April 20th, 1940 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Everywhere in London there are signs of preparation against air attack but ten million
Londoners - the biggest bombing target in Europe - are still waiting for the action to
begin. It is a city of sandbags, piled high round the windows and doorways of public
buildings, shop fronts and underground shelters. They are beginning to turn green as they
weather and to leak at the corners.
Estate agents' boards blossom in Belgravia and Mayfair, where the rich and titled have
flown to safer nests in the shires. In Eaton Square only six houses out of 120 are
occupied. There are no takers.
But in the City, which was so quiet six months ago when 3,500 firms fled to the provinces,
daily life has returned to near-normal. At least 700 firms are back again, and thousands of
office workers pour along almost traffic-free streets. Hardly one carries a gas mask.
There are no paintings on view at the National Gallery - they are stored in a slate quarry
in Wales - but it is filled every day with music lovers who come to Myra Hess's lunch-time
concerts. The middle of Hyde Park is wired off as a military area, and sandbagged shelters
disfigure all the parks. But the barrage balloons shining in the evening sun look almost
romantic - like pearls strung from clouds.
Greenock: HMS Ark Royal, having parted company with the destroyers HMS Westcott and HMS Bulldog off Plymouth, is joined by the destroyers HMS Saladin, HMS Juno, and HMS Hasty, all arriving in the Clyde at 0145. She then docks at Greenock. HMS Glorious remains in Greenock loading stores and equipment.
NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: Large scale German air attacks against Namsos begin. The wooden houses are set
alight and the jetty damaged. Aandalsnes is bombed three times. Steinkjaer is reduced to
ruins.
Using 150 bombers (He-111 and Ju88) and 60 Ju87s, Fliegerkorps X mounts an attack on the
Allied landings that is so intense that it prevents strong formations of supplies from
being landed to reinforce the troops already on Norwegian soil.
Fleet Air Arm (Mark Horan): Again, Fleet Air Arm activity was limited, primary to terrible flying weather.
At RNAS Hatston, Acting Captain C. L. Howe, RN, again decided to attack shipping in the vicinity of Bergen. An unspecified number of Skuas from both 800 and 801 Squadrons were dispatched. 800 Squadron, FAA dispatched a single Skua on an armed reconnaissance mission to Larvik. Capt. Partridge, RM and his Observer, Lt. Bostock, RN made the crossing at 12,000 feet. Opting to fly a detour around the known Luftwaffe fighter base at Stavanger, and reached Larvik safely, where nothing of importance was sighted. En-route home, they spotted a lone MTB, schnellboote S-22, at speed. Electing to attack her, he release his single 500 pound SAP bomb, but missed by some 50 yards. Shortly thereafter, the pair spotted a U-Boat on the surface. Having no remaining bombs, they had to settle for a strafing run.
While approaching the Orkney's on the return flight, Skua L2999 of 800 Squadron disappears, Midshipman(A) John Richard Crossley, RN (P) and Petty Officer Airman Maurice Hall, DSM, twice Mentioned in Dispatches, RN being missing and presumed killed. This was to be the last Skua operation from RNAS Hatston for some time.
Meanwhile, the carriers were on the move. HMS Glorious, now carrying only 825 Squadron (12 x Swordfish) and 802 Squadron (9 x Sea Gladiator) departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow.
GERMANY:
On the his 51st birthday, Hitler orders a new SS regiment to be set up containing
Norwegians and Danes as well as Germans.