Atlantic

During the night there is action off southern Norway between British destroyers and a German flotilla. 2 of the German ships are sunk.

Axis Diplomacy

Ribbentrop writes to Stalin inviting the Soviets to join Germany, Italy and Japan in a mutual division of the world. Stalin replies that he is in favor of such an arrangement and will send Molotov to Berlin to begin negotiations.

Japan invites the U.S. and others to join the Tripartite alliance. Foreign Minister Matsuoka says, 'The new world order envisaged by the three powers is one in which economic barriers will be broken down and the natural geographic divisions of the earth established in complementary fashion which will make for the prosperity of all peoples. . . . We three nations, Japan, Germany, and Italy, will be very glad to welcome other powers into our alliance, whether it be the United States or any other nation, should they desire to join in the spirit of the new order.'

Battle of Britain

Day 96

Weather - Starting foggy in most areas and clearing later.

Combat - With fog covering most of the country and Channel areas throughout the morning air activity is restricted to occasional reconnaissance raids.

As conditions improve by early afternoon, the Luftwaffe launches the now familiar pattern of high altitude raids over Kent and London. The first is plotted after 1300hrs and interceptions are made by Spitfires of No: 46, 66 and 92 Squadrons.

Just after 1400hrs a large wave of raids, mainly Me-109's with Ju-88's, is crossing the Kent coast and heading for London. Hurricanes of No: 73, 229, 249, 253, 257, 303 (Polish), 605 and 615 Squadrons along with Spitfires of No: 41, 46, 66, 72, 92 and 602 Squadrons are scrambled to intercept.

As the main battles over Kent are dying off, another raid of Me-109's crosses over Dover at about 1530hrs and is met by the Spitfires of No: 66 Squadron, still weary from the last engagements.

One of the tragedies of aerial warfare is realized, at 1800hrs, by two Blenheim crews of No: 29 Squadron, from Ternhill. While on patrol over the Irish Sea off Liverpool, they are mistaken for Luftwaffe bombers by Hurricanes of No: 312 (Czech) Squadron and shot down. One of the crews is killed.

During the night London is bombed along with Liverpool, the Midlands and East Anglia. Mines are dropped in the Thames Estuary, the Humber, the Irish Sea, off Harwich and Flamburgh Head.

R.A.F. Losses: 7 aircraft damaged or destroyed, 3 pilots & aircrew (Blenheim) killed and 1 wounded.

Luftwaffe Losses: 12 aircraft damaged or destroyed, no reported killed or missing and 3 wounded.

NOTE: Losses include non-combat patrols and accidents.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-37 sinks the British steamer Stangrant (5804t) from Convoy HX-77 northeast of Rockall with the loss of 8 crewmen. 30 survivors are rescued by a Sunderland flying boat.
• U-103 sinks the Estonian steamer Nora (1186t) northwest of Ireland. 19 survivors are picked up by the British sloop Leith.

The Blitz

In the London raid, Stoke Newington is hit. 154 people die in a basement shelter when a block of apartments collapses from the bombing.

At 21:15 a bomb from a lone enemy aircraft demolished two houses directly above the east end of the westbound platform tunnel of Bounds Green Piccadilly line station - the image above shows the remains of the houses, with the wartime shielding to the station's ventilation tower being just visible top-right. Approximately 6-to-8 segments of tunnel collapsed on the scores of people on the platform sheltering from the air raid. The houses were completely demolished, killing 4 people, and a huge crater was formed, 60 to 70 ft. in diameter, and depth being about 20 ft. Some 200 tons of debris filled the tunnel, enveloping refugees on the platform, 17 of whom were killed and 59 injured.

Bomb Collapses Tunnel

China

Nationalist Chinese artillery, which had been secretly transported deep behind Japanese lines, shells Ichang Airfield. This is a key base in the Japanese raids on Chungking.

Chinese Artillery in Action