Weather: rain and cloud
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours:
- Blenheim – 49
- Spitfire – 222
- Hurricane – 362
- Defiant – 23
- Gladiator – 8
- Total – 659
Faced with the prospect of further bad weather, Hitler yet again postponed Sealion.
Despite the conditions, Luftflotte 2 sent over small pockets of fighter bombers together with a mass of Me109s to harass the defences. The idea was that the bombers would attract RAF fighters who would then run into the Me109s who would slaughter them. The RAF flew 540 sorties, lost five of their number but shot down 8 of the enemy.
By night, there was a heavy attack on London by over 260 bombers. The West End took the brunt of this night’s raids. There was a great deal of damage and in particular John Lewis in Oxford Street went up in flames. There was direct hit on the telephone exchange at Greenwich and Marble Arch tube station was also hit. Merseyside and Glasgow were further targets that night.
RAF Bomber Command continued its night raids on the concentrations of barges in the French ports along the Channel.
73 Squadron Unofficial War Diary – 17 September
At 1550 hrs the Squadron was ordered to “scramble” to Hendon, angels 15, and join up with 257 Squadron. A glorious shambles was the result. The Squadron arrived over Hendon to find the sky absolutely stiff with aircraft, which on closer inspection proved to be British. If the number of aircraft shot down by the Hun is as great as he claims then after this afternoons display we are quite ready to believe that our production of aircraft and fighter pilots must have reached astronomical figures.
501 Squadron Operational Record Book – 17 September
One patrol (2 aircraft) took off on patrol at 13:50hours. 12 aircraft took off at 15:03 hours in company with 253 Squadron over Ashford. They were attacked by 20 Me109s. Sqdn Ldr Hogan attacked 1 Me109 and hit it in the radiator. This aircraft was seem to turn inland. Damage to this aircraft was not seen. Sgts Lacey and Egan were reported missing in this engagement but information was received that Lacey was uninjured but had baled out.
Reported Casualties (RAF Campaign Diary 17th September 1940):
* Enemy: 10 confirmed, 4 probable, 2 damaged
* Own: Five aircraft of which four pilots are safe.
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September 18, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Keith at Tregenna
On This Day : 17 September 1940
Her Name Was “City of Benares”, “Tregenna”, “Crown Arun”.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-boat U-48 torpedoes and sinks the SS City of Benares, killing 77 British children and 248 crew en-route to Canada. The ship, part of convoy OB-213, had departed Liverpool, England, for Montreal and Quebec City, Canada, on 13 September carrying 199 passengers, 90 of which were children. The children are being transported to Canada as part of a government program. A few hours after the RN escort had withdrawn, the ship is torpedoed
at 56.48N, 21.15W. The torpedo hits the ship on the port side and she sinks after a short time.
Only 57 passengers, including 13 children, are rescued. Immediately after the sinking, the British government ceases the transportation of children to Canada and South Africa.
U‐65 sank SS Tregenna in Convoy HX‐71.
U‐99 sank SS Crown Arun.
“They Have No Grave Above The Waves”.
17th September 1940 (World War II) saw the sinking a British passenger liner, Her Name Was “S.S. City of Benares”, by a German submarine. 90 children on board were being carried to safety in Canada. The S.S. City of Benares, with 406 crew and passengers aboard, was 630 miles out in the North Atlantic on September 17, 1940, when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. As the Benares sank, passengers and crew abandoned ship in the stormy waters.
Those who made it into lifeboats faced gale-force winds and icy waters a “recipe for hypothermia.” With the nearest help 300 miles away, the survivors faced long odds. Despite frequent heroism, many drowned or died of overexposure before the HMS Hurricane arrived and rescued 108 survivors.
In its search, the Hurricane missed Lifeboat 12, and its passengers endured eight more harrowing days on the open sea before being rescued. In all, only 13 of the 90 children survived.
We further remember CHARNOCK, Ernest, Ordinary Signalman, C/JX 171107, (Eaglet, O/P), MPK and MARSHALL, George, Petty Officer Telegraphist, D/JX 132113, (Eaglet, O/P), MPK Previously recorded as perishing on board “Tregenna” have now been correctly remembered with “Benares”
‘SS Crown Arun’ (2,372t) cargo ship, from Gaspe, Quebec, Canada to Hull with a cargo of pit props, was sunk by U 99 in the North-western Approaches. No Casualties.
* TREGENNA
WAS SUNK BY U 65 ON SEPT. 17-1940 WITH THE LOSS OF 33 LIVES.
“We Shall Remember Them”
September 29, 2011 at 9:39 am
fred williams
This date also marked the day Hitler met with his commanders and issued orders to cancel Operation Sealion, the plan for invasion of the UK. Worth including in the text.
November 9, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Tony Rudd
Thank you. If we do an new addition, we’ll certainly do so. Tony Rudd