November 6, 1939: First Dogfight

Monday 6 November 1939

The Curtis P-36 Hawk-75 1939-1944.

European Air Operations: There have been numerous uneventful air reconnaissance patrols by both sides over the other's territory, and today, 6 November 1939, one of those erupts into the first massive dogfight of the war. Nine Curtiss P-36 Hawks are escorting a Potez 637 reconnaissance plane when they are bounced by what the French estimate as 27 BF 109 Ds between the Maginot and Siegfried lines in the Saar. In the resulting melee, eight Messerschmitts go down (four crash-land and, of the eight, seven are behind French lines) and one Hawk piloted by Lt. Tremolet crash-lands in French territory.

The P-36 is inferior to the Messerschmitts. It only has four 7.5 mm Browning machine guns, whereas the Bf 109s have two 7.92 mm MG 17s plus 2 wing-mounted 20mm cannon.

Meanwhile, the RAF announces that it has performed successful reconnaissance flights over western Germany. One aircraft is lost.

Battle of the Atlantic: While the City of Flint continues unloading its cargo in Bergen, Germany continues protesting about the resolution of this cause célèbre.

The British detain, and then quickly release, the US freighter Exeter. However, while they hold it, they remove 700 bags of US Mail. The authorities at Gibraltar release the US freighter Exminster.

The Admiral Graf Spee is in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar.

Convoy OA 31 departs from Southend. Convoy OB 31 departs from Liverpool. Convoy HG 6 departs from Gibraltar.

Soviet Propaganda: Molotov gives a major speech in Moscow and accuses the Allies of fomenting war. Meanwhile, the Communist International includes Germany in its list of aggressors.

Belgium: King Leopold confers with Queen Wilhelmina of Holland at The Hague. They issue an appeal for peace and offer to mediate.

Spies: Paul Thummel is a double agent. He passes what he knows about Fall Gelb to the Czech government-in-exile. Since planning is in a state of flux on the German side, the information may be accurate but entirely misleading, as if intentionally designed to misinform.

German Government: Following the dramatic confrontation between Hitler and his Commander-in-chief Walter von Brauchitsch the previous day, Fall Gelb - the invasion of France - is formally postponed due to "bad weather."

Holocaust: Deportation of Jews from western Poland. The requirement that the Jews of Warsaw live in a ghetto is temporarily suspended.

In Sonderaktion Krakau, the Germans arrest 183 professors of Jagiellonian University in Kraków and send them to Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

British Homefront: The BBC radio broadcasts the classic drama "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes "The Bruce Partington Plans" starring film stars Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

American Homefront: The Grey Building Fire in Los Angeles kills one fireman and causes $400,000 in damage.

The Grey Building fire of 6 November 1939.

November 1939

November 1, 1939: The Jet Flies Again
November 2, 1939: The Soviets Devour Poland
November 3, 1939: Amending the Neutrality Act
November 4, 1939: Roosevelt Signs Neutrality Laws
November 5, 1939: The Spirit of Zossen
November 6, 1939: First Dogfight
November 7, 1939: More Lies About SS Athenia
November 8, 1939: Hitler Almost Killed
November 9, 1939: The Venlo Incident
November 10, 1939: Dutch Panic
November 11, 1939: Poignant Armistice Day
November 12, 1939: Peace Efforts Made and Rejected
November 13, 1939: First Bombing of Great Britain
November 14, 1939: The Dyle Plan
November 15, 1939: Elser Confesses to the Bürgerbräukeller Bombing
November 16, 1939: Martial Law in Prague
November 17, 1939: International Students Day
November 18, 1939: Magnetic Mines
November 19, 1939: Walls Around the Warsaw Ghetto
November 20, 1939: First RN Submarine Victory
November 21, 1939: Salmon & Gluckstein on the Prowl
November 22, 1939: British Recover A Magnetic Mine
November 23, 1939: HMS Rawalpindi Sunk
November 24, 1939: Japanese Enter Nanning
November 25, 1939: The Olympics are a War Casualty
November 26, 1939: Soviets Stage an "Incident" at Mainila
November 27, 1939: German Marriage Becomes Perilous
November 28, 1939: Judenrats in Poland
November 29, 1939: The Soviets Prepare to Invade Finland
November 30, 1939: Winter War Begins

2019