Sunday 25 May 1941

"Parachute troops jump from a Whitley bomber during a demonstration for the King near Windsor, 25 May 1941." © IWM (H 9955)

Anglo/Iraq War: The Luftwaffe based at Mosul sends two Bf 110s fo II./ZG76 to raid Habbaniya Airfield on 25 May 1941. One is forced to land behind British lines. The British will repair it using spare parts from other destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft and restore it to flying service. This aircraft is used both in Iraq and in Cairo for testing purposes and is named "The Belle of Berlin," RAF serial No. HK846.

Eleven Fiat CR-42 fighters of Italian 155th Squadriglia arrive at Aleppo, Syria en route to Mosul, Iraq.

European Air Operations:  RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft on anti-shipping missions. The sink Kriegsmarine minelayer Sperrbrecher-33. After dark, it sends 48 bombers on minelaying operations off Brest and Saint-Nazaire, likely in anticipation of the German battleship Bismarck heading for one of those ports.

The RAF bombs and sinks 1538-ton Danish freighter H.P. Hansen about 6 nautical miles (11 km) northwest of Schiermonnikoog Lighthouse, Friesland, Netherlands. Sources say the Luftwaffe sinks the Hansen, and it may be a case of mistaken identification, but it seems much more likely (to me at least) that the RAF sinks it during its normal anti-shipping missions - draw your own conclusion. Allied ships generally don't operate in that area during 1941.

During its anti-shipping raids today, an RAF plane crashes for unknown reasons (probably anti-aircraft fire) at Den Helder. It crashes into and sinks German the sperrbrecher (functional minesweeper) Silvia. There is some likelihood that the pilot of the falling plane directs it at the Silvia, which would make it a kamikaze strike.

The captain of Suffolk, Robert Meyric Ellis, remained on the bridge throughout the chase of the German battleship Bismarck. It was he who Lütjens fooled with his brilliant maneuver. © IWM (A 4330).

Battle of the Atlantic: Now alone after having parted ways with Prinz Eugen, the battleship Bismarck is slowed by damage and being shadowed by two Royal Navy cruisers. Admiral Lütjens wants to head to a port in France for repairs, but first needs to shake his pursuers. Lütjens knows that the shadowing cruiser - the other British cruiser is lagging behind - is zig-zagging due to the threat of U-boats. If Lütjens times it just right, when the British cruiser is moving away from his intended escape route, it may catch the British captain flat-footed. However, it has to be done just right, because making the attempt likely would cause the British to take a "tighter rein" on the pursuit that would make escape impossible.

Vice-Admiral (later Admiral) Lütjens aboard the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper during the Norwegian Campaign in April 1940. Photo courtesy of Dieter Troester.

At 03:00, Lütjens orders Captain Lindemann to increase to the ship's current maximum speed of 28 knots (52 km/h, 32 mph), and at the same time veer off to the west (away from his chosen destination) while the British cruiser is zigzagging to the east.

The maneuver works brilliantly. Bismark breaks the radar contact of shadowing cruiser HMS Suffolk, opening a gap that is beyond the British cruiser's radar range. Lütjens then has the ship circle around to the north, then break back to a heading to the east - toward France. The captain of the pursuing British ship assumes Bismarck has headed west on its raiding mission and heads that way - completely losing contact. Basically, Bismarck winds up behind the British cruisers who still think the German ship is ahead of them.

"The 8" guns of HMS SUFFOLK firing." This is during the chase of Bismarck in May 1941. © IWM (A 4312).

It is a brilliant maneuver and leaves the entire Royal Navy stumped. The British have to resort to searching the entire North Atlantic for the Bismarck. With no idea where the Bismarck has gone, Rear Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker, commander of the two cruisers shadowing Bismarck, decides to head his three ships (Prince of Wales, Suffolk, and Norfolk) to the southwest - away from Bismarck's actual direction.

