Wednesday 21 August 1940

Junkers Ju 88A-1 (B3+BM) of 4./KG 54. It crash-lands on Marsh Farm, Earnley, Sussex, on the evening of 21 August 1940. It was intercepted by RAF No. 17 Squadron Hurricanes during an attack on RAF Brize Norton.

Battle of Britain: It is another blessed day (for the RAF) of poor flying weather on 21 August 1940. This gives the ground people time to repair damaged planes, bulldozers a day to clear runways, and future pilots a quiet day in class. There are various small-scale Luftwaffe operations, but generally, it is just another wasted day from the Luftwaffe's perspective.

Just after noon, a Luftwaffe formation of Dornier Do 17s from KG 2 and KG 3 crosses the coast near Norfolk and splits up into two separate groups to attack toward Norwich and Hull.  RAF No. 242 Squadron intercepts effectively and disrupts the attack on Norwich, but the Hull formation continues onward. RAF No. 611 Squadron intercepts them near the coast at Skegness. Both sides take losses, and it turns out that the Dorniers were after a coastal convoy but the fighter interception prevents that. Heavy cloud cover provides a means of escape for many of the bombers.

The Luftwaffe also mounts small raids against airfields and oil installations in the southwest of England. RAF St. Eval, Binbrook, Watton and Stormy Down suffer minor damage. There is a sequence of confused bomber missions intercepted by RAF fighters from Nos. 56, 234, and 238 Squadrons which cause varying amounts of damage to both sides. RAF pilot Douglas Bader shoots down a Dornier Do 17 off Great Yarmouth.

The Luftwaffe sinks 178-ton British hulk (storage ship) Kendal and hopper barge James No. 70 at Woolston. It also bombs and sinks paddle steamer Kylemore in the North Sea off Harwich.

Coaster Letty sinks in Liverpool Bay, perhaps due to a Luftwaffe attack.

The Luftwaffe damages small British ships Alacrity and Wolseley in the English Channel not far from Falmouth.

After dark, the Luftwaffe sends lone raiders against such targets as Aberdeen, Harwich, the Firth of Forth, the Humber and a few other spots. It also drops some mines along the North Channel coast.

RAF Bomber Command makes daylight raids on Luftwaffe airfields throughout northwestern Europe. After dark, it raids oil installations at Magdeburg and Hanover (and the nearby airfield at Quakenbrück), airfields at Cam and Abbeville, the island of Texel off the north coast of Holland, and railway installations in the Ruhr industrial region and the Rhineland.

The day is pretty much a wash, with Luftwaffe losses around 15-20 planes and RAF losses 10-15. There is not much Luftwaffe fighter activity, which shows that the German bombers - contrary to legend - are quite capable of downing attacking fighters. It is worth pointing out that the poor weather is making bombing accuracy extremely difficult, and more and more bombs are dropping on civilian areas unintentionally (at this stage).

Johann Schalk, an Austrian Zerstörer ace, receives the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (Honor Goblet). The Honor Goblet goes to someone who already has the Iron Cross First Class and does something to deserve special recognition, but is not seen to merit the Ritterkreuz at this point. Schalk is the first airman to receive this award.

Pilots of No 242 Squadron RAF group around S/L Douglas RS "Dougie" Bader (front center) at RAF Duxford in 1940. Bader, of course, had lost both legs in December 1931 and been retired, but he returned to the service in 1940 and became an ace. His story was well-known and respected by pilots on both sides of the Channel.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-48 (K.Kapt. Hans-Rudolf Rösing) fires and misses at two different freighters in the Northwest Approaches.

British 339 ton freighter Letty hits a mine and sinks between Liverpool and Ireland, all hands are lost.

Danish cargo vessel Anø hits a mine and sinks in the Kattegat. Four of her 12 crew perish.

Italian submarine Dandolo torpedoes and damages Dutch tanker Hermes about 200 miles off of Lisbon. Large tankers are notoriously difficult to sink due to their construction.

Four minelayers leave Loch Aish to lay minefield SN.1 in the North Sea.

