AMERICAS TO HOLD FRENCH AREAS IF VICHY AIDS GERMANY MILITARILY (10/27/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 10/27/40 | Harold B. Hinton, Camille M. Cianfarra, Robert P. Post, Joseph M. Levy, Turner Catledge

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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NEWS OF THE WEEK IN REVIEW

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
German Fighter Range and British Radar Deployment
Marcks’ Plan, August 5, 1940
The Mediterranean Basin (Map 33)
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

Plus a special guest map from Michael Korda’s, “With Wings Like Eagles,” showing the air defenses of England and Wales, August 1940.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Petain is Warned – 2-3
Sale of Rolls-Royce Here to Aid British Red Cross – 3
The International Situation – 3
Clash on Frontier – 4
New Nazi Big Gun Draws R.A.F. Fire – 5
Scattered Raiders Batter at Britain – 6-7
Warships Attack Italians in Egypt – 7
Mead Says Labor can Retain Gains – 8
Power of Britain in Egypt Growing – 8
Vote Survey Finds New Willkie Gains – 9
Quisling Said to Plan Charge against Foes – 9
How Candidates Stand – 10
Danube Parley Gains Wider Significance – 10
James Butler Left His Estate to Wife – 10
Letters from Wartime Britain – 11-12
The Texts of the Day’s Official War Communiques – 13

News of the Week in Review
With Ten Days to Go (map) – 14
Twenty News Questions – 15
Vote for Willkie and McNary (political ad) – 16
War Issue Has Taken a New Turn in Campaigns – 17-18
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 18
New 1941 Dodge Luxury Liner (ad) – 19

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/oct40/f27oct40.htm

Italians reveal plans to Germans

Saturday, October 27, 1940 www.onwar.com

In Rome... At 2100 hours the Italians tell the Germans of their decision to invade Greece.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/27.htm

October 27th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM:
Battle of Britain:

RAF Fighter Command: Seven airfields are attacked. Continuing fighter-bomber raids and individual tip-and-run bomber attacks force Fighter Command to fly over 1,000 sorties. That it can do so is proof of its continuing strength.

Losses: Luftwaffe, 15; RAF, 10.

RAF Bomber Command: In a night of widespread bombing, the RAF successfully targets the key Skoda arms plant at Plzen in Czechoslovakia.

GREECE: Dimitry Statharos has his stitches cut after his operation for a phony case of appendicitis, the doctor asks him to stay overnight for observation before he takes his coveted 20 day leave. As he sleeps, Italian Ambassador Grazzi arrives outside the residence of Greek PM John Metaxas at some time after 2:00 a.m. Grazzi delivers an ultimatum to Metaxas which demands that Italian troops be allowed entry into Greece to occupy key positions. (Steven Statharos)
What also would have been good to mention on the 27th was a strange paradoxical situation that Metaxas found himself and some Greeks in on the night of the 27th. Im recalling this from the tope of my head but that night the Italian embassy held a celebration following the performance of (I believe it was) Madame Butterfly. In this celebration on underlying theme of the Italian hosts was the strength of positive/friendly ties between Greece and Italy.... Greek and Italian flags were strewn about side by side to celebrate this. However while this was going on, elsewhere in the embassy secretaries were working furiously elsewhere in the embassy to translate the communiqué from Italy which contained the ultimatum that Grazzi was to deliver that night. At one point Grazzi excused himself and was absent for a substantial time, when he returned some of the Greek guests noted that his mood had changed , as if something was troubling him. It is believed that he received the ultimatum from his superiors during this absence. The “strong ties” they celebrated that night would be shattered before sunrise. -steve statharos

AFRICA: Free French forces under General de Larminat occupy Lambarene in Gabon (French Equatorial Africa.)

Brazzaville: General de Gaulle has arrived in the capital of French Equatorial Africa, and proclaimed the creation of a Council of Defence of the French Empire. He was welcomed by the governor, Felix Eboue, and huge crowds.

Most of French Equatorial Africa, with 12 million inhabitants, rallied to de Gaulle in late July after the arrival of emissaries sent from London led by General Leclerc. Attempts to rally French West Africa suffered a setback with de Gaulle’s failure to capture Senegal from Vichy in September.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 423 October 27, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 110. Despite cloudy weather, Luftwaffe sends 5 raids of 50-60 aircraft between 8AM and 5 PM (mostly bomb-carrying Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters with a few medium bombers). At dusk, German bombers attack 14 RAF airfields, causing much minor damage. RAF shoots down 6 Luftwaffe fighters and 2 bombers. 2 more German bombers are downed by anti-aircraft fire. RAF loses 8 fighters (4 pilots killed). Night bombing is widespread but London and Liverpool are the main targets. Italian Fiat BR20M bombers of the Corpo Aereo Italiano (Italian Air Corps) are in action again attacking Ramsgate.

At 9.30 AM, a boarding party from destroyer HMS Broke attaches tow ropes to the burning hulk of liner Empress of Britain which was bombed yesterday. Rescue tugs HMS Marauder and HMS Thames take Empress of Britain in tow towards the Clyde River in Scotland, escorted by destroyers HMS Broke and Sardonyx (with air cover from Sunderland flying boats until nightfall). However, U-32 vectors in on the small convoy, remaining submerged to avoid the Sunderlands.

70 miles Southeast of the Azores, Italian submarine Nani sinks Swedish steamer Meggie (all hands rescued).

Free French forces from Cameroon invade Vichy French Gabon (in French Equatorial Africa). They penetrate 70 miles and take the town of Mitzic.

