Thursday 20 February 1941

The cockpit of a Beaufighter Mk IF of RAF No. 252 Squadron, based at RAF Chivenor, Devon. © IWM (CH 17305).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The situation remains stable in Greece on 20 February 1941, with neither side making much progress. However, the British military mission in Athens chooses to see the glass as half full. It sends a telegram to the War Office in Whitehall that is full of optimism:

All Italian counter-attacks have been repulsed. Today concentric Greek attacks are to take place southwards and westwards with a view to clearing up Southern portion of Shennell ridge north-east of Tepelene. If these succeed Tepelene should fall and second-phase operation will include operations towards Berat and also between Tepelene and the sea.

The report does note that the 5th Cretan Division has incurred "about 3000 casualties... many with frostbite." In fact, the division has suffered horribly, over 5000 casualties, both from the weather and fierce Italian resistance near Tepelene. When one reads reports such as this, a natural conclusion is that the military observers know that Prime Minister Churchill is bent on sending troops to Greece, so they are painting a rosy picture to support or buttress that decision that may not exactly comport with the actual fighting. Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, we'll see the same tendency within the Wehrmacht in 1945. It is the same as regurgitating to a teacher answers that you know may not quite be accurate - but you want to secure that "A" by hook or by crook.

The Germans make an offer to mediate in the Greco-Italian war. Greece immediately rejects it.

East African Campaign: The South African assault across the Juba River near Jumbo continues today. At 06:30, the Natal Carbineers head across the pontoon bridge under fire. Some troops head north to cut the road north of Jumbo that the Italians could use to escape, while the Transvaal Scottish heads directly toward the town.

The Italians, as so often during the campaign, are abandoning their positions. By 10:30, the remaining troops in Jumbo - not many - surrender. Lieutenant-Colonel G.T. Senescall accepts the capitulation, and the British take 30 officers, 100 other Italian troops and an unknown number of native troops. The South Africans then quickly head for Yonte, making 14 miles in armored cars before coming under fire. They plan an attack on the Italians in the morning.

A separate advance across the Juba River also takes place. The 11th African Division and 22nd East African Brigade, supported by armored cars and South African light tanks, force a crossing at 04:00 near Bardera. This puts them within striking distance of Mogadishu.

The Italians in Massawa, Eritrea see the writing on the wall regarding the advancing British, just as other ships did at Kismayu earlier in the month. Four ships attempt to break out into the Indian Ocean. Italian armed merchant cruisers Ramb I and Ramb II set a course for the Pacific and elude all British patrols, while Italian sloop Eritrea and German supply ship Coburg also make good their escape.

An official drawing of Flight Sergeant R.W. Gellard by military artist Eric Henri Kennington. Gellard is awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) on 20 February 1941 (© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 1319))

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe's Three Nights Blitz continues in Swansea. The attacks are focusing on the heart of the city - there is no subtlety to these attacks. Most of the damage is done by high explosives, as the British are getting better at putting out incendiaries. During the day, there are the usual random bombs dropped in East Anglia.

RAF Bomber Command attacks the docks at Ymuiden, Holland during the day and does a Rhubarb Mission over France after dark.

The Bristol Beaufighter holds high promise, and the Air Ministry has dispersed its production to several different companies. The first Beaufighter Mk I built by Fairey flew on 7 February 1941, and today the first Weston-built Beaufighter Mk IF (F meaning it is destined for Fighter Command) flies at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. These Beaufighters all use the Hercules engine, but shortages of this engine are anticipated, so Merlin engines will be adopted in future versions.

JG 51 Kommodore Mölders, after a long interval, gets two more victories, giving him 58 total to lead the war. This keeps him ahead of Adolf Galland.

Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 returns to his unit at Berck-sur-Mer from leave. The unit soon will be heading to the East to support Operation Marita.

Luftwaffe ace Heinz Pohland of Stab LG 2 perishes in a flying accident.

Günther Prien departs from Lorient on his tenth (and last) patrol in U-47, 20 February 1941. Many people see in this picture a much older-looking man than the almost boyish figure who sank HMS Royal Oak in 1939. The strains of war and all that. These are among the last pictures of what some consider the greatest U-boat commander of all time (U47.org).

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe is very active against shipping today. It causes havoc in the Northwest Approaches and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Admiralty is worried about German surface raiders and is implementing - or re-implementing - a policy of including submarines as escorts. Today, the first convoy, HG 54, includes a submarine escort, HMS Tuna.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1278-ton British freighter Rigmor south of Falmouth. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages minesweeper HMS Bramble off Harwich. The damage is light and the ship is back in service by the end of the month.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 162-ton British trawler Scarborough In the Atlantic west of Limerick. The bomb knocks out its engines, but it is towed into port.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 7138-ton British tanker British Splendor just off Lizard. The British Splendor makes it back to port.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 4312-ton British freighter St. Rosario in the Atlantic northwest of Ireland. The ship turns back to port.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 1997-ton British freighter Rosenborg in the same area as the St. Rosario. The St. Rosario also turns back and barely makes it to the Clyde.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 12,223-ton British tanker D.L. Harper in the Atlantic northwest of Ireland. The empty tanker continues on to Halifax.

British 5261-ton iron ore freighter Fort Médine hits a mine and sinks in the Bristol Channel near Swansea (off Mumbles Head). There are one death and 46 survivors.

Royal Navy 244-ton minesweeping trawler Marjory M. Hastie hits a mine off the Tyne. The captain quickly beaches the ship at Whitburn. It later is refloated and repaired.

Three destroyers, escorted by four other destroyers, lay minefield GS in the English Channel.

Convoy OB 289 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 54 departs from Gibraltar,

U-558 (Oberleutnant zur See Günther Krech) is commissioned, U-128, U-565, and U-566 are launched.

Prien saluting his men as they prepare to depart, 20 February 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: There is a minor skirmish between advance units of General Rommel's Afrika Korps and British troops of XIII Corps in the vicinity of El Agheila.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Regent (Lt. Commander Brown) attacks a convoy of transports bringing the Afrika Korps to Tripoli. It torpedoes 5609-ton transport Menes. Menes is disabled and taken in tow, making it to Tripoli later in the day. Italian escort destroyer Saetta attacks Regent and damages it, forcing it to return to Malta.

