Friday 20 June 1941

"Fortress Mark I, AN521 WP-K, of No. 90 Squadron RAF based at West Raynham, Norfolk, preparing for takeoff at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, during an inspection of newly-arrived American aircraft by the Chief of the Air Staff and the US Air Attache." 20 June 1941. © IWM (CH 2873).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: As the day begins on 20 June 1941, the 5th Indian Brigade at Mezzeh is in dire straits. The Vichy French based in Damascus three miles to the east have surrounded them, and they are running out of supplies. They have managed to send three men through the French lines to get word to headquarters that they cannot hold out much longer. Operation Exporter may not be in trouble, but these trapped men are.

Brigadier Wilfrid Lewis Lloyd, now back in command of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade after temporarily being in command of Genforce (now under the command of Major-General John Evetts), makes his best effort to relieve his encircled troops. He sends two companies from the 3/1st Punjab Regiment, two companies of French Marines and a battery of artillery to open a corridor to Mezzeh. The Vichy French, however, fight hard and slow the relief column, and the relief troops (the 2/3rd Battalion and 2/5th Field Regiment) get no help from the flanks.

The Indian troops, with no food or water and having run out of ammunition, surrender at 13:30, a hugely embarrassing blow for the British command. This goes a long way to restoring Gallic pride on the Vichy side and, somewhat perversely, leaves them more open to the idea of eventual surrender.

However, the hard fighting around Damascus continues. The Australian relief column continues fighting forward and retakes Mezzeh at 19:00. However, now it is an empty city and of little tactical significance beyond being one of many road junctions. The battle around Damascus now degenerates into a classic melee in which both sides jostle for control of the roads and hills (which hold forts) overlooking those roads, with neither side in control as the day ends.

The Vichy Government decides to ramp up peace feelers to Great Britain. It gives up trying to use the American Consul-General to broker a deal, and instead, Premier Petain covertly sends a representative directly to London. This is fairly easily done via Lisbon.

Luftwaffe General Hellmuth Felmy, the commander of Special Staff F (Sonderstab F), the Luftwaffe's mission to Iraq, is reassigned. The entire idea of the Axis intervening in Iraq has now drifted completely out of the realm of possibility, so Felmy becomes commander of Army Group Southern Greece (Befehlshaber Südgriechenland). In any event, in these commands, he never has to leave Athens and never has any real responsibility - the reassignment is simply an admission of the ridiculousness of continuing with the fiction of an Axis presence in Iraq.

European Air Operations: During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 11 aircraft on anti-shipping missions. After dark, RAF Bomber Command bombs Kiel with 115 bombers during the night.

Soviet cruiser Komintern, based at the Black Sea base at Sevastopol.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-203 (Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg), on its first patrol out of Kiel and cruising off Iceland, spots US Navy battleship USS Texas (BB-35) just within the "Blockade Zone" established around Great Britain. Technically, at least according to the Germans, this justifies sinking the ship. However, Mützelburg is unable to maneuver into firing position, and the faster battleship gets away. This very nearly starts World War II for the United States six months early. Texas, incidentally, will figure in a similar incident in May 1945.

U-123 (Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle), on its fifth patrol out of Lorient and operating near the Azores, uses gunfire and torpedoes and sinks 4333-ton Portuguese freighter Ganda. There are five deaths and 61 survivors. As the ship sinks, Moehle notices that the ship flies a neutral flag. Upon his return to Lorient, Moehle reports the matter, and U-boat headquarters (BdU) tells him to alter the log to make the sinking appear legal.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2249-ton Norwegian freighter Schieland, which is sailing with Convoy FS.520, southeast of Grimsby. There is one death (who dies later) and eight survivors.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy 258-ton minesweeping trawler HMT Resmilo at Peterhead. Everyone survives (no casualties).

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 5578-ton British tanker Inverarder off the Isle of Wight. The master beaches the tanker at Motherbank Buoy, Solent. It later is refloated and repaired at Southampton.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2841-ton freighter Cormount off Outer Dowsing Light Vessel. There is one death.

British 2844-ton freighter Ilse hits a mine and is damaged near Hartlepool. There is one death. The forepart is flown off, but the rear portion of the ship is towed to Middleborough and repaired.

Royal Navy minelayer Teviotbank lays minefield BS.64 in the North Sea.

Convoy OB-337 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX-134 departs from Halifax, Convoy SC-35 departs from Sidney bound for the Clyde.

Royal Navy escort carrier HMS Audacity (Commander Douglas W. MacKendrick) and minelayer Manxman are commissioned, corvette Campion is launched, and destroyer Relentless is laid down.

U-351 (Oblt. Karl Hause) is commissioned, U-506 is launched.

A mortar officer and rangefinder operator of the Lovat Scouts, during an exercise in the Faroe Islands, 20 June 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Prime Minister Winston Churchill remains furious about the desultory affair of Operation Battleaxe, in which a British offensive with extremely precious tanks not only failed but resulted in a loss of ground. He resolves to replace Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell with the Commander-in-Chief India, General Claude Auchinleck. Having been in command of a backwater, Auchinleck has minimal combat experience during World War II (like many other World War II leaders he made his reputation in the Great War), but Churchill doesn't want to recall Wavell to England and make his command change painfully obvious to the public - which would result in uncomfortable questions about his own competence.

