September 10
Tel Aviv
Four bombers from Rhodes mistake their navigation and bomb Tel Aviv. 100 are killed and 150 injured in this attack, which was supposed to bomb the fuel tanks and port at Haifa.
Paris
Darnand able to meet Laval and offer to organize groups of Defense of the Provisional Government. This proposal much like the titular head of GPEF who feels well insulated against activists of the PPF Doriot and Deat men began to round up around it to create its RNP.
Paris
A decree of Pierre Laval appointed Simon Arbellot CEO of Havas-fixed OFI and the composition of the board of directors.
Journalist Weather, Formerly a regular columnist of the journal Documents Georges Bataille, Arbellot[28] is a member of any party. But we know royalist opinions and intellectually close to Charles Maurras and the team of theFrench action.
Among the directors chosen by the government include Luchaire Jean Pierre Gaxotte, Maurice Pujo and Philippe Henriot. The GPEF, as such, is represented by the Prefect of Police Langeron and a former cabinet Raoul Dautry, Jean Garden.
At 18 hours, two trucks to deliver the Wehrmacht Place de la Bourse boxes containing one hundred tickers Siemens brand new and nearly two hundred typewriters used various types of keyboards and sometimes exotic they were looted by the Gestapo or by Sonder-Propagandakompanien in the country fell into the orbit of the Reich since 1939, particularly the so-called Bohemia and Moravia and Poland. Requisitioned without any delicacy, a team of technicians working PTT without zeal to restore the lines with the telephone and telegraph.
Off Algiers
0400. Just ten miles off the port, the Italian Sirena class submarine Smeraldo attacks an inbound convoy, which has come from the USA. She penetrates the weak screen and fires four bow torpedoes at three overlapping merchant ships, then turns and fires her two stern tubes at a fourth target. The first salvo results in two hits on the French Ministry of Marine-owned large freighter Caledonien (7960grt, 15.5kt), a valuable ship with a valuable cargo of new US-built aircraft, trucks, artillery and light armoured vehicles. She capsizes and sinks within ten minutes. The second salvo scores a hit on the target, the elderly 5009grt French tanker Aragaz. The ship instantly erupted into a massive pillar of flame as she was loaded with product: pool diesel, pool petrol and aviation petrol. Algiers awakes at dawn to find a great pillar of smoke just out to sea, as the tanker burns. She did not sink, and could not be approached. At midday she drifts ashore on a popular beach near the city, where she burns out. This takes four days.
Malta
A heavy RAI night raid damages Somerset wharf at the naval base, and Hal Far. This is the forthieth RAI raid on Malta, and the AA is clearly inadequate. VADM Malta reports that his stocks are low, and that he considers six months supply to be an appropriate figure to provide a buffer against isolation by a minelaying campaign, to which Malta is vulnerable.
201 Group (Sunderlands) main base suffered damage in this attack as well.
Haifa
The vulnerability of the oil refinery was a serious concern to Wavell and Cunningham. The refinery produced 1,000,000 tons of bunker and other fuels per annum, and was obviously a prime Axis target. Indeed, British support for invading the Dodecanese was based on protecting the refinery. Even the low scale of current RAI attack had cost the refinery half its workforce and 50 US engineers (employees of IPC). Haifa had also been designated as the theatre mine depot, and 1,000 Mk XIV mines were enroute from the UK aboard the mine carrier HMS Berenice.
Libya
In the night, the submarine Antonio Sciesa arrived at the port of Benghazi, where she landed 7 tons of ammunition and loads of injured. Benghazi has become a popular spot for submarine crews. Their standard patrol is now a delivery, followed by ten days on patrol, then a rest and replenishment visit, another period on patrol, and home.
Antonio Sciesa is off the area around Tunis. It is a difficult place to patrol due to numerous aircraft and shallow water, and targets are few. Italian submariners grumble that the French hide in the shallows and behind minefields.
Dodecanese
Operation Cordite - Night
Between Rhodes and Karpathos
0015 - 0530 (2215 - 0330 GMT) - Like the previous night, the Italian submarines leave to attack the Allied invasion force. This time, they are more numerous. Gemma and Tricheco arrived to aid Dagabur and Santorre Santarosa. Zaffiro and Jalea are enroute. Meanwhile, the damaged Squalo, is en route to Italy and Narvalo remains off Haifa.
The Allies concluded from the attacks of the previous night that the main objective of Italian ships is the transports. Despite the temporary absence of HMS Janus and Jervis, Cunningham has agreed to strengthen the A/S defences of the convoy. He detaches four destroyers (HMS Hotspur, Ilex, HMAS Vendetta and Waterhen) in exchange for destroyers MN Fortune and Simoun, which lack ASDIC. The escort now includes ten destroyers and nine sloops. As before, it is divided into two screens: the outer of four destroyer pairs, the interior screen is sloops and two destroyers. This is a massive screen and one including of the best trained A/S fitted ships in the world.
