sank two ships from the group. French liner BRETAGNE (10,108grt) went down 130 miles SW of Fastnet, and her survivors were picked up by destroyers IMOGEN and ILEX, arriving Plymouth on the 15th. British steamer LOCHAVON (9205grt) was torpedoed 230 miles SW of Fastnet, early on the 14th, sinking at 1800/16th, 150 miles SW of Fastnet. She lost seven crew with her survivors rescued by destroyer ISIS, which had left Plymouth on the 8th for escort duty with sister ship IMPERIAL. Steamer KARAMEA (8457grt) was also attacked by U.45, 100 miles SW of Fastnet, but escaped unharmed. U.45 was then sunk south of Ireland, by destroyers INGLEFIELD, IVANHOE, INTREPID and ICARUS, which departed Plymouth on the 13th for anti-submarine patrol in support of KJF.3. All 38 crew were lost.

German pocket battleship DEUTSCHLAND sank Norwegian steamer LORENTZ W HANSEN (1918grt) east of Newfoundland, with the loss of three crew. The survivors were put aboard Norwegian tanker KONGSDAL (9959grt) stopped later the same day.

Aircraft carrier HERMES and French battlecruiser STRASBOURG arrived at Dakar having departed Plymouth and Brest, respectively, on the 7th.

Light cruiser DAUNTLESS departed Malta and reached Port Said on the 16th.

Destroyers GRAFTON and GALLANT reached Gibraltar to escort battleship RAMILLIES, and DUCHESS to escort convoy Green 5.

Destroyers HAVOCK and HOTSPUR arrived off Montevideo for refuelling and left again that evening.

Heavy cruisers SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE of British Force H, departed Simonstown and swept the southern half of the Capetown to Freetown route. On the 22nd, they returned to refuel - SUSSEX at Simonstown and SHROPSHIRE at Capetown.

Australian light cruiser HOBART departed Sydney late on the 13th, with Australian destroyers STUART, VENDETTA and WATERHEN leaving at 0900/14th (local time) and all four proceeded in company. HOBART reached Darwin on the 21st, left the same day and proceeding via Lombok Strait, arrived at Singapore on the 26th. Meanwhile, the three destroyers reached Brisbane on the 15th to refuel and shelter from heavy weather, departed on the 16th, refuelled at Townsville on the 18th, arrived Darwin on the 22nd, departed on the 23rd and reached Singapore on the 29th.

Australian destroyers VOYAGER and VAMPIRE also left on the 14th, from Fremantle, and proceeded to Singapore via the Sunda Strait, arriving on the 21st. All six ships were initially assigned to convoy duty from Singapore. On 13 November, the destroyers left Singapore for Colombo.

German steamer MARION TRUBER (2334grt) was lost by grounding near Oxelosund.

Mid-October

By mid October, the British and French Admiralties had organized the following Hunter Groups which were formed on the 5th in response to sinkings by German battleships:

Force F - heavy cruisers BERWICK and YORK stationed in the West Indies and North America. YORK was detached from the America and West Indies Station, but did not serve in Force F. She was maintained for Halifax convoy cover.

Force G - heavy cruisers CUMBERLAND and EXETER stationed off South America with New Zealand light cruiser ACHILLES detailed on the 5th to join them.

Force H - heavy cruisers SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE near the Cape of Good Hope.

Force I - aircraft carrier EAGLE, heavy cruisers CORNWALL and DORSETSHIRE off Ceylon.

Force J - aircraft carrier GLORIOUS and battleship MALAYA off Aden in the approaches to the Red Sea.

Force K - aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL and battlecruiser RENOWN near Pernambuco.

Force L - French battlecruiser DUNKERQUE, aircraft carrier BÉARN, light cruisers GLOIRE, MONTCALM, GEORGES LEYGUES at Brest.

Force M - French heavy cruisers DUPLEIX and FOCH at Dakar.

Force N - French battlecruiser STRASBOURG, aircraft carrier HERMES, French heavy cruiser ALGÉRIE and light cruiser NEPTUNE to be based at Jamaica, but reassigned to Dakar.