Italian submarine Ondina torpedoes and sinks 3805-ton Turkish liner Refah forty miles south of Mersin. There are 165-167 deaths.

Italian 4543-ton freighter Buccari explodes under mysterious circumstances at Taranto, Apulia, Italy.

Two Royal Navy submarined, HMS Tetrarch and Severn, make unsuccessful attacks on ships, the former off Lemnos, the latter off Palermo.

Overhead view of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, in June 1941.

Spy Stuff: Soviet spies in Bulgaria radio the Kremlin that the Germans plan to invade on 21 or 22 June. The warning is filed.

Sleeper Soviet spy Richard Sorge, posing as a journalist in Tokyo, has sent many warnings to Moscow about Operation Barbarossa. Today, he tries again, drafting a final warning:

[German Ambassador to Japan] Ott told me that war between Germany and the USSR is inevitable…. Invest [the code name for Japanese journalist Hotsumi Ozaki] told me that the Japanese General Staff is already discussing what position to take in the event of war.

Sorge gives the message to his crony, Max Clausen, for transmission, but for pragmatic reasons, it is not sent until 21 June.

The Japanese protest at the opening of the luggage of Japanese Minister Yoshiaki Miura by Pan American Airways employees in Guatemala. Diplomat Sadao Iguchi goes to the office of the Chief of the Far Eastern Section in Washington and requests that the airline be told the proper handling of diplomats' baggage, i.e., not to search them. The reason the Japanese are so concerned with this issue at this time is that they have come into possession of detailed maps of the Panama Canal Zone from Italians living there and wish to transport them to Tokyo. There, the maps could be used for planning military attacks.

The last billet of the German 506 Infantry Regiment, 291st Infantry Division, before the Russian campaign, June 20, 1941.

US/German Relations: President Roosevelt gives a message to Congress regarding the Robin Moore affair. He describes the "ruthless sinking" of the US freighter in May as an "act of piracy." He notes that the submarine captain knew that it was a US ship and sank it anyway and this is the act of "an international outlaw." He describes the attack on "innocent men, women, and children" as "terrorism."

While long on rhetoric - and it is very strong rhetoric indeed - the statement is short on proposals for action. He notes somewhat lamely that "Full reparation for the losses and damages suffered by American nationals will be expected from the German Government," though he does not say how he expects to receive such reparations. Roosevelt concludes that the Reich seeks to make the United States "submit," but "We are not yielding and we do not propose to yield."

The President does not, of course, mention that Robin Moore was carrying war supplies to the British. However, to be fair to Roosevelt, the Robin Moore was sunk outside of the blockade zone set up by the Reich around Great Britain and the attack thus was illegal despite renewed warnings by the Germans in May about the dangers on the high seas. So, both sides have some facts with which to justify their positions, but all that matters, for the time being, is whether the United States is going to declare war over the affair - and it isn't.

There are rumblings about the US/German relationships on the other side of the Atlantic, too. At 21:00, Hitler's adjutant Colonel Rudolf Schmundt tells Hitler that Admiral Raeder has just told him that a U-boat captain claimed to have attempted to sink US battleship USS Texas about 10 miles within the blockade zone - but failed. Raeder has justified the attempted sinking, which almost certainly would have created an opportunity for President Roosevelt to declare war on the Reich. This disturbs Hitler, who wants nothing to do with the United States while he is focusing on the Soviet Union. He spends the night considering whether new rules are in order regarding attacks on US shipping.

"Calm Before the Storm." Soviet border guards on the western border, 20 June 1941.

German/Romanian Relations: The Germans reveal the secret of Operation Barbarossa to the Romanians. This is significant because security for the operation has been extremely tight and very few people outside the upper echelons of the Wehrmacht have been told. The Germans hope to have significant participation from Romanian troops during the invasion, not to mention the fact that the entire Wehrmacht runs on Romanian oil and thus their cooperation in any endeavor is necessary.

USS O-9 (SS-70), which foundered 20 June 1941. The wreck site was found in 1997 by Klein Sonar but the location remains a secret known only to the US Navy.

US Military: Major General Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, who has led the US Army Air Corps since 29 September 1938, is appointed the leader of the newly created US Army Air Forces. Pursuant to Army Regulation 95-5, this is the successor to the US Army Air Corps.

Arnold becomes Chief of the Army Air Forces and acting "Deputy Chief of Staff for Air" with authority over both the Air Corps and Air Force Combat Command (successor to GHQAF). Arnold would prefer that the air force become a separate branch of the military equal to the Army and Navy, but Chief of Staff George C. Marshall (an old friend from before World War I) convinces Arnold to wait until after the brewing war for complete separation.

US Navy Task Group 2.6, led by the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7), departs from Hampton Roads, Virginia on a neutrality patrol.

