Wednesday 3 April 1940

Homing pigeons being used by the RAF.

Operation Weserubung: Some of the Norwegian ports are several days' sail, so the first Kriegsmarine ships participating in the operation sail today, 3 April 1940. Almost nobody is told the destination, they could be invading England for all the grunts know.

There are 11 task forces for the invasion, each directed at a different major city such as Oslo, Copenhagen and Trondheim. Two pocket battleships, 3 heavy and 4 light cruisers, 14 destroyers and 31 U-boats provide cover at sea, with constant Luftwaffe protection.

Colonel Hans Oster of the Abwehr, a key figure in the resistance, informs contacts in the Vatican and Holland about Operation Weserubung.

On the Allied side, there remains much sentiment for an Allied invasion of Norway. However, the inefficiencies of war by committee surface, as the French and British cannot agree on details or, in fact, a plan at all. Leaks to the British press also have given the public the impression that it is only the British who are interested in invading Norway, whereas there is no hint that the Germans have the same idea and are actually acting on it.

The Times, in one of those later-awkward editorials, proclaims "All Scandinavia breathes easier today" because the threat of Allied or German military intervention "is largely over."

European Air Operations: Six Junkers Ju 88s attack a convoy in the North Sea without doing damage. Sunderland flying boats intercept them and shoot one Junkers down, and forces a second to make a crash-landing in Norway, where the crew is interned.

The first Supermarine Spitfire is lost on home defense duties when it goes down while attacking a Heinkel He 111 off the Yorkshire coast. The Heinkel also crashes.

There are battles along the border in France.

Battle of the Atlantic: With U-boats pulled off normal patrols to support Operation Weserubung, there is little activity in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Polish submarine Orzeł, now part of Royal Navy's 2nd Submarine Flotilla, under the command of Vice-Admiral Max Horton, leaves Rosyth to take up station off Kristiansand.

Convoy  OG 24 forms at Gibraltar.

RAF: The RAF turns to an age-old solution to inform base of information from reconnaissance planes without breaking radio silence: homing pigeons. The RAF has a fleet of 500,000 homing pigeons to carry messages back to the UK. The homing pigeons are amazingly reliable and can fly through all sorts of whether and deliver the mail, though at times it takes a few days.

British Government: Admiral of the Fleet Lord Chatfield, who is Minister for Co-ordination of Defense, resigns. A new committee headed by First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill will be composed of Service Ministers. This Military Coordinating Committee will replace Chatfield's role. General Sir Hugh Elles is appointed National ARP (civil defense) Controller, while Lord Woolton officially becomes the first Minister of Food. In all, there are 11 ministerial changes.

The principal result of this re-shuffling is that Churchill's power expands to include control over some Army and Royal Air Force operations as well as just the Royal Navy - of which he retains complete control.

War Crimes: Pursuant to the Politburo order of 5 March 1940, the Soviet NKVD begins executing captured Polish officers in the Katyn Forest and other places such as the Kalinin and Kharkiv prisons.

Canada: Alexander Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, replaces the deceased Lord Tweedsmuir (John Buchan) to become the 16th Governor-General of Canada.

Luxembourg: The government provides all 300,000 residents with an evacuation plan in case of "emergency."

China: The Chinese capture Xishanzui (Hsishantzu) as they pursue the Japanese retreating from Wuyuan, thus ending the Second Battle of Wuyuan.

German Homefront: The Nazis discontinue old-age pensions first established by Bismarck, rationalizing that after final victory, the "plutocrats in Paris and London" will take care of that.

Future History: Some 22,000 victims of the Katyn Forest Massacre will be liquidated by the Soviets. Stalin retaliates against all who question that denial. This remains the status quo until 1990, when the USSR, in its last days, acknowledges the incident and the subsequent cover-up. In 2010, the Russian State Duma approved a declaration stating that Staling and the other members of the Politburo personally ordered the massacre. During the war and for decades afterward, however, it will remain a murky, confused issue full of denials and the assumption by many that only the Nazis committed mass murders during World War II.

A pit where the executed Polish officers were buried, as shown in 1943 after being discovered by the Germans.

