Showing posts with label SS Normandie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SS Normandie. Show all posts

Thursday, September 5, 2019

February 9, 1942: French Liner Normandie Capsizes

Monday 9 February 1942

SS Normandie after it capsized on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
SS Normandie on its side after capsizing in New York Harbor on 9 February 1942.
Battle of the Pacific: The Japanese in the early morning hours of 9 February 1942 win the Battle of Sarimbun Beach on Singapore Island, forcing the defending Australian soldiers of the 22nd Brigade to retreat. The three Australian battalions that had been defending this sector in northwest Singapore are overwhelmed as the Japanese continue pouring troops across the Strait and move back toward the center of the island. The Japanese advance out of their bridgehead and pursue the retreating Australians through several large estates. A fierce battle erupts around Tengah Airfield, with the defending Australian troops losing hundreds of men killed and hundreds more are wounded. After dark, the British send three British Fairmile B motor launches on a dangerous raid through the Straits of Johor to disrupt the Japanese communications to the troops at Sarim and succeed beyond all expectations, destroying some landing craft and returning intact to base.

SS Normandie after it capsized on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
SS Normandie after burning and capsizing in New York Harbor on 9 February 1942. Note the car traffic passing by, getting a good view.
Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, the island commander, remains convinced throughout the night that the Japanese invasion in the northwest is just a feint. He waits until mid-morning to send reinforcements, and these consist of only two half-strength battalions of the 12th Indian Infantry Brigade. Major-General Gordon Bennett, in command of the Australian troops, attempts to consolidate his forces at the Kranji-Jurong Switch Line east of Tengah Airfield - effectively ceding the airfield to the Japanese. The Japanese under General Tomoyuki Yamashita press on despite heavy casualties themselves and the Australian defensive line holds for only a few hours. This stage of the invasion is called the Battle of Kranji. At 23:00, the Japanese land troops just to the west of the causeway, and the Australian defenders quickly retreat in an effort to defend the critical southern part of Singapore. As the day ends, the Japanese are in possession of the northwestern half of the island, including the island's high ground, and the Allies' situation is chaotic but not yet completely lost.

Lowell Sun of 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The Lowell, Massachusetts, Sun reports in its 9 February 1942 that the "Singapore Situation Is Well In Hand." To be fair, it is only relaying the reports being sent from Singapore by Australian commander General Gordon Bennett. Of course, the map just underneath the headline shows a Japanese invasion in progress, but that is just a pesky detail everything is well in hand.
With the Main Line of Resistance (MLR) on the Bataan Peninsula holding firm, the Allies' attacks on the Japanese pockets behind it continue to have success. In the western I Corps sector, the 1st Division, Philippine Army, eliminated the smaller of two pockets (the "Little Pocket") and joins the battle against the nearby "Big Pocket." The Japanese in the Big Pocket know they are in trouble, but their attempted breakouts fail. Far to the south, the 2d Battalion, 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, takes over the fight in the center of the line at the Anyasan-Silaiim pocket and makes some progress.

In the Netherlands East Indies, the Japanese land about 8000 troops near Makassar City and south of Makassar at Jeneponto on Celebes Island. They make good progress toward Makassar, taking a key bridge into the city.

St. Louis Dispatch on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The St. Louis, Missouri, Post-Dispatch notes the passing over the British Isles of "Poet Flyer" fighter pilot John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Magee, an Anglo-American volunteer with the Royal Canadian Air Force, perished on 11 December 1941 during an accidental mid-air collision.
The USAAF Fifth Air Force is redeploying its forces over long distances, and this is not easily accomplished. A flight of planes (three 5th Air Force A-24 Dauntlesses, nine P-40s, and an LB-30 Liberator guide) from Australia to a waypoint at Koepang Airdrome on Timor encounters bad weather at the airfield. Forced to land anyway due to fuel exhaustion, all nine P-40s crash. To compound the tragedy, Dutch anti-aircraft gunners at the airfield mistake the planes for Japanese attackers and shoot three A-24s down. They also damage two of the remaining three A-24s, which later are forced to return to Australia for repairs along with the LB-30. This leaves exactly one plane out of the large flight, an A-24, to continue on to the final destination on Java.