Operation MC 8, a typically convoluted supply operation to Malta, continues. Several ships depart from Malta for Alexandria. The Luftwaffe quickly attacks them but fails to make any significant hits.

Royal Navy 462-ton trawler HMS Ouse hits a mine and sinks at Tobruk. There are 12 deaths and nine survivors, including the commander, Sub Lt. W.V. Fitzmaurice.

Convoy AS 15 departs from Piraeus bound for Alexandria and Port Said, Convoy BS 16 departs from Suez.

The Free French under Colonel Leclerc continues to invest the El Tag fortress at Kufra. The French are pounding the well-garrisoned Italian base with a 75mm field gun and several mortars. So far, the Italian troops have held firm, but their commander is very unsure of himself and looking for a way out.

Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) Sir John Dill, who is in Cairo with Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, pays a surprise (and surreptitious) visit to Malta with Eden. The two discuss the situation with Governor Dobbie, tour the island's defenses, then return to Cairo on a Sunderland flying boat.

CIGS Field Marshal Sir John Dill in Cairo, 18 February 1941 (© IWM (E 2384E)).

Battle of the Indian Ocean: The Admiralty is right to be concerned about the German warships, a point proven by heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer. While it has been fairly quiet, Admiral Scheer has been on an extended cruise in the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, defying Admiralty attempts to locate it. Today, operating west of Seychelles, it uses its Arado 196 floatplanes to locate and capture two ships: 6994-ton British tanker British Advocate and 2546 ton Greek freighter Grigorios C II. Admiral Scheer keeps the tanker, but sinks the freighter and takes its 27 men prisoner. A third freighter, 7178 freighter Canadian Cruiser, is also in the vicinity and spots Admiral Scheer, sending a distress call to the Admiralty.

Convoy BA 1 departs from Bombay, bound for Aden.

Anglo/US Relations: Prime Minister Winston Churchill telegrams President Roosevelt with information about Japanese Foreign Minister Yōsuke Matsuoka. Churchill has been a font of information recently about Japanese plans without disclosing the source of his knowledge: decrypts of coded Japanese transmissions:

I have better news about Japan. Apparently Matsuoka is visiting Berlin, Rome and Moscow in the near future. This may well be a diplomatic sop to cover absence of action against Great Britain. If Japanese attack which seemed imminent is now postponed, this is largely due to fears of United States. The more these fears can be played upon the better....

Churchill is painting quite a melodramatic picture. There is no indication that the Japanese are planning an attack in early 1941 aside from idle speculation. He is achieving his purpose, though, of keeping Roosevelt focused on potential war danger to the United States and thereby putting England and the US "in the same boat" - if only in Churchill's (and Roosevelt's) mind. The lingering danger for the United States, of course, is quite real - but not quite yet.

At the War Cabinet meeting, Churchill reveals that he had received a personal telegram from Ambassador to the US Lord Halifax. The ambassador recommended that Great Britain simply hand over its remaining assets to the United States and trust that the Lend-Lease Bill would pass and the US would underwrite the British war effort. The only issue left - as noted by Chancellor of the Exchequer Kingsley Wood - is to provide an orderly liquidation of whatever money the country has left.

As a stunt to show its capabilities, the Army drives a Willys Quad prototype jeep up the U.S. Capitol steps. In the jeep are US Senators Meade and Thomas (one apparently driving). Driving jeeps up and down steps became a bit of a fad during the war - King Michael of Romania also was photographed doing something similar. Washington Daily News, 20 February 1941.

US/Japanese Relations: Financial attaché of the Japanese embassy in Washington D.C. Nishiyama Tsutomo makes a concrete proposal to the Roosevelt administration to avoid conflict. In effect, he asks that the US allow Japan to take over the Dutch East Indies - with all of its oil - so that the two countries can have a "commercial understanding." Roosevelt, of course, is using oil as an economic weapon against Japan and refuses. Roosevelt asks Secretary of State Cordell Hull to warn the Japanese discretely that if they so much as look at the Dutch East Indies, there will be war. In fact, any Japanese move south of China - which includes Taiwan and Indochina - would be a big no-no. Basically, Roosevelt draws a line in the South China Sea and warns the Japanese not to cross it.

Australian Government: Prime Minister Robert Menzies finally arrives in England, completing the last part of the journey from Lisbon in one hop. This is the most hazardous part of the journey, as the Luftwaffe often strays out into the Atlantic from its French bases. Menzies notes that there is a lot of snow in the fields and "unaccustomed cold." Along the route to his accommodations, Menzies writes, "you see troops in ones or twos." As he goes to bed, he hears "the reasonably distant concussion of guns."

Holocaust: Deportation of 30,000 Jewish residents of Plotzk, Poland to ghettos begins today.

A toll booth and office in Brisbane, Australia, 20 February 1941. Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 4054.

February 1941

February 1, 1941: US Military Reorganization
February 2, 1941: Wehrmacht Supermen
February 3, 1941: World Will Hold Its Breath
February 4, 1941: USO Forms
February 5, 1941: Hitler Thanks Irish Woman
February 6, 1941: Operation Sunflower
February 7, 1941: Fox Killed in the Open
February 8, 1941: Lend Lease Passes House
February 9, 1941: Give Us The Tools
February 10, 1941: Operation Colossus
February 11, 1941: Afrika Korps
February 12, 1941: Rommel in Africa
February 13, 1941: Operation Composition
February 14, 1941: Nomura in Washington
February 15, 1941: Churchill's Warning
February 16, 1941: Operation Adolphus
February 17, 1941: Invade Ireland?
February 18, 1941: Panzerwaffe Upgrade
February 19, 1941: Three Nights Blitz
February 20, 1941: Prien's Farewell
February 21, 1941: Swansea Blitz Ends
February 22, 1941: Amsterdam Pogrom
February 23, 1941: OB-288 Convoy Destruction
February 24, 1941: Okuda Spies
February 25, 1941: Mogadishu Taken
February 26, 1941: OB-290 Convoy Destruction
February 27, 1941: Operation Abstention
February 28, 1941: Ariets Warns Stalin

2020

Saturday 19 October 1940

Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien has a terrific 48 hours as he participates in the attacks on Convoy HX 79 on 19 October 1940 (Schulte, Federal Archive).