April 1940

April 1, 1940: Weserubung is a Go
April 2, 1940: British Subs On Alert
April 3, 1940: Churchill Consolidates Power
April 4, 1940: Missed the Bus
April 5, 1940: Mig-1 First Flight
April 6, 1940: Troops Sailing to Norway
April 7, 1940: Fleets At Sea
April 8, 1940: HMS Glowworm and Admiral Hipper
April 9, 1940: Invasion of Norway
April 10, 1940: First Battle of Narvik
April 11, 1940: Britain Takes the Faroes
April 12, 1940: Germans Consolidate in Norway
April 13, 1940: 2d Battle of Narvik
April 14, 1940: Battle of Dombås
April 15, 1940: British in Norway
April 16, 1940: Germans Cut Norway in Half
April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target
April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War
April 19, 1940: Dombås Battle Ends
April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway
April 21, 1940: First US Military Casualty
April 22, 1940: First British Military Contact with Germans
April 23, 1940: British Retreating in Norway
April 24, 1940: British Bombard Narvik
April 25, 1940: Norwegian Air Battles
April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold
April 27, 1940: Allies to Evacuate Norway
April 28, 1940: Prepared Piano
April 29, 1940: British at Bodo
April 30, 1940: Clacton-on-Sea Heinkel



2016

Monday 1 April 1940

A rare Neubaufahrzeug tank. That appears to be an 88mm to the right.

European Air Operations: The RAF conducts an armed reconnaissance of the North Sea on 1 April 1940 and attacks enemy patrol boats. One aircraft does not return.

Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 88 bombers attack British ships. One is shot down.

While some of its planes already have gone on operations, today is the official establishment of No. 75 New Zealand Squadron of the RAF.

Battle of the Atlantic: The German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis disguises itself as the 5,114 Soviet fleet auxiliary Kim and, escorted by torpedo boats Leopard and Wolf along with U-37, bolts for the North Atlantic.

Convoy OA 121 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 121 departs from Liverpool.

HMS Rapid, a R class destroyer, is ordered today.

Western Front: There is heavy German artillery fire in the Saar region.

German Military: Hitler gives final approval for Operation Weserübung ("Weser River Exercise") and sets a date of 9 April 1940 - which just happens to be the actual holiday for the Weser River. He authorizes a 6-division operation, including 20 light tanks and 3 experimental heavy Neubaufahrzeug tanks. There also are two divisions which will invade Denmark by land and parachute. The Luftwaffe will make a major effort to provide support.

British Military: Vice-Admiral Max Horton, commander of Royal Navy Home Fleet submarines, anticipates a German invasion of Norway in the near future. He directs a dozen submarines, including two French boats and one Polish boat, to patrol the southern area of the North Sea in the vicinity of Denmark. Their mission is to intercept any German warships. HMS Sealion departs first, from Harwich, and heads to the Kattegat east of Denmark.

French Government: A government decree authorizes construction of a massive navey of 53 warships: 2 battleships, 1 aircraft carrier, 3 cruisers, 27 destroyers and 20 submarines. Such a navy typically would take at least a decade or two to complete under favorable conditions.

The French Minister of Information Frossard arrives in London to consult with Sir John Reith, legendary former head of the BBC and Minister of Information in the Chamberlain government.

Norway: The Norwegian government receives a report from its ambassador in Berlin that a German invasion is imminent. The report is filed.

Berlin issues a statement that it will take "suitable countermeasures" if iron ore shipments flowing through Norway are interrupted.

Sweden: The Swedish government makes a presentation in the legislature (the Riksdag) regarding diplomatic steps taken in connection with the Winter War.

South Africa: The South African assembly passes a Jan Smuts War Measures Act 75-55. It provides for white troops to be sent to North Africa, while black troops serve as auxiliaries.

Not all planes become legends - some don't go beyond the prototype stage. This is a Grumman F5F Skyrocket (XF5F-1), which had its maiden flight on 1 April 1940. Designed for the US Navy, the Navy passed on it due to its high landing speed and the two engines. Just a what-might-have-been.

British Homefront: The Home Secretary appoints 12 regional advisory committees to review and reconsider the cases of aliens in England due to the war, the treatment of whom has been the subject of public outcry.

In a rare wartime bit of wit by the BBC, it broadcasts an unknown speech by Adolf Hitler. Hitler is shown reciting that Columbus had only discovered America with the use of German technology, and thus part of America belong to Germany. All American citizens of German/Czech/Polish descent are under German overlordship, and thus German dominion rightfully extends over the United States government. Hitler's plans include removing the Statue of Liberty to improve traffic congestion in Manhattan, and to rename the White House the Brown House.