Syracuse Herald-Journal, 9 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The 9 February 1942 Syracuse (N.Y.) Herald-Journal correctly and quickly reports that the Japanese have invaded Singapore Island.
US Navy submarine USS Trout (Lt.Cdr. F.W. Fenno), on its second war patrol out of Pearl Harbor, is on a secret mission to evacuate 20 tons of gold bars and silver pesos, one officer, and mail from the Philippines when she spots a Japanese gunboat about 55 nautical miles from Keelung, Formosa. Commander Fenno firest a torpedo at the gunboat and sinks it, then returns to Pearl Harbor with the gold.

USS Maryland in Puget Sound on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
USS Maryland (BB-46) on 9 February 1942 near the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington (Naval History and Heritage Command).
Eastern Front: The Luftwaffe airlift to the encircled German garrison at Demyansk and Kholm is underway. The German troops in the larger pocket at Demyansk, II Corps, have reported that they require 300 tons of supplies every day to survive. This is a lot of supplies to ferry, considering that every Junkers Ju-52 could only carry about one ton of supplies. The transports are slow and very vulnerable to the Red Air Force fighter attack, so they have to fly in "convoys" of 20 to 40 planes with fighter cover. The airfields within the Demyansk pocket are under sustained bombing attacks, which makes landings difficult at best and sometimes impossible. In the latter situation, the cargo containers are dropped through the bomb bay doors with parachutes and sometimes drift into enemy territory. Early indications are that the airlift will never reach its goal of 300 tons of supplies, but may barely carry enough to keep the soldiers fighting until they can be relieved.

European Air Operations: There are no major operations today due to winter weather conditions.

SS Normandie after it capsized on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
SS Normandie after catching fire and capsizing on 9 February 1942 (US Navy).
Battle of the Atlantic: The 83,423-ton French ocean liner SS Normandie, which has been seized by US authorities and renamed USS Lafayette, suddenly catches fire while being converted to a troopship at her berth in upper Manhattan. After a long fight by local firefighters, Normandie capsizes in the shallow water next to the dock. After salvaging her, the US Navy decides that the ship is too costly to restore. SS Normandie, having sat idle throughout the war, is sold as scrap on 3 October 1946. The scrapping is completed by 31 December 1948. The Normandie, launched in 1932, is 1029-feet long and the first vessel laid in compliance with the 1929 SOLAS Convention (Safety of Life at Sea).

U-654 (Oblt. Ludwig Forster), on its second patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks Free French corvette Alysse in the western Atlantic. There are 34 deaths.

U-586 (Oblt. Dietrich von der Esch), on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes and damages 9057-ton Norwegian tanker Anna Knudsen north of Scotland. The tanker makes it to port with the assistance of a tug.

British freighter SS Empire Fusilier, sunk on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
British freighter SS Empire Fusilier, sunk by U-85 on 9 February 1942.
U-85 (Oblt. Eberhard Greger), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5408-ton British freighter Empire Fusilier southeast of St. John's, Newfoundland. The freighter was part of Convoy ON-60 but has been dispersed. There are nine deaths and 38 survivors.

U-108 (KrvKpt. Klaus Scholtz), on its sixth patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 1974-ton Norwegian freighter Tolosa off the North Carolina coast. All 22 crew perish.

SS Tolosa, sunk on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
SS Tolosa, sunk by U-108 on 9 February 1942 with no survivors.
At Brest, Occupied France, the ships that are scheduled to participate in the Channel Dash, Operation Cerberus, complete their sea trials after being inactive for a year. With everything now ready for the breakout through the English Channel, the date for departure is confirmed for the evening of 11 February 1942. The Germans know that there are many spies in town, so they practice a disinformation campaign by loading the ships with oil barrels marked "For use in the Tropics" and tropical helmets. This deception works exceedingly well, and while locals can easily surmise that the ships are departing, the local spies never alert the British Admiralty that the ships will be heading north.

Free French corvette Alysse, sunk on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Free French corvette Alysse, sunk by U-654 on 9 February 1942.
Battle of the Mediterranean: The two sides have settled down to garrison duty in Libya, but fighting continues off the coast. Luftwaffe planes attack convoy AT-27 near Mersa Matruh and damage Royal Navy escort destroyer HMS Farndale. The Farndale makes it back to Alexandria in tow.

War Crimes: At Makassar City, a company of native soldiers takes a Japanese unit by surprise at a bridge they have captured and inflict numerous casualties. In reprisal, the Japanese take the Dutch prisoners they have taken at the bridge, tie them together in groups of three, and throw them off the bridge to drown. This is the Makassar Massacre.

