July 9th, 1940 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Operations cancelled due to weather conditions.Britain is alive with reports of parachute landings, which were officially denied today. In the invasion of Holland, some parachutists were disguised as clergymen. Some rumours say that they have been disguised as nuns in Scotland. Other rumours of "fifth column" activity include secret rays in operation, which stop car engines dead, and spy messages concealed in the personal column of The Times. It is now an offence to spread rumours - a man was fined GBP 25 today for saying that 20 parachutists had landed in Kent. The Ministry of Information has asked people to join the "Silent Column" and to report defeatist talk.
RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group ( Blenheim). 21 Sqn and 57 Sqn. 12 aircraft bombed Stavanger/Sola airfield in Norway. 7 aircraft lost to fighters.
Submarine
HMS Salmon sailed on patrol on 4 July but was not heard from since. After
the war it was found that she had been routed across a German minefield that
had just been laid at 57 22N 05 00E. All 30 crew lost.
Corvette USS Temptress (ex-HMS Veronica) laid down.
Corvettes HMS Dianthus and Jonquil launched.
FRANCE: VICHY FRANCE: The French Chamber of Deputies votes for the reform of the Constitution by 395 votes to 3. Thus the French parliament grants Marshal Petain the power to make and alter the constitution.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Action off Calabria: Battle of Punto Stilo - Italian aircraft based out of Sicily start five days of high-level bombing against Admiral Cunningham's force (and Force H out of Gibraltar) and cruiser HMS Gloucester is hit and damaged.
In a series of actions, Skua II fighters from 800 and 803 Sqns, FAA, break up most of the attacks, downing three and damaging several more of the attackers. No hits are obtained.
Mediterranean fleet heads for a position to cut off the Italians from their base at Taranto.
Eagle's aircraft fail to find the Italians and first contact is made by
a detached cruiser squadron which is soon under fire from the heavier ships. HMS Warspite
comes up and damages battleship 'Giulio Cesare' with a 15in hit. As the Italian
battleships turn away, the cruisers and destroyers engage but with little effect.
Mediterranean fleet pursues to within 50 miles of the Calabrian coast before withdrawing.
In what might be the best single incident of
long-range shooting on record, the WARSPITE scores a 15-inch hit on the CESARE, almost dead amidships on a moving target, without radar, at a range of over 15 miles. Meanwhile, Italian
bombing attacks obtain loads of near misses and one solid hit, which lands on the bridge
of the
Meanwhile, Swordfish I search planes from 813 Sqn, FAA aboard HMS Eagle having established contact with the Italian Fleet for Admiral Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet, the 9 Swordfish Is of 824 squadron, FAA, also aboard HMS Eagle, deliver two separate torpedo attacks on Italian warships in the Ionian Sea. Unfortunately for the Royal Navy, the Italian cruisers outmanoeuvre both attacks. The second of the two attacks is delivered within sight of the British Fleet during the gunnery engagement between HMS Warspite and the Italian battleships Conti di Cavour and Giulio Cesare. These are the first aerial attacks delivered by carrier-based aircraft on the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean. (Mark Horan)
Mussolini has told his fleet: "You have obtained our first naval victory!"
AUSTRALIA: Destroyer HMAS Nestor launched.
U.S.A.: Submarine USS Unbeaten launched.
The All-Star baseball game between the American and National League All-Stars is played in Sportsman's Park, St. Louis, Missouri. The National League is the home team. Before one man is retired, the National League scores three runs on Boston Braves' right fielder Max West's home run with two men on. Five National League pitchers, the Reds' Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters, the Dodgers' Whit Wyatt, the Cubs' Larry French, and the Giants' Carl Hubbell hold the American League's All-Stars to three hits giving the National League a 4-0 win, the first shutout in All-Star history.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Tiiu sunk by U-34 at 50.20N, 12W.
At 2119, the unescorted Aylesbury was torpedoed and sunk by U-43 about 200 miles SE of Ireland. The master and 34 crewmembers were picked up by HMS Harvester and Havelock and landed at Liverpool.