Monday 1 July 1940

A German soldier stands guard outside the former RAF headquarters in Guernsey.

Western Front: In the Channel Islands, Jersey surrenders on 1 July 1940 and is occupied. The occupation of Guernsey continues. Albrecht Lanz is confirmed as the military governor. Communications between the Channel Islands and England are severed.

French Marshal Philippe Pétain reaffirms to US Ambassador William C. Bullitt that French ships will be scuttled before they are handed over to the Kriegsmarine. Admiral Darlan later says that the ships have been ordered to sail to the Mediterranean if placed in jeopardy from the Germans, or scuttled if necessary.

The Petain French government, after a brief stop-over in Clermont-Ferrand, moves to the spa town of Vichy. This is due to the town's nearness to Paris on the railway and because it has a lot of free hotel space. It also has the advantage of modern telephone exchanges for its upscale visitors, which come in handy for controlling the government. This move is the origination of the term Vichy France, which has become a sort of synonym for traitorous and repressive collaboration. The town is immediately swarmed with visitors and Frenchmen looking for jobs.

Marshal Petain was quite popular in France in his time.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Wick and Hill during the day. There are 12 killed, 22 injured. This is part of the campaign of strategic bombing of industrial centers.

The RAF sends a dozen Hampden bombers against Kiel naval base. One of the pilots is Guy Gibson, who gets a near-miss against the Scharnhorst with a 2,000 lb bomb. Two small bombs hit the Prinz Eugen.

More transfers of Luftwaffe units for rest and refit. There also are several moves of elite units since the French threat has disappeared. The Luftwaffe is reshuffling and reorganizing in order to prepare for the test that Air Minister Hermann Goering already has set out for it.

III/JG26 moves from Munchen-Gladbach to Doberitz to protect Berlin while victory celebrations are in progress.

II/JG2 moves to Frankfurt/Rhein-Main.

Erprobungsgruppe (Epr.Gr) 210 (Test Wing 210) forms at Köln-Ostheim. It is formed using Bf 109s and Bf 110s from other units.

Stab/KG 40 forms at Bordeaux-Merignac to operate Fw 200 4-engine bombers.

The formation of night-fighting units continues at Deelen-Arnhem and Munchen-Gladbach airfields.

German marching band troops marching into the Channel Islands.

Battle of Britain: General Jodl of the General Staff (OKW) discusses the possibility of an invasion of England. This is projected Operation Sealion (Seelöwe).

Battle of the Atlantic: Several U-boats have congregated in the same general area about 300 miles west of France. They spot the same convoy and achieve numerous victories today. However, it turns into a bad day for the U-boats as two of them go under.

U-30 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp) sinks 5,218 ton British MV Beignon at 04:00. There are six deaths and 111 survivors in total; the Beignon had rescued some of the crew from the sunk Avelona Star, and 3 of them are killed and 81 survive this second sinking.

U-102 (Kapitänleutnant Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt) torpedoes and sinks 5,219-ton British freighter SS Clearton, with 8 crewmen perishing and 26 surviving.

British destroyer HMS Vansittart then sinks U-102 with depth charges, with all 43 hands lost.

U-65 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) sinks 8,156-ton Dutch freighter SS Amstelland, with one crewman perishing and 39 surviving.

U-29 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart) sinks 7,466 ton Greek freighter Adamastos. All 25 aboard survive.

U-26 (Kapitänleutnant Heinz Scheringer) torpedoes and damages 4,871 ton British freighter Zarian.

British corvette Gladiolus then depth charges U-26 and forces it to the surface, where RAAF Flight Leader W.N. Gibson (no relation to Guy) bombs it from a Short Sunderland Flying Boat. Heavily damaged, the U-boat is scuttled and all 48 crew survive and become POWs. Gibson receives the DFC for this action.

German raider Thor captures Dutch freighter Kertosono, then sends it to France with a prize crew.

Convoy OA 177G departs from Southend, Convoy OB 177 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 38 departs from Freetown.

