In the Month of November 1940

US NAVY

Friday, 1 November

            Atlantic Squadron (Rear Admiral Hayne Ellis) is renamed Patrol Force, U.S. Fleet

            Submarine Force, Scouting Force, ceases to exist; in its stead are two type commands: Submarines Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet, and Submarines, Atlantic Fleet. Rear Admiral Wilhelm L. Friedell becomes Commander Submarines, Scouting Force.

            Naval Air Station, Alameda, California, is established, Captain Frank R. McCrary in command.

            German auxiliary minelayer Passat completes laying mine barrage off Australian coast in Bass Strait (see 7‑8November).

Saturday, 2 November 1940

            Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade arrives in Fort‑de‑France, Martinique, to confer with Vice Admiral Georges A.M.J.

            Robert on the economic distress of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and the status of French warships and aircraft there (see 3 November).

Sunday, 3 November 1940

            Typhoon devastates Guam, M.I., rendering the U.S. Navy Yard at Piti a shambles, damaging the Marine Barracks, blowing away dwellings and poultry, destroying crops and completely disrupting the lives of the native farmers; it also reduces the Pan American Airways hotel to "kindling wood." In addition, one of the recently arrived district patrol craft (YP‑16 or YP‑17) is sunk; dredge YM‑13, being used to dredge a channel near Sumay, Guam, is blown ashore. Greek freighter Axios, in the harbor for repairs, parts her moorings at the height of the typhoon, and despite the fact that she possesses neither harbor chart nor pilot miraculously escapes foundering on nearby reefs. Governor of Guam (Captain George J. McMillin) later praises the people of the island for their "cheerful willingness and unremitting effort...to repair or replace their homes that reflected "character of which any group...might be proud."

            Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA‑28) departs Montevideo, Uruguay, for Buenos Aires, Argentina, as she continues to “show the flag" in Latin American waters.

            Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade departs Fort‑de‑France, Martinique, after concluding talks with Vice Admiral Georges A.M.J. Robert. Among Admiral Greenslade's recommendations: that every effort be made to alleviate the distress of the inhabitants by easing restrictions on frozen assets to allow for purchase of food, medical supplies and gasoline for automobiles and trucks; that the naval observer and U.S. vice consul maintain careful and complete liaison with Vice Admiral Robert; that a patrol plane make daily visits to Fort‑de‑France to improve communications and survey the situation from the air; and that the patrols off Martinique and Guadaloupe be continued.

            German freighter Helgoland, which had departed Colombian waters on 24 October, skirts the Antilles near St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, in her bid for freedom (see 30 November).

Monday, 4 November 1940

            Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA‑28) arrives at Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Tuesday, 5 November 1940

            President Roosevelt, in his bid for a third term, defeats Republican challenger Wendell Willkie for the presidency.

Thursday, 7 November 1940

            British freighter Cambridge is sunk by mine (laid by German auxiliary minelayer Passat on 31 October‑1 November) off Wilson's Promontory, Australia (see 8'‑ November).

Friday, 8 November 1940

            Admiral Nomura Kichasaburo is appointed Japanese Ambassador to the United States.

            U.S. freighter City of Rayville is sunk by mine (laid by German auxiliary minelayer Passat on 31 October‑1November) east of Cape Otway, Bass Strait, Australia; City of Rayville is first U.S. merchant ship sunk in World War II. Third Engineer Mack B. Bryan, who drowns during the abandonment, is the first merchant marine casualty of World War II. The other 37 crewmen (one of whom is injured) reach safety at Apollo Bay.

Monday, 11 November 1940

            Twenty‑one FAA Swordfish TSR (torpedo spotting reconnaissance) planes, flown by 16 crews from carrier HMS Illustrious (No. 815 and No. 819 Squadrons) and five crews from HMS Eagle (No. 813 and No. 824 Squadrons), launched from Illustrious, begin night attack against Italian fleet at Taranto, Italy (Operation judgment) (see 12November).

Tuesday, 12 November 1940

            British attack (Operation judgment) against Italian fleet at Taranto concludes. At the cost of two Swordfish lost (one crew is captured), battleships Littorio and Caio Duilio are damaged and Conte de Cavour sunk; heavy cruiser Trento and destroyer Libeccio are hit by dud bombs. Battleships Vittorio Veneto, Andrea Doria, and Julio Cesare sail for Naples; heavy units of the Italian Fleet will not base at Taranto until May 1941. Word of the Taranto raid is received in the Navy Department with "great satisfaction." Secretary of the Navy Knox asks the Special Naval Observer in London, Rear Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, to "learn more details of how the attack was carried out, especially as to what extent aerial torpedoes were used." Knox tells Ghormley the successful operation "did not a little to promote a most optimistic attitude hereabouts." Littorio returns to service by 9 March 1941, Caio Duilio by 15 May 1941. Only Conte de Cavour is never again operational.

            Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA‑28) departs Buenos Aires, Argentina, for Santos, Brazil, as she continues her goodwill cruise in Latin American waters.

