Tuesday 23 April 1940

French General Georges and Lord Gort inspect a BEF 8-inch Mk VIII howitzer at Bethune, France, 23 April 1940. Most likely that is the 1st Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery.

Norway: The Allied Supreme War Council continues meeting in Paris on 23 April 1940. They focus on capturing Trondheim, when British troops are retreating on two separate Norwegian fronts. The British are being cagey about Operation Hammer, the direct attack on Trondheim, which they know is a dead letter but the French still think has a chance to succeed.

Norway Army Operations: In the evening, the British 15th Brigade arrives at Molde and Andalsnes. Its mission is to support the 148th Brigade, which is under heavy pressure to the south.

At Tretten Gorge on the road north from Lillehammer, the German 196th Infantry Division continues attacking the British 148th Infantry Brigade, inflicting heavy casualties. German artillery is active all morning. The British are trying desperately to hold the river road, but the German panzers are decisive. Three of them break through the British line at 13:00. Mountain troops have scaled the 2165-foot cliff to bypass the British river road defenses. They circle around at at 18:00 begin attacking the British line from the rear.

The British can't hold out and withdraw from Tretten Gorge at 19:00, bombed and strafed on the narrow river road in the Gudbrandsal. Casualties are immense: the British have lost 705 killed, wounded and captured. Only 309 remain fighting. At one point, they take refuge in a railway tunnel and a British officer comments: "700 of us and a bloody train - we're almost suffocating. "We've been stuck here all day with Germans bombing us. One direct hit on the tunnel and we're done for. The train has to keep up steam - choking."

Northeast of Trondheim, the British 146th Infantry Brigade is falling back from Steinkjer under fierce Germans pressure toward its base at Namsos. So far, General de Wiart's troops have lost 19 dead, 42 wounded and 96 missing.

At Hegra Fortress, the Germans continue standing back and lobbing occasional mortar shells at the fort, with Luftwaffe attacks from the nearby airport. Today a few shells destroy one of the fortress' two 7.5 cm positional guns, one of the fortress' command towers and the waterline. The defenders are losing effective ways to strike back.

The Germans are spreading out from Stavanger.  At Ogna southeast of Stavanger, the Germans capture the vital bridge, trapping hundreds of troops. The Germans in the area accept the surrender of 1,700 Norwegian troops of the Norwegian 8th Infantry Regiment.

The Polish Podhale Brigade (Chasseurs du Nord) begins moving to Norway.

General Georges of the French Army and Lord Gort inspect the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Bethune,  France, 23 April 1940.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe raided the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow during the night, causing little damage.

The Luftwaffe attacks the British positions at Andalsnes.

The RAF raided Fornebu and Kjeller airports at Oslo, and also Aalborg in northern Denmark for the third night.

The Luftwaffe sent a sweep of Bf 109s over Luxembourg which was met by Hurricanes. No losses on either side.

Battle of the Atlantic: British ship Lolworth hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea.

Kriegsmarine minesweeper M-1302 hits a mine and sinks.

Royal Navy submarine Tetrarch sinks Kriegsmarine vessel UJ-B.

The RAF sends 26 planes on a minelaying operation during the night.

Convoy SL 29 departs from Freetown.

British minesweeping trawler HMS Mangrove (A.E. Johnson) is commissioned.

BEF: The British 46th Infantry Division moves to France.

US/Canadian Relations: President Roosevelt meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King in Warm Springs, Georgia.

British Government: Chancellor of the Exchequer John Simon announces a new war budget (classified, of course) which means higher taxes:

• income tax raised to 7s 6d per £;
• higher duties imposed on tobacco and matches, beer and spirits;
• higher postal fees;
• higher telegraph and telephone rates;
• new purchase tax on the way.

The objective is to raise an additional £2bn for the war, an unheard-of figure.

Sir Stafford Cripps returns to London after his visits to the USSR, India, and China.

Australia: Coal miners have been on strike since early March, and Prime Minister Menzies reminds them that there's a war on. He states that he may resort to force to reopen the mines.

