http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jul40/f11jul40.htm
Petain chosen to be head of state
Thursday, July 11, 1940 www.onwar.com
In Vichy France... President Lebrun resigns and Petain becomes head of state after an overwhelming vote in his favor in parliament. His first decree shows his new style and pretensions. It begins “Nous, Philippe Petain.”
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/11.htm
July 11th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - Leverkusen.
58 Sqn. Eight aircraft sent, one bombed primary and remainder attacked alternative targets. One FTR.
London: Lord Beaverbrook appeals for housewives to hand over aluminium artefacts for the war effort; Lady Reading, the head of the Women’s Voluntary Service, will handle the collection of donations.
The RAF raids enemy airstrips in the Netherlands and munitions factories in Germany.
FRANCE: Paris: The first issue of La Gerbe, a collaborationist weekly paper, appears.
Marshal Petain issues his first decree as the new Vichy Head of State which begins: “Nous, Philippe Petain”.
ROMANIA: The government withdraws from the League of Nations.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Force H, which has now put to sea on receiving reports of the Italian fleet, is now returning to Gibraltar, when screening destroyer HMS Escort is attacked by Italian submarine ‘Marconi’ north of Algiers at 36 11N, 03 36E. Escort is sunk some hour later after all her crew has been transferred to HMS FORESTER. There are no casualties. (Alex Gordon)(108)
Regia Aeronautica delivers a series of 16 raids on the British Mediterranean Fleet in the Ionian Sea. The sole aerial defence of the fleet is provided by the four Sea Gladiators of 813 Fighter Flight (N5512, N5513, N5517, N5567), which was formed on 16 June. The aircraft are flown by Eagle’s Commander Air (Commander Charles Lindsay Keighly-Peach, RN) and three volunteer Swordfish pilots of 813 Sqn, FAA (Lieutenant (A) L. K. Keith, RN , Lieutenant (A) P. W. V. Massy, RN, and Lieutenant A. N. Young, RN). In the series of actions, the Sea Gladiators break up several attacks during which Cdr. Keighly-Peach downs an S-79 while Lt. Keith damages another. Despite an estimated 126 sorties, the Italians are able to obtain only a single bomb hit on HMS Gloucester. (Mark Horan)
U.S.A.: William Franklin (Frank) Knox, publisher of the Chicago Daily News, takes the oath of office as U.S. Secretary of the Navy. (Jack McKillop)