Wednesday, 13 November 1940

            Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles, on the strength of a report that French battleships Richelieu (then at Dakar)and Jean Bart (then at Casablanca) were to be moved, perhaps to Toulon, France (within the German sphere of influence), requests the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Spain, H. Freeman Matthews, to let the appropriate French authorities know that the U.S. government would be prepared to contemplate purchase of both capital ships if the French government were willing to dispose of them with the agreement that they would not be used in the present war(see 16, 18 and 22 November).

Friday, 15 November 1940

            Destroyer Plunkett (DD‑431), on Neutrality Patrol off Tampico, Mexico, observes German freighter Orinoco and tanker Phrygia making preparations for sea (see 16 December). Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA‑28) arrives at Santos, Brazil, as she continues her goodwill cruise in Latin American waters.

Saturday, 16 November 1940

            Destroyer McCormick (DD‑223), on Neutrality Patrol off Tampico, Mexico, foils attempt by German freighter Orinoco to make a break for European waters. Destroyer Plunkett (DD‑431), by her very presence, thwarts German tanker Phrygia's bid for freedom; Phrygia's crew scuttles her.

            In accordance with Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles's request of 13 November, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim H. Freeman Matthews meets with Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain concerning the possible move of French battleships Richelieu and Jean Bart. Pétain assures the U.S. envoy that the two capital ships would be used to defend French territory and would never be used against the British. "Under present circumstances," Pétain informs Matthews, "I have neither the right nor the possibility of selling them" (see 18 and 22 November).

Sunday, 17 November 1940

            PBYs (VP 54) inaugurate flight operations from Bermuda; seaplane tender (destroyer) George E. Badger (AVD‑3) provides support.

Monday, 18 November 1940

            Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles directs Chargé d'Affaires ad interim H. Freeman Matthews to communicate President Roosevelt's concern over the French battleships Richelieu and Jean Bart being moved to a port such as Toulon to Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain, and reiterate the United States' offer to acquire those two ships "as well as any other vessels of the French Navy" (see 21 November).

Wednesday, 20 November 1940

            Hungary joins the Axis.

Thursday, 21 November 1940

            Sixth and last group of ships involved in the destroyers‑for‑bases agreement‑‑Bailey (DD‑269), Meade (DD‑274), Shubrick (DD‑268), Swasey (DD‑273), Claxton (DD‑140), Fairfax (DD‑93), Robinson (DD‑88), Ringgold (DD‑89), Sigourney (DD‑81) and Tillman (DD‑135) ‑‑arrives at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Turnover of the last ten ships is under the charge of Commander Destroyer Squadron 33 (Captain Schuyler F. Heim) (see 26 November).

            Chargé d'Affaires ad interim H. Freeman Matthews meets with Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain concerning the French battleships Richelieu and Jean Bart; the French admiral responds immediately: "Then why not leave those vessels at Dakar and Casablanca where they now are? I shall keep them there and if there should be any change in this plan I will give you previous notice." This information, received in Washington on the morning of 22 November, is communicated through channels by the President to the "Former Naval Person" (Prime Minister Churchill) on the23rd.

Saturday, 23 November 1940

            Rumania joins the Axis.

            Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet (Admiral Thomas C. Hart) shifts his flag from heavy cruiser Augusta (CA‑31) to sistership Houston (CA‑30) at Manila, P.I. Augusta departs this day to proceed to the United States via waters north of the Hawaiian chain to investigate reports of Japanese tankers operating in the region.

Monday, 25 November 1940

            Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA‑28) departs Santos, Brazil, for Rio Grande du Sol, continuing her goodwill cruise in

            Latin American waters.

Tuesday, 26 November 1940

            Sixth and last group of ships involved in the destroyers‑for‑bases agreement are turned over to Royal Navy crews at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bailey (DD‑269) becomes HMS Reading, Meade (DD‑274) becomes HMS Ramsey, Shubrick (DD‑268) becomes HMS Ripley, Swasey (DD‑273) becomes HMS Rockingham, Claxton (DD‑140) becomes HMS Salisbury, Fairfax (DD‑93) becomes HMS Richmond, Robinson (DD‑88) becomes HMS Newmarket, Ringgold (DD‑89) becomes HMS Newark, Sigourney (DD‑81) becomes HMS Newport and Tillman (DD‑135) becomes HMS Wells.

Wednesday, 27 November 1940

            Battle of Cape Spartivento: two U.S. Naval Observers, Lieutenant Commander A. Dayton Clark in British battlecruiser HMS Renown, and Lieutenant Commander Frederick P. Hartman in light cruiser HMS Southampton, witness the action that takes place between British and Italian forces off the coast of Sardinia.

Friday, 29 November 1940

            Destroyers Simpson (DD‑221) and Broome (DD‑210), on Neutrality Patrol off Tampico, Mexico, trail German freighters Idarwald (see 8 December) and Rhein (see 11 December) as the latter ships make a bid for freedom.

            Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA‑28) arrives Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil, as she continues her goodwill cruise in Latin American waters.

Saturday, 30 November 1940

            United States lends $50 million to China for currency stabilization and grants an additional $50 million credit for purchase of supplies.

            German freighter Helgoland, which has eluded the Neutrality Patrol, reaches St. Nazaire, France.