Air Operations, Europe

• The RAF carries out another heavy raid on Cologne.
• Jean Chiappe, newly appointed High Commissioner in Syria and Lebanon and a former pro-Fascist Chief of Police in Paris, is killed when the aircraft taking him to Beirut is accidentally shot down during the Battle of Spartivento.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-104 sinks the British steamer Diplomat (8240t), a straggler from Convoy HX-88, 128 miles west-northwest of Bloody Foreland with the loss of 14 crewmen. 39 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Active.
• U-95 sinks the British steamer Irene Maria (1860t), a straggler from Convoy OB-248, 55 miles south-southwest of Rockall with the loss of all 26 on board.
• U-103 sinks the British steamer Glenmoor (4393t), a straggler from Convoy OB-248, 167 miles northwest of Sylne Head with the loss of 31 of her crew. 2 survivors are picked up by the British destroyers Harvester and Havelock.

The Blitz

Over 100 aircraft from Luftflotte III drop 100 tons of high explosives and about 6,000 incendiaries on Plymouth. There are major fires in Devonport and other parts of the city including the oil tanks at Mount Batten which burn furiously. There are relatively few casualties.

Mediterranean

There is a naval battle off Sardinia, the Battle of Spartivento. Admiral James Somerville, who is covering a Malta convoy in Operation Collar, has the Renown, Ark Royal, four cruisers and nine destroyers. He will be joined later by Ramillies, three cruisers and five destroyers. Admiral Inigo Campioni leads two battleships, seven heavy cruisers and 16 destroyers. There is a brief gun battle in which the cruiser Berwick and one Italian destroyer are hit. Despite their superior gunpower the Italians then break off the action.

Battle of Cape Spartivento, November 27, 1940

Not selected for the raid on Taranto, Ark Royal saw some action a few weeks later. Late November, the Italians sent two of their battleships to intercept a convoy scheduled to deliver aircraft to Malta. On November 27, 1940, a little after noon, Ark Royal turned into the wind and launched her Fairey Swordfish. There is no positive information about any achievement reached by her aircraft during that battle that turned into a brawl between battleships. Nevertheless, the Regia Aeronautica knew its priorities and sent some of its aircraft to attack the aircraft carrier. She didn’t sustain any damage during the battle, and fulfilled her mission to escort the convoy to Malta.

Rumania

A reign of terror begins. There are riots and other civil disturbances. The Iron Guard begin the trouble with the arrest and execution of 64 anti-Fascists identified with the King Carol government. Some prominent personalities are included like the former Prime Minister Nicolas Jorga. The army later clamps down with German help.