CBS picks up the broadcast and rings the BBC to find out where it got this Hitler speech. The caller is told that it is just an April Fool's Day hoax and that the voice of Hitler had been impersonated by actor Martin Miller.

China: Chinese 8th War Area guerilla forces and cavalry column occupy Wuyuan. The 11th Provisional Division recaptures Wu-pu-lang-kou. The Japanese continue retreating east.

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army retains Nanning while the Chinese regroup.

Holocaust: Germany rejects a Vatican request to send humanitarian aid to Poland and for the placement of observers to oversee conditions there.

If one looks closely, you can see that the rate of population increase was unusually low during the 1930s - due to the hardships of the Great Depression. It picked back up in the 1940s and especially the 1950s and has remained high ever since.

American Homefront: The 1940 United States Census is conducted. Privacy laws provide that the personal information contained therein will become available to historians exactly 72 years later, on April 2, 2012 (the 1st is a Sunday). It finds 132.2 million people living in the 48 states.

The historic Ridotto Building in downtown Bay City, Michigan burns down in a fire.

Soap opera "Portia Faces Life" premieres in syndication.

The Franklin Astronomy Institute issues a press release announcing that the world will end at 15:00. The report is picked up on news services and the institute receives hundreds of calls.

On April 1, 1940, 75 years ago today, the elegant landmark Ridotto Building on the corner of Madison and Center avenues in downtown Bay City was consumed by flames. (Photo Courtesy Bay County Historical Society).

April 1940

April 1, 1940: Weserubung is a Go
April 2, 1940: British Subs On Alert
April 3, 1940: Churchill Consolidates Power
April 4, 1940: Missed the Bus
April 5, 1940: Mig-1 First Flight
April 6, 1940: Troops Sailing to Norway
April 7, 1940: Fleets At Sea
April 8, 1940: HMS Glowworm and Admiral Hipper
April 9, 1940: Invasion of Norway
April 10, 1940: First Battle of Narvik
April 11, 1940: Britain Takes the Faroes
April 12, 1940: Germans Consolidate in Norway
April 13, 1940: 2d Battle of Narvik
April 14, 1940: Battle of Dombås
April 15, 1940: British in Norway
April 16, 1940: Germans Cut Norway in Half
April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target
April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War
April 19, 1940: Dombås Battle Ends
April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway
April 21, 1940: First US Military Casualty
April 22, 1940: First British Military Contact with Germans
April 23, 1940: British Retreating in Norway
April 24, 1940: British Bombard Narvik
April 25, 1940: Norwegian Air Battles
April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold
April 27, 1940: Allies to Evacuate Norway
April 28, 1940: Prepared Piano
April 29, 1940: British at Bodo
April 30, 1940: Clacton-on-Sea Heinkel


2016

Saturday 30 March 1940

The "P" badge that Polish workers in Germany must wear.

European Air Operations: The Anglo-French Supreme War Council on 30 March 1940 is still considering bombing the Soviet oil fields of Baku upon the outbreak of hostilities, though they have passed on French Prime Minister's recommendation that it be done now. Its code name is Operation Pike, and its aim is to collapse the Soviet oil industry. The plan as developing would be to bomb the oil fields in Baku, Batum, and Grozny from bases in Iran, Turkey and Syria under "Western Air Plan 106."

The Soviets have some inkling about all this, perhaps from spies within one or both of the Allied governments. The Soviet authorities of the Soviet Transcaucasian Military District are conducting desk exercises on how to respond to such an attack. The plan is to start a counter-offensive toward Erzurum and Tebriz.

Plan Pike, while somewhat far-fetched and lacking political backing, is not complete fantasy. Today, as a test, a British reconnaissance plane - painted in civilian colors - flies from Iraq to the Soviet oil fields on the Absheron Peninsula and takes photographs. It attracts no Soviet notice.

Along the Swiss border, both Germany and France now have spotlights set up marking the Swiss border in order to avoid the accidental bombing of neutral Swiss towns. It is a rare example of wartime cooperation by opposing sides.

Battle of the Atlantic: Convoy SL 26 departs from Freetown.

 U-122 (Korvettenkapitän Hans-Günther Looff) is commissioned.

