World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » Events
• » 26 Sep 1940

• British submarine HMS Tribune fired four torpedoes at German submarine U-138 off Lorient, France. All torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [Tribune | CPC]
• In the late evening, the German ambassador in the Soviet Union shared the news that Japan was about to join Germany and Italy in a military alliance. The Soviet Union immediately complained that, according to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the text of such an alliance should have been shared with the USSR prior to the pact being signed, including any secret clauses. ww2dbase [The Tripartite Pact | CPC]
• Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler, noting that the Italian territories in the Mediterranean Sea was in danger of being attacked by the British as he deduced from the importance the British had placed on the region historically. To prevent this, he recommended Hitler to make plans to seize Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, and the Suez Canal. ww2dbase [Erich Raeder | CPC]

• German submarine U-32 (Hans Jenisch) attacked Allied convoy OB 207 400 miles west of Ireland at 0234 hours, damaging British ship Corrientes (entire crew of 50 rescued by Swedish ship Kolsnaren), sinking Norwegian ship Tancred (more details to follow) at 0811 hours, and sinking British ship Darcoila (entire crew of 31 killed) at 0137 hours. Tancred settled by the bow due to flooding of the forward holds, and sank within eight minutes; the 36 crew members took to three lifeboats (and all would survive), but the master and a few others would reboard the ship to recover extra provisions (but failed to recover valuable papers as they found no access to the master's cabin); all would survive the sinking of Tancred. U-32 would fire her deck gun at various ships of the now-dispersing convoy, scoring several hits. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC, HM]
• German submarine U-46 sank British ship Coast Wings 350 miles southwest of Ireland at 0153 hours, killing the entire crew of 16. At 2120 hours, U-46 attacked again, sinking unescorted Swedish ship Siljan; 9 were killed and 18 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
• German submarine U-137 fired three torpedoes at Allied convoy OB-218 10 miles off the Mullet Peninsula, Ireland between 0050 and 0052 hours, sinking British ship Manchester Brigade (44 crew and 8 navy personnel killed, 4 survived) and damaging British ship Ashantian (4 killed). At 0135 hours, U-137 struck again, sinking British ship Stratford of the same convoy; 2 were killed and 32 survived. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
• German armed merchant cruiser Thor sank Norwegian whaling factory ship Kosmos 400 miles northwest of Natal, Brazil with her deck gun after imprisoning the crew of 89; Captain Kahler of Thor would later be criticized for not transferring Kosmos' valuable cargo of whale oil aboard before sinking the ship. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Thor | CPC]

• Japan conducted an amphibious landing at Dong Tac, Indochina; later that day, Japanese troops captured the Gia Lam airfield and several rail yards near Hanoi. In the evening, Emperor Showa ordered fighting to stop in Indochina since the French had already surrendered on the previous day. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | Dong Tac | CPC]

• Salvatore Todaro was made the commanding officer of Comandante Cappellini, relieving Cristiano Masi. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]

• At 1630 hours, 100 German aircraft attacked Southampton in England, United Kingdom, causing damage to the factory at Woolston producing Spitfire fighters. RAF fighters claimed 16 bombers and 16 fighters shot down, which was likely over-estimated, while losing 10 fighters and 3 pilots. Overnight, London, England was bombed for the 26th consecutive night, while Liverpool and other towns and cities were also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | TH]
• In Britain, Henry Willink, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Croydon, was appointed Special Commissioner for the Homeless with particular instructions to organise the aid services for those citizens who had been made homeless through enemy air raids. ww2dbase [AC]

26 Sep 1940 Interactive Map