February 16, 1942: Operation Neuland Begins

Thursday 24 July 1941

Russian POWs loaded onto trucks to be taken to their final destination. Zhytomyr Lager, Ukraine, 24 July 1941.

Eastern Front: Marshal Mannerheim on 24 July 1941 reaches his conclusion regarding the advance of Finnish VI Corps to the old Finnish-Soviet border on the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga: halt. Finnish troops there are refusing to cross the border, as nobody wants to provoke the Soviet Union. Instead of ordering the troops to continue heading southeast, Mannerheim orders them to form a line along the Tuulema River. The Germans are dismayed, as they want the advance to continue, but there is nothing that they can do.

On the other side of Lake Ladoga, Finnish VII Corps continues forcing its way forward against heavy Soviet resistance. It approaches the town of Sortavala on the road that runs along the fringes of Lake Ladoga. The Finns capture Vidlitsa and Rajakonru northeast of Lake Ladoga. Further north, Finnish 14th Infantry Division (Colonel Erkki Raappana) takes Omelia, wiping out Soviet 337th Rifle Regiment.

In the Army Group North sector, the Wehrmacht consolidates its position as it prepares for the final advance on Leningrad.

In the Army Group Center sector, Soviet troops attack the exposed Panzer Group 2 bridgehead at Yelnya. At Velikiye Luki, Soviet counterattacks cut German lines of communication and the Wehrmacht retreats in the area. The Germans are under heavy pressure in this sector and have to throw service troops into the line.

In the Army Group South sector, Romanian Third and Fourth Armies in conjunction with the German 11th Army complete the occupation of Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, and Hertsa. These are territories ceded by Romania to the Soviet Union in 1940. This completes Operation München. Romania intends to reincorporate the region into the Romanian State.

The Luftwaffe, after a night off, again attacks Moscow. Tonight, the number of bombers is reduced to 100. Red Army night fighter pilot Kapitan Konstantin Titenkov claims a bomber for his third success in three nights.

The wrecked Bf 109E7 "Yellow One" of Staffelführer 3./JG 2 Lt. Julius Meimberg at Saint-Renan near Brélès, France, 24 July 1941. Meimberg is lying on the ground with someone holding an umbrella to shield him from the sun. Meimberg is out on medical leave until the spring of 1942.

European Air Operations: The RAF sends more raids against the German warships parked along the French coast, and today they succeed in damaging two of them. During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 100 planes over Brest in Operation Sunrise. It is a complicated plan that works well, with Operation Sunrise I being the main raid and Operation Sunrise II a diversionary raid. An initial force of 3 Fortresses and 18 Hampdens accompanied by a Spitfire escort draw up the Luftwaffe defenses by bombing at 30,000 feet. Immediately after this, 79 Wellingtons fly over and make the real attack. Neither of the two heavy cruisers in port, Gneisenau (in drydock) and Prinz Eugen, take any hits. The British lose 10 Wellingtons and 2 Hampdens. Luftwaffe ace Julius Meimberg claims three bombers shot down, but he also is shot down and seriously injured.

RAF Bomber Command also sends a diversionary raid of 36 Blenheims against Cherbourg. The raid causes some damage to the docks but does not attract any defending fighters away from Brest as desired. So far so good for the Germans - but there is more to come.

A third raid targets La Pallice, where heavy cruiser Scharnhorst arrived on the 23rd. This is an additional 200 miles further south, so there are no escorting RAF fighters. The attack by 15 Halifaxes of RAF No. 35 and 76 Squadrons are pressed home with great courage against heavy Luftwaffe opposition and score five hits. Three bombs pass straight through the ship, and two other bombs explode and cause only light damage. However, the Germans are forced to concede that the move to La Pallice was a mistake, so, despite the ship taking on water, they send Scharnhorst back to Brest after dark. Scharnhorst is out of action until November, at a cost to the RAF of five Halifax bombers and damage to the rest.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 34 Wellingtons (one lost) and 30 Hampdens (one lost) against Kiel. As has been the case often recently, accuracy is poor, and the only deaths are five people in the nearby village of Wellsee, Germany, which is near Kiel. Another raid by 31 Whitleys and 16 Wellingtons against Emden results in the loss of two Wellingtons. The RAF also sends 4 Wellingtons over Rotterdam and six on minelaying missions in the Frisian Islands, both without loss.

