Sunday 24 March 1940

A French destroyer of the L´Adroit class. One of these destroyers is sunk on 24 March 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: La Railleuse, a French destroyer of the L´Adroit class, is leaving port in Casablanca, Morocco on 24 March 1940 when one of its own torpedoes accidentally explodes. The La Railleuse is destroyed, with 28 crewmen killed and 24 wounded.

Convoy OA 116 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 116 departs from Liverpool.
European Air Operations: The RAF carries out more night-time reconnaissance flights over northwest Germany. One plane is lost.

The Luftwaffe intercepts a French Potez 637 over Zweibrucken and shoots it down.

The RAF mounts another raid against the Hornum seaplane base on Sylt, but achieve little. The raids are good for public morale (and for PM Chamberlain keeping his job) but of almost no military consequence.

French Government: Prime Minister Reynaud's inner war cabinet is considering different alternatives for prosecuting the war but face roadblocks. There also is a certain amount of self-deception going on. For instance, they wish to focus on submarine attacks on Soviet shipping in the Black Sea - but France doesn't have a fleet of submarines. Another option is bombing Soviet oilfields at Baku - but their bombers cannot reach them. One option that is emphatically rejected and not under consideration is venturing beyond the Maginot Line and invading Germany because the Maginot Line is the country's security blanket. Basically, the French government is contemplating "panacea" operations that wouldn't involve very much bloodshed, and certainly no fighting on French soil.

Two British seamen work their Victory Garden at their training site as winter turns to spring, 24 March 1940. This is more the reality of warfare than bombs and bullets.

Terrorism: Members of the IRA rioting at Dartmoor Prison wish to prevent two of their number for being taken to trial for treason.

China: The Japanese continue battling to cross the Wu-chia River for the third day without success. Headquarters is sending more troops.

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese 46th Army continues attacking the Japanese 22nd Army at Lingshan.

German Homefront: William Shirer, working in Berlin, is fascinated by the German mindset: "How patiently Germans stand in the rain for a tiny ration of candy!" Just wait about 10 years, William.
American Homefront: It is Easter weekend, and even rabbits can make a mess...

The cover of the New Yorker, 23 March 1940.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2019

Monday 6 November 1939

The Curtis P-36 Hawk-75 1939-1944.

European Air Operations: There have been numerous uneventful air reconnaissance patrols by both sides over the other's territory, and today, 6 November 1939, one of those erupts into the first massive dogfight of the war. Nine Curtiss P-36 Hawks are escorting a Potez 637 reconnaissance plane when they are bounced by what the French estimate as 27 BF 109 Ds between the Maginot and Siegfried lines in the Saar. In the resulting melee, eight Messerschmitts go down (four crash-land and, of the eight, seven are behind French lines) and one Hawk piloted by Lt. Tremolet crash-lands in French territory.

The P-36 is inferior to the Messerschmitts. It only has four 7.5 mm Browning machine guns, whereas the Bf 109s have two 7.92 mm MG 17s plus 2 wing-mounted 20mm cannon.

Meanwhile, the RAF announces that it has performed successful reconnaissance flights over western Germany. One aircraft is lost.

Battle of the Atlantic: While the City of Flint continues unloading its cargo in Bergen, Germany continues protesting about the resolution of this cause célèbre.

The British detain, and then quickly release, the US freighter Exeter. However, while they hold it, they remove 700 bags of US Mail. The authorities at Gibraltar release the US freighter Exminster.

The Admiral Graf Spee is in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar.

Convoy OA 31 departs from Southend. Convoy OB 31 departs from Liverpool. Convoy HG 6 departs from Gibraltar.

Soviet Propaganda: Molotov gives a major speech in Moscow and accuses the Allies of fomenting war. Meanwhile, the Communist International includes Germany in its list of aggressors.

Belgium: King Leopold confers with Queen Wilhelmina of Holland at The Hague. They issue an appeal for peace and offer to mediate.

Spies: Paul Thummel is a double agent. He passes what he knows about Fall Gelb to the Czech government-in-exile. Since planning is in a state of flux on the German side, the information may be accurate but entirely misleading, as if intentionally designed to misinform.

German Government: Following the dramatic confrontation between Hitler and his Commander-in-chief Walter von Brauchitsch the previous day, Fall Gelb - the invasion of France - is formally postponed due to "bad weather."

Holocaust: Deportation of Jews from western Poland. The requirement that the Jews of Warsaw live in a ghetto is temporarily suspended.

In Sonderaktion Krakau, the Germans arrest 183 professors of Jagiellonian University in Kraków and send them to Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

British Homefront: The BBC radio broadcasts the classic drama "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes "The Bruce Partington Plans" starring film stars Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

American Homefront: The Grey Building Fire in Los Angeles kills one fireman and causes $400,000 in damage.

The Grey Building fire of 6 November 1939.

November 1939

November 1, 1939: The Jet Flies Again
November 2, 1939: The Soviets Devour Poland
November 3, 1939: Amending the Neutrality Act
November 4, 1939: Roosevelt Signs Neutrality Laws
November 5, 1939: The Spirit of Zossen
November 6, 1939: First Dogfight
November 7, 1939: More Lies About SS Athenia
November 8, 1939: Hitler Almost Killed
November 9, 1939: The Venlo Incident
November 10, 1939: Dutch Panic
November 11, 1939: Poignant Armistice Day
November 12, 1939: Peace Efforts Made and Rejected
November 13, 1939: First Bombing of Great Britain
November 14, 1939: The Dyle Plan
November 15, 1939: Elser Confesses to the Bürgerbräukeller Bombing
November 16, 1939: Martial Law in Prague
November 17, 1939: International Students Day
November 18, 1939: Magnetic Mines
November 19, 1939: Walls Around the Warsaw Ghetto
November 20, 1939: First RN Submarine Victory
November 21, 1939: Salmon & Gluckstein on the Prowl
November 22, 1939: British Recover A Magnetic Mine
November 23, 1939: HMS Rawalpindi Sunk
November 24, 1939: Japanese Enter Nanning
November 25, 1939: The Olympics are a War Casualty
November 26, 1939: Soviets Stage an "Incident" at Mainila
November 27, 1939: German Marriage Becomes Perilous
November 28, 1939: Judenrats in Poland
November 29, 1939: The Soviets Prepare to Invade Finland
November 30, 1939: Winter War Begins

2019