French Government: French Minister of Defense Édouard Daladier is not in agreement with Operation Royal Marine, Winston Churchill's pet plan to mine the Rhine River. He persuades the French war cabinet to reject the operation. The British respond by threatening to suspend Operation Wilfred, the mining of Norwegian coastal waters.

British Government: British Shipping Minister  Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet passes away at age 63.

First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill warns neutrals about the course of the war, which he expects to intensify.

The Ministry of Agriculture reports that the effort to bring more land into cultivation has resulted in 1,370,000 extra acres of tillage had been plowed, versus the overall target of 2,000,000 acres.

Turkey: The Turkish government shuts down Turkische Post, a German newspaper, in Istanbul.

China: The Japanese establish their puppet Chinese government in Nanking. Ching-wei, a former colleague and rival of Chiang Kai-shek with a long history in Nationalist politics, leads the government as President of the Executive Yuan and Chairman of the National Government. Such governments rarely have any power at all and generally, are ignored by foreign governments. They are used as propaganda devices until they are no longer needed, then discarded. The government's official name is Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China. The Japanese have been under severe military pressure since the opening of the Chinese Winter Offensive in late December, and feel this might help stabilize their reign.

The guiding principles of the new government are the Three Principles of pan-Asianism, anti-Communism, and opposition to Chiang Kai-shek. Ching-wei is in contact with the German and Italian governments and is interesting in joining the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany, and Italy, also known as the Axis.

On the battlefield, the Japanese at Wuyuan begin to retreat under pressure. The city does not yet switch hands. The Chinese 8th War Area attacks around Patzepu, Hsishantzu, Hsichiao, and Manko. The Chinese claim they have killed 3400 Imperial Japanese Army troops, but the Japanese respond that they actually have lost only 13 troops while killing 1500 Chinese.

There are Japanese air attacks on Chinn, Yushan, Shangjao, and Yingtanchen.

In a sign of the sacrifices being made by the Japanese people due to the China invasion, Japanese Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yonai visits children whose fathers have perished in China.

German Homefront: The Nazis are - as always - concerned with racial purity. There are 300,000 Polish workers in German factories. This causes concern about possible "mixing." From now on, they are required to wear a "P" badge or face 6-weeks imprisonment. While not the same as the Yellow Star of David being forced upon Jews in Poland, it is an attempt to reinforce the Poles' second-class status.

American Homefront: "When You Wish Upon a Star" by Ray Eberle & Glenn Miller, featured in the current Walt Disney animated film "Pinocchio," has the top spot in "Your Hit Parade." The film itself is lauded by critics but is encountering resistance at the box office.

Future History: Jerry Lucas is born in Middletown, Ohio. He becomes a key player on the championship New York Knicks basketball teams of the early 1970s and later becomes a memory education expert.

Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yonai visits children whose fathers have perished during the Japanese invasion of China.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Wednesday 27 March 1940

Labour Front leader Robert Ley and his wife, Inge, with Hitler. Ley recently had been supplanted by Fritz Todt as the ultimate Reich labor boss but retained his position. He was noted for drunkenness and corruption, but Hitler reportedly had a thing for Inge.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-22 (Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinrich Jenisch) has not been responding to standard checks for the past week and is reported lost as of 27 March 1940. All hands are listed as lost, the cause is ascribed to a mine or depth-charge attack in the North Sea.

Convoy OA 118 departs from Scotland, Convoy OB 118 departs from Liverpool.
European Air Operations: There are battles across the Maginot Line. The Luftwaffe loses 5-7 Bf 109s according to the RAF.

The RAF attacks German shipping in the North Sea without a result.

Western Front: The French and Germans exchange perfunctory artillery fire in the Vosges forest and the Saar. The New York Times editorializes: "PARIS: Thoughtful observers here do not expect any change on the Western Front for a long time to come."

British Government: The Supreme War Council is to meet on 28 March, so the British War Council takes up French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud's proposal that the Allies attack the Soviet oil fields at Baku and Soviet shipping in the Black Sea. The decision is unanimous to oppose this plan and to continue the policy of avoiding direct conflict with the Soviet Union. The true purpose of Reynaud's proposal is perhaps indicated by the fact that it is leaked to the press, which the British find highly objectionable for such sensitive matters. The British, or at least Winston Churchill, consider this to have been done for domestic political purposes. The British tell General Gamelin and his colleagues of this decision at a preliminary meeting.

