Posted on 10/25/2010 4:53:15 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Plus a special guest map from Michael Korda’s, “With Wings Like Eagles,” showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/oct40/f25oct40.htm
Italian bombers over Britain
Friday, October 25, 1940 www.onwar.com
Over Britain... During the day, formations of high-flying German Me109 fighter-bombers make several attempts to raid London, however, very few penetrate the RAF fighter screen. Heavy casualties are reported when a loaded tramcars are hit. At dusk, German He111 bombers make a surprise raid on Montrose airfield in Scotland. During the night, London is attacked by about 150 German aircraft. Also, the Italian expeditionary air corps (Corpo Aereo Italiano), operating from bases in Belgium, is engaged for the first time in a raid on Harwich. Of 16 Fiat bombers sent on the mission, 3 are lost. Limited damage is reported.
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 421 October 25, 1940
Battle of Britain Day 108. Overnight, while RAF bombs Hamburg and Berlin causing considerable casualties, 16 Italian Fiat BR20M bombers of the Corpo Aereo Italiano bomb Felixstowe and Harwich from bases in Belgium (1 crashes on take off, 2 others get lost on the return flight and crash). During the day, clouds lift and visibility improves. Luftwaffe steps up activity, with increased reconnaissance flights and patrols in the English Channel. 4 groups of 50-200 Messerschmitt Bf109s sweep over Kent and of up to 30 fighters reach London. However, there is little damage to airfields or towns, including London. Germans lose 14 Bf109s and 10 RAF fighters are shot down (3 pilots killed). Minesweeping trawler HMT Lord Inchcape hits a mine and sinks off Plymouth. At dusk, He111 bombers raid Montrose airfield, Scotland. Overnight, London and Birmingham are the main targets, but Pembroke, Cardiff and Liverpool and the Midlands are also bombed. A German bomber is shot down by 219 Squadron in the English Channel near Brighton.
3 RAF Lockheed Hudson bombers attack U-46 in the Atlantic, wounding Matrosengefreiter (Able Seaman) Plaep who dies next day.
British gunboat HMS Aphis bombards Italian troops 15 miles East of the Italian garrison at Sidi Barrani, Egypt.
Date: 25 July 1940
Enemy action by day
Enemy activity by day was again concentrated on attacks on shipping and convoys in the Channel, the major engagement taking place off Dover. A few raids penetrated inland and dropped bombs without inflicting any serious damage.
North and North-East
A meteorological flight was plotted in the Wick area at 0730 hours. A WT [wireless/telegraphy - radio] intercept suggested that this flight had a dual purpose, reference being made to "dropping carried out" at 0704 GMT. Later a He111 was shot down between the Orkneys and Kinnaird's Head. In the evening, an unidentified raid was plotted over Scapa.
East and South-East
During the early morning, an attack was made on a convoy off Spurn Point. This raid was intercepted and the He111s are claimed as probable casualties. Another attack was made on this convoy in the evening but no damage is reported.
From about 1127 hours, when a large raid was plotted approaching Dover from the Calais area, attacks interspersed by reconnaissances continued in waves against Dover harbour and shipping until 1930 hours. Bombs were dropped in the harbour and near a RAF experimental station. Ships in convoy and naval units are reported to have been hit. The first attack at 1207 hours was directed against Dover harbour and plotted as 50+ aircraft. This was quickly followed up by an additional raid of 40+ - probably the escorting fighters. Three and a half squadrons of our fighters engaged the enemy. Later, an attack of two or three waves of some 12+, 20+ and 30 aircraft was made on a convoy off Dover at approximately 15-minute intervals. Fighters again intercepted and inflicted casualties. No sooner had the tracks indicate that these raids had returned to France than other enemy aircraft commenced to congregate behind Gris Nez and a further attack on the convoy was made. Large formations of enemy aircraft continued to be plotted in the Channel up to 1930 hours.
During the period of these attacks, our fighters successfully accounted for 14 enemy aircraft confirmed and an additional 11 probable against a loss of only four Spitfires. In addition, AA claim one confirmed enemy casualty.
Ten or eleven fast coastal motor boats with fighter escort were spotted by a pilot of No 111 Squadron off Gris Nez in the afternoon.
South and West
In the early morning, two raids approached Portland but turned back - possibly on hearing the volume of our fighter's RT engaged in escorting naval units. Later, two raids of 30 and 12+ approached Portsmouth and three fighter squadrons were despatched to meet them. These raids approached the Needles and then moved westward towards Portland; trawlers were reported to have been bombed. Our fighters intercepted and shot down six enemy aircraft with the loss of one Spitfire. A later raid off Portsmouth was intercepted and one enemy aircraft was confirmed as being shot down and another is probable.
