Friday 13 December 1940

"A Wellington bomber crew studies a wall-mounted map, 13 December 1940." The man appears to be pointing at the Rotterdam area (© IWM (HU 104649)).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British pursuit of the fleeting Italians in Egypt during Operation Compass continues on 13 December 1940. British General O'Connor gets caught up in the victory and converts what was intended to be a five-day tank raid into a major strategic offensive.

The race is on between British and Italian formations to see who can get to the defensive positions on the border first. The Italians have a slight head start on the coast road, but the British 4th Armoured Division is cutting across the desert (just as the 7th Armoured Brigade did on the 12th) and hopes to outflank the Italians if they act quickly. Since it was never contemplated that the Italians would fold as quickly as they did, the British are hampered by lack of planning for this eventuality as well as troops strung out all across the desert. Many British resources are tied up handling the tens of thousands of Italian prisoners. Massive amounts of prisoners continue to be taken at Sidi Barrani and further west at Buq Buq.

In addition, the Italian Navy, probably the most effective of the nation's three major military services, begins to stir today. The Italians send submarines Naiade, Narvalo and Neghelli off the Libyan coast to counter the bombardment that Italian troops have been facing. Italian submarine Neghelli torpedoes and damages Royal Navy anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Coventry off the Libyan coast. The Coventry loses much of its bow area, forcing the ship to return to Alexandria in reverse in order to prevent further damage from the pressure of the seawater while the ship is underway. There are no casualties. Royal Navy submarine HMS Truant returns the favor by sinking Italian 1546 ton freighter Sebastino Bianchi northeast of Cap Spartivento.

The Italian Air Force also shows sudden vigor. The Regia Aeronautica CR 42 biplanes shoot down five Gloster Gladiator biplanes of RAAF No. 3 Squadron for only one loss of their own. RAF No. 274 Squadron also has a bad day, with the Italians shooting down two Hurricanes for a loss of only one CR 42. RAF No. 33 Squadron, however, evens the overall score by claiming victories over three CR 42s and two S79 bombers. Days like this show what the Italians would be capable of if they actually had their heart in the fight against Great Britain. The RAF also stages a raid against Tripoli Harbor, losing a plane from No. 830 Squadron.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sends a congratulatory telegram to commanding General Wavell, commander of British forces in the Middle East. Churchill has mixed feelings about Wavell, who he felt offered insufficient resistance to the Italians during the fall of British Somaliland over the summer. Thus, the telegram is restrained in its praise, with Churchill simply stating "Congratulations on your victory." Churchill also admonishes Wavell that he trusts "pursuit will hold first place in your thoughts" and "No doubt you have considered taking some harbor in Italian territory to which the Fleet van will bring all your stuff." One does not have to read too far between the lines of this faint praise to note the condescension being displayed, with Churchill's advice being akin to a coach telling his star soccer player, "Now, remember to kick the ball when it comes to you." Churchill obviously still feels that Wavell lacks the fighting spirit, even mere hours after Wavell has won perhaps the most decisive tactical victory of the century.

An electric street tram before it was destroyed by bombing at Abbey Lane in Sheffield during the night of 12/13 December (Sheffield City Council)

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek troops along the coast take the port of Porto Palermo. This inconsequential town is just to the south of Himara, which is of strategic significance because it is a major Italian supply base. The weather, however, is becoming a factor even along the low-lying coastal regions, and the Greeks take some time to consolidate this gain before moving beyond it. The weather will cut both ways, but on the whole, it favors the defense.

The Greeks continue to grind forward, but the real action is back at Fuhrer Headquarters in Berlin. There, Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 20, "Operation Marita." Operation Marita is a planned attack from Bulgaria into Greece:

to occupy the north coast of the Aegean and, should this be necessary, the entire mainland of Greece 

This Marita attack is tentatively scheduled for March, should the weather turn favorable by then - a highly doubtful prospect in that region. Hitler also drastically upgrades the force allocated to this operation. During the initial planning stages, OKH (Army High Command) Chief of Staff General Halder had felt that only a handful of divisions would be necessary to occupy northern Greece. However, Hitler now directs that 24 divisions will be involved, all of them to "join the military mission" as a pretext. Hitler knows full well, from Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov's 25 November 1940 proposed agreements for a New World Order, that the Soviet Union considers Bulgaria to be within its sphere of influence, which is one reason why he has not yet responded to that letter (and never will).

The German Army certainly has the troops to spare, but such a large force heading in the opposite direction must inevitably affect the forces available for his subsequent, and much more significant, operation - Operation Barbarossa, the planned invasion of the Soviet Union in mid-1941.

While the Germans are creating messes for themselves with all these planned invasions, Mussolini certainly would breathe a sigh of relief if he knew about this directive (and he won't, for the time being). Hitler is on the way to eviscerate the Greeks from behind while the Italian troops in Albania continue to suck in all the Greek reserves like flypaper grabbing all the flies that land on it. All the Italians have to do now is hold out until the spring, but this looks quite uncertain at the moment. It must be said, though, that rescuing Mussolini is only a secondary objective, as Hitler's overriding preoccupation is the removal of RAF planes from the Greek mainland. These planes threaten the Romanian oilfields, which inform many of Hitler's decisions in the region.

Damage in Sheffield, 13 December 1940 (Sheffield Archives and Local Studies).

European Air Operations: Activity is light on both sides due to the weather. RAF Coastal Command attacks the U-boat pens in Lorient, while Bomber Command sends 33 planes against Kiel, Bremen, and airfields and ports in Holland. The Luftwaffe only sends some fighter-bomber sweeps over England during the day, and after dark makes only scattered attacks along the East Coast.

Douglas Bader receives the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-43 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Lüth), toward the end of a lengthy patrol, spots 10,350-ton British freighter/passenger ship Orari about 830 km southwest of Ireland. It sends two torpedoes at the Orari, one of which hits it in the stern. Lüth is now out of torpedoes and the seas are too rough to provide a stable gun platform, so he has to watch as the Orari's crew plugs the hole with a tarpaulin and continues on its way to the Clyde. U-43 then heads back to Lorient.