A long-range Junkers Ju 88A of 9,/KG 30 performs reconnaissance over Ireland as a form of training, but its engines fail and it crashes into the sea off Berwick. Two of the four crew survive.

Convoy OA 202 departs from Methil, Convoy FN 259 departs from Southend, Convoy RS.5 departs Durban for Aden.

U-141 (Oberleutnant zur See Heinz-Otto Schultze) is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: British submarine HMS Rorqual attacks a couple of freighters in a convoy just off Ras al Helal, Cyrenaica, Libya. It misses, then suffers an extended depth charge attack which it survives.

At Malta, there is an attempted air raid at 15:20 which results in no bombs dropped.

The SS Anglo Saxon.

War Crimes: German raider Widder has been operating between the coasts of Brazil and Africa. Today, it spots 5594-ton British tramp steamer Anglo Saxon roughly midway between the two continents and attacks. The Widder uses its machine guns on the survivors as they are evacuating the ship, with the intention of leaving no survivors in the open ocean (this is later confirmed by examining the wreckage). In addition, the Widder is alleged by a survivor (there are only two out of a crew of 41) to have fired on the lifeboats after being launched. Widder Captain Ruchteschell later lamely claims to have given an order to cease fire but further alleges that the crew could not hear it over the noise of battle. This is a clear war crime (so a court later finds). It is the only time a German raider commits a war crime that results in prosecution and conviction.

US Military: Destroyers USS Walker and USS Wainwright continue their "Show the flag" operation and arrive at Pará, Brazil.

Romanian/Bulgarian Relations: The Romanian government agrees to cede more territory to a neighbor, this time giving up Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria. It does this under German pressure, and perhaps some off-the-record promises of what may happen in the future.

Soviet Government: Leon Trotsky passes away in Mexico from the injuries suffered by the ice pick attack, ordered by Stalin, by undercover NKVD agent Ramón Mercader on 20 August.

British Government: In a gesture of solidarity with its allies, the House of Commons votes to allow training in the UK of foreign government troops (Poland, Czechoslovakia, etc.) under their own flags.

Adolf Galland. Many consider him the greatest fighter pilot of all time.

German Government: Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering continues the Luftwaffe purge that he began on 20 August. The changes include appointing Adolf Galland as Geschwaderkommodore of JG 26 in place of Gotthard Handrick and appointing Oblt. Gunther Lützow as Kommodore of JG 3 in place of Oblt. Karl Vieck. Galland is still at Carinhall to receive an award (where he has been lobbying against the new close escort doctrine to no avail). He is due to return to JG 26 tomorrow, 22 August, when the command change takes effect.

The general tenor of the command changes is to replace older Luftwaffe officers with younger, more aggressive pilots who have proven themselves in this war. Many of the rank and file pilots truly like their older commanders, though, and these changes usually do not help unit performance anyway because the older commanders don't fly much (and the changes often hurt morale). The changes are not arbitrary, and in many instances make extremely good sense (as in the promotion of Galland), but there is a large element of scapegoating, too.

Vichy France: Hitler Youth chop down the "tree of liberty" planted in Saverne, Alsace after the end of World War I.

Leon Trotsky late in life, apparently looking at a picture of himself in the newspaper. Trotsky remains a cult political figure in the 21st Century.

August 1940

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

2020

Thursday 20 August 1940

The cover of "Der Adler" (The Eagle) magazine for 20 August 1940. The cover is somewhat ironic due to the fact that the Stukas are in the process of being withdrawn from most combat operations on the Channel front due to their vulnerability.

British Government: Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes one of his more famous and memorable speeches to Parliament on 20 August 1940, with the immortal line coming at the end of this paragraph:

The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

"The Few" remains the motto of the RAF to this day, so the speech had a lasting impact upon the service itself.

Of course, the Battle of Britain isn't quite over yet, so it is a bit early to be taking victory laps. However, the historical record in hindsight makes this a fitting occasion to make such a speech.

