German Bombers over London - A quiet night was a matter of interpretation.
September 20, 1940 – A Relatively Quiet Night In London – Focus On The Mediterranean – Japan Makes Sudden Demands On French Indochina.
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September 20, 1940 – And the war was grinding on. Reports that German attacks on Britain were light, owing to the weather, but there were still a few raids and reports of light casualties. As of that morning, there were no reports of bombings and that German raiders were turning back before they reached London. Weather was said to be a factor in the nights customary bombing run being lighter than usual. There was also bad weather on the channel, so the much-anticipated and feared Invasion ships were idle, allowing the RAF to attack with high explosives. Coupled with bad weather in Dover showing sign of getting worse over the next few days.
For their part, it was reported that RAF bombers struck industrial parts of Germany overnight. German newspapers were reporting the aftermath of the alleged British bombing tow nights earlier of a Children’s hospital where 9 children were killed and 12 were injured. The papers ran stories vowing revenge on the raid, saying the British would pay dearly.
In Rome, Germany’s Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop was meeting with Italy’s foreign Minister Count Ciano and it was reported that Southeastern Europe was the main subject.
Italian Radio reported British planes were staging major raids on Italian bases in North Africa. But as a counter-attack, Italian planes sank a British steamer and a submarine. Meanwhile in Cairo, the BBC reported that no major engagements between British and Italian forces were taking place, but that British tanks were causing sharp loses among the ranks of Italian mechanized forces.
In the Far East a new tension cropped up – Japan was making sudden and unexplained demands on French Indochina for bases which geographically had no importance in their war with China. There were reports the French government was going to refuse the demands.
All that, and much more for this September 20, 1940 as reported by CBS World News Today.
