R.A.F. BOMBS BERLIN AND 20 TOWNS; NAZI-LED DRIVE IN EGYPT FORESEEN (10/3/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 10/3/40 | James MacDonald, James B. Reston, Harold Denny

[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 Mediterranean Basin (Map 33)
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]

Arms Plant is Hit – 2
Nazi Planes Altered to Cut Down Losses – 2
The International Situation – 3
Aid to Italy Hinted – 3-4
French Priest and Naval Officer Hero of Attempted Dakar Landing – 4
Vanderbilt Yacht is Bought by Navy – 4
1,000 Nazi Planes Spar over Britain – 7
‘Normal’ Life in London Returns for Brief Hour – 7
British Rename Ships Obtained from Us – 7
Navy Forming New Atlantic Force in One Command for Efficiency – 9
Texts of Day’s War Communiques – 11

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/oct40/f03oct40.htm

Chamberlain resigns from War Cabinet

Thursday, October 3, 1940 www.onwar.com

In London... Neville Chamberlain resigns his position in the War Cabinet. His offices are taken up by Herbert Morrison, Lord President of the Council, and Sir John Anderson, Home Secretary. Kingsley Wood and Bevin are brought into the War Cabinet.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/03.htm

October 3rd, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain:
A single Ju 88 hits the de Havilland factory at Hatfield, destroying the Technical School and assembly shop where much of the work for the early Mosquitoes was promptly destroyed, before the bomber was brought down by light AA.

In the night London is bombed again. The main hangar at General Aircraft’s Feltham works, where Hurricanes were being repaired, was damaged.

Losses: Luftwaffe, 9; RAF, 1.

RAF Bomber Command: Seven RAF bombers make daylight raids on Rotterdam, Dunkirk and Cherbourg. Last night 81 bombed targets in Germany, Eindhoven airfield and the Channel ports.

Westminster: Chamberlain resigns on grounds of ill health; Kingsley-Wood and Ernest Bevin join the war cabinet.

Herbert Morrison today becomes Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security. He announces plans to install a million bunks and sanitation in the shelters and tube stations of London.

Corvette HMS Hyacinth commissioned.

Corvette HMS Freesia launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

VICHY FRANCE: Jews are banned from public employment and the army.

GERMANY: U-76 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

POLAND: Warsaw: All Jews are ordered to move into the Jewish district.

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Clayoquot launched Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Minesweeper HMCS Rimouski launched Lauzon, Province of Quebec. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Baseball.

Navy Department orders all dependents in the Far East be sent home. Hart ordered to keep this secret.

Lieutenant-Colonel George Patton is promoted to general. (Marc James Small)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 399 October 3, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 86. Clouds, rain and mist, with poor visibility over the Channel, lead to a light day. Luftwaffe does not send over any formations of aircraft but instead there is a steady stream of reconnaissance flights and single bomber “nuisance” raids. Bombs are dropped on London, Worcester, Birmingham and Wellingborough. At 11.26 AM, anti-aircraft guns shoot down a Ju88 which had just bombed the De Havilland aircraft factory at Hatfield. RAF fighters do not respond to these attacks and no Luftwaffe or RAF aircraft are lost in dogfights. There is relatively little bombing of London overnight, by small groups of bombers or single aircraft.

Neville Chamberlain has been absent from London for several days, incapacitated by incurable bowel cancer. He resigns his position as Lord President of the Council in Churchill’s War Cabinet (where he has served loyally since resigning as Prime Minister), ending a political career that began in 1914. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain

[SteamShovel]

HMMM...

PEACE AT HOME - OR - WAR ABROAD?

It seems like they are advocating building our defenses, being stingy and not helping Britain, and sticking our head in the sand.

Did I get that right? Be strong, don't help our friends in need, and pretend Hitler wouldn't come after us later?

[InternetTuffGuy]

Had we kept our nose out of the spat between the Kaiser and the Frogs, Hitler would be a lame water color artist in the greater European Union whose progressive leftish political makeup, courtesy of the Kaiser would be indistinguishable from the EU now.

And we wouldn't have lost so many men in the trenches of Belgium, nor twenty five years later falling out of the skies of Germany by the tens of thousands.

[CougarGA7]

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 3rd October 1940

• Weather: Rain and drizzle in the Channel. Visibility down to 500 yards in places.
• Day: Scattered raids on East Anglia and southern England.
• Night: London and its suburbs attacked.

  Enemy action by day

  There were no attacks by enemy formations, probably due to adverse weather conditions, but in place especially after mid-day, a fairly continuous succession of raids by single aircraft crossed the coast and in some cases dropped bombs in various parts of the country. Many of the places have no military importance.