Overview: With the Battle of Britain winding down on 19 October 1940, the real action is moving out to sea. The period 18-20 October 1940 is one of the most devastating of the war for the British due to huge losses at sea. Air raids can be handled, though of course they inflict great punishment; but Britain relies on imports for its very survival. Winston Churchill later comments that the war at sea was always his greatest concern during the war's early years, and, as discussed below, today is an extreme example of why that is.

Battle of Britain: The poor weather continues, restricting flight operations. There are scattered reconnaissance flights and an occasional "pirate raid," with some houses destroyed in Coventry.

At 14:00, some fighter-bombers (Jabos) set out for London, but they don't accomplish anything. At 15:00, the day's major daylight raid takes place. About 60 aircraft, including some Dornier Do 17s and Junkers Ju 88s, head for London. The RAF sends up five squadrons to intercept them. The RAF loses a couple of Spitfires.

The poor weather continues into the night, but the Luftwaffe attacks the usual targets: London, Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol, and South Wales. London takes the brunt of the attack, with the rail lines and dockyards suffering greatly. In the silver lining department, so much has been destroyed in the dockyards area that the bombs only stir up old debris. Eastbourne also takes damage to its gas works, where the gasometer is damaged.

Overall, it is a quiet day and a rare "victory" for the Luftwaffe. It loses two planes to the RAF's five. The Luftwaffe tends to do well on days with little action, whereas it gets its head handed to it when it mounts massive daylight attacks.

Pips Priller, 6./JG 51, gets his 20th victory and is awarded the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz). Pips Priller is known for a flamboyant lifestyle, driving a fancy red car, and dressing well.

European Air Operations: The weather remains poor today. RAF Bomber Command carries out only a few operations on airfields in northwest Europe and railway installations at Osnabruck.

U-100 on the final approach to the German base at Lorient.

Battle of the Atlantic: Convoys SC 7 and HX 79 begin to merge in the Western Approaches to Liverpool. A U-boat wolfpack has been attacking SC 7 on the night of 18/19 October, and the convoy's survivors begin to recede to the east. Today, an entirely new convoy, HX 79, hoves into view from the west. The wolfpack begins stalking Convoy HX 79 as well. Yesterday we summarized the attacks on SC 7, which continue through the morning of the 19th; today, we summarize the attacks on HX 79.

Convoy HX 79 is composed of 49 ships that sailed out of Halifax on 8 October. It is about four days from landfall at Liverpool. It had been several days behind Convoy SC 7 but has since almost caught up to it. While originally the convoy had no escorts in the mid-Atlantic, the Admiralty, realizing by reports from Convoy SC 7 that U-boats are in the area, quickly sends 11 Royal Navy vessels (LCdr. Russell) out to protect it. These consist of:

• Destroyers HMS Whitehall and HMS Sturdy
• Corvettes HMS Hibiscus, HMS Heliotrope, HMS Coreopsis, and HMS Arabis
• A/S Trawlers HMS Lady Elsa, HMS 
• Blackfly, HMS Angle
• Minesweeper HMS Jason
• Submarine O-14

The U-boats had savaged Convoy SC-7 during the night of 18-19 October. Some U-boats depart the scene after that, due to running out of torpedoes or under instructions to stalk another target, Convoy HX 72. Those left are:

U-47 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien);
 U-100 (Joachim Schepke);
U-46 (Engelbert Endrass);
U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt); and
U-38 (Heinrich Liebe).

Everything is being coordinated and controlled by Konteradmiral Karl Dönitz at his U-boat headquarters in Lorient. Doenitz relays instructions through Prien, who spotted the convoy originally. The sequential attacks on Convoy SC 7 and HX 79 are the first classic wolfpack action of the war, though there has been some small-scale cooperation previously.

The U-boats wait throughout the day as Convoy HX 79 approaches from the west. As darkness falls, they approach on the surface. Prien brazenly sails into the middle of the convoy from the south, Endrass from the north. This is Prien's favorite tactic, and Endrass had been Prien's second before receiving his current command, so they know what the other is likely to do without communicating. The convoy escort is completely ineffective, as was the one for Convoy SC 7.

Location of the attack on Convoy HX 79.

After the U-boats are in position, all blazes break loose. The battle continues past midnight into the 20th, but we will look at the entire night's results here.

U-47 sinks (damages) the following ships:

• 4966-ton Uganda
• 6023-ton Shirak (damaged)
• 4947-ton Wandby
• 5185-ton La Estancia
• 5026-ton Whitford Point
• 8995-ton Athelmonarch (damaged).

U-100 sinks the following:

• 8230-ton Caprella
• 6218-ton Sitala
• 5452-ton Loch Lomond

U-46 sinks:

• 4548- ton Ruperra
• 9965-ton Janus

U-38 sinks:

• 7653-ton Matheran
• 6856-ton Bilderdijk

U-48 sinks:

• 6023-ton Shirak (U-47 damages her first)

Altogether, the U-boats sink 12 ships of 75,069 tons and damage two others of 15,018 tons. The Allied escort not only is ineffective, it also trips all over itself, as the surface escorts mistake their own submarine O-14 for a U-boat and attack it without, fortunately, sinking it.

It is a classic U-boat attack. Just like on the previous night, there are burning ships, sinking ships, derelicts getting in the way, lifeboats, U-boats, flotsam, jetsam, explosions, men drowning left and right, ships careening at full speed into the night - everything. The U-boats make a clean getaway, though an armed merchant ship takes a few potshots at U-1010 and misses.

The British take losses elsewhere, too.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Venetia (Lt Cdr D. L. C. Craig), on a patrol with two other destroyers in the Straits of Dover, hits a mine and sinks off Margate, Kent. There are 34 deaths and 18 other casualties.