German 842 ton freighter Schwalbe runs aground off Utö, Finland and is lost.

The 18,673-ton Norwegian liner Oslofjord has been beached on the Tyne after hitting a German acoustic mine on 1 December 1940. Since then, some of the crew have volunteered to stay aboard and salvage whatever they can. They have taken off thousands of pounds of mail and other cargo, but have been unable to save the ship. Today, after the crew finally abandoned it, the ship breaks up in the rough weather and is lost. The Oslofjord remains the largest shipwreck on the East coast of England, with its bow visible and pointing seaward. The area is popular with divers, and the ship itself has proven to be a hazard to navigation at times.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Forester seizes Vichy French 780-ton trawler Avant Garde and takes it to Gibraltar.

The Luftwaffe strafes shipping in the Tyne, hitting destroyer HMS Maori. However, the damage is insubstantial and the Maori remains in service.

The Luftwaffe also lays more mines in the Thames Estuary.

Convoy FS 360 departs from Methil.

US freighter West Honaker approaching Brisbane, 13 December 1940. The West Honaker will be sunk as a blockship off Utah Beach for Operation Overlord. (Australian War Memorial ID 304132). A US flag is painted on the side so that there is no doubt about its neutrality.

German Military: Adolf Hitler, focusing more and more on the East, plans the conquest of eastern Greece in Fuhrer Directive No. 20. This codifies his intent to assemble "a constantly increasing force in Southern Romania." The purpose of this force - "On the arrival of favorable weather" - will be:

to move this force across Bulgaria to occupy the north coast of the Aegean and, should this be necessary, the entire mainland of Greece 

The most interesting aspect to Fuhrer Directive No. 20 in hindsight is the cursory mention of Yugoslavia. It only takes up one sentence in the entire directive, to wit:

The attitude of Yugoslavia is also not yet clearly foreseeable.

By its placement in the directive after a similar statement about the Bulgarian military, Hitler seems to imply that there is a chance that the Yugoslavian army will be fighting with him rather than against him. To date, however, the Yugoslavian government has been steadfast in its unwillingness to commit to any alliances with Germany, though the "Eternal Treaty of Friendship" between Yugoslavia and Hungary signed the day before seems to have given Hitler some hope in that regard.

British Military: Fire Station Officer William Mosedale receives the George Cross for rescuing eight people trapped beneath his fire station and a nearby house. Captain Michael Floud Blaney of the Royal Engineers also wins the George Cross - posthumously - after he was killed by a bomb he was trying to defuse in Manor Park.

Vichy France: Marshal Pétain abruptly dismisses Pierre Laval, his Vice Premier and Foreign Minister. Pétain does it quite cleverly, convening a meeting of his cabinet ministers and requiring them all to sign a collective letter of resignation. Laval, believing he was in no peril, blithely signed along with the others, and then Pétain announced that he was accepting Laval's resignation (and also that of Minister of Labor M. Belin). Not only that, but Pétain has the police arrest Laval and places him under house arrest. Pétain's issue with Laval appears to have been personal, with Laval acting casually in Pétain's presence and even occasionally (so it is said) blowing cigaret smoke in his face. Pétain now views himself as an unassailable dictator on a par with Hitler, and in fact, many others would view that as an apt comparison.

The A-17A Nomad lost on 13 December 1940 was recovered in October 2014. (MIKE OLIVIERA / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Canada: Two Northrop A-17A Nomads collide over Lake Muskoka while on a rescue mission to help find the pilot of a downed plane. Both crews perish. One of the planes is rediscovered in the lake in July 2010, and that crew (24-year-old pilot Peter Campbell and 27-year-old observer Theodore Bates) is recovered in October 2012 and their remains laid to rest with full military honors. The plane itself is in good condition and was recovered in October 2014 to be restored by the National Air Force Museum and displayed in Trenton, Ontario. Canada purchased 32 Nomads during the war, and none remain there.

British Homefront: The Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII) gives a disturbing interview to Fulton Oursler of Liberty magazine at Government House, Nassau, Bahamas. While not published until 22 March 1941, it raises eyebrows on both sides of the conflict. The Duke states that "Hitler was the right and logical leader of the German people," and proposes that President Roosevelt mediate a peace deal between Germany and Great Britain. Oursler is flabbergasted and arranges an appointment to discuss the interview with President Roosevelt at the White House. Rumors swirl that Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, has had an intimate relationship with German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop (in the 1930s) and still communicates with him.

Australian freighter/passenger liner Orungal on fire, 13 December 1940. The Orungal ran aground during a storm on 20 November 1940 at Formby Reef outside Port Phillip, Victoria. The ship remained intact - in fact, the passengers slept aboard through the night without care before being taken off - and was scheduled to be refloated on 15 December 1940 when it suddenly caught fire in the boiler room at 02:30 on the 13th. The ship was a total loss. The boilers can still be seen at Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary during low tide. (Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary).

December 1940

December 1, 1940: Wiking Division Forms
December 2, 1940: Convoy HX 90 Destruction
December 3, 1940: Greeks Advancing
December 4, 1940: Italian Command Shakeup
December 5, 1940: Thor Strikes Hard
December 6, 1940: Hitler's Cousin Gassed
December 7, 1940: Storms At Sea
December 8, 1940: Freighter Idarwald Seized
December 9, 1940: Operation Compass Begins
December 10, 1940: Operation Attila Planned
December 11, 1940: Rhein Wrecked
December 12, 1940: Operation Fritz
December 13, 1940: Operation Marita Planned
December 14, 1940: Plutonium Discovered
December 15, 1940: Napoleon II Returns
December 16, 1940: Operation Abigail Rachel
December 17, 1940: Garden Hoses and War
December 18, 1940: Barbarossa Directive
December 19, 1940: Risto Ryti Takes Over
December 20, 1940: Liverpool Blitz, Captain America
December 21, 1940: Moral Aggression
December 22, 1940: Manchester Blitz
December 23, 1940: Hitler at Cap Gris Nez
December 24, 1940: Hitler at Abbeville
December 25, 1940: Hipper's Great Escape
December 26, 1940: Scheer's Happy Rendezvous
December 27, 1940: Komet Shells Nauru
December 28, 1940: Sorge Spills
December 29, 1940: Arsenal of Democracy
December 30, 1940: London Devastated
December 31 1940: Roosevelt's Decent Proposal

2020

Saturday 17 August 1940

A Handley Page Hampden Mark 1 being loaded with 250 lb bombs to which the armorers are fitting fuzes. This particular bomber, No. P1333 "EA-F," is with RAF No. 49 Squadron based at Scampton, Lincolnshire. P1333 participates in the raid on Merseburg/Leuna on 17 August 1940 and is shot down, crash-landing at Breda, Holland.

