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1 Aug 1940
  • Adolf Galland was awarded the Knights Cross for achieving 17 kills. ww2dbase [Adolf Galland | AC]
  • Yoshijiro Umezu was promoted to the rank of general. ww2dbase [Yoshijiro Umezu | CPC]
Alaska
  • The US Navy established the new Alaskan Sector command within the Thirteenth Naval District. ww2dbase [CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • German submarine U-34 detected British submarine HMS Spearfish on the surface in the North Sea and sank Spearfish with her last torpedo at 1904 hours, killing 41; one survivor, Able Seaman William Pester, was taken aboard U-34 as a prisoner of war. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | North Sea | CPC]
  • German submarine U-59 sank Swedish ship Sigyn at 0345 hours 60 miles northwest of Ireland; the entire crew was rescued. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | CPC]
  • HMS Cumberland deployed on interception patrol and trade defense in South Atlantic. ww2dbase [Cumberland | DS]
France
  • In the morning, a British Spitfire fighter on a photo reconnaissance mission found a build-up of German aircraft on the Cotentin Peninsula in France. At 1540 hours, 13 British bombers escorted by 10 fighters attacked, causing some damage but in turn losing 1 bomber and 2 fighters. ww2dbase [Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | Basse-Normandie | TH]
  • The first Vichy French youth program, Chantiers de la Jeunesse, was formally established. The program was to focus on academics, cultural activities, physical education, and trade skills, and it would carry a heavy emphasis on each youth as a member of the collective community. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
  • Prinz Eugen was commissioned into servce with Helmuth Brinkmann in command. ww2dbase [Prinz Eugen | CPC]
  • Franz Halder and his staff began planning for the invasion of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | CPC]
  • RAF bombers attacked the Krupp factory in Essen, Germany. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | Essen | CPC]
  • U-576 was laid down by the firm Blohm und Voss in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [U-576 | Blohm und Voss | Hamburg | CPC]
  • The work to convert F4 from a fleet escort ship to a torpedo recovery vessel ceased. ww2dbase [F4 | CPC]
Italy
  • Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi detected British submarine HMS Oswald on the surface 15 miles off of the coast of southern Italy in the Mediterranean Sea, charging batteries and performing routine maintenance. Oswald made no attempt to escape or to attack the Italian ship, possibly because the commander suffers from night blindness when he was suddenly called to the bridge. Oswald was sunk by ramming and depth charges; 3 were killed and 52 were taken prisoner. The British commander (who ordered abandon ship before the ramming occurred, when Vivaldi was 100 yards away) was later court martialled on 5 charges for the loss of his ship and found to have been negligent in performing his duties. He was sentenced to forfeit all seniority as a lieutenant commander, to be dismissed and to be severely reprimanded. ww2dbase [CPC, HM]
Japan
  • Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka asked French Ambassador to Tokyo Arsène Henry whether Japanese troops might be allowed to enter Indochina to occupy certain airfields; Henry implied that his government would reject such a request. Meanwhile, Japanese Army aircraft were transferred from Northern China to Southern China. ww2dbase [Indochina Campaign | Tokyo | CPC]
  • Haruki Isayama stepped down as the commanding officer of the 11th Depot Regiment and was attached to the Japanese Army War College in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. On the same date, he was promoted to the rank of major general. ww2dbase [Haruki Isayama | Tokyo | CPC]
Mediterranean Sea
  • Operation Hurry: British carrier HMS Argus set sail for Malta with 12 Hurricane fighters for reinforcement. She was escorted by Force H with battlecruiser HMS Hood, battleship HMS Valiant, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruisers HMS Arethusa and HMS Enterprise, and 10 destroyers. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean fleet departed Alexandria, Egypt to conduct diversionary maneuvers in the area of Crete, Greece. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]
  • Italian submarine Goffredo Mameli sank Greek ship Roula 40 miles south of Crete, Greece; the entire crew was rescued. ww2dbase [CPC]
Norway
  • Dutch submarine O-21 fired two torpedoes at German submarine U-60 at the distance of 2 kilometers off Norway, but both of them missed their target. ww2dbase [CPC]
Portugal
  • The Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, received German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop's message. He turned down Ribbentrop's request for him to help bring peace between Britain and Germany, citing his loyalty to the British government. He did, however, maintain a channel of communications with Germany in the future should his assistance be helpful once again. To Ribbentrop's dismay, the duke departed Lisbon, Portugal for the Bahamas by the end of the day, ending the German attempt to use him to form a new pro-German leadership in Britain. ww2dbase [Joachim von Ribbentrop | Lisbon | CPC]
Russia
  • Soviet Foreign Minister reaffirmed Soviet neutrality while bad-mouthing the United States and the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [TH]
United Kingdom
  • 30 German He 111 aircraft reached Norwich, England, United Kingdom and bombed the Boulton-Paul Aircraft Works and the Norwich railway station without any opposition, killing 6 and wounding 54 civilians. Meanwhile, in Germany, Hitler issued Directive No. 17, calling for a temporary halt on attacks on British shipping, shifting attention to the RAF. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Norwich, England | TH]
  • A convoy consisted of 6 troop transports carrying 8,077 Canadian troops arrived in Scotland, United Kingdom from Nova Scotia, Canada. ww2dbase [Scotland | CPC]

1 Aug 1940 Interactive Map

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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Famous WW2 Quote
"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"

Winston Churchill, 1935


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