KING CAROL OF RUMANIA ABDICATES IN FAVOR OF HIS SON PRINCE MICHAEL (9/6/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 9/6/40 | Eugen Kovacs, James B. Reston, Larry Allen, Hanson W. Baldwin, Raymond Daniell

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
German Fighter Range and British Radar Deployment
Marcks’ Plan, August 5, 1940
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

Plus a special guest map from Michael Korda’s, “With Wings Like Eagles,” showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour

[therightliveswithus]

Unfortunately this leads to Antonescu leading Romania to the Axis.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Michael Korda, With Wings Like Eagles: The Untold Story of the Battle of Britain

[CougarGA7]

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 6th September 1940

• Weather: Fine, but cooler. Haze in the Straits and Thames Estuary.
• Day: Three main attacks, largely broken up.
• Night: Harassing raids.

  Enemy action by day

  Three main attacks were launched during the day, all in the South Coast of England, and the Thames Estuary area. During the morning, a raid approached Portland, but no attack developed. A few small raids in the Bristol/North Wales/Liverpool areas and one raid appeared near Leicester and flew out to sea near Tangmere. During engagements with the enemy, our fighters destroyed 44 enemy aircraft (plus 20 probable and 17 damaged). Our casualties amounted to 22 aircraft, of which 7 pilots are killed or missing.

  East

  Two small raids from the Dutch Cost inland from Harwich, one penetrating to Northampton, and in the afternoon one raid 10 miles out to sea along the Norfolk coast towards the Wash.

  South East

  First Attack: 0840-0950 hours, raids totalling some 300 enemy aircraft crossed the Coast between Dover and Dungeness and spread out fanwise, some raids penetrating to Biggin Hill and one as far as North Weald. The raids were intercepted by our fighters and most of the day's enemy casualties were inflicted during this attack.

  Second Attack: 1255-1400, raids totalling some 200 enemy aircraft crossed the coast again between Dover and Dungeness, followed by further raids. The majority of raids did not penetrate beyond Kent and Sussex, but some appeared to go as far as Debden and Hornchurch. No 11 Group was reinforced by 4½ Squadrons during this attack.

  Third Attack: 1745-1845 hours. Two raids each of some 50 enemy aircraft, crossed the coast between Maidstone towards the Thames Estuary. The main target towards Hornchurch but turned back via Maidstone. Seventeen Squadrons were detailed to meet this attack by 11 Group, and one Squadron over North Weald and Hornchurch from 12 Group. It is reported that after this attack two ME110's landed almost undamaged, at Manston and Hawkinge.

  South

  One early reconnaissance from Cherbourg to Portland, Swanage and Selsey Bill.

  One raid of 20+ aircraft from Cherbourg at 1147 hours approached Portland on a ten mile front, and a further raid of 6+ aircraft was plotted at the same time, but an attack did not develop, and only two aircraft were seen near Portland. Between 1400-1500 hours, small hostile patrol in Lyme Bay.

  West

  At 1700 hours, a small raid flew over North Wales to Liverpool.

  North

  At 1600 hours, two high reconnaissance raids off the coast at Aberdeen.

  By night

  Enemy activity was on a very reduced scale.

  From 2015 hours, a few raids flew towards London via the Thames Estuary and Kent. There were no raids in this area after 0030 hours.

  Scattered raids were plotted through the Midlands and in South Wales, but no raids were plotted into this country after 0100 hours, and up to 0400 hours activity was very slight.

  Suspected mine-laying raids on East Coast as far North as the Humber.

  At 2115 hours two raids were plotted off Aberdeenshire Coast in vicinity of two convoys.

  

  ________________________________________

  Statistics

  Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 6th September 1940

• Blenheim - 52
• Spitfire - 200
• Hurricane - 410
• Defiant - 29
• Gladiator - 9
• Total – 700

  Casualties:

  	Enemy Losses
  	By Fighters
  Destroyed	Probable	Damaged
  34 Me109	14 Me109	6 Me109
  3 Me110	2 Me110
  		1 He113
  	1 Do17	3 Do17
  1 Do215
  6 Ju88	3 Ju88	4 Ju88
  44	20	14

• Own:

• 22 aircraft with 7 pilots killed or missing.

  Patrols:

• Own

• During the night of 5th/6th September - 50 patrols involving 50 sorties.
• During the day of 6th September - 144 patrols involving 987 sorties.