Battle of Britain: Just like during World War I - a constant reference point for Adolf Hitler - on 17 August 1940 the Wehrmacht imposes an absolute blockade around the British Isles. Any ships whatsoever found within those waters is to be sunk on sight:

Germany, having repeatedly warned these [non-combatant] States not to send their ships into the waters around the British Isles, has now again requested, in a note, these governments to forbid their ships from entering the Anglo-German war zones. It is in the interest of these States themselves to accede to this German request as soon as possible. The Reich Government wishes to emphasize the following fact: The naval war in the waters around the British Isles is in full progress. The whole area had been mined.

This is a highly risky strategy, as President Roosevelt is just waiting for any excuse to enter the war. A few sinkings of US ships would help him to build a case. However, focusing all of the Reich's resources in the air and on the sea in one focused direction makes more sense strategically than a one-armed attack by the Luftwaffe against the RAF that it basically (especially as recent events have shown) cannot win.

Hitler justifies this as retaliating against a "British hunger blockade against German women and children." This has more resonance than it might because of recent comments by US Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg (since recalled) on the same theme. One can view this change in strategy as a clear sign that the German high command views the Battle of Britain as going poorly.

In terms of the air campaign, it is a light day despite perfect flying weather. Both sides have taken huge losses and can use the rest. This gives the staff of the numerous RAF airfields devastated in recent days a chance to clean up the debris and level the runways.

There are scattered intrusions by lone Luftwaffe bombers or small groups of bombers. A Junkers Ju 88 from 2./NJG 1 gets lost and is shot down off Spurn Head at 03:00. Another plane is shot down in the Channel. The Luftwaffe drops propaganda leaflets at Welshpool. A few scattered "Freie Jagd" missions by Luftwaffe fighters result in dogfights and victories by JG 51.

The Luftwaffe damages British freighters St. Patrick and Yewkyle in the southern entrance to the Irish Channel (St. George's Channel).

After dark, the Luftwaffe bombs East Suffolk, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire. Liverpool, Coventry, and Birmingham receive attention, with damage to the Liverpool docks. These are a prelude to the "Moonlight Sonata" raids of November. The Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and the Avonmouth docks receive their usual bombing raids from over a dozen Heinkel He 111s of II,/KG 27. Overall, bombing accuracy is poor, a problem that afflicts both sides at night, but the Luftwaffe is working on that with new equipment (see below).

King George VI, left, and Dowding during the Battle of Britain.

While the RAF is holding up magnificently, the strains of the campaign continue to show. There is a growing shortage of experienced pilots, with 68 lost and 70 badly injured in the last five days alone. Air Marshal Dowding requests and receives permission from the Air Ministry to poach pilots from other branches of the RAF for re-training as fighter pilots, and also for further reductions in training time for completely new pilots. Today is a welcome relief, with patrols-flown down substantially.

American Pilot Officer William Fiske perishes of wounds suffered on the 16th. He is the only American fighting in the RAF to perish during the Battle of Britain and is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.

RAF No. 1 Squadron, staffed by Canadian pilots, becomes operational. RAF No. 310 Squadron becomes operational, staffed by Czechoslovakian pilots, at RAF Duxford. With RAF Tangmere badly damaged in recent days, RAF No. 602 Squadron is moved nearby to Westhampnett.

Wendell Willkie campaigning in his hometown of Elwood, Indiana, on 17 August 1940.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command raids Leuna in eastern Germany (just west of Leipzig), one of its more distant targets, during the night. It is home to the Leunawerke, a huge chemical plant, and is a key oil target due to its refinery. There also are other armaments works there. The Merseburg/Leuna area is amply protected by anti-aircraft guns, and missions there are among the least-favored by Allied bomber crews. The raid, like most early bombing raids, is inaccurate and hits some non-industrial targets.

Another Bomber Command raid, on Boulogne, drops 3 tons of incendiaries and other bombs. There also are the usual raids on individual Luftwaffe airfields throughout northwest Europe.

Battle of the Atlantic: British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, which was in a collision with armed merchant cruiser HMS Corfu on 10 July, is in Simonstown, South Africa for repairs. The collision has lost the forward 30 feet of its bow. The repairs are scheduled to take months.

Convoy FN 255 departs Southend, Convoy MT 143 departs Methil, Convoy FS 255 departs from the Tyne.

British submarine HMS Utmost (N 19, Lt. John H. Eaden) and corvette HMS Coreopsis (K 32, Lt. Commander Alan H. Davies) are commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British Admiral Cunningham sends a large task force, codename MB 2, centered around battleships HMS Malaya, Ramillies and Warspite and cruiser HMS Kent to bombard the Italian at Bardia, Libya (including nearby Fort Capuzzo). The bombardment commences at 06:58 and lasts for 22 minutes. Force A has the Warspite and Kent, and Force B has the Malaya and Ramillies.

The Italian artillery cannot reach the British battleships, which can stand far offshore and fire with impunity. The Italians under Marshal Graziani essentially abandon the fort after the attack. The Regia Aeronautica attacks the British flotilla without success and loses several planes.

British submarine HMS Rorqual lays mines off Cyrenaica.

It is a quiet day in Malta. The local government via the War Office authorizes increased local ground forces composed of volunteers, with tighter supervision. They also are unpaid but full members of His Majesty's Armed Forces (else they could be shot as spies or partisans after an invasion). Governor-General Dobbie also urgently requests supplies.

