Saturday 14 June 1941

Residents being deported from Latvia in cattle cars during the June Deportations, 14 June 1941.

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: Operation Exporter continues on 14 June 1941, but the Commonwealth forces run into fierce Vichy French opposition. The Australian 21st Brigade continues attacking Sidon on the coast road but still fails to completely secure the city. The French forces use Renault R35 tanks to good effect, and other Australian troops have to be called up from the southeast to outflank the defenders. The defending French pull out during the night after a hard-fought defense.

The 25th Brigade of the Australian 7th Division consolidates its hold on Jezzine, a key stop on the road to Beirut. To the east, the French force in Ktriese tries to block the British advance.

The Vichy French Navy sends two destroyers out of Beirut at 16:20 to shell the advancing Australians, but New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Leander and British destroyers send them back to port. British destroyers HMS Jervis and HMS Griffin bombard Sidon.

Fierce air battles develop offshore, where the Axis forces attack the Royal Navy ships off Tyre. Curtiss Tomahawks of RAAF No. 3 Squadron shoot down three bombers.

Residents being deported from Latvia in cattle cars, 14 June 1941.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe sends eight He 111s of KGr 100 to attack the aircraft factory at Filton. The Luftwaffe loses one plane and the attack causes little damage.

RAF Fighter Command begins a month-long practice of daily fighter sweeps over the English Channel and Northern France.

RAF 11 Group attacks St. Omer airfields with 12 fighter squadrons escorting 12 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group. One Blenheim IV from RAF No.110 Sqn is lost.

During these attacks, Luftwaffe Ofw. Robert Menge of 3./JG 26 is shot down and killed near Marquise, France by Squadron Leader James E. Rankin of No. 92 Squadron RAF. Menge has 18 kills to his credit. RAF Bomber Command also sends 30 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

During the night, RAF Bomber Command raids Cologne with 29 bombers. The Royal Canadian Air Force conducts its first mission when three No. 405 Squadron Wellingtons attack the Schwerte railway marshaling yards.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert becomes AOCinC (commander) of RAF Coastal Command.

Residents being deported from Latvia in cattle cars, 14 June 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: Having been torpedoed off Norway by an RAF Beaufighter, Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser Lutzow returns to Kiel under its own power. It will be out of commission for about a year.

U-751 (Kptlt. Gerhard Bigalk), on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes, and sinks 5370-ton British freighter St. Lindsay. All 43 men on board perish, including a group of Navy officers traveling as passengers.

The Newfoundland Escort Force continues beefing up its support infrastructure with the arrival at St. John's of depot ship HMS Forth.

Convoy LC-1 departs from Londonderry for Halifax, Convoy OG-65 departs from Liverpool bound for Gibraltar, Convoy HG-65 departs from Gibraltar bound for Liverpool.

Canadian minesweeper HMCS Lachine is launched at Levis, Quebec.

Australian minesweeper HMAS Lithgow (Commander Alfred V. Knight) is commissioned.

United States destroyers USS Fitch and Forrest are launched and Doran and Earle are laid down.

U-333 is launched, U-303 and U-414 are laid down.

Residents being deported from Latvia in cattle cars, 14 June 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: British troops move forward to jump-off points for Operation Battleaxe. This is an offensive on the Libyan border designed to relieve Tobruk. British Middle East Commander General Bernard Wavell anticipates that German General Erwin Rommel has his tanks tied down around Tobruk and that his armor will cut through the defending German infantry easily.

Due to careless wireless signals on the British side, Rommel learns eight hours before the British offensive begins that it is coming. He immediately orders reinforcements to the border. The main German force that will bear the brunt of the British offensive is the 15th Panzer Division. The German 5th Light Division also is available on the Tobruk perimeter.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Clyde torpedoes and sinks 331-ton Italian freighter Giovanini Bottigliere south of Sardinia.

In Operation Tracer, Royal Navy aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and Victorious successfully fly off 47 Hawker Hurricane fighters to Malta. The carriers and their accompanying escorts, Force H, then return to Gibraltar. All of the planes reach Malta.

Italian planes based on Rhodes bomb Suez Bay.

Luftwaffe ace Hans-Joachim Marseille is forced to crashland in Libya. He quickly returns to base, takes off in another fighter, but is shot down again. This fighter he also crashlands in Libya without injury and behind German lines.

Battle of the Pacific: Swedish 6079-ton freighter Ningpo hits a mine in Singapore Harbor. The explosion disables the freighter, which must be towed to Hong Kong for repairs.

HMAS Hobart preparest to tow freighter HMS Glenearn in Suez Bay, 14 June 1941.

Spy Stuff: The Japanese Vice-Consul in Hawaii, a Japanese intelligence officer posing as a diplomat, reports to Tokyo that a light cruiser has entered Pearl Harbor for repairs. The Japanese are keeping a very close eye on US Navy fleet movements across the Pacific.

US/Axis Relations: The sinking of US freighter Robin Moore off the African coast by U-69 (Kptlt. Jost Metzler) on 21 May 1941 results in sanctions against the Axis powers. It now is accepted even by isolationist United States Senator Gerald Nye (R-ND) that the Germans sank the freighter. Nye states:

The evidence that the Robin Moor was sunk by a German submarine is too complete to permit my declaration of yesterday noon, to the effect that the boat might have been sunk by Britain, to stand."

President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 8785, entitled "Freezing the Assets of Certain European Countries." By this order, the United States immediately freezes assets of Andorra, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, Finland, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, France, Monaco, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Yugoslavia (which technically no longer exists), Greece, and Albania.

The order applies to the nations themselves and individuals of those nations. No reason is given in the text of the order, but it clearly is directed at the Axis powers (including the Soviet Union and its satellites). Notable from its absence on the list is Japan, which is subject to other sanctions.