Three US Navy submarines conduct deep submergence tests about 15 miles (24 km) off Portsmouth, New Hampshire. These tests go very badly when USS O-9 (SS-70) implodes and kills its 34 crewmen. There is nothing that can be done, it is a great tragedy that receives surprisingly little publicity and is not long remembered.

A sign in the General Government area of occupied Poland that says "Generalgouvernment of the Occupied Polish area - border 14 meters." This is at the Granitza River, and beyond in the area of Poland occupied by the Soviet Union. 20 June 1041 (Federal Archive Bild 169-0897)

German Military: Adolf Hitler tells OKW to distribute the "Proclamation To The Troops of the Eastern Front" that he was working on during the 19th. Of course, there is no "Eastern Front" yet, so the very title is a tip-off to the document's contents.

Issued in secret, the four-page document includes a lengthy recitation of the warped view of recent history that characterizes his speeches. The Proclamation also includes some specious claims (such as that there were no German troops on the border "until a very few weeks ago" when in fact he has been planning Operation Barbarossa for almost a full year). It is overkill for an "Order of the Day" and reads as an attempted justification for his attack, which he claims has been forced upon him by the Jewish-Bolshevik rulers of Moscow. In other words, it is simply more of the same rationalizations and prevarications that characterize all of his justifications for war.

The Proclamation ends:

At this moment, soldiers of the eastern front, an assembly of strength the like of which in size and scale the world has never seen is now complete.  In league with Finnish divisions, our comrades are standing with the Victor of Narvik [Dietl] on the shores of the Arctic in the north.  German soldiers under the command of the Conquerer of Norway [Falkenhorst], and the Finnish heroes of freedom under their own Marshal [Mannerheim] are protecting Finland.  On the eastern front stand you.  In Romania, on the banks of the Prut, and along the Danube right down to the beaches of the Black Sea are German and Romanian troops united under Antonescu, the head of state.  When this, the biggest front line in history, now begins its advance it does so not just to provide the means of ending for all time this great war, or to defend those countries currently concerned, but for the salvation of our entire European civilization and culture. 

German soldiers!  You are thus entering upon a harsh and demanding fight—because the fate of Europe, the future of the German Reich, the existence of our nation now rest on your hands alone. 

May the Lord God help us all in this struggle.

Hitler confirms with OKW operations chief General Alfred Jodl that Operation Barbarossa will begin on 22 June.

The troops themselves, meanwhile, are told that an attack on the Soviet Union is "hypothetical" and everything related to such an attack is an "exercise." This makes sense to the troops - why attack the Soviet Union when the Reich is still at war with England?

The Kriegsmarine, meanwhile, now is laying mines in the Baltic. U-boats there have orders to shoot at any Soviet ships (there are none). All Soviet ships in Reich ports are prevented from leaving under one pretext or another.

A member of the Finnish voluntary auxiliary paramilitary organization for women (Lotta Svärd) in Helsinki prepares to head to the front on 20 June 1941.

Finnish Military: The military calls up all reservists under the age of 45. The military begins evacuating communities along the border with the Soviet Union in preparation for Operation Barbarossa - which Finland will join independently at a later date as the "Continuation War."

Soviet Military: The Red Air Force has issued orders to camouflage airfields, but these measures require time to prepare and have not yet been begun. It also forms the 6th Fighter Corps in Moscow for the protection of the capital. An air raid drill over Moscow is planned for Sunday, 22 June.

German Government: During the day, Adolf Hitler tells his secretaries that he just finds something "wrong" about Russia - it reminds him of the ghost ship in "The Flying Dutchman." He explains:

Because we know absolutely nothing about Russia. It might be one big soap-bubble, but it might just as well turn out to be very different.

This will be a recurrent theme throughout World War II - how little the Reich knows about Russia.

Hitler is confident about Operation Barbarossa but also concerned. In his diary entry today, adjutant Hewel writes that Hitler:

told me that this morning [June 20] he again pored over every minute detail, but found no possibility for the enemy to get the better of Germany.  He thinks Britain will have to give in - and he hopes it will be before the year is over.

Hewel also writes that Hitler admits there "must always be a big element of risk." Among Hitler's worries are secret weapons, fanatical Soviet resistance, and the unknown.

Hitler needs to take pills to get to sleep. This is the beginning stage of his growing reliance on medicines for normal functioning.

"Racial theorist" Alfred Rosenberg delivers a speech in which he states that the sole use of the conquered peoples in Eastern Europe is to feed German troops and citizens. Their own survival is not a priority. This is a refrain that will recur from various German leaders throughout the war.

Norway: The Norwegian occupation authorities finally force actors and directors to end their theater strike that began on 21 May. The strike has been a major public relations failure for the Germans, receiving publicity in Swiss publications. The strike leaves very hard feelings in the occupation authorities, and the German Ministry of Culture takes full control of Norwegian Theaters. Many prominent theatrical figures are arrested at the Grini concentration camp for the remainder of the war. The strike ultimately has a devastating effect on the Norwegian theatrical scene, as the public decides to boycott shows to show solidarity and puts many theater workers out of work.

"Reflections of Spring" by Peter Mork Monsted.