A Matilda tank coming ashore on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A12 infantry tank Mk II "Matilda" II comes ashore from a landing craft during combined operations training involving the 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade at Ras Sudr in Egypt, 9 February 1942.
Chinese/British Relations: Chiang Kai-shek and his wife, Madame Chiang, make a somewhat hazardous trip to India for a 13-day visit. This visit helps to mend some of the bad feelings between the two Allies that have arisen from their conflicting claims on U.S. lend-lease supplies in Burma.

Allied Relations: The Pacific War Council, composed of representatives from the U.K., Australia, Netherlands East Indies, and New Zealand, is formed in London. This complements the American-British-Dutch-Australian military command (ABDACOM). The United States is not yet a member but will become one on 1 April 1942.

Time Magazine on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Time magazine of 9 February 1942, featuring Robert A. Lovett on the cover (Ernest Hamlin Baker). Lovett is an assistant secretary of war for air and oversees the massive expansion of the US Army Air Forces.
US Military: The 78th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) and its three subordinate units, the 82d, 83d and 84th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor), USAAF, are activated at Baer Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana. This will become the 78th Fighter Group later in 1942 and eventually serve in the European Theater of Operations.

The 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 28th Composite Group, transfers its B-18 Bolo bombers from Elmendorf Field to Ft Greeley, Kodiak. These 1936 bombers are considered almost obsolete and soon are relegated to antisubmarine, transport duty, and training.

THe Donner Lab at Berkeley on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Medical Physics Building (Donner Lab) at Berkeley Lab, taken February 9, 1942. (US National Archives).
Finland: Lauri Kristian Relander, the 2nd President of Finland 1925-1931, passes away from heart failure at the age of 58.

Canada: In four by-elections, candidates opposed to conscription are defeated.

American Homefront: Congress imposes daylight saving time by pushing ahead standard time by one hour in each time zone. This is known as "War Time." The idea originated in New Zealand in the 19th Century, was used by both sides during World War I, and is based on a theory that more daylight in the morning aids efficiency and saves on energy costs. In addition, Congress also standardizes timekeeping throughout the United States by establishing five time zones. This law standardizing time remains in effect throughout World War II but is repealed shortly afterward. It is resuscitated in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act, which establishes daylight saving time from the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October.

Newsweek on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Newsweek magazine, 9 February 1942.
Future History: Carol Joan Klein is born in New York City, New York. Carol begins taking music lessons at the age of four, then forms a band at James Madison High School called the Co-Sines. At this time she changes her name to Carole King. Her first recording, "The Right Girl," is in 1958. At Queens College, Carol meets and marries Gerry Goffin, and together they form a songwriting partnership. Carole's friend Neil Sedaka writes a song about her called "Oh! Carol" which becomes a minor hit, and not long after that Carole King and Gerry Goffin write "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," which becomes a No. 1 hit for the Shirelles. After this, the duo writes a string of classic hits, including "One Fine Day" for the Chiffons, "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters, and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the Monkees. After getting divorced, Carole King goes on to a legendary solo composing and singing career with her No. 1 album "Tapestry" winning four Grammy awards and becoming one of the rock era's classic recordings. Carole King goes on to a long and successful musical career and remains active as of this writing in the 21st Century.

Life magazine on 9 February 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Life magazine, 9 February 1942, featuring the Versailles Chorus (from a feature on nightclubs) on the cover.

February 1942

February 1, 1942: The US Navy Strikes Back
February 2, 1942: Germans Recovering in Russia
February 3, 1942: Japanese Shell and Bomb Singapore
February 4, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
February 5, 1942: Empress of Asia Sunk
February 6, 1942: The Christmas Island Body
February 7, 1942: The Double-V Campaign
February 8, 1942: Japan Invades Singapore
February 9, 1942: French Liner Normandie Capsizes
February 10, 1942: US Car Production Ends
February 11, 1942: Tomforce Fails on Singapore
February 12, 1942: The Channel Dash
February 13, 1942: Japanese Paratroopers In Action
February 14, 1942: RAF Orders Terror Raids
February 15, 1942: Japan Takes Singapore
February 17, 1942: Indian Troops Defect to Japanese
February 18, 1942: Battle of Badung Strait
February 19, 1942: FDR Authorizes Internment Camps
February 20, 1942: O'Hare the Hero
February 21, 1942: Crisis in Burma
February 22, 1942: Bomber Harris Takes Over
February 23, 1942: Bombardment of Ellwood, California
February 24, 1942: US Raid on Wake Island
February 25, 1942: Battle of Los Angeles
February 26, 1942: Gneisenau Eliminated
February 27, 1942: Battle of Java Sea
February 28, 1942: Battle of Sunda Strait