The 18 August 1940 papers are full of news of Wendell Willkie's acceptance speech, Hitler's blockade of England, and a "Gay Pageant" in Chicago.

British Somaliland: The Italian forces under Lieutenant-General Carlo De Simone close up on the British blocking forces and begin attacks late in the morning. The Black Watch launches a successful bayonet charge to hold the position. Another Italian force at Bulhar, 40 miles west of Berbera, is approaching as well, but light cruiser HMS Ceres bombs the road and temporarily stops the advance. After dark, the Black Watch at Barkasan gives up its positions and marches to the transports at Berbera, where the evacuation is in its final stages.

Winston Churchill has a somewhat unrealistic view of what could have been accomplished in British Somaliland. The Italian forces outnumber the colonial British forces, buttressed by a few elite formations such as the Black Watch, by a huge amount, and they also are better equipped with tanks, artillery, and aircraft. Churchill wants a victory or at least a successful defense under impossible circumstances that, of course, are part of his own creation.

After hearing of Churchill's attitude, Middle East Commander General Wavell responds:

A bloody butcher’s bill is not the sign of a good tactician.

This is not a very political statement, and Wavell must understand this when he makes it.

Wavell, though, is absolutely correct and has handled the campaign with extreme competence (British casualties are minimal), but this incident starts turning the tactically challenged (but undeniably inspirational) Churchill against the extremely competent (but strategically overwhelmed) General Wavell. There are many in the British government, including Sir Alan Brooke, who view Churchill as a loose cannon when it comes to military strategy, and this is an example. To his credit, Churchill retains General Wavell in command despite the strategic setback, showing a high degree of maturity and even wisdom.

What is ironic given Churchill's petulance is that the British defeat in British Somaliland could have been far, far worse. There are strong indications that the Italian aggressors have held back there (and perhaps at Malta) in hopes that a peace deal under discussion quietly at the Vatican might bear fruit.

President Roosevelt and Mackenzie King of Canada on 17 August 1940.

Applied Science: The Luftwaffe is using radio signals to try to guide their night bombers - called X-Gerät, a successor to Knickebein - with little success. This involves three separate radio beams called "Rhine," "Oder," and "Elbe" which the navigators would hear at different points of the mission and use as course corrections. Results are good for the time being, but the British immediately deploy countermeasures (the Germans unwisely use 45 MHz, a BBC frequency, tipping the British off) of varying effect.

US/Canadian Relations: President Roosevelt and Prime Minister William Mackenzie King meet at Ogdensburg, New York. They sign an agreement - the Ogdensburg Agreement - for a Permanent Joint Board on Defense.

British Government: The Duke of Windsor, safely out of Europe, is sworn in as Governor-General of the Bahamas. He remains under deep suspicion by other elements of the British government for alleged pro-German leanings.

US Military: Destroyers USS Wake and Wainwright continue their "Show the flag" mission in South America, departing Bahia, Brazil for Pará, Brazil.

Greece: The country partially mobilizes its armed forces in response to recent Italian provocations such as the sinking of the light cruiser Helle (Elli). A Greek investigation reveals fragments of an Italian torpedo in the wreckage of the Helle.

Afghanistan: The Afghanistan Parliament begins.

The "War of the Lapel Badges" breaks out in Luxembourg (Federal Archive, Christian Minzlaff, August 1940).

Luxembourg: Around this date, the Spéngelskrich ("War of the Pin-badges") begins in occupied Luxembourg. Citizens wear patriotic lapel pins (think American flags) as an expression of defiance at the German authorities who are trying to eliminate any vestiges of Luxembourg as an independent state.

France: The occupation authorities requisition ("donate") all private watercraft.

American Homefront: Wendell Willkie formally accepts the Republican nomination for President in his hometown of Elwood, Indiana. He decries the "unfruitful political adventures" that led to France's downfall.

A passenger train to San Francisco at the corner of 40th and Shafter, Sacramento, California on 17 August 1940.

August 1940

August 1, 1940: Two RN Subs Lost
August 2, 1940: Operation Hurry
August 3, 1940: Italians Attack British Somaliland
August 4, 1940: Dueling Legends in the US
August 5, 1940: First Plan for Barbarossa
August 6, 1940: Wipe Out The RAF
August 7, 1940: Burning Oil Plants
August 8, 1940: True Start of Battle of Britain
August 9, 1940: Aufbau Ost
August 10, 1940: Romania Clamps Down On Jews
August 11, 1940: Huge Aerial Losses
August 12, 1940: Attacks on Radar
August 13, 1940: Adler Tag
August 14, 1940: Sir Henry's Mission
August 15, 1940: Luftwaffe's Black Thursday
August 16, 1940: Wolfpack Time
August 17, 1940: Blockade of Britain
August 18, 1940: The Hardest Day
August 19, 1940: Enter The Zero
August 20, 1940: So Much Owed By So Many
August 21, 1940: Anglo Saxon Incident
August 22, 1940: Hellfire Corner
August 23, 1940: Seaplanes Attack
August 24, 1940: Slippery Slope
August 25, 1940: RAF Bombs Berlin
August 26, 1940: Troops Moved for Barbarossa
August 27, 1940: Air Base in Iceland
August 28, 1940: Call Me Meyer
August 29, 1940: Schepke's Big Day
August 30, 1940: RAF's Bad Day
August 31, 1940: Texel Disaster

2020

Friday 26 July 1940

Officers of the 11th Hussars use a large umbrella to give shade during a halt, while out patrolling on the Libyan frontier, 26 July 1940. The vehicle is a Morris CS9 armored car, which would be quite hot in the mid-day sun.

Battle of Britain: Poor flying weather returns on 26 July 1940, with a low cloud ceiling and heavy rain. Operations over England are limited, and the few that are sent are turned back by RAF interceptors.

The few attacks that do get through cause little damage. At first light, a lone wolf attacker bombs Mayfield and Hastings.