Royal Navy 290 ton trawler HMS Velia hits a mine and sinks off the Kentish Knock Lightship. Everyone survives.

British coaster Aridity hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary.

There is a violent storm in eastern Canada. Canadian 221 ton auxiliary minesweeper Bras D'Or sinks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence as a result while engaged in traveling with Romanian freighter (Ingner N. Vlasspol) from Quebec to Sydney, Nova Scotia. There are no survivors among the 29 crew.

Polish submarine Wilk attacks Danish freighter Norge in Lister Fjord but misses.

Convoys OB 231 and OL 8 depart from Liverpool, Convoys FN 312 and FN 314 depart from Southend, Convoy FS 314 departs from Methil.

Winnipeg Ukrainians (note native dress) gather to promote a concert they are giving on the 23rd to raise money for the war effort. Among the performers: radio artists The Dirty Dozen. Winnipeg Free Press Archives.

Battle of the Mediterranean: On the 18th, the Royal Navy obtained documents from Italian submarine Durbo before sinking it. Today, the Royal Navy uses that information to hunt for Italian submarine Lafole operating off Cape Tresforcas.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS Ajax is in port at Alexandria getting repairs for shell holes suffered in its encounter with Italian destroyers on 12 October.

Brazilian 8265 ton freighter Ipanemaloide (formerly the Cuma) sinks in the Mediterranean south of Sicily. This is usually ascribed to a torpedo hit, but there are numerous minefields in the area and that may have been the cause.

The RAF attacks Italian positions at Benghazi, Berka, Halfaya, Maritza (in the Dodecanese), and Diredawa, Abyssinia. The Italians respond during the night with attacks on Cairo, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, targeting British ARAMCO oil installations. There are reports in the press that the Italians are sending out patrols in anticipation of a continuation of their offensive, but the Italian Commando Supremo has its eyes on Greece, not North Africa.

At Malta, Governor Dobbie once again complains about the mail and newspaper service to the island. Everything comes around Africa and takes weeks, if not months, to reach soldiers stationed on Malta. This is creating a real morale problem. For instance, at this time, the latest mail received by the troops is from August, and some just recently received is from as far back as May. This was before the start of the bombing of London, so there is increasing anxiety about the safety of relatives and property.

General Sir Alan Cunningham becomes commander of British forces in East Africa.

Military men have very practical reasons for wanting to get news from home. Saturday Evening Post, 19 October 1940.

Italian/German Relations: While the Germans are frantically trying to uncover Italian intentions toward Greece using their own sources, Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano continues to dribble out information. Today, he sends a telegram summarizing the planned invasion but puts the start date as 23 October. In fact, the projected start date is 28 October, as he should know. Shortly after, German Ambassador to Rome Hans Georg Mackensen telegrams that Ciano has informed him that Hitler has approved Mussolini's plan to attack Greece. This is news to Ribbentrop, who was present at the Brenner Pass meeting and has no inkling that this was supposedly discussed. Upon being informed of these communications, Hitler tells Ribbentrop to do nothing regarding the matter - which some interpret as approval of the invasion by silence. However, the entire affair is muddled and subject to interpretation.

Spanish/German Relations: The OKW completes planning for Operation Felix. This, however, requires the participation of Spain, and thus Spanish entry into the war.

Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler travels by train to Spain to meet with Franco and get in a little tourist time devoted to his mystical beliefs about German ancestors.

German Government: Hitler decides to meet with French leader Petain and Spanish leader Franco. He will depart on his train Amerika late on the 20th.

Actress Anne Nagel shows how to celebrate the upcoming US holiday of Halloween, 1940.

US Military: The US Army Air Corps establishes the Hawaiian Air Force at Fort Shafter.

Light cruiser USS St. Louis departs from Guantanamo Bay Naval Station for San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is carrying the Greenslade Board to examine British bases received in the destroyers-for-bases deal.

Soviet Military: The Stavka plans a major ship-building program.

Spain: Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot and Foreign Minister Spaak have been interned in Barcelona since the fall of Belgium in May. They elude their captors and escape to neutral Portugal hidden in a truck. Technically they can also be interned there, too, but the Portuguese government is notorious for not doing so.

Australia: A convoy, US 6, carrying the Australian 7th Division, Australian Imperial Air Force, 20th Infantry Brigade and 21st Infantry Brigade sets sail for the Middle East.

Future History: Michael Gambon is born in Cabra, Dublin. He becomes a British television actor, later a famous Hollywood actor, and throughout a respected stage actor. He remains active, though he has retired from the stage.

Early snow in Delaware, USA signals the change of seasons.

October 1940
October 2, 1940: Hitler's Polish Plans
October 3, 1940: British Cabinet Shakeup
October 4, 1940: Brenner Pass Meeting
October 5, 1940: Mussolini Alters Strategy
October 6, 1940: Iron Guard Marches
October 7, 1940: McCollum Memo
October 8, 1940: Germans in Romania
October 9, 1940: John Lennon Arrives
October 10, 1940: Führer-Sofortprogramm
October 11, 1940: E-Boats Attack!
October 12, 1940: Sealion Cancelled
October 13, 1940: New World Order
October 14, 1940: Balham Tragedy
October 15, 1940: Mussolini Targets Greece
October 16, 1940: Japanese Seek Oil
October 17, 1940: RAF Shakeup
October 18, 1940: Convoy SC-7 Catastrophe
October 19, 1940: Convoy HX-79 Catastrophe
October 20, 1940: Convoy OB-229 Disaster
October 21, 1940: This Evil Man Hitler
October 22, 1940: Aktion Wagner-Burckel
October 23, 1940: Hitler at Hendaye
October 24, 1940: Hitler and Petain
October 25, 1940: Petain Woos Churchill
October 26, 1940: Empress of Britain Attack
October 27, 1940: Greece Rejects Italian Demands
October 28, 1940: Oxi Day
October 29, 1940: US Draft Begins
October 30, 1940: RAF Area Bombing Authorized
October 31, 1940: End of Battle of Britain

2020

Saturday 7 September 1940

Fires on the docks light up ships. London dockyards, 7 September 1940. (AP Photo).