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Friday, March 8, 2019

December 12, 1941: Japanese in Burma

Friday 12 December 1941

Kate bombers over Mayon Volcano, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Type 97 (B5N1) "Kate" Carrier Attack Bombers flying from aircraft carrier Ryujo are shown flying near Mayon Volcano on their way to attack Legaspi, southeast of Luzon, Philippines. Captain Masayuki Yamagami is in command. 12 December 1941 ("Album of a Navy Captain" via Egoo.net).

Battle of the Pacific: For the first time, the Japanese Army broadens the war into Burma on 12 December 1941 when a small force enters the British colony from Thailand unobserved. The Japanese hope that widespread desire in Burma, led by former Prime Minister and Premier Ba Maw, will make the country's conquest easy. However, the British also have strong support within the country, particularly from ethnic minorities, and a major power base in neighboring India. The Third American Volunteer Group (AVG) squadron moves to Rangoon today to join the RAF in the defense of Burma.
Washington, D.C. Evening Star, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The Washington, D.C. Evening Star headline on 12 December 1941 has a better grasp on actual events in the Pacific Theater than some other media outlets. Captain Colin Purdie Kelly, Jr. becomes a war hero after he perishes during a bombing run shortly after Pearl Harbor. However, valorous as Kelly's activities are, he did not sink a battleship on 9 or 10 December 1941 as the newspapers insist. Instead, his plane based at Clark Field only lightly damages heavy cruiser Natori during a raid. Kelly is a real hero, however, because he orders his crew to bail out but is unable to do so himself. The US Navy awards Kelly a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross for "extraordinary heroism" and "selfless bravery."
In the Philippines, the American military situation is deteriorating rapidly. Japanese bombers attack Clark Field, Batangas, and Olongapo on Luzon Island. At Legazpi in southern Luzon, about 2500 Japanese soldiers of the 16th Division from Palau in the Caroline Islands land in an undefended area, supported by aircraft flying from aircraft carrier Ryujo. They are about 150 miles (240 km) from the nearest military base and the Japanese force is free to consolidate its position and expand. At Aparri in northern Luzon, other Japanese troops take Tuguegarao airfield. The Japanese have created the foundation for a massive pincer movement on Manila, though that will take quite some time to realize.
SS Normandie is seized on 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The United States Navy seizes France's cruise liner SS Normandie on 12 December 1941. It has been berthed in New York Harbor since 1940. The Normandie is the largest ocean liner in the world (1029 feet long and 119 feet wide, displacing 85,000 tons) and has a fast top speed of 32 knots, and the US Navy intends to convert it into a troop carrier.
In Hong Kong, The British continue withdrawing all troops (including elements of the Indian Army) to Hong Kong Island. They use all available vessels to evacuate Kowloon, and as they depart, Royal Engineers engage in demolitions of all facilities on the north side.
Lt. César Fernando Basa, KIA 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
César Fernando Basa, a pioneer fighter pilot of the Philippine Air Force, perishes during aerial combat over Batangas on 12 December 1941. On a routine aerial reconnaissance mission, Basa attempts to intervene in a dogfight in his P-26 but is shot down. Basa manages to bail out but is strafed and killed by Japanese fighter pilots in his parachute. Lieutenant Basa was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival decides to pull his forces on the Malay Peninsula back after the loss of the Kelantan airfield on the 11th. Indian III Corps begins heading south, taking as many supplies with it as possible. Indian 11th Division falls back to the Kedah River, and a separate force on the Kroh-Patani Road also pulls back. There is a lack of transport, meaning a lot of equipment will have to be left behind.
NY Times, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The NY Times of 12 December 1941, showing President Roosevelt signing the declaration of war with Germany.
A Japanese submarine surfaces near Johnston and Palmyra Atoll and fires star shell clusters over the US Marine base on Johnson. These do not cause appreciable damage. The Marines, under the command of Major Francis B. Loomis Jr., return fire with their 5-inch coastal guns, causing the submarine to depart. There are numerous civilian contractors on the island who rapidly are fortifying it and hope to be evacuated soon.
Brooklyn Eagle, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The US media continues to grasp for real war news, and even the authorities feeding them information are hazy on real details. Brooklyn Eagle, 12 December 1941. 
Battle of the Mediterranean: Axis forces under General Erwin Rommel have withdrawn in good order into a line centered around Gazala. The 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade closes up on this new Gazala line. One veteran in the unit writes:
… So steady was the advance that the gunners could not range quickly enough with the result that the shells were bursting behind our line, though to me it seemed that several direct hits were made on the right flank but the boys came out of the smoke and dust still in line, never faltering. It was a magnificent sight to see that thin line moving steadily forward into a hail of lead, with shells of all sizes … bursting all around…. the fact that the ground was sandy saved more casualties…. One more dash brought us to within bayonet reach. We crossed the ground swiftly, some of the boys shouting encouragement to each other. From my position on the left flank, I could see our line, straight enough to bring joy to any bayonet instructor, stretching away to the right flank. Roaring “Forward!”, I came up ready for the final dash. It made the blood sing to see the boys leap forward, a steady line of gleaming steel backed by grim faces. Nothing short of death could stop them now.
The New Zealand troops prepare to attack the new German line on the 13th.