Destroyer HMS Garth (L 20) and Minesweeping trawler HMS Deodar (T 124, G. Mair) are commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Admiral Somerville in command of Force H receives orders to commence Operation Catapult, the destruction of the French fleet, on 3 July.

The British War Office sends Governor Dobbie a telegram:

Regret impossible at present to send any fighters but consideration is being given.

In its message, the Admiralty admits that the Mediterranean is now off-limits to Royal Navy carriers.

The island of Malta remains tense about potential spies and saboteurs. There are no air raid alerts today, though.

North Africa: Rodolfo Graziani is formally named the new Italian Governor-General of Italian Libya, replacing the deceased Italo Balbo.

The RAF launches raids against Abyssinia, particularly the airfield at Gondar.

The British move the 2nd Battalion of the Black Watch Regiment from Egypt to Aden.

Italian forces in Abyssinia attack the 1st Battalion of the King's Africa Rifles in Moyale.

Romanian motorcycle soldiers, as seen in the LA Times, 1 July 1940.

Romanian/Hungarian Relations: The two countries mass troops along their borders as tensions heighten over Hungarian demands for Romanian territory. Hungary, in an echo of past allegations of "provocations" by Germany and the Soviet Union, claims border violations by Romania.

Anglo/German Relations: The British Foreign Office warns Germany about occupying Syria. British troops are prepared to invade Syria from Palestine and Egypt due to the local commander's vow to remain loyal to Vichy France.

Anglo/Soviet Relations: Sir Stafford Cripps delivers a message to Stalin from Winston Churchill which expresses a desire for closer relations. The USSR remains a nominal ally of Germany, and Stalin has been pursuing an expansionist foreign policy himself lately.

Anglo/US Relations: US Ambassador to the Court of St. James Joseph Kennedy warns Winston Churchill that the feeling is that Great Britain is beaten and that Hitler will be in London by 15 August.

Anglo/Italian Relations: Mussolini warns the British about using Greek waters for the Royal Navy and demands that this stop or he will invade Greece from Albania.

US Major Jimmy Doolittle.

German/US Relations: The German Foreign Ministry responds to the US diplomatic note of 18 June warning against interference in the Americas:

The German Reich . . . has given no occasion whatever for the assumption that it intends to acquire such possessions, . . . the nonintervention in the affairs of the American Continent by European nations which is demanded by the Monroe Doctrine can in principle be legally valid only on condition that the American nations for their part do not interfere in the affairs of the European Continent.

The German Foreign Ministry requests that the US withdraw its ambassadors from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Luxembourg. Ambassadors to Berlin will suffice now.

US Government: The US Navy issues $30 million in contracts for the construction of 44 new ships and naval facilities.

The Headquarters Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force comes into being in San Diego. The first commander is Brigadier General Ross E. Rowell.

Retired officer James H. Doolittle is recalled to service with US Army Air Corps. His new rank is Major. Major Doolittle's first mission is to help US car manufacturers switch over to aircraft production.

Abbott and Costello, taken from Newsweek of 1 July 1940.

Romania: The Soviet Union completes its occupation of areas demanded from Romania.

The government renounces its defense treaties (April 13, 1939) with England and France, which it believes are worthless guarantees, particularly after the recent Soviet occupation of its territory. Henceforward, its allegiance is with a country that can actually make a difference: Germany.

Soviet Union: Joseph Stalin tells his ambassador to Tokyo that the 23 August 1939 Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact was dictated by the desire to unleash war in Europe." If so, he certainly succeeded.

Japanese Military: The first Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters (pre-series of 15 A6M2) become operational with the 12th Rengo Kōkūtai in July 1940.

China: At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army continues moving toward Lungchin.

Evacuations of British non-essentials is in progress from Hong Kong.

Australia: General Sturdee assumes command of the Australian 8th Infantry Division.

Japanese Homefront: Rationing of sugar and matches.

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, opening day, 11:00, 1 July 1940.

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020

Sunday 30 June 1940

Luftwaffe Officers on Guernsey handling the Union Jack with the Guernsey Crest, presumably folding it to replace with the Swastika flag, 30 June 1940.