April 1940

April 1, 1940: Weserubung is a Go
April 2, 1940: British Subs On Alert
April 3, 1940: Churchill Consolidates Power
April 4, 1940: Missed the Bus
April 5, 1940: Mig-1 First Flight
April 6, 1940: Troops Sailing to Norway
April 7, 1940: Fleets At Sea
April 8, 1940: HMS Glowworm and Admiral Hipper
April 9, 1940: Invasion of Norway
April 10, 1940: First Battle of Narvik
April 11, 1940: Britain Takes the Faroes
April 12, 1940: Germans Consolidate in Norway
April 13, 1940: 2d Battle of Narvik
April 14, 1940: Battle of Dombås
April 15, 1940: British in Norway
April 16, 1940: Germans Cut Norway in Half
April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target
April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War
April 19, 1940: Dombås Battle Ends
April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway
April 21, 1940: First US Military Casualty
April 22, 1940: First British Military Contact with Germans
April 23, 1940: British Retreating in Norway
April 24, 1940: British Bombard Narvik
April 25, 1940: Norwegian Air Battles
April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold
April 27, 1940: Allies to Evacuate Norway
April 28, 1940: Prepared Piano
April 29, 1940: British at Bodo
April 30, 1940: Clacton-on-Sea Heinkel

2019

Tuesday 2 April 1940

Frederick Marquis, 1st Lord Woolton (1883–1964) demonstrates his "Woolton Pie" at the Savoy Hotel. It is made of commonly available vegetables that were available during the darkest days of World War II. It was concocted by the hotel's Maitre Chef de Cuisine, Francis Latry.

Operation Weserübung: Hitler on 2 April 1940 signs the order authorizing the invasion, to commence at 05:15 on 9 April 1940.

One of Hitler's concerns is to prevent the royal houses of the occupied nations from escaping to England. Hitler has had enough of "governments-in-exile" and wants to see no more of them established.

British submarines begin taking up positions on the German route to Norway pursuant to Admiral Horton's plan. He anticipates major German warships leaving Heligoland Bight, Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven & Swinemünde. HMS Unity departs Blyth sub base in Northumberland today to take up station a the Heligoland Bight, and HMS Sunfish departs Harwich to patrol the Kattegat.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe, with Operation Weserubung in the offing, begins to up its attacks on British North Sea infrastructure. It stages a raid on Scapa Flow at dusk, then attacks the lighthouses at Duncansby Head and Stroma Island. Little damage is done.

Luftwaffe bombers attack convoys in the North Sea. Three Hurricanes tangle with Heinkel He 111s flying at wavetop level.

RAF fighters engage nine Messerschmitt Bf 109s over the Western front. The Luftwaffe reportedly loses five fighters, two to the French.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-38 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe) torpedoes and sinks 1,540 ton Finnish freighter Signe at 00:21. All 19 crew perish. The Signe is a straggler from Convoy HN-23A and close enough for the convoy escort HMS Sikh to hear the explosion, but it can do nothing.

Convoy OA 122 departs Southend, Convoy HG 25F departs Gibraltar, Convoy HX 32 departs Halifax.
The Germans launch destroyer Z26.

Battle of the Pacific: The US Navy holds major maneuvers in Hawaiian waters. It is Fleet Problem XXI, and it posits two fleets of roughly equal size. One fleet is concentrated and the other dispersed. DIfferent types of engagements are practiced, including protecting convoys, seizing bases and fleet actions.

Anglo/Danish Relations: Great Britain and Denmark sign a trade agreement.
Holland: Dutch troops go on full alert along the German border - again.

Romanian Homefront: Children 7-18, some 4 million of them, to be impressed into farmwork in order to maintain food exports to Germany. There are labor shortages due to recent increases in the military.

French Homefront: After a brutal winter, the weather is beginning to turn warmer on the Continent. Author Eugen Weber writes "Paris has never looked more radiant!" However, he also notes that the city is locked down due to the war, with British soldiers everywhere and monuments surrounded by sandbags.

British Homefront: Minister of Food Lord Woolton promises to keep food prices low (albeit via rationing) and encourages everyone to dig Victory Gardens: "Dig for victory!"

FDR completes his census form at the White House, 2 April 1940.