Denmark: Artist Peder Mørk Mønsted (Peter Mork Monsted) passes away. He painted brilliantly vivid landscape paintings and was very popular in Germany. His art has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.

Soviet Homefront: In a case of odd timing, Soviet anthropologists Mikhail M. Gerasimov, Lev V. Oshanin and V. Ia. Zezenkova open the tomb of the Ruler of the Golden Horde, Timur (also known as Tamerlane). His tomb in Samarkand reportedly is inscribed with the words:

When I rise from the dead, the world shall tremble.

Inside the casket reportedly is another inscription:

Whomsoever opens my tomb shall unleash an invader more terrible than I.

The locals are sure that this violation of the tomb of Timur will lead to bad things - such as an invasion.

American Homefront: In a major win for US Unions, Ford Motor Company signs its first contract with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).

Charles Lindbergh gives an isolationist speech in Los Angeles.
US journalist publishes his classic memoir of pre-war Germany, "Berlin Diary."

New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio continues his club-record hitting streak. He goes 4-5 against the Detroit Tigers in New York. DiMaggio now has hit safely in 33 games. While DiMaggio is setting history with his streak, his batting average remains far below that of Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams, who is en route to the last .400 season in MLB history.

RKO Radio Pictures releases Walt Disney Productions' "The Reluctant Dragon." An animated film, the film turns into a tour of the brand-new Walt Disney Studios building in Burbank, California. Radio comedian Robert Benchley walks the audience through the studio. After an introductory segment, the remainder of the film is in Technicolor, which in a world of black-and-white films is a draw in and of itself. The film does not, of course, mention the Disney animators' strike that still is in progress right outside the Burbank facility at the time of release. In fact, there is a ringer playing an animator in the studio, actor Alan Ladd.

The film roughly breaks even and does not alleviate the financial strain under which Disney Studios has been laboring since the failure of "Pinocchio." However, as with all Disney animated films, the characters live on in the Disney universe and make appearances in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) and some other later productions.

Marx Brothers comedy "The Big Story" opens. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, "The Big Store" features Margaret Dumont as the Marx Brothers' employer in a fight over control a department store. The film is billed as the act's farewell performance and generally is considered a lesser offering by the Marx Brothers. However, it does turn a profit and the Marx Brothers reunite in 1946 for "A Night In Casablanca."

2020

Tuesday 20 May 1941

German paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) drop on Crete, 20 May 1941.

Anglo/Iraq War: In London, Prime Minister Winston Churchill on 20 May 1941 decides to support Free French General Catroux in an invasion of Syria. As the War Cabinet minutes state, he decides that "It was worth taking a chance which might come off, rather than watch the Germans establishing themselves in Syria."

British Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell transfers the 7th Australian Division (Major General John Lavarack) from Mersa Matruh, Egypt to Palestine. This is a key step in preparing for an invasion of Syria, which the Luftwaffe is using as a transit point for operations in Iraq.

RAF planes attack the Luftwaffe planes based at Mosul, while the Luftwaffe bombs Habbaniya. There are dogfights over Fallujah, just occupied by the British. Four of Habbaniya's Gloster Gladiators tussle with four ZG 76 Bf 110s. One of the Gladiators is damaged and the German (future night fighter ace) Martin Drewes takes credit for a victory.

Luftwaffe General Hellmuth Felmy takes command of Sonderstab F, which controls air operations in Iraq. He is not the overall commander of German operations in Iraq, though, which are projected to include ground troops.

The 1st Fallschirmjäger artillery regiment, 7 Kompanie, Crete, 20 May 1941.

European Air Operations: It is another quiet day on the Channel Front, with no major raids. The Luftwaffe engages in some aerial reconnaissance in support of Operation Rheinübung, the sortie into the Atlantic by battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen. The British continue to dig out from the May Blitz which recently ended.

East African Campaign: During an appearance in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill describes the recent victory over the Italians at Amba Alagi in Abyssinia. He is careful to give credit to local army commanders Generals Cunningham and Platt, who he says "discharged so well the task assigned to them by the Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East, Sir Archibald Wavell."

Battle of the Atlantic: Today is one of the big days of the war for the U-boat fleet, though it is little remembered. Attacks in multiple areas inflict a great defeat on the Allies at sea.

Convoy HX-126, heading west to Liverpool from Halifax, is spotted by Wolf Pack West around 160 miles south of Greenland (220 miles southeast of Cape Farewell) and comes under attack by several U-boats. While largely forgotten because several other high profile events are taking place (such as the Bismarck mission and the invasion of Crete), this is one of the epic wolfpack battles of the war. As with all major wolfpack battles, details are sketchy, and who sank what on which day is often unclear and subject to further research.

At 04:58, U-94 (Kptlt. Herbert Kuppisch), on its seventh patrol out of St. Nazaire and which recently survived depth charging by escorts of OB 318, torpedoes 4718-ton British freighter Norman Monarch in the starboard side. All 48 men aboard survive, taken aboard the designated rescue ship Harpagus. However, their day is not over yet.