Then, having executed a masterstroke, Admiral Lütjens makes a massive blunder. He sends a long message to Naval Group West headquarters in Paris describing his situation and plans. The British use direction-finding equipment to pinpoint the ship's location, but make their own error and mistakenly conclude that Bismarck is heading back the way it came to Germany. Thus, the mass of Royal Navy ships heads off in that direction, opening up a path for Bismarck to slip through to a French port. Bismarck spends the 25th heading toward safety without being spotted. It now looks good for the Germans, they only have to stay hidden throughout the 26th to make it to France. That sounds easy... but the entire Royal Navy is looking for Bismarck.

A typical headline on 25 May 1941, highlighting the sinking of HMS Hood. The story, incidentally, is uncannily accurate, as after extensive research is it agreed that the Hood sank because the Bismarck's shell set fire to Hood's magazine.

At his country home of Chequers, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is in a foul mood when he hears of the loss of battlecruiser Hood to the Bismarck. Among other things, he snaps at his piano player for playing a somber tune. Churchill loudly expresses his opinion is that the Prince of Wales should have closed on Bismarck rather than turning away and concludes (according to the diary of private secretary John Colville) that the Royal Navy has become a haven for shirkers. Colville also notes that Churchill is well aware by bedtime that the Bismarck is heading for France, and this likely is due to Ultra.

U-103 (KrvKpt. Viktor Schütze), on its fourth patrol out of Lorient, is operating off Monrovia and is having great success. Schütze sinks two ships:

• 3575-ton Egyptian freighter Radames
• 7789-ton Dutch freighter Wangi Wangi (one dead)

The Luftwaffe bombs 125-ton Faroes fishing trawler Harry about thirty miles north of Rattray Head. An attempt to tow it fails and it sinks northwest of Kinnaird Head.

The RAF bombs and sinks 1049-ton German freighter Silvia near Den Helder.

Brazilian cargo ship Atalaia sinks in the South Atlantic of unknown causes. All 66 crew aboard perish.

Portuguese schooner Silvina catches fire and sinks off the Grand Banks. Everyone survives.

U-69 (Kptlt. Jost Metzler), on its third patrol out of Lorient, lays seven mines within Lagos Harbour.
The Admiralty diverts Convoy SC-31 to port at Hvalfjord, Iceland in order to avoid the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. The Admiralty also sends oiler Cardinale and store ship the City of Dieppe out of Gibraltar into the mid-Atlantic to supply the massive Royal Navy forces searching for battleship Bismarck. Submarine HMS Severn is recalled from its normal patrol to guard the Straits of Gibraltar against a possible passage by Bismarck.

The Italian Navy forms a screen west of Gibraltar composed of submarines Argo, Brin, Emo, Marconi, Mocenigo, Velella, and Venero.

Convoy OG-63 departs Liverpool bound for Gibraltar, Convoy HG 63 departs from Gibraltar bound for Liverpool.

The Kriegsmarine orders a dozen new U-boats with consecutive numbers from U-983 to U-994.

U-653 is commissioned.

The British Mk VI tank (Lieutenant Farran) destroyed during the counter-attack on Galatas, Crete, 25 May 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Germans on Crete continue slowly expanding their lodgement at Maleme airfield, but the Commonwealth troops launch counterattacks and otherwise put up stiff resistance. The Germans now have a good grip on the western portion of the island, but the British are trying to regroup in the eastern half. The battle is still in doubt, but the Germans continue to pour in reinforcements on Junkers Ju 52 transport planes without hindrance. The Royal Navy, meanwhile, has had to retreat from its blocking positions to the north of the island due to the Luftwaffe's domination of the air.

In an indication of growing German confidence in the battle, Lieutenant General Kurt Student flies into Maleme to direct operations.

The 1st Greek Regiment fights hard at Kastelli on the outskirts of Heraklion. German attempts at seaborne reinforcement come to naught, as a half-hearted attempt to tow a lighter containing two Panzer IIs has to put into port at Kithira when Royal Navy ships are spotted. The Royal Navy brought a small force of commandos into Suda Bay as reinforcements on the 24th, but the vast majority are unable to land today due to poor weather. Basically, the German advance is stalled, but the British are unable to bring enough force to bear to dislodge them.

'Germans enter Galatas', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/the-germans-enter-galatas, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 15-Jul-2013. This was taken on the morning of 26 May 1941. The Mk VI light tank lost on the 25th is visible in the distance.