In addition, the US State Department tells Germany and Italy to close all consulates in the United States except for their embassies. The United States demands damages and reparations from Germany, but the Reich ignores this demand. Germany quickly responds by telling the United States to close its consulates in the Reich, and Germany and Italy both begin considering freezing United States assets in Europe.

German/Vichy French Relations: Given Vichy French unwillingness to ratify the Paris Protocols, they essentially become a nullity aside from the Luftwaffe use of airfields in the Levant - which at this point is a fairly useless concession given the fall of Iraq to the British.

Troopship MV Georgic on fire after an air attack in Suez Bay, 14 June 1941.

Soviet/German Relations: Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov tells German Ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg  that "only a fool would attack Russia." Schulenburg secretly basically agrees but has an inkling of what is to come.
German Military: Hitler holds meetings throughout the day with his generals at the Reich Chancellery. All of the generals and Field Marshals are given separate entrances and staggered times to attend the meeting in order to preserve secrecy.

Hitler, who already has absolved in advance Wehrmacht troops of all crimes they may commit during Operation Barbarossa, expands upon previous orders such as the Commissar Order of 6 June 1941. He reiterates that Soviet prisoners of war do not have to be treated according to the Articles of the Hague Convention and Geneva Convention. He reasons that the USSR is not covered by the treaties because it has not signed them. This means that they do not have to be fed or housed properly and so forth. In addition, as previously ordered, he emphasizes that Soviet Commissars are "not to be considered POWs" and are to be shot upon capture. It is certain that these orders are illegal and contrary both to treaties and the rules of warfare.

According to notes taken by a Luftwaffe general, at one point Hitler says:

The main enemy is still Britain.  Britain will fight on as long as the fight has any purpose; this is typical of the British, as we have seen from their individual soldier’s conduct in Flanders, and it was demonstrated again by Dunkirk, by Greece, and by Crete.  But Britain’s fight only makes sense as long as they can hope that American aid will take effect and that they may find support on the continent.  This explains why they have high hopes that the Russians will intervene and tie down the Germans, wearing down our war economy while the balance of power is tilted by American aid.  At present this is very meager; it will not become effective until the summer of 1942, assuming they have enough shipping tonnage to bring it over here; and the shipping losses are increasing. 

The proof of [Britain’s] advances to Russia is the complete uniformity in their press treatment of Cripps’s journey.(1)  Russia’s attitude is perpetually obscure; she exploited every moment of political or military preoccupation elsewhere to raise immediate political demands.  We can see this happening in Russia’s intervention in the Polish campaign, and again against the Baltic states and Finland, and now in the Balkans (Bessarabia, and the treaty of friendship with Yugoslavia). 

Our attempt to “clarify the position” met with the following objections from Molotov.  First question, What does our guarantee to Romania mean and would we object to a Russian military mission?  The second question concerning the Dardanelles, and the third about Finland.  In other words continual efforts to push in somewhere.  Since these efforts coincided chronologically with various temporary weaknesses in the German position, we would have to expect them to use every chance they can in the future to act against Germany’s interests.  The Russian armed forces are strong enough to prevent us from demobilizing soldiers and feeding them into the arms and consumer-goods industries so long as this latent Russian threat persists.  Even if we made peace with Britain this would still be so.  We want this conflict to come early, however ;  indeed it is absolutely vital if we are not to forfeit the favorable conditions that prevail.  The bulk of the Russian forces are standing on the frontier, so we have a good chance of defeating them right there.

Hitler admits during his typical monologue that Soviet troops outnumber the Wehrmacht. He reasons that this problem is surmountable because of the higher quality of German troops.

There is an awkward moment when Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, attempting to be positive (he has expressed his doubts about Operation Barbarossa in private), stands up and yells that the victory over the Soviet Union will rival those of Hitler's previous victories. Hitler, however, does not take the bait. Instead, he darkly warns that Operation Barbarossa will be the "toughest" fight yet because Germany "shall be fighting an ideological enemy and an ideological enemy of fanatical persistence at that."

Word of the Commissar Order, which authorizes immediate execution of Soviet political troops, filters down to the ranks. For instance, Theodore Eicke, commander of the SS Death's Head (Totenkopf) Division, tells his men of the order. Some commanders later claim, however, not to have informed their men of the order.

The Germans instruct their vessels in Soviet ports to leave.

Martin Baltimore Mk. I or II. on June 14, 1941. (U.S. Air Force photo)

British Military: Prime Minister Winston Churchill criticizes General Bernard Freyberg's conduct of operations on Crete in a letter to General Ismay. In particular, he is upset that Freyberg did not launch a counterattack at Maleme airfield while that was still possible.

Holocaust: The June Deportations begin in Estonia. The Soviet Union rounds up "suspect" individuals in Estonia. They are mostly political figures, clergymen, military officers, refugees and immigrants, and others the Soviets feel that they cannot control. About 10,000 people are rounded up and sent to Siberia in cattle cars, and whenever one individual is sent, his entire family is forced to go with him.

American Homefront: Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard singles chart with "Maria Elena." It is a 1932 popular tune written originally in Spanish by Lorenzo Barcelata and released by Decca Records (3968). The flip side is "Green Eyes," which also will hit No. 1, making it a big double-sided hit recording.

This grave marker in Libya reads, “Here rests an unknown English lieutenant, fallen during air combat on June 14th, 1941" (photograph was taken by George Rodger, Colorized by Laiz Kuczynski).

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020

Friday 13 June 1941

Winston Churchill takes aim with a Sten gun during a visit to the Royal Artillery experimental station at Shoeburyness in Essex, on June 13, 1941 (colorized).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: Operation Exporter continues on 13 June 1941. The advancing Australian troops begin to run into heavy resistance from the Vichy French. While the outcome of the campaign is never really in doubt, there is a lot of hard fighting which escalates today.