A large formation of Bf 109s flying south of the Isle of Wight is intercepted by Hurricanes of RAF No. 601 Squadron. The German planes shoot down a Hurricane and damage another but sustain damage to several of their own planes.

Another raid on Portland is turned back around noontime, with the Luftwaffe losing a Bf 109 from II,/JG 27 and one from III,/JG27.

During the afternoon, another large force of Luftwaffe planes approaches the Isle of Wight, but again is turned back. The RAF is maintaining standing patrols in the area which are effective.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sent over several solo raiders. The Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton, Bristol proper, some Channel shipping, Kent and Brentwood, Essex all suffer some damage.

German E-boats are not troubled by the weather and attack a convoy off of Shoreham. They sink 821 ton British freighter Lulonga, 1,013 ton cargo ship Broadhurst, and 646 ton freighter London Trader.

Losses for the day are light, with the Luftwaffe losing three fighters and the RAF a Hurricane.

Some help for the weary RAF planes arrives in the form of Canadian-built Hurricanes manned by Canadian pilots.

The Admiralty prohibits ships from venturing past Dover during daylight hours due to the strain that such convoys are putting on resources.

F/O Derek H Ward of No 87 Squadron RAF with a Hurricane Mk I LK-M deployed to RAF Hullavington to extend the night defenses. The aircraft was flown by P/O John R "Johnny" Cock on the night of 26 July 1940 to score his sixth victory. In one of the first successful nocturnal interceptions performed by No 10 Group, the 22-year-old Australian succeeded in knocking out a mine-laying He 111 in the glare of Bristol's searchlights.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command sends a risky daylight raid against the Dortmund power station. Operations during the daylight hours are more precise, but they invite fighter interception and more accurate anti-aircraft fire. Today, though, the weather is so poor that it is almost like bombing at night anyway. Not much damage is done.

Other RAF raids are launched on airfields in Holland at Amsterdam/Schiphol and Waalhaven. Attacks are made on Hamm and Ludwigshafen. Night raids are launched on ports such as Cherbourg, St. Nazaire, and Nantes.

RAF Bomber Command sends a dozen planes on minelaying operations during the night.

The Axis raids Gibraltar during the night without causing much damage at all.

Air Intelligence reports that the German high command is concerned about RAF raids on Germany because they are causing substantial damage. Delayed action bombs also are causing concern.

The NY Times highlights the decision by President Roosevelt to ban the sale of oil and scrap metal to Japan. The ship referred to in the headline is the  Meknés, which sank on the night of 24/25 July.

Battle of the Atlantic: The convoy escorting the partially repaired Gneisenau back to Kiel is rounding Stavanger, Norway when it is spotted by the British submarine HMS Thames. It fires a torpedo at the ship that instead hits torpedo boat Luchs which unexpectedly crosses in between at extremely close range to the submarine, blowing it up. The Thames is never heard from again and is assumed to have been destroyed by depth charges or by hitting a mine shortly after this incident. Another possibility is that the nearby explosion of the torpedo itself caused some kind of damage to the submarine, or the sinking Luchs fell on it.

U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) sinks 9,337-ton British liner Accra about 320 miles west of Ireland at 14:47. There are 465 survivors and 35 perish. The Accra is with Convoy OB 188, so picking up the survivors happens quickly.

U-34 also torpedoes 4,359-ton British freighter Vinemoor in the same convoy. Everybody on board, 32 crew, survives, and the ship is wrecked and sinks on the 27th.

British 1,189 ton cargo ship Haytor strikes a mine in the North Sea and sinks.

Convoy OA 190 departs from Methil, Convoy OG 39 departs from Liverpool.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The RAF bombs the Italian airfield at Derna, Libya, damaging or destroying half a dozen aircraft. The Italians bomb Mersa Matruh, causing four casualties, and armored cars at Sidi Rezegh.

A raid on Malta at 02:37 causes damage at Valletta, Grand Harbour, Marsa Creek, Kirkop, and RAF Ta Silch. The bombs hit a power station which puts the local electrical supply out of operation.

At Malta, hotels now are advertising that passersby may shelter in them during air raids.

The Italian Stefani news agency asserts that Malta has been destroyed as a British military base, though it remains active as an airbase.

Spy Stuff: German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop remains hopeful that he can use the Duke and Duchess of Windsor as pawns in negotiations with the British. Under orders from Hitler, he dispatches SS officer Walter Schellenberg to the neutral city of Lisbon, Portugal to see if the pair, who have refused Ribbentrop's attempts to have them return to German voluntarily, can be kidnapped. Schellenberg hopes to lure the couple back to Fascist Spain, where presumably Franco will play along and arrest them on some pretext. Schellenberg begins spreading rumors that the British secret service has orders to kill the couple due to their pro-German leanings.

The Duke and Duchess are staying near Estoril while they await passage to the Duke's new posting as Governor-General of the Bahamas. They are in a villa owned by the banking brothers, Espirito Santos. They have been traveling in a small party of three cars, a trailer and a truck. It is unclear at this point if the Royal Navy will send a destroyer to take them, or they will fly the Clipper. Their presence in Portugal is well-known around the world and news of them appears in society pages everywhere.

The crew of a Bristol Blenheim Mk IV of No. 40 Squadron exit their aircraft at Wyton, July 1940.

German/Romanian Relations: Hitler concludes his talks with the Romanian Premier and Foreign Minister, who then leave for Rome to see Mussolini. A topic of conversation is two Romanian tankers detained in Port Said by the British. Hitler also advises them to give Hungary the territory it wants.

German/Bulgarian Relations: Next on Hitler's diplomatic list are the Bulgarian Premier and Foreign Minister, who arrive in Salzburg ready to make the drive up to Berchtesgaden.

League of Nations: Joseph Avenol, the French Secretary-General of the League of Nations, resigns effective at the end of August. He is considered sympathetic to Vichy France. The League of Nations itself has dwindled to about 100 employees of all kinds as Avenol has sanctioned the firing of the British employees.

Soviet Government: General Golikov becomes Deputy Chief of the General Staff (Stavka), while General Nikolai Vatutin becomes Head of the Operations Directorate.