Battle of Britain: While "The Blitz" is often used as a sort of generic synonym for the Battle of Britain. In fact, it is a separate, though related, affair. The Battle of Britain often is assigned the start date of 10 July 1940 and involves air and naval attacks on all parts of Great Britain. The Blitz, by which we mean focused Luftwaffe attacks on London, begins only on 7 September 1940 (though with preliminary attacks commencing as early as 22 August 1940). This is known as the start of "Phase III" of the Battle of Britain, a joint day/night offensive against London that lasts for several weeks.

The British government has issued the code word "Cromwell" to all of its commands. This means that an invasion is expected on short notice. All local British forces are placed on high alert. At the main base of Scapa Flow, the fleet is brought to 1-hour's notice, and the crews of the destroyers are kept at action stations throughout the night. HMS Repulse leads a patrol out of Scapa Flow headed for Iceland.

The Surrey Commercial Dock, London. 7 September 1940. (AP Photo/Staff/Worth).

The Blitz: After his big broadcast speech on the evening of the 6th announcing the Luftwaffe's change in strategy, listened to by many in England as well (those who understand German, anyway), Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering assembles his cronies at Cap Blanc Nez. From there, they can watch the armada of Luftwaffe planes heading for England. Perhaps to accommodate his schedule, the bombers get a late start. It isn't until almost noontime that any activity occurs, and this only by Bf 109s acting as fighter bombers. There's no hurry, the battle is won already anyway - according to the Reichsmarschall.

These first Messerschmitts drop their loads on RAF Hawkinge and Dover. The RAF sends up No. 66 Squadron, but it basically just monitors the attack and does little to intervene. It loses two planes to mechanical difficulties - a sign of the strain that the RAF has been under. They crash-land on the way back to base.

Early in the afternoon, the bombers finally get in the air and head across toward London. They are from Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 and Stumpf's Luftflotte 5 (KG 26 and 30 transferred south from Norway). The British radar stations pick them up at 15:40 and follow them across the Channel. It is a raid of about 1100 aircraft which includes almost 400 medium bombers, about 200 Bf 110s carrying bombs, and an escort of 650 Bf 109s.

The bombers cross the coastline and then break up into different formations, as usual. Typically in the past, this has meant attacks on separate airfields. Fighter Command reacts accordingly, getting fighters into the air over their own stations. However, this time they all head south toward London. Even now, Air Vice Marshal Keith Park at 11 Group assumes that the targets are airfields, and he plans his fighter defenses accordingly. Park gets 20 Squadrons into the air over the airfields and the Thames estuary. Leigh-Mallory at 12 Group has plenty of time to assemble his "Big Wing," but they still are assembling when the Luftwaffe appears over London.

The first bombs drop on the southern side of the Thames, around the entrance to London's dockland and the docks near Woolwich Arsenal. Bombing accuracy is good, as the weather is fine and the RAF fighters are elsewhere. The Harland & Wolff shipbuilding factory, a munitions factory at Woolwich, the Queen Victoria docks, the King George V docks, the Royal Albert Docks, the Millwall docks, the Wapping docks, the St. Katherine's Docks, and the entire surrounding area is hit with devastating effect. The Woolwich Arsenal blows up after its stored gunpowder ignites. Several ships in port are hit, with several sinking and almost two dozen damaged. The entire area is dry due to the late-summer heat, and soon everything is on fire. The fires rage close to London Bridge, but it is spared.

Dornier Do 17 bombers over London, 7 September 1940.

The East End then gets hit. This is a mixed residential/commercial area. Areas hit include Canning Town, East Ham, West Ham, Poplar, Silvertown, Stratford, Wapping, and Whitechapel. The Germans use incendiary bombs that work well on the dry wood of the buildings in the slums around these areas. The East End docks are hit over and over and soon are a massive blaze.

The RAF reacts, but as the first wave of bombers leaves, another arrives. This time, Leigh-Mallory's "Big Wing" is ready, but they get mixed up with the bombers that have already dropped their loads and are scurrying back to France. Thus, the fighter defense does little to prevent further raids on London.

The attacks continue after dark. At 20:22, another wave of about 250 bombers crosses the Kent coastline, this one from Sperrle's Luftflotte 3. Unescorted, they head straight for the burning docklands along the Thames, which serve as a beacon visible for miles. They drop a further 333 tons of bombs and 13,000 incendiaries.

A still from camera-gun film taken from a Supermarine Spitfire Mark I of No. 609 Squadron RAF, flown by Flying Officer T Nowierski. Ahead is a formation of Dornier Do 17Zs of KG3 south-west of London at approximately 5.45 pm on 7 September 1940. Tracer bullets from the intercepting Spitfires can be seen traveling towards the enemy aircraft which are heading back to their base after bombing East London and the docks.

Goering makes another broadcast to the German people in the evening. The day's losses in the air favor the RAF - about 40-50 Luftwaffe losses versus around 25-30 British fighters (figures vary wildly by source) - but the Blitz is now a reality. There are 430-448 civilian deaths, 1337 other serious casualties, serious damage to the industry, and countless people made homeless.

The RAF airfields and other installations, though, are largely untouched and get a chance to begin recovering from the against them in recent weeks. Deadly as the day has been, it is the beginning of the RAF's recovery, much like a cancer patient receiving his or her first chemotherapy. It also is the first day of the rot that begins eating away at the Luftwaffe's substance.

There are many acts of heroism during this first day of the Blitz. Albert Ernest Dolphin, a porter at the Emergency Hospital, South Eastern Hospital, New Cross, London saves the life of a nurse when a wall begins to fall on her, costing his own. He posthumously earns the George Cross, a civilian award equivalent to the Victoria Cross. He is listed on a memorial mural in Lewisham Shopping Centre, a true hero of the Battle of Britain.

The Luftwaffe once again loses a number of valuable pilots, including a number of aces. The German fighter pilots blame this on having to act as escorts to the bombers. The fighters are much slower than the bombers, and it takes continual effort to remain above them and to mimic their movements.