The Australian 7th Division (Major General John Lavarack) advancing toward Beirut has split its forces. It has left a small party in Merdjayoun and sent the rest toward Jazzine. Australian troops of the 25th Brigade lead the attack on Jezzine. The defending French respond with heavy machine-gun fire, causing a lot of casualties. To eliminate the machine gun nest, Private Jim Gordon, 2/31st Battalion, crawls forward and attacks with his rifle and bayonet. Gordon succeeds and wins the Victoria Cross, and the Australians take Jezzine.

On the coast, the Australian 21st Brigade (Brigadier Jack Stevens) attacks Sidon, a town of about 12,000 people. The defending French resist fiercely and hold the town for the time being. The Australian forces are led by the 2/16th Infantry Battalion, which attacks during the day. The Australians are careful to avoid hitting historic buildings with their artillery, which slows the advance. Some sources say that Sidon falls today, but the battle takes a couple of days.

A 10-ton French R35 tank in Syria on or about June 13, 1941. French tanks were capable, but suffered from poor fuel mileage - the R35 requires 212 liters of gasoline to go 100 km off-road. It was powered by an 85-hp Renault V-4 engine mounted in the right rear. By comparison, a 27-ton British Matilda tank of the time used two diesel engines providing up to 87 hp each. French forces in Syria had two battalions (63 and 68 BCC) of 45 and 50 tanks, respectively.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe sends 135 bombers to the Chatham naval base and Portsmouth/Southampton area, perhaps in anticipation of the breakout attempt by heavy cruiser Lutzow. However, the British jamming procedures against the Luftwaffe's radio direction service cause massive confusion in the bomber stream. The Luftwaffe bombers get lost in the dark and bombs drop all across southern and eastern England, mostly to no purpose. To add to the Luftwaffe's bad night, it loses seven bombers to anti-aircraft fighters and anti-aircraft fire.

RAF Bomber Command raids Bochum and Duisburg. The raids are getting more powerful, as Borhum receives 445 tons of bombs. This is the second night of 20 in a row when the RAF bombs German targets. The RAF also sends 42 planes to attack Schwerte and 110 bombers to attack the naval base at Brest.

Corporal James Hendry of the Royal Canadian Engineers earns the George Cross (posthumously) for sending his mates to safety while he stays behind to try to put out a fire that eventually sets off a magazine at Loch Laggan. Sapper John MacDougall Stewart also perishes in the blast.

East African Campaign: Indian trawler Parvati strikes a magnetic mine near Assab. This is the last naval casualty of the campaign, and the Red Sea now becomes a war-free zone.

"A Matilda tank is hidden near the front in the Western Desert, 13 June 1941." This is known as a "hull-down" position. © IWM (E 3532).

Battle of the Atlantic: The British have learned from Ultra decrypts about German plans to send heavy cruiser Lützow into the North Atlantic on Operation Sommerreise. An RAF Coastal Command Blenheim spots it about 15 minutes after midnight on the 13th. The cruiser is steaming about 25 km off the coast.

RAF Beauforts of No. 42 Squadron and No. 22 Squadron attack Lützow, escorted by five destroyers, off Egersund in the early morning hours and score a torpedo strike. An attack at 02:18 disables the ship's electrical system and temporarily shuts down the engines (the RAF claims two torpedo hits, but apparently only one hits amidships). In addition, the hit on the port side  No. 2 motor room causes a heavy list. At first, a destroyer takes Lützow in tow. After emergency repairs, the ship regains the use of its engines and heads back to Kiel. The repairs will last until 10 May 1942. The RAF loses one Beaufort in these operations.

U-107 (Kptlt. Günther Hessler), on its extended second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes, and sinks 4981-ton Greek freighter Pandias several hundred miles off Freetown and south of the Cape Verde Islands. Pandias takes a hit amidships and sinks by the stern, and most of the crew has enough time to take to the boats. However, there are 11 deaths. Hessler surfaces and gives the 23 survivors water, rum, and cigarets.

U-77 (Kptlt. Heinrich Schonder), on its first patrol out of Kiel and serving with Wolfpack West, is operating off Cape Race, Newfoundland when it spots 4743-ton British freighter Tresillian. Schonder decides to get in some target practice and surfaces nearby. The crew pumps 60-65 shells into Tresillian, but it refuses to sink. Schonder then uses a torpedo, sending Tresillian to the bottom. Everyone survives, picked up by US Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Duane.

British 25-pdr field gun in action during the advance into Syria, 13 June 1941.

Italian submarine Brin stalks Convoy SL-75 just east of the Azores. It torpedoes and sinks two ships:

• 3460-ton British freighter Djurdjura
• 3781-ton Greek freighter Eirini Kyriakides

There are 33 deaths on Djurdjura, with five survivors. Everyone on the Eirini Kyriakides perishes.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 628-ton British freighter Kingstown nine nautical miles (17 km) northwest of Bishops Light, Bristol Channel. Every survives. A tug takes Kingstown in tow, but it sinks about six miles (11 km) from St. Anne's Head, Pembrokeshire.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1922-ton British freighter St. Patrick northwest of Porthgain, Wales. There are 30-31 deaths and 68-69 deaths (one man dies later from wounds).

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 162-ton gate vessel HMT King Henry at Lowestoft. There are no casualties.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 933-ton Norwegian freighter Ala just east of the Isle of Wight. There is one death. This is the second attack on Ala, which the Luftwaffe bombed and damaged on 17 May and is in the process of being towed to Southampton when it is sunk.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 332-ton British freighter Empire Creek northeast of Aberdeen in the North Sea with near misses. The ship eventually makes it to Aberdeen, apparently in tow.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 698-ton Norwegian freighter Bokn off St. Ives. The ship makes it back to port.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 5796-ton British freighter Dalemoor southeast of Aberdeen in the North Sea. There are 8 deaths. The ship makes it to Leith in tow.