April 1940

April 1, 1940: Weserubung is a Go
April 2, 1940: British Subs On Alert
April 3, 1940: Churchill Consolidates Power
April 4, 1940: Missed the Bus
April 5, 1940: Mig-1 First Flight
April 6, 1940: Troops Sailing to Norway
April 7, 1940: Fleets At Sea
April 8, 1940: HMS Glowworm and Admiral Hipper
April 9, 1940: Invasion of Norway
April 10, 1940: First Battle of Narvik
April 11, 1940: Britain Takes the Faroes
April 12, 1940: Germans Consolidate in Norway
April 13, 1940: 2d Battle of Narvik
April 14, 1940: Battle of Dombås
April 15, 1940: British in Norway
April 16, 1940: Germans Cut Norway in Half
April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target
April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War
April 19, 1940: Dombås Battle Ends
April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway
April 21, 1940: First US Military Casualty
April 22, 1940: First British Military Contact with Germans
April 23, 1940: British Retreating in Norway
April 24, 1940: British Bombard Narvik
April 25, 1940: Norwegian Air Battles
April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold
April 27, 1940: Allies to Evacuate Norway
April 28, 1940: Prepared Piano
April 29, 1940: British at Bodo
April 30, 1940: Clacton-on-Sea Heinkel


2016

Tuesday 19 March 1940

Gandhi greeting well-wishers, 1940.

Winter War: The Finns release their most recent casualty figures for the war on 19 March 1940, stating that of 58,500 total casualties, 15,700 had been killed. These figures are subject to revision.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Admiralty calculates that up to 13 March 1940, the Royal Navy had escorted 12,816 ships in convoy, losing only 28 while under RN protection.

U-19 (Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke) is operating in the Moray Firth, Scotland. It torpedoes and sinks 1,229-ton Danish freighter Minsk at 22:21. There are 9 survivors, 11 perish.

U-19 quickly follows that success up at 22:37 by torpedoing and sinking the 1,026-ton Danish freighter Charkow. All 20 aboard perish.

Destroyer HMS Jervis collides with Swedish freighter Tor northeast of Blyth at 03:00. The destroyer suffers heavy damage and 2 killed, 15 missing.

HMS Norfolk, seriously damaged in the 16 March raid on Scapa Flow, heads down to the Clyde under her own power for repairs.

Convoy OA 113GG departs from Southend, Convoy OB 113 departs from Liverpool.

European Air Operations: The RAF mounts a major night raid composed of 50 bombers - 30 Whitleys and 20 Hampdens of 10 Squadron No.4 Group RAF Bomber Command - against the Germans' Sylt seaplane base. They attack the Hornum airbase at the island's southern end. This supposedly is in "retaliation" for the embarrassing 16 March 1940 raid on Scapa Flow. Little damage is caused to the German base, and the British lose a bomber. However, PM Chamberlain is able to make a dramatic announcement about it to the House of Commons while it is in progress, which goes a long way toward saving his job.

It is the first (intentional) British air attack against an enemy land target. The lack of effectiveness forces some soul-searching about the RAF's conduct of operations and the accuracy of the bombing. To the crews involved, however, the raid is a tonic: RAF Gunner Larry Donnelly states, "The atmosphere is charged with excitement that we're dropping bombs instead of bloody propaganda leaflets.”

As a footnote to the incident where an RAF bomber accidentally lands in a German field and then took off again after the crew conversed with locals, one of them, German Albert Kartes, 17, is imprisoned for 2 years for "aiding the enemy."

Norway: The Norwegians file another official protest with Berlin regarding the air attack against Norwegian freighter Bott.

India: The All-India Nationalist Congress votes Mahatma Gandhi leader of its campaign to win independence from British rule. He threatens civil disobedience to achieve those aims.

British Government: Prime Minister Chamberlain makes a speech before the House of Commons explaining what went wrong in Finland. He explains that Great Britain and France were prepared to send a 100,000-man expeditionary force to Finland, but were unable to due to Norwegian and Swedish intransigence. The Allies had, he states, sent large quantities of arms, planes, and munitions.

The MPs, especially Harold Macmillan, heavily criticize the conduct of operations. However, Chamberlain survives.

French Government: After Prime Minister Edouard Daladier calls for a vote of confidence, the French Chamber of Deputies casts a 239-1 vote in his favor. Because well over half of the 551 deputies abstain from voting, which Daladier recognizes as lack of confidence in him, Daladier resigns.

US Government: US Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles has one last meeting with Count Ciano before leaving Italy.

United States Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Canada James H.R. Cromwell in which he condemns Hitler and Hitlerism for openly destroying the social and economic order vital for western civilization. It is the first open attack on the German Reich by a US official. Furthermore, he states that the US should join the Allies, which earns him criticism from Isolationist politicians.