During the raid on La Pallice, the German defenders accidentally down a returning Focke-Wulf FW-200 returning from an Atlantic reconnaissance flight.

RAF Pilot/Officer Joseph Francis Patrick John McKenna, KIA 24 July 1941 at Nantes, France. He is buried at the War Cemetery in Loire-Atlantique, about fifty kilometers from Nantes in France.

The RAF flies a Circus mission to Hazebrouck. RAF ace James Lacey files claims for two Luftwaffe Bf 109 fighters after observing them collide nearby during a dogfight.

Major Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn, Kommodore of JG 53 and a 42-victory ace, is awarded the Eichenlaub.

The weekly RAF operations report shows that for the week ending 23 July:

• Coastal Command flew 252 patrols and 364 sorties
• RAF Fighter Command flew 704 ship protection patrols.

The report notes that attacks on Axis shipping were "highly successful in spite of intense A.A. [anti-aircraft] fire from Flak ships."

Australian troops with captured Morane-Saulnier MS.406C1 fighters of Groupe de Chasse I/7, Aleppo-Nerab, Syria, 24 July 1941. (Australian War Memorial 008990).

Battle of the Atlantic: Operation EF, a large raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo, continues northward toward Seidis Fjord, Iceland, and remains undetected.

The RAF (No. 42 Squadron) sinks 370-ton Norwegian freighter Vestkyst I off Skadberg, Norway.

German destroyer Hermann Schoemann, operating off of Kharlov Islands, uses gunfire to sink 540-ton Soviet whaler Meridian.

U-652, operating off the Russian Kildin inlet in the far north, attacks Russian patrol boat SKR-23 "Musson" but misses.

German scouts spot Allied convoys OG-69 and SL-80 at sea and U-boat Command (BdU) direct U-boats toward them.

US Aircraft carrier USS Wasp loads 30 P-40s and three Stearman PT-13 Kaydet trainers at Norfolk for transport to Iceland.

Convoy OS-1 departs from Liverpool bound for Freetown, Convoy SL-82 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool. Convoys SL-79 and HG-67 both arrive in Liverpool.

U-454 and U-580 are commissioned.

MV Sydney Star which was damaged on 24 July 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Substance, a Royal Navy supply convoy from Gibraltar to Malta, continues. Most of the ships of Convoy GM-1 reach Malta safely despite continued Italian air and motor torpedo boat attacks. Royal Navy destroyer HMS Nestor (Cmdr. A. S. Rosenthal, DSO, RAN) unloads 487 troops at Malta. Royal Navy submarines Perseus and Regent engage in fake radio traffic designed to create the impression to the Italians that the main Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet based at Alexandria is at sea, when in fact it is in port.

Italian torpedo boat MAS-533 torpedoes and damages 11,219-ton freighter Sydney Star. Destroyer Nestor tows the Sydney Star to Malta, where the freighter is put in drydock for repairs.

Italian bombers based in Sardinia damage 9351-ton British tanker Hoegh Hood, part of Convoy MG-1 returning to Gibraltar from Malta. The Hoegh Hood, which is empty, is able to continue to Gibraltar.

An Italian CANT Z.506 reconnaissance seaplane, escorted by 42 Macchi C.200 fighters, spots the Operation Substance ships arriving in Malta. The RAF launches 22 Hawker Hurricanes to attack the Italian formation, and the British shoot down three of the Italian fighters without loss to themselves. Overall, the Italians lose about a dozen aircraft during their operations surrounding Operation Substance.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder torpedoes and damages 4964-ton Italian freighter Dandolo off the west coast of Sicily.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Upright, operating off Cape dell Armi, uses its deck gun to attack floating dock G022. The Italians immediately send ships out to launch depth charge attacks, but Upright gets away.

