Monday 9 June 1941

Adolf Hitler greets Croatian strongman Ante Pavelić at the Berghof, 9 June 1941 (US Holocaust Memorial Museum).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: The British invasion of Syria, Operation Exporter, continues on 9 June 1941. The main battle is at the mouth of the Litani River. The 21st Australian Brigade heading for Beirut must cross the river to reach its goal of Beirut, but the British Commandos sent to seize the important Qasmiye bridge over the river can't land due to rough seas. The French thus have time to destroy the bridge.

The 420 Commandos (British No. 11 (Scottish) do land - but in daylight. This deprives them of the element of surprise, a key advantage of Commando forces. They arrive in three different places, and the French barely notice them because they are fighting the advancing Australians. Subsequently, the Commandos under Lieutenant Colonel R.L. Pedder (Highland Light Infantry) serve as infantry and take heavy casualties (including Pedder himself, who is replaced by Geoffrey Keyes). By dint of hard fighting, the Commandos and some Australian troops of the 2/16 Australian Brigade do land on the other side of the river by using canvas boats. Australian engineers immediately begin building a pontoon bridge, which they complete after midnight.

The French use armored cars to counterattack the bridgehead, but the Commonwealth troops hold their position. The war then becomes active out at sea. Vichy French destroyers Valmy and Guépard sortie to bombard the British troops in the bridgehead. It is one of the few times during the war when British troops face naval bombardment (which turns out to be quite inaccurate).

The Royal Navy quickly responds by sending destroyer HMS Janus, followed by New Zealand light cruiser HMNZS Leander and. Destroyers HMS Kandahar and Kimberley are nearby bombarding the Khan Bridge, and they also sally against the Vichy French destroyers. The Australian shore-based artillery also fires at the attacking French ships.

Faced with overwhelming firepower, the French ships withdraw to Beirut, chased by destroyers Hotspur, Isis, and Jackal. However, before they go, the French ships damage two of the British ships, destroyers Janus and Jackal, the former badly. Janus must be towed to Haifa by Kimberley, taking two British ships out of the fray. Jackal, only slightly damaged by one shell strike, stays in service.

French submarine Caiman is operating off the Syrian coast. It attacks British light cruiser HMS Phoebe. However, the attack fails and the Phoebe is undamaged. The incident induces the British to withdraw their ships to Haifa.

Elsewhere, Australian troops capture Fort Khiam but are stopped there. Free French 1st Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade advance to Kissoue south of Damascus.

The Luftwaffe, as in Iraq, has a very minimal presence in Lebanon and Syria. The Vichy French, though, have a formidable array of new fighters, including the new Dewoitine D.520. The RAF sends Gloster Gladiators from Amman to support the advancing British trips on the road to Damascus.

The outcome of the day's fighting is that the advancing Commonwealth troops are slightly behind schedule but still crossed the river. The road to Tyre, and beyond to Beirut, is now accessible.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 planes on a sweep of the French coast.

East African Campaign:  The 3/15th Punjab Regiment in Aden prepare to invade Assab, the last Italian port on the Red Sea, on 10 June. This is Operation Chronometer. Destroyer HMS Dido heads out during the night to bombard the port just before sunrise on the 10th.

Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch of U-94, St. Nazaire, France, 9 June 1941 (Buchheim, Lothar-Günther, Federal Archive, Bild 101II-MW-3495-04).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass), on its 12th patrol out of St. Nazaire and in the mid-Atlantic southwest of Ireland, torpedoes and sinks 5623-ton British freighter Phidias. There are 8 deaths and 43 survivors.

While U-46 has one more patrol to go, this is its last sinking. During its career, U-46 has sunk 20 merchant ships of 85,792 tons, two auxiliary warships of 35,284 tons, and damaged five other ships (one written off). After its next uneventful patrol, U-46 serves as a training boat with the 26th U-boat Flotilla.

U-101 (Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen), on its 8th patrol out of Lorient in the mid-Atlantic west of Ireland, torpedoes and sinks 1190 ton British freighter Trevarrack. All 45 men onboard perish despite Mengersen seeing three lifeboats launch.

The Luftwaffe (Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft of I Staffeln, Kampfgeschwader 40) bombs and sinks 942-ton British freighter Diana southeast of Iceland. There is one death, the survivors are taken aboard ASW trawler Cape Portland.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 844-ton British freighter Dagmar south of Bournemouth. There are three deaths.

The Luftwaffe (Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft of I Staffeln, Kampfgeschwader 40) bombs and sinks 1894-ton Finnish freighter Fenix west of the Faroe Islands and southeast of Iceland. There is one death.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 174-ton British freighter Remagio off Bamburgh, Northumberland in the North Sea. The crew abandons the ship, and it drifts ashore. Efforts are made to salvage it, and eventually, it will be refloated and repaired. Some sources place this incident on 8 June.

Belgian 5382-ton freighter Persier, beached during a storm east of Vik in Myrdalur, Iceland in February, breaks her keel while being towed to the Kleppsvik Strand and is beached again.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Urge attacks an Italian freighter northwest of Lampedusa but misses.

