October 9th, 1940 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:RAF Bomber Command: 108 aircraft raid the battleship Tirpitz in dry dock at Wilhelmshaven.
Battle of Britain: Airfields in the south-east form today's main targets.
Maidstone is attacked by fighter-bombers is daylight, 87 buildings being damaged, and using cloud cover a single raider managed to damage English Electric's Stafford factory.
The weather is cloudy in the Channel with rain in northern France and the Straits of Dover. During the day, many ineffectual attacks are made upon London, but on two occasions in the afternoon Luftwaffe aircraft penetrate the London area and drop bombs, mostly in the Eastern and South-Eastern Districts.
A bomb falls on St. Paul's Cathedral in the early morning, exploding inside the roof and severely damaging the High Altar and the East Ham Memorial Hospital is hit, involving some casualties, and some damage is done to communications and dock-side property.
Towns in South and South-East England are also attacked during the daylight, and some damage is done to property and casualties caused; an attack is also made on the English Electric Works at Stafford, causing only slight damage. A feature of the German's daylight attacks is low level bombing and machine-gunning, particularly during the dusk period. Night operations against London commence soon after dark, and most districts of the city are attacked during the night, particular attention being paid to railway communications which suffer some damage. A few fires are started, but are brought quickly under control. Elsewhere, the night raids are fairly widespread over the Southern half of England and South Wales, but no material damage appears to have been done, nor are the casualties heavy. RAF Fighter Command claims 4-4-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; one RAF fighter is lost but the pilot is safe.
Westminster: Winston Churchill was this afternoon elected as Tory Party leader in succession to Neville Chamberlain who retired from the government last week for health reasons. The decision - taken at a private party meeting - was reported to have been unanimous.
Mr Chamberlain had continued as Tory leader after relinquishing the premiership. Mr Churchill had many enemies in the party before the out break of war, and there was an abortive attempt by party establishment figures this morning to appoint formally a deputy leader "to keep an eye on the boss".
After his election Mr Churchill, who knew what had been going on, referred obliquely to his past differences with the party - sometimes while a member of it and sometimes not. "Varying opinions are entertained about my career," he said with a grin. "But I think I can call myself a Tory."
EGYPT: The Western Desert Air Force is formed under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham to conduct air operations in North Africa. Strength of the force amounts to three squadrons of Wellington bombers, five squadrons of Blenheims, three of Hurricanes and one Gladiator squadron. In addition, three squadrons of Lysanders are assigned to Army co-operation duties.
FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA: In Cameroon, the Royal Navy supports a Free French expedition, under Free French Brigadier General Charles De Gaulle, to gain control of the seaport of Duala. The Free French forces succeeded in seizing control of the colony from the Vichy French authorities.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Ungava launched North Vancouver, British Columbia.
UNITED STATES: The Secretary of the Navy approves a recommendation by the General Board, that 24 of the authorized submarines be equipped to carry aviation gasoline (petrol) for delivery to seaplanes on the water. This is in addition to the submarine USS Nautilus (SS 168) which has demonstrated her ability to refuel patrol planes and has conducted a successful test dive to 300 feet (91 meters) with aviation gasoline aboard; and to the submarine USS Narwhal (SS-167) and minelaying submarine USS Argonaut (SM-1) which are being altered to carry 19,000 U.S. gallons (15,821 Imperial gallons or 71 923 liters) of aviation gasoline each.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-103 sighted Convoy SC-6 and sank SS Delphin and SS Zannes Gounaris and damaged SS Graigwen in Convoy SC-6. After the successful attack at 2200 hrs the boat was depth charged by a convoy escort.