April 29th, 1940 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group. Bombing - Fornebu airfield. 102 Sqn. Six aircraft detailed, five took off and bombed. One FTR.GERMANY: U-503, U-504 laid down.
NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: U
class submarine HMS Unity lost in collision in fog in the North Sea off Blyth.
Whilst proceeding down the swept channel the Unity was struck by the
Norwegian freighter Atle Jarl. The crew clambered on to the casing as the
submarine sank and were rescued by boats from Atle Jarl. Unfortunately two of
the escapees drowned before rescue, and two of the crew remained inside the
sinking submarine for too long and went down with her.
The sea phase of the evacuation of Sickleforce begins. First a sloop
took off 340 men. After darkness fell that evening more than 1,800 British troops,
exhausted and hungry, stumbled aboard blacked-out warships and transports.
King Haakon and the Norwegian Government are en-route from Molde
to Tromsų on the British cruiser HMS Glasgow. The quay at Molde was
aflame when they left, with the crew of HMS GLASGOW playing hoses on the flames.
(88) (Alex Gordon) They will arrive on May 1st.
HMS Furious, in company with HMS Isis, HMS Ilex, and HMS Imogen arrives in the
Clyde, the carrier anchoring off Greenock at 0800 in preparation to being
dry-docked for repairs and refitting. HMS Glorious, at Scapa Flow, flew off her
two unserviceable Skuas and has the pilots attempt to acquire replacement
aircraft for what remains of 803 Squadron.
HMS Ark Royal has retired out to sea to rest and reorganize her air group in preparation for the planned bombardment of Trondheim Leeds by the Home Fleet, after HMS Glorious rejoins.
However, at Setnesmoen landing ground the 18 year old Midshipman(A) Gallagher and Naval Airman Halifax were making every attempt to fly their Skua back to the Orkneys. Unfortunately, the RAF Gladiators that were briefly based at the field were started by hand crank, and thus no replacement starter cartridges were available. Unaware that HMS Ark Royal had departed the area, Gallagher trekked to the evacuation site, conferred with the Naval Commander, and managed to get a message sent to the ship requesting that an aircraft fly out and airdrop a box of Coffmann cartridges on the field. Upon returning to his aircraft, he found that the few remaining RAF personnel were hiding from the constant German air attacks, intending to carry out their final demolitions that night under the eye of their Royal Marine protectors. Determined to wait into the morrow for the needed cartridges before destroying their plane, the pair slept under its wing that night (Mark Horan)
ASW trawlers HMS Cape Chelyuskin and Cape Siretoko bombed and sunk by German aircraft off Norway.
POLAND: Auschwitz: The camp’s new commander, Rudolf Hoess, takes up office and drafts 30 violent convicts from Sachshausen to be senior camp guards (kapos).
CANADA: Ottawa: A plan to train 20,000 aircrew in Canada as part of the Empire’s war effort is set to take off. The deal with Britain is said to impose a "staggering responsibility" on Canada where 40,000 experts are needed to teach flying at 58 centres. The first of these opens next month at Camp Borden, where the first qualified pilots will be kept as instructors. Observers and air gunners will also be trained under the deal signed by the Prime Minister, William Mackenzie King, and Lord Riverdale. Australia hopes to provide some 10,000 aircrew each year for the RAF; although some RAAF squadrons are joining in the fight as complete units it seems that the Australian role will be as a training service for the RAF. Other significant help is coming from Rhodesia and individual Americans.
Britains' Air Ministry first proposed a Commonwealth Air Training Scheme before 1939, but, ironically, the Canadians were unenthusiastic. The outbreak of war has rapidly changed people’s minds.
Corvette HMCS Kamloops laid down Victoria, British Columbia.
Corvette HMCS Alberni laid down.
U.S.A.: Washington: Roosevelt sends Mussolini a message asking him to use his influence to bring peace.