June 29th, 1940 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: An island fortress is preparing to repel invaders expected at any moment. Sea-fronts and sands on the south and east coasts are bare of visitors and children, while gun emplacements, barbed wire and pill boxes, disguised as chalets, tea stalls, even haystacks, spring up everywhere. Scaffolding and concrete blocks cover beaches, and piers have been cut off from the shore. To prevent troop gliders from landing, open spaces, downs and golf courses are strewn with obstacles - old cars and buses, carts even iron bedsteads. On the moors above Rochdale, old canal barges are floated on reservoirs to prevent landings by sea and float planes. All signposts have been removed and station names painted out. Motorists must lock and immobilise parked cars. Church bells are silent - to be rung if the invasion should come.Submarine HMS TALISMAN is commissioned.
NORTH SEA: U-99 was attacked in the North Sea by a "friendly" aircraft with three bombs. The boat suffered slight damages.
GERMANY: Radio propaganda interprets British moves to block landing strips as popular sabotage of the wealthy classes’ cricket pitches.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 0615 the Italian submarine Argonauta was probably sunk near Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya by destroyers HMS Dainty, Decoy, Defender, Ilex and HMAS Voyager. It is also possible the Argonauta was depth charged and sunk around 1450 that same day by an RAF Sunderland in position 37.29N, 19.51E.
U.S.S.R.: Submarine SC-411 is laid down.
JAPAN: Tokyo: Japan announces its interest in controlling the South Seas, which it sees as part of its sphere of influence.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
About 0500, the unescorted Empire Toucan was torpedoed by U-47 190 miles SW of Fastnet and broke in two. The U-boat sank the afterpart by gunfire. The bow section was sunk by gunfire by destroyer HMS Hurricane, which picked up the master and 30 crewmembers and landed them at Plymouth. Three crewmembers were lost
At 0012, decoy ship HMS Edgehill was hit by one torpedo from U-51 amidships and stopped but did not sink due to her buoyant cargo. The U-boat surfaced and fired a coup de grāce at 0106, but it needed a third torpedo at 0124 to let the vessel sink slowly by the stern. Built as motor ship West Lynn (4702 tons), 1931 renamed Willamette Valley for Sir William Reardon Smith and Sons Ltd, Cardiff. On 17 Sep 1939 requisitioned by the Royal Navy and converted to a decoy ship, commissioned as special service vessel (SSV) HMS Edgehill (X 39). The ship had a concealed armament of nine 4in guns and four torpedo tubes and carried a buoyant cargo to help keep her afloat if hit.
U-26 sank SS Frangoula B. Goulandris at 49.59N, 11.24W. Six dead and 32 survivors. (DS)