SS Struma, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The Struma, an old cargo barge chartered by the New Zionist Organization and the Irgun, departs from Constanza, Romania on 12 December 1941. It is the last refugee ship to leave Occupied Europe during the war. It is headed toward Istanbul, and then Palestine. It holds 769 passengers. The British do not want the Struma coming to Palestine, which turns the voyage into an eventual tragedy.
Holocaust: A day following his declaration of war against the United States, Adolf Hitler convenes a meeting at the Reich Chancellery with top NSDAP officials (and nobody else, such as Hermann Goering, who held no party office). This is an important step in the escalation of the Holocaust. No transcripts were made, but Joseph Goebbels summarizes the meeting in his diary later in the day:
Regarding the Jewish Question, the Führer has decided to make a clean sweep. He prophesied to the Jews that, if they yet again brought about a world war, they would experience their own annihilation. That was not just a phrase. The world war is here, and the annihilation of the Jews must be the necessary consequence.
Hans Frank, who is present, later recalls that "in Berlin" he had been told to "liquidate" undesirable groups. The timing of this meeting suggests that the official entry into the war of the United States led directly to this meeting. This may mean that Hitler either viewed the war declaration as freeing him from having to maintain appearances of not mistreating people, or knew that he was running out of time to implement his "final solution" and needed to shift the Holocaust into a higher gear.

Captain Marvel No. 5, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
"Captain Marvel Adventures," No. 5, 12 December 1941.
The pace of transfers to extermination camps in the East already is picking up steam. Today, the first persons, 150 men who had been taken during a manhunt in the Lublin Ghetto, are sent to Majdanek, a camp on the outskirts of Lublin, Poland. This becomes a classic prison camp complete with high-tension electrified double barbed-wire fencing and 18 watchtowers, though it is not in its final form at this time. The camp includes workshops, warehouses, a laundry, and other facilities.

USS Utah, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
USS Utah AG-16 capsized at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. USS Raleigh CL-7 is seen in the background. 12 December 1941 (USS Arizona Memorial).
American Homefront: Various restrictions are being placed upon Japanese-American citizens throughout the United States, particularly on the West Coast. In addition, many Asian businesses (including some Chinese ones) have been attacked. In a diary entry made on 12 December 1941 in Seattle Washington, Toku Shimomura makes the following diary entry:
It was fair and clear weather today. I spent all day at home. Starting today we were permitted to withdraw up to $100 from the bank. This was for our sustenance of life, we who are enemy to them. I deeply appreciated American's large-heartedness in dealing with us.
The Shimomura family eventually is heading to Camp Minidoka in Hunt, Idaho.

University of Wisconsin, 12 December 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com
At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, a capacity crowd fills the Field House in a war rally (UW ARCHIVES S07306).