At 16:00, German troops attack at Galatos with support from Junkers Ju 87 Stukas. Galatos is a major British defensive position on the road to the main Royal Navy base at Suda Bay and one of the most fought-over positions in Crete. The Allies retreat except for one group under Major John Russell. New Zealand Colonel Howard Kippenberger quickly organizes a scratch rescue force to rescue the trapped men. The New Zealand troops mount a fierce charge with bayonets fixed and supported by light tanks, yelling a Maori war chant (haka). The counterattack at Galatos succeeds in freeing Russell and his men, but the Germans regroup, use mortar fire to destroy a British tank, and take back the town later in the day.

The Germans are expanding their holdings throughout Crete. Today motorcycle and anti-tank troops of the 5th Gebirgsdivision occupy Kandanos. They face unexpected resistance there from the locals, and the German troops are infuriated by an ambush laid by them at Kandanos' gorge and vow to get revenge.

Salvation Army and AIF personnel load Australian Comforts Fund items onto trucks on 25 May 1941 for distribution to the men of the AIF during the Siege of Tobruk. These supplies are brought in during the nightly supply runs and are hugely important to morale (Australian War Memorial 007478).

The Royal Navy has been running nightly supply missions to Tobruk under cover of darkness. Usually, they pass uneventfully. Today, the Luftwaffe catches sloop HMS Grimsby and accompanying 3471-ton British tanker Helka near the port and sink them about 40 miles northeast of Tobruk. There are 11 deaths on the Grimsby and two deaths on the Helka. A third ship, trawler Southern Maid, escapes damage and picks up the survivors.

The Luftwaffe keeps up the pressure on British shipping at Crete. During attacks on Heraklion, German planes sink 846 ton Greek freighter Leros.

The Royal Navy largely has abandoned the waters north of Crete due to Luftwaffe pressure, at least during the daytime. It does send a sweep north of the island during the night led by light cruisers Ajax and Dido.

A large Royal Navy formation led by battleships HMS Barham and Queen Elizabeth and aircraft carrier Formidable leaves Alexandria at noon. This is Operation MAQ3. The destination is Scarpanto Island, where a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka base is located. The plan is to launch strikes against the Luftwaffe airfield during the night to reduce German airpower in the eastern Mediterranean. The Formidable, however, has many planes that are beset with mechanical problems, but something must be done immediately about the Luftwaffe's supremacy in the area.

The Italian convoy attacked by HMS Upholder (Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn), losing 18,500-ton troop transport Conte Rosso on the 24th (some sources say early on the 25th) returns to Naples despite its heavy escort.

Vichy French sloop-of-war runs aground off Corsia and is wrecked.

On Malta, the RAF sends a handful of Swordfish to drop "cucumber" magnetic mines off Lampedusa, which the Axis is using during its convoys to Tripoli. Due to anti-aircraft fire, the mission fails and the Swordfish return with their mines.

Whitehall decides to replace Malta Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice Marshal Forster Maynard, AFC. His replacement at the end of May will be Air Vice Marshal Hugh Pugh Lloyd MV DFC.

HMAS Voyager at Suda Bay, May 1941.

Special Operations: Italian submarine Scire departs Cadiz. It carries two midget submarines (SLC) and frogmen for an attack on the Royal Navy ships at Gibraltar.

US/German Relations: Wrapping up on the incident that occurred on 19 January 1941, the  US State Department informs the German Charge d'Affaires in Washington that a sailor is serving "an appropriate sentence" for ripping down a German flag over the German consulate in San Francisco. In fact, two sailors had ripped down the flag, and a municipal court had found them guilty, but their sentences had been stayed pending court-martials. One had received a medical discharge in the interim, while the Navy quietly discharged the other, Harold Sturtevant Jr. Sturtevant, incidentally, reenlists on 15 December 1941 and serves in the US Navy again.

A Jewish funeral procession at the cemetery gate, Warsaw, 25 May 1941 (Knobloch, Federal Archives).

