October 22nd, 1940 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain: In foggy weather, five German crashes lead to the loss of several senior officers.There is widespread fog in the south, clearing to rain later. During daylight several small scale bombing attacks are reported in Devon, Sussex, Surrey and Kent. No bombs fall in London. After dark the Germans consider London of secondary importance, and launch their main attacks against the Midlands causing considerable damage in Coventry. The Coventry raids commence at 1958 hours and cease at 2155 hours causing widespread fires and considerable damage. Fires are reported at Armstrong Siddeley, shops and residential property. St Mary's Hall, the Queen's Hotel, and a Public Shelter are hit by high explosives and a number of people are trapped, but all are extricated alive. The spare parts department of the Daimler Works is hit, and an unexploded bomb is also suspected. The situation is well in hand and all fires (150) are brought under control by 2200 hours. It is reported that during this raid about 200 persons have been rendered homeless.
There are also some minor incidents reported in Essex. RAF Fighter Command claims 3-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; the RAF loses six aircraft and four pilots.Losses: Luftwaffe, 11; RAF, 5.
Between 0750 and 0904 hours, Dover, is again shelled from German guns in France. Two shells fell on the land and one in the sea. Thirty houses are slightly damaged and four persons slightly injured. Road A259 to Folkestone is partially blocked but is reported to be available for single line traffic.
FRANCE: Montoire: Hitler discusses France's role in Europe's "new order" with the vice-premier, Pierre Laval. Laval offers his own collaboration and arranges a meeting two days later with Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain, head of the Vichy French state.
GERMANY: Rhineland: More than 15,000 German Jews are deported to internment camps in France, at the foot of the Pyrenees. Conditions in the camps result in the deaths of nearly 2,000 deportees.
U-68 launched.
U-108 commissioned.
RED SEA: Italian destroyer Francesco Nullo, which was run aground yesterday by the British light cruiser HMS Leander (75), which is on loan to the New Zealand division, and the destroyer HMS Kimberley (F 50), is destroyed by RAF Blenheims as she lies aground, in the Red Sea. (Mike Yared)(284)
U.S.A.:
Richardson
protests the unreality of the existing War Plans to Stark.
The USAAC ordered that the national star insignia was to be (1) placed on the fuselage and (2) removed from the top of the right wing and the bottom of the left wing. The USAAC also ordered that rudder stripes were to be removed.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Canadian destroyer HMCS Margaree is lost in collision with merchantman SS Port Fairy as she escorts Liverpool-out convoy OL8 450 miles to the west of Ireland at 53 24N, 22 50E. Cut in half the forward half of the ship sinks immediately, the after half remaining afloat is eventually sunk by gunfire from the Port Fairy. She sinks with 142 casualties, but 31 crew survive. Compounding the tragedy, 86 of those lost are survivors of the Fraser disaster. Margaree is the second destroyer lost due to collision within four months. This is the last of the short lived fast OLs from Liverpool. (Alex Gordon)(108)