James H.R. Cromwell and wife Doris Duke.

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

Sunday 17 March 1940

Hitler and Fritz Todt. Today, Hitler makes Todt his Minister of Armaments and Munitions.

Winter War: The last Finnish civilians evacuate Viipuri on 17 March 1940. A Finnish officer comments, "All belongings being hastily taken away to deprive Russians, who occupy city tomorrow."

Battle of the Atlantic: Shipping losses during the week ended 17 March are:

• British 3 ships
• French 1
• Neutral 3
• German 3

U-38 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe) torpedoes and s5,375-ton5 ton Danish freighter Argentina at 23:25 east of Unst, Shetlands in the North Sea. All 33 crew perish. The freighter is running with its lights on, indicating a neutral vessel, but U-38 fires two torpedoes at it anyway. Argentina takes only 10 minutes to sink after one hits.

The British Admiralty, reacting to the previous night's successful attack by Luftwaffe Ju-88 bombers on Scapa Flow, orders the Home Fleet to put to sea during the full-moon period of March 19-26. This, presumably, would be safer than waiting at anchor for an air attack.

Convoy HG 23F departs from Gibraltar.

Western Front: French soldier Jean-Paul Sartre, working as a meteorologist, comments: "The war machine is running in neutral; 1 man said to me, insane hope in his eyes: 'England will climb down.'"

German/Italian Relations: Hitler and Mussolini depart by trains from their respective capitals for a meeting at the Brenner Pass.

Italian/Romanian Relations: Italy announces that it will defend Romanian neutrality against attacks.

German Government: Hitler appoints Dr. Fritz Todt as the Reich Minister for Armaments and Munitions. Todt's workers are known as the Todt Organization (Organisation Todt). Todt means "death" in German, so this has a sinister ring to it, but it basically is nothing more than a national construction service. Todt has been the Inspector General of German Roadways since June 1933 and built his Organization Todt from the ground up to construct the Autobahns, one of Germany's great technical achievements. Todt's elevation in rank marks an acknowledgment that Organization Todt would be focusing henceforth on military and paramilitary projects of utmost national importance. It also illustrates the gradual re-orientation of the German economy from a peacetime to a wartime footing.

German Military: Admiral Raeder advises Hitler to invade Norway pursuant to Operation Weserubung no later than 15 April.

British Homefront: To aid the war effort, ten thousand miners in Nottinghamshire agree to forego most of their holidays to increase coal production.
American Homefront: With spring training in full swing, Major League Baseball holds an exhibition all-star game for the benefit of the people of Finland. The game raises $20,000 for the Finnish Relief Fund. The NL wins, 2-1.

China: The Battle of Wuyuan continues. The Japanese 22nd Army captures Lingshan.

Freighter Argentina (Photo courtesy of Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore).

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

Saturday 16 March 1940

HMS Norfolk.

European Air Operations: The Royal having recently returned to Scapa Flow, on 16 March 1940 the Luftwaffe decides to give it a welcoming home party. The heavy cruiser Norfolk is damaged during the attack by 32 Junkers Ju 88 bombers of KG 30. The bomb penetrated three decks before exploding, piercing the water line and killing 6 crew. The Norfolk will have to go to the Clyde for repairs but is still seaworthy.

There are 7 RN and 8 civilian casualties in a nearby village, the Bridge of Waithe, hit apparently by accident when a bomber fleeing the vicinity releases its bombs there to aid its escape. The raid is historic because it includes the first British civilian fatality of the war. The Luftwaffe loses either one or two aircraft (sources vary). The unlucky civilian is James Isbister, aged 27.

Luftwaffe Major Fritz Doensch, who was on the mission, comments: "It was a long flight, but we're used to that. 1 radio operator had a harmonica to keep us cheerful."

During the night, British reconnaissance planes operated over Poland and over the Heligoland Bight. RAF planes also stage a raid on Borkum in the Frisian Islands.

Battle of the Atlantic: British trawler HMS Maide strikes a mine and sinks. Six, including the commanding officer, lost.

The 4,512-ton Yugoslavian freighter Slava hits a mine in the Bristol Channel and sinks. There is one fatality, 33 survive. The mine was laid by U-29 on 2 March 1940.