Kommodore Major Mölders of JG 51 downs a Spitfire over London for his 34th victory, the most in the Luftwaffe. Oblt. Helmut Wick of 6./JG 2 gains his 25th victory by shooting down a Spitfire. Major Hannes Trautloft of Stab./JG 54 gets his seventh victory, a Hurricane over Maidstone. Numerous other pilots get multiple victories during the day, as the Experten improve with a daily dose of practice.

Oblt. Gordon Gollob joins II,/JG 3 on the Kanalfront after a stint at Rechlin.

Oblt. Helmut Lent joins the night fighter unit at Deelen, Holland, 6,/NJG 1.

The mills at the Victories Docks (below at left) show damage wrought by the Luftwaffe attacks of 7 September 1940. (AP Photo).

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command, no doubt reacting to the advisory about an invasion likely within three days that the government issued on 6 September, focuses most of its attention on the Channel ports. They are full of barges assembled for the cross-channel invasion. These raids are raised to heroic proportions in the later collection of stories in the book "Their Finest Hour." The crews get much satisfaction watching their bombs drop amongst the barges and watching pieces of them fly into the air. Other attacks are made on the Ruhr industrial valley, such as on the Krupps factory.

Battle of the Atlantic: It is a bad day for the British at sea. The Germans try out new wolfpack tactics that pay quick dividends.

U-boat U-65 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen), having alerted U-47 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien) to the location of Convoy SC 2 about 80 miles west of Malin Head in the Outer Hebrides, gets to watch as Kplt Prien works his magic. Beginning in the early morning hours, he insinuates U-47 within the convoy on the surface and then has his pick of targets. This tactic, extremely bold, negates the advantage that the British escorts have with their ASDIC (sonar) equipment. Of course, it also leaves the submarine vulnerable to surface fire, but in the massive confusion caused by his attack, Prien is able to make a clean getaway.

First, U-47 targets 5155-ton British sugar freighter Neptunian. After missing with two torpedoes at 03:36 and 03:45, Prien scores a hit at 04:04. The ship capsizes seven minutes later. All 36 aboard perish.

The Neptunian sinks on 7 September 1940.

Rather than disperse, a planned maneuver at times of attack, the convoy resorts to zig-zagging. This makes Prien's job more difficult, but he keeps at it.

Next, Prien targets 5303-ton British freighter José de Larrinaga, which is carrying scrap metal and linseed oil. This ship has the same name as a ship sunk by U-boats in 1917, and it meets the same fate. Torpedoed at 05:15, it breaks in two after eleven minutes. All 40 crew perish.

U-47 then torpedoes and sinks 5155-ton Norwegian wheat freighter Gro at 05:33. This ship also has the same name as a ship sunk in 1917, and also meets the same fate. This ship also breaks in two and sinks within ten minutes. Eleven of the crew perish, 21 others escape in a lifeboat and are picked up by another freighter on the 10th

With daylight approaching, Prien then makes a clean getaway with over 15,000 tons more of shipping under his belt. However, the gathering wolfpack is not done with Convoy SC 2 just yet.

German S-boats S-33 and S-36 torpedo and sink 5799-ton Dutch freighter Stad Alkmaar just east of Lowestoft, Suffolk. The ship is traveling with Convoy FS 273. Some sources say that everybody survives, others that 14 crew perish.

The Luftwaffe attacks on the docks of London catch a number of ships there. While only a few are sunk (and later refloated), about 20 others are damaged.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British 6007-ton special purposes vessel HMS Inkosi at the Royal Albert Dock in London. The Inkosi is a converted refrigerated ship. Sinking in shallow water, she can be salvaged.

The Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks 5985-ton special purposes ship HMS Inanda at the Royal Albert Dock in London. Sinking in shallow water, she can be salvaged.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British tug Beckton at the Beckton Gas Works in London.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 7906-ton Dutch freighter Abbekerk in London. Sunk in shallow water, she can be salvaged and repaired. This is just one incident in an eventful war for the Abbekerk.

British trawler Salacon hits a mine and sinks about 6 miles southeast of Spurn Point, Yorkshire. Four men survive, while eight others perish.

British 687 ton armed yacht HMY Rhodora collides with 505-ton cargo ship Ngatira in the Bristol Channel near Cardiff and sinks.

Kriegsmarine patrol boat Niendorf hits a mine and sinks off the Pas de Calais.

British naval trawler HMT Abronia, in use as a minesweeper, sinks in the River Thames for unknown reasons. There are five deaths. Sinking in shallow water, she can be salvaged.

A crater at Elephant & Castle made on 7 September 1940. (AP Photo).

Battle of the Mediterranean: At Malta, there is a large raid on Grand Harbour at 12:30 that is very accurate. It targets Vittoriosa and the dock area nearby. The raid is conducted by 11 SM 79 bombers escorted by 24 CR 42 biplane fighters. There are four civilian deaths, a mother and her three young children of ages 1-5. The Italians lose one or two bombers, with two defending Hurricanes damaged.

A bomb sinks the tug HMT Hellespont at Surgery Wharf, Sheer Bastion, but is salvageable. Other vessels also are badly damaged. Some civilian workers dig an unexploded bomb out of the Dockyard canteen at great risk to themselves and carry it away from the area, which it would have destroyed. Overall, it is one of the most effective Italian raids to date.

Romania: Former King Carol II makes good his escape from Romania as Iron Guard members take potshots at his train. He heads through Yugoslavia for his ultimate destination, Switzerland, where his fortune (the national treasury) is at his sole disposal.

Paraguay: After President Marshal Jose Felix Estigarribia perishes in a plane crash during a tour of the Paraguayan interior, he is succeeded by Colonel Higinio Morínigo.

Vichy France: The Petain government continues its arrests of former leaders during the Battle of France. Today, it takes into custody Édouard Daladier, Paul Reynaud and Maurice Gamelin. They are interned at Château de Chazeron for the time being.

Dornier Do 17 KG76 over West Ham, London, September 7, 1940.