Western Front: As of 30 June 1940, there have been 220,000 French soldiers sealed in their Maginot Line fortresses since the Armistice of June 22. They have not posed a threat, but the Wehrmacht has not been able to enter their entire zone of occupation. Today, the French holdouts bow to the inevitable and finally surrender after a direct order from Commander-in-Chief Weygand.

A Franco-German-Italian Armistice Commission meets at Wiesbaden. The French delegation is led by General Huntziger. Numerous captured Wehrmacht troops, including some (later) famous names. Oberst (Colonel) Josef Kammhuber of KG51 and Werner Mölders return from POW camps to their old units or new postings. Kammhuber becomes an Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and Commander-in-Chief Luftwaffe, which basically means that he helps to establish new Luftwaffe doctrines and strategies.

The Heer has two combat battalions waiting at their boats ready to invade the Channel Islands despite British announcements that they are demilitarized and "open towns." To test the waters, a Luftwaffe pilot, Hauptmann Liebe-Pieteritz of Luftflotte 3, lands at Guernsey aerodrome - outfitted with white flags as specified in leaflets dropped by the Luftwaffe - and finds it deserted. Based on his report, the Luftflotte quickly flies in a platoon of troops in a Junkers Ju 52 transport to the same place. They meet no resistance.

In a genteel moment of international diplomacy, Inspector Sculpher of the Guernsey police force drives down to greet the German soldiers at the aerodrome. He is carrying a letter in German:

This Island has been declared an Open Island by His Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom. There are no armed forces of any description. The bearer has been instructed to hand this communication to you. He does not understand the German language.

Wehrmacht commanding officer Major Albrecht Lanz accepts the surrender and then proceeds to the best hotel, the Royal Hotel, where he and his successors will set up their headquarters. Lanz meets the top (remaining) officials on the island. Everyone agrees that the Germans now are in control and that nobody is going to resist. They then all go out for lobster dinner after Lanz radios the waiting invasion troops and tells them he has handled everything. One can be quite sure that Hermann Goering has quite a laugh out of one-upping the army like this. This is a British territory, now occupied by German troops, the first such instance in the war.

The Castle Guard, formed from members of the training battalion, Grenadier Guards, leaving the main entrance of Windsor Castle on the way to Victoria Barracks in Windsor, 30 June 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: Allied Shipping Losses for June:

• Atlantic: 130 ships of 505,453 tons
• Elsewhere: 10 ships of 268,075 tons

No U-boats were lost during the month.

U-65 and U-43 engage in embryonic "wolfpack" tactics against Convoy SL-25, beginning around 22:30.

U-43 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Ambrosius) torpedoes and sinks British liner Avelona Star (after taking a day to sink). There are 84 survivors and one crewman perishes.

U-65 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) torpedoes and damages British freighter Clan Ogilvy, which is taken in tow.

U-47 (Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien) sinks 4,201 ton Greek freighter Georgios Kyriakides west of Ireland. There are 30 crewmen who all survive.

U-26 (Kptl. Heinz Scheringer) sinks two ships about 250 miles southwest of Land's End. Its first victim is 1,291-ton Estonian freighter Merkur. Four crewmen perish.

U-26 then sinks 3,214-ton Norwegian freighter Belmoira. All 25 crewmen survive.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Air raids continue throughout the day, with the first by four SM-79 Italian bombers at around 10:00. Malta notches its 50th raid since the war began.

The RAF Swordfish based at Malta bomb oil installations at Augusta, Sicily.

Malta imposes a curfew of midnight on private cars.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Orion (Kapitan zur See Kurt Weyher) is operating off Auckland. It sends captured Norwegian ship Tropic Sea to France loaded with prisoners. Captain Weyher renames the Norwegian ship the "Kurmark," which is Orion's name from before it joined the Kriegsmarine.

The Orion, “Schiff 16” to the Germans and codenamed “Raider A” by the British.

European Air Operations: The first daylight Luftwaffe raid on England occurs on East Hull when a single bomber sets a Saltend oil depot tank ablaze. The fires are put out quickly. The Heinkel 11 is later (17:00) shot down by RAF No. 616 Squadron and the crew rescued by a British destroyer.