In the afternoon, two raids - probably of single aircraft - crossed the coast near Poole and were intercepted in the Stroud area. One Hurricane was shot down by a Ju88 which in turn was shot down by a training aircraft and the other enemy aircraft was accounted for by AA fire. Bombs were dropped at about this time near Cowley, Gloucestershire, and near South Cerney but no damage is reported. Later a raid of 12+ approached Ventnor, but turned south on the despatch of our fighters.
France
The usual Gris Nez patrols were reported between 0900 and 1100 hours. These raids totalling 15+ aircraft were unusually active north of Cherbourg between 1200 and 1230 hours.
By night
Several raids started from the Cherbourg district and crossed the coast of Dorset en-route for the Bristol Channel and South Wales but no bombing has been reported from this area. AA claim an enemy aircraft shot down in flames near Milford Haven.
There appeared to be considerable minelaying activity in the Firth of Forth (where some 28 were also dropped into the sea) and the Newcastle area. Harwich and Lowestoft were also visited by raiders, bombs being dropped at Bungay (Norfolk) and near Harlestown. Minelaying was also being carried out in the Thames Estuary and the Downs by approximately ten aircraft.
Two aircraft appeared off Trevose Head and were tracked down the west coast of Cornwall and faded south west of Land's End. These aircraft may have laid mines in the Bristol Channel.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 25 July 1940
Casualties:
Patrols:
Balloons:
Aerodromes:
Organisation:
Air Intelligence Reports
Home Security Reports
Not to let the cat out of the bag early, but Hitler is on his way to the Pyrennees to meet Franco. The stakes in Spain are very high at this time. Having secured Vichy pledges to defend French North Africa against the British, if he can get transit for German troops to attack and occupy Gibraltar, Hitler effectively seals off the Mediterranean to the British. It will become Mussolini’s “Mare Nostrum” (”our sea”). In addition, securing Spain as an “interested party” (she would be neither ally or co-belligerent, but clearly not neutral, either) also secures shipment of tungsten from Portugal. Germany relied on Portugal for most of her tungsten, which did far more than act as filaments for light bulbs. Tungsten was an important ferro-alloy used for armor plate, and was also used as the solid core for armor-piercing ammunition.
What Hitler is really playing for here is a greatly reduced war-making capacity by Britain, and a south-western and southern flank secured by a combine of Italy, France and Spain. While each one alone is worthless, all three combined with German stiffening is probably more than sufficient to keep the British off the continent for the forseeable future. It appears the French are also trying to get their economy going again; their economic activity must be quite constrained since they are under the British blockade and don’t have access to imports from their colonies beyond North Africa or world markets in general. It would be most desirable for the Germans to give some economic guarantees to the French in exchange for Vichy forces covering the Channel coast, but both sides in that exchange must know that the other side is not capable of delivering.
Even with the limited coverage of the southern and south-western flanks by the Spanish-French-Italian combine means that means Hitler would be free to concentrate virtually 100% of his military and economic resources to the East. So when Hanson Baldwin, the Times strategic analyst, says that the seizure of Gibraltar does not give the Axis a decisive strategic advantage, I think he’s wrong. If Gibraltar falls, Malta falls. The Italians are secure in the Western and Central Mediterranean, and the British are left in the East. The Germans have access to support submarine bases on the west coast of Africa, and the British blockade of the Continent gets very leaky to the south-west. To me, that’s a strategic catastrophe for Britain.
However, the British are playing their own game for Spain with economic incentives. If the British can keep Spain truly “neutral,” British access to the Western Mediterranean continues and the Vichy possessions in North Africa remain vulnerable. Thus, the Vichy guarantee is of very limited value to Hitler unless he can get Franco on board.
Let’s see how this plays out. I just love strategy.
A decisive aspect of this as far as Spain goes will play out in a few days so I won’t give it up.
I will do a bit of foreshadowing though. I mentioned a few days ago that Mussolini had been disturbed by Hitlers moves into Rumania since he had been told by Hitler to keep the Balkans quiet. As a result he has made the decision to invade Greece in a fall campaign. Two days ago on the 23rd, Greece got wind of an impending invasion when the Greek ambassador in Rome warned his government to expect an Italian invasion today or tomorrow (25th or 26th). Since that warning went out, the Greek army has been mobilizing (I’m surprised that this detail didn’t make the Times but no matter). By now the Greek forces on the northern frontier is about the same size as the Italian forces in Albania, but there is one significant difference. The Greek artillery are better equipped and trained.
When this invasion does go off finally it will make an impression on Franco as well. That aspect I will discuss later.
I’m not surprised the Times missed it. They have to be spread very thin in Europe right now. They can’t cover everything.
Nice post. Thanks.
Except for London. They have at least a half dozen people with bylines writing from there. There are two or three in Berlin, a couple in Vichy, and maybe two in Italy. Matthews was just kicked out of the country and hasn't turned up elsewhere yet. C.L. Sulzberger has been the man in the Balkans. He will probably be checking in before long. Where they are really thin is Asia. They have Byas in Tokyo and Abend in Shanghai and that is it. Two guys for half the world. I'll wager that will be changing before long.
