27 Aug 1940 | World War II Database

27 Aug 1940

US President Roosevelt signed the joint resolution authorizing him to call Army Reserve components and National Guard into federal service for one year; meanwhile, at the US Congress, the legislation that allowed US Navy and US Marine Corps reserve aviators to be called up to active duty was enacted. On the same date, Roosevelt met with Secretary of the Navy Knox, Secretary of War Stimson, and Secretary of State Hull regarding a compromise that might persuade the opponents of the destroyers-for-bases exchange to back down. Subsequently, Roosevelt met with US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark, Secretary of the Navy Knox, Secretary of State Hull, and British Ambassador Lord Lothian to continue destroyers-for-bases discussions; Stark certified that the destroyers in question were available for British use without concerns of weakening US defense. Finally, Roosevelt received a ruling from Attorney General Robert H. Jackson which suggested that the destroyers-for-bases exchange was legal. Meanwhile, out at sea, German submarines continued to attack Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean. German submarine U-46 attacked British armed merchant cruiser Dunvegan Castle with three torpedoes 75 miles northwest of Ireland; 27 were killed and 250 were rescued by destroyer HMS Harvester and corvette HMS Primrose; Dunvegan Castle would sink on the following day. German submarine U-28 sank Norwegian ship Eva 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 1603 hours, killing 1. Finally, German submarine U-37 sank Greek ships Theodoros T. 300 miles west of Ireland at 2231 hours. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
German armed merchant cruiser Pinguin stopped British tanker British Commander off Madagascar at 0418 hours. Shortly after, she stopped Norwegian ship Morviken. Pinguin would imprison both crews and sink both ships by gunfire. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
Wilhelm Keitel revealed an invasion plan for Britain that featured four separate main landing sites. ww2dbase [Wilhelm Keitel | CPC]
Philippe Leclerc was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. ww2dbase [Philippe Leclerc | CPC]

Italy

Caproni's C.C.2 prototype motorjet aircraft took its first flight. ww2dbase [CPC]
Maggiore Baracca departed La Spezia, Italy at 0733 hours for exercises, returning at 1245 hours. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]

United Kingdom

Bad weather limited the Germans to flying reconnaissance missions only over Britain during the day. Overnight, German bombers attacked industrial centers and RAF airfields. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | 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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