December 1941

December 1, 1941: Hitler Fires von Rundstedt
December 2, 1941: Climb Mount Niitaka
December 3, 1941: Hints of Trouble in the Pacific
December 4, 1941: Soviets Plan Counteroffensive
December 5, 1941: Soviets Counterattack at Kalinin
December 6, 1941: Soviet Counterattack at Moscow Broadens
December 7, 1941: Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
December 8, 1941: US Enters World War II
December 9, 1941: German Retreat At Moscow
December 10, 1941: HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse Sunk
December 11, 1941: Hitler Declares War on US
December 12, 1941: Japanese in Burma
December 13, 1941: Battle of Cape Bon
December 14, 1941: Hitler Forbids Withdrawals
December 15, 1941: The Liepaja Massacre
December 16, 1941: Japan Invades Borneo
December 17, 1941: US Military Shakeup
December 18, 1941: Hitler Lays Down the Law
December 19, 1941: Brauchitsch Goes Home
December 20, 1941: Flying Tigers in Action
December 21, 1941: The Bogdanovka Massacre
December 22, 1941: Major Japanese Landings North of Manila
December 23, 1941: Wake Island Falls to Japan
December 24, 1941: Atrocities in Hong Kong
December 25, 1941: Japan Takes Hong Kong
December 26, 1941: Soviets Land in the Crimea
December 27, 1941: Commandos Raid Norway
December 28, 1941: Operation Anthropoid Begins
December 29, 1941: Soviet Landings at Feodosia
December 30, 1941: Race for Bataan
December 31, 1941: Nimitz in Charge

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler

Wednesday 13 November 1940

13 November 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Fantasia premiere
"Fantasia" premieres in New York City.
German/Soviet Relations: Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov continues his visit to Berlin on 13 November 1940. He meets with Adolf Hitler again during the afternoon. Molotov now has had a night to digest Hitler's expansive and air proposals for world domination and thus gets more precise in his responses.

Molotov stresses that the USSR has certain non-negotiable demands prior to any military alliance. The largest of these concern Finland. That country, Molotov emphasizes, lies within the USSR's sphere of influence pursuant to the August 1939 Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. The Stavka is aware of German troop movements in the country - primarily related to transit from Finnish Baltic ports to Narvik - and wants those troops withdrawn.

Another hot spot is in Romania. The Soviet Union already has swallowed part of Romania, and Molotov points out that Hitler has recently guaranteed the reduced Romanian frontiers. This seems aimed at the Soviet Union, which Molotov indicates is not a friendly act.

Molotov also raises other, less critical issues. He indicates that the Soviet Union intends to enter into some kind of arrangement with Bulgaria - the country that Hitler wants to use as a springboard to invade Greece (though Molotov likely has no idea of this). Molotov also indicates that the Soviet Union will be blocking off the Black Sea with bases on the Dardanelles - which raises issues about Turkey and the Balkan states' outlet to the Mediterranean.

Hitler has difficulty responding to some of these points. Regarding German activities in Finland, he responds that German activities there are of no matter and certainly of no concern to the Soviet Union. In fact, Hitler's position throughout the war is that the Soviet Union must be prevented from acquiring Finnish ports in the Baltic. The bases on the Dardanelles and the issue of the Soviet Union's relationship with Bulgaria are not something he can agree to without consulting his allies.

If there is anything that seals the fate of the Third Reich, it is this discussion. Hitler sees that, rather than cooperating in the destruction of the British Empire, the Soviet Union is pushing back against Germany. A military alliance drifts out of the range of feasibility, and the only remaining question becomes how confrontational relations will be.

After this meeting, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop has dinner at the Soviet embassy. An air raid during the dinner forces them to take shelter under the Wilhelmstrasse. Ribbentrop decides to give the negotiation - going very badly - a final shot.

Ribbentrop proposes a treaty, including - as with their August 1939 agreement - secret protocols. The USSR would join the Three-Power Pact and acquire a specific sphere of influence, along with Italy, Japan and Germany. The secret protocols would outline what these spheres were and would recognize the Soviet Navy's rights in the Dardanelles.

Molotov is fairly noncommittal in response to Ribbentrop's offers about spheres of influence and the Dardanelles. However, he gets very specific about what the Soviet Union wants in Europe. The Soviet Union, he says, has interests in Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Finland, Bulgaria, Poland and Greece. It also needs a way to ensure Swedish neutrality or at least acquiescence to Soviet passage through the Kattegat and Skagerrak to the Atlantic.

None of Molotov's demands are even remotely acceptable to the Germans.