Late in the evening, Italian ambassador in Athens Emanuele Grazzi issues an ultimatum from Mussolini, demanding that Italian troops be allowed occupy strategic points in Greece. Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas rejects the ultimatum, noting “Alors, c’est la guerre” (Then, it’s war). The Greeks know of the Italian plans and have already mobilized in the areas facing the expected attack.

[Vaquero]

[CougarGA7]

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 27 July 1940

• Weather: Fair Straits, cloudy in Channel. Slight rain in the midlands and the North Sea.
• Day: Raids on shipping and naval units in Dover harbour and Straits.
• Night: Attacks on south-west England.

  Enemy action by day

  During the afternoon, several raids attacked shipping and naval units in the Straits and in Dover harbour. Two enemy aircraft were shot down and we lost one Hurricane.

  One raid approaching a convoy off Swanage was intercepted and driven back, two enemy aircraft being shot down and one Spitfire missing. Other raids approaching shipping and ports on the South Coast retired before our fighters could intercept.

  North and North-East

  Five raids of one aircraft each were reported off the east coast of Scotland and the Orkneys.

  South and West

  During the day, six raids approached the South Coast between Selsey Bill and Portland. One of these, which was attempting to attack a convoy off Swanage, was intercepted and driven off. One Me109 (confirmed) and one Ju87 (confirmed) was shot down by Hurricanes of Nos. 145 and 238 Squadrons respectively. The other raids retired before fighters could intercept.

  Enemy aircraft made a reconnaissance of Belfast, Isle of Man and the area south-west of Anglesey to Cardiff.

  Spitfires of No 234 Squadron shot down one Ju88 (unconfirmed) off Land's End.

  Dover Area

  At 1430 hours, ten Me109s which had been patrolling the Calais area, crossed the Straits and dropped bombs which caused damage to dock equipment. Fighters chased the enemy aircraft towards France but did not make contact.

  At 1602 hours, one raid of 6+ flew towards Dungeness, turned west and bombed a steamer (which was damaged) off Sandgate.

  At 1730 hours, three Squadrons were sent up to patrol the Dover area and No 41 Squadron shot down one He113 (confirmed) and No 615 Squadron shot down one He59. No 501 Squadron lost one Hurricane.

  Off East Anglia

  At 0930 hours, one raid attacked a convoy off Lowestoft. Our fighters failed to intercept.

  At 1706 hours, a convoy and naval units off Orfordness were attacked. RDF lost track of this raid and it was not intercepted.

  Approximately six other raids approached the east and south-east coasts but did not penetrate inland.

  By night

  At 2230 hours, about 20 enemy aircraft were plotted out of Cherbourg and the Channel Islands to Cornwall and other western counties as far as Anglesey, Bala, Kidwelly, Upton-on-Severn, west of Gloucester, Cardiff and Bristol area. In some instances fighters were despatched but no interceptions are reported.

  Between 2348 and 0130 hours, four raids approached the coast near St Abb's Head - apparently minelaying - and went north as far as the Firth of Tay where explosions were heard. Three further raids appeared to carry out minelaying from the Tay to Kinnaird's Head.

  By 0300 hours, most of the raiders had returned from the west to northern France, but not all landed in the Cherbourg area.

  

  ________________________________________

  Statistics

  Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 27 July 1940

• Blenheim - 63
• Spitfire - 242
• Hurricane - 331
• Defiant - 24
• Gladiator - 8 (1 Flight only)
• Total – 668

  Casualties:

• Enemy: Fighters - 2 confirmed; Bombers - 1 confirmed 1 unconfirmed. 1 seaplane also confirmed as shot down.
• Own: 1 Spitfire, 1 Hurricane.

  Patrols:

• 141 patrols despatched involving 522 aircraft.

  Balloons:

• Flying - 1274 Casualties - 70.

  Aerodromes:

• Abbotsinch, Sherburn and Hartlepool serviceable by day only.
• Evanton is unserviceable.

  Organisation:

• No 604 Squadron moved from Gravesend to Middle Wallop.

  Air Intelligence Reports

• None.

  Home Security Reports

• 26th/27th July 1940.

• General Summary

• With reference to yesterday's report, it is now established that no bombs were dropped at Poole on July 26th.
• Bombs were dropped in many localities during the early hours of the morning of July 27th, but casualties and damage reported are negligible, the majority of bombs falling in open country.

• Detailed Summary

• Early on July 27th, bombs were dropped near Faversham (Kent), in the Wimborne and Dorchester sections of Dorset and at Weymouth, without any damage being reported.
• Bombs were also dropped at Elie, Kinglassie and Falkland in Fifeshire and at North Berwick.
• In all, reports of bomb droppings were received from nearly thirty points but only one slight casualty has been reported.
• An unexploded bomb at Westerleigh (Gloucester) has now been established as a petrol bomb.
• All the above incidents occurred during the early hours of the morning, and the remainder of the day of July 27th has been quiet.
• Late at night on the 27th of July and early in the morning of the 28th July, bombs were dropped at Swansea Docks, Upton-upon-Severn and Kidwelly (Carmarthen). No damage has been reported except at Swansea where a railway line was displaced.

  Battle of Britain

[henkster]

Oh, but I read in the article that the Greeks attacked the Italians. Probably from the rear...

[henkster]

I love the ad for the 1941 Dodge Luxury Liner. It reminds me of the ad from the Onion’s fake newspaper collection “Our Dumb Century.” The ad was for the 1959 Cadillac Dreadnought, which was bigger than Lincoln’s competing “Monstroliner.”

[CougarGA7]

Just getting to read the paper now. Funny how all these little nations keep attacking the Axis. Remember, the Poles did the same thing when they raided a radio station on the German side of the border.

In this case, I expect the Italians to call up the rear guard then.