It is unclear if U-109 (Kptlt. Hans-Georg Fischer), on its first patrol out of Kiel, knows that the 5173-ton Harpagus is a rescue ship, but in any event, it is fair game. Fischer spots the Harpagus trying to catch up to the convoy after picking up the survivors from the Norman Monarch. He pumps a torpedo into the Harpagus and sinks it. There are 26 deaths from the survivors of the Norman Monarch and ultimately only 22 crewmen survive that ship to see another day.

U-556, seen here coming alongside battleship Tirpitz.

At 14:48, U-556 (Kptlt. Herbert Wohlfarth) strikes HX-126. He sinks three ships in rapid succession (again at 14:50 and 15:16):

8740-ton British freighter British Security
5995-ton British freighter Cockaponset
4974-ton British freighter Darlington Court.

These will be U-556's final three victories, as it will be sunk on its next mission.

At 18:17, Kuppisch in U-94 strikes again against Convoy HX-126. He torpedoes a 6128-ton Norwegian tanker, John P. Pedersen. There are 37 survivors and one death. The tanker requires two more torpedoes, at 18:50 and 19:20, to finally sink.

At 17:29, U-98 (Kptlt. Robert Gysae), on its second patrol out of Lorient, also gets in on the action against Convoy HX-126. He torpedoes and sinks 5356-ton British freighter Rothermere.

Italian Glauco-class submarine Otaria (Lt. Commander Giuseppe Vocaturo) torpedoes and badly damages 4662-ton British freighter Starcross several hundred miles west of Ireland. The crew abandons ship, and the Starcross is scuttled. Survivors are picked up by Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Francis, a former US (USS Bancroft) Clemson-class destroyer.

At 21:24, U-138 (Oblt.Wolfgang Lüth), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient and operating about 155 miles northwest of the Butt of Lewis, torpedoes and sinks 8593-ton British tanker Javanese Princess. Some accounts state this took place on 15 May, but the 20th seems more likely. There are 57 survivors (including some passengers) and one death. Survivors are picked up by HMS Faulknor, Lincoln Assurance (a tug).

U-103 (Viktor Schütze), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient and operating off Freetown, torpedoes and sinks 3575-ton Egyptian freighter Radames. There is one death. Some sources place this sinking on 25 May.

At 16:44, U-111 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Kleinschmidt), on its first patrol and operating near U-138, hits 13,307-ton British tanker San Felix. The San Felix develops a list to starboard but escapes further damage in a rain squall. It makes it to St. John's and is repaired.

One of the seven Junkers Ju 52s shot down over Crete today, 20 May 1941.

Completing an arduous journey to which they were not suited, the last of four Italian coastal submarines, Perla, completes its journey to Bordeaux, France from Massawa on the Red Sea. The submarines are too small to carry enough supplies for lengthy journeys, and the sailors become malnourished on the trip around the Cape of Good Hope, but they complete the journey rather than surrender. The submarines now join the other Italian submarines operating in the Atlantic.

German freighter Dresden arrives in Bordeaux with prisoners captured by raider Atlantis from the Zamzam.

German battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen reach the Norwegian coast, and the accompanying minesweepers are sent back to base. Aerial reconnaissance shows that the Royal Navy Home Fleet remains at anchor at Scapa Flow, Scotland. Pursuant to Operation Rheinübung, Bismarck and Prinz Eugen continue northward along the Norwegian coast to Bergen. At 13:00, neutral Swedish seaplane-cruiser Gotland sights the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen and reports this (through circuitous means) to the Royal Navy.

A major USN Neutrality Patrol leaves Bermuda. It includes aircraft carrier USS Wasp and heavy cruiser Quincy (CA-39). This is Task Force 2 and it will cover over 4000 miles (6500 km) on its two-week patrol.

Convoy HX 128 departs from Halifax and BHX 128 from Bermuda.

Royal Navy sloop HMS Landguard (Lt. Commander Rowland E. S. Hugonin) is commissioned.

Destroyer USS Barton is laid down.

Operation Mercury, 20 May 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Unternehmen Merkur - Operation Mercury - commences. It is treated lightly by the Wehrmacht, almost as an afterthought to Operation Marita, and Adolf Hitler spends little time on it. The operation is directed by General Kurt Student in the King George Hotel in Athens and is exclusively a Luftwaffe operation (though reinforcement of the initial lodgement by sea is contemplated). The British know the Germans are coming from their Ultra decrypts, but there remains a gap between knowing the invasion is coming and being able to stop it.

The Fallschirmjäger (German paratroopers) of the 7th Flieger Division board their Junkers Ju 52 transport planes and DFS 230 gliders on mainland Greece around daylight and beginning dropping on Crete around 07:15-08:00. The drops are in the three battlegroups (Kampfgruppen) East, West and Center. There are several airfield objectives, as the plan is to seize at least one airfield and then sluice reinforcements into it to create a defensible bridgehead. One of the failings of the plan is that sea reinforcement is difficult not just because of the presence of the Royal Navy, but the lack of good landing sites. The targets are Maleme airfield and Chania in the west, Rethymno in the center, and Heraklion further east. Group West has the highest number of attacking troops. Overall, Luftwaffe transport losses are lighter than expected (seven are shot down).