The debate after the speech makes interesting reading because there is some satisfaction expressed about the warlike tone constantly struck by Churchill, the apparent absence of any interest whatsoever in peace negotiations of any sort, and the "slanderous anti-Soviet propaganda" being (apparently) supported by the government. This is an interesting position in many ways, but particularly due to what we now know was about to happen to London.

Churchill also announces the agreement with the US to trade bases for destroyers. The bases will be in Newfoundland and the West Indies.


Battle of Britain: The weather - England's second-best ally in the battle following the assistance of the United States - once again turns foul and hinders operations. Great Britain merely has to run out the clock before the weather really closes in, while the Luftwaffe must get things done in a hurry if its aerial offensive is to have any meaning at all.

There is not much going on aside from reconnaissance until shortly before noon when Bf 110s from Epr.Gr 210 operates around Southwold, including attacking shipping and RAF Martlesham Heath. RAF No. 66 Squadron intervenes and chases them off.

At 13:45, Dornier Do 17s come across the North Sea and are met by RAF No. Squadron. 242, which loses a Hurricane.

Other Dornier Do 17 bombers attack RAF Eastchurch at 14:30. RAF No. 615 Squadron intervenes, joined by RAF No. 65 Squadron, which loses a Spitfire.

An hour or so later, the Luftwaffe launches another attack on RAF Manston. RAF No. 600 Squadron sends its Blenheims up in defense, one of which is damaged. The airfield is lightly damaged. A dogfight occurs between the escorting fighters and RAF No. 65 Squadron which forces a Spitfire to crash-land and ultimately be written off.

The 8 storage tanks at Llanreath near Pembroke Docks are still burning from the raid of the 19th, and the fire, in fact, is spreading to another two tanks, creating a massive inferno. This serves as a beacon visible for many miles, attracting more Luftwaffe attacks. RAF No. 236 Squadron sends up Blenheims, one of which is damaged.

There are a few lone-raider missions. One, on RAF Thornaby, results in the loss of a Junkers Ju uu to RAF No. 302 (Polish) Squadron. In addition, a Hurricane of RAF No. 257 Squadron downs a Dornier off Suffolk.

The day is notable because it marks the first time a Luftwaffe crew is interned in Ireland and only the second plane to crash there. It is a long-range Luftwaffe Focke Wulf FW 200C-1 Condor, coded "F8+KH" and assigned to I./KG 40. The anti-aircraft fire brought it down on Mount Brandon during a reconnaissance mission. The incident is unusual in Ireland and long-remembered - the Irish (in general) have no particular personal grudge against the Germans.

The Luftwaffe sinks 248-ton minesweeper trawler HMS Resparko at Falmouth. Everyone survives.

Three Luftwaffe bombers attack RMS St. Patrick off of South Wexford, damaging it. In other attacks on the west coast of Ireland, the Luftwaffe damages British freighter Macville at Blacksod Bay and British freighter Peebles 20 miles off Tuskar Rock.

The Luftwaffe stages a small raid on Scapa Flow in the North of Scotland shortly after midnight.

RAF Coastal Command spots a couple of Kriegsmarine destroyers in the North Sea and damage one.

Losses for the day are light, with Luftwaffe losses usually given as 10-15 planes and RAF losses at 3-5 planes.

Luftwaffe Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51, Hptm. Horst Tietzen, who perished on 18 August, posthumously receives the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross). Theodor Osterkamp, the commanding officer of Jagdgeschwader 51, also receives the award and is there to receive it. Osterkamp is a fascinating figure because he also fought in World War I and received top awards then as well, including the highly coveted "Blue Max" (Pour le Mérite). The Luftwaffe is very protective of some of its top war heroes and orders Osterkamp to stop flying missions.

U-A, a submarine ordered by Turkey (as the Batiray) from Germaniawerft and requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine on the outbreak of war.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-A (Kapitänleutnant Hans Cohausz) torpedoes and sinks Panamanian (really Finnish) independent 4397-ton collier Tuira about 280 miles southwest of Rockall. There are two dead and 30 survivors.