The NEF continues expanding its support services at St. John's when auxiliary oiler HMS Clam arrives.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Zetland (L59) is launched.

Canadian corvette HMCS Saskatoon ( Lt. Joseph S. Scott) is commissioned, minesweepers Canso (North Vancouver) and Granby (Quebec) are launched.

HMS Zetland (L59), launched at Glasgow, Scotland on 9 June 1941. It later became Norwegian destroyer KNM "Tromsø."

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British continue assembling their forces for Operation Battleaxe, another attack on the Libyan frontier south of Tobruk. Tanks finally arrive at the front in General O'Moore Creagh's units. Operation Battleaxe now is scheduled for 15 June. The 15th Panzer Division (General Walter Neumann-Silkow) is the main defender of the frontier.

Spanish 2421 ton freighter Sabina hits a mine and sinks 40 miles (74 km) off Genoa, Italy. Everyone survives.

Royal Navy landing barge SD15 "Leaving" makes it to Sidi Barrani from Crete. It is sailed by an English and Australian crew who stole the craft from the Germans. It is one of the last escape boats from Crete.

In Malta, there is an uproar because they find out there is an Axis informant on the island. Lord Haw-Haw, who makes propaganda broadcasts from Berlin, mentions that gas respirators on Malta feature yellow flaps. The flap is to differentiate British soldiers from enemy invaders who also are wearing gas masks. However, the islanders get some good news when two captured Italian aviators deny that an invasion force is being assembled in Sicily.

RAF fighters shoot down an Italian SM-79 bomber off Malta, and perhaps another, and two others are damaged. The RAF loses a Hurricane.

Chopping cotton on rented land near White Plains, Greene County, Georgia. The photograph was taken in June 1941 by Jack Delano (original color photo, Library of Congress LC-USF35-599).

Spy Stuff: Light cruiser HMS Neptune arrives in Gibraltar. It lands German prisoners and captured documents from German supply ship Gonzeneheim.

German Military: The Wehrmacht continues assembling along the Soviet border. The Luftwaffe now is transferring planes to forward airfields. Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, remains scheduled to begin on 22 June.

From Berchtesgaden, Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 31, "German Military Organisation in the Balkans." It intends to "establish a clear and unified system of command in the occupied areas of the Balkans." He appoints Field Marshal List, still in the region following his command of German forces during Operation Marita, as the first Commander Armed Forces Southeast. He lists other appointments in the region to be filled by others. The order seeks to ensure the "coordinated defense" of the region, both from external and internal (partisan) threats. He sets the organization and establishment of Crete as the "most urgent task confronting us in the southeast" due to its usefulness to the Luftwaffe. The Italians shall occupy the eastern portion of Crete, but be subordinate to the Wehrmacht. This Directive supersedes Fuhrer Directive No. 29 of 17 May "in so far as it is superseded by the above orders."

Hitler calls his top generals to the Berghof for the final planning of Operation Barbarossa. While the plan is finalized, there remains quite a bit of disagreement about the proper objectives of the advance - Hitler prefers to focus on the southern prong to secure the grain of the Ukraine and Soviet oilfields, while some generals feel that Moscow in the center is the proper objective.

Canadian Military: Leading Airman W. McCulloch of 31 SFTS Kingston, Ontario, is killed when his Battle crashes near Gananoque, Ontario during training.

US Military: The US military terminates plans to occupy the Azores in the event of a German invasion due to military intelligence indicating that Hitler has no plans to invade Spain and Portugal.

Funeral of Kaiser Wilhelm, 9 June 1941. Leading the dignitaries is Field Marshal August von Mackensen.

Dutch Homefront: The funeral of former Kaiser Wilhelm II takes place in Doorn. The family decides that it must respect the Kaiser's wishes for a funeral in Doorn due to his position that he would never return to Germany unless the monarchy were restored. The Wehrmacht sends an honor guard, and German Commissioner Arthur Seyss-Inquart attends. While Hitler, who desired a state funeral in Berlin, does not attend, he makes sure that Swastikas feature prominently at the funeral.

British Homefront: The UK establishes a national Fire Service Council. This results from issues arising during the Blitz from fire services in one town not wishing to help fight fires elsewhere - or only doing so for a price. The 1400 local fire brigades are merged into 32 regional brigades.

Original caption: "The Busiest Man is the Boss. Complete relaxation comes to Walt Disney every day at the noon hour when he strolls around the paths of his studio at Burbank, Calif. In the background are some of the staff who helped produce "The Reluctant Dragon," the latest Disney feature-length film." Dated 9 June 1941.

American Homefront: The former Governor of Ohio and Democratic candidate for US President in 1920 (with Franklin D. Roosevelt as his running mate), James Cox, gives the commencement address at the Georgia School of Technology in Atlanta. In his speech, entitled "We are Now Nearing the Fateful Hour," Cox states in part:

I have never believed, nor do I now, that the need will come of sending our soldiers overseas. It is machines not men that we must supply.