British Propaganda: An editorial in the Daily Mail notes the massive head start by the Nazis, led by Dr. Goebbels, in propaganda and urges effective British propaganda in response. While the British, particularly Churchill, have engaged in some very subtle propaganda during occasional speeches, the Nazis have been broadcasting nightly.

Finland: The government is reshuffled; Risto Ryti stays in charge.

New Zealand: The new Primes Minister of New Zealand is Peter Fraser, replacing Michael Savage who passes away today while in office.

China: The Japanese retain possession of Wuyuan, but local Chinese forces continue to pressure them. The Chinese 8th War Area attacks around Patzepu, Hsishantzu, Hsichiao, and Manko.

German Homefront: Robert Ley, long-time boss of the Nazi Labour Front and a close Hitler crony notes today that war "is a blessing, as women love fighters." His tall, blonde wife, Inge, is a close friend of Hitler, and some wonder just how close.

Holocaust: Heinrich Himmler authorizes the construction of a concentration camp at Auschwitz near Kraków, Poland. The site is convenient because it has served as an Austrian and later Polish Army barracks and a camp for transient workers. There already are 16 buildings on the site in various states of disrepair. Himmler has a vague idea of housing political prisoners there.

Ad on the 27 March 1940 NY Times: "When you insult your stomach, apologize" with the waters of French spa town Vichy. It is fair to say that almost nobody in the US has ever heard of Vichy, and may not even realize it is a town.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Tuesday 26 March 1940

The Curtiss C-46 Commando flies for the first time on 26 March 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-38 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe) is 65 miles northwest of Noup Head, Orkneys on 26 March 1940 when its crew spots 3,794-ton Norwegian freighter Cometa. The Cometa is running with its lights on at night, generally signifying a neutral ship. Liebe stops the ship (apparently it stopped on its own after realizing the U-38 was there) and is told that HMS Kingston Peridot, a British trawler, had instructed it to go to Kirkwall, Scotland for the examination of its cargo. To that end, there is a Royal Navy officer and four ratings on board, which technically makes it a warship. Liebe instructs the crew to abandon ship, then sinks it at 02:20 with one torpedo, the ship breaking in two amidships. The forepart remains afloat, so Liebe sends it down with another torpedo. All 42 crew survive and are soon picked up a trawler, HMS Northern Sky.

U-21 (Wolf-Harro Stiebler) runs aground at Oldknuppen Island, Norway after a navigational error. The Norwegians intern the boat and tow it to Mandal, Norway, thence Kristiansand.

The Mauretania makes it to the Panama Canal without incident. She is on her way to Australia to be refitted.

Convoy OA 117 departs from Southend.

Western Front: The BEF takes on a little more responsibility as the 51st Highland Division sets up in the Saar region. They replace French soldiers in the line, which is a first.

Royal Navy: First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill has a flash of inspiration: "Memo: More backgammon sets on warships - quicker game than cards."

US Army Air Corps: The Curtiss C-46 Commando has its first flight. The new cargo plane has a "double bubble" design with two pressurized cabins. While the airlines are not interested in the plane, USAAC Chief of Staff General Henry “Hap” Arnold likes its potential as a cargo plane and places an initial order of 200.

Soviet Government: The Kremlin recalls its ambassador to France after French complaints about him. Soviet Ambassador to Paris Jakob Suritz sent Stalin a message congratulating for him his victory over "Anglo-French warmongers."

Soviet/German Relations: Hitler enjoys personal diplomacy - he will travel far and wide to meet a fellow dictator - and asks Stalin to meet to discuss their mutual border. The two have never met - Hitler has even met the British and French leaders - but Stalin declines to meet anyway.

Italian/Hungarian Relations: Count Pál János Ede Teleki, Prime Minister of Hungary, visits with Mussolini in Rome. Mussolini tells Teleki and Ciano, who attends the meeting, that Italy will join the Germans in the war at some point.

Canada: In the general elections, the Liberals under William Lyon Mackenzie King win 178 seats, the Conservatives take 39, and all other parties win 28.

New Zealand: The Labour Prime Minister, Michael Savage, passes away at age 68.

French Homefront: Prime Minister Reynaud broadcasts a speech to the public urging the nation to carry on a "total war" against the Germans. This is an old phrase from World War I.

British Homefront: Morale is high as the long Easter Weekend ends, with long queues at the train stations and an impromptu sing-a-long at Waterloo Station.