Royal Navy ASW trawler HMS Cotillion is commissioned, sloop Crane is laid down.

Canadian minesweeper HMCE Noranda is launched at Levis in Quebec Province.

Crew members relax at the rear of their Matilda tank, dug into a hull-down position, 13 June 1941 (© IWM (E 3534).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Aberdare runs aground off Mersa Matruh. It manages to free itself without much damage.

During the night of 12/13 June, two Italian torpedo boats attack a Royal Navy ASW trawler, HMS Jade, about 17 miles off Sicily. Jade is searching for a downed pilot. The Jade escapes serious damage, but one crewman perishes. Both sides rake each other with machine-gun fire, but Italian attempts to torpedo Jade fail and it makes it back to port. The pilot, incidentally, is not found.

The Royal Navy begins another supply operation to Malta, Operation Tracer, when aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and Victorious depart from Gibraltar. The heavy escort includes battleship Renown. They carry 47 Hawker Hurricanes for Malta.

Convoy WS-81 (Winston Special) arrives in Suez carrying troops and weapons.

On Malta, the Italians send numerous raids over and near the island. The British claim to shoot down 11 Axis planes and the RAF also takes at least one loss.

Japanese/Soviet Relations: The Japanese government in Tokyo announces a trade agreement with the Soviet Union.

German/Arab Relations: Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop invites deposed Iraqi leader Rashid Ali, the Grand Mufti, and their cronies, who have escaped into Persia, to Berlin.

US/Vichy French Relations: US Secretary of State Cordell Hull warns the French people that "The general adoption of Hitlerism would set the world back five to ten centuries."

German Military: Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch, Commander in Chief of the German Army, returns to Berlin from an inspection tour at the "front" - the border with the Soviet Union.

Soviet Military: Generals Timoshenko and Zhukov seek permission from Premier Joseph Stalin to alert troops at the border of an invasion threat and begin deploying forces. Stalin, however, refuses and discounts continuing warnings from spy Richard Sorge in Tokyo and others.

The Soviet Navy begins transferring submarines from its Baltic Fleet to the Northern Fleet via the White Sea canal

Inspection, Maintenance and Care of Army Vehicles Pamphlet from June 13, 1941 (Evelyn Thorne).

German Government: Adolf Hitler arrives back in Berlin after a lengthy stay in Munich and Berchtesgaden meeting the leaders of his allies. As crony Walther Hewel writes in his diary, Hitler views eliminating the Soviet Union as a military power as a way to isolate and destroy Great Britain. Reflecting doubt about the wisdom of Operation Barbarossa all around Hitler, Hewel adds:

I cannot share this belief, as the British will regard it as a weakening of Germany for a long time to come.

Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels meets with Hitler and has some explaining to do. He has had his propaganda outlets spread a rumor that an invasion of England is imminent. In fact, that day's Volkischer Beobachter - essentially the party newspaper - has a front-page article entitled, "Crete as an Example," which implies that England will be invaded within the next two months in the same manner as Crete(i.e., with airborne troops, Fallschirmjäger). The article includes the line, "Mr. Churchill will be laughing out of the other side of his face" when the invasion takes place.

However, Hitler quickly confirms that Operation Barbarossa is still on. Goebbels has to send the police out to seize copies of the newspaper. In fact, this naturally sets rumors swirling and helps to hide the true operation planned against the USSR. So, the false story serves as an unintended disinformation campaign that helps maintain the secrecy of the invasion planned for 22 June. Hitler does not hold a grudge and finds the entire incident amusing.

New Mexico receives twice the normal rainfall in 1941, the wettest year in state history (26.25 inches). This kills 28 people, 24 in flooding.  Here, floodwaters rushing over the east approach to the Bernardo, N.M., bridge on June 13, 1941, cut away half of the asphalt pavement. By the next morning, it would all be gone. (Source: MRGD via Albuquerque Journal).

Soviet Government: The TASS news agency issues a terse statement that "rumors of a German plan to attack the Soviet Union are unfounded... there could be no misunderstanding between the two countries."

Channel Islands: Adolf Hitler, who evinces an obsession with islands throughout the war, order reinforcement of the Channel Islands. This results in the construction of both field-type and fortress-type concrete fortifications.

Holocaust: Vichy Premier Philippe Pétain announces the arrest of 12,000-13,000 Jews. The reason that he gives is "plotting to hinder Franco-German co-operation." Radio Lyon announces that anti-Semitic laws in the Reich are extended to Vichy France.

The Soviet Union is deporting thousands of Jews from Bukovina and Bessarabia to Siberia. In light of later events, this may save some of their lives.

A 13 June 1941 advertisement for "Blood and Sand" at the Louisville, Kentucky Rialto.

American Homefront: RKO Radio Pictures releases "Tom, Dick and Harry," starring Ginger Rogers. This is Rogers' first film released since winning the Oscar for Best Actress for "Kitty Foyle." Burgess Meredith appears as "Harry" in this comedy about a telephone operator fantasizing about marrying the men whose calls she places. Burgess, incidentally, eventually gets the girl. Phil Silvers also has a feature role, as does Jane Seymour.

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. releases "Man Hunt." Directed by Fritz Lang, it stars Walter Pidgeon and Joan Bennett. Roddy McDowall appears as Vaner, John Carradine as Mr. Jones and George Sanders as Quive-Smith in this war drama about trying to kill Hitler.