This capsulizes the Isolationist view, that the US should not get entangled in overseas wars, but it is fine to give them the weapons with which to fight.
Future History: John Douglas Lord is born in Leicester, England. In 1968, Jon Lord co-founds rock group Deep Purple. Lord retires from the band in 2002 and passes away in 2012. John Lord is posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 8 April 2016 for his work with Deep Purple.

U-46, which gets its final victory today, becomes the subject of "Das Boot" (1981), directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Jürgen Prochnow, which is based on the novel by Lothar G. Buchheim.

Benito Mussolini on the cover of Time magazine, 9 June 1941.

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020

Friday 10 January 1941

An Italian Savoia SM79 torpedo bomber in action.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italians pull out of Klisura Pass on 10 January 1941, handing it to the Greeks. Well, not all of the Italians; some of them are encircled and will become Greek POWs. The Toscana Division, which marched 24-hours straight to run into the battle without preparation or rest, is devastated. The Julia Division which has been holding the pass, however, retreats in reasonably good order. The Cretan 5th Division of II Corps leads the Greek victory.

The capture of the pass has been a Greek priority due to the access it provides to the key Italian port of Valona. Expectations soar that the Greeks can now storm down and take the port. British Middle East Commander in Chief Archibald Wavell sends Greek Commander in Chief a congratulatory telegram. The Italians do not retreat very far, however, and the Greeks experience great difficulty in exploiting this success.

European Air Operations: The "Circus" operations begin. The British launch a large daylight raid over the Pas de Calais. The tables now have turned: rather than the Luftwaffe trying to entice the RAF fighters into battle, now the RAF tries to entice the Bf 109s into the air. About 72 RAF fighters and a tiny force of six Blenheim bombers target an ammunition dump south of Calais. After dark, Bomber Command hits Brest, where Kriegsmarine cruiser Admiral Hipper continues to linger.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sends 150 bombers against Portsmouth. They drop 50,000 incendiaries, and despite increased British efforts to extinguish them quickly, over two dozen large fires destroy large swathes of the working-class sections of the city and six churches. The historic Guildhall is hit and the fires melt its copper cupola. Aside from the bomb damage, there are 171 deaths and 430 injured.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe (Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor of KG 40) attacks Convoy SL 62 in the Atlantic 240 km west of County Galway. They sink 3677-ton Norwegian iron ore freighter Austvard. There are 23 deaths and only 5 survivors.

Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Maron intercepts Vichy French 3178 ton freighter Cantal. The Maron sends the captured ship to Gibraltar.

British 9683 ton freighter Middlesex hits a mine just off Flat Holm Island (south of Cardiff in the Bristol Channel) and sinks. Everybody survives.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS Adventure lays minefield ZME 14 in St. George's Channel.

In Operation Monsoon, Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Furious flies off 39 Hurricanes and 9 Fulmars to Takoradi, Ghana.
German tanker Nordmark and supply ship Eurofeld rendezvous in the Atlantic.

Convoy OB 272 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 380 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 385 departs from Methil, Convoy SL 62 and SLS 62 departs from Freetown, Convoy BS 12B departs from Suez.

U-560 is launched.

HMS Gallant in Malta Harbor after having its bows blown off.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Royal Navy's luck with its Malta convoys finally runs out despite the fact that Convoy MW 5 1/2 makes it to Grand Harbour without any damage (and turns around and leaves in under four hours) and Convoy ME 6 departs from there without incident.

While the Italian air force remains largely ineffective, the German Luftwaffe now is around to generate some real results. The ships of British Operation Excess reach the Sicilian Strait, and that provides a target that is just too tempting to ignore. Crack Luftwaffe unit Fliegerkorps X, now based on Sicily and with pilots specially trained for service on unfinished aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, sends 30 Junkers Ju 87 Stukas against the warships passing from west to east just south of Malta. They illustrate what the Italians could have been accomplishing all along. The order from Oberstleutnant Karl Christ, Kommodore of the Stukagruppen:

The Illustrious has got to be sunk.

The Stukas are successful in finding and bombing the brand-new Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. It is part of Force A, and the Stukas hit it half a dozen times; they also badly damage cruiser HMS Southampton, but the Illustrious is the prize.

The Axis operation is clever, with two Savoia SM79 torpedo bombers sent first to draw off the defending fighters and disrupt the formation. After that, the Stukas come on in successive waves that last into the late afternoon. The Illustrious has 200 casualties (83-125 deaths, accounts vary) and, with her steering wrecked, barely makes it to nearby Malta with blazing fires and a pronounced list caused in part by all the water used to fight the fires. Captain Boyd on the Illustrious even has to hoist the ominous flag signal, "I am not under control." However, the engines are carefully controlled to keep the carrier on course, and it is able to make 17 knots. The RAF also loses five Swordfish and five Fulmars in the attack. The fires on the Illustrious take another four hours to put out after the carrier makes port around 22:15.