German/Finnish Relations: As agreed on 20 May 1942, Finland sends a top-ranking military delegation to the Reich regarding possible military cooperation between the two nations. They meet in Salzburg - conveniently close to Hitler's Berchtesgaden residence. Ostensibly, this meeting is about military coordination in case of a possible Soviet attack, not an invasion of the USSR. Gradually, however, the talks pivot to simply talk of a "military confrontation" without specifying which side initiates it. Artillery General Alfred Jodl gives a lecture on possible operations stretching from northern Finland to the Balkans but continues the charade of refraining from mentioning that these would be offensive, not defensive, in nature.

The Finns have no authority to enter into any agreements, but Lt. General Heinrichs indicates a general approval of the German presentation and eventual military cooperation. He promises to give some official response to the German presentation by 2 June 1941. However, it is unclear exactly what the Finns would be agreeing to, as the Germans continue claiming they are negotiating with the Soviets.

German Military: The Wehrmacht continues moving trains full of troops to Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. There are 100 troop trains sent every 24 hours, with the OKW operating with absolute priority and on a strict timetable.

Warsaw Ghetto street scene, 25 May 1941. Jews are not yet required to wear Yellow Stars of David patches.

British Government: Winston Churchill asks Lord Beaverbrook, who recently (30 April) resigned as Minister of Aircraft Production and currently is Minister of State, to "draw up a proposal" to get a "large infusion of civilian management" into the supply services of the Mediterranean command. The intent is for such supply experts to "take this burden off the Commander-in-Chief." Churchill long has felt the ferrying of aircraft from Takoradi has been poorly managed, and he also feels that Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell has assorted failings, so taking this "burden" off Wavell neatly serves two purposes.

Vichy French Government: Former Vice Premier Pierre Laval gives an interview to US journalist Ralph Heinzen of UPI at Chateldon Castle, France. Laval states that Hitler had agreed that "after the war" France would play a large role in Europe. Laval views this as a promise by Hitler to "guarantee French independence in post-war Europe."

French Indochina: Japanese soldiers, technically guests of the Vichy French government, raid two warehouses in Haiphong and steal $10 million worth of US goods.

French Homefront: The 1941 Coupe de France Final is held at Stade Municipal, Saint-Ouen. Girondins ASP defeats SC Fives 2–0, with both goals by Santiago Urtizberea.

Wake Island, taken by a Consolidated PBY patrol plane on 25 May 1941. The view is west along the northern side of Wake and shows the Pan American Airways base.

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 26 September 1940

French colonial forces retreat from Haiphong, in the Tonkin region of French Indochina, September 26, 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: Now that more U-boats are operating out of Norway and France, they are able to stalk convoys further out in the Atlantic. This area is not covered by air patrols at this stage of the war and escorts remain relatively rare. Attacking hundreds of miles out to sea is paying such handsome dividends that this period becomes known as the (first) "Happy Time" for U-boats.

For the crews of the convoys, though, every voyage is a lottery with death, as some ships get sunk with everyone surviving, and others with everyone perishing. It is not uncommon for merchant marine sailors to try to join the Royal Navy because sailing on freighters is so risky, while naval ships have better protection and aren't such easy targets.

There are several large convoys at sea, and they take a beating today.

U-46 (Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass), operating out of St. Nazaire, France, is on patrol about 350 miles southwest of Ireland. It torpedoes 862-ton British freighter Coast Wings at 01:53. All 16 crewmen perish.

U-46 then torpedoes and sinks 3058-ton Swedish collier Siljan (formerly the Pilton) at 09:20. The ship goes down within 10 minutes. There are 18 survivors and 9 crew perish. The U-boat sustains some damage during the encounter and has to return to base early. There are three lifeboats from the ship: one is found by a French fishing boat; the second drifts at sea for several days before making landfall in Ireland; the third lifeboat is is never heard of again. That is the lottery of the convoys, plain and simple.

U-32 (Kapitänleutnant Hans Jenisch), operating about 400 miles west of Ireland, stalks Convoy OB 217. This U-boat also has a big day.

U=32, at 02:34, torpedoes and badly damages 6863-ton British freighter Corrientes. The crew abandons the ship and is picked up by another freighter, the Kosnaren.