Wilhelm Solf, an Austrian undergraduate at Oxford University, is interned after he photographs a crashed RAF plane. As reported in the London Times, many citizens feel that the government is treating Germans caught in the country by the war harshly. This is buttressed by a newsreel being shown in cinemas which details the recent incident of an RAF bomber accidentally landing in Germany, the crew meeting with local farmers there on good terms, and then taking off again before being caught.

China: The Japanese, reinforced in recent days, recapture Wuyuan from the Chinese 8th War Area. The Chinese fall back to the banks of Fan-chi-chu and launch attacks at Xin'an, Xishanzui, Xixiaozhao, and Manko.

American Homefront: General Motors officially cancels the LaSalle nameplate in the Cadillac division. While LaSalles have sold reasonably well (often better than Cadillacs), the thinking apparently is that the company should focus on the more prestigious Cadillac brand. Production of LaSalles ceases in August. Final LaSalle designs are incorporated into new Cadillac models.

Future History: James Caan is born in the Bronx, New York. He becomes famous as a movie star in the '60s and '70s, most famously for his role in "The Godfather."

Nancy Pelosi is born in Baltimore, Maryland. She becomes the 52nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Many Curtiss C-46 Commando cargo planes became of tremendous use in the Burma theater of operations, where they supplied the Chinese over the "Hump" of the Himalayas. Many remain in service to this day, in the 21st Century. While never fully given its due in terms of public perceptions, the decidedly un-flashy C-46 is one of the most useful, dependable and enduring aircraft in aviation history.

The Cometa, sunk on 26 March 1940. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2021

Monday 25 March 1940

A typical UK lightship. The Luftwaffe has sunk many of them, so the Admiralty makes a decision as to how to replace them on 25 March 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-57 (Kapitänleutnant Claus Korth) torpedoes and sinks 5,742-ton British freighter Daghestan at 20:11 on 25 March 1940 about 9 miles east of the Orkneys. There are 29 survivors and 3 perish. The Daghestan already had been damaged in Luftwaffe attacks while sailing with Convoy HN 20.

U-47 (K.Kapt. Günther Prien) sinks Danish freighter Britta 30 miles to the north of Scotland. There are 5 survivors, 13 perish.

The Admiralty decides to replace lightships bombed by the Germans with automatic light floats.

Convoy HG 24F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy OG 23 forms at Gibraltar, Convoy HX 30 departs from Halifax.

US Navy: The cruiser Augusta hits something underwater and suffers damage.

Science: Sunspot activity interferes with short-wave radios across the western hemisphere.
British Military: British POWs are instructed by official order not to broadcast for the Germans. This is due to the fact that Britons had been tuning in to German propaganda broadcasts to learn if their loved ones had been captured by recognizing their voices.

British Government: Foreign Minister Lord Halifax pledges the nation to protect Romanian neutrality, and adds pointedly that the Allies "will not shrink from war with the Soviet Union" to do so.

French Government: Having considered with his inner cabinet the Allies' options for the prosecution of the war, French Prime Minister Reynaud writes to the British government and proposes attacking Soviet shipping.

British Prime Minister Chamberlain instantly rejects the idea. One of the British government's consistent rules during the first six months of the war has been to alienate the Soviet Union as little as possible. Such attacks also would be of dubious value to the war effort. He concludes that Reynaud is just fishing for something to make him look good in public eyes during his first days as Prime Minister.

American Homefront: The US Supreme Court issues a ruling in Helvering v. Bruun, 309 U.S. 461 (1940), which holds that improvements to a property made by a tenant are taxable to the landlord when the landlord repossesses the property.

British Homefront: The ration for butter is set to rise beginning 26 March 1940 to 1/2 pound per week.

China: The Japanese attacking along the Wuchia river at Ta-Tsai-chu 10 km (6.2 miles) north of Wuyuan receive 3,000 men in reinforcements in addition to the 600 with which they began the battle. With the support of artillery and air support, they finally cross the river after three previous days of futility against the Chinese 8th War Area.

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese 46th Army captures Lingshan after several days of struggle. The Japanese retreat westward in the direction of Nanning.

Future History: Anita Bryant is born in Barnsdall, Oklahoma. She becomes Miss Oklahoma in 1958, then a top country music singer. She also became involved in political causes and charity work and continues to do so.