The Royal Navy's problems do not end there. Destroyer HMS Gallant hits a mine about 120 miles west of Malta, which blows off her entire bows all the way back to the bridge. There are 58 deaths, 25 other casualties, and 85 crew survive. After being towed back to Grand Harbor stern-first, the Gallant is written off and her remaining guns and equipment used in other ships.

Battleships HMS Warspite and Valiant also receive minor damage, with on dead and two wounded on the latter. An Italian submarine, the Settimo, attacks the warships, but without success.

The Italians also sortie, but with less success than the Germans. Italian torpedo boats attack the Operation Excess ships in the Sicilian Narrows off Cape Bon. The Italians only lose one of their own, torpedo boat Vega. In fighting off the Italian attack, however, Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Bonaventure uses up 75% of its ammunition and sustains one death and four other casualties (one of whom later also perishes). Italian torpedo boat Circe barely gets away with splinter damage.

On land, the RAF bombs Italian airfields at Benina, Benghazi, and Berea. The Fleet Air Arm raids Palermo on Sicily.

In an odd postscript to the day, Lieutenant Commander Frederick P. Hartman, U.S. Naval Observer on board the Illustrious, later is commended for gallantry in action. This may make him the first US soldier to receive a distinction for combat service in the line of duty during World War II. Quite a footnote to history.

Bomb damage on HMS Illustrious' aft flight deck, 10 January 1941.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Orion begins a refit at Maug Island.

Soviet/German Relations: The two nations, still operating under the Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact of August 1939, agree to population exchanges in the Baltic States. They also agree to a new economic pact, in which the Soviets supply raw materials in exchange for German machine tools. As part of the agreement, the Soviets "buy" a slice of Lithuania for 1.5 million reichsmarks, or roughly US $7.5 million.

The Soviets are quite happy with the agreement, announcing:

This new economic agreement marks a great step forward.

With perfect hindsight, we can agree that it does "mark a great step forward," but not quite in the manner the Soviets intend.

Soviet Military: The second round of war games continues. General Zhukov is doing quite well in command of the "Red" or Soviet forces, which heartens the Stavka.

Final attacks on HMS Illustrious, 10 January 1941.

British Military: After days of deliberation, the Chiefs of Staff and the Defence Committee have made their decision regarding priorities in the Mediterranean sector. They cable Wavell that:

[A]ssistance to Greece must now take priority over all operations in the Middle East once Tobruk is taken, because help for the Greeks must, in the first instance at least, come almost entirely from you.

General Wavell and his RAF chief, Air Marshal Arthur Longmore, are aghast. Wavell is not convinced of the need to switch focus immediately to Greece. He reasons that this would interrupt a successful campaign in favor of one of much more doubtful profit. He claims that the German troop movements are just another:

...move in a war of nerves designed with object of helping Italy by upsetting Greek nerves, inducing us to disperse our forces in Middle East and to stop our advance in Libya. Nothing (repeat nothing) we can do from here is likely to be in time to stop German advance if really intended...

thinks Greece is lost - although he is now reinforcing the Greeks - and weakening his African Army - he believes Hitler will permit Mussolini to go only so far downhill - and is now preparing for the attack which must bring its inevitable result.

US Military: First flight of the Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator, which is an extended-range version of the dive bomber with floats.

Damage to HMS Illustrious, 10 January 1941 (IWM has the wrong date on this). © IWM (A 20638)

US Government: Representative John McCormack of Massachusetts introduces the Lend-Lease Bill (HR 1776) in Congress. It proposes that the United States provide arms to Great Britain without immediate payment - a reversal of the "cash and carry" policy. This essentially grants Great Britain unlimited credit to spend the nation's money as it sees fit.

Just prior to the bill's introduction, President Roosevelt holds a press conference at 10:55 a.m. which he disarmingly begins by claiming "Don't think I have any news this morning." During it, he addresses some of the most consequential decisions of the 20th Century. First, he announces that he has signed a "proclamation" restricting the export of six key strategic materials: copper, brass, bronze, zinc, nickel, and potash. This appears aimed as much against Germany as Japan, the usual target of such sanctions.

The reporters, however, are much more interested in the lend-lease bill. Roosevelt downplays the whole thing and instead goes off on a weird tangent, talking about unrestrained population growth in Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean. When pulled back to the lend-lease bill, though, he emphasizes "speed is a great essential" in getting the "British aid bill" passed and that "it is proper to call attention to those very simple statements of fact." Basically, he wants to ram this extremely consequential bill through quickly so that "quick action can be taken." It is an astonishingly brief explanation of far-reaching legislation that will affect the entire world's destiny and brings to mind similar attitudes toward extremely significant legislation of the 21st Century.

Indochina: The Thais attack in their quest to wrest control of portions of the Mekong Delta from the French. Thailand considers these "lost provinces" that it thinks the French stole late in the 19th Century. The Thai infantry is supported by tanks and advances toward Battambang.

China: The Nationalist (Kuomintang) forces continue to attack the encircled portions of the Communist Chinese New 4th Army near Maoling on the Yangtze.