Unlike the previous night, the Italian submarines no longer dealing with ships at anchor or moving at low speed in a confined bay. As the seaplanes and MAS reported to Mariegeo they have to track and kill a convoy.
Gemma (CC Cordero di Montezemolo) is the first to commit. While working on the surface to catch the tail of the convoy, she was sighted at approximately 0015 by the pair HMAS Waterhen and Stuart. Forced to dive the Gemma is actively pursued by the two destroyers. After an hour of heavy attack, the sound of an implosion is heard in the hydrophones allies after a depth charge attack. Stuart recovers identifiable wreckage from this submarine. She is lost with all hands.
The Tricheco (CC Avogadro di Cerrione) managed to find the convoy and attacked from head its starboard bow. He succeeds more easily as the convoy is zigzagging, slowing its speed of advance. At 0110 (2310 GMT), di Cerrione gets closer, between MN Chevalier Paul and Kersaint while running awash. Tricheo obtains a good position and fires four torpedoes at the cruiser Auxiliary El-Mansour and liner Djenne. As she launches, the ships alter course in accordance with the zigzag plan, and the spread misses. Undeterred, di Cerrione reloads and makes another approach, but is blocked by escorts. Believing he must soon be sighted, he fires. A torpedo hits the old aviso L’Eparges the old ship was hit under the bridge and sank immediately. Now empty of torpedoes, the submarine heads for Italy.
The Santorre Santarosa is the third submarine to attack, coming in behind Tricheco But towards the middle of the convoy. At around 0130 (23h30 GMT), identified by the pair HMAS Vendetta/ MN Tartu she is driven off. A second attempt an hour later was also repulsed. During a third attempt she was sighted at 0320 (0120 GMT), by the aviso Elan, which opened fire, wounding three of the submarine’s crew. She dived, and was then held down long enough that she could not intercept the convoy. Later, she proceeded to Porto Lago to discharge the wounded.
The Dagabur, a 600 ton Adua class, is the first to try to attack the convoy's port side. At 0245 (0045 GMT), she is suddenly illuminated by a flare shell fired by aviso Commandant Bory. Dagabur dives immediately, but is heavily attacked by Bory, the cutter Lassigny, HMS Ilex and MN Le Mars. After two hours Dagabur is damaged internally. The intervention of the submarine Jalea enables her to get clear.
Jalea also attacked the port side of convoy. At 0425 (0225 GMT), while the night draws to a close, she takes advantage of the gap created by the hunt for Dagabur (which is audible) to approach. She sights the transports and fires a well-aimed spread. The freighter Paul-Emile Javary (motorship, 9.5 knots, 2,471grt, Societe Ananoyme de Gerance et D’Armemant) is hit amidships and immediately starts to sink. This which gives the alarm. This attracts aviso Commandant Rivière, Commandant Bory and Le Mars Jalea dives and gets clean away. Paul-Emile Javary sinks quickly, taking essential equipment with her. A second torpedo struck the Saint-Edmond (ex-Italian Tagliamento, 5,448grt, 10.5kt, ex-Lloyd Triestino). The ship is struck abeam No.3 hold, which contains petrol in drums. She erupts in an uncontrollable fire which rapidly spreads. This one torpedo hit is lethal to the Rhodes invasion.
Tilos (Piscop)
0400 (0200 GMT) - The Giorgio Orsini, coming from Leros with its cargo of gasoline for the MAS, berths in a quiet cove northeast of the island.
Symi (Simi)
0510 (0310 GMT) - The steamer Fiume between the port of Symi.
While the steamer Lero, which provided before June 10 the link between Rhodes, Piraeus and Alexandria, was immediately requisitioned and used as an auxiliary minelayer, another passenger vessel of the Adriatica di Navigazione SpA based in the Dodecanese, the small Fiume (684 GRT) used to connect Rhodes and other islands continued this civilian service. She continued to sail under the peacetime colours. She was not attacked by the French submarines following the unfortunate case of the Elbano Gasperi. On the 9th, it was commandeered by Admiral Biancheri. Her first mission is to retrieve from Symi the hundred infantry forming the garrison of the island and the men from submarines Jantina and Smeraldo.
Karpathos
0528 (03h28 GMT) – Ignorant of the convoy because of a radio failure, the Zaffiro has proceeded to Karpathos to find a nearly empty bay. However, she spotted the silhouette of the very badly damaged, bottomed, but still salvageable Flandre. Having waited for first light of dawn in order to better judge the condition of the bay, the commander decides she is worth one or two torpedoes as she has many lighters and small craft alongside and is a hive of obvious activity. The Zaffiro fires two torpedoes, which both hit the ship, one forward of the bridge and one in the stern Much to the submarine Commander’s surprise, the hit on the Flandre’s bow causes a very large explosion in her cargo. Not only is the ship and her cargo destroyed, so are seven smaller craft including a very valuable ex-WWI RN X-lighter.
