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• HMS Gurkha (L52) was commissioned into service with Commander F. R. Parham in command. ww2dbase [AC]
• Adolf Hitler issued the order to his top military commanders noting that German forces must be ready to seize the remainder of Czechoslovakia and Memel in Lithuania with minimal notice. ww2dbase [Dismemberment of Czechoslovakia | CPC]

• Japanese troops captured the city of Guangzhou in Southern China nearly unopposed. The city was afire from both heavy Japanese bombing in the previous few days as well as from fires set by the retreating Chinese troops. ww2dbase [Guangdong Operation | Guangzhou, Guangdong | CPC]
• Japanese troops captured Chinese gunboat Yongji at Xinti, Hubei, China. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Before dawn, HMS Birmingham sailed along the coast of Gulangyu island, an international zone, near Xiamen, China. At 0800 hours, she sailed into Xiamen harbor between four columns of Japanese war ships by surprise; Birmingham's crew was able to take photographs of classified Japanese naval equipment such as fire controls and radar antennae before the Japanese crew was able to cover them up. At 1100 hours, Birmingham set sail for Hong Kong. ww2dbase [Birmingham | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
• Kirishima launched a E8N1 Type 95 floatplane and photographed HMS Birmingham off Xiamen, China. ww2dbase [Kirishima | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]

21 Oct 1938 Interactive Map