Antarctica: Auxiliary icebreaker Bear (AG 29) arrives in West Base. Its mission is to evacuate Admiral Byrd's exploratory force. It will take a couple of weeks to complete the evacuation. The mission is successful, but they leave behind the famous snow cruiser in its ice cage.

Dutch Homefront: Reich Commissar for Occupied Netherlands Artur Seyss-Inquart decrees that Jews register with the authorities. The specifics are:

Registration of all persons of part or full Jewish blood. Sec. 2 defines as a Jew any person one of whose grandparents was a full blooded Jew. Any grandparent who belonged or belongs to the Jewish religious community is considered as such. Failure to register entails an imprisonment not exceeding 5 years and the confiscation of property.

Of course, those who register may wind up in more difficulty than just losing their property and being imprisoned. Many people must make very hard choices.

American Homefront: Louella Parsons (gossip reporter of the Hearst newspaper chain) and two of William Randolph Hearst's lawyers receive a private screening of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane." It is still in rough-cut form, without music, but Parsons sees enough to know it is big trouble. She is outraged (perhaps as much by being scooped by Hedda Hopper a week earlier, humiliating her to her boss, as by the film itself). Parsons stalks out of the film before it is even finished, a rather rare occurrence for a film that widely is considered (subsequently) perhaps the greatest motion picture ever produced.

Parsons wastes no time. She quickly calls RKO Pictures studio head George J. Schaefer and threatens a lawsuit if he releases the film. She then rings up Radio City Music Hall and threatens them not to screen it. She also calls her boss, Hearst, who immediately imposes a ban by all of the papers in his chain from promoting any RKO films at all - not just "Citizen Kane." This begins with Ginger Rogers' "Kitty Foyle," in theaters for less than two weeks and considered one of the top films of 1940. With no television, there are few outlets besides newspapers (and radio) to promote films.

Schaefer is a big believer in Welles and the film, so he does not back down in response to the threats. Welles also has a contract giving him final cut (the first such deal in Hollywood history), so Schaefer has little leverage over what is in the film. Parsons, furious at making no progress with the studio boss, then begins calling other studio heads and prominent people in the industry to get RKO blacklisted. She also threatens Welles with exposure of his illicit affair with actress Dolores del Rio. Welles responds by issuing a statement that the film is not about Hearst at all - but anyone who knows the true meaning of the first word spoken in the film, "Rosebud," knows that to be just a smokescreen (which includes Hearst and presumably Parsons). Hearst is furious about the entire situation and has his lawyers prepare to file a temporary restraining order against the picture's release.

Separately, the Gallup Organization publishes the results of polls regarding the war - the one in Europe, that is, and not Hollywood. The results show a population still divided on military interventions.

In response to the question, "Which of these two things do you think it is more important for the United States to try to do — to keep out of the war ourselves, or to help England win, even at the risk of getting into the war?":

• Help England: 60%
• Stay Out: 40%

In response to the question, "If you were asked to vote on the question of the United States entering the war against Germany and Italy, how would you vote — to go into the war, or to stay out of the war?":

Stay Out: 88%
Go In: 12%

These results present a much more mixed picture than some of the other Gallup polls taken during the past year. All of them show a country that has not yet been convinced to declare war. These results must hearten the America First Committee and other isolationists.

A Stuka (yellow in the upper right) has just dropped a bomb which makes a near-miss on HMS Illustrious, 10 January 1941.

January 1941

January 1, 1941: Muselier Arrested
January 2, 1941: Camp Categories
January 3, 1941: Liberty Ships
January 4, 1941: Aussies Take Bardia
January 5, 1941: Amy Johnson Perishes
January 6, 1941: Four Freedoms
January 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor Plans
January 8, 1941: Billions For Defense
January 9, 1941: Lancasters
January 10, 1941: Malta Convoy Devastation
January 11, 1941: Murzuk Raid
January 12, 1941: Operation Rhubarb
January 13, 1941: Plymouth Blitzed
January 14, 1941: V for Victory
January 15, 1941: Haile Selassie Returns
January 16, 1941: Illustrious Blitz
January 17, 1941: Koh Chang Battle
January 18, 1941: Luftwaffe Pounds Malta
January 19, 1941: East African Campaign Begins
January 20, 1941: Roosevelt 3rd Term
January 21, 1941: Attack on Tobruk
January 22, 1941: Tobruk Falls
January 23, 1941: Pogrom in Bucharest
January 24, 1941: Tank Battle in Libya
January 25, 1941: Panjiayu Tragedy
January 26, 1941: Churchill Working Hard
January 27, 1941: Grew's Warning
January 28, 1941: Ho Chi Minh Returns
January 29, 1941: US Military Parley With Great Britain
January 30, 1941: Derna Taken
January 31, 1941: LRDG Battered

2020

Wednesday 29 May 1940

A formation of German Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, May 29, 1940.