U-46 (Oberleutnant zur See Engelbert Endrass) torpedoes 2089 ton  Greek wood freighter Leonida M. Valmas in the Western Approaches. Perhaps due to the light cargo, the freighter does not sink right away and is taken under tow, to Kames Bay, where the cargo salvaged and the ship declared a total loss.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Cachalot torpedoes and sinks U-51 (Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Knorr) in the Bay of Biscay 100 miles off of the base at St. Nazaire. All 43 crew perish. The U-boat route to the Atlantic from the French bases is a prime hunting ground for British forces.

British raider Widder sinks British freighter Anglo Saxon.

The British minelayers HMS Teviotbank, Plover, and Willem van der Zaan lay minefield BS 33 in the North Sea.

A floating dock (AFD.12) departs the Tyne for Lyness under escort by destroyers HMS Lowestoft and Egret.

Convoy FN 258 departs from Southend, Convoy MT 146 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 258 departs from the Tyne,, Convoy OB 201 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 67 departs from Halifax.

German destroyer Z28 is launched, U-141 is commissioned, and hospital ship Alexander von Humboldt is commissioned. British minesweeping trawler HMS Almond (T 14, Chief Skipper Robert Buchan) is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The RAF bombs Diredawa and Dessie in Abyssinia and Kassala in eastern Sudan.

Taking a cue from Hitler's decision a few days ago to institute a "total blockade" of Great Britain, Italy institutes its own "total blockade" of Gibraltar, Malta, and Egypt. While it is a fanciful idea in many ways, Malta already is blockaded, and Egypt potentially could face a blockade due to the recent Italian conquest of British Somaliland. The timing of this announcement, though, reinforces the image of the Italian tail wagging on the German dog.

Vice Admiral James Somerville arrives in Gibraltar with his flotilla headed by aircraft carrier Ark Royal and battlecruiser HMS Renown. They have been in Great Britain for home defense. This reconstitutes Force H. Italian bombers attack Gibraltar to no effect.

At Malta, half a dozen more Blenheim bombers land at Luqa, while three others continue their journey to Egypt. The Italians naturally take an interest in all this bomber activity and decide to pay a visit as well. There are air raids on Luqa airfield which destroy several buildings and destroy one of the bombers and damage a couple of others. There also are some attacks on the Hal Far airfield which damage an RAF No. 830 Squadron Swordfish torpedo bomber.

Admiral James Somerville (1882–1949) on the right.

Battle of the Pacific: German disguised merchant raider Orion is operating in the Cook Straight of the Tasman Sea. It finds and sinks 9,691 ton New Zealand cargo steamer SS Turakina about 500 km off the Taranaki coast. It is the first battle of any kind ever fought in the Tasman Sea: the Turakina has a 4.7-inch deck gun versus Orion's six 5.9 inch guns. The battle lasts almost three hours, but the end result is pretty much unavoidable due to the disparity in force. There are 35/38 deaths (sources vary) and 20-21 survivors who are taken as prisoners. The Orion is making plans to work in concert with fellow raider Komet and supply ship Kulmerland.

The Komet, meanwhile, now is being led eastward in the Arctic ocean by Soviet icebreakers. When - or if - it will make it to the Pacific Ocean is unclear.

The New Zealanders and Australians send ships out to hunt down German raiders, but it is a big ocean. The Orion remains in the area of the sinking for five hours to save the survivors from an otherwise almost certain death despite the likelihood of the British ships' arrival.

German Government: Generalmajor Walter Warlimont, deputy chief in the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), and his staff present a revised plan for Operation Felix, the proposed invasion of Gibraltar. The plan concludes with the obvious, that everything depends upon Spanish participation, and that is far from certain. Franco wants to have it both ways, appearing to be against the whole thing while actually supporting it - but absent a declaration of war on Great Britain. Clearly, Franco does not want to enter another general war so soon after winning the Spanish Civil War.

Walter Warlimont.