Italian submarine Squalo claims to damage a British tanker northeast of Tobruk, but there is no confirmation or identification of what ship it is.

Operation Guillotine, the reinforcement of Cyprus, continues. Royal Navy transport Gujarat, escorted by Australian sloop HMAS Parramatta, travels from Port Said to Famagusta without incident.

Italian soldier executing civilians in Sinj, Croatia, 24 July 1941.

Partisans: The partisan revolt in the Balkans continues. Italian troops, attempting to regain control, engage in repressive measures. This includes executing civilians in the Croatian town of Sinj.

POWs: A group of Dutch troops, 68 officers, arrives at Colditz Castle, an Oflag IV-C camp. They are the first Dutch prisoners.

German/Italian Relations: Mussolini offers to add another Italian army corps to the one already allocated to the eastern front.

US/German/Italian Relations: US troopship USS West Point (AP-23) arrives in Lisbon. It carries German and Italian consular personnel and their families who have been ordered to return to Europe by the United States government.

Two USAAF B-18 bombers in the Philippines, 24 July 1941.

US/Japanese Relations: President Roosevelt meets with Japanese Ambassador Nomura in the Oval Office. Roosevelt defends his policy in the Pacific, noting that he has permitted oil to be shipped to Japan. However, he notes that the Japanese occupation of French Indochina is a problem for relations. Nomura says that he personally disagrees with the aggressive Japanese policies in the Pacific and is a good friend of new Foreign Minister Toyoda. Both Roosevelt and Nomura agree that Germany's goal is world conquest and is pressuring Japan. Nomura promises to ask his government not to occupy French Indochina, and Roosevelt promises to guarantee that the Allies would leave it alone if Japan does as well. Nomura responds that it may be too late because Japan would lose face if it pulled out of Indochina now.

After the meeting, Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles issues a statement regarding the Japanese/Vichy French agreement regarding Japanese use of French Indochina. It notes in part:

By the course which it has followed and is following in regard to Indochina, the Japanese Government is giving clear indication that it is determined to pursue an objective of expansion by force or threat of force.

The statement does not, however, indicate that the United States will take any direct action as a result of the Japanese establishment of military bases in the territory.

Anglo/Free French Relations: Charles de Gaulle remains extremely upset about having Free French forces not included in the treaty ending the conflict in the Levant. At his demand, Free French forces revert to his command from British control at noon.

Japanese troops enter Saigon by bicycle, 24 July 1941. (Japanese army photo).

French Indochina: Japanese marines land at Cam Ranh Bay to secure port facilities, pursuant to the recent Japanese agreement with the Vichy French. Army troops are following along behind.

German Military: General der Panzertruppe Walther Kurt Josef Nehring is awarded the Knight's Cross. He is Generalmajor and commander of the 18th Panzer-Division.

US Military: The US Marine Corps establishes a detachment of the 1st Defense Battalion at Johnston Island southwest of Hawaii in the Pacific.

Fw 200 C-2 W.Nr. 0026 "F8+CH", 1./KG 40, Bordeaux, before 24 July 1941, the date when it was shot down with all its crew near Ireland.

German Government: During his evening talks with cronies, Adolf Hitler opines:

The German army is technically the most perfect in the world; and the German soldier, in a moment of crisis, is safer and sounder than any other soldier. I'm truly happy that it has been granted to me to see, in my lifetime, the German soldier rewarded by Providence. For an elite force, like our SS, it's great luck to have suffered comparatively heavy losses. In this way, it's assured of the necessary prestige to intervene, if need be, on the home front — which, of course, won't be necessary. But it's good to know that one disposes of a force that could show itself capable of doing so, on occasion.

Ordinary soldiers may not agree that their losses are worth it for the prestige granted their formations. There is no question, however, that the SS is loaded with fanatical troops who might, in fact, agree with Hitler.

One of two checkpoints at the Kishinev Ghetto circa 1941.

Holocaust: The Romanian governor of the Kishinev (Chișinău) district of Bessarabia (Moldova) and the local German commander of the Einsatzkommando order a Ghetto established for Jews who have survived previous executions. Some 11,000 people squeeze into the confined space.