Operation Cordite - Day
Before Rhodes
When day broke, Cunningham assessed the situation. While the troops were still eager, the loss of the two freighters from the convoy has lost much of their equipment and ammunition (especially the small arms reserves). He and General Mittelhauser decide that a successful invasion of Rhodes is no longer possible, and it is cancelled. The convoy is split up to reinforce Kasos and Karpathos (which has yet to really fall as Italian troops are still active there, if only in small parties) However, Rhodes is isolated and cannot be reinforced. In return, the fleet has lost four transports (liner Flanders and freighters Saint-Didier, Paul-Emile Javary and Saint-Edmond, ex-Italian Tagliamento) While only two small escorts (the aviso L’Eparges and auxiliary minesweeper Coubre) have been lost, the cruisers HMS Kent and Liverpool and the destroyer HMS Havoc have been damaged and his ships are extremely short of ammunition.
Karpathos
After a day punctuated by two uneventful defensive patrols, inactivity irks the fiery Tulasne.
"I make contact with the head of GC I / 4, Commander Guy Fanneau of Horie. I have only one desire: to fly the Curtiss, which, it seems, maneuvers better than the Morane. Commander Horie willingly allows me to borrow a plane.
After a quick instruction, I took off like a whirlwind. Let's see how the machine reacts ... rolls, and Immelmann: he really is handy! I take negative G, the engine coughed a little ... I pushed the hunter to its limits. Perhaps too much: it seems that the engine begins to suffer, it starts to fail. However, I make a move four meters above the grass runway, a lift and enter the landing pattern. The engine dies and I do a deadstick landing. A tow truck came to me and the plane is returned to the warehouse where it they will change the engine.
I do not mess with this - and a small conference with my comrades of GC I / 4 to explain how I managed to destroy the engine, just to prevent them from making the same mistake.
Verdict: This Curtiss is an excellent fighter, very handy. It is unfortunate that the armament is also low (four 7.7 or 7.7 and a 12.5) ... Fortunately, it should be reinforced on the next delivery. "
September 1940 (2 / 3)
September 11
Paris
Doriot denounces before the GPEF "Splitting activities" Deat, who defends himself by criticizing the 'Attempts to confiscate the government's action by personal interests ". Laval tried to calm things down, on behalf of the "Government solidarity". In the evening, Deat, feeling threatened, left for Grenoble. He believes (probably rightly) be relatively free of the intrigues of his colleague from the interior area of Italian occupation.
Algiers
Following several incidents, the War Department informed all the recruiting offices that volunteers "native" willing to enlist in the armed forces of the Republic shall not be directed toward a particular weapon that according to their individual abilities and needs of the weapons in question, and not according to prejudice because of their origin. It is actually to allow volunteers to access well-qualified, for example, the Armor, marine or aviation, or schools for NCOs and officers.
This decision will have an unexpected effect: twenty women's auxiliary pilot air, more or less unemployed since the end of the transfer of aircraft Metropole North Africa, arguing that what is true for native Kabylie and Senegal should be for the native of Metropolis, call to become combat pilots. Despite their hopes, they are refused polite but firm.
Libya
Off Bizerte, Antonio Sciesa, sights a small convoy (freighters Colleville of 2012grt and Circe of 2031grt) escorted by an aviso. The big old submarine, quite vulnerable in these waters, closes to 1,500 yards and fires four bow torpedoes, two at each freighter. The salvo is perfectly aimed, Circe is hit by both torpedoes and sinks immediately, Colleville is stopped by one hit. The submarine re-attacks twenty minutes later, firing two stern tubes. Colleville is hit again and sinks immediately.
September 12
Paris
Doriot learned the flight of Deat. Enraged, he runs at Matignon, where Laval was installed: "It's a desert! It must prohibit the embryo of a party! To enable us to act as we wish, the PRF must be a party! "
Laval, smiling, minimizes: "Do not exaggerate! Mr. Deat can walk well in France and create a political movement for proper orientation. If we prohibit all, even the PPF could be banned, I think you would not agree ... However, I just had to phone Mr Abetz and the Italian charge d'affaires [the ambassador has not yet been appointed]. They think like me it is not a fuss. You both have strong personalities, but we can surely dispel the misunderstandings that have caused this little episode. "
Algiers
A small cabinet approves a draft "Provisional Statute of the Press" prepared by Jean Zay and services of its Ministry of Information, despite the reservations of Vincent Auriol, Minister of Finance. Summarized in a circular that will never be published, but only communicated orally to the bosses of companies involved, this temporary status tends to allow the survival of newspapers in a situation where we can already foresee the difficulties: almost total absence of advertising revenues and weak ads, paper shortage, shortage of ink and lead, overworked printers, editors upset by transfer across the Mediterranean as by combat deaths and captivity.
The daily and weekly newspapers in North Africa, who suddenly acquire national importance -- L'Echo d'Alger, L'Echo d'Oran Dispatch Constantine La Vigie Marocaine, La Presse (Tunis), to name a few - will all receive a subsidy proportional to their circulation at 1er September 1939 to offset the loss of advertising. They should not take more than twelve pages, including eight of local news without authorization announced by the government in case of exceptional events. The draw may not exceed the average recorded in June 1939.