Soviet Government: Settling once and for all a longstanding feud with former ally Leon Trotsky, Soviet Premier Stalin has an agent, undercover NKVD agent Ramón Mercader, kill him with a mountaineering ice pick at Trotsky's home in Mexico. Stalin has launched other attacks by hit squads on Trotsky that failed, but this time a single attacker does the trick.

China: The Japanese continue their bombing campaign against Chungking. The cumulative effect of the raids is devastating to the Nationalist capital. The new Zero fighters continue escorting the "Nell" bombers, which they began doing only yesterday.

Chinese communists operating in Hebei and Shanxi Provinces launch the "Hundred Regiments Offensive." The attack is focused along the railway line that separates them from the Japanese. The provinces are a major source of supply for the Japanese.

Ramón Mercader, at the time of his assassination of Leon Trotsky and many years later. Convicted of murder, he was released from prison on 6 May 1960, quickly moved to the Soviet Union, and passed away in 1978. A committed communist, Mercader is buried under the name “Ramon Ivanovich Lopez” in Moscow’s Kuntsevo Cemetery.

August 1940

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

2020

Thursday 24 May 1940

Spitfire Mark.1A, P9374 on the beach of Calais sometime soon after 24 May 1940. It went down on 24 May 1940. F/O Peter Cazenove survived the crash-landing and ultimately became a POW. The plane was buried under the sand shortly after this shot for decades, but emerged in 1980 and has been restored. The plane is flyable and is at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

German Military: The OKW (German military high command) issues a stop order (Fuhrer Directive 13) to General Paul Ewald von Kleist on 24 May 1940. It calls for "the annihilation of French, British and Belgian forces in the Dunkirk pocket." Panzer Group Kleist controls the Wehrmacht's spearhead which has been aiming at the sea and, more recently, specifically toward the Channel Ports. All troops are to stop and consolidate their current positions.

This order quite possibly is the most controversial incident of World War II, and not just among historians. The OKH (army high command) led by General von Brauchitsch and General Halder objects at the time. With General Guderian's XIX Corps only 18 miles from Dunkirk and the Germans already in possession of Boulogne, Hitler expresses concern about the "Flanders marshes" that he recalls as a World War I infantry corporal.

In truth, the OKW has been increasingly leery about the over-extension of the panzer forces since the crossing of the Meuse, and not just Hitler. There is a case to be made that the stop order is wise and prevents a chance for an Allied counter-stroke that could surround some of the more advanced Wehrmacht positions. There also is a military theory that you want to provide your enemy a "Golden Bridge," an escape route that is too inviting for them to take rather than stand and fight. In any event, the order is only in place for the day, so perhaps too much is made of it by historians.

The precise reason for the stop order is fertile ground for conspiracy theorists - was Hitler actually trying to save the BEF for some reason? - but will never be known. It existed only inside the head of Adolf Hitler, though Hermann Goering assures the Fuhrer that his Luftwaffe can prevent any escape. Hitler himself commented on this issue on 26 February 1945, claiming that he allowed the British to escape as a "sporting gesture." One way or the other, the order is widely believed to have affected the course of World War II.

Western Front: The XIX Corps is on the line Gravelines - Omer - Bethune. Only one portion of the line is active, at Calais.

The 10th Panzer Division (General der Panzertruppe Ferdinand Schaal) is attacking at Calais and that operation is not considered to be affected by the stop order. The British reinforcements have just arrived within the last day to hold the port, but now they form a solid defensive line and the Germans make no progress. However, the supply of the Allied troops now is a problem, as they are under constant air and ground attack and going through prodigious amounts of ammunition. General Guderian gives Schaal until the morning of the 26th to take the town, or he will withdraw the panzers and order the Luftwaffe to level it.

Both sides begin artillery fire early, at 04:45. German artillery fire destroys large sections of the docks. Some of the ships are evacuated without having unloaded all of their equipment.