The Luftwaffe attempts a raid for a second night in a row on the Bristol docks and nearby factories. For one reason or another, five of the six bombers abort the mission, but one Heinkel He 111 of III/KG55 makes it through to bomb the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton.

The Luftwaffe lays mines off Whitby. One of the Heinkel 111s has to ditch, and the crew is later rescued by the British after a full day adrift.

The RAF sends a raid against Merville and loses 3 of 9 Blenheims from RAF No. 107 Squadron. It also attacks Vignacourt, north of Abbeville. Targets in western Germany include oil storage tanks at Hamburg and an aerodrome at Norderney.

The fighters assigned to the Kriegsmarine aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, Tragergruppe 186, are re-assigned to JG 77 in defense of Berlin.

Battle of Britain: Luftwaffe boss Hermann Goering prepares the Luftwaffe for the upcoming Battle of Britain, stating that the mission is:

...to attack the enemy air force by day and night, in the air and on the ground, without consideration of other tasks.

Goering assigns three Luftflotten to the task of overcoming the RAF: Luftflotte 2 will operate from France, Luftflotte 3 from the Low Countries, and Luftflotte 5 from Stavanger airfield in Norway.

North Africa: The Regia Aeronautica bombs the 1st King's African Rifles unit at Moyale, Kenya.

War Crimes: The RAF shoots down a Heinkel He 59 which is clearly marked with white-painted, Red Cross emblems. The aircraft is engaged in a search and rescue mission and is not a legitimate target. This incident causes the Luftwaffe to camouflage and arm their search and rescue planes.

German Military: The Wehrmacht has been unstoppable to date, and everyone believes that the fall of Great Britain is now only a matter of (very little) time. However, Major General Alfred Jodl of the OKW proposes two alternative modes of attack:

• A direct invasion of Great Britain;
• A peripheral strategy of isolating England by overcoming its forces in the Mediterranean and elsewhere.

He and everyone else is confident that, either way, Great Britain cannot hold out for long. No clear choice on a strategy is taken, but the emphasis, for the time being, is on the first alternative.

US Navy: The US Navy continues its "show the flag" operation in Latin America. Heavy cruiser USS Wichita arrives at Montevideo, Uruguay, joining cruiser USS Quincy. The intention is to combat growing pro-German sentiment in certain circles there.

An inventory taken on this day, halfway through 1940, shows that the US Navy has 1,099 ships, with 160,997 in the Navy, 38,364 in the Marine Corps, and 13,766 in the Coast Guard, for a total of 203,127.

Prisoners of War: The SS Arandora Star departs from Great Britain for Canada carrying 1200 German and Italian POWs. Many of them are simply civilians being interned.

China: At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army approaches Lungchin.

The British evacuate their women and children from Hong Kong.

Holocaust: Himmler suggests removing the entire existing Polish population - to where or how is not decided - and replacing it with German "settlers."

Polish Homefront: The Polish Government-in-exile places General Rowecki in command of the Polish underground.

French Homefront: The Chantiers de Jeunesse, a quasi-military youth organization somewhat reminiscent of the Hitler Youth, is formed.

German Homefront: Listening to the BBC is strictly forbidden anywhere in Germany or occupied Europe. Today, five such "radio criminals" are sentenced to five years in concentration camps. However, the BBC is widely viewed as more factual than the German propaganda broadcasts, so almost everyone tunes in at least occasionally.

Hitler in unguarded moments on 30 June 1940.

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020

Saturday 29 June 1940

Tommies in action in North Africa, June 1940.

Western Front: Wehrmacht forces on 29 June 1940 are relinquishing some areas allocated to the French government pursuant to the Armistice Agreement of 22 June 1940.

In the demilitarized Channel Islands, the remaining islanders are instructed to paint white crosses on the aerodromes and fly white flags. Five thousand children and their schools have been evacuated to England, in places such as Marple in Cheshire. Many of the children have been individually sponsored by wealthy Americans, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, who sponsors a girl named Paulette. They also have received clothing and school supplies. England itself, of course, may not be safer for much longer.