With discretion, and nothing has been written, Jean Zay was also interested to know that he is prepared to allow Algiers Republican banned since September 1939 for its proximity to the Communist Party, to reappear in the coming weeks. Forwarded to the relevant law in ways very informal, its proposal will be accepted after careful consideration. Officials of the newspaper will formulate a complete application (though discreetly), which will be accepted (also discreetly) and Algiers Republican reappear from December, with content carefully controlled by a representative of "the right person."
Moreover, the government takes over the budget of newspapers, magazines and publications Metropole folded in AFN. The pagination of newspapers is limited to eight pages on weekdays and twelve on Saturday. Their draw is fixed, temporarily, in principle, to 5 000 copies, which corresponds more or less to their release before the war in North Africa.
East Africa – The Black Day of the SAAF
In the morning, five Fairey Battle of 11 Sqn (SAAF) bomb Shashamanna Airfield, south of Addis Ababa. The South African pilots are surprised by the morning patrol of eight MC.200 and are quickly shot down. A sixth Battle, flying over the field to take pictures of the attack, was also caught out in turn and shot down in flames. The crew was captured. This action reduced 11 SQN to a flight.
It was bad luck that this day also marked 12 SQN’s first use of their forward base. The Squadron was at Nairobi and had been active against the Italian column in the Moyale area. South African Airways had ordered seventeen Junkers Ju86's as airliners, the first arriving in South Africa in June 1937. They were designated Ju86 Z-3's, and had Rolls Royce Kestrel Engines. After the first five were manufactured, the engines on the rest were changed to Pratt & Whitney Hornets, and the designation changed to Ju86 Z-7.
A single Ju86K (the military bomber version) with BMW engines was also sent to South Africa, presumably to be evaluated by the South African Air Force, thus the total that arrived was eighteen. All were given civil serials, including the bomber.
When war was declared the civil Ju86's were taken over by the SAAF, pressed into service firstly with 32 Coastal Flight and then 12 Squadron, replacing their Ansons. 12 Sqn was sent to East Africa with the Ju86's.
Three of 12 SQN’s machines were scheduled to follow the 11 SQN Battles. They saw the smoke and heard desperate snatches of voice over the circuit, but with usual South African bravery, stood on with their mission. The MC.200 spotted them just after the last battle went down. The Ju-86 were ZS-ANA Ju.86Z-5 msn086/2017 9/38 SAA"Sir Gordon J. Sprigg", ZS-ANB Ju.86Z-5 msn086/2018 9/38 SAA"J.C.Molteno", and ZS-ANC Ju.86Z-5 msn086/2019 9/38 SAA"Sir Benjamin D'Urban". They saw the fighters and closed up, putting their noses down to increase speed.
The MC.200 swarmed over the formation, but it was first blood to the bombers. An accurate burst from Sir Benjamin D'Urban sent one MC.200 gliding away with a dead engine (the machine struck a bomb crater on landing and was damaged beyond repair, but the pilot survived unhurt).
Despite mounting damage and casualties, the bombers remained in formation and dropped on the aerodrome, damaging the runway. Little other damage was done as the Italians had been slaving to disperse assets and build well camouflaged individual shelters for their aircraft. When they dropped, J.C.Molteno was already ablaze. She stayed in formation until bombs gone, then, while her pilot held her steady, her crew jumped. By this time, the MC.200 were running out of ammunition. Sir Gordon J. Sprigg was the next to fall, both engines on fire and with the whole crew injured or dead. Two managed to bale out. Sir Benjamin D'Urban alone remained, and for another eight endless minutes she was heavily attacked. With one engine on fire and losing altitude rapidly, the MC.200 turned away, ammunition exhausted.
In a brave feat of airmanship that earned him a DFC, the pilot (PLTOFF John Hopper from Natal) nursed the shattered Ju-86 back to the 12 SQN forward base on one damaged engine. All his crew were wounded. The machine made a successful wheels-up landing, breaking in half when it ground looped. While written off, it was a valuable source of parts.
The SAAF was able to identify the new Italian fighter from descriptions. The RAF was immediately informed, and Addis Ababa was declared too dangerous to approach. While this aborted the bombing offensive planned against it, it saved 6 Wellesleys which were scheduled to attack next day.
September 13
Paris
Much concerned with squabbles that divide the GPEF, Abetz present in Laval (in the absence of Deat, Minister of Economy) a program of compulsory deliveries of coal, iron and agricultural produce for the next six months. This is a "Ahead of the war reparations" which will be determined by the peace treaty. These shipments are in addition to maintenance costs of the occupation forces.
Eastern Africa (Sudan)
The Italian troops advancing from Kassala to the north, west and south-west. The Allied positions suffer constant harassment conducted by Ca.133 and SM.81. They are too numerous for the Gladiators, who face the much superior Fiat CR-42. RAF Vincents, Gauntlets and Lysanders do what they can but are of little efficiency.
