28 Oct 1940 | World War II Database

28 Oct 1940

Pierre Laval became the Foreign Minister of Vichy France. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | TH]
German raider Pinguin and auxilliary minelayer Passat began to lay mines off Sydney, Newcastle, Hobart, Melbourne, and other locations along the long Australian coast line. ww2dbase [Pinguin | CPC]
HMS Edinburgh completed her refitting at Tyne, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Edinburgh | CPC]
HMS Eagle patrolled the western coast of Greece. ww2dbase [Eagle | CPC]

Atlantic Ocean

German submarine U-32 sunk British troop ship Empress of Britain, under tow as she was damaged by aircraft two day prior, with two torpedoes 50 miles northwest of Aran Island, Ireland at 0205 hours, killing 25 crew and 20 passengers. At 42,348 tons, she would become the largest German submarine victim. ww2dbase [AC]
Ermland broke through the Denmark Strait into the North Atlantic Ocean, but since battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisneau could not do the same, Ermland was ordered to sail to Brest, France. ww2dbase [Ermland | Denmark Strait | CPC]
Maggiore Baracca took on 5 tons of water through the conning tower hatch in heavy seas in the Atlantic Ocean. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | CPC]

Greece

Greek leader Ioannis Metaxas rejected the Italian ultimatum; realizing the Italians were already preparing for an invasion, he noted "Alors, c'est la guerre" ("Then, it's war"). 85,000 Italian troops crossed the border from Albania, outnumbering the 30,000-strong Greek Army. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Ioannis Metaxas | TH]

Italy

Adolf Hitler traveled to Florence, Italy for a meeting with Benito Mussolini in an attempt to stop the Italians from attacking Greece, but it was too late. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Florence, Toscana | TH]
At the Axis leaders' meeting in Florence, Italy, Adolf Hitler told Benito Mussolini that "Germany could make available a division of airborne troops and a division of parachute troops" should he wish to invade Crete, Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Adolf Hitler | Florence, Toscana | AC]

United Kingdom

An additional 489,000 children had been evacuated from the greater London area in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | TH]
At 1300 and 1430 hours, German fighters conducted sweeps towards the British airfield at Biggin Hill in England, United Kingdom, but were turned back. Between 1630 and 1710 hours, Bf 109 fighter-bombers and Ju 88 bombers attacked various sites in southern England; 2 Bf 109 and Ju 88 aircraft were shot down without any British aircraft losses. Overnight, London and Birmingham were bombed. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | England | CPC]
Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain pledged support for Greece against the Italian invasion. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | Winston Churchill | London, England | CPC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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