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http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/03.htm

October 3rd, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain:
A single Ju 88 hits the de Havilland factory at Hatfield, destroying the Technical School and assembly shop where much of the work for the early Mosquitoes was promptly destroyed, before the bomber was brought down by light AA.

In the night London is bombed again. The main hangar at General Aircraft’s Feltham works, where Hurricanes were being repaired, was damaged.

Losses: Luftwaffe, 9; RAF, 1.

RAF Bomber Command: Seven RAF bombers make daylight raids on Rotterdam, Dunkirk and Cherbourg. Last night 81 bombed targets in Germany, Eindhoven airfield and the Channel ports.

Westminster: Chamberlain resigns on grounds of ill health; Kingsley-Wood and Ernest Bevin join the war cabinet.

Herbert Morrison today becomes Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security. He announces plans to install a million bunks and sanitation in the shelters and tube stations of London.

Corvette HMS Hyacinth commissioned.

Corvette HMS Freesia launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

VICHY FRANCE: Jews are banned from public employment and the army.

GERMANY: U-76 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

POLAND: Warsaw: All Jews are ordered to move into the Jewish district.

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Clayoquot launched Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Minesweeper HMCS Rimouski launched Lauzon, Province of Quebec. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Baseball.

Navy Department orders all dependents in the Far East be sent home. Hart ordered to keep this secret.

Lieutenant-Colonel George Patton is promoted to general. (Marc James Small)

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 399 October 3, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 86. Clouds, rain and mist, with poor visibility over the Channel, lead to a light day. Luftwaffe does not send over any formations of aircraft but instead there is a steady stream of reconnaissance flights and single bomber “nuisance” raids. Bombs are dropped on London, Worcester, Birmingham and Wellingborough. At 11.26 AM, anti-aircraft guns shoot down a Ju88 which had just bombed the De Havilland aircraft factory at Hatfield. RAF fighters do not respond to these attacks and no Luftwaffe or RAF aircraft are lost in dogfights. There is relatively little bombing of London overnight, by small groups of bombers or single aircraft.

Neville Chamberlain has been absent from London for several days, incapacitated by incurable bowel cancer. He resigns his position as Lord President of the Council in Churchill’s War Cabinet (where he has served loyally since resigning as Prime Minister), ending a political career that began in 1914. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain