The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Robert J. Cressman
(see 2 October).
OCTOBER
1 Tuesday
Coast Guard cutter Campbell reports to Chief of Naval Operations for duty. She will then proceed to Lisbon, Portugal (see 18 and 22 October).
2 Wednesday
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, arrives at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba (see 19 October).
5 Saturday
Secretary of the Navy William Franklin (Frank) Knox places all Organized Reserve divisions and aviation squadrons of the Organized Reserve on short notice for call to active duty and grants authority to call fleet reservists as necessary. Before this date, Naval Reserve personnel had been ordered to active duty on a voluntary basis only.
Fourth group of ships involved in the destroyers-for-bases agreement—Branch (DD 197), Hunt (DD 194), Mason (DD 191), Satterlee (DD 190), Laub (DD 263), Aulick (DD 258), Edwards (DD 265), and McLanahan (DD 264)—arrives at Halifax, Nova Scotia (see 6 October).
6 Sunday
Fourth group of ships involved in the destroyers-for-bases agreement is turned over to Royal Navy crews at Halifax. Branch (DD 197) becomes HMS Beverley, Hunt (DD 194) becomes HMS Broadway, Mason (DD 191) becomes HMS Broadwater, Satterlee (DD 190) becomes HMS Belmont, Laub (DD 263) becomes HMS Burwell, Aulick (DD 258) becomes HMS Burnham, Edwards (DD 265) becomes HMS Buxton, and McLanahan (DD 264) becomes HMS Bradford.
7 Monday
Admiral James O. Richardson arrives in Washington, D.C., for conferences with the President and Navy and State Department officials concerning the retention of the U.S. Fleet in Hawaiian waters as a deterrent to Japan. He will depart to return to the fleet on 11 October.
Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA 28) arrives at Recife, Brazil, as she begins her goodwill cruise to Latin American ports (see 14 October).
8 Tuesday
Legislation approved authorizes the appointment to commissioned rank in the Line of the Regular Navy of those Naval Reserve officers who receive their commissions upon graduation from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps.
United States advises American citizens to leave the Far East (see 14 October).
Japan protests U.S. embargo on aviation gasoline and scrap metal.
10 Thursday
Auxiliary Bear (AG 29) sails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Annapolis, Maryland, and the Panama Canal on the first leg of her voyage toward the Antarctic (see 10 January 1941).
12 Saturday
Commander Atlantic Squadron (Rear Admiral Hayne Ellis), in destroyer Rhind (DD 404), visits Port-au-Prince, Haiti.23
Carrier Wasp (CV 7), off the Virginia capes, launches 24 USAAC P-40s and nine O-47s to gather data on comparative takeoff runs of naval and army aircraft. For the first time army planes are flown off a navy carrier.
13 Sunday
Surveying ship Bowditch (AG 30) arrives at Placentia Harbor, Newfoundland, to make hydrographic surveys, having transported army engineers who will make a shore requirements survey.
14 Monday
Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA 28) departs Recife, Brazil, for Rio de Janeiro, as she continues “showing the flag” in Latin American waters (see 18 October).
Department of State announces that the U.S. passenger liners Monterey, Mariposa, and Washington are being sent to the Far East to repatriate American citizens from that region in view of prevailing “abnormal conditions” there. This move is made because of the shortage of accommodations on the ships already engaged in the Far East trade. Monterey is to go to Yokohama, Japan, and Shanghai, China; Mariposa will proceed to Shanghai and Chinwangtao, China, and Kobe, Japan.
USAAC Curtiss P-40s (8th Pursuit Group) and North American O-47s (3rd Observation Squadron) warm up on board carrier Wasp (CV 7), off the Virginia capes, in preparation for takeoff, 12 October 1940; plane guard destroyer astern (left) is either Plunkett (DD 431) or Niblack (DD 424). (NA, 80-G-66095)
15 Tuesday
Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida is established, Captain Charles P. Mason in command.
16 Wednesday
Sixteen million men register for the draft under the Selective Training and Service Act.
Fifth group of ships involved in the destroyers-for-bases agreement—Twiggs (DD 127), Philip (DD 76), Evans (DD 78), Wickes (DD 75), McCalla (DD 253), Rodgers (DD 170), Conner (DD 72), Conway (DD 70), Stockton (DD 73), and Yarnall (DD 143)—arrives at Halifax, Nova Scotia (see 23 October).
18 Friday
Coast Guard cutter Campbell arrives at Lisbon, Portugal (see 22 October).
Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA 28) arrives at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as she continues “showing the flag” in Latin American waters (see 24 October).
19 Saturday
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, departs Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for San Juan, Puerto Rico (see 20 October).
20 Sunday
Oiler Ramapo (AO 12) delivers district patrol craft YP 16 and YP 17 at Apra Harbor to augment the local defenses at Guam.
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, arrives at San Juan, Puerto Rico (see 21 October).
21 Monday
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, departs San Juan, Puerto Rico, for return visit to Hamilton, Bermuda (see 24 October).
22 Tuesday
Squadron 40-T (Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton) is disbanded. Coast Guard cutter Campbell assumes “to a certain extent the duties previously performed by Squadron 40-T.”
23 Wednesday
Japan gives one-year notice of abrogation of North Pacific Sealing Convention of 1911.
Fifth group of ships involved in the destroyers-for-bases agreement is turned over to Royal Navy crews at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Twiggs (DD 127) becomes HMS Leamington, Philip (DD 76) becomes HMS Lancaster, Evans (DD 78) becomes HMS Mansfield, Wickes (DD 75) becomes HMS Montgomery, McCalla (DD 253) becomes HMS Stanley, Rodgers (DD 170) becomes HMS Sherwood, Conner (DD 72) becomes HMS Leeds, Conway (DD 70) becomes HMS Lewes, Stockton (DD 73) becomes HMS Ludlow, and Yarnall (DD 143) becomes HMS Lincoln.
24 Thursday
Heavy cruiser Louisville (CA 28) departs Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for Montevideo, Uruguay, as she continues to “show the flag” in Latin American waters (see 28 October).
Light cruiser St. Louis (CL 49), with Greenslade Board embarked, arrives at Hamilton, Bermuda (see 25 October).
German freighter Helgoland sails from Puerto Colombia, Colombia; despite the efforts of destroyers Bainbridge (DD 246), Overton (DD 239), and Sturtevant (DD 240) to pursue her over the ensuing days, Helgoland will make good her attempt to escape the confines of the Caribbean (see 3 and 30 November).
25 Friday
Japanese naval land attack planes (13th Kokutai) raiding Chungking, China, follow a course that takes them directly over the U.S. Embassy and river gunboat Tutuila (PR 4). Due to what is later explained as a malfunctioning