The Germans ready two battalions for an assault on the Channel Islands. The BBC has broadcast that the islands are "open towns," but the Wehrmacht is taking no chances.

European Air Operations: After a Heinkel He 111 of Aufklarungsgruppe Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe (AufklGr. Ob.d.L.) (German air force high command) performs reconnaissance over the Bristol dockyards, several others from I/KG27 attack the port facilities at 01:00.

The RAF attacks various points in Holland and western Germany, including the harbor at Willemsoord, a chemical factory at Hochst near Frankfurt, and the Dortmund-Ems Canal. A dozen planes of Bomber Command attack the airfield at Abbeville during the day.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-51 (Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Knorr) sends 3 torpedoes into 4,724 ton Royal Navy decoy ship (special service vessel) HMS Edgehill (X 39) southwest of Ireland and sinks it. There are 24 survivors, 15 perish. The ship takes some time to sink and requires three torpedoes because these ships are packed with buoyant material ("ping pong balls," as the US Navy would say half-jokingly about similar Japanese ships) to prevent sinking.

U-47 ((Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien) torpedoes and sinks British freighter Empire Toucan southwest of Ireland. There are 31 survivors, 3 crew perish.

U-26 (Kptl. Heinz Scheringer) sinks 6,701 ton Greek freighter Frangoula B. Goulandris southwest of Ireland. There are 32 survivors, 6 crew perish.

Unlucky U-boat U-99 (Otto Kretschmer), which had been attacked by Luftwaffe planes off Norway and then while heading to Wilhelmshaven for repairs, once again is attacked while leaving the port. It avoids the three bombs dropped at it, but damages itself on the ocean floor.

British submarine HMS Talisman (N 78,  Lt. Commander Philip S. Francis) is commissioned.

Troop Convoy WS 1 departs for Suez, Convoy OA 176 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 176 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 54 departs from Halifax.

A Short Sunderland.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy destroyers Dainty, Defender, Voyager, and Ilex sink Italian submarine Uebi Scebeli southwest of Crete. Before it sinks, they recover valuable Italian naval codes. The destroyers also sink Italian submarine Argonauta and damage Italian submarine Salpa.

A Short Sunderland of RAF Group No. 201 sinks Italian submarine Rubino in the Ionian Sea. The flying boats land and take off some survivors.

Short Sunderlands of RAF 230 Squadron damage Italian submarine Sirena off Tobruk.

Admiral Somerville of Force H prepares to neutralize the French fleet anchored at Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria under Operation Catapult. He has several different methods to do so, but the French ships must not remain afloat under French control. He has battleships HMS Valiant and HMS Resolution, the battlecruiser HMS Hood, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, cruisers HMS Arethusa and HMS Enterprise, and 11 destroyers. This is a "by any means necessary" operation.

Malta, under daily air attack, has only four flyable Hurricanes with two Gloster Gladiators. Governor and Commander in Chief Lt. General William Dobbie requests more planes and ground support. He also requires planes if the island is to serve as a point of interdiction of Axis convoys from Sicily to North Africa.

North Africa: An Italian attack across the Eritrean border is repelled by two British light tanks.

The RAF attacks Tobruk.

Gandhi in 1940 (by Kulwant Roy).

India: Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, Governor-General and Viceroy of India, meets with Mohandas Mahama Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the Indian National Congress in an effort to build support for the British war effort. While Gandhi is no fan of Hitler and Germany, and in fact sent a letter to Hitler in 1939 pleading with him not to start a war, Gandhi is uninterested in cooperating with the Allies until India is granted full independence. Great Britain has no intention of doing that, so negotiations are at a standstill.

China: At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army advances toward Lungchin.

Japanese troops are on the outskirts of Hong Kong, effectively blockading it from the landward side.

German Military: In the first of a parade of promotions and awards for the recent campaign, General Maximilian von Weichs is awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz). He has commanded Army Corps Weichs during the Polish campaign and the 2nd Army during the Battle of France. He also receives a promotion to Colonel-General.

German Government: The Germans release a "white paper" outlining Allied plans to occupy the Low Countries. This is another in a long line of such white books accusing the "other side" of nefarious plans.