Addis Ababa
The number of MC.202 in Addis is now 31 (one having been declared irreparable. SM.82 flights are now arriving nightly, and depart before dawn. So far, the Allies remain ignorant of this long, tenuous supply run.
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Italian East Africa Air Command - North | |||
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• Headquarters |
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Assab |
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• 25th Bomber Squadron |
Ca.133 |
Bahar Dar |
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• 26th Bomber Squadron |
Ca.133 |
Gondar |
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• 27th Bomber Squadron |
Ca.133 |
Assab |
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• 28th Bomber Squadron |
SM.81 |
Zula |
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• 118th Bomber Flight (has Ca.133 from Recon Flight North) |
Ca.133 |
Assab |
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• Fighter Flight "North" |
MC.200 |
Agordat |
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• 409th Fighter Flight |
Cr-42 |
Massaua |
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• 413th Fighter Flight |
Cr-42 |
Assab |
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Italian East Africa Air Command - Central | |||
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• Headquarters |
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Addis Abeba |
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• 4th Bomber Squadron |
SM.81 |
Scenele |
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• 29th Bomber Squadron |
SM.81 |
Assab |
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• 44th Bomber Squadron |
SM.79 |
Ghiniele |
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• 49th Bomber Squadron (has Ca.133 from 41st Recon Flight) |
Ca.133 |
Gimma |
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• 41st (East African) Fighter Squadron (formerly Recon Flight) |
Mc.200 |
Addis Abeba |
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• 110th Recon and Fighter Flight (Cr-32 ex the 410th) |
Ro.37 Cr-32 |
Dire Daua |
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Ethiopia Fighter Group (formed Aug 40, reloc. from Dire Daua) |
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• 410th Fighter Squadron (formerly Flight) |
MC.200 |
Addis Ababa |
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• 411th Fighter Squadron (formerly Flight) |
MC.200 |
Addis Ababa |
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Italian East Africa Air Command - South | |||
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• Headquarters |
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Mogadiscio |
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• 31st Bomber Squadron |
Ca.133 |
Neghelli |
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• Recon Flight "South" |
Ca.133 |
Mogadiscio |
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September 15
Benghazi
Illustrious, Valiant and seven destroyers depart Alexandria.
Lyon
Laval was able to hold a conciliation meeting with Doriot and Deat. The latter agrees to return to Paris. The Decree Parties Act is amended now, all political parties and movements are banned, "Except those contributing to the creation of the French Revival Party." Unions, "Called to be replaced by organizations representing the reality of the French people and not classes or fractions"Are also hit with a curse.
The collaborator radio and papers launch a series of bitter attacks on the Allied use of the contemptuous term ‘Vichy Regime’ which they apply to this government.
Algiers
Pierre Brossolette having consulted Jean Zay, decides that the agency will Havas Havas Available from 16 to midnight, to mark the difference with the Havas-OFI.
The dateline dispatches take the form "Algiers September 15, 1940 (Havas Free)"Eg. The symbol will be repeated unalterable at the end of each text. It took override the objections of engineers who worried about having to provide additional twelve signs systematically - an interval and five multiplied by two characters - for shipment.
In a "Note to Subscribers, Brossolette says: "Our agency will resume its traditional name of the day the metropolitan area will be freed".
September 16
Atlantic Ocean
The raider German Widder is refueled by the tanker Eurofeld. A little later, he transferred some of its prisoners on a second oil-tanker, the Rekum.
Western Mediterranean
A Sunderland from Gibraltar reports a large oil slick about 100nm south east of the Rock. Post-war, it is assessed that this was from the Italian submarine Smeraldo, which vanished on patrol in this area at this time. This is due to postwar information that two bodies in RMI submariner uniforms came ashore in early October 1940, being buried by villagers. She reported her successful attack off Algiers on 10 September, but was not heard of again after 11 September.
Algiers
Lawrence Eynac (Air Minister), General Jean Houdemon (who will report to De Gaulle), Roland de Margerie (which inform Reynaud) and engineer Albert Caquot (technical advisor Lawrence Eynac) receive Emile Dewoitine. The famous engineer must describe their opportunities for the remaining fleet development of D-520, spearhead of the French fighter, which has more than 300 aircraft.
"The interruption of the program evolution of D-520 is heartbreaking." Begins Dewoitine. "The potential development of type was indeed an exceptional richness and promise of outstanding results. The D-521 D-522 variants were Merlin engine and Allison V-1710, but the first posed technical problems[3] and availability, on the second, its performance is relatively disappointing. The D-523 - in fact the D-520 No. 45 with an engine HS 12Y-51 - has reached 570 km / h, against 535 for a D-520 standard, with full military load. The prototype of the D-551, which made its first flight in Bagneres de Bigorre June 26, continued until July 10, when it was dismantled and evacuated. The device, whose cell was redesigned and reduced wing area, had had time to reach 655 km / h with a 12Y-51 engine. The second prototype, and three other cells nearly completed, have also been saved.I know that we have put great hopes in the revival of the construction of some of these aircraft in North Africa or the United States, but I must immediately inform you of the futility of such an idea!