The Allies have consolidated their positions into the heart of the town. The 10th Panzer Division attacks all along the line and makes some progress in the south, but British counterattacks push them back. The panzers try again in the afternoon with better success, and French Fort Nieulay surrenders. The panzers get through the defensive line on the south, aided by German snipers within the town (collaborators). While the 10th Panzer Division retains the southern part of the town, it also reports that it has lost a third of its equipment and half of its tanks.

The British maintain a steady stream of supplies to the town, and British destroyers offshore are bombarding the German positions, but the situation is deteriorating. The Admiralty orders all non-combatants to be evacuated. There is dissension on the Allied side, as the French do not want to evacuate the port. The British refuse to send any more reinforcements. There are reports of a relief column advancing from the north, but it is nowhere in sight. The German artillery and panzer fire destroys the dockside cranes, making the job of evacuating more difficult - especially of the wounded.

At Boulogne, there are still some British forces waiting to be evacuated as the day begins. HMS Vimiera takes the last lot off from the docks in the early hours of the morning, arriving back at Dover at 04:00. French General Lanquetot is out of touch with headquarters and continues to resist in the Haute Ville, the ancient citadel. He expects reinforcements that are no longer coming. The German 2d Panzer Division occupies the rest of the town and attacks Lanquetot's holdouts in the evening, but he holds out.

A party of Welsh Guards also has been left behind in Boulogne. They are congregated down by the docks along with a motley collection of other stragglers. Despite having no hope of rescue, they hold out until the 25th.

The 1st Panzer Division is at the Aa Canal, 10 miles from Dunkirk. There is one BEF battalion between them and the port, but they are forced to halt.

The German troops on other sectors of the front are unaffected by the stop order. The German Sixth Army under General Reichenau forces the Belgian 1st and 3rd Divisions back at Kortrijk. They take up a defensive position along the Lys River. The Belgian 9th and 10th Divisions soon join the line there, and the Belgian II Army Corps counterattacks and takes 200 prisoners. The Luftwaffe harasses the Belgian positions, and the RAF cannot respond quickly because it is operating out of England. A German attack on Ypres, which threatens to surround the Belgians, is checked with difficulty by the Belgian 2nd Cavalry Brigade and the 6th Infantry Division.

Maubeuge on the banks of the Sambre falls, with 90% of the town destroyed during the fighting. St. Omer also falls.

The Germans occupy Ghent and Tournai.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe launches some raids after nightfall in Yorkshire, East Anglia, and Essex. There are 8 civilian casualties in Middlesbrough - the first such casualties in England (previous casualties were in Scotland).

The RAF bombs the Cologne railroad marshalling yards during the night with 59 bombers.

The RAF sends 69 bombers to attack German positions around Calais.

The Luftwaffe sinks British ship Brighton at Dieppe.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) torpedoes and sinks 3,994 ton Greek freighter Kyma about 300 miles west of Ushant. There are 23 survivors and 7 perish.

The Royal Navy is active off the Channel Ports, aiding the BEF and French forces defending them. Royal Navy cruisers Arethusa and Galatea, Polish destroyer Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (ORP) Burza, and destroyers HMS Grafton, Greyhound, Wessex, Wolfhound, and Verity support the troops.

Canada sends destroyers HMCS St. Laurent (H83), HMCS Restigouche (H00) and HMCS Skeena (D59) from Halifax to the UK to aid in the war effort.

The President of Panama, Augusto S. Boyd, sends diplomatic notes to Germany, Great Britain, the Dominican Republic and the Inter-American Neutrality Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil regarding the Hannover incident of 8 March 1940. He claims that it was a violation of the Pan-American Neutrality Zone.

Convoy OA 154 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 154 departs from Liverpool, and Convoy HX 45 departs from Halifax.

The British commission corvette HMS Gardenia (K 99) (Lt. Commander Trevor A. O. Ellis).

Norway: The Supreme Allied War Council meets in Paris and decides to wind up the Norwegian campaign - but only after capturing the vital port of Narvik and destroying it. They do not inform the Norwegian government. The withdrawal is given the code "Operation Alphabet."