A local SS commander reports to headquarters that 4435 Jews have been exterminated at Lachowicz.

German SS troops execute Jewish citizens of Grodz, Lithuania.

Canadian Homefront: About 700 workers in Arvida, Quebec begin an illegal strike against their employer, the Alcan aluminum company. Alcan is considered essential to the war effort, and thus the strike is illegal.

American Homefront: The New York Times publishes a quote from Senator Harry Truman of Missouri regarding the German invasion of the Soviet Union: "If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and in that way let them kill as many as possible."

Motor launch for hospital ship MS Oranje, Cockatoo Island, 24 July 1941.

July 1941

July 1, 1941: US TV Broadcasting Starts
July 2, 1941: MAUD Report
July 3, 1941: Stalin Speaks
July 4, 1941: Pogroms in Eastern Europe
July 5, 1941: Germans on Schedule
July 6, 1941: Australians Attack Damour
July 7, 1941: US Marines in Iceland
July 8, 1941: Flying Fortresses In Action
July 9, 1941: British Take Damour
July 10, 1941: Sword and Scabbard Order
July 11, 1941: Cease-fire in Syria and Lebanon
July 12, 1941: Anglo/Russian Assistance Pact
July 13, 1941: Uprising in Montenegro
July 14, 1941: Katyusha Rocket Launchers in Action
July 15, 1941: Smolensk Falls
July 16, 1941: Stalin's Son Captured
July 17, 1941: Heydrich Orders Mass Executions
July 18, 1941: Twin Pimples Raid
July 19, 1941: V for Victory
July 20, 1941: The Man Who Wouldn't Shoot
July 21, 1941: Moscow in Flames
July 22, 1941: Soviet Generals Executed
July 23, 1941: Secret Plan JB 355
July 24, 1941: Operation Sunrise
July 25, 1941: US Naval Alert
July 26, 1941: Italian E-Boat Attack on Malta
July 27, 1941: MacArthur Returns
July 28, 1941: Auschwitz Exterminations
July 29, 1941: Rescue From Crete
July 30, 1941: Raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes
July 31, 1941: Final Solution Order

2020

Saturday 4 January 1940

"Tracer from German anti-aircraft gunfire (flak) vividly depicted in a vertical aerial photograph taken over the Port Militaire, Brest, France, during a night raid, possibly that of 4/5 January 1941." Note that this apparently was taken by an unknown official RAF photographer from one of the bombers. © IWM (C 1856).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greeks and Italians continue fighting for control of the Klisura Pass on 4 January 1941.

The RAF raids Elbasan.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command targets Brest during the night, where German cruiser Admiral Hipper is anchored between voyages. No major damage reported, and the air lights up with German flak. Other bombers visit Hamburg. The weather is brutal, and not much is accomplished by either side today.

The Luftwaffe once again bombs Dublin. This has become a diplomatic incident, with the Irish government complaining to the German government. It also is leading to the suspicion that these attacks on Irish soil may not all be accidental. The other Luftwaffe raids of the night are in the western part of England, so it is quite possible that the Luftwaffe planes were off course.

"An Air Training Corps cadet secures his parachute, before an air experience flight in a De Havilland Tiger Moth at Biggin Hill, Kent, 4 January 1942." The DH 82 Tiger Moth is a legendary aircraft originally designed for civilian use, and its return to civilian use after the war via surplus sales extended its fame throughout Europe.  © IWM (CH 5030) (F.W. Crouch).

Battle of the Atlantic: A RAF Lockheed Hudson bombs and sinks Norwegian 1326 ton freighter Snyg near Hadyret southeast of Haugesund, Norway. As with many European ships, this one - built in 1918 - was named after another freighter which had just been sunk during World War I. The crew is rescued by a German patrol boat, M-1103.

Convoy FN 375 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 379 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 380 is canceled, Convoy BN 12A departs from Suez bound for Port Sudan.