King Brothers (Maurice and Frank Kozinski) release "Gangs, Inc." aka "Paper Bullets," Directed by Phil Rosen, Joan Woodbury stars as an orphan girl who takes the rap unjustly for a crime by her wealthy boyfriend, then becomes the "Queen of Crime." Alan Ladd also stars and, when the film is released (and retitled) in 1946, he leaps to top billing because in the interim he has become a major Hollywood star.

The Snake River at Deadman's Bar, Grand Teton National Park, June 13, 1941 (George Grant, Harpers Ferry Center, Historic Photo Collection).

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020

Tuesday 10 June 1941

Adolf Hitler and Romanian General Ion Antonescu at the Führerbau in München, 10 June 1941. Also visible are German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop and Field Marshal Keitel (Federal Archive Bild 183-B03212)

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: Operation Exporter, the British Commonwealth invasion of Syria and Lebanon, continues. Progress slows today, 10 June 1941.

Following its contested crossing of the Litani River, the Australian 21st Brigade advanced north past Tyre toward Sidon. However, the French stop it during the afternoon. In the center of the front, the 25th Brigade advances toward Merdjayoun. The Vichy French, though, are readying powerful forces to defend Merdjayoun and gathering forces at other points along the front as well.

Free French 1st Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade attack Kissoue south of Damascus. They capture several villages.

The French military orders the French 7 Squadron, 1st Fighter Group to "drive off small units of the British Navy." The Royal Navy effectively has been parking offshore and aiding the advance onshore. The fighters fail in this task because they quickly find out that the entire British 15th Cruiser Squadron is in action and fighters have no chance of making a dent in this force. The French 6 Squadron, 3rd Fighter Group (Capitaine Jacobi) is shot down by British anti-aircraft guns.

The RAF, for its part, forms No. 127 Squadron at Habbaniya, Iraq. It begins operations with four Hawker Hurricanes and four Gloster Gladiators.

"NEAR KHIAM, SYRIA. THE COMMAND POST OF "D" TROOP OF THE 12TH BATTERY OF THE 2/6TH FIELD REGIMENT DURING ACTION AGAINST THE FRENCH IN THE MERDJAYOUN SECTOR. NOTE THE PLOTTING BOARD IN USE, THE MEGAPHONE GIVING ORDERS TO THE GUNS AND THE RADIO AND FIELD PHONES FOR RECEIVING FIRE DIRECTIONS."  10 June 1941 (Australian War Memorial 008195).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Pembroke with 35 bombers during the night.

During the day, RAF Fighter Command sends Rhubarb missions over Belgium. After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Brest with 104 bombers. Their goal is to sink cruisers Prinz Eugen, Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau, but no hits are made.

East African Campaign: Operation Chronometer begins. British troops of the 3rd battalion of 15th Punjab Regiment based in Aden land at Assab, the last Italian port on the Red Sea. They are carried there by a transport escorted by light cruiser HMS Dido (which bombards the port from 05:05-05:12), armed boarding vessel Chakdina, and Indian sloops Clive and Indus. The troops land at 05:19 and achieve complete surprise. They capture five batteries of coastal guns manned by the Italian Navy. The port is captured by 06:00, with 547 Italians and 35 Germans going into captivity.

The capture of Assab is of huge importance because it enables the US Government to retract the designation of the Red Sea as a combat zone. Thus, once Assab is captured, US freighters no longer will have to unload their cargoes for transfer to British ships at Cape Town, but instead can sail uninterrupted up to Suez. This provides a huge efficiency advantage.

The Ainderby, sunk on 10 June 1941 by U-552.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-204 (Kptlt. Walter Kell), serving with Wolfpack West east of Newfoundland on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes and sinks 7886-ton Belgian freighter Mercier. There are 7 deaths.

U-108 (Kptlt. Klaus Scholtz), also serving with Wolfpack West on its third patrol out of Lorient, completes a day-long pursuit when it finally torpedoes and sinks 1992-ton Norwegian freighter Christian Krohg. Everyone on board perishes.

U-552 (Oblt. Erich Topp), on its third patrol out of St. Nazaire and operating off the northwest coast of Ireland, torpedoes and sinks 4860-ton British freighter Ainderby. There are 12 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 5404-ton British freighter Clearpool near Scarborough. There are two deaths. The Clearpool makes it to Tees and thence proceeds to Hartlepool for repairs.

British 1444-ton freighter Royal Scot, part of Convoy FN-477, hits a mine and sinks near 62 Buoy in the Humber River entrance. There are three deaths.

Royal Navy patrol sloop HMS Pintail hits a mine and sinks off the Humber while escorting Convoy FN-477. There are 52 deaths, including master Lt. J.L.E. McClintock, and 22 survivors.

Minelayers HMS Agamemnon and Menestheus lay minefield SN-64 in the Faroes North Rona sector.

Convoy OB-333 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 132 departs from Halifax, Convoy SC-34 departs from Sidney CB bound for the Clyde, Convoy AP-41 (VK-12) departs from Wellington escorted by HMAS Australia.

Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Pintail, based in Harwich. The Pintail is near 62-Buoy about 30 miles off the Humber when a ship it is escorting, the Royal Scot, hits an acoustic mine. The Pintail goes to the scene but also triggers an acoustic mine. The Pintail blows up and sinks within seconds.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The encircled Tobruk garrison is beset with artillery fire and air raids. There are several casualties. One of the main difficulties for the Australian defenders, though, is flies - there are hordes of them in the cookhouse. Many of the Luftwaffe bombs turn out to be duds, so there are many unexploded bombs scattered about the port. Discipline is lagging in certain quarters due to the extended encirclement, with men falling asleep while on guard duty and the like. The siege of Tobruk is a war of nerves along with one laced with bullets and bombs.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay, operating in the Dardanelles, makes two unsuccessful attacks on ships due to defective torpedoes. The third attack is the charm, as it torpedoes and sinks 3319-ton Italian freighter Giuseppina Ghirardi about 15 miles from Cape Helles.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 7241-ton British freighter Durenda near Port Said. The Durenda makes it to Port Said for temporary repairs, and thence to Bombay for permanent repairs.