The German 2d Mountain Division continues pursuing Colonel Gubbins' troops north from Mo i Rana. Gubbins has some of his troops hold a switch position about 10 miles (16 km) south of Rognan. The men of the Irish Guards, Nos. 2 and 3 Independent Companies, and Royal Artillery Battery 203 wait for the Germans, equipped with mortars, machine guns and with 25-pound artillery emplaced to sweep the road. The Germans advancing toward Bodo will be walking into an ambush.

French Alpine troops land at Bjerkvik, which is across the fjord from Narvik.

At Narvik, the Germans essentially are surrounded, with the Norwegians on the north, the French on the west, and the Poles on the southwest. The RAF is operating Gladiator Glosters out of Bardufoss just to the north. As cover for Operation Alphabet, the British contemplate launching an attack on Narvik, but not right away. French General Béthouart in particular would like to teach the Germans a lesson here, where they are more vulnerable than back in France.

The Luftwaffe continues its gradual reinforcement of General Dietl's troops in Narvik, dropping another 55 mountain troops by parachute, while seaplanes bring 14 more. The rail line through Sweden also brings 40 German troops, violating Swedish neutrality.

Military Intelligence: Bletchley Park's Code and Cypher School has had great success recently in decoding certain (but not all) German Enigma Machine coded messages. It begins routing its finding in close to real-time to the BEF, the RAF and, of course, Prime Minister Winston Churchill. This is all top secret, of course, and the actual source of the information is rarely provided to any but the absolutely most highly placed individuals.

Belgian Government: King Leopold III remains in the increasingly narrow portion of the country still held by the Allies and has no intention of leaving like Queen Wilhelmina of Holland. He states, "Whatever happens, I have to share the same fate as my troops." His Prime Minister, Hubert Pierlot, strongly suggests that Leopold leave the country, but Leopold refuses. Some feel that his remaining in the country after a capitulation would be contrary to the best interests of the nation. In any event, whether to surrender is a question for the elected government, not the King.

Leon Trotsky

Soviet Government: Stalin has had it in for old rival Leon Trotsky for some time, and today he does something about it. Trotsky has emigrated to Coyoacán, Mexico, but nowhere is far enough when Stalin wants you dead. An armed force attacks Trotsky's fortified compound, throwing bombs and firing machine guns. The attackers eventually leave - but Trotsky and his wife Natalia survive by ducking under the bed.

British Government: King George VI addresses the public by radio broadcast on Empire Day. He states:

"The decisive struggle is now upon us ... Let no one be mistaken; it is not mere territorial conquest that our enemies are seeking. It is the overthrow, complete and final, of this Empire and of everything for which it stands, and after that the conquest of the world. And if their will prevails they will bring to its accomplishment all the hatred and cruelty which they have already displayed."

Sir Samuel is named ambassador to Spain.

German Military: Heinrich "Heinz" Trettner receives the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He is a Major on the General Staff and 1a (operations officer) of the 7th Flieger-Division (parachute division). This is a recognition of the fine service of the paratroopers in the war so far.

Ireland: The government forms a Local Security Force.

Middle East: General Eugene Mittelhauser takes over command of French forces.

French Homefront: In an odd but purely Gallic expression of patriotism, 10 leading Paris fashion houses declare they will not close despite the war. "At this grave hour, couture will continue." Coco Chanel is making a controversial decision.

American Homefront: Night baseball games are introduced at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York and Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

"Our Town," starring William Holden and Martha Scott, is released.

The Polo Grounds, 24 May 1940.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020

Thursday 12 October 1939

Soviet troops entering Estonia, 12 October 1939.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-37 under the command of Kapitanleutnant Werner Hartmann torpedoes Greek merchant ship Aris west of Ireland on 12 October 1939. The Aris is an independent carrying ballast.

U-48 under Kplt Herbert Schultze torpedoes 14,115-ton French oil tanker Emile Miguet after stopping it with gunfire and disembarking the crew. It is part of convoy KJ-2.

U-48 also sinks 5202-ton British coaler Heronspool from convoy OB-17. Everyone survived. The Heronspool had fallen behind the convoy and thus in effect was an independent.