• Enemy

• It is estimated that about 250 enemy aircraft operated over Great Britain during the night 5th/6th September and 720 during the day of 6th September.

  Balloons:

• No reports.

  Home Security Reports

• General Summary

• Night of 5th/6th September 1940

• It is estimated that about 190 aircraft took part in the raids during this night but except in London and Liverpool, the number of bombs dropped and damage done appears to have been less than usual. It is reported that the main damage was to railway communications. The bombing of a hospital at Dartford (Kent) was reported yesterday. Bombs were dropped in many districts in Southern England but apart from some damage in London and Lancashire, reports show that elsewhere it was not considerable.

• Date: 6th September 1940

• The enemy again made two raids on this country during the day, the first from 0900 to 1000 hours and the second from 1300 to 1345 hours. A number of bombs were dropped. The Southern Railway lines to Caterham and Oxted were temporarily blocked and very slight damage was done to the Hawker-Hurricane Aircraft Factory at Weybridge and to Pobjoy's Factory at Rochester. For the rest, the bombs were remarkably ineffective and there were very few casualties.

• Date: Night of 6th/7th September 1940

• Extensive raids have been carried out during this night but a summarised account is not yet available.

• Detailed Summary

• Bristol: A report received late on 6th September refers to damage caused to the Works of the Bristol Aeroplane Co during the night raid on 4th/5th September. One HE and one fire bomb caused some damage but apparently not of a major nature and production was not affected. No casualties.

• Date: Night of 5th/6th September 1940

• An enemy aircraft crashed on a house in Sunderland causing fires which were soon extinguished. The roof of Central Station collapsed and traffic was dislocated. Other fires were caused in parts of Durham but were also soon extinguished.
• Slight fires occurred in parts of Yorkshire.
• Lincolnshire: Damage to property was caused by HE at Horncastle and many IB were dropped in other parts of Lincolnshire but no material damage or casualties have been reported.
• In Essex, a number of HE and IB were dropped and damage was mainly to overhead electric cables, a small amount to property and the main road near Rayleigh.
• Surrey, Oxford, Bucks, Somerset, Dorset and Devon were subjected to attacks but nothing of a major nature has been reported.
• The same applies to South Wales.
• Midlands: Bombs were dropped over a limited areas but with the exception of some damage to gas, water, electric light and telephone services, which in cases affected the roads, nothing of a serious nature was reported.
• In the North Western area, Liverpool was bombed and some houses were demolished and water mains were severed. At Spellow Station all lines were blocked by HE explosions and at Lime Street Station, Liverpool, all lines were affected.
• Prescot, St Helens, Rainhill (Mental Hospital), Wallasey, Birkenhead, Bolton and Wigan were also bombed and with the exception of some casualties, some of which were fatal, no major damage is said to have occurred.
• Buckinghamshire: Fifty incendiary bombs were dropped near a military camp at Iver at 0010 hours but only slight damage to property is reported.
• Kent: Service mains were damaged in the early morning at Orpington and Shoreham.
• Worcestershire: Damage to mains and other property is reported from Dudley.
• Scotland: It is reported that a mine was dropped near Kinghorn without causing any damage.
• In the South Eastern region, areas near Hastings and Brighton were subjected to bombing attacks, also near Wye and near Ashford, with only slight damage to property and telephone wires. Other bombs are reported in parts of Sussex and Kent.
• In the London area, damage is briefly recorded as follows:-

• Eltham: A Woolworth's store set on fire.
• Stepney: HE bombs in Lydia Street caused extensive damage to water mains and electric cables and there were some casualties.
• In Kensington, Paddington, Hayes, Southall, Willesden, Tottenham, Southgate, Wood Green, Enfield, Heston, Coulsdon, Purley, Bromley, Beckenham, Walthamstow, Bexley (twice bombed), Plumstead, Yiewsley and Twickenham, bombs wrecked a certain number of houses and some casualties occurred but otherwise the damage is not considered to have been of an unduly serious nature.
• At Croydon: 16 fires were caused by IB and there were 10 casualties of which 2 were fatal.
• In Hampshire: some serious grass and bush fires were started - believed due to bombs - and which it would appear from later information, are still raging and causing some anxiety. In the area near Lyndhurst where these fires occurred, several soldiers are reported to have been buried in Allum Green House (near Bank) on the explosion of HE bombs. Later, four reported killed and 14 injured.
• In Worcestershire, large forest fires reported near Stourport. Several hundred acres involved. Enemy aircraft were believed to be over this area in the early hours of 6th September.
• Southampton: At 0410 hours, 3 HE were dropped in west end of town. No damage or casualties resulted.
• Thames Haven and Coryton: A further attack was delivered at 0220 hours and fresh oil tank fires were started which were still reported burning in the early hours of 7th September. Another attack was delivered at 1800 hours on 6th September and yet another at 0024 on the 7th September.