British Government: Home Guard chief Sir Alan Brooke confides that he is growing pessimistic about the prospects of heading off an invasion. The power of the Royal Navy, in his opinion, diminishes greatly in value as the Luftwaffe becomes more ascendant.

Brooke, of course, is right. The feasibility of a successful German landing with the forces available is probably at its height during this period. However, on the German side, Hitler's preconditions for Operation Sea Lion as set forth in his Fuhrer Directive of 16 July are not being met. Those preconditions, such as sealing off the English Channel with mines, are extremely unrealistic in any event, but they underscore the fact that nobody in the Wehrmacht really wants to make the attempt. One problem is that the German invasion plan envisages a landing where the British are strongest, in the south, rather than in the north where perhaps Scapa Flow could be neutralized with a quick assault and a sustainable beachhead grabbed nearby.

At the heart of the matter, Hitler's complete ignorance about naval operations and unbridled German pessimism about the Kriegsmarine's abilities is the ultimate barrier to any attempt. It is easier to simply punt and wait for the completion of the battleships Tirpitz and the Bismarck and perhaps the aircraft carriers, with the shaky assumption that they will make a difference, rather than risk everything on a weak navy and a Luftwaffe which is showing distinct weaknesses operating over the Channel. Meanwhile, the British are scrambling successfully to upgrade their defenses with each passing day, though the RAF's attrition remains a serious matter.

Australia: The government forms the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS).

China: The Japanese have been so successful at cutting off supply routes over the Himalayas and through French Indochina that the Nationalists resort to trading with the Soviet Union. This requires using pack mules and camels to cross the roadless deserts.

Latin America: Light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL 46) departs from Callao, Peru, ending its "Show the Flag" mission. It returns to base.

American Homefront: "Pride and Prejudice," starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, is released. While the film is very well received by critics, it produces a loss of $241,000 for MGM. There is criticism that Garson is too old for the part and that the entire thing has been "Hollywoodized" by changing the time period of the original Jane Austen novel and overly compressing the narrative.

Future History:  Mary Jo Kopechne is born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She becomes famous in 1969 when she perishes in a car accident while driving with future Senator Ted Kennedy.

RAF Fordson tractor towing a bomb trolley at No. 10 Operational Training Unit, RAF Abingdon, Berks. 26 July 1940.

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020

Saturday 13 July 1940

A Heinkel He 111 KG27 (1G+L-) that crashed on the English southeast coast, July 13 1940.You can see the bullet holes and damage to the machine guns.

Battle of Britain: There is morning fog on 13 July 1940 which lifts by the afternoon. The current theme of Luftwaffe operations continues to be the Kanalkampf (English Channel missions). Attack priorities are port facilities, ships, and naval bases. The Luftwaffe sends 8 raids against the East Coast, including attacks on convoy "Bread" and another convoy. The Isle of Wight is attacked twice, as well as the naval base at Portland and ships off Dover. Hurricanes from Nos. 56 and 238 Squadrons and Spitfires of No. 64 Squadron are prominent in the defense.

During the day, British figures show 3 Hurricanes lost and 6-9 Luftwaffe fighters and 6-8 Luftwaffe bombers. The RAF has three pilots killed. Many Luftwaffe pilots shot down over the Channel are being rescued by the highly efficient German rescue teams, even in the mouth of the Thames.

Loss figures are highly political, difficult to verify and vary substantially from source to source. This is not due to poor research, but due to such factors as incomplete and imprecise records, definitional issues (is a "badly damaged" fighter which makes it back to base a loss?), and so forth. One thing is certain, the RAF is getting a lot of planes in the air, with 449 sorties.

Hitler is still setting the agenda for the Battle of Britain. He meets with Goering, Army Commander-in-chief von Brauchitsch, and other top commanders at the Berghof and tentatively decides on 5 August as the beginning of the full air offensive against England, followed by a possible invasion - Operation Sealion - depending upon how air operations go.

While Hitler's start date is three weeks away, Goering must hurry to get his force ready. The main issue is that the Luftwaffe is neither suited for a strategic operation nor has its planes efficiently dispersed at its forward bases for an air offensive. Bases themselves must be prepared. Instead, many of the elite fighter squadrons remain in Germany, resting and refitting, while the Luftwaffe's bomber force is inadequate no matter where it is based.

General der Artillerie Franz Halder (the Army Chief of Staff) presents detailed planning proposals that outline an operation incorporating 39 divisions and around 500,000 men (published 20 July) to land on the southern coast near Brighton. Hitler still does not feel an invasion will be necessary due to a British capitulation but authorizes some half-hearted preparations such as barge collection at the Channel ports.

The RAF stages bombing raids on several North German ports (Hamburg, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, and Emden) and various airfields throughout occupied Europe. Also targeted are munitions depots at Harlingen and Bruges.

RAF Squadron No. 302 officially formed. It is composed of 13 Polish airmen flying Hurricane fighters - of much higher quality than anything they had available in defending their own country.

P/O William Tower-Perkins joins RAF No 238 Squadron Middle Wallop on 13 July 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: During its attacks on the convoys in the Channel, the Luftwaffe gets near-misses on British escort destroyer HMS Vanessa which badly damages it and requires it to be towed back to Sheerness.

German raider Widder, 200 miles northeast of Antigua, sinks 5228-ton British freighter King John in the middle of the North Atlantic. The raider rescues five crewmen and makes them POWs, and also takes aboard 21 survivors of the Panamanian ship Santa Margarita which was sunk by U-29 on 2 July. The Widder is overloaded with prisoners, so some 100 are given lifeboats and allowed to row to nearby islands.

The Dutch vessel Kertosono, previously taken by the German raider Thor, arrives in Lorient, France with its prize crew.

Convoy OB 183 departs from Liverpool.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Regia Aeronautica attacks Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Eagle. The Eagle responds by launching Sea Gladiators which soot down three of the attacking Italian bombers.