  No enemy aircraft were brought down by Fighters not did we suffer any casualties.

  Light AA shot down one Ju88.

  North and North East Coasts

  Two meteorological flights were plotted in the afternoon 100 miles East of Firth of Forth.

  East Coast

  From 0630 to 1230 hours some nine reconnaissances by single aircraft were made between the Yorkshire Coast and Harwich. In two cases aircraft penetrated far inland, one flying to Worcester, where bombs were dropped, to Birmingham and Wellingborough which was also bombed. The second crossed the coast at Bawdsey, flying to North Weald and Debden. Bombs were dropped near North Weald from 1000 feet.

  Between 1300 and 1500 hours fifteen raids were plotted between Harwich and the Estuary. Two aircraft in one raid flew across England to South Wales.

  South East Coast

  Between 0630 and 1000 hours, one aircraft approached London from the Estuary and flew to Oxford and back, while other reconnaissances were made in the Estuary and at Hornchurch.

  At 1126 Light AA shot down a Ju88 which had bombed an Aircraft factory at Hatfield.

  Between 1300 and 1500 hours a succession of raids by single aircraft crossed the Coast from Isle of Wight to Skegness, the principal lane of entry being Kenley - Biggin Hill, Northolt - North Weald, and Debden.

  Twelve raids coming from Le Havre crossed between Selsey Bill and Beachy Head and six raids from Dieppe and Calais flew mostly to the London area.

  Between 1500 - 1700, sixteen raids coming from Dieppe and crossing between Beachy Head and Dungeness flew to London and the Estuary.

  South and West Coast

  At about 0700 hours enemy aircraft attacked St Eval from a low height but little damage was done either by bombs or machine gun fire.

  Reconnaissances were made by aircraft flying from the South West towards the Bristol Channel, Filton and then to Bournemouth, from Poling to Swindon and back, and off the Anglesey Coast.

  From 1500 hours raids crossed the Coast between Beachy Head and Selsey Bill flying inland and in one case to the Bedford area. This aircraft on its return flight located a convoy near Selsey which it bombed. A further track was plotted near Fishguard flying North East to Speke thence via Wales and the Bristol Channel to Dorset.

  Weather

  East of Portland, it was overcast with rain or drizzle. Cloud 500-1000'. Visibility poor. Wind slight to moderate.

  West of Portland, mainly cloudy 5/10 - 9/10, 2000' to 3000'. Visibility good, wind light to moderate, North East.

  Night Operations - 3rd/4th October 1940

  Enemy activity was on a very reduced scale compared with previous nights.

  Up to 2100 hours only eleven raids of single aircraft had entered the country, nine from Dieppe to the London area, and two from Calais to North of London and on to Bedford.

  At 2100 hours there were no hostile raids inland, but between 2130 and 2300 hours, seven aircraft from Dieppe covered most of South East England penetrating to London. One raider also flew from the Dutch Coast to over Norfolk.

  Between 2300 hours and 0100 hours a further eighteen enemy aircraft from Dieppe flew to the London area, one of which proceeded past London as far as Debden.

  Later three more enemy aircraft visited London and Northolt. At 0200 hours the country was again entirely clear.

  Complete inactivity continued, not a single enemy aircraft being plotted over this country between the hours of 0200 and 0530, when a single aircraft flew from Cherbourg to Selsey Bill and on toward Biggin Hill, but turned South again and by 0605 hours the country was again free of enemy raiders.

  

  ________________________________________

  Statistics

  Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 3rd October 1940

• Blenheim - 31
• Spitfire - 226
• Hurricane - 403
• Defiant - 12
• Gladiator - 8
• Total – 680

  Casualties:

  	Enemy Losses
  	By Fighters
  Destroyed	Probable	Damaged
  Nil	Nil	Nil
  	By Anti-Aircraft
  1 Ju88
  1	Nil	Nil

• Own:

• Nil.

  Patrols:

• Own

• During the night of 2nd / 3rd October - 35 patrols involving 35 sorties.
• During the day of 3rd October - 68 patrols involving 138 sorties.

• Enemy

• It is estimated that about 180 enemy aircraft operated over or near our coasts during the night 2nd / 3rd October and 80 during the day of 3rd October.

  Balloons:

• No report.

  Serviceability of Aerodromes:

• Grangemouth is unserviceable by night.

  Organisation:

• No report.

  Home Security Reports

• General Summary

• Date: 3rd October 1940

• London and the Midlands appear to be the main objectives of the enemy during the day but mention must be made of the number of aerodromes that have been attacked. St Eval Aerodrome appears to have received most damage. The De Havilland Aircraft Factory at Hatfield suffered considerably and slight damage was also done to the BBC Station at Tatsfield. During the night enemy activity was on a very much smaller scale by comparison with raids of previous nights. London was visited and also the South East of England, but there is no report of the Midlands or the North having been bombed.