French Government: The government transfers from Bordeaux to Clermont-Ferrand, evacuated by the Wehrmacht on 28 June.

Japanese Government: Japan continues its gradual campaign to assert dominion over the entire western Pacific. Japan's Foreign Minister Hachiro Arita broadcasts that there is a "new order in Asia: unity into a single sphere revolving harmoniously around Japan." This language echoes the future Japanese colonial organization, the "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere."

Pianist Paul Klee passes away on 29 June 1940.

Romanian Government: The government is mobilizing the armed forces because of new threats posed by Hungary and Yugoslavia, which smell weakness due to Romania's quick capitulation to the Red Army.

Romanian Homefront: Another wave of refugees hits Europe, as inhabitants of Eastern Romania flee westward to avoid living under the occupying Soviets. The number of refugees is estimated at 100,000.

German Homefront: Berlin travel agents begin offering tours of the newly conquered Maginot Line.

Painter Paul Klee, who has lived in Switzerland for the past 7 years, passes away.

British Homefront: The authorities arrest Diana Mitford, the wife of jailed fascist leader Oswald Mosley, under Defence Regulation 18B. She had escaped jail to date due to giving birth to son Max. Unity Mitford, Hitler's former girlfriend, has recovered somewhat from her attempted suicide on 3 September 1939, but the bullet remains lodged in her brain. While mobile, she acts somewhat erratically.

War hysteria is in full swing throughout southern England. Aside from constructing military installations and erecting beach obstacles, the authorities are filling open fields such as cricket pitches with old cars which can prevent glider landings.

As noted previously in this blog, there were rumors floating around during Fall Rot that the Germans were killing black French African soldiers on sight. The natural tendency is to believe anything negative, particularly racist, about the Germans and nothing positive (and, yes, there are good reasons for that). Simply to show that there are two sides to such situations (one of my aims in writing about World War II), and without trying to disprove anything, here is a photograph that was taken in June 1940 of a German motorcyclist transporting a wounded Colonial French Senegalese Tirailleur POW. (It may be purely a propaganda shot).

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020

Sunday 21 April 1940

Capt. Losey, the first American military fatality of World War II.

Norway: U.S. Military Attaché Captain Robert E. Losey, air assistant to military attaché with the United States Embassy in Finland and a meteorologist, assists the American legation to escape to safety in Sweden. On 21 April 1940, after evacuating one party, he returns to help another. Passing through Dombås, a key road juncture which recently had been the scene of bitter fighting, Losey is caught in a Luftwaffe raid. Losey gets safely to a railway tunnel but stands near the entrance to observe the bombing. A bomb falls nearby, and a sliver pierces his heart, killing him. He becomes the first American military casualty of World War II.

Norway Army Operations: The Germans of the 196th Infantry Division continue moving north from Oslo. The British 148th Infantry Brigade attempts to block them at Lake Mjøsa, south of Lillehammer. The Luftwaffe attacks the Allied positions with 8 Heinkel He 111 bombers, aided by heavy artillery. The British arrive too late to help, and both the British and Norwegians are sent reeling back to Lillehammer at midnight over snowy mountain roads.

At Bagn, on the other main road north, the Germans eliminate the Norwegians attempting to block the road and continue toward Trondheim.

The German tanks are proving highly effective in Norway. The Norwegians and the British have no effective anti-tank weaponry. Lt. Robert Wynter says: "Our anti-tank rifle is completely ineffective - simply bounces off!" This is a common problem early in the war.

Near Steinkjer, there is fierce fighting around Krogs Farm at Sandvollan. Reportedly, during the battle which lasts a couple of days in Inderøy and Steinkjer, twelve British soldiers perish. These may have been - likely were - the first British soldiers to die in action against the Germans, not the ones at the separate battle further south.

Norway Naval Operations: A German destroyer leads a troop transport up through the ice of Trondheim fjord. The transport lands mountain troops at Verdal and Kirknessvag, in front of General de Wiart’s 146th Brigade, poised to attack Trondheim. The Germans, once landed, quickly advance from Verdal to the north on the strategic British/Norwegian positions at Steinkjer. They are aided by a Luftwaffe attack that levels the town and leaves 1,800 civilians homeless in the winter. The northern British pincer of Operation Sickle is now blocked.