Convoy OA 111 departs Southend, Convoy OB 110 departs Liverpool, Convoy OB 111 also departs Liverpool.

German Military: Hitler holds a conference involving senior Wehrmacht leaders.

A new decree establishes brothels for the troops - under medical supervision. The ostensible purpose is "to protect Wehrmacht members against health dangers." Jewish prostitutes are banned, but other working girls can avoid any police hassles by helping out the boys in uniform.
Argentina: The government transfers the Admiral Graf Spee crew to the interior and forbids them from wearing their uniforms.

Panama: The President of Panama, Augusto S. Boyd, lodges an official protest with the Court of St. James for aggressive British actions within the Latin American neutrality zone off the coast of Brazil. The incident involved the Wakama on 12 February 1940.

US Government: Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles is back in Rome, conferring again with the King, Mussolini, and Ciano after his visits to Berlin, Paris, and London. At this point, he appears to be acting as a mediator, which may make certain parties in other capitals uncomfortable. In any event, he is not accomplishing anything if that is his agenda.

British Home Front: The Admiralty offers cash prizes for information about enemy naval activities.

China: The Japanese attack the Chinese New 4th Division west of Linhe. While they are occupied there, the Chinese 35th Army of the 8th War Area moves east along the Wu-chia River toward Wuyuan. This is the opening of the Battle of Wuyuan.

In the continuing Battle of South Kwangsi, the 22nd Army captures Chiuchow and Luwu.

Future History: John F. Kennedy, the son of current US ambassador to the Court of St. James Joseph Kennedy, publishes his senior year thesis at Harvard. It covers the pre-war period of negotiation between England, France, and Germany. The thesis is later published as a book after some re-drafting, given a title taking off on Winston Churchill's 1938 classic "While England Slept." The book, "Why England Slept," is a financial success that enables future US President Kennedy to donate money to Plymouth England and also buy himself a Buick convertible. It looks at the Chamberlain policy of appeasement with sympathy. Chamberlain, of course, remains the PM, and it is only later that attitudes toward him and his policies harden.

"Modern Wonders' of 16 March 1940 explains why "We can't win wars without spiders." Modern wonders apparently include biplanes.

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

Tuesday 12 March 1940

U-50 crew on 12 March 1940. They went out on their next patrol and were sunk, 6 April 1940, in a North Sea minefield as they were returning home. Everybody in this picture was killed. (Federal Archive).

Winter War: At 09:00 on 12 March 1940, Finnish President Kyösti Kallio authorizes the peace delegation in Moscow to sign an agreement ending the war. There is no further negotiation, the Soviet terms have not changed throughout the meetings and agreement is a formality. The Finns meet with Molotov at 22:00 to formalize the document. They capitulate and sign the Moscow Peace Treaty around midnight on the 12th.

The Armistice goes into effect at 11:00 on 13 March. There is no ceasefire until that time. The treaty must be ratified within three days.

As demanded by the Soviets, the Finns give up the entire Karelian Isthmus where the bulk of the fighting took place and which contains their only defensive fortifications. The Finns lose all access to Lake Ladoga. They also surrender a long-term (30 years) lease on the naval base at Hango, a slice of the eastern portion of the country around battle-torn Salla, the major cities of Viipuri and Vuokis, and nearby towns of Sortavala and Käkisalmi. The surrendered territory is rich in natural resources, but more importantly, served as the only defensive buffer zone against the Soviet Union. As a consolation, they receive back the basically worthless port of Petsamo in the far north while the Soviets retain the nearby peninsula which is in a strategic location.

The end result is that Finland loses roughly 10% of the country, 35,000 square km. About 430,000 Finns are displaced, 12% of the population.

Kallio says:

This is the most awful document I have ever had to sign. May the hand wither which is forced to sign such a paper.

The Allies are hopelessly behind the curve. French Prime Minister Daladier still, on this final day, tells his Chamber of Deputies that an Anglo-French expeditionary force of 50,000 men is ready to go - all Finland has to do is ask. With the Moscow Peace Treaty signed, such a request will be a long time coming.

The Swedes add insult to injury by hinting that, finally, when it no longer matters, it might be open to a defensive alliance with Finland.