• Date: 6 September 1940

• 0920 hours: HE and an aerial torpedo (sic) were reported dropped at Caterham.
• 0930 hours: HE at Weybridge - Slight damage to Hawker Aircraft Factory.
• 0938 hours: HE near BBC Station at Tatsfield near Oxted - At Leatherhead and Chertsey - Slight damage to property and overhead cable.
• 1300 hours: Several HE at Dymchurch. A small fire and two bungalows and a road damaged. The bombs may have been intended for Littlestone Landing Ground.

• RAF Stations

• Attacks by Enemy aircraft.

• Quedgeley (Glos): At 0250/5. One direct hit on a fully protected building which suffered only slight damage to roof and stocks. Three cottages wrecked. No casualties.
• Biggin Hill: At 1003/5. By 40 bombers accompanied by 50/60 Fighters. HE and IB were dropped but all fell in woods off the Aerodrome. No damage to aerodrome or aircraft.
• Heston: At 1100/5. Two photographic aircraft damaged but no other effect of bombing reported.
• Hemswell: At 2205/5. Flare path machine-gunned while flares were on.
• Upwood: At 0255/6. Three HE caused three craters on landing ground and land drain damaged.
• Scampton: At 0248/7. One HE reported on aerodrome.
• Biggin Hill: Details of reported attack on 6th September not yet to hand.

• Parachutist: At 1720 hours on 6th September, a German soldier dressed in civilian clothes, was captured at Denton, (Northants). He was in possession of a loaded automatic, receiving and transmitting wireless set, Swedish passport and British identity card. He reported that on landing at 0300/6 he was injured by crashing on his wireless set. Was discovered in a ditch by a farmer. Was detailed for reporting on damage to airfields and aerodromes.

• Casualties on the Ground by Enemy Action:

• To RAF Personnel - Nil killed, nil injured.
• To others - 58 killed, 298 injured approximately.

  Battle of Britain

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Monarch Gives In – 2-3
Britain’s Defenses Failing, Nazis Say – 3
The International Situation – 4
Commons Carries On Despite Raid Alarm; Suspends Only as Nazis Near Westminster – 4
Thames Area Hit – 5
Four Destroyers Sunk, Nazis Claim – 5
Nazis Seize Fire Engines Of Dutch for Ruhr Fires – 5
British Shell Isle in the Dodecanese – 6-7
War of Attrition? – 7
An ‘Aurora Borealis’ of War in the German Skies (photo) – 8
Churchill Asserts ‘We Can Stand It’ – 9
Prime Minister Churchill’s Report to the House of Commons on Progress of War – 10-12
The Texts of the Day’s War Communiques – 13-14

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/sep40/f06sep40.htm

U-boat attacks surfaced to avoid sonar

Friday, September 6, 1940 www.onwar.com

In the North Atlantic... U-65 guides U-47 to convoy SC-2. During the night (September 6-7) U-47 sinks 3 ships by attacking while surfaced. This tactic effectively counters the sonar [referred to by the British as ASDIC because it was developed by the Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee] equipped escorts.

Over Britain... The German attacks on the British airfields continue. Effort is wasted on less vital aircraft factories. They attack a more important airplane plant at Brooklands. The RAF is now flying more sorties per day than the combined total of the German bombers and fighters.

In Britain... The King and Queen visit RAF Fighter Command headquarters at Bentley Priory, Stanmore (Middlesex). Meanwhile, a German agent, Caroli, lands by parachute in Oxon and he is arrested almost immediately.

In Vichy France... General Weygand resigns from the government. He takes command of Vichy French forces in north Africa.

In Romania... King Carol abdicates in favor of Prince Michael. Later in the month it is announced that the fascist Iron Guard is to be the only legal political party.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/06.htm

September 6th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM:
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). 10 Sqn. 1 aircraft missing from Berlin. Crew killed.
Bombing - oil targets at Berlin.
10 Sqn. Five aircraft. All bombed. Opposition severe, one FTR.