A March 1940 view of the New York World's Fair in Queens, New York.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Saturday 23 March 1940

The A-4 rocket combustion chamber.

Battle of the Atlantic: At 11:30 on 23 March 1940, Royal Navy submarine HMS Truant (it may have been HMS Trident) sinks German freighter Edmund Hugo Stinnes IV six miles from the west coast of Denmark. After the sub fires warning shots, the freighter actually heads for shore to scuttle, but the submarine finishes it off with two torpedoes.

German ship Schiff 16 aka "Atlantis," anchored at Süderpiep Bay, Norway and readying for its Atlantic sortie, adopts a disguise as Norwegian freighter Knute Nelson.

Convoy OA-0115G departs from Southend, Convoy-OB 115 departs from Liverpool.
Royal Navy: The Admiralty forms a special Malaya Force to keep track of 17 German merchant ships anchored in Dutch East Indies ports.

Destroyer Atherstone (Commander Hugh W. S. Browning) is commissioned.

Applied Science: At Peenemünde Research Center, Wernher von Braun test-fires the engine of the A-4 rocket he is designing.

French Government: Prime Minister Paul Reynaud holds a meeting of his inner war council, with briefings from Admiral Darlan, General Gamelin, and others. Edouard Daladier, now Minister of War, rejects Major de Gaulle's idea of separate tank divisions such as the Wehrmacht has developed.

German/Romanian Relations: A German mission led by Dr. Karl Clodius visits Bucharest to negotiate more trade deals.

Italian/Hungarian Relations: The Premier of Hungary, Count Teleki, visits Rome. He meets with Foreign Minister Ciano, and both find common ground: they dislike the Third Reich regime in Germany.

Terrorism: A dozen IRA convicts imprisoned in HM Prison Dartmoor riot and take two warders as hostages. They start a fire that is put out after 90 minutes.

India: The All-India Muslim League adopts the Lahore Resolution.

Italy: The Fascists celebrate the 21st anniversary of the founding of their party.

Japan: Japan's Foreign Minister states that his country does not intend to take sides in the European war, though he expects it to last for a long time.

China: The Japanese 26th Infantry Division continues attacking the Chinese 8th War Area at Ta-Tsai-chu 10 km (6.2 miles) from Wuyuan, without making gains.

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese 40th Army continues attacking the Japanese 22nd Army at Lingshan.

German Homefront: Owners of private automobiles are required to donate their car batteries to the war effort. There isn't sufficient petrol to run them anyway.

Bronze church bells are requisitioned, to be melted down into armaments, a sort of reversal of the usual Biblical admonition.

American Homefront: "Truth or Consequences" premieres on NBC Radio.

Peenemünde Research Center was located on the Baltic island of Usedom. It became the Germans' secret test range for Heer and Luftwaffe Wunder Waffen (wonder weapons) such as rockets. Wernher von Braun's mother suggested it based on memories of her father hunting ducks there.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Friday 22 March 1940

Bf 110 night fighters.

European Air Operations: Handley Page Hampden bombers conduct a standard night reconnaissance and leaflet drop over the Ruhr industrial area and northwest Germany on 22 March 1940. For the first time, though, Luftwaffe Bf 110 Zerstorer (destroyer) night fighters come up to challenge the British. One bomber is damaged.

Along the Dutch border, a Hawker Hurricane tangles with Bf109s and crashes.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe conducts another sweep over the British east coast and attacks the Cromer Knoll lightship without scoring any hits.

The British freighter Loch Assater hits a mine and sinks.

Convoy SL 25 departs from Freetown.

Western Front: Journalist William Shirer, based in Berlin, writes in his diary that "Germany can now try to force the issue on the western front, but this is improbable."

Soviet Military: General Konstantin Rokossovsky, arrested in 1937 during the purges that ended the lives of many of his colleagues, is released from prison and rehabilitated. This is part of Stalin's pattern of imprisoning his top generals, torturing them, executing some, and somewhat arbitrarily restoring others to their former, or even more prominent, positions.

French Government: While new Prime Minister Paul Reynaud has kept former Prime Minister Edouard Daladier in the cabinet, they find that they cannot agree on a strategy. This also has implications for relations with the British.

Turkey: The government orders all Turkish freighters to return to Turkish waters ASAP.

