http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/29.htm
November 29th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: London: Heavy night air attacks cause severe damage and many fires. St. Martin’s Ludgate, the Old Bailey, the Tower of London, St James’ Church Piccadilly are amongst those buildings hit. The cloisters and crypt of the Houses of Parliament are also damaged.
Lieutenant Newgass, RNVR, was called to defuse a large parachute mine, dropped during a devastating Luftwaffe raid on Liverpool, which had penetrated the roof of a gasometer at Garston Gasworks. He was lowered into the gasometer wearing breathing apparatus six times, and despite working under the most difficult and dangerous of circumstances - in the dark, in a couple of feet of water, and surrounded by explosive gas - eventually managed to make the weapon safe. He was awarded the George Cross for his heroism. (Dave Shirlaw)
ASW trawler HMS Tango launched.
Corvette HMS Orchis commissioned.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Calverton mined and sunk off the Humber.
(Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: Berlin: The German High Command completes its planning for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia.
ROMANIA: Bucharest: Romania is in a state of anarchy. There is shooting in the streets as the Iron Guards clash with the army and rival factions of the Guards fight among themselves.
The young King Michael is reported to have fled to Yugoslavia. Among the victims of the anarchy are the former premier, Professor Jorga, and Dr Madgearu, a former minister of finance. German involvement is suspected but so far unproven.
FRENCH INDOCHINA: The Thais begin a ground offensive against French positions. They order French nationals to evacuate border provinces within 24 hours after their patrols engage French Indochinese border guards at the Cambodian border. (Michael Alexander)
U.S.A.: The motion picture The Bank Dick is released. Directed by Eddie Cline, this comedy stars W.C. Fields, Una Merkel, Franklin Pangborn and Reed Hadley. (Jack McKillop)
Submarine USS Grenadier launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 456 November 29, 1940
Overnight, German destroyers Galster, Lody and Beitzen sail again from Brest, France, to raid shipping off Cornwall, England. They sink British tug Aid, French tug Abeille and British barge BHC10. Royal Navy destroyers HMS Javelin, Jersey, Jackal, Jupiter and Kashmir engage the German destroyers 20 miles South of The Lizard peninsula, Cornwall. 2 torpedoes from Lody destroy the bow and stern of HMS Javelin (46 killed) which has to be towed back to Devonport for repairs until December 28, 1941. The German destroyers escape back to Brest with only minor damage and no casualties.
Minesweeping trawler HMT Calverton sinks on a mine in the mouth of the Humber Estuary (2 killed), in the same minefield as HMT Manx Prince yesterday.
Italian submarine Delfino attacks Greek destroyer Spetsai without success in the busy sea lanes South or Piraeus near Athens, Greece.
At 10.38 AM, New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Leander shells a factory and wireless station at Banda Alulu, Italian Somaliland (98 6-inch rounds). Italian aircraft unsuccessfully attempt to bomb Leander from high altitude.