German Fallschirmjäger troops prepare for the mission to Crete.

The first landings are at Maleme, where many Fallschirmjäger land west of the airfield and form up for an advance on the airfield and Chania. The 21st, 22nd and 23rd New Zealand battalions in the vicinity respond quickly, and the Germans take heavy casualties. Some Junkers Ju 52s land on the airfield itself, and the surviving Germans (many planes are destroyed immediately) form a small perimeter at the southern end of the field. An Allied counterattack by the 22nd New Zealand Infantry Battalion makes some progress but ultimately fails because of command confusion which results in no reinforcements being sent. As the day progresses, the Germans west of the field advance and take Hill 107, which overlooks the field. However, the field itself is still raked by Allied fire and unsuitable for normal use.

Fallschirmjäger at Crete, 20 May 1941. Odds are good that this is a composite or otherwise doctored photo prepared for propaganda purposes.

In the afternoon, the second tranche of transports drop waves of Fallschirmjäger at Rethymno and Heraklion. The Germans attack Rethymno at 16:15 and Heraklion at 17:30. The Heraklion defenders - 14th Infantry Brigade, the 2/4th Australian Infantry Battalion, and the Greek 3rd, 7th and "Garrison" (ex-5th Crete Division) battalions - respond quickly, and the Germans essentially surround the field without penetrating it. The attackers have even less success at Rethymno and wind up spending more time trying to evade capture than secure the airfield.

As the day ends, the Germans are in the best shape at Maleme, but even there they have not secured the airfield. During the night, General Student decides to concentrate his entire effort on Maleme and basically leaves the other forces to fend for themselves. He bases this decision on a report that a Ju 52 flown by Captain Kleye managed to land at the airport while only subject to small arms fire. While the planes may be destroyed, this may be a way to get reinforcements to the island.

Fallschirmjäger on Hill 107 overlooking Maleme airfield, 20 May 1941.

On the other side, General Bernard C. Freyberg authorizes a pullback at Maleme during the night, leaving Hill 107 uncontested. Freyberg makes plans for a set-piece attack on the 21st using the handful of British tanks available on the island. The entire invasion and control of Crete now depend upon who can concentrate the most force at one point: Maleme airfield.

The RAF and Luftwaffe battle over Crete, neither side using its airfields (the RAF withdrew to Alexandria on the 19th). The Luftwaffe sinks minesweeper HMS Widnes at Suda Bay (later salvaged by the Germans as UJ.2109). In addition, 353-ton armed trawler Kos XXIII is badly damaged and ultimately written off.

One of the air casualties is Flt. Lt. Montague T St. John "Pat" Pattle of RAF No. 80 Squadron, who has dozens of confirmed victories (the exact number of his actual victories is subject to debate but likely is somewhere around 30-40).

Crete, 20 May 1941.

The Royal Navy has Force A-1, including battleship HMS Warspite, west of Crete. Force B is west of Cape Matapan but en route to join Force A-1. Force C, with two light cruisers, is in the Kaso Strait. Force D, also including light cruisers, is in the Antikythera Strait. Force C comes under air and motorboat attack, without results.

Italian 52 ton freighter Padre Eterno and 194-ton freighter Aghios Georgios spotted by Force A-1 and sunk by gunfire.

Italian destroyer escort Curatone is operating in the Gulf of Athens when it hits a mine and sinks.

Italian 5165 ton freighter Zeffiro and 4856-ton Perseo hit mines just off Cape Bon. The mines are newly laid Italian mines. The Zeffiro sinks, and the Perso is badly damaged.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Urge fires a torpedo at Italian destroyer Alpino (thought to be a tanker) near Lampedusa (midway between Malta and Tunisia) but misses.

German troops occupy the island of Antikythera, near Crete.

Another mission to ferry planes to Malta, Operation Splice, reverses its feint into the Atlantic from Gibraltar and heads into the Mediterranean. HMS Ark Royal and Furious carry 48 planes for the island.

Fallschirmjäger of the 3./FjSR having just been dropped about one kilometer from the Tavronitis bridge, Maleme sector, Crete, 20 May 1941.

Second Lieutenant Roy Farran (in command of "C" Squadron of the 3rd King's Own Hussars) earns the Victoria Cross for actions near Canea. He manages to block a key road with tanks and has his men shoot a group of Fallschirmjäger who have captured a group of 40 hospital patients. See below for a darker side of this incident.

General Freyberg reports to Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell:

At dawn on Tuesday, powerful German forces began heavy assault on Crete. Large numbers of paratroops jumped onto the island, and according to reports received so far, airborne troops have landed in transport aircraft. British and Greek units have engaged the enemy. A number of German paratroops have been killed and captured. The battles are continuing.

Wavell has limited options to help on Crete, as he already has a full commitment of the Royal Navy and RAF.

Winston Churchill announces the invasion in the House of Commons in the evening, saying:

The third matter is not yet known to the House. For the last few day our reconnoitring aeroplanes have noticed very heavy concentrations of German aircraft of all kinds on the aerodromes of Southern Greece.... It is now clear that these concentrations were the prelude to an attack upon Crete. An airborne attack in great strength started this morning, and what cannot fail to be a serious battle has begun and is developing.