Western Front: The French on 29 May 1940 are beginning to realize how much trouble they are in now that the Belgians have surrendered. While the Maginot Line is holding as designed for the most part, the BEF and accompanying French forces are taking a royal beating to the north. French counterattacks along the Somme are not going well, either. In a sign of this growing pessimism, the French load auxiliary cruiser Ville d'Oran with 200 tons of Gold from the French reserve and send it to Casablanca, Morocco - where it will be available for transfer to the United States if necessary.

There are endless lines of BEF troops on the beaches and hiding in the dunes, but the Wehrmacht is assaulting the British line on the and banging it in. By the end of the day, the British troops are behind the final line of canals. A weak spot is developing at Nieuport, but there are endless amounts of British reinforcements from the hundreds of thousands of men trapped in the pocket. The British have nowhere to retreat to, so it is stand and fight, or die. So far, the line is holding.

The fighting at Lille comes to an end, with the capitulation of the 40,000 French Troops who have been drawing Wehrmacht attention away from the beachhead. General Prioux of French 1st Army is captured at Steenwerck, while General Alphonse Juin is captured and his French 15th Infantry Division eliminated at Lille. General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division is prominent in the final stages, surrounding five French divisions.

Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle attacks the German positions near Abbeville again with the French 4th Armoured Division (4e Division cuirassée). There also are some tanks of the British 1st Armoured Division in support roles. The main German defense is formed by over a dozen 88 mm Flak guns of Flak-Abteilung 64. There also are some 105 mm howitzers. The smaller anti-tank weapons, which have been found to be useless against the French tanks, are withdrawn to other purposes.

Seeking the high ground, the French tanks attack Mont de Caubert with initial success. They get to a plateau near the summit before running into serious opposition. There, the French Char B1s suddenly find themselves facing the German artillery near the summit at point-blank range and withdraw with casualties. Another group of French R35 tanks had more success on a different route and caused unreliable Wehrmacht troops of the 57th Infantry Division (Lieutenant-General Oskar Blümm) to flee across the Somme in a panic. Seeing this, General de Gaulle believes that the battle is won and orders a general advance, but the German artillery on Mont de Caubert is still intact and firing down on the French.

Faced with a potential disaster, Generalleutnant Erich von Manstein, the XXXVIII Corps commander in Abbeville, rallies his troops, who soon return to their positions. He uses his artillery to pick off more Char B1 tanks, which are the heart of the French attack. The French tanks are capable but vulnerable to the German artillery fired at close range. German infantry then counterattacks around Cambron, pushing back the 51st (Highland) Division. The day ends with the French giving the Germans a severe fright, but the positions of the two sides barely changed.

Werner Mölders is awarded the Knight's Cross on 29 May 1940 as Hauptmann & Gruppenkommandeur of III./Jagdgeschwader 53.

Dunkirk: BBC newsreader Alan Howland broadcasts an extraordinary and deliciously British understated appeal to the nation:

A number of appeals for recruits have been issued today. The Admiralty want men experienced in marine internal combustion engines for service as engine-men in yachts or motorboats. Others who have had charge of motorboats and have good knowledge of coastal navigation are needed as uncertified second hands. Application should be made to the nearest registrar, Royal Naval Reserve, or to the Fishery Officer. 

No explanation as to why these men are suddenly needed is given, perhaps not to give the Germans a propaganda coup.

Operation Dynamo ramps up, with 47,310 men taken off (33,558 from the port, 13,752 from the beaches) under fierce Luftwaffe, E-boat and artillery attack. The British lose three destroyers and have another 9 damaged (Royal Navy destroyers Gallant, Jaguar, Greyhound, Intrepid, Saladin, Mackay, Montrose and Wolfhound, and French destroyer Mistral).

The Miracle of Dunkirk continues, with numerous small private craft taking men off the beaches. About 15 of these smaller vessels go under due to Luftwaffe and shore attacks. The French begin to participate in the evacuation and send their own vessels to take men off. Everybody understands that it easily could turn into a one-way trip.

The Luftwaffe clearly is over-matched. They face the determined RAF air cover from unmolested bases in England, anti-aircraft fire from the besieged troops, and Royal Navy ships putting up additional anti-aircraft fire. Still, many planes get through despite the intense crossfire.

The BEF troops wait patiently in the surf. Discipline remains strong, with lines of men stretching out into the deep water waiting for expected ships. The tide, of course, rolls in and out, the waves crash about, and the men are attired in heavy uniforms. They stand still, waiting, risking drowning (some indeed drown), knowing that if they break ranks and return to the beach, they will lose their spot and perhaps not get back to England at all.

A13 Cruiser Mk IV tank on guard at Huppy, France (just south of Abbeville), 26-29 May 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) continues its successful patrol off Vigo, Spain. It is spotting so many ships that it begins using its deck gun. Captain Oehrn stops 2,477-ton French freighter Marie José, uses its deck gun, and finishes it off with a torpedo.

U-37 then spots 7,406-ton British tanker Telena, which is carrying petrol to Pauillac, France. This time, Oehrn uses his gun to sink the ship. There are 18 survivors and 18 crew perish.

