The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Robert J. Cressman
de Janeiro, Brazil, the last port of call on their cruise to South America (see 10 September).
8 Sunday
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49) departs Hamilton, Bermuda, for Norfolk, Virginia, with Greenslade Board embarked (see 10 September).
9 Monday
Germany warns that all ships in war zones prescribed by Axis are subject to attack regardless of nationality.
First eight destroyers are transferred to Britain under destroyers-for-bases agreement at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Aaron Ward (DD 132) becomes HMS Castleton, Buchanan (DD 131) becomes HMS Campbeltown, Crowninshield (DD 134) becomes HMS Chelsea, Hale (DD 133) becomes HMS Caldwell, Abel P. Upshur (DD 193) becomes HMS Clare, Welborn C. Wood (DD 195) becomes HMS Chesterfield, Herndon (DD 198) becomes HMS Churchill, and Welles (DD 257) becomes HMS Cameron.
Navy awards contracts for 210 new-construction ships, including 12 aircraft carriers and seven battleships.
Aircraft carrier Yorktown (CV 5) and submarine Shark (SS 174) are damaged in collision, Hawaiian Operating Area.
Secretary of the Navy William Franklin (Frank) Knox breaks his flag in carrier Enterprise (CV 6) to observe operations; Enterprise is being used as fleet flagship for a trial period by Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet (Admiral James O. Richardson). Knox will fly in to Pearl Harbor in the Enterprise Air Group Commander’s SBC to emphasize the rapid pace of modern naval operations.
10 Tuesday
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49) arrives at Norfolk, Virginia, with Greenslade Board embarked (see 12 September).
Heavy cruiser Wichita (CA 45) (Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens) and Quincy (CA 39) wind up their South American cruise. They depart Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on this date and reach Norfolk, Virginia, on 24 September.
Destroyers Leary (DD 158) and Shubrick (DD 268), New York Navy Yard, painted in navy gray with black-shadowed white hull numbers, 3 September 1940. Shubrick, deployed during the summer of 1940 in training naval reservists, will be one of the last group of destroyers turned over to the Royal Navy at Halifax, Nova Scotia, 26 November 1940. As HMS Ripley, she escorts convoys in the Atlantic for the remainder of her active service under the White Ensign; she will be scrapped in 1945. Leary will remain in USN service (see 24 December 1943). (NHC, NH 82138)
12 Thursday
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49) departs Norfolk, Virginia, with Greenslade Board embarked, bound for her ultimate destination on this leg of the voyage, St. John’s, Newfoundland (see 16 September).
16 Monday
President Roosevelt signs Selective Training and Service Act, thus establishing the first peacetime draft in the history of the United States.
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, arrives at St. John’s, Newfoundland (see 18 September).
17 Tuesday
Special Service Squadron (Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt), consisting of gunboats Erie (PG 50) and Charleston (PG 51) and destroyers J. Fred Talbott (DD 156) and Tattnall (DD 125), is disbanded (see 21 September).
18 Wednesday
Second group of ships involved in the transfer to Britain—Kalk (DD 170), Maddox (DD 168), Cowell (DD 167), Foote (DD 169), Hopewell (DD 181), Abbot (DD 184), Thomas (DD 182), and Doran (DD 185)—arrives at Halifax, Nova Scotia (see 23 September).
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, shifts from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Argentia (see 21 September).
19 Thursday
Battleship Oklahoma (BB 37) collides with U.S. tug Goliah, Puget Sound, Washington.
20 Friday
Third group of ships involved in the destroyers-for-bases agreement—Mackenzie (DD 175), Haraden (DD 183), Williams (DD 108), Thatcher (DD 162), McCook (DD 252), and Bancroft (DD 256)—arrives at Halifax, Nova Scotia (see 24 September).
21 Saturday
Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt hauls down his flag as Commander Special Service Squadron; gunboat Erie (PG 50) is assigned to the Fifteenth Naval District and sister ship Charleston (PG 51) to the Thirteenth.
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, departs Argentia, Newfoundland, for Boston, Massachusetts (see 23 September).
22 Sunday
Vichy France signs pact at Hanoi ceding airfields and agreeing to admit Japanese troops into northern Indochina.
23 Monday
Second group of ships involved in the transfer to Britain is turned over to Royal Navy crews at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kalk (DD 170) becomes HMS Hamilton, Maddox (DD 168) becomes HMS Georgetown, Cowell (DD 167) becomes HMS Brighton, Foote (DD 169) becomes HMS Roxborough, Hopewell (DD 181) becomes HMS Bath, Abbot (DD 184) becomes HMS Charlestown, Thomas (DD 182) becomes HMS St. Albans, and Doran (DD 185) becomes HMS St. Marys.
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, arrives at Boston, Massachusetts, but sails for Norfolk, Virginia, the same day (see 25 September).
24 Tuesday
Defense Communication Board is established; membership includes Director of Naval Communications (Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes).
Third group of ships involved in the destroyers-for-bases agreement is turned over to the Royal Canadian Navy at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mackenzie (DD 175) becomes HMCS Annapolis, Haraden (DD 183) becomes HMCS Columbia, Williams (DD 108) becomes HMCS St. Clair, Thatcher (DD 162) becomes HMCS Niagara, McCook (DD 252) becomes HMCS St. Croix, and Bancroft (DD 256) becomes HMCS St. Francis.
Operation MENACE, the British–Free French attempt to take Dakar, French West Africa, commences (see 25 September).
25 Wednesday
Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA 28) departs Colón, C.Z., for Recife, Brazil, on the first leg of her goodwill cruise to Latin American ports.
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, arrives at Norfolk, Virginia (see 29 September).
Operation MENACE, the British–Free French attempt to take Dakar, French West Africa, is abandoned as Vichy French resistance proves surprisingly vigorous.
French port of Nouméa, New Caledonia, sides with Free France.
Rear Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, USN (Retired) (former Commander in Chief Asiatic Fleet, 1936–1939), Admiral Harold R. Stark (Chief of Naval Operations), Secretary of the Navy William Franklin (Frank) Knox, and Admiral James O. Richardson, Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet, meet in the Secretary of the Navy’s office, Washington, D.C., 7 October 1940. (Author’s Collection)
27 Friday
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign Tripartite Pact at Berlin, thus establishing the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis.
29 Sunday
Midway Detachment, Third Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine Force (Major Harold C. Roberts, USMC) arrives on Midway Island to begin construction of defenses. The marines are transported by cargo ship Sirius (AK 15) and light minelayers Pruitt (DM 22), Sicard (DM 21), and Tracy (DM 19).
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, departs Norfolk, Virginia,