U-72 (Korvettenkapitän Hans-Werner Neumann) is commissioned.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Larkspur (Lt. Stuart C. B. Hickman) is commissioned.

U-203 is launched, U-595 and U-596 are laid down.

Australian 2/2nd Battalion troops attacking into Bardia, 4 January 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Having blown a hole through the Italian defenses on the 3rd, the Australian 6th Division under Major General Iven Mackay today pushes through to the sea, capturing the port of Bardia and bisecting the Italian garrison. While Italian troops hold out in pockets north and south of the town, they cannot be resupplied and they have few fortifications between themselves and the Australians. Already, thousands of Italians are streaming to the rear as prisoners. The battle will go on for quite some time, but essentially today's advance decides the outcome.

The Italians are in complete disarray. General Bergonzoli and his retinue depart on foot for Tobruk. The Italians, as has been the case since the start of Operation Compass, are only too ready to surrender. There are reports of hundreds, even thousands, of Italians surrendering to isolated Australian units. The number of POWs already exceeds 10,000.

With the battle for the Bardia essentially decided already despite the Italian holdouts, Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell quickly begins shifting forces toward the next major target, Tobruk. He sends the 7th Armoured Division (Major General Michael Creagh), which has been idle since the early stages of Operation Compass, toward the port without bothering it with Bardia, which it bypasses. The 7th Armoured is headed to cut Tobruk off from supply from the west. While Bardia is strategically important, Tobruk is the real prize in eastern Libya and has much more formidable defenses.

The Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, led by battleships HMS Warspite, Barham, and Valiant, returns to Alexandria. Shockingly, the Italian fleet has not bothered to put in an appearance despite the fact that, at least on paper, it has at least parity with the British naval forces.

Far to the west, the recently renamed British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) under Colonel Bagnold is approaching Murzuk, the Italian District Headquarters in the Fezzan Province. They intend to raid the oasis town - which had been 1300 miles from any other British forces when they set out, but now, after Operation Compass, only 700 miles away - to stir up Libyans against their Italian occupiers. This also is a good chance for cooperation with Free French in the area, who help out the LRDC men with supplies, and local Tuareg and Tibesti tribesmen. Today, the British camp out near some lava beds southwest of Tazerbo, where they will stay for three days. The Italians have no idea they are there, of course.

A Fulmar of RAF No. 803 Squadron, flying off HMS Formidable, is shot down during a reconnaissance flight over Dakar. The two aircrewmen become French POWs.

Off Cape Bon, British Swordfish torpedo bombers unsuccessfully attack an Italian supply convoy returning to Italy from Tripoli.

This photo was taken from the roof of St. Paul's in London. While dated 4 January 1941, this photo may have been taken a few days earlier and only released on the 4th (AP Photo).

Battle of the Pacific: Royal Navy destroyer HMS Stronghold begins a prolonged series of minelaying around Singapore. This process will continue into March.

Spy Stuff: Free French leader Charles de Gaulle continues to press for the release of Vice-Admiral Emile-Henri Muselier, accused of spying and arrested by the British on the 1st. Muselier is accused of, among other things, betraying the British/Free French assault on Dakar in late 1940, Operation Menace.

German/Bulgarian Relations: Hitler meets with Bulgarian Prime Minister Bogdan Filov in Berlin and continues his campaign of trying to coerce an alliance with Bulgaria. Adopting a threatening tone (recently used by Hitler with Admiral Darlan in France, too), Hitler broadly hints that the Wehrmacht troops already taking positions for Operation Marita in Romania would be enough to take care of themselves against all comers. Hitler wants Filov to sign the Tripartite Pact, but Filov demurs and returns to Sofia to discuss the brewing crisis with his ministers.

Soviet Military: The Soviet war games that began on 2 January continue. General Zhukov, in command of the "Western" or "Blue" forces, opposes General D.G. Pavlov. While Pavlov is given a numerical advantage, Zhukov is doing quite well with his (paper) forces.