British authorities at Weymouth size more US mail destined for Holland, Belgium and Germany, this time from the Black Tern and the Dutch ship Zaandam.

Convoy SL 4F leaves from Freetown for Liverpool.

Western Front: The BEF under General Alan Brooke, 2nd Corps, now has fully occupied the line between the towns of Maulde and Halluin.

Finland: Finnish talks with Molotov begin in Moscow. Molotov demands territory north of Leningrad and some islands in the Gulf of Finland. He also wants control of the port of Hanko and some adjustments above the Arctic Circle. Many of these same points will be revisited in September 1944.

The American Ambassador to Moscow, Steinhardt, conveys President Roosevelt's wish to Molotov that the Soviets allow a full airing out of the Finnish position on boundaries.

British Government: PM Chamberlain and the House of Commons reject Hitler's latest peace offer of 6 October 1939. Chamberlain states that acceding to German desires for peace on the basis of the status quo would be to forgive Germany for its aggression. He adds that "the present German government" cannot be trusted.

A bill to restrain war profiteering is introduced.

German Government: Hitler ends his peace initiative for the time being. He also seeks to ramp up munitions production.

General Government of Poland: Hans Frank, who chairs the Academy of German Law, is appointed Governor-General (Gauleiter) of Poland. He will operate out of Wawel Castle in Kraków.

Frank will report to Heinrich Himmler. He has authority over rump Poland, the part not outright annexed to the Reich such as Danzig and the Polish corridor (and obviously not the part under Soviet control). This includes Warsaw, Lublin, Radom, and Krakow.

US Government: A House of Representatives Committee invites Leon Trotsky to testify about Josef Stalin. He accepts.

Estonia: Soviet forces begin arriving in Tallinn by rail, bound primarily for Saaremaa and Hiiumaa island, and around Haapsalu and Paldiski.

Palestine: All Jewish Immigration is halted.

Holocaust: Adolf Eichmann begins deporting Jews from occupied territories in Austria and Czechoslovakia (both now incorporated into the Reich) to occupied Poland.

Hans Frank, newly appointed Governor-General of Poland, must prepare to receive these deported people.

Future History: American avant-garde artist Carolee Schneemann is born.

A US Army M2A4 light tank being demonstrated in Maryland on 12 October 1939.

October 1939

October 1, 1939: Occupation of Warsaw
October 2, 1939: Hel Peninsula Falls
October 3, 1939: The Diamantis Incident
October 4, 1939: Otto Kretschmer Gets Rolling
October 5, 1939: Polish Resistance Ends
October 6, 1939: Hitler Peace Effort
October 7, 1939: The British Have Arrived
October 8, 1939: First RAF Kill from UK
October 9, 1939: "City of Flint" Incident
October 10, 1939: Lithuania Under Pressure
October 11, 1939: The Atomic Age Begins
October 12, 1939: England Rejects Hitler's Peace Offer
October 13, 1939: Charles Lindbergh Speaks Out
October 14 1939: Royal Oak Sunk
October 15, 1939: Cuban Rockets
October 16, 1939: First Aircraft Shot Down Over UK
October 17, 1939: Marshall Mannerheim Returns
October 18, 1939: Prien Receives His Award
October 19, 1939: Preliminary Plan for Fall Gelb
October 20, 1939: Hitler Grapples with the Jews
October 21, 1939: Hurricanes to the Rescue!
October 22, 1939: Goebbels Lies Through His Teeth
October 23, 1939: Norway the Center of Attention
October 24, 1939: German "Justice" Gets Rolling
October 25, 1939: Handley Page Halifax Bomber First Flies
October 26, 1939: Jozef Tiso Takes Slovakia
October 27, 1939: King Leopold Stands Firm
October 28, 1939 - First Luftwaffe Raid on Great Britain
October 29, 1939: Tinkering with Fall Gelb
October 30, 1939: Defective Torpedoes
October 31, 1939: Molotov Issues an Ultimatum

2019