This meeting between Molotov and Ribbentrop gives rise to an enduring legend. The discussion is held in a shelter (with liveried waiters bringing hors d'oeuvre on trays) to the sound of RAF bombs dropping fairly close by (they rattle the plate glass windows at the Wilhelmstrasse before the guests adjourn to the shelter). Supposedly, Molotov responds to one of Ribbentrop's repeated claims that Britain is finished and the war basically over with a tart observation:
If that is so, why are we in this shelter and whose are these bombs which fall?
This is considered by virtually everyone to be apocryphal. It has that "wise guy" insouciance that smacks of a British propaganda invention, though that is unproven (it may also be an example of sardonic Germanic wit). In fact, however, the British do play an intentional role in this discussion: Winston Churchill later confides that he knew of the meeting (probably from Ultra, though he does not disclose that fact as Ultra remains Top Secret until well after his death). He felt that "it was only right that we should have some say in the matter." Thus, Churchill sent over RAF bombers to pay a special visit at that time.

13 November 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Hitler Molotov Ribbentrop
Molotov meets with Hitler on 13 November.
Italian/Greek Campaign: Today generally is considered the definitive end of the Italian offensive into Greece. In fact, the offensive has been crumbling almost since the day it began, but today is when the Greeks set the stage for their own offensive.

The Greeks complete the occupation of the Grammos and Smolikas mountain ranges in the Pindus sector. The Julia Division is wiped out, losing 5,000 men, and the Greek forces now occupy the initial positions that they held before the war. This concludes the Battle of Pindus with a total Greek victory. Many people attribute a large part of the Greek victory to the efforts of civilians, particularly women, who help with logistics, scouting, shelter and in other ways.

On the coastal sector, the Greek forces stand all along the Kalamas River, having pushed the Italians back across everywhere.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command has 72 bombers in operation over the Continent during the night. It launches a major raid on Berlin to disrupt the Molotov visit.

The  RAF Wireless Intelligence and Development Unit sends two planes (RAF No. 80 Signals) Squadron) on a special mission. The bombers hone in on German radar transmissions to attack German radar installations on the Cherbourg Peninsula.

The Luftwaffe raids Bristol during the night. Both sides lose a plane in a so-far rare night dogfight.

Hauptmann Walter Adolph (III,/JG 27) receives the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) for 15 victories.

RAF flight lieutenant Guy Gibson, a bomber pilot who has been shuttling between units, has volunteered to fly night fighters. This is in response to an appeal b Air Marshal Sholto Douglas and AVM Leigh-Mallory for new recruits to the night units from bomber pilots, who are used to flying at night. Arthur "Bomber" Harris, currently Air Officer Commanding (AOC) No. 5 Group (and not yet known by the nickname "Bomber,"), writes a letter of recommendation calling Gibson "the best" of the volunteers. Today, Gibson is ordered to report to No. 29 Squadron at RAF Digby (actually at RAF Wellingore). He will be the commander of 'A' Flight. As usual with Gibson, he is not particularly liked at this unit at first, partly for reasons beyond his control (the others resent his being promoted over them).

13 November 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com blizzard Minneapolis Star Journal
The US is still digging out from the Armistice Day Blizzard. Stories about the storm are of much more concern than that little Royal Navy attack on the Italians in the Mediterranean. Minneapolis Star Journal Headline: Nov. 13, 1940. Courtesy of Minneapolis Star Journal.
Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe continues its successful recent string of seaplane attacks against British convoys in the North Sea. Heinkel He 115 seaplanes of KGr 706 attack Convoy WN 35 (out of Methil) off Aberdeen and sink two ships (some sources say this was an attack by Junkers Ju 88s and Heinkel He 111s of KG 26 out of Stavanger).

The seaplanes sink 4398-ton Belgian freighter Anvers (Captain De Jonghe) about 9.3 km northeast of Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire. There are 36 survivors and one man perishes (other sources say that there are 15 survivors and 20 deaths - when multiple ships sink in the same area and are picked up by multiple ships records are often confused).

The seaplanes also torpedo and sink 82 ton 1216-ton British freighter St. Catherine nearby. There are 15 deaths.

The Luftwaffe (probably fighter-bombers) bombs and sinks British drifter Shipmates at Dover (some sources place this on the 14th).

A Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor (1,/KG 40, Oberleutnant Hans Buchholz)) operating out over the Atlantic shipping routes bombs and sinks 7359-ton British freighter Empire Wind. Everybody survives, rescued by HMS Arrow.

