September 1st, 1940 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Battle of Britain: The weather is fair with cloudy patches during the
morning, clearing during the afternoon. During the day, there is heavy
damage to Fighter Command airfields following four major attacks. German
activity is on a reduced scale compared with the previous day and fewer
aircraft are employed, but three attacks of importance developed in the East
Kent area. Aerodromes again appeared to be the objectives. In the North and
East, reconnaissances by single aircraft are made between Humber and
Lowestoft in the forenoon, and in the latter area five plottings are
recorded. There are six other reconnaissances in the Harwich-Cromer zone. In
the afternoon two reconnaissances are made and in one of these the position
of a convoy off Yarmouth is reported. Thick cloud prevented further action.
At 1040 hours interception is made of the reports transmitted by enemy
aircraft over Derby. In the Southeast at 1050 hours, about 50 Luftwaffe
aircraft crossed the coast near Dover and other raids followed. By 1100
hours about 100 German aircraft are over Kent and Thames Estuary. Some
penetrated to Biggin Hill, Kenley, Gravesend, Hornchurch and North Weald
Airfields. Two Balloons of the Dover Barrage are shot down. Fighter
squadrons intercepted and shot down several Luftwaffe aircraft. At 1340
hours some 70 enemy aircraft crossed the Coast between Dover and Dungeness.
A second wave of about 80 aircraft followed. Biggin Hill and Kenley
Airfields are the objectives. Four squadrons from No 11 Group are sent to
intercept; meanwhile No 12 Group provided one squadron from Duxford to
patrol North Weald. At 1530 hours five raids totaling 70 aircraft again
crossed the Coast between Dover and Dungeness. Of these abut 20 circled on
the Coast line but others penetrated towards Maidstone and the Thames
Estuary, and attacked Dunkirk. Further enemy casualties are inflicted. As in
the previous raids hostile patrols are maintained in the Channel whilst the
German raids are in progress over England. In the Southwest, reconnaissance
aircraft transmitted reports on British Naval Units South West of Lands End
at 1050 hours. The position indicated is correct.
During the night, Liverpool is attacked again with smaller raids in the Midlands and South Wales. German activity is much reduced compared with that of the previous nights and the areas attacked are quite different. Only a small number of isolated raids went to the Industrial Midlands. Main raids are confined to three areas only, Kent, Bristol Channel and South Wales and Tyne/Tees. Many early raids are plotted over Kent and into the Thames Estuary. Attacks are reported on Detling Aerodrome, Dunkirk and Rye. This area is however, clear by midnight. A continuous flow passed to the Bristol Channel and South Wales, some aircraft believed to be on mine-laying. This area appeared to be the main target of the night. A few of these raids passed North as far as the Sealand area. Shortly after midnight a number of raids appeared off the Norfolk Coast and flew North West to the Tyne/Tees area. Mine-laying is suspected but several raids crossed inland before returning home in the direction of the Dutch Islands. Other mine-laying is suspected off the Humber, Thames Estuary and Dungeness to Poole.
RAF fighters claim 25-10-24 Luftwaffe aircraft; the British lose 15 aircraft with six pilots killed or missing.
RAF Fighter Command: Tilbury, Chatham are bombed.
South-east airfields attacked include
Debden, Biggin Hill (severely damaged), Eastchurch and Detling.
At night Bristol, South
Wales, Midlands and Merseyside are bombed.
In the afternoon a clutch of very low flying Dorniers penetrated to Biggin Hill,
delivering the third and most damaging bombing of the day when one scored a direct hit
with a 250-kg HE on its Sector Operations Room whose reinforced concrete ceiling collapsed
into the building where two WAAF's remained at their posts. Such devotion to duty won both
Sergeant Helen Turner and Corporal Elspeth Henderson a Military Medal. A new, temporary,
operations room was established in a village shop.
Losses: Luftwaffe, 14; RAF, 15.
Destroyer
HMS Ivanhoe (D 16) working with the 20th Destroyer Flotilla is scuttled
in the North Sea off the Dutch Coast at 53 25N 03 48E after suffering mine
damage.
GERMANY: Propaganda radio station NBBS "New
British Broadcasting Station" declares that 'Dover is already practically German
territory.'
U-131 laid
down.
LITHUANIA:
Kovno: The Japanese consul Sempo Sugihara, who has been issuing exit visas to Jews, is
expelled.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA:
Reinforcements are sent to the Mediterranean Fleet right through until the end of the
year. They are covered from Gibraltar by Admiral Somerville and Force H, and then met in the
central basin by Admiral Cunningham. The opportunity is taken to run in supplies of men and
material to Malta.
Early in September the new fleet carrier HMS Illustrious, with an armoured flight deck,
battleship HMS Valiant and two cruisers are transferred in this way in Operation 'Hats'.
On passage with them, aircraft from HMS Ark Royal attack Sardinian targets. HMS
Illustrious, having joined with Eagle, sends aircraft against Rhodes. The Italian Fleet
sorties during these operations, but fails to make contact. The arrival of HMS Illustrious
allows Admiral Cunningham to go ahead with his plans to attack the Italian battlefleet at
Taranto.
KENYA Buna falls to the Italians coming from Italian Somaliland.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES:
Grunert
advises Quezon that planning towards both
civil defence and economic mobilization should commence immediately.
Grunert
advises Marshall that the failure of the US government to adopt a consistent
policy towards the Philippines was adversely affecting the morale of the
populace.
US Navy announces it will no longer send dependents to the Far East. (Marc Small)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1720 hours GMT, the German submarine U-32 attacks the Dakar Task Force off Rockall about 243 nautical miles (450 kilometers) west-northwest of Stornoway, Outer Hebrides, U.K., in position 58.10N, 12.55W. The British light cruiser HMS Fiji (50) is damaged and she will be out of commission for six months. Her place is taken by the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (H 84).
At 0055 hours local, German submarine
U-101 torpedoes a Greek merchant
freighter, the SS Efploia, which straggled from convoy OB-205. The wreck was scuttled by a
British warship with gunfire at 55.43N/13.05W.