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• A new German military mission was set up in Bucharest, Romania to direct the training program for the Romanian Army. ww2dbase [Soviet Demands on Romania and the Second Vienna Arbitration | TH]
• German submarines U-48, U-59, and U-101 attacked Allied convoy HX.77 150 miles northwest of Ireland, sinking Norwegian tanker Davanger just after 0000 hours (17 killed, 12 survived), British ship Pacific Ranger at 1800 hours (entire crew of 55 survived), and Canadian steamer Saint Malô at 2325 hours (28 killed, 16 survived). ww2dbase [First Happy Time | TH]
• British minesweeping trawler HMS Resolvo hit a mine in the Thames estuary in southern England, wounding 2. She would be beached and abandoned the next day. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Werner Mölders shot down three British Hurricane fighters over England, United Kingdom, bringing his total kills count to 51. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
• The TsKB-57 prototype aircraft of the Soviet Ilyshin Il-2 Shturmovik ground attack aircraft design made its maiden flight. ww2dbase [Il-2 Shturmovik | CPC]
• HMS Eagle was damaged by near misses from bombs released by Italian SM.79 bombers. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]

• Seeadler completed her patrol in the English Channel. ww2dbase [Seeadler | English Channel | CPC]

• Germany postponed Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain, until the spring of 1941. Preparations and training for the invasion would be scaled back, but not eliminated, in order to put continuous pressure on Britain. ww2dbase [TH]

• US Navy awarded a contract for various construction projects immediately outside the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard in the Hawaiian Islands. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]

• Battle of Cape Passero: On the previous day, the British Mediterranean Fleet departed Malta after an escort mission, and was detected by Italian aircraft. At 0200 hours, Italian torpedo boats Ariel, Alcione, and Airone caught up with the fleet and attacked British cruiser HMS Ajax east of Malta; Ariel and Airone were sunk by Ajax. At 0215 hours, Ajax's radar detected Italian destroyers Artigliere and Aviere and opened fire, damaging Aviere and rendering Artigliere dead in the water; Artigliere returned fire and hit Ajax four times, damaging gun turrets and disabled the radar while killing 13 and wounding 20. Ajax was able to retire from the battle under her own power, while Artigliere was towed away by destroyer Camicia Nera. ww2dbase [Malta Campaign | CPC]

• German Governor-General of occupied Poland Hans Frank ordered 138,000 Jews in Warsaw to move into the city's ghetto. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Hans Frank | Warsaw | CPC]

• German reconnaissance aircraft scouted England, United Kingdom between 0650 and 0900 hours, and then between 0900 and 1715 hours several raids attacked southern England, many of which reached London. During this day, Germans lost 9 Bf 109 fighters and 1 Ar 95 seaplane over the Dover Strait; the British lost 10 fighters with 4 pilots killed. Overnight, London received light bombing, while Birmingham and Coventry were also attacked. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
• James Lacey shot down a German Bf 109 fighter over Britain. ww2dbase [James Lacey | CPC]

12 Oct 1940 Interactive Map