The British go even further. They actually load 20,000 men - five brigades - on ships at Rosyth in the Firth of Forth. The transports are ready to go to Trondheim, Bergen, and Stavanger. Another brigade is on alert at Scapa Flow to head to Narvik and occupy the key port there. The troops are odds and ends from the Home Army, mostly reservists hastily called up recently, ill-equipped and lacking in training and morale. The most organized troops are serving with the BEF on the continent and thus unavailable.

However, the British War Cabinet is uncertain about how to proceed. No agreement to a British military presence has been received from either Norway or Sweden, and such agreement would effectively violate their neutrality. Nobody knows what to expect, and how to handle armed opposition is up in the air. Prime Minister Chamberlain condemns the entire idea, but he is rapidly losing moral authority due to the deteriorating international situation that he helped create.

Winter War Army Operations: There is a blizzard in the southern and central sectors of Finland that halts most operations. The Soviet 7th Army continues assaulting Finnish defenses at Viipuri. There is fighting throughout the city's suburbs. The Finnish-American Legion, some 300 strong, reaches the city to help defend it.

Winter War Air Operations: The weather keeps most planes grounded. Before things close down, a Soviet Polikarpov I-16 "Ishak" fighter (the Finns call it Siipiorava ("Flying Squirrel")) wages a solitary battle against a lone Finnish anti-aircraft gunner located on a water tower at the city of Utti. The fighter makes numerous passes, obsessed with eliminating the gunner, but finally, the anti-aircraft gunner wins and shoots it down.

Battle of the Atlantic: Having been forced to abandon the key naval base at Scapa Flow due to the sinking of the Royal Oak, the British Home Fleet finally returns from temporary quarters at Rosyth and Loch Ewe. The harbor anti-aircraft defenses have been improved, the netting at the harbor entrances extended, and access to the entire region restricted to authorized personnel only.

British freighter Gardenia hits a mine and sinks.

The Kriegsmarine commissions U-99.

Convoy OB 108 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 22 departs from Gibraltar.

European Air Operations: Luftwaffe Heinkel He-111s make attacks along the English east coast, without result.

US Government: Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles, having met Mussolini, Hitler, Chamberlain, and Daladier, now meets with First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill. Churchill is in fine form, sitting by the fire smoking a 24-inch cigar, downing whiskey and soda. As Welles recounts later, "It was quite obvious that he had consumed a good many whiskeys before I arrived," and he exhibited "a cascade of oratory, brilliant and always effective, interlarded with considerable wit."

Republican primaries begin in New Hampshire. President Roosevelt still has not made a firm statement about whether he will pursue a third term.

Middle East: British General Wavell sets out to South Africa for consultations with Jan Smuts.

China: At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese 46th Army attacks the key Japanese base from the east.

Holocaust: The Germans ship Jews from Stettin in boxcars to Lublin. The victims are forced to march for 18 hours through a blizzard carrying all of their possessions. There are 72 deaths out of the thousand people.

Future History: Look Magazine has a six-page feature on a Yale Law School student who also was a partner in a New York modeling agency (he was a model himself) and an assistant coach on the Yale football team. The male model was Gerald Ford. He became the 38th President of the United States in 1974 upon the resignation of Richard Nixon.

Future US President Gerald Ford and his girlfriend/model Phyllis Brown, Look magazine, 12 March 1940. Ford works as a model while college.

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

Wednesday 18 October 1939

Günther Prien and the crew of U-47 are received by Adolf Hitler in the Reichskanzlei in Berlin. October 18, 1939.

Western Front: Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 7, Preparations for Attack in the West, on 18 October 1939. It will have the code name, Fall Gelb.

The French notice signs of activity behind the German lines, but no renewal of their recent attacks.

Battle of the Atlantic: Wasting no time, Hitler brings the crew of the U-47 to the Chancellery and awards all of them the Iron Cross 2nd Class. He also gives Captain Günther Prien the Knight's Cross.

President Franklin Roosevelt bans all armed submarines from US ports and territorial waters except in cases of distress.

The Admiral Graf Spee transfers its prisoners to the Altmark, then departs to find new targets.

The British detain the US freighter West Hobomac.

The Kriegsmarine lays more mines along the English Channel.

Convoy SL 5F departs from Freetown for London.

European Air Operations: Once again, the Luftwaffe attacks Scapa Flow. Their mission is disrupted, however, by strong anti-aircraft fire, and the planes do not release their bombs.