STRASBOURG, DUPLEIX and ALGÉRIE travelled in company to Dakar.

Force N was never formed. FOCH did not arrive at Dakar until mid-November, then as Force X with DUPLEIX.

[BroJoeK]

"PRESIDENT IS FIRM

Stresses Again That He
Cannot Take Notice
of Unofficial Pleas

FORMAL BID IS REQUIRED

Hull and Other Officials Have
contended All Belligerents
Must Join in Appeal"

Washington, Oct. 13 -- "Any possibility that President Roosevelt might intervene as a peacemaker in Europe on the unofficial suggestions from Germany was dissipated today by the Chief Executive himself.

"He indicated at his press conference that he had no disposition to act on the basis of evidently inspired press dispatches, and disclosed at the same time that he had received no official requests from the Berlin government or any other belligerents for his intervention in behalf of peace..."

There's that term again: "inspired press." Wonder exactly who that refers to?

On the larger issue here -- for the next six months there are repeated, multiple unofficial diplomatic "feelers" from Germany through various different routes about the possibility of a "negotiated peace." All were rejected by the Brits and French.

By far the most interesting began with German opposition groups in the military -- General Ludwig Beck -- worked its way to Rome, and through the pope all the way up to British Foreign Secretary Halifax and Prime Minister Chamberlain.

"In the autumn of 1939, Beck was in contact with certain Germany Army officers, politicians, and civil servants, including General Halder, Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, Carl Goerdeler, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, and Colonel Hans Oster about the possibility of staging a putsch to overthrow the Nazi regime.[49]

"By this time, Beck had come to accept that it was not possible to overthrow the Nazi regime while keeping Hitler in power.

"In the event of the putsch being successful, Germany was to be governed by a triumvirate of Beck, Goerdeler and Schacht who would negotiate a peace with Britain and France that would allow Germany to keep most of the Nazi conquests made up until that time, including Austria, all of western Poland, and the Reich Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia."

These discussions came to nothing, but to this day they allow some people to claim: "Pope Pius XII approved a plot to assassinate Hitler."

[tcrlaf]

War Log Of Admiral Donitz-Uboat Command for 14 Oct 1939-

Radio intelligence reports of U-boats continue to increase. They give the impression of a very promising surprise in the area planned for the operation.

U 40 which sailed on the 10th, has not yet reported on her passage through the Channel. She had verbal orders to do this. She is not yet through therefore and must have been delayed.

[tcrlaf]

Arturo Tuscanini conducts the NBC Symphony Orchestra tonite, and the NBC Radio peformance will be released as an album. http://www.guildmusic.com/histori/mpg3/2202_8.mp3 Throughout his career, Toscanini was virtually idolized by the critics (a notable exception being Virgil Thomson), as well as by most fellow musicians and the public alike. He enjoyed the kind of consistent critical acclaim during his life that few other musicians have had. Toscanini was featured three times on the cover of Time magazine, in 1926, 1934, and again in 1948. In the magazine's history, he is the only conductor to have been so honored. On March 25, 1989, the United States Postal Service issued a 25 cent postage stamp in his honor

[tcrlaf]

Soviet Volunteer Air Forces in China launch a 2nd attack on the Hankou Airfield-

Twelve DB-3s flew to the target, again led by squadron commander Kulishenko. But just after dropping their bombs they were attacked by Japanese fighters and three bombers received damage.

Wounded, Kulishenko flew his bomber as far as the city Wangxian, where he landed on the Yangtze River about 100-150 m. from the bank. After the aircraft came to a halt, he lowered the landing gear and the aircraft began to sink. Kulishenko died of his wounds. The aircraft was later pulled from the water and repaired.

At Hankou 36 Japanese aircraft were destroyed by the bombing. It is possible that the Japanese suffered even greater losses - about forty naval and army machines. Later there was a third attack which raised Japanese losses (according to Soviet reports) to 136 aircraft.

One of the wounded airmen at Hankou was the ace-to-be Mototsuna Yoshida of the 12th Kokutai (14 victories) while PO3c Isamu Ochi (Pilot 41) from the same unit was killed.