U-32 then torpedoes and sinks 6904-ton Norwegian freighter Tancred at 08:11. All 36 crew take to lifeboats and spend 24 hours at sea before being rescued by Norwegian freighter Tricolor.

U-32 continues its long and productive day and, at 13:37, torpedoes and sinks 4084-ton British freighter Darcoila. All 31 crew perish.


U-137 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth), on its first patrol operating out of Stavanger, stalks Convoy OB 218 about 10 miles north of Mullet Peninsula, Ireland. At 00:50, it begins launching three torpedoes.

U-137 torpedoes and sinks 6042-ton British freighter Manchester Brigade. There are four survivors, and 52-58 men perish (including 8 Royal Navy sailors, sources are unclear how many men were on board).

U-137 torpedoes and damages 4917-ton British freighter Ashantian (Master Charles C. Taylor). Four crew perish when the torpedo hits the engine room on the port side, the other 38 crew, 7 passengers, and 2 gunners take to one lifeboat (the other one swamps but is later recovered). The survivors spend the night thinking their ship was sunk and they were alone in the middle of the Atlantic, but when dawn comes they see the ship still afloat and reboard it. The crew uses the wireless to radio RAF aircraft observing the scene, and HMS Gloxinia (Lt. Cdr. A.J.C. Pomeroy, RNVR) comes by and takes them off. Trawler HMT Wolves then stops by and its crew boards the Ashantian. They manage to bring the ship to an anchorage just off the coast of Ireland. The ship is later towed to Kames Bay by Royal Navy tugs HMS Seaman and Superman and beached, where the Ashantian can be repaired. The Master of the Ashantian later complains that the men of the Wolves looted the ship as they brought it to Ireland.

U-137 continues stalking Convoy OB 218 and at 01:37 torpedoes and sinks 4753-ton British freighter Stratford. There are 32 survivors and 2 crew perish.

U-137 may also have sunk another ship today, the 1308 ton Norwegian freighter Asgerd. However, a Luftwaffe Focke Wulf Fw 200 Kondor may have sunk it, or at least participated in the sinking. It is unclear exactly what happened because all 17 men aboard perished.

The Luftwaffe does get a definite kill. Korps-Führ. Kette X.Fl.Korps Lf.5 bombs and badly damages 8043-ton British freighter Port Denison northeast of Aberdeen in the North Sea. The ship has been with OA 220 and sinks the next day. 16 men perish; there are survivors, but it is unclear how many - in these types of incidents, accurate records are not always available.

British submarines do not have as many tempting targets. They continue to lie in wait on the transit routes to and from the new U-boat bases in France and Norway, hoping to pick off some U-boats that have let their guard down. Today, HMS Tribune spots newly commissioned U-138 (Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth) returning from its successful patrol (it sank four ships) and launches four torpedoes. All four miss and U-138 proceeds back to port to great acclaim.

German raider Thor is operating about 400 miles north of Brazil when it spots Norwegian whaling factory ship Kosmos. It takes the 89-man crew prisoner and then sinks the valuable ship with its deck gun. Captain Otto Kähler decides that the ship, which carries 17,000 tons of whale oil, would have too much difficulty making it back to France, but such a valuable cargo would have been welcome back home.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Veteran is damaged by a mine as it returns to Harwich from the abortive Operation Lucid (the fireship operation). The damage, however, is not too serious. British freighters Welsh Prince and Suva also take some damage in the same attack, while British freighters Diplomat and Peterton are damaged at Brunswick Dock in Liverpool and freighter West Kedron and tug Wellington near Liverpool.

Convoys OA 220 and FS 292 depart from Methil, Convoy FN 291 departs from Southend, Convoy HX 76 departs from Halifax, Convoy BHX 76 departs from Bermuda.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Nasturtium (K 107) is commissioned.

U-32 (pre-war).

Battle of Britain: The Spitfire factory at Filton remains out of operation due to the big raids on the 25th. This is as much due to all the skilled workers last as from the damage to the facility itself. The government has recognized the danger to the large factories and begun to disperse valuable machine tools to other areas.