U-137 (Kptlt. Herbert Wohlfarth), on her third patrol operating out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5094-ton British freighter Cape St. Andrew northwest of Aran Island and west of Tory Island, Ireland. The freighter is a straggler from Convoy OB 240 and is under tow and accompanied by an escorting destroyer. There are 53 survivors, picked up by escort HMS Salvonia, and 15 men perish.

British 1951 ton tanker Leon Martin hits a mine and sinks off Falmouth, Cornwall. There are 16 deaths (some sources place this sinking on the 11th).

British 300 ton coaster Buoyant hits a mine and sinks off Skegness, Lincolnshire just off the mouth of the Humber. This is the date that the Buoyant was last sighted, it is presumed that she hit a mine. There are no survivors.

Royal 178 ton Navy Boom Defence Vessel HMT Ristango fouls the Medway boom at Sheerness, Kent and sinks.

German 325 ton tanker Wilhelmsburg runs aground at the entrance to Boulogne Harbor, capsizes, and is lost.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tigris torpedoes and sinks 201 ton Vichy French schooner Charles Edmond in the Bay of Biscay, about 110 km off the mouth of the Gironde.

Soviet Submarine Dekrabist (the lead ship of the class) sinks for unknown causes in Motovosky Bay (near Murmansk) during a training mission. All 53 aboard perish.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Garland sustains damage due to harsh weather conditions in the Atlantic and loses two men overboard. The ship returns to Govan for repairs, which took until 26 December.

Five Royal Navy minelayers establish minefield SN 45 off the northwest coast of Ireland.

Convoy OB 243 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 333 departs from Southend, Convoy SC 12 departs from Halifax.

U-149 (Oberleutnant zur See Horst Höltring) is commissioned.

13 November 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com SS Normandie SS Queen Elizabeth
The SS Normandie at left, and Queen Elizabeth at the same slip in New York City. The good ship Queen Elizabeth sails on 13 November 1940, leaving the Normandie.
Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian bombers raid Alexandria Harbour and bad damage Royal Navy destroyer HMS Decoy. There are 8 deaths and 3 other casualties. The destroyer heads to Malta for repair.

The RAF bombs Taranto again. The Italians have moved the major warships to other ports following the 11 November carrier raid that sank three Italian battleships.

Malta's new Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Officer, Lt. E.E. Talbot, who just arrived at the island on Sunday, tackles his first unexploded bomb. Talbot has been decorated for defusing a bomb in South Wales. The procedure goes off without a hitch, a big relief to the island's military because unexploded bombs have become a major issue.

The Malta military government also segregates certain bars as for officers only, and others for non-officers.

US/Vichy French Relations: Sumner Welles, acting Secretary of State, asks the US Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Spain, H. Freeman Matthews, to tell the French that the US would be willing to purchase its battleships Jean Bart (Casablanca) and Richelieu (Dakar).

British Military: The Handley Page Halifax bomber becomes operational with RAF No. 35 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse. However, the Halifax takes time to work up and its first mission will not be until March 10/11, 1941. The Handley Page Halifax suffers by comparison with some other bombers but becomes an integral part of RAF Bomber Command's fleet. Many in the RAF consider it inferior to the Avro Lancaster, but it fills a role primarily in secondary theaters.
13 November 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Jeep
A Willys Quad with four-wheel steering. These initial versions did not meet US Army weight requirements. Willys pulled some strings to keep its bid alive.
US Military: Heavy cruiser USS Louisville continues its "Show the Flag" mission in Latin America, arriving at Santos, Brazil.

Willys officially delivers its two pilot models, called Quads, of what later become known as Jeeps. The Jeeps are identical to the Bantam prototype which Willys has studied, with the addition of four-wheel steering. The Quads are put through tests at Camp Holabird, Maryland.

Switzerland: The government bans both the Communist Party and the fascist National Movement of Switzerland.

 Singapore: The British War Cabinet creates the new post of Commander-in-Chief, Far East, with its headquarters in Singapore. Air Chief-Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham is appointed as its first chief.

 American Homefront: Walt Disney Studios' animated classic Fantasia has its world premiere at the Broadway Theater in New York City. The film is well-received but requires special upgrades to theaters which are costly and make it unprofitable. Among other firsts, the film is the first commercial motion picture to be distributed with stereo sound - hence the added cost. One can make the argument that "Fantasia" invents the music video.

13 November 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Fantasia premiere

November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

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