This also would take the pressure off of the Germans besieging Hegra Fortress, which would no longer serve any strategic purpose for the Allies as a link-up point. The Germans now are content to simply bombard Hegra fortress and wait for the inevitable Norwegian surrender there.

European Air Operations: At night, the RAF bombs Aalborg airfield in the north of Denmark and Stavanger-Sola in southern Norway. One bomber is lost, and the bombers destroy six aircraft on the field at Stavanger.

The Luftwaffe bombs Namsos and Andalsnes.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-26 (Heinz Scheringer) torpedoes and sinks 5,159-ton British freighter Cedarbank northwest of Ålesund, Norway. The Cedarbanks was carrying key supplies for the 148th Brigade. There are 30 survivors and 15 perish.

The Luftwaffe drops mines off the British coast. The RAF sends 36 aircraft to drop their own mines.

Convoy HG 27 departs from Gibraltar.

BEF: The 23rd Infantry Division moves to France.

British Homefront: A UK court holds that fathers expecting children may delay their military service to mitigate "potential nervous strain" on the expectant mothers.

Future History: Robert Losey has a memorial at Dombås, erected by the citizens there in 1987. There also was an airfield named in his honor at Ponce, Puerto Rico. A street in Scott AFB in Illinois is named for Losey. In addition, the Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award is presented every year the by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Steinkjer after Luftwaffe attacks.

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

Thursday 18 April 1940

U-37 docked at Wilhelmshaven on 18 April 1940.

Denmark: The war in Denmark is long over by 18 April 1940, and the Germans won without real opposition - but they are still unhappy. The government remains in power, and since their entire legal ruse is just to "protect" the country, there is no justification to depose the government. The Germans would like the pretext to replace the entire government with their own military regime, but this might alienate neutrals, so they continue things as is while biting their tongues.

Norway: The Norwegian government, which acts according to its own rhythms, declares war on Germany. Since the invasion occurred on 9 April, over a week ago, this reflects a somewhat casual attitude to the entire decision. Some Norwegian troops in the field also at times exhibit a rather carefree "whatever happens, happens" attitude which is making the Wehrmacht's job easier. Sometimes the Norwegian civilian volunteers appear to have more spirit than some of the professional soldiers. An air of fatalism cripples the defense.

There are break, milk and meat shortages in Oslo.

The British are still working out a strategy. The focus remains Trondheim, and the bombardment and direct assault on Trondheim - Operation Hammer is put under the command of Brigadier Berney-Ficklin. However, in another of the calamities that afflict the campaign, his plane crashes en route to Scapa Flow. Ultimately, Operation Hammer is canceled as too risky. The pincer attack from Andalsnes in the south and Namsos in the north - Operation Sickle - now becomes the heart of the strategy.

Hitler remains on tenterhooks about the entire operation. At one point, he frantically demands that the German troops at Narvik under General Dietl be evacuated in their entirety by air. There are too few planes, and the idea is a non-starter, but it shows the stress the relatively successful campaign is imposing on the Fuhrer.

Norway Air Operations: The Germans are apprised of the British landings at Namsos and launch a Luftwaffe raid on their positions.

Allied troops pick through the ruins of Namsos after a German air raid, April 1940.

Norway Army Operations: The German 196th Infantry Division advances north toward Lillehammer and Hamar along the mountain defile that leads north. They are still far from having any strategic impact in terms of British operations to the north. The troops moving north from Oslo are delayed at the village of Bagn in the district of Valdres, approximately midway between Oslo and Bergen. The Germans are advancing by foot, bicycle and captured bus. The Norwegians ambush them from the hills after planting barricades along the mountain roads. As recalled by Norwegian volunteer Eiliv Hauge (22) from Oslo:

"We poured down bullets- the Germans tried to hide under their buses.... The Germans raised a white flag, but the men around me didn't stop firing, so neither did I. We continued