An Axis convoy of six vessels departs from Naples bound for Tobruk.

POWs: Lord Simon meets with prisoner Rudolf Hess for over two hours. Hess urges the British to seek peace with Germany.

"Looking from the top of the hangar of HMS SUFFOLK toward the arctic ice fields." June 1941. © IWM (A 4193).

US/Bolivian Relations: Rejecting a Japanese offer, Bolivia agrees to sell its tungsten to the USA for the next three years. Tungsten is important in machine tools and anti-tank shells. Axis war production is short of tungsten carbide throughout the war, Germany's main source in China ended in July 1937 when the Japanese invaded. All of this relates to an important but little-remembered war over economic resources during World War II.

US/Portuguese Relations: The US State Department reassures Portugal that it has no designs on its islands in the Atlantic.

The Arado Ar 232 Tausendfüßler (German: "Millipede"). Its first flight is in June 1941. The AR-232 was intended as a replacement for the Junkers Ju 52, but, though development continued throughout the war, only about 20 were built.

US/Italian Relations: Benito Mussolini makes a speech to the Grand Council of Fascism on the first anniversary of the entry of Italy into the war. He states that, while the United States has entered a de facto state of war with Germany and Italy, "America's attitude does not bother us excessively... American intervention would merely lengthen the war and would not save England."

German/Romanian Relations: Continuing his round of diplomatic audiences in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, Adolf Hitler hosts Romanian strongman General Ion Antonescu at the Fuhrer's Building in Munich. Also attending are Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop and Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel. They have a reception afterward. Hitler spends several hours talking with Antonescu - and Hitler indeed usually does all the talking at such meetings - and it is likely that he briefs Antonescu on preparations for Operation Barbarossa.

Japanese/Russian Relations: Japanese and Soviet negotiators, concluding secret talks taking place in China, reach an agreement on Manchurian/Russian border delineation. Japanese diplomats at Hsinking, Manchukuo also send reports to Tokyo and the embassy in Moscow concerning 27 Soviet armored trains carrying 800 trucks they notice en route between Chita and Manchuli. The Japanese interpret this as possible warlike intentions by the Soviets.

German troops preparing for Operation Barbarossa. The original caption: "The equipment has gotten better. The group before the departure. The men know each other, are attuned to each other, the best possible fighting power can be brought out." 10 June 1941 (Farmer/Bauer, Federal Archive, Bild 146-1991-077-20).

Finnish Military: The Finnish military begins mobilizing for Operation Barbarossa. This will be known in Finland as the "Continuation War." As the Finns do not know about Operation Barbarossa, at least officially, the military call-up is for "maneuvers." The troops are ordered to deploy according to wartime plans even though there is no war - yet. 

US Military: The US Army Air Corps forms the 3d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron.

William "Wild Bill" Donovan, a Roosevelt crony, submits a proposal for a new intelligence agency based on his contacts with British Intelligence (MI6) during his recent trip to Europe. The United States at this time has no formal spy agency, and Donovan proposes one. This will lead to his being appointed Coordinator of Information on 11 July. This results eventually in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which becomes the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Lisbon, 10 June 1941. A group of Jewish refugees waits in line to board a ship to the United States. Photo: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

British Government: Prime Minister Winston Churchill appears before the House of Commons to defend the government's handling of the failed defense of Crete. He has testy exchanges with former Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha, a frequent adversary, who notes correctly that, "For the first time in history an island has been captured by an airborne attack." Churchill lamely claims that the German capture of Crete was a good learning experience and diverts the focus to British triumphs instead:

I have not heard that Herr Hitler had to attend the Reichstag and say why he sent the Bismarck on her disastrous cruise. I have not heard that Signor Mussolini has made a statement about losing the greater part of his African Empire.

Comparing himself to Hitler and Mussolini is a remarkable moment for Churchill, who does not see anything wrong with that - and something that a minority of Great Britain's people would see as entirely appropriate for very unflattering reasons. Churchill expresses irritation that the House is interfering with his conduct of the war, suggesting that the government - meaning him - should decide when the House debates war issues. There is little question that this is a low point of the war for Churchill.

French Homefront: Vichy Vice-Premier Admiral François Darlan makes a radio broadcast to the French nation. he warns that some are "trying to darken the nation's understanding." By this, he means both Free French General Charles de Gaulle and "Communist propaganda," which have:

the same goal - to create disorder in the country, to increase the misery of the population, to prevent the rebirth of the nation ... Frenchmen, beware and help the government in its heavy, very heavy task. This task of the government is triple: to ameliorate the French people's situation, to prepare for peace in that measure a conquered nation can, and to prepare France's future in a new Europe.

The occupation authorities expel more foreign diplomats from occupied Paris.

King George VI at Merton, 10 June 1941 With Walter Lines, His Majesty is observing munitions made by toy manufacturer Lines Bros. (V&A Museum of Childhood).

British Homefront: King George VI visits the Lines Bros. Ltd. factory at Merton, South London. He inspects the munitions production being undertaken by the Lines Bros, which is a toy manufacturer.

American Homefront: New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio gets a close call from the official scorer which extends his hitting streak to 25 games. In the seventh inning, he hits a sharp liner directly at Chicago White Sox' third baseman, Dario Lodigiani. Lodigiani is "handcuffed" by the sharply hit ball and cannot make a play. This call could go either way, but the scorer marks it down as a hit. Since the game is played in Chicago's Comiskey Park, it definitely is not an instance of "homefield scoring" in favor of Dimaggio.