The renewed Luftwaffe priority on British aircraft factories continues today. Around 09:00, the Luftwaffe sends over a large formation of about 180 planes from the Calais area. Fighter Command mobilizes No. 11 and 12 Groups, and they blunt the attack. However, some bombers do get through to central and western London.

Around noontime, the Luftwaffe sends over an even bigger raid. This time, about 300 planes head toward the Chatham area. Fighter Command makes another maximum effort, sending up 20 squadrons. Another, smaller raid around the same time targets the Filton area again. RAF Filton takes the damage this time, with damage to the Operations Room but no serious problems caused.

King George visits RAF Northolt in the afternoon, and while he is there RAF No. 1 (Canadian) and 303 (Polish) Squadrons are scrambled. They head to intercept a raid approaching over the Isle of Wight region. This time, there are about 60 aircraft heading to the Southampton Supermarine Works. This attack is tremendously destructive, with three Spitfires destroyed on the production line. The Luftwaffe bombing is inaccurate, but that works to its benefit as some bombs strike the nearby Dawks gas works and docks. Over 100 people are killed in this attack and many more are wounded. Fighter Command mounts a moderate response, and much of the action involves anti-aircraft guns trying to bring down raiders. The bombers take moderate losses, losing a few over the area and having a couple of Heinkel He 11s barely make it back to base.

After dark, the usual raids begin against London, Liverpool, and other cities. The Luftwaffe also targets RAF Mildenhall and Duxford. The raids continue intermittently all night. They damage railway infrastructure throughout the London area, and a couple of bombs barely miss the Houses of Parliament. The underground Cabinet War Room is rattled when a bomb falls nearby. In Liverpool, incendiaries set fires in the dockyard areas.

The score for the day is even, with both sides losing about nine planes. The RAF engages in some wild overclaiming of the sort last seen in August by a factor of over 10, which of course the media picks up to trumpet British successes. It, in fact, is a very successful day for the Luftwaffe, though their actual bombing achievements are localized and not as significant as they might appear at first glance. However, a lot of civilian lives are lost today despite the low aircraft losses on both sides, and there is nothing insignificant about that.

Hptm. Helmut Wick of Stab I./JG 2 notches his 30th victory claim. Numerous Luftwaffe pilots claim double victories, so there appears to be some overclaiming on that side, too. It is common on all sides in all wars.

European Air Operations: Bomber Command raids the Channel ports as the Germans gradually disperse their invasion barges. Other targets include Kiel and airfields in northwest Europe. The RAF mounts a "special mission" by twelve Hampdens of  No. 61 Squadron primarily against German battlecruiser Scharnhorst in Kiel Harbor, but no hits are achieved and one bomber is lost.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The RAF sends two different strikes against Italian forces at Sallum along the border. It is a potential choke point for Italian communications back to Fort Capuzzo and Tobruk, and Marshal Graziani is preoccupied with his supply lines.

At Malta, Governor Dobbie continues to complain to the War Office about the lack of regular mail service. Otherwise, it is a quiet day on the island.

German/Japanese Relations: In one of the key meetings of the pre-war (for the Pacific) period, the Japanese Privy Council discusses the proposed alliance with Italy and Germany, The agreement is still not a done deal despite German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop's assumption in Berlin that it is. The meeting, which includes the military and pretty much everyone else of influence, is told that the Emperor will issue an Imperial Rescript which endorses the pact, but also notes:

We earnestly wish that war be ended and peace be restored as quickly as possible.

This settles the matter of signing the treaty, but two issues remain under discussion:

1. The American reaction;
2. How this will affect Japanese oil supplies.

The two questions, of course, are interrelated. The Navy Minister, Oikawa, says that the military is sufficient in the short run to defeat the Americans, but must be upgraded in the long run. However, others point out that conflict with the United States might not be military, but rather economic in nature, as the US has been quick to impose harsh economic sanctions. Minister of War Tojo notes that oil supplies would be insufficient for a long war, but there was plenty of oil to the south ripe for the taking. Nothing firm is expressed on this point, but the implication is obvious.

