Air Operations, Europe

During the night Halifax 4-engined bombers attack Le Havre.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British steamers Corinia (870t), Sparta (708t) and Waterland (1107t) sink on mines in the English Channel near Hastings. 14 crewmen are lost from the Corinia, 9 from the Sparta and 7 from the Waterland.
• U-552 sinks the Icelandic trawler Reykjaborg (687t) about 460 miles southeast of Iceland. Only 2 of her crew survive.

The Blitz

There is another heavy night bombing raid on Portsmouth lasting about 6 hours. 240 planes drop 193 tons of high explosives and 46,000 incendiaries. The targets are the dock basins, the shipyards and the factories. 5 naval oil tanks burn and 2 magazines explode. The electrical service for the city is badly damaged. Less than 50 people are killed in Portsmouth and Gosport, but houses, shops and public buildings suffer greatly.

Diplomatic Relations

Japan resolves a number of outstanding disputes in Southeast Asia by winning a French cession of Cambodian territory to Thailand and receiving a monopoly on the production of all the rice produced in Indochina. French authorities in Indochina also grant the Japanese full use of the Saigon airport. Previously, Japan had sought military rights only in the northern section of Vietnam.

Italian East Africa

Since taking Mogadishu Gen Platt's troops have advanced 600 miles north from there into Abyssinia and only now come into contact with any Italian forces. Their encounter is at Dagabur, only 100 miles south of Jijiga.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Unique sinks the Italian steamer Fenicia (2584t) 60 miles southeast of Kerkenah.

Occupied France

Pétain appeals to the US for food.

A photograph showing the muzzle view of a British 14-inch naval gun on a modified naval mounting at St Margarets, near Dover. This was the first gun, nicknamed "Winnie" and manned by Royal Marines. "Winnie" and its partner "Pooh" were reserve guns for the King George V class battleships. They were used in counter-battery fire against German guns across the Channel on the occupied French coast.

14-inch Naval Gun near Dover