Finland: The Soviets continue occupying the Finnish port of Hanko, which is theirs for 30 years under the Moscow Peace Treaty. They rename it Hangö. The official handover is at midnight on 22 March 1940.

Romania: King Carol II vows to defend his country's borders.

India: The Muslim League advocates splitting India into Muslim and Hindu countries. This is an idea that is highly controversial among other revolutionaries.

China: The Chinese 101st Division, having bagged Wuyuan on the 21st, move on to capture the strongpoint at Hsin-an-chen in order to cut the road along the Yellow River that leads to Wuyuan. The Japanese send 80 trucks full of troops from Dashetai via Siyitang to make a forced crossing of the Wu-chia River at Ta-Tsai-chu 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Wuyuan. This is a Muslim region with Chinese troops that are full of fervor.

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese 46th Army attacks the Japanese 22nd Army at Lingshan.

British Homefront: Gerald Winter, a farmer from Sussex, is awarded an Empire Gallantry Medal for dragging an RAF pilot from a burning plane.

American Homefront: Popeye the Sailor -- Stealin Aint Honest # 78 March 22, 1940, is released. Popeye battles Bluto for a gold mine!

Future History: Haing S. Ngor is born in Los Angeles, California. He becomes famous in the 1984 film "The Killing Fields" (1984), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Thereafter, he continues acting and becomes an author.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Thursday 21 March 1940

The crew of HMS Ursula in 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: British submarine HMS Ursula sinks German freighter Heddernheim off the Danish coast on 21 March 1940. It is the first victory by a British submarine over a German ship during the war.

At 01:00, U-38 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe) torpedoes and sink1,654-ton Danish freighter Algier about 15 miles northwest of Foula, Shetlands. There are 18 survivors and 5 crew perish. The Algier was carrying 11 Studebakers along with 302 tons of copper, 228 tons of tin, and 130 bottles of mercury. It was bound for Copenhagen.

Then, at 03:26, U-38 torpedoes and sinks 3,270-ton Danish freighter Christianborg. There are 24 survivors and one crew perishes.

Norwegian freighter Svinta sinks from unknown causes.

The Queen Mary departs from New York to an unpublished destination which turns out to be Sydney, Australia. It will be re-fitted as a troopship there.

Convoy OA 114 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 114 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 29 departs from Halifax, Convoy OG 23F forms at Gibraltar.

European Air Operations: A Sussex farmer, Gerald Winter, sees an RAF plane crash and risks his life to drag the pilot out of the burning plane.

German Military: German Labour battalions in the Todt Organization begin constructing bunkers along the "Ostwall," the border with the Soviet Union.

Applied Science: Sir Henry Tizard briefs the British Cabinet of research by two physicists at Birmingham University working on an atomic "super-bomb." He cautions that "It is quite conceivable that Germany is, in fact, developing this weapon." The government has appropriated funds to study this issue.

Three French cabinet ministers, Édouard Daladier, Georges Bonnet, and Paul Reynaud, 1940.

French Government: Paul Reynaud becomes the new Prime Minister, as 239 French Deputies vote in favor and 1 against. However, indicating once again the fractured sentiment, there are 300 abstentions.

Former PM Edouard Daladier becomes Minister of National Defense and War. Reynaud also will serve as his own Foreign Minister. There are three Socialists in the cabinet. There will be an inner war cabinet of nine members. Daladier still has widespread support, and Reynaud essentially is forced to have him in the cabinet. However, former Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet is excluded.

Turkey: There is a secret meeting between British and Turkish representatives.

China: The Chinese battle it out with the Japanese defenders of Wuyuan all day long, then finally capture the city at 16:00. The Japanese move north.

At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese 93rd Infantry Division crosses the Yung River and heads toward Tatang. This is an attack along the lines of communication of the Japanese 22d Army spearhead at Yungshun.

British Homefront: George Orwell writes a review of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" in which he concludes, "I would kill Hitler if I could, but I cannot dislike him."

American Homefront: Woody Guthrie makes his first recording for the Library of Congress.

Howard Hughes increases his stake in Transcontinental and Western Air, Inc. (T.W.A.), which he has been building since May 1939, to 30%. This gives Hughes a controlling share of T.W.A.

In this photo, taken between March 7 and 21, 1940, the "Normandie, "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth" sit in port. The "Mary" and the "Elizabeth" are painted wartime gray. The "Normandie" is slated to be painted gray, too.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019