In AFN, the realization of advanced devices is also unthinkable for years, because of the lack of highly developed industrial base which would be necessary, starting with the network of subcontractors without which no modern aircraft can not leave factory. Alas, the D-520 'Algerian' is and will remain a dream. The problem of production overseas is very different. Last spring, General Pujo was sent to Washington to study the possibility of constructing the D-522 in the United States. In June, I went there myself and I had this opportunity a long conversation with Mr. Pierre Cot on the D-522 'American'. This idea may seem attractive, but it is unrealistic. To start a new production line, it should adapt the manufacture of D-520 to the current U.S. procedures (even if their system measures medieval!) And even so, it would seriously jeopardize the ongoing programs . No U.S. aircraft manufacturer has agreed to undertake this project. We should hire and train many of the necessary staff and the entire production staff. It is totally beyond our present means.
As you can see, it is totally impossible to build new hunters. The only solution is to optimize the existing fleet. Already, engineers working on the SNCAM Algiers on a reduced program of aerodynamic improvements, based on work done from April to June in the wind tunnel Banlève. This amendment limited "level 1" will be applied to all D-520 war bonds by December. We are currently in talks with Swiss to obtain, via Yugoslavia, 12Y-51 engines manufactured by Saurer. Captain de Margerie will have the opportunity to revisit the topic. If we can have these engines, a program "level 2" will be launched to transform the most of our D-520 D-523. To improve the performance of D-520 at high altitude, engineers SNCAM plan to combine a comprehensive program of drag reduction with the assembly of a motor 12Y-49. This change called "Level 3" could give us an airplane capable of operating at over 11 000 meters. But it will be difficult to implement on a large scale, lack of resources.
Unfortunately, we must remember that none of these programs allow the D-520/523 achieve the performance required by the program A39 (640 km / h at altitude recovery). It is the turn of Caquot, which delivers technical information on the Swiss and Yugoslav programs: "We have, in 1938, sold to Switzerland, the manufacturing license of MS-405. The company was renamed EKW D-3800 and has built 74 machines, which is the last exit channels in August. To improve their aircraft, the Swiss have decided to equip it with a 12Y-51 engine of 1080 hp and got the D-3801 (close to the MS-412), whose first flight is imminent, despite the difficulties encountered with The 12Y-51. The latter is manufactured under license by the firm of Saurer AG."
"Engineers Hispano-Suiza should be able to help their discreet advice" Suggests Eynac.
"No doubt! I touch them in a word." Replied Caquot before continuing: "Let's see to the Yugoslavs. By 1936, the firm Rogozarski in Belgrade launched the program of the IK-3, hunter and modern high performance powered by a 850 hp 12Ycrs. The prototype flew in September 1938 and crashed in February during a dive. Innumerable modifications were then delayed production and only 12 aircraft are out of channels, powered by the 12Y planned for the Czech fighter biplane Avia B-534. But the Yugoslavs also want a more powerful engine and the 12Y-planned 49 or 51 for their IK-3 improved. What we should be able to serve ...
Indeed, the D-523, IK-3 and D-3801 or will use all the engine 12Y-49 or 51. The Swiss will make them, they will not refuse to sell to the Yugoslavs, who should agree to serve as an intermediary (their air force is very Francophile). A large motor control will be welcome at Saurer, who will not ask what aircraft they will eventually fit. These engines will be delivered by plane in Belgrade (Yugoslav aircraft, or at least registered in Yugoslavia), but the vast majority will then move on to Africa! We have some prototypes of bombers rapid spinning fun under the noses of Italian fighters with two or three drivers in their bunkers. "
"Like what a blessing is not always lost" Commented Laurent Eynac. "Apparently, Serbs remember that we have extended their hand in the Other War."
Libya
0400. Again, Colonel Gauis Claudius D’Avanzo was leading from the front. This had now been accepted by his men as his habit, along with dressing similarly, and sharing the same rations and field accommodations. As a result, morale among his men was very high. He had his own AB.40, but it had been converted at Capuzzo into a command car with the turret removed and radios added.
This was the very first penetration east of the wire with hostile intent. Something was going on out here. British aircraft were few, just reconnaissance and escorted at that, but their columns were very active. Jock Columns west of the wire attacking Italian rear areas, patrolling columns with tanks east of it.
The pattern is obvious, thought D’Avanzo, they are screening something. But what? Benghazi is relaxed, as is Tobruk. No, not relaxed, complacent. Time for that to end.
His little jaunt had taken a very long time to get going. In fact, the arguments were still going on, but in one message there was a figleaf of cover for him, he was allowed a ‘small, preliminary patrol’ east of the wire.
’Avanzo smiled grimly to himself.
“Thoughts, sir?” said his tank commander.
