October 21st, 1940 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:Battle of Britain:
Liverpool: The city suffers its 200th air raid.
BATTLE OF BRITAIN: The weather is mainly cloudy with fog and intermittent rain and poor visibility. During the day considerable activity by single aircraft and small formations is noticeable over widespread areas. London boroughs are bombed, resulting in a few casualties and damage to property. Incidents are reported in the following counties: Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Sussex and Kent. The chief objectives are aerodromes, but it is also noticeable that the Germans indulged in a certain amount of promiscuous machine-gunning without any apparent damage or casualties; four incidents are reported, at 0800 hours in an area round Bala Junction, at 1100 hours at an Open Air School at Blackburn, at 1130 hours against workers in a field at Iden and at 1345 hours on a convoy on the Tillshead to Lavington Road.. The night attack on London is not so intense as of late, but the attack on Coventry is very severe and fires and damage is extensive.
Elsewhere, Luftwaffe activity is on a small scale. Dover is shelled between 1403 and 1557 hours; six shells falling in all, inflicting no casualties nor damage. RAF Fighter Command claims 1-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft and antiaircraft batteries claim 1-0-0. The RAF suffers no loses.Eggs go up in price to 4/- a dozen, and purchase tax on all goods except food and children's clothes comes into operation.
London: Churchill broadcasts to the French people, calling for their help against "Hitler and Hitlerism." Churchill appealed to France not to hinder Britain in war against Germany stating "we do not forget the ties and links that unite us to France, and we are persevering steadfastly and in good heart in the cause of European freedom and fair dealing for the common people of all countries for which, with you, we draw the sword. . . ." "Remember, we shall never stop, never weary, and never give in, and that our whole people and empire have bowed themselves to the task of cleansing Europe from the Nazi pestilence and saving the world from the new Dark Ages. . . . We seek to beat the life, and soul out of Hitler and Hitlerism-that alone, that all the time, that to the end."
RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: During a roving commission Blenheim Mk. IVs of No. 218 Squadron based at Oakington, Cambridheshire, bomb a supply convoy of 14 ships with three E-boats escorting. One ships is sunk with a direct hit.
Blackpool: The first high-altitude flight by the Vickers Wellington V reaches 20,000 feet.
London: [via US Embassy]
Secret and Personal for the President from Former Naval Person [Churchill]:
We hear rumours from various sources that the Vichy Government are preparing their ships and colonial troops to aid the Germans against us. I do not myself believe these reports, but if the French fleet at Toulon were turned over to Germany it would be a very heavy blow. It would certainly be a wise precaution, Mr. President, if you would speak in the strongest terms to the French Ambassador emphasising the disapprobation with which the United States would view such a betrayal of the cause of democracy and freedom. They will pay great heed in Vichy to such a warning.
GERMANY: U-157 is laid down.
SPAIN: RFSS Himmler visits El Escorial (former country home of the kings of Spain) where he lays a wreath on the tomb of José Antonio Primo de Rivera. He later visits Toledo. (Russ Folsom)
RED SEA: Convoy BN7 is attacked by Italian destroyers from Massawa. The escorts,
including New Zealand cruiser HMS Leander and the destroyer HMS Kimberley, drive
destroyer 'Francesco Nullo' ashore with their gunfire.
Shortly after dawn, the NULLO was overtaken by the KIMBERLY and two other vessels just
outside Massawa. The NULLO and the KIMBERLY had at it again, this time engaging in a
one-hour gun battle in which the handicapped Italian destroyer came out much the worse.
The NULLO was left dead in the water and sinking, but had meanwhile managed to work its
way in under the protection of Harmil Island in the Massawa channel. Here the Italians had
established a naval 76-mm battery (the smaller of the two types of shore-based
antiaircraft guns generally employed by the Italian Navy, both capable of a dual-purpose
role). As the KIMBERLY closed in to finish off its Italian adversary with a torpedo, the
gunners on Harmil Island engaged it, scoring a hit which temporarily stopped the British
destroyer (although it had to be towed back to Port Sudan by its companion vessels, the
damage to the British ship proved to be minor). While the British departed, the NULLO
sank. The destroyer's captain, Lt-Commander Borsini, chose to go down with his ship. When
his faithful orderly, seaman Ciaravolo, saw his commander still on the bridge, he
reportedly jumped out of the lifeboat he was in and swam back to the NULLO to share his
captain's fate. (Mike Yaklich)
CANADA: Corvette HMCS Jonquil commissioned.