There is an air raid alert at 05:45, but it is just an Italian fighter sweep. At 22:10, there is a bomber raid, with bombs dropped on a flying boat base at Marsaxlokk, on Marsamxetto Harbor, and on Zeltun.

Pilot Officer Burges, who flies a Gladiator in defense of Malta, is awarded the DFC for having shot down six aircraft. His citation:

Although normally a flying boat pilot, and only transferred to fighter duties since the commencement of war with Italy, Flight Lieutenant Burges has shot down three enemy aircraft and so damaged three more that they probably failed to reach their base.  He has shown great tenacity and determination in seeking combat, usually in the face of superior machines.

The authorities on the island ban private cars without a special permit. This includes taxis. The government suggests using the bus.

Pilots of (Polish) No 302 Squadron RAF at RAF Leconfield in October 1940.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis sinks 7769-ton British freighter Kemmendine in the Indian Ocean. Everyone survives and is made a POW, transferred later to the ships Tirranina and Durmitor. The Atlantis is disguised as the Dutch freighter Tarifa. The Atlantis also sinks the City of Baghdad, taken previously.

North Africa: Italian land forces attack the British base at Moyale, Kenya, which is staging a determined resistance against land and air assault.

The Italian Regia Aeronautica raids the British base at Sidi Barrani.

The RAF raids El Aden, El Gubbi, Bardia, and Tobruk.

Peace Talks: German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop, in an extremely rare direct communication with a British government official, cables the Duke of Windsor in Lisbon and states that "Hitler wants peace with England. Hold yourself ready for future developments." The Duke of Windsor and American wife have met Hitler and are considered, if not overtly pro-Hitler or pro-German, at least holding some sympathy with the Hitler regime. However, the Germans vastly over-estimate the extent of such feelings, if any. The Duke is in Lisbon for transport to his new posting as Governor of the Bahamas.

P/O Ernest D "Dave" Glaser peeks back from Spitfire Mk I YT-F at RAF Hornchurch after joining No 65 Squadron RAF on 13 July 1940.

British Military: The army begins forming a paratrooper force at Ringway Airport, Manchester.

Japanese Military: Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura receives a top award, being awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

US Military: The USS Wichita (CA 45) and USS Quincy (CA 39) reach Santos, Brazil on their "show the flag" mission.

German Government: At his meeting at the Berghof, Hitler offhandedly mentions that the UK is only fighting on because of the looming presence of the Soviet Union. While not making any official plans, he suggests that it may first be necessary to eliminate this threat to the German rear to enable a successful prosecution of the war against Great Britain. This is not a frivolous initiative on Ribbentrop's part, because Hitler is said to be extremely confused by England's failure either to respond to previous peace feelers or initiate some of its own.

A New York Times map comparing Hitler's conquests with Napoleon's.

Soviet Government: Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov reveals details of his communications with the British government to Germany. While this might be considered a breach of trust, everyone knows that the USSR and Germany are nominal allies.

Holocaust: Taking an unusual and successful route to escape German repression, 40 Jewish refugees arrive in San Francisco on the Tatsuta Maru.

Luxembourg: German teacher Damian Kratzenberg, a professor at the Athénée de Luxembourg, organizes the Volksdeutsche Bewegung (VdB) in Luxembourg City. Its mission is to foster Hitlerism in the populace. The organization uses the standard German phrase Heim ins Reich (roughly, ""Back into the Fatherland").

Italian Homefront: The fascist regime receives reports that some Italians are not taking the war sufficiently seriously and are using the blackouts as an excuse for romantic endeavors that are not designed to aid the war effort. They begin issuing regulations banning certain such activities.

British Homefront: British housewives donate piles of aluminum pots as requested to aid in the construction of new fighters.

Future History: Patrick Stewart is born in Mirfield, England. He becomes an acclaimed actor in the 1970s, perhaps best known for his iconic role of Captain Picard on the '80s/'90s television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Paul Prudhomme is born in Opelousas, LA. He becomes a celebrity chef in New Orleans late in the 20th Century with a specialty in cajun cooking.

The New Yorker, 13 July 1940, showing a campaign stop by the Republican ticket.

Colliers, July 13, 1940. Cover illustration by Robert O. Reid.

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020

Tuesday 9 July 1940

The Italian Cruiser Zara at the Battle of Calabria, 9 July 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Today, 9 July 1940, marks the first large naval engagement of the war in the Mediterranean, and really the first large conflict of any kind in that sector. There are 50 warships involved.

In the Battle of Calabria aka the Battle of Punta Stilo, the Royal Navy and Italian Fleet square off in the vicinity of the Italian naval base at Taranto. The engagement arises from each side shepherding convoys to North Africa at the same time, the British with Convoy MF 1 from Malta. The British have the advantage of firepower, while the Italians have speed.

At about 15:15, the two sides see each other and their cruisers open fire at extreme long range. The Italians damage cruiser HMS Neptune, causing the British to withdraw. However, battleship HMS Warspite then comes up, and a duel between her and Italian battleships Giulio Cesare and Conte di Cavour begins at 15:52. The artillery duel as noted as one of the longest in naval history, at about 24 km (the Kriegsmarine's Operation Juno on 8 June also was about as far, but that was a heavy cruiser against an aircraft carrier). Giulio Cesare takes a hit which reduces its speed, and the battle turns into a duel between each side's cruisers. The Italian Admiral Campioni withdrew with his battleships to Messina at about 17:00. A final Italian air attack damages several of the Royal Navy capital ships. The cargo ships for both sides ultimately reach their destinations, so it is a strategic draw. Most consider the engagement a slight (and rare) Italian naval victory.

Force H, operating out of Gibraltar, is attacked by bombers but suffers no damage.

At Malta, there is a raid at 08:00 by an SM79 bomber and seven CR42s. They bomb Luga, with the RAF prominent in the defense. The Italians lose two planes. Governor Dobbie requests and receives permission to stop using his limited air resources in offensive operations against Sicily, instead of using them to defend the island only at his discretion.