Churchill may be correct in stating that he knew about the German preparations for the invasion due to reconnaissance aircraft, but he is careful not to mention the real source of his information: the Ultra decrypts.

Churchill elaborates on the invasion in a statement:

After a good deal of intense bombing of Suda Bay and the various aerodromes in the neighborhood, about 1,500 enemy troops, wearing New Zealand battle-dress, landed by gliders, parachutes and troop carriers in the Canea-Maleme area.

It is unclear why Churchill states that the Fallschirmjäger are wearing Allied uniforms, which would be a violation of the rules of warfare. What is clear now is that they were not, so either Churchill is misinformed or he is lying to the House of Commons intentionally for some reason.

In Malta, there are more Luftwaffe attacks. They damage Luqa airfield, damaging the control tower and destroying Beaufighter on the tarmac. There is one death.

A Junkers Ju 52 comes in low over Crete, avoiding artillery fire (but exposing itself to ground fire), 20 May 1941.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Orion turns toward home. It will have to round the Cape of Good Hope, and South Africa is a British ally, so this is a dangerous trip. This will be a leisurely journey. The Orion carries a Japanese floatplane, which it acquired from supply ship Münsterland on 1 February.

German/Finnish Relations:  Minister Karl Schnurre arrives in Helsinki as the German Special Envoy to meet the Finnish President Ryti. He depicts an increasingly tense relationship between the Reich and the USSR. Schnurre also warns about a possible Soviet preemptive attack somewhere along the border, perhaps in Finland.

The Finns agree to his suggestion that they send a delegation to Berlin to coordinate possible responses to a Soviet attack. Field Marshal Mannerheim prepares a delegation to be sent within a few days, led by the Chief of the General HQ, Lieutenant General Heinrichs, accompanied by four other high-ranking officers. They will not be authorized to enter agreements but simply perform some fact-finding.

Anglo/US Relations: US Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Shoshone (CGC-50) is transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Landguard. This is the ninth transfer of USCGC vessels pursuant to Lend Lease.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Truant departs from Gibraltar to refit in the United States at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

German/Venezuelan Relations: The LA Times reports that German diplomats have been expelled, though on very cordial terms.

May 20, 1941. Ack-Ack Girls, members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), run to action at an anti-aircraft gun emplacement in the London area when the alarm is sounded. (AP Photo)

War Crimes: Second Lieutenant Roy Farran, who as described above wins the Military Cross for actions today near Canea, later writes that his troops encountered some Fallschirmjäger attempting to surrender. Farran claims to have ordered the surrendering Germans shot. He claimed that this was done on the spur of the moment.

Spy Stuff: Japanese Ambassador to the US Kichisaburō Nomura reports to Tokyo that the US is reading their coded messages. However, he claims that the most important diplomatic codes are still secure - when in fact they are not.

POWs: Polish Lieutenant J. Just, a prisoner of war of Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, temporarily escapes but is quickly recaptured.

Winston Churchill, during his remarks in the House of Commons, refuses to comment on Rudolf Hess.

British Government: Prime Minister Churchill takes questions in the House of Commons. Among other things, he refuses requests to appoint a Minister of Civil Defence or a minister devoted to the development of military armored formations.

German Government: Apparently completely unconcerned about Operation Mercury, Adolf Hitler drives down to Munich to spend two days at his old apartment there - and not at nearby Berchtesgaden. What he does during such solitary visits is not known. His next meeting will be on the 22nd.

Powell's house at the intersection of 195th Street and 58th Avenue, Queens, New York, May 20, 1941. (Courtesy NYC Municipal Archives)

China: The Chinese manage to shoot down an A6M Zero in fairly good condition near the city of Chengdu, north of Chungking (Chongqing). Marine Corps Major James McHugh gets drawings and data on the plane and passes them along both to the Navy Department in Washington and (much later) to Flying Tigers commander Claire Chennault. The Chinese drawings and analysis are good as far as they go, but the Zero's tail has been destroyed and this part of the fuselage remains a mystery to the Allies.

The Japanese launch the Jidong Operation. Its goal is to capture the eastern part of Hebei Province.

Chinese Communists form the CCP Central China Bureau.

Holocaust: Germany bans emigration of Jews from France and Belgium in anticipation of an imminent broader solution to their situation (which is not specified). While this obviously is ominous, at this time it may still mean their transport to newly captured territories in the East for use as slaves rather than outright extermination.

American Homefront: The LA Times reports that the mother of Desi Arnaz, who is a US citizen at least since marrying Lucille Ball on 30 November 1940, is told that she must return to Cuba (which she has left for Mexico) in order to emigrate to the United States with a quota number. The Arnaz family is not welcome in Cuba since Fulgencio Batista seized the family's properties in the 1930s. Note that Arnaz did not mention this in his autobiography "A Book" (1976), where he states that the family fled to Miami.