Indochina: French Indochina is granted dominion status and tariff autonomy by decree (Times, January 4, 1941, p. 2). This sounds like it is a major step toward independence, but many disagree with this interpretation. Dominion status grants Marshal Petain ultimate control over the colony rather than Parliament. He is an autocrat, as opposed to the fairly liberal Parliament, so some consider this a step backward for local rule. Dominion status also does nothing with regard to the continuing conflict with Thailand, which, among other things, has its eye on major portions of the Mekong Delta. It also does nothing to mollify Vietnamese nationalists/communists such as Ho Chi Minh, who continue strategizing some kind of revolt to achieve independence.

Burma: Lieutenant-General Harold Alexander takes command of the British I Corps in Burma.

China: The Communist New Fourth Army departs from Yunling, Anhui Province.

The New Yorker - Saturday, January 4, 1941 - Issue # 829 - Vol. 16 - N° 47 - Cover: Ilonka Karasz.

American Homefront: Marlene Dietrich, a top German film star ("The Blue Angel") who fled Germany upon Adolf Hitler's assumption of power, becomes a naturalized US citizen. There are many dates given for Dietrich's actually becoming a US citizen, a process that she began in the mid-1930s, but this appears to be the final step in the process.

Bugs Bunny appears in the short "Elmer's Pet Rabbit" and, for the first time, is identified as Bugs Bunny. Bugs has been developing since his first appearance in "Porky's Hare Hunt" (30 April 1938), but really has only been identifiable as Bugs since his 27 July 1940 outing in "A Wild Hare" (and which recently has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cartoon Short Subject). "Elmer's Pet Rabbit" is considered Bugs' second true outing. Bugs Bunny makes his debut identified in a title card that simply says, "featuring Bugs Bunny"("Bugs" is the nickname of the character's first director, Ben Hardaway). Original illustrators Charlie Thorson and Cal Dalton would refer to their bunny character as "Bugs' bunny," and the name stuck after it was rather casually put in a model sheet (this is a very famous story in the animation world, though little-known elsewhere). Bugs Bunny's real name, revealed later, is George Washington Bunny, and Mel Blanc later recalled they were considering "Happy Rabbit" (or "Happy Wabbit" as Elmer Fudd would say).

They are still working on the character at this juncture, and this Bugs Bunny looks and sounds less like the Bugs known in later years than he did in the previous July's "A Wild Hare." Chuck Jones directs this time, and Mel Blanc voices Bugs (though he is uncredited). Cartoons at this point in time are considered adult entertainment, and they bring vivid technicolor to the Saturday night at the Bijou at a time when virtually everything else there is in black and white.

Future History: Movie stars Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman welcome Maureen Elizabeth Reagan into the world. Maureen is their first child. She becomes an actress, appearing In "Kissing Cousins" with Elvis Presley, but eventually gives that up as her father becomes a famous political figure. Later, she herself runs for political office but loses both times. Maureen is very supportive of her father during his time as US President and afterward. Maureen Reagan passes away at 60 from cancer on 8 August 2001, predeceasing her father.

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 19 June 1940

German women, children, and soldiers show their enthusiasm for the lightning victory over France. 19 June 1940 (AP Photo).

Western Front: The Germans on 19 June 1940 crash through the hastily prepared French defensive line on the Loire. There is scattered resistance, such as by 800 troops of the Samur Cavalry School led by Colonel Michon against the 1st Cavalry Division. Overall, though, the Germans are mostly unopposed and approach Lyons.

General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division, in the occupation of the port area of Cherbourg, shell the citadel that is still occupied by the French. Resistance is pointless, so the local townspeople prevail upon the French soldiers to surrender at 17:00.

Pursuant to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's agreement with General Sikorski, the Royal Navy takes off 4,000 Polish troops stranded at La Pallice. Almost all British troops already are evacuated pursuant to Operation Ariel. General Sikorski makes a broadcast telling Polish troops to get to England.

At Brest, the evacuation ends. The French destroy the port facilities. The demolition party escapes just before the arrival of the German 5th Panzer Division. The last Allies depart on the destroyer HMS Broke.