Italian battleship Conte di Cavour. Italian battleships were heavily armed but lightly armored, making them fast but vulnerable.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-34 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann) torpedoes and sinks 1,865-ton Estonian freighter Tiiu about 100 miles southwest of Mizen Head, Ireland in the southwest approaches at 12:32. All 20 aboard take to lifeboats and survive.

U-43 torpedoes and sinks 3,944-ton British freighter Aylesbury about 230 miles southwest of Cape Clear, Ireland in the southwest approaches at 21:35. All 35 onboard survive.

U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) completes its 14-hours of depth-charge attack and survives. Kretschmer pretends calmly to read a book throughout the ordeal as if he hasn't a care in the world. The book is upside down. There are 129 depth charges dropped.

British submarine HMS Salmon hits a mine (that is the assumption) and sinks off Egersund, Norway. All 35 aboard perish.

German raider Thor sinks Belgian freighter Bruges in the South Atlantic. The crew becomes prisoners of war.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages sloop Foxglove off the Niab en route to Portsmouth.

The Germans send about 60 Bf 109s and 110s on a sweep across the English channel and find targets in a convoy forming up at the mouth of the Thames River. The Luftwaffe catches British freighters Kenneth Hawksfield and Polgrange in the Dover sector and damages them. The Luftwaffe sinks Latvian freighter Talvaldis off Devon. Dutch steamer Iola also was damaged, along with Greek freighter Aegeon.

German armed merchant raider Komet (Kapitän zur See Robert Eyssen) leaves Bergen to break out into the Pacific via the Northern Passage. Soviet icebreakers assist her. The Komet itself is reinforced to travel through ice.

Convoy SL 39 departs from Freetown.

The Italian battleship Giulio Cesare firing salvos from her big guns near Punta Stilo during the Battle of Calabria. Ministero Della Difesa-Marina photo.

European Air Operations: The British consider this the beginning of their strategic night bombing campaign against Germany, though they have been raiding it all along.

RAF Bomber Command raids the key airbase at Stavanger with a dozen planes, Norway, losing seven of the twelve bombers with the rest damaged.

The RAF also sends 11 Hampden bombers to attack the battleship Tirpitz (still under construction) without causing any damage.

King George VI presents Guy Gibson with the DFC on a visit to RAF Digby. Gibson earned this by completing 34 missions in five months with No. 3 Squadron.

The new Luftwaffe night fighter force gets its first victory off Heligoland. Ofw Paul Förster of 8/NJG1 shoots down a Whitney bomber at 02:50. The British crew becomes POWs (this is not the initial night fighter victory of the war, just of this unit).

JG26 adds another Gruppe, 8./JG26, by taking over 2./JG1.

Spitfires of RAF No. 54 Squadron shoot down such an unarmed He-59 marked as a search-and-rescue aircraft on the Goodwin Sands and capture the crew. Nothing incriminating is found and the official report states that "The men were unarmed and whatever else they may or may not have been doing they seem to be genuine sea-rescue Red Cross workers." However, the apparent innocence of the craft does not sway the British, who are deeply suspicious that such planes are performing reconnaissance missions.

The He-59 forced down at Goodwin Sands on 9 July 1940.

North Africa: Italian artillery is in action against the 1st King's African Rifles at Moyale, Kenya.

US Military: US Marine Corps Captain Kenneth W. Benner takes over the military presence on Midway Atoll, relieving Captain Samuel G. Taxis.

British Government:  The House of Commons approves a £1,000 Million line of credit for war expenditure.

The crown appoints the Duke of Windsor the Governor of the Bahamas. He is widely viewed as having German sympathies, and this position is more to keep an eye on him than to reward him with new responsibilities. Hog's Island (Nassau) in the Bahamas has several residents who are considered suspicious, such as industrialist Axel Wenner-Grenn of Sweden.

The Admiralty claims credit for sinking the French battleship Richelieu during recent Operation Catapult. The claim technically is correctly, but the Richelieu has settled in very shallow water and is quickly repaired and refloated.

French Government: The French legislature at Vichy votes Marshal Pétain's full powers to establish a new constitution by decree, with only three in the Chamber and one in the Senate voting against him. In this manner, the Third Republic ends.

Pierre Laval, the French vice-PM, announces that the Republic will become "a Fascist form of government, which I have long admired." This is the first time any member of the Vichy government has openly admitted to Fascist leanings. The new national slogan, "Work, Family, and Fatherland," is adopted.

The Armistice Commission announces that all German POWs in French custody have now been released.

German Government: Berlin announces that Romania is under German protection.

Czechoslovakian Government: Edvard Benes forms a government-in-exile in London.

Romania: King Carol II orders the arrest of Marshal Ion Antonescu after Antonescu sends him a note protesting the decision to give the Soviet Union the lands it had demanded in the east. Antonescu is interned at Bistrița Monastery. At this time, Antonescu is viewed with suspicion by just about everyone.

Greenland: U.S. Consul to Greenland James K. Penfield, Governor of North Greenland E. Brun, and a group of Danish officials arrive at Boston on U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCG Campbell for discussions about trade with Greenland.

Iceland: Canadian Z Force arrives to supplement the existing British occupation force (treated as "guests" by the locals).

China: A Japanese embassy spokesman in Shanghai demands an apology for the recent arrest of 16 Japanese Gendarmes by US Marines, threatening that this could affect "the whole course of Japanese - United States relations."

Sweden: The government denies that it is joining the Axis despite allowing the Wehrmacht transit rights.

Norway: It is reported that Vidkun Quisling is now a local radio commentator in Norway. "Quisling" already has become a synonym for "traitor."

Holocaust: Polish Silesian politician Józef Biniszkiewicz perishes at Buchenwald.

British Homefront: War jitters are at a fever pitch. There are so many rumors of parachutists, German ray guns and the like that the government warns that spreading false rumors will be prosecuting.

Edward R. Murrow is broadcasting in dramatic fashion to the States about The Blitz.

American Homefront: President Roosevelt dodges questions at a press conference about whether he will seek an unprecedented third term. He already has decided to do so but wants to maintain the suspense.

The Major League All-Star Game is held in Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, with the National League winning, 4-0.

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020