10 Sep 1940
- Battleship Bismarck fired 6 3.7cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
- Italian troops crossed the Libyan-Egyptian border. ww2dbase [Invasion of Egypt | CPC]
- The French Navy informed the British Naval Attaché in Madrid, Spain at 1800 hours that three cruisers and three destroyers were sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Unaware that these ships were en route to Dakar in West Africa, a British-Free French joint target, the British Royal Navy allowed the French warships to pass. ww2dbase [British Attacks on the French Fleet | CPC]
- German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sank British ship Benarty 1,250 miles east of Madagascar. The entire crew of 49 were taken prisoner. ww2dbase [Atlantis | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Sturgeon attacked German submarine U-43 in failure 50 miles southwest of Norway. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler postponed the decision for launching Operation Sealion to 14 Sep 1940. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Leonardo da Vinci set sail from Naples, Italy at 0850 hours for exercises, returning at 1230 hours. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Napoli, Campania | CPC]
- Capitano Tarantini transited the Strait of Gibraltar. ww2dbase [Capitano Tarantini | Strait of Gibraltar | CPC]
- Reginaldo Giuliani transited the Strait of Gibraltar. ww2dbase [Reginaldo Giuliani | Strait of Gibraltar | CPC]
- Bad weather restricted the Germans to flying reconnaissance missions only through most of the day. At 1715 hours, 6 small raids approached London, England, United Kingdom; 2 bombers were shot down and all of the rest were turned back by British fighters at the cost of one Spitfire fighter. Also on this date, ocean-going ships were banned from the port of London as these easy targets attracted German attackers. Overnight, the East End section of London was bombed, damaging the Buckingham Palace among others; South Wales, West Midlands, and Liverpool were also attacked during the night. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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