Battle of Britain:
RAF Fighter Command: Two main operations today. The first coming between 09:00 and 10:00 when No. 303 Polish Squadron, tackling Ju88s and Do 17s over Kent along with 249 Squadron, was set upon by Bf109s which quickly disposed of five Hurricanes.
Main rail lines at Oxten and Caterham had been damaged slightly, also Hawker’s at Brooklands and Pobjoy’s Rochester works.

The second operation came when it was just dark at 20:43 (Double Summer Time being in operation), when bombs fell on West Ham damaging houses, railway lines and the Victoria Docks causing 55 casualties. More bombing involved Woolwich, Southwark and London’s south-east suburbs, where over 70 casualties were reported.

At 3.00 am, Gosta Catroli, a Swedish national trained by the German Secret Service “Abwerh”, parachuted from a Dornier Bomber and landed near Yardley, Hastings.

Catroli’s mission was to report by means of his radio, on conditions in Britain. He was arrested during the evening on the day he arrived, and on interrogation he was ‘turned’ and agreed to assist the British authorities.

As a direct result, another agent will be arrested in the same district in a months time. (William L. Howard)

Corvette HMS Campanula commissioned.

HMCS Margaree ex-HMS Diana, a Decoy or D-class fleet destroyer, was commissioned into the RCN at Londonderry, Northern Ireland. She was purchased for $886,847, approximately the average cost of the five C-class destroyers purchased previously by the RCN. All other old A- to I-class fleet destroyers transferred to the RCN subsequently during the war were presented as gifts to the Government of Canada in return for the stationing of Canadian Tribal-class destroyers with the British Home Fleet. (Dave Shirlaw)

FRANCE: Generalissimo Maurice Gustav Gamelin, former commander of Allied forces in France, is arrested by the Vichy government and charged with responsibility for France´s entry into the war and the resulting disaster.

He is later interned by the Germans in Northern Italy and is released and repatriated in 1945. He died in 1958. (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: U-134 and U-406 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

ROMANIA: Bucharest: King Carol of Romania today surrendered to the dictator General Ion Antonescu and abdicated in favour of his son, Prince Michael.
The king, who will seek asylum in Switzerland, declared: “I have decided to abdicate in face of the misfortunes which have come to this country. I hope by this sacrifice to save my country.” This is the second time that Carol has given up his throne. He renounced his right of succession in 1925 for love of his mistress, Magda Lupescu, before returning to turn his son off the throne in 1930.

MIDDLE EAST: Italian aircraft make three raids on Marsa Matruh and inflict some damage. It is believed that two attacking machines were damaged by British ground defences.

CANADA: HMS Duchess arrives in Halifax harbour, bringing the members of the Tizard Mission and a black metal box containing, amongst other things, six examples of the cavity magnetron. This would later be described as “the most important cargo to reach our (i.e. American) shores”. (Cris Wetton)

The USN destroyers USS Aaron Ward (DD-132), USS Buchanan (DD-131), USS Crowninshield (DD-134), USS Hale (DD-133), USS Abel P. Upshur (DD-193), USS Welborn C. Wood (DD-195), USS Herndon (DD-198) and USS Welles (DD-257) arrive at Halifax, Nova Scotia, along with destroyer USS Russell (DD-414), with Commander Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet (Captain Ferdinand L. (Reichmuth) embarked, and destroyer tender USS Denebola (AD-12). These are the first of the “flushdeck” destroyers to be transferred under the “Destroyers-For-Bases” deal. Contrary to popular opinion, none of the eight ships to be transferred were taken directly from reserve status and handed over to the RN. All eight ships had been recommissioned at least during 1939 and all had been engaged in operations on the neutrality patrols. Two ships were recommissioned considerably earlier and had served for extended periods with both the US Atlantic and Pacific Fleets; Crowninshield (1930) and Buchanan (1934). Denebola was present to provide last-minute ‘running repairs’ before the transfer was completed. All eight destroyers were decommissioned from the USN on 09 Sep and commissioned into the RN on the same day. USS Crowninshield was commissioned as HMS Chelsea (I35). She reached Devonport, England, on 28 Sep 1940 and was assigned to the Sixth Escort Group, Western Approaches Command, for local escort duty. In Nov 42, Chelsea became one of eight ‘flushdeckers’ lent to the RCN. She served with Canadian forces until the Dec 43, operated with both the Mid-Ocean Escort Force and Western Escort Forces. Chelsea returned to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 26 Dec 43 and, in early 44, was reduced to reserve status in the Tyne estuary. On 16 Jul 44, she was transferred to Russia and renamed Derskni. “By the long arm of coincidence” (as British Prime Minister Churchill puts it) the Royal Navy crews assigned to man the ships arrive simultaneously. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: The first development contracts (W535 ac-15429) for the prototype Consolidated XB-32 and Boeing XB-29 are signed. This will produce two XB-29s and a static test. The price is $3.6 million. (Jack McKillop)