September 1940

September 1, 1940: RAF's Horrible Weekend
September 2, 1940: German Troopship Sunk
September 3, 1940: Destroyers for Bases
September 4, 1940: Enter Antonescu
September 5, 1940: Stukas Over Malta
September 6, 1940: The Luftwaffe Peaks
September 7, 1940: The Blitz Begins
September 8, 1940: Codeword Cromwell
September 9, 1940: Italians Attack Egypt
September 10, 1940: Hitler Postpones Sealion
September 11, 1940: British Confusion at Gibraltar
September 12, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Approved
September 13, 1940: Zeros Attack!
September 14, 1940: The Draft Is Back
September 15, 1940: Battle of Britain Day
September 16, 1940: italians Take Sidi Barrani
September 17, 1940: Sealion Kaputt
September 18, 1940: City of Benares Incident
September 19, 1940: Disperse the Barges
September 20, 1940: A Wolfpack Gathers
September 21, 1940: Wolfpack Strikes Convoy HX-72
September 22, 1940: Vietnam War Begins
September 23, 1940: Operation Menace Begins
September 24, 1940: Dakar Fights Back
September 25, 1940: Filton Raid
September 26, 1940: Axis Time
September 27, 1940: Graveney Marsh Battle
September 28, 1940: Radio Belgique Begins
September 29, 1940: Brocklesby Collision
September 30, 1940: Operation Lena

2020

Tuesday 2 July 1940

The Arandora Star, sunk by U-47 on 2 July 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-47 (Kptl. Günther Prien) torpedoes and sinks 15,501-ton British liner Arandora Star on 2 July 1940 about 75 miles west of Bloody Foreland, Ireland at 06:58. The liner is carrying 734 interned Italian men, 479 interned German men, 86 German POWs and 200 military guards. There are 174 crewmen. There are 868 survivors, of whom 586 are internees. About 865 men perish (sources vary).

Prien does not break any rules of war, and this solidifies his already outsized reputation as a master U-boat commander. The Arandora Star, which is not in convoy because liners are assumed to be better protected by their fast speed, is not properly identified as a POW or refugee ship and sinks quickly. The ship is painted grey like a warship and has no Red Cross sign. An Admiralty Net Defence anti-torpedo system had been fitted to the liner but removed a few months prior to the voyage.

With only room for 400 in the lifeboats, there is a mad scramble. The ship loses 805 people, including 37 of the military guard, 42 crew, 12 ship's officers, and the Captain. The oil from the ship makes swimming extremely difficult. The Arandora Star goes under within 35 minutes, still swarming with men who have no chance.

There are several instances of outstanding heroism, including internee Captain Otto Burfeind of the scuttled Adolph Woermann, who organizes his fellow internees to the end, maintains some order, and goes down with the ship. Canadian commander Harry DeWolf also is cited for his heroism in the rescue. Captain Douglas Moulton of the Arandora Star receives a posthumous Lloyd's Medal for Bravery at Sea. Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Laurent picks up the survivors. Bodies wash up on Ireland throughout August, many unidentifiable.

U-29 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart) torpedoes and sinks 8,999-ton British tanker Athellaird hundreds of miles off Cape Finisterre, Spain. All 42 on board survive.

U-29 also surfaces and sinks 4,919-ton Panamanian freighter Santa Margarita by gunfire. All 39 onboard survive.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British ship Aenaes in the North Sea.

Convoy HG Y departs from Gibraltar.

Corvette HMS Mallow (K 81, Lt. William R. B. Noall) is commissioned.

The Orders of the Commandant to the people of Jersey, 2 July 1940.

Western Front: The Germans send a small force to occupy Alderney in the Channel Islands, where few inhabitants remain.

Kommandant Lanz of the Channel Islands issues typical rules for occupied areas, such as a curfew, no radios, no attempts to leave and so forth. Among the more inconsequential changes that annoy many islanders is changing the time zone to that of continental Europe and also changing the rules of the road to driving on the right. The currency is changed to Occupation Reichsmarks (scrip), and that becomes the payment for locals employed by the occupation forces.

Life continues much as it had previously in the Channel Islands, with performances by the German military band, cinemas open, and so forth, but there are gradual changes through the course of the war which are not always for the better. Basically, the islanders go along to get along and do their best to hide their underlying resentment. There are islanders who have fled to England who view all that remained as collaborators, and many of the remaining islanders miss their children, family, and friends who have left.

Battle of Britain: Subsequent to recent deliberations by OKW about the future direction of the war, it issues an order, "The War Against England." It starts off that "The Fuhrer and Supreme Commander has decided that a landing in England is possible."

This is not a Fuhrer Directive, which carries more weight, but a good indication that one is coming. Luftwaffe boss Hermann Goering issues orders to the Luftwaffe to intensify the air campaign against the RAF. He wants special attention given to British shipping, which is considered the main threat to any invasion. The proposed operation has the codename Operation Sealion.

European Air Operations: During the night, the RAF raids Kiel and hits heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in dry dock with 2 small bombs. The docks also are set on fire. This is the raid in which F/O Guy Gibson drops a 2,000 bomb near the Scharnhorst and wins the DFC.

The Fleet Air Arm, in conjunction with RAF Coastal Command, attacks shipping and barges in Rotterdam. This is the first attack directly designed to prevent an invasion.

The Luftwaffe raids northeast England during the evening, killing twelve and injuring 123. A raid also takes place over Wales, but the bombs drop in open country.

Ju 87 B Stuka of the 9/StG 77, Flers, France, July 1940. The use of Stukas is a key component of projected Operation Sealion.

Battle of the Mediterranean: After a day of respite, the bombers appear over Malta at 09:25, but the bombs drop out to sea due to effective anti-aircraft fire. Owners of businesses throughout the island agree to open their doors to passersby for shelter during raids.

US Government: Congress passes the Export Control Act. This gives President Roosevelt the power to control the export of goods with military uses, anything "necessary in the interest of national defense."

British Government: General Percival assumes command of the 44th Infantry Division.

Colonel Gubbins continues forming the Commando force for future operations.

French Foreign Legion volunteers form the 1st Brigade de Legion Francaise of Free France in England.

