Chronology of World War II

October 1939

Saturday, October 7th


Atlantic

Hoping to draw British naval units within range of Luftwaffe bombers, the German battleship Gneisenau leads a Kriegsmarine move on Norway. The exercise meets with little success. The German air units have yet to learn how to mount attacks at sea.
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Battle of the Atlantic

The Dutch steamer Bennendijk (6873t) is badly damaged 2 miles southeast of Shambles Light Vessel by a mine laid by U-26 on Sept 8th. She sinks the next day 1 mile north of the Light Vessel.
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German Raiders

The German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee sinks the British steamer Ashlea (4222t) in the South Atlantic. The crew had been transferred to the captured British steamer Newton Beech.
Crewmen on the Admiral Graf Spee watch as the Ashlea sinks.

Sinking of the Ashlea


Sinking of the Ashlea
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Western Front

Transport of the BEF to France is completed. A total of 161,000 troops, 24,000 vehicles and tanks, and 140,000 tons of supplies has been moved into France.
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[ Oct 6th - Oct 8th]