URUGUAY: The warm generosity with which the U.S. meets the British request for ships contrasts markedly with the cold response to the Uruguayan government’s request to purchase three destroyers. U.S. Minister to Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson recounts an interview with “a leading Uruguayan” who complains: “Having been exhorted to cooperate in continental defence, we want to build up our pitifully non-existent Navy, and we ask you to let us have two or three old destroyers that have been lying useless in your ports since the last war. You handed over fifty of these destroyers to Great Britain, and we see pictures reproduced in the papers of quantities of these ships tied up in your ports, looking like so many toy vessels in a shop window. Yet, you tell us that you find it impossible to let us have even a single one of these.” Secretary of State Hull confidentially informs Minister Wilson that the USN believes “that the strategic situation in the North Atlantic does not permit the disposal of any destroyers to Uruguay at the present time, the more so as this would inevitably lead to similar requests from other American republics for [the] purchase of destroyers.” (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Escorting convoy OA205, corvette HMS Godetia is rammed and sunk by the merchantman SS Marsa north of Ireland 3 miles off Alatacarry Head at 55 18N, 05 57W. She is the first ‘Flower’ class to be lost.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 372 September 6, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 59. At 3 AM, an armed German parachutist dressed in civilian clothes with a Swedish passport and British identity card lands in Northamptonshire to report on damage to airfields. He is injured by landing on his wireless set and is discovered in a ditch in Denton by a farmer at 5.20 PM. With continued good flying weather, Luftwaffe stays with the successful tactics of recent days. They send 3 raids up the Thames Estuary and across Kent at 9 AM, 1 PM and 6 PM, again splitting up to attack RAF airfields at Heston, Kenley and Biggin Hill. Hawker aircraft factory at Brooklands and oil storage tanks at Thameshaven are bombed for the second day. Luftwaffe loses 37 fighters and 7 bombers. RAF loses 22 fighters (7 pilots killed, 1 taken prisoner when his Spitfire is shot down in France). The situation is becoming critical for RAF with 295 fighters lost (171 badly damaged) and 103 pilots killed (128 wounded) since August 24.

British submarine HMS Tribune attacks U-56 40 miles West of Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland (all torpedoes miss U-56). Luftwaffe bombs merchant ships around Ireland, damaging British MV Melbourne Star (180 miles West of Ireland, under repair for 1 month) and Greek SS Aegeon (in the Irish Sea, 30 miles Southeast of Dublin). http://www.melbournestar.co.uk/index.html

British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, battleships HMS Barham and HMS Resolution and 10 escort destroyers depart Gibraltar bound for Freetown, Sierra Leone, for refueling. They will join cruisers HMS Devonshire and HMAS Australia to cover landings at Dakar by Free French troops under General De Gaulle (supported by 8,000 British troops).

Despite RAF’s needs for the Battle of Britain, 30 more Hurricanes are flown off aircraft carrier HMS Argus to Takoradi in the British colony of Gold Coast, West Africa, to be flown 3600 miles overland to RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt.

[Allthegoodusernamesaregone]

Unfortunately this leads to Antonescu leading Romania to the Axis.

That happened because the Axis assured Romania of help against communist Russia. For Romania, as already proven by history, it was not a matter of if Russia will try to take over but when. Another historical fact was that many East European Jews moved to Romania for safety from Nazi. Transylvania, at that time, was under Hungarian control and they approved and encouraged the imprisonment of Jews in labor camps throughout Poland and Germany.

[BroJoeK]

"On September 6, Jodl got out a directive outlining in considerable detail the means of camouflage and deception. 'These re-groupings,' he laid it down, 'must not create the impression in Russia we are preparing an offensive in the East.' "

By "now" Stalin is beginning to receive numerous intelligence reports of the coming German invasion, all of which he chooses to ignore, calling them British disinformation.