“Hmm. I was thinking that if I can expand ‘minor training near the wire’ to include covert reconnaissance patrols twenty miles into Egypt sufficient to build up a good picture of the British patrol patterns, then surely my small preliminary patrol of 300 motorised troops, 12 AB.40 armoured cars and 12 M13/40 won’t attract much attention.”
The younger man stifled laughter. “Well, sir, are not you forgetting that further back we have a support group, with another 300 men and his12 M11/39?”
“Oho, but they are just behind the wire. They do not count!”
The young man was suddenly serious. “True sir, but I’d like them closer.”
“Yes, I’ll call them in as soon as we engage. Are the AB.40 extempores in position?”
“Yes, sir. If the enemy has MkVI with him, and loops east, they will catch them. That was a lot of work, fitting four with a 20mm Solothurn AT gun instead of the two turret-mounted MG.”
“Worth it, though.”
“Yes sir.”
“Sir?”
“Yes?”
“We are in position, it is as black as the inside of a Nubian’s arse, and I am freezing my nuts off. The boys are keyed up, the enemy is two miles away and just doing his stand-to, and he will be here in an hour. We will hear his engines starting. My lads have coffee going in about two minutes, and this is their first action.”
“Ah. I see. Yes, we’ll join them and settle them down a little.”
Two minutes later the Colonel was sharing a mess cup of hot sweet coffee and a slab of hard parmesan cheese – energy food – with the tank crews.
“Just like the training runs, boys. You have rehearsed this well. The enemy can also become complacent and the best way to ruin this is by being over-eager. We know they have six A-10 and six MkVI in this little column, and about 80 motorised troops. The moment we open fire from these camouflaged, hull down positions, the support group starts to move too. So we outnumber them and have reinforcements on the way. The 150th and 159th are waiting for the signal and they are only thirty miles away, waiting on the claypan at our own forward base. And they have six G.50 from the 24th fighter squadron with them too.” He grinned. “Pure accident of course that they just happen to be conducting this little exercise at the same time, eh?”
The tank crews chuckled. They had all been over young Giovanni D’Avanzo’s Ba.65, just like he and his unit now had a thorough understanding of their tanks, and of infantry tactics too. They had been working with the Ba.65’s for weeks now.
0642. Sergeant Jackson looked around him. About 25 men left. Little ammunition left since they repelled that last attack. These Eyeties, at least, had guts. Italian tanks overunning the 8th Hussars’ and 6th Division’s own reconnaissance tanks, the little Mk VIs – knocked out. Some bloody training op this mess is, he thought. Corporal Ianson ran up.
He glanced up briefly. Eyetie aircraft all over the shop. It had not helped.
“Jack, we are done for, there’s a second tank column cutting around behind us. Eyetie motorised infantry just over there, preparing to attack, about 200 yards away over that little crest.” He gestured down-smoke.
Jackson’s eyes lit up. “How many? Quick!”
“About fifty, just demounting now.”
“Any armour?”
“No.”
Jackson turned and shouted out, “fix bayonets and follow me in thirty seconds!”
Ianson looked surprised. “Shit, Macca, think. If we can catch them fast before they move forward, we might be able to run them off and grab a truck!”
0735. D’Avanzo grimaced slightly. The bullet graze on his face had bled a lot for such a minor wound. Facial wounds did. He looked around at the battlefield with his tank commander and infantry commander. The support group was here now, and their recovery trucks were already working with desperate energy on the two damaged M13/40 and the enemy tanks worth recovering. At least one A-10 was not, it had brewed up. The vile stink of its burning contents and roasting crew filled his nostrils.
It was a filthy business.
“Bad news, sir”, said his tank commander. “I just looked at that A-10 the lads are recovering, the one with the knocked out right hand track. It’s brand new. Built in June.”
“So we have our old friends the Hussars, plus Australian infantry from the Sixth Division.”
His infantry commander looked exhausted. “Yes, and hard bastards they are too. That bayonet charge was led by a Sergeant.”
’Avanzo nodded. That had been just plain nasty. What had surprised him was that the Libyans had not bolted. Their officer had drawn his sword and pistol, had his men fix bayonets and counter-charged. He had reported that he’d been confident, but the look in his eye gave the lie. He had not been. But his men had done just that. Still, eight dead and twenty wounded in hand-to-hand fighting! Only half the Australians had survived, all had bayonet wounds. Once the rush of blood had cooled, the Libyans – just reservist settlers really – had helped all the wounded irrespective. The Australians were quite friendly with them. Hmm, thought D’Avanzo, both have proved themselves to the other. Interesting.
His radio operator popped his head out of the command car. “Sir, the Ba.65 have spotted a second column, about our strength, about twenty miles away to the north. They are attacking. The fighters are dealing with the escorts, it has fighters with it.”
“Time to move, gentlemen! If they pursue us west of the wire, we’ll have them for dinner! Get the rest of the Group moving now.”
1430 Benghazi
Marshall Graziani was not used to his routine being interrupted. But this report was very interesting.