You are welcome. We didn't have a very sensational headline today but there is some interesting material nonetheless.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/25.htm
October 25th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM:
Battle of Britain: Luftwaffe attacks the airfield at Montrose (Scotland). Last night the Germans reluctantly allow the Italian Expeditionary Force (based in Belgium) to join in the bombing of Harwich, but with dismal results.
Losses: Luftwaffe, 20; RAF, 10.
RAF Bomber Command: Heavy raids on Berlin and Hamburg.
London: The Belgian Prime Minister, Hubert Pierlot, and his Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, have arrived in London after fleeing from Vichy France and escaping from arrest in Spain.
After the armistice, Pierlot and Spaak stayed on in France to maintain diplomatic links with the Vichy Regime. But Vichy, under German orders, broke off relations. The two Belgians spent two nights in a field between the French and Spanish borders before being admitted to Spain, there to find themselves under arrest.
Their chance for freedom came on 18 October. Spanish guards who had been ordered to keep the Belgians under strict surveillance in a Barcelona hotel, slipped up when they left their prisoners - who had promised faithfully not to try to escape - in order to watch an important football match. As soon as the game started, Spaak and Pierlot sneaked out of the hotel in a van supplied by the Belgian consulate. For 24 hours they hid underneath the driver’s seat; finally, exhausted but relieved, they arrived at Lisbon. Yesterday a British seaplane took them to Bournemouth. They will now start to co-ordinate Belgian efforts to resist the Nazi occupation and, more importantly, to help the British war machine.
London: Churchill to Roosevelt:
...There seems to be a desperate struggle going on between Petain and Laval. If the French fleet and
French bases on the African shore are betrayed to Germany our task will become vastly more difficult and your dangers will grow. I have a feeling that things are hanging in the balance at Vichy. .... a message to him [Petain] from yourself would greatly strengthen his position...
Minesweeper HMS Burnie launched.
Destroyer USS Wickes recommissioned as HMS Montgomery; part of the destroyers-for-bases deal. (Dave Shirlaw)
VICHY FRANCE: Baudouin (Acting as Foreign Minister with responsibility for non-Axis powers , i.e. neutrals and Great Britain through intermediaries and third states) resigns over Laval’s ‘coup’ in bringing about the Montoire Petain-Hitler meeting; Pierre Laval, who was already responsible for relations with Axis powers, becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs.
CANADA:
Corvette HMCS Morden laid down Port Arthur, Ontario.
Corvette HMCS Sherbrooke launched Sorel, Province of Quebec.
U.S.A.: Inglewood, California: The North-American NA-73, the prototype P-51 (Mustang), makes its maiden flight.
Washington: Roosevelt to Churchill:
...I have instructed the American Charge d’Affaires to repeat to the Marshal my previous message to him.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: 3 Hudson aircraft from the 228th RAF Squadron attacked U-46 and one man was fatally wounded and died the next day. [Matrosengefreiter Plaep]. (Dave Shirlaw)
True. Right now they are preoccupied with the continuing air war between the Germans and Britain and the election. Notice that the skirmishing fight in Egypt as well as the down by the horn has disappeared from the news altogether (not to say there is much going on down there).
As if the French had any say in the matter.
Where is Otto Tolischus at this point. I know he went from Berlin to Oslo earlier in the year and then had to go to Sweden, but now I’m not sure where he’s gotten too. He will end up in Asia at some point.
Otto’s recent stories have been filed from Stockholm. I imagine he is feeling a little frustrated after reporting from Berlin for the past two years, at least. That’s what he gets for speaking truth to power.
Whereas Shirer was still welcome in Berlin. While he detested the Nazis (or professed to when it was time to sell books), he always seemed to be on good terms with several of them. He was particularly fond of Field Marshal von Reichenau, who many other commentators thought of as a bumptious thug.
I guess it made for more stories and better books.
Another correspondent of note is Alexander Werth, a British journalist in Russia. I’m re-reading his “Russia at War” right now. More about Werth next year.
So Otto is still stuck in Sweden. I agree that it has to be a big let down compared to the news he was covering. I’m betting he is not going to repeat with a Pulitzer.
My assessment of Shirer is not so much that he was neutral or even for the Nazi’s system as much as he was very savvy as to what line he could walk. From his writing it is clear that he had a sense of history of where he was and what he was witnessing and I can see how if he had that sense at the time he was there he would have made sure that he stayed there. His radio reports that I have listened to give me a feeling of trying to remain as neutral as possible with occasionally a hint of acerbic speech mixed in there. It seems that he occasionally would slip in a dig when he felt he could get away with it.
So on the surface, I can believe that he was against the Nazi regime but I would say the the level of detest he puts out in his books are a bit exaggerated.
You may remember that in May we debated if Hitler had re-annexed Alsace-Lorraine.
This article seems to suggest that indeed, Hitler did.
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