• Detailed Summary

• RAF Stations - 3rd October 1940
• Brockley Wood was attacked at 0437 hours and a few craters on the landing ground is the only damage reported.
• Wembley: An unexploded bomb fell at 0455 hours in the RAF Depot, Place of Industry.
• St Eval: This aerodrome was attacked between the hours of 0655 and 0710. Two Spitfires and one Anson were completely destroyed and two hangars were also hit and there was also some minor damage.
• Upwood Aerodrome: The enemy attacked at 1333 hours but failed to hit their objective.
• Woodley: Six bombs were dropped at 1505 hours three of which are of delayed action. No damage is reported.
• Gravesend: An IB was dropped near to the Aerodrome during the night but no damage is reported.
• Stanton Harcourt: Six HE were dropped on the landing ground but caused no damage.
• North Weald: A number of bombs were dropped in the early morning but there was no damage.
• Cosford: Attacked at 1517 hours but enemy failed to hit their objectives.
• Wyton: Attacked at 1520 hours but no damage is reported.
• Skegness: The training station was attacked at 1613 hours. No further information is available.
• White Waltham: Was bombed at 1654 hours. There was no damage.
• St Merryn: An attack was made at 1750 hours and three aircraft were slightly damaged.
• Hatfield: the aerodrome was bombed. Nor further information is available.
• Ford: The aerodrome was attacked at 1940 hours and one Government building was damaged.

• RAF Stations - 4th October 1940

• Heathrow: An attack was made at 0100 hours and the tail of an Albacore was smashed but no further damage.

• Factories - 3rd October 1940

• The De Havilland Factory was bombed at approximately 1130 hours. A large assembly shed and Technical School received direct hits and were set on fire, and a Sheet Metal shop was destroyed.
• The Mining and Engineering Co of Worcester was attacked at 1232 hours. The damage was not extensive and full production should be resumed in about seven days.
• The Gas Light and Coke Company was bombed at Banbury at 1440 hours and production is suspended for four days.
• Major damage occurred at 2350 hours at Feltham to the main hangar of General Aircraft Limited.
• A fire at the works of F A Lodge & Sons, Winke, Armley caused severe damage and production will be suspended for a few days.

• Factories - 4th October 1940

• At 0242 hours an unexploded bomb was dropped inside Briggs Bodies Works at Dagenham which will hold up aircraft production.
• De Souter Brothers was bombed at 0313 hours but production is expected to recommence tomorrow.

• Elsewhere - 3rd October 1940

• Enemy aircraft machine gunned a searchlight at Whitburn at 0020 hours but there was no damage.
• At 0940 hours ten HE fell near the premises of Shell Mex BP Ltd in the Isle of Gray. The premises are intact but slight damage was done to the railway.
• Eighteen bombs were dropped at Rushden at 1018 hours. A school, boot factory and Electricity Sub-Station were damaged. The railway also suffered and traffic is temporarily suspended.
• At 1530 a bomb dropped at Tatsfield and slight damage was done to the BBC Station.

  Battle of Britain

[CougarGA7]

I’m not so sure that things would have turned out different had American stayed out of the First World War. Certainly the American casualties would not have happened, but the German offensive using all those divisions from the recently surrendered Russians had already bogged down. There would still have likely been the revolt by the German navy in October and general war weariness would still have resulted in the German leadership giving up the fight. This would still leave the disillusioned Hitler in the political hot bed that was Weimar Munich.

[mainestategop]

MEYER! MEYER!

Herman Goering once said if one bomb falls on Berlin you can call him meyer. MEYER! MEYER!

[iowamark]

Vanderbilt Yacht is Bought by Navy

I can't help thinking of Anderson Vanderbilt Cooper singing "In the Navy."

[Tank-FL]

And we wouldn't have lost so many men in the trenches of Belgium, nor twenty five years later falling out of the skies of Germany by the tens of thousands.

Hard to second guess even for me. We have a great advantage of knowing what the future holds for these folks. I somehow think that most decisions made were best - with the information these folks had at the time.

It is just so hard to be objective - when we have the knowledge of the future.

my 2 cents

[untenured]

Interesting that a World Series game between two non-NYC teams is above the fold on p. 1. Baseball is not the cultural force it once was.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Interesting that a World Series game between two non-NYC teams is above the fold on p. 1.

Good observation. I didn't think much about it because I remembered the front page coverage from the World Series last year. But that was the Yankees.