At St. Nazaire, seven empty transport ships wait for a reportedly large Polish group of refugees. About 2,000 men ultimately appear and are taken off. BEF commander Sir Alan Brooke has been taken off from here and arrives in England.

At Bordeaux and nearby ports on the Garonne River, the Hunt-class destroyer HMS Berkeley (Lieutenant-Commander H. G. Walters) evacuates the remaining British consular staff. The President of Poland and his cabinet also depart.

Polish ships Batory, Sobieski and the Ettrick and Arandora Star take on board everybody looking to escape from Bordeaux and remain through the night.

Responding to Germany's demand, the French government appoints plenipotentiaries to receive Hitler's terms. General Huntziger leads the delegation.

This Pz Kpfw 35 (t) of 6 Panzer Division was destroyed on 19 June 1940 in Épinal, France by a 25 mm anti-tank gun of the 46e GRDI.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Bordeaux during the night, where the French government has fled, killing 63 and wounding 180. They also attack St. Jean-de-Luz on the Spanish border. These are both major evacuation ports for the British.

The Luftwaffe raids England again during the night.

The RAF raids German airfields near Amiens and Rouen with about 30 bombers and sends 112 bombers against industrial targets in the Ruhr.

Battle of the Atlantic: It is a big day for the U-boat fleet. It accounts for 40,000 tons in the Atlantic alone.

U-28 (Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke) torpedoes and sinks 3,443 ton Greek freighter Adamandios Georgandis southwest of Ireland.

U-32 sinks Yugoslavian ship Labud.

U-48 (Korvettenkapitän Hans Rudolf Rösing) torpedoes and sinks 3,164-ton British freighter Baron Loudoun northwest of Cape Ortegal, Spain. There are 30 survivors and 3 crew perish.

U-48 also torpedoes and sinks 6,607-ton Norwegian freighter Tudor northwest of Cape Finisterre. There are 38 survivors, one crewman perishes.

U-48 also torpedoes and sinks British freighter Monarch.

U-52 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Salman) torpedoes and sinks 824-ton British freighter The Monarch in the Bay of Biscay. All 12 aboard perish.

U-52 also torpedoes and sinks 7,463-ton Belgian freighter Ville de Namur. There are 54 survivors and 25 perish.

U-25 (Kapitänleutnant Heinz Beduhn) torpedoes and damages 7,638-ton French tanker Brumaire in the eastern Atlantic. The Brumaire survives the day but is in bad shape.

Kriegsmarine S-boots (fast torpedo boats) sink British freighter Roseburn in the English Channel.

Convoy OA 171G departs from Southend, Convoy 171 departs from Liverpool.

North Africa: The Regia Aeronautica bombs Bizerta, Tunisia. It also bombs Calvi and Bonifacio in Corsica. They target British vehicles, while French aircraft bomb Italian airfields.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Orpheus is sunk by Italian destroyer Turtine off Tobruk.

A Royal Navy anti-submarine trawler, HMS Moonstone, working in conjunction with the British destroyer HMS Kandahar, captures Italian submarine Galilei in the Red Sea. The Galilei is towed to Aden and renamed the HMS X 2.

Lithuania: A demonstration occurs in Vilnius in support of the new Soviet occupiers.

Canada: The Canadian National Unity Party, a fascist organization, has been broken up and 11 of its members are brought to trial.

China: The Japanese government, taking advantage of France's difficulties, demands an end to the transit of war materials through French Indochina (later Vietnam).

British Homefront: The government has resumed its efforts to evacuate schoolchildren. It establishes the Children’s Overseas Reception Board to send them to safer cities overseas.

The BBC cancels its regular music program to broadcast war news. Reviews for PM Churchill's "Their Finest Hour" speech of 18 June are good.

American Homefront: Dale Messick publishes her first "Brenda Starr" comic strip in the Chicago Tribune.

Braves outfielder Paul Waner hits a single for his 3,000th hit, the seventh man in history to achieve the feat and the first since 1925.

French refugees on a road near Gien, France on 19 Jun 1940. (Tritschler, German Federal Archive: Bild 146-1971-083-01).

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020