The Foreign Office decides to no longer recognize King Zog, now living at The Ritz in London, as ruler of Albania. He still maintains a retinue and retains a following among exiled Albanians.

Holland: Former Dutch Commander-in-chief General Winkelman is arrested and deported to Germany.

Poland: General Sikorski in London vows to fight on from English soil.

India: The British government arrests nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose for inciting violence.

China: At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army captures Lungchin.

The bombing of Chiang Kai-shek's capital, Chungking, continues. There is a meeting of the Kuomintang.

German officers hanging out in Guernsey, one of the best billets in the Wehrmacht.

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

Thursday 27 June 1940

Italian 500 lb bombs destined for Malta, June 1940.

European Air Operations: During the night of 27 June 1940, the Luftwaffe's Junkers Ju 88s from I and III./KG 51 raid dockyards at Avonmouth and Portishead and the airfield at Bristol.

RAF Bomber Command sends a dozen bombers to attack German targets during the day, and more at night. Bomber Command also attacks Dutch targets, primarily airfields, and French targets along the coast.

The Luftwaffe continues returning fighters to Germany for rest and refit. II./JG 52 returns from Luxemburg/Sandweiler to Nordholz to work on its Bf 109E fighters. JG 2 flies to a new "airfield" at Beaumont-le-Roger which is actually an uncut wheatfield. The flight lands successfully and spends the evening clearing the field.

At Malta, air raids continue throughout the day. Paranoia grows about every violation of the blackout. The Governor and Commander-in-chief reject an offer of French Foreign Legion troops based in Tunis, Tunisia to defends the island. There are no plans to deploy additional British troops to defend the island. The Italian air raids are incessant, but there are no signs of any attempt to invade.

Sea Gladiator "Faith," one of the few RAF defenders of Malta in June 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-47 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien) spots 4,005 ton Norwegian freighter "Lenda" at 04:00 off southwest Ireland. U-47 sinks it with gunfire, there is 1 death and 27 crew survive.

At 17:00, U-47 does the same thing to 2,580-ton Dutch tanker Leticia. Three of the crew from the Leticia wind up in the water, and U-47 rescues them, gives them food and wine, and takes them to the lifeboats. Two crew perish and 28 survive.

The British War Cabinet orders the Royal Navy to seize or destroy all French warships in British and North African ports. The newly formed Royal Navy's Force H under Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville is sent to Algeria pursuant to this directive, which suggests there could be naval combat brewing between the Royal Navy and the French fleet. The French battleship Jean Bart has been moved from St. Nazaire to Casablanca, Morocco and its guns are ready for action.

Convoy OA 175 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 175 departs from Liverpool, Convoy OG 35 forms off Gibraltar.

The keel for battleship USS Iowa is laid at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

U-138 (Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth) is commissioned.

Western Front: German forces are still occupying French towns in the south. There are still some British evacuations pursuant to Operation Ariel along the French Mediterranean coast.

British and French POWs are being marched back to Germany through Holland. They are not treated with much kindness, though the Dutch civilians try to help by giving water.

Italian bombs dropping in Malta.

North Africa: An Italian convoy reaches Tripoli.

British destroyers HMS Dainty, Defender and Ilex sink Italian submarine Console Generale Luizzi south of Crete.

Soviet/Romanian Relations: King Carol has a meeting with German and Italian representatives about the Soviet ultimatum. They encourage him to give in. Accordingly, Romania accedes to the Soviet ultimatum of 26 June and cedes 17,000 square km of land in Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union. The USSR rudely and peremptorily replies to his diplomatic note agreeing to "immediate negotiations" with a precise timetable on when the Romanians should evacuate the territory. The Romanians must be out completely within four days. There will be no "negotiations" when the USSR delivers an ultimatum.

Hungarian/Romanian Relations: The Hungarian government demands the return of Transylvania from Romania and masses nine battalions on the border.

US/Australian Relations: Australian representatives hold a secret meeting with US Secretary of State Cordell Hull. They are worried about growing Japanese aggressiveness and want a bigger US presence in the western Pacific. No agreement is reached.

Spy Stuff: The Wehrmacht sets up radio stations at Brest and Cherbourg using the Enigma machine. The stations are designed in part to direct Luftwaffe bombers to their England targets using, among other things, the Knickebein radio system. These stations are manned by Luftwaffe personnel who are not very security conscious, committing such obvious blunders as sending the identical messages ("Skies clear today") on a daily basis using changed codes. The Allied code-breaking operation at Bletchley Park begins intercepting messages, which they call Ultra.

Fort St. Elmo, Malta, June 1940.

Applied Science: The US National Defense Research Committee is set up under chairman Vannevar Bush. It is under the Council of National Defense. This follows up on discussions held on 12 June 1940.

French Government: The Pétain government, currently at Bordeaux, is considering relocating to Clermont-Ferrand.

The French forces in the Levant announce their (continued) allegiance to the Petain regime.

US Government: President Roosevelt declares a national emergency and invokes the Espionage Act of 1917. He is worried about shipping that passes through the strategic Panama Canal.

General Walter Krueger takes command of the US VIII Corps. He is an innovator of armored warfare along the lines of General Guderian in Germany. In fact, Krueger's troops like to call themselves "Blitzkruegers."

German Government: Hitler moves to his Tannenberg headquarters in the Black Forest.

Latin America: Heavy cruiser USS Wichita (CA 45), with Commander Cruiser Division Seven (Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens) embarked, departs Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, en route to join the heavy cruiser USS Quincy (CA 39) at Montevideo, Uruguay. This is part of the "show the flag" operation to pry South American sympathies away from German influence.

Iceland: The British 146th Infantry Brigade arrives.

Canadian Homefront: The Government announces that it is taking in 10,000 refugee children ages 5-15. The plan is for them to remain with host families until the war is over.

British Homefront: The British are frantically beefing up their beach defenses with whatever is available. These defenses include pillboxes, tank traps, and barbed wire.

Lion Rock Lookout on Table Mountain, Washington, USA, June 27, 1940 (Roslyn Heritage).

June 1940

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

2020