The meeting reaches a somewhat convoluted conclusion: an alliance with Germany and Japan would prevent a war with the United States by demonstrating Japan's resolve. Ambassador Kurusu in Berlin is instructed to sign the pact, which he does the next day, but Italian Foreign Minister Ciano notes that nobody in Berlin is very excited about the event. The same holds true in Tokyo.

It is important to recognize that the pact (which forms what comes to be known as the Axis, as opposed to the previous "Pact of Steel" between Germany and Italy) obligates the contracting parties to "assist one another with all political, economic and military means when one of the three Contracting Parties is attacked." It does not obligate anything when one of the Contracting Parties attacks someone else. The Japanese demonstrate that they fully understand this key distinction by their inaction on 22 June 1941, the Germans - or at least Adolf Hitler - not so much about six months later.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) during an inspection tour in September/October 1940. From left to right: General der Flieger Bruno Loerzer (Kommandierender-General II. Fliegerkorps); Hermann Göring; and Major Adolf Galland (Geschwaderkommodore JG 26). Photo by Kriegsberichter Boger (PK KBK Lw 3) (Boger, Federal Archive).

German/Soviet Relations: As instructed, the German ambassador reveals the new treaty with Japan to Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov. Molotov protests that the secretive manner in which this came about violates the 1939 Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact.

US/Latin American Relations: Pursuant to the Pittman Act passed on 16 June 1940, the Roosevelt administration authorizes the Export-Import Bank to lend Latin American governments up to $500 million and for them to purchase up to $400 in arms and munitions. All of this is designed, per the act's purpose, to strengthen the defenses of the Western Hemisphere.

US/Japanese Relations: Coincidental with the Japanese discussions today about US economic warfare, the Roosevelt administration today decides to impose a ban on US exports of scrap iron and steel beyond the Western Hemisphere (with the key exception of Great Britain). This ban is scheduled to take effect on 16 October 1940.

Anglo/Finnish Relations: The British lodge a diplomatic protest at the Finnish government's decision to grant the Wehrmacht transit rights.

German Military: Grand Admiral Erich Raeder meets with Adolf Hitler and pushes the idea of a peripheral strategy against Great Britain that focuses on the Mediterranean. He advocates seizing Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, and the Azores. These ideas remain on the docket for a long time, but in practice would require the cooperation (or subjugation) of Spain and Portugal - neither of which is forthcoming.

USS Gar (SS 206) in its construction frame, September 26, 1940. (Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum.)

French Indochina: The Japanese land at Dong Tac, south of the port of Haiphong, and invest the port. A second landing a little later brings ashore a dozen tanks and swells the number of Japanese soldiers to 4500. In addition, Japanese bombers attack the French troops in the port, which take some casualties. The Japanese take the port either today or on the 27th and station 900 troops in Haiphong.

In addition, the Japanese occupy the railway yards at Phu Lang Thuong and Lao Cai, and also the Gia Lam airfield near Hanoi. The Japanese station 600 troops in Hanoi.

The Vichy government essentially has capitulated by this point, and the Japanese invasion is complete except for some loose ends. The French agree that the Japanese can garrison 40,000 troops in southern Indochina (the Saigon/Mekong Delta region), but the Japanese remain primarily in the north. At this point, the Japanese are not really worried about the French, but they tread lightly for fear of antagonizing the British who maintain strong presences at Hong Kong and Singapore, the Dutch who also have powerful naval forces to the south in Indonesia, and, worst of all, the United States.

Below is a Getty slideshow of the Japanese capture of Haiphong, 26 July 1940.


Australia: With many Australian servicemen either in the Middle East already or on the way, the media takes a keen interest in the Battle of the Mediterranean. The Sydney Morning Herald publishes an editorial that notes that the Axis has experienced a "loss of initiative" there, and Malta, in particular, is a sign of Axis defeat.

British Homefront: Henry Willink, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Croydon, becomes Special Commissioner for the Homeless. While his title sounds extremely farsighted in a "Great Society" way, Willink simply is to organize aid services for people made homeless through enemy air raids.

Just north of Sunset Pier. Venice Pier on the right, surfers in the middle. The Dragon Slide is visible on the pier, along with the Ship Cafe and the Fun House. September 1940 (Photo from the Tommy Zahn Collection).

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

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