Turkey: With the Turkish Foreign Minister back from the USSR, the British take their turn. British General Wavell and French General (former chief of general staff) Weygand arrive in Ankara for talks with their Turkish counterparts.

Germany recalls its own ambassador, Franz von Papen, from Turkey. Von Papen is not considered a particularly fervent Party man, and Hitler may want someone a little more attuned to his own thinking in the position.

Sweden: The heads of state of Norway, Denmark, and Finland meet with the King of Sweden in Stockholm. They discuss the recent diplomatic aggression by the Soviets, and also Hitler's promise to remain neutral in any conflict between Finland and the USSR.

Estonia: The Soviets continue increasing their presence in the country.

Lithuania: A protest is filed by the Polish government-in-exile over the transfer of Vilnius to Lithuania.

Spain: Francisco Franco appoints his brother-in-law Ramón Serrano Suñer to be Spain's Foreign Minister.

British Government: PM Chamberlain reports that eight Luftwaffe planes have been downed by the RAF so far. First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill estimates that the Germans have lost a third of their U-boats. In addition, Churchill reports that there were 24 officers and 786 men lost on the Royal Oak.

German Government: Adolf Hitler institutes a new decoration for heroism, the War Merit Cross second class bronze with swords (Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern), also know as the KVK 2. It is an award for bravery by anyone who is not on the front lines.

American Homefront: Grandma Moses becomes famous when an art exhibit including her paintings opens at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Future History: Lee Harvey Oswald is born in New Orleans, LA. He gains notoriety (and death) as the assassin of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

A typical Grandma Moses painting. She achieves prominence on 18 October 1939 due to an exhibition of her work that receives great reviews.

October 1939

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

2019

Saturday 14 October 1939

HMS Royal Oak (British government photo).

Battle of the Atlantic: At 01:30 on 14 October 1939, U-47 (Kplt Guenther Prien) weasels its way into Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, the main fleet base of the Royal Navy and one of the most secure places on earth. It is one of the most audacious operations of the war, and Prien is presented with a plethora of targets. He chooses the Battleship Royal Oak and sends seven torpedoes into it. Down it goes when three torpedoes strike it, sending it down amidst the sunken hulks of the German battlefleet from World War I. Some 833 men die (including Rear Admiral Henry Blagrove) and 414 survive among the 1200-man crew.

After an investigation, it is revealed that there is a 50-foot gap in the net over Kirk Sound. The Royal Fleet changes its location to Loch Ewe.

The Polish submarine Orzel has been at sea for almost a month after escaping from Estonian detention. It now completes its journey to the British Isles.

Southwest of Ireland, British destroyers HMS Inglefield, Ivanhoe and Intrepid sink U-45 (Kapitänleutnant Alexander Gelhaar). The crew perishes. This is after U-45 sank two members of Convoy KJF-3, the French Bretagne and the British Lochavon.

The Deutschland continues its extended raid in the Atlantic, sinking the 1,918-ton Norwegian freighter Lorentz W. Hansen 420 miles east of Newfoundland.

The British detain the US freighter Scanstates in the Orkney Islands, and the freighter Exporter at Gibraltar. The French detain the US freighter Nashaba at Le Havre.

Western Front: French Commander-in-chief General Gamelin issues an order of the day predicting a German attack "at any moment."

Finland: The country mobilizes its military as the Finnish delegation to Moscow returns to Helsinki. Finnish proposals for a land swap so that the USSR can get the territory it wants north of Leningrad have been rejected.

The Finns have 340,000 men in ten divisions and accompanying units, a formidable force that is expert in winter weather.

Italy: A new ambassador is sent to London, Signor Bastianini.

British Military Intelligence: Having brought over two copies of the Enigma machine, Polish cryptanalysts resume their efforts to break the German ciphers in France.

Population Transfers: Ethnic Germans in Latvia begin sailing to the Reich.

American Homefront: There is great umbrage taken by various constituencies in the United States at the sharp America First radio address by Charles Lindbergh on 13 October.

China: at Changsha, Japanese forces of the 11th Army withdraw to their starting points on both the eastern flank (101st and 106th divisions) and the center of the line (33rd Division).

Future History: Ralph Lauren is born in the Bronx, New York.

The Royal Oak today.

October 1939

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

2019