Future History: Mickey Jones is born in Houston, Texas. He becomes a drummer for musical acts including Trini Lopez, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Rivers, and The First Edition. He also acts in films such as "Sling Blade" and "Tin Cup." Micky Jones passes away on 7 February 2018.

Jürgen Prochnow is born in Berlin, Germany. He becomes an international film star in films such as "Air Force One" (1997) and "Beverly Hills Cop II" (1987). Prochnow is born one day after the final success of U-46, which is the U-boat after which the one in "Das Boot" (1981) - his most famous film - is modeled. Prochnow continues to act as of this writing, splitting his time between English-language and German productions. Prochnow receives US citizenship in 2003.

King George VI at Merton, 10 June 1941 With Walter Lines, His Majesty is observing munitions made by toy manufacturer Lines Bros. (V&A Museum of Childhood).

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020

Monday 9 June 1941

Adolf Hitler greets Croatian strongman Ante Pavelić at the Berghof, 9 June 1941 (US Holocaust Memorial Museum).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: The British invasion of Syria, Operation Exporter, continues on 9 June 1941. The main battle is at the mouth of the Litani River. The 21st Australian Brigade heading for Beirut must cross the river to reach its goal of Beirut, but the British Commandos sent to seize the important Qasmiye bridge over the river can't land due to rough seas. The French thus have time to destroy the bridge.

The 420 Commandos (British No. 11 (Scottish) do land - but in daylight. This deprives them of the element of surprise, a key advantage of Commando forces. They arrive in three different places, and the French barely notice them because they are fighting the advancing Australians. Subsequently, the Commandos under Lieutenant Colonel R.L. Pedder (Highland Light Infantry) serve as infantry and take heavy casualties (including Pedder himself, who is replaced by Geoffrey Keyes). By dint of hard fighting, the Commandos and some Australian troops of the 2/16 Australian Brigade do land on the other side of the river by using canvas boats. Australian engineers immediately begin building a pontoon bridge, which they complete after midnight.

The French use armored cars to counterattack the bridgehead, but the Commonwealth troops hold their position. The war then becomes active out at sea. Vichy French destroyers Valmy and Guépard sortie to bombard the British troops in the bridgehead. It is one of the few times during the war when British troops face naval bombardment (which turns out to be quite inaccurate).

The Royal Navy quickly responds by sending destroyer HMS Janus, followed by New Zealand light cruiser HMNZS Leander and. Destroyers HMS Kandahar and Kimberley are nearby bombarding the Khan Bridge, and they also sally against the Vichy French destroyers. The Australian shore-based artillery also fires at the attacking French ships.

Faced with overwhelming firepower, the French ships withdraw to Beirut, chased by destroyers Hotspur, Isis, and Jackal. However, before they go, the French ships damage two of the British ships, destroyers Janus and Jackal, the former badly. Janus must be towed to Haifa by Kimberley, taking two British ships out of the fray. Jackal, only slightly damaged by one shell strike, stays in service.

French submarine Caiman is operating off the Syrian coast. It attacks British light cruiser HMS Phoebe. However, the attack fails and the Phoebe is undamaged. The incident induces the British to withdraw their ships to Haifa.

Elsewhere, Australian troops capture Fort Khiam but are stopped there. Free French 1st Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade advance to Kissoue south of Damascus.

The Luftwaffe, as in Iraq, has a very minimal presence in Lebanon and Syria. The Vichy French, though, have a formidable array of new fighters, including the new Dewoitine D.520. The RAF sends Gloster Gladiators from Amman to support the advancing British trips on the road to Damascus.

The outcome of the day's fighting is that the advancing Commonwealth troops are slightly behind schedule but still crossed the river. The road to Tyre, and beyond to Beirut, is now accessible.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 planes on a sweep of the French coast.

East African Campaign:  The 3/15th Punjab Regiment in Aden prepare to invade Assab, the last Italian port on the Red Sea, on 10 June. This is Operation Chronometer. Destroyer HMS Dido heads out during the night to bombard the port just before sunrise on the 10th.

Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch of U-94, St. Nazaire, France, 9 June 1941 (Buchheim, Lothar-Günther, Federal Archive, Bild 101II-MW-3495-04).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-46 (Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass), on its 12th patrol out of St. Nazaire and in the mid-Atlantic southwest of Ireland, torpedoes and sinks 5623-ton British freighter Phidias. There are 8 deaths and 43 survivors.

While U-46 has one more patrol to go, this is its last sinking. During its career, U-46 has sunk 20 merchant ships of 85,792 tons, two auxiliary warships of 35,284 tons, and damaged five other ships (one written off). After its next uneventful patrol, U-46 serves as a training boat with the 26th U-boat Flotilla.

U-101 (Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen), on its 8th patrol out of Lorient in the mid-Atlantic west of Ireland, torpedoes and sinks 1190 ton British freighter Trevarrack. All 45 men onboard perish despite Mengersen seeing three lifeboats launch.

The Luftwaffe (Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft of I Staffeln, Kampfgeschwader 40) bombs and sinks 942-ton British freighter Diana southeast of Iceland. There is one death, the survivors are taken aboard ASW trawler Cape Portland.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 844-ton British freighter Dagmar south of Bournemouth. There are three deaths.

The Luftwaffe (Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft of I Staffeln, Kampfgeschwader 40) bombs and sinks 1894-ton Finnish freighter Fenix west of the Faroe Islands and southeast of Iceland. There is one death.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 174-ton British freighter Remagio off Bamburgh, Northumberland in the North Sea. The crew abandons the ship, and it drifts ashore. Efforts are made to salvage it, and eventually, it will be refloated and repaired. Some sources place this incident on 8 June.