The Young Women's Republican Club of Milford, Connecticut has a "smoker" party on 20 May 1941 to show that they enjoy wild parties just as much as men do (photo and story were in the 16 June 1941 Life magazine).

May 1941

May 1, 1941: British Hold Tobruk
May 2, 1941: Anglo-Iraq War
May 3, 1941: Liverpool Hammered
May 4, 1941: Hitler Victory Speech
May 5, 1941: Patriots Day
May 6, 1941: Stalin In Command
May 7, 1941: May Blitz
May 8, 1941: Pinguin Sunk
May 9, 1941: U-110 Captured
May 10, 1941: Hess Flies Into History
May 11, 1941: The Hess Peace Plan
May 12, 1941: Tiger Arrives Safely
May 13, 1941: Keitel's Illegal Order
May 14, 1941: Holocaust in Paris
May 15, 1941: Operation Brevity
May 16, 1941: Blitz Ends
May 17, 1941: Habbaniya Relieved
May 18, 1941: Croatia Partitioned
May 19, 1941: Bismarck at Sea
May 20, 1941: Invasion of Crete
May 21, 1941: Robin Moore Sinking
May 22, 1941: Royal Navy Destruction Off Crete
May 23, 1941: Crete Must Be Won
May 24, 1941: Bismarck Sinks Hood
May 25, 1941: Lütjens' Brilliant Maneuver
May 26, 1941: Bismarck Stopped
May 27, 1941: Bismarck Sunk
May 28, 1941: Crete Lost
May 29, 1941: Royal Navy Mauled Off Crete
May 30, 1941: Sorge Warns, Stalin Ignores
May 31, 1941: British Take Baghdad

2020

Thursday 11 January 1940

Gloster Gladiator in use in Finland during the Winter War.

Winter War: Kombrig Vinogradov, Commissar Parkhomenko, and Chief of Staff Volkov of the 44th Rifle Division each are found guilty by a court-martial and sentenced to death. The charges are irrelevant, the outcome was preordained by the military defeat, but they are accused among other things of leaving behind wounded to die. They are executed on 11 January 1940 in Vazhenvaara by firing squad in front of what remains of their troops. The commissar of the Ninth Army, Furt, is appointed the acting commander of the 44th Rifle Division, which must be completely rebuilt.

Winter War Army Operations: The Finnish IV Corps (12th Infantry Division and 13th Infantry Division) surround the 34th Tank Brigade, Soviet 168th Division and 18th Rifle Division of Soviet 8th Army north of Lake Ladoga. They call this the "Great Mottie of Kitilä." The weather is good enough for the Soviets to supply the pocket by air, but the men inside are miserable and immobilized. The Finns beat off a Soviet relief attempt and set to work cutting up the pocket as they did near Suomussalmi. Major Matti Aarnio of the 4th Jaeger battalion leads the effort and becomes famous as "Motti-Matti."

At Salla, the Soviets try another attack toward the Kemijarvi-Tornio railway but make a little progress.

Winter War Air Operations: At frozen Lake Kemi, the Swedish volunteer air group, Flygflottilj 19, starts off with a dozen obsolete Gladiator Gloster fighters and 4 Hart light bombers. They are a good match for Soviet airplanes, however, which in general are also obsolete by current standards.
Future History: Flygflottilj 19 remains in operation to the end of the Winter War and claims 12 Soviet aircraft downed for 2 planes of their own lost to enemy action, and four lost in accidents.

"His Girl Friday" is remade in 1974 as the Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau comedy "The Front Page."

Dutch soldiers training on the ice, 11 January 1940.

January 1940

January 1, 1940: Finns Carve up the Soviets
January 2, 1940: Finnish Counterattacks Continue
January 3, 1940: Soviets Trapped
January 4, 1940: Soviet Breakout Attempts Fail
January 5, 1940: Dicing Up the Soviets
January 6, 1940: Soviet 44th Division Runs
January 7, 1940: Shakeup in Soviet High Command
January 8, 1940: Ratte Road Battle Ends
January 9, 1940: British Submarines in Peril
January 10, 1940: Mechelen Incident
January 11, 1940: Finns Surround More Soviets
January 12, 1940: New Soviet Attacks at Taipale
January 13, 1940: Fall Gelb Postponed
January 14, 1940: Japan's Government Falls
January 15, 1940: Soviets Prepare More Carefully
January 16, 1940: German Atrocities Uncovered
January 17, 1940: Bletchley Park in Action
January 18, 1940: New Hope for Allied Shipping
January 19, 1940: Finnish Attacks at Salla
January 20, 1940: Churchill Urges Cooperation
January 21, 1940: Asam Maru Incident
January 22, 1940: Dissension Within British Government
January 23, 1940: Dissension in South Africa
January 24, 1940: NKVD Blocking Detachments
January 25, 1940: Auschwitz Site Selected
January 26, 1940: Millionaire Bunker Destroyed
January 27, 1940: U-20 Sinks Four Ships
January 28, 1940: Softening Up the Finns
January 29, 1940: Moscow Willing to Talk
January 30, 1940: Hitler Throws Down the Gauntlet
January 31, 1940: Timoshenko Is Ready

2019