"So, General Cona, D’Avanzo has exceeded his orders, gone a little east of the wire, smashed an enemy column, recovered all his vehicles as well as eight reparable enemy tanks and six undamaged trucks, taken seventy prisoners, broken and driven off an enemy motorised force of sub-battalion strength, recovered another four tanks, two trucks and eight prisoners. Meanwhile the RAI worked with him very neatly, they shot up a number of enemy trucks and vehicles, dispersed the enemy column after D’Avanzo’s group drove it off, and shot down two enemy fighters. All this cost us thirty casualties. Does that sum it up?”
“No. sir. He has positively identified that the enemy Sixth Australian Division by taking prisoners from it, and shown that the enemy has strong reinforcements behind his ground screen” replied the Staff Officer
“The implication is obvious, then,” sighed Graziani.
“Yes, sir.”
“What do you want to do with D’Avanzo?”
Cona had the answer to this. “Our staff wish to crucify him, of course. He does not realy follow procedure.”
Graziani grunted. “Of course. We have sunk that far, the. staff... He makes them look like the ineffective dandy's they actually seem to be. Your recommendation?”
“Promote him. Brevet of course, and reinforce him. We have part of the Ariete in Tripolitania with about 100 mixed gun-armed tanks. We need something like that in Cyrenaica, and Capuzzo west is the best location. D’Avanzo has 30 mixed tanks and armoured cars. He can keep his captures. I can scrape up enough to get him about 2,000 men, Libyans, and perhaps a total of 50 tanks.”
“Do it. The storm can only be a couple of months away.”
“Yes, sir.”
September 17
Benghazi
Illustrious, Valiant and seven destroyers reach a launch position 100nm from Benghazi at 2100. Illustrious launches 12 Swordfish. Six lay magnetic mines within three cables of the harbour entrance, the rest bomb ships in the harbour. They are disrupted by heavy and accurate AA fore from the beached Bartolomeo Colleoni, which they hit with a bomb.
Glasgow
The heavy cruiser Sussex, alongside the dock for machinery repairs is hit during a night raid by the Luftwaffe. A bomb penetrates an engine room, triggering a massive fire that threatens the AA magazines. A deliberate risk has been taken to dock the ship without de-ammunitioning her. The local population is evacuated as a precaution. To help control the fire, the dock is flooded, but before the ship has been fighting the fires, and a large mass of water has accumulated internally. As soon as she becomes buoyant, she capsizes in the dock, smashing on to the dock wall with her superstructure, at an angle of fifty degrees. The flooding is continued to douse the otherwise uncontrollable fire. While dewatered some days later, structural damage will keep her out of service until early 1942.
Paris
In front of the Gare du Nord, activists CPF (covert) and CGT (illegal), which have received no record of their hierarchies, distribute a pamphlet protesting against the prohibition of the CGT. Among the militants arrested is a young Guy Môquet. Properly indexed, they will be released a few days later.
September 18
Benghazi the Convoy Disaster
The destroyer Aquilone initiates a magnetic mine while entering port ahead of a tanker and two freighters she has escorted after collecting them from the escort that had from Taranto. The crippled destroyer has no choice but to continue, and she initiates a second mine. Her commander orders her beached, but she sinks in the harbour shallows not far from where Bartolomeo Colleoni is beached. Italian steamers Gloria Stella (5490grt) and Maria Eugenia (4702grt) were also mined. Both were beached before they could sink. Only the tanker berthed undamaged. Torpedo boats Cigno and Cosenz are slightly damaged by shockwaves.
Paris
As promised September 15, a decree-law establishes the Agricultural and Industrial Corporations French, capped by a National Council of Corporations. Corporate status obliges members of the oath of allegiance to "New French government, Social and corporatist" and its Charter (which is yet neither public nor even written ...).
If the decree-law on corporations is marked services Deat, Doriot they did not remain inactive. They also released a decree-law, who vacates officials considered Jews in the Police, Justice and Education. Conditions "non-Jewishness " (certificates of baptism of grandparents in particular) are specified. This decree-law is presented as part of a "Status of the Jews" others will soon be completed.
Libya
The British intensify patrols of the border wire.
East Africa (Sudan)
From Kassala, Italian troops are heading to Port Sudan in the north: they take Deroudeb (due north) and Atbara (northwest). Towards the south-west, other units have circumvented Wad-Medani, Kosti and head towards El Obeid. But the main focus is the road from Khartoum to the west, where the Italians were stopped near Abu Deleïk.
In this last place the region's largest air battle of the campaign occurs, as Italian Ca.133 and SM.81 attack the British ground forces. The Allies respond with what they have, including French machines forward based from Djibouti. Expecting these to win the day, the Allies are shocked by the appearance of both CR.42 and MC.200 in numbers during the day. The result is an Allied defeat in the air, with 8 RAF and 4 AdA aircraft lost, to just six RAI, and of these, five are Ca.133 and only one a fighter, a CR.42. The. Italians break the front in the region of Wad-Medani and push the British back.