U-62 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Bernhard Michalowski) torpedoes and badly damages destroyer HMS Grafton (H 89) just off of Dunkirk. Four men perish. The men are rescued by destroyer HMS Ivanhoe, which finishes off the sinking Grafton with gunfire.

German E-Boat S-30 torpedoes and sinks destroyer HMS Wakeful (H 88) just off of Dunkirk. The Wakeful is full of BEF troops, and 640 of them perish along with 97 crew, with only 25 crew and one of the BEF men rescued.

The Luftwaffe sinks British destroyer HMS Grenade just off Dunkirk during the evacuation. It is hit by three bombs, one going down the stack, and 18 are killed.

The scene off of Dunkirk is controlled chaos. HMS Lydd mistakes HMS Comfort for a German ship and rams it, with four killed. Destroyers HMS Mackay and Montrose collide, damaging both. HMS Jaguar is bombed with 13 killed; minesweeper HMS Waverley is carrying BEF men back to England when it is bombed, with about 350 men killed. Boats approaching Dunkirk report seeing half-sunk ships everywhere.

The British commission destroyer HMS HMS Fernie (L 11) (Lt. Commander Ronald M. P. Jonas).

European Air Operations: The cynosure of everyone's eyes is the Dunkirk defense and evacuation. The Luftwaffe is able to move more aircraft close to the battlefield, increasing the number of sorties. RAF Bomber Command maintains constant pressure on the encroaching panzers, with 51 sorties during the day and 15 at night.

However, with the RAF giving iron priority to the beachhead, the rest of France is wide open to the Luftwaffe. It establishes aerial dominance, and on a beautiful, cloudless day it shoots "anything that moves."

Hauptmann Werner Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./Jagdgeschwader 53, is mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (the Wehrmacht's daily despatches, a huge honor for any serviceman) for achieving his 20th aerial victory. He is awarded the Knight's Cross.

Norway: The British begin evacuating Bodø during the night, sailing to Scapa Flow. To avoid attracting attention, the departure is done without explosive detonations. The weather keeps the Luftwaffe away, and the 2d Mountain Division is having to take the long road around the fjord and remains far to the south.

The Luftwaffe is active over Narvik, tangling with the Hawker Hurricanes based at Bardufoss. The Hurricanes have the upper hand, downing three of the German planes.

General Dietl has been evicted from Narvik, but his force remains intact and morale is high. During the day, the Luftwaffe drops another 125 paratroopers to help him. He is on the rail line to Sweden, watching and waiting for any pursuers.

Holland: Artur Seyss-Inquart takes over his position as Reichskommissar of Holland in The Hague, stating:

"We Germans have not come to subjugate this country and its people, nor do we seek to impose our political system on them."

King Leopold, refusing to leave the country, is arrested by the Wehrmacht and placed under house arrest in one of his castles.

Italy: Mussolini is in a strange mood, wishing to go to war and not really caring about the details. Foreign Minister Count Ciano - who maintains a meticulous diary - notes that Mussolini is ready to jump on board with whichever side appears to be winning. "His blood is up," as the expression goes.

Sweden: The Swedish Government implements its own civil defense force aka Home Guard.

US Navy: The prototype Vought F4U Corsair (XF4U-1) makes its first flight at the hands of Lyman A. Bullard, Jr. The plane has some difficulty with its elevator trim tabs but lands safely. The plane has been in development since June 1938, when the U.S. Navy signed a contract with Vought for the prototype.

British Government: The debate in the cabinet continues, with Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax urging negotiation and Prime Minister Churchill wishing to fight on. Churchill gives a rousing speech to the cabinet in the evening which stops talk of "surrender."

Sir Samuel, 1st Viscount Templewood, flies to take up his position as Ambassador to Spain.

The prototype of the Vought F4U Corsair takes to the skies.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020

Saturday 18 May 1940

German mounted troops, 18 May 1940 (Schweizer, Federal Archives).

Western Front: The XXVI Corps of General Georg von Küchler's 18th Army captures the vital port of Antwerp, Belgium on 18 May 1940.

Brigadier General de Gaulle regroups after his failure of 17 May and prepares for another flank attack on the German spearhead with his French 4th Armoured Division. He prepares for another attack.

At Noord-Beveland, the last Dutch holdout in Zeeland, a German under a flag of truce goes over and informs the Dutch that all of their comrades have surrendered. They have been out of touch, and now surrender.

General Erwin Rommel is at Cambrai, having advanced 85 miles to the west. He takes the town with one of his usual clever strategems: he has his tanks roll over a dusty field near the town, giving the defenders the impressions that his force is larger than it is, and causing them to flee in terror. Rommel is over halfway to the English Channel, having captured (by his own account) 10,000 prisoners and 100 French tanks for losses of his own of only 50 dead and 100 wounded. He pauses to refuel, resupply and plan his next axis of attack.

General Guderian's troops also are refueling and consolidating gains. The 1st Panzer Division troops reach the vicinity of Péronne in their drive toward Amiens.

Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive 12, Prosecution of the Attack in the West. It does not contain anything significant, and is more an expression of his desire to appear in charge and reassert control over a campaign which has developed due to decisions of commanders at the front rather than OKW headquarters.

Morale in the BEF is low, because they are being told to retreat despite giving a good account in every battle they have fought. The problem is not their military skill, but the German eruptions to the south that threaten their lines of communication.

In Belgium, a German 88mm gun model Flak 18 and crew pass Wehrmacht motorcycles (a BMW R18 and a DKW NZ350) alongside a British Morris C8.

Norway: Colonel Gubbins arrives at Mo i Rana. He has orders from Lieutenant General Claude Auchinleck to defend Mo i Rana. However, the local commander, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Byrnand Trappes-Lomax of the Scots Guards, tells him that he cannot hold out without reinforcement - of which none is available. Gubbins thus, against orders but based on the best available information, authorizes a withdrawal. In Gubbins' opinion, the Scots Guards withdraws "precipitately" toward the ferry terminus at Rognan and leaves behind much valuable equipment. The German 2nd Mountain Division approaches the town, though Gubbins leaves behind some skeleton forces.

The Luftwaffe continues its gradual reinforcement of General Dietl at Narvik, dropping another 16 troops of the 1st Fallschirmjaeger Regiment. In addition, Luftwaffe seaplanes bring 15 more troops.

The Luftwaffe damages the Royal Navy battleship HMS Resolution off Narvik.

The Germans capture a Norwegian torpedo boat, Troll, at Floro.

European Air Operations: The RAF sends 13 aircraft against German columns around le Cateau.

Battle of the Atlantic: The U-boat fleet has been occupied with tactical patrolling the Dutch/Danish/Norwegian coasts. They now resume strategic patrolling around Great Britain. U-37 and U-43 are already are at sea, while U-60 and U-62 leave Kiel for stations around Great Britain.

Convoy OA 150G departs from Southend, Convoy OB 150 departs from Liverpool.

Anglo/US Relations: Churchill sends Roosevelt a telegram stating, "if American assistance is to play any part it must be available [soon]."

Spies: A member of the US embassy staff, clerk Tyler Kent, is arrested for spying. He has been (allegedly) passing copies of Prime Minister Churchill's correspondence with President Roosevelt to Anna Wolkoff, a Russian emigre with ties to a Fascist organization. Wolkoff, also arrested, has been (allegedly) passing the documents to Italian diplomats, who (allegedly) forwarded them on to Hitler. The US waives Kent's immunity.

French Government: Prime Minister Paul Reynaud shakes up the cabinet. Former PM Daladier switches to Foreign Minister, Philippe Pétain becomes Vice Premier. Reynaud takes Defense. General Weygand, recalled from the Middle East, is the new Commander-in-chief. Both 84-year-old war hero Pétain, who was the Ambassador to Spain, and Weygand are somewhat "out of the loop" and bring a fresh attitude to the government which may not be entirely positive. Weygand arrives in Paris from the Levant via Tunis.

Pétain is a particularly interesting choice. He has developed a friendly relationship with Francisco Franco and has commented that "France's greatest mistake has been to enter this war" - not exactly a resoundingly enthusiastic position.

The Paris sector is declared a military zone, with martial law imposed. For now, the government remains in Paris.

Belgian Government: King Leopold and his cabinet set up improved headquarters in Brugges.

Holland: The new Reich Commissioner for Holland, which surrendered on 15 May, is Artur Seyss-Inquart.

Germany re-incorporates into its borders the small slices of territory handed to Holland pursuant to the Treaty of Versailles.

Queen Wilhelmina is in Great Britain and visits Dutch vessels at Portsmouth.

French Homefront: The refugee crisis is only growing. An estimated 6 million Frenchmen are on the road south, while the population of northern French cities has fallen by 90%.

Belgian Homefront: The Belgians now really have nowhere to run, so the refugee crisis is much less there than in France.
Norwegian Homefront: The Germans ban the celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day, which typically includes traditional children's parades.

British Homefront: British men continue volunteering for the local defense groups - and an estimated 250,000 have now signed up (eventually known as the Home Guard). They do not have any uniforms or equipment and are told: "We'll get back to you." They are nicknamed "parashots" due to their presumed role of guarding against German paratroopers.

American Homefront: In California, the El Centro earthquake hits at 21:35 Pacific Standard Time. It is the first earthquake recorded by a nearby strong-motion seismograph and registers 6.9 on the Richter scale. It is the strongest earthquake in Imperial Valley, killing nine people. The area is largely agricultural, so, while irrigation systems and other farming infrastructure are destroyed, the damage is much more limited than it if had hit, say, a little further northwest at Los Angeles.

It is a quiet morning in New York. Today's headline: "[German] Army Now 75 Miles From Paris." The sports section, however, is more interesting at the moment. Sixth Avenue and 40th Street, near Times Square, New York City. May 18, 1940.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020