Belgian 5382-ton freighter Persier, beached during a storm east of Vik in Myrdalur, Iceland in February, breaks her keel while being towed to the Kleppsvik Strand and is beached again.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Urge attacks an Italian freighter northwest of Lampedusa but misses.

The NEF continues expanding its support services at St. John's when auxiliary oiler HMS Clam arrives.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Zetland (L59) is launched.

Canadian corvette HMCS Saskatoon ( Lt. Joseph S. Scott) is commissioned, minesweepers Canso (North Vancouver) and Granby (Quebec) are launched.

HMS Zetland (L59), launched at Glasgow, Scotland on 9 June 1941. It later became Norwegian destroyer KNM "Tromsø."

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British continue assembling their forces for Operation Battleaxe, another attack on the Libyan frontier south of Tobruk. Tanks finally arrive at the front in General O'Moore Creagh's units. Operation Battleaxe now is scheduled for 15 June. The 15th Panzer Division (General Walter Neumann-Silkow) is the main defender of the frontier.

Spanish 2421 ton freighter Sabina hits a mine and sinks 40 miles (74 km) off Genoa, Italy. Everyone survives.

Royal Navy landing barge SD15 "Leaving" makes it to Sidi Barrani from Crete. It is sailed by an English and Australian crew who stole the craft from the Germans. It is one of the last escape boats from Crete.

In Malta, there is an uproar because they find out there is an Axis informant on the island. Lord Haw-Haw, who makes propaganda broadcasts from Berlin, mentions that gas respirators on Malta feature yellow flaps. The flap is to differentiate British soldiers from enemy invaders who also are wearing gas masks. However, the islanders get some good news when two captured Italian aviators deny that an invasion force is being assembled in Sicily.

RAF fighters shoot down an Italian SM-79 bomber off Malta, and perhaps another, and two others are damaged. The RAF loses a Hurricane.

Chopping cotton on rented land near White Plains, Greene County, Georgia. The photograph was taken in June 1941 by Jack Delano (original color photo, Library of Congress LC-USF35-599).

Spy Stuff: Light cruiser HMS Neptune arrives in Gibraltar. It lands German prisoners and captured documents from German supply ship Gonzeneheim.

German Military: The Wehrmacht continues assembling along the Soviet border. The Luftwaffe now is transferring planes to forward airfields. Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, remains scheduled to begin on 22 June.

From Berchtesgaden, Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 31, "German Military Organisation in the Balkans." It intends to "establish a clear and unified system of command in the occupied areas of the Balkans." He appoints Field Marshal List, still in the region following his command of German forces during Operation Marita, as the first Commander Armed Forces Southeast. He lists other appointments in the region to be filled by others. The order seeks to ensure the "coordinated defense" of the region, both from external and internal (partisan) threats. He sets the organization and establishment of Crete as the "most urgent task confronting us in the southeast" due to its usefulness to the Luftwaffe. The Italians shall occupy the eastern portion of Crete, but be subordinate to the Wehrmacht. This Directive supersedes Fuhrer Directive No. 29 of 17 May "in so far as it is superseded by the above orders."

Hitler calls his top generals to the Berghof for the final planning of Operation Barbarossa. While the plan is finalized, there remains quite a bit of disagreement about the proper objectives of the advance - Hitler prefers to focus on the southern prong to secure the grain of the Ukraine and Soviet oilfields, while some generals feel that Moscow in the center is the proper objective.

Canadian Military: Leading Airman W. McCulloch of 31 SFTS Kingston, Ontario, is killed when his Battle crashes near Gananoque, Ontario during training.

US Military: The US military terminates plans to occupy the Azores in the event of a German invasion due to military intelligence indicating that Hitler has no plans to invade Spain and Portugal.

Funeral of Kaiser Wilhelm, 9 June 1941. Leading the dignitaries is Field Marshal August von Mackensen.

Dutch Homefront: The funeral of former Kaiser Wilhelm II takes place in Doorn. The family decides that it must respect the Kaiser's wishes for a funeral in Doorn due to his position that he would never return to Germany unless the monarchy were restored. The Wehrmacht sends an honor guard, and German Commissioner Arthur Seyss-Inquart attends. While Hitler, who desired a state funeral in Berlin, does not attend, he makes sure that Swastikas feature prominently at the funeral.

British Homefront: The UK establishes a national Fire Service Council. This results from issues arising during the Blitz from fire services in one town not wishing to help fight fires elsewhere - or only doing so for a price. The 1400 local fire brigades are merged into 32 regional brigades.

Original caption: "The Busiest Man is the Boss. Complete relaxation comes to Walt Disney every day at the noon hour when he strolls around the paths of his studio at Burbank, Calif. In the background are some of the staff who helped produce "The Reluctant Dragon," the latest Disney feature-length film." Dated 9 June 1941.

American Homefront: The former Governor of Ohio and Democratic candidate for US President in 1920 (with Franklin D. Roosevelt as his running mate), James Cox, gives the commencement address at the Georgia School of Technology in Atlanta. In his speech, entitled "We are Now Nearing the Fateful Hour," Cox states in part:

I have never believed, nor do I now, that the need will come of sending our soldiers overseas. It is machines not men that we must supply.

This capsulizes the Isolationist view, that the US should not get entangled in overseas wars, but it is fine to give them the weapons with which to fight.
Future History: John Douglas Lord is born in Leicester, England. In 1968, Jon Lord co-founds rock group Deep Purple. Lord retires from the band in 2002 and passes away in 2012. John Lord is posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 8 April 2016 for his work with Deep Purple.

U-46, which gets its final victory today, becomes the subject of "Das Boot" (1981), directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Jürgen Prochnow, which is based on the novel by Lothar G. Buchheim.

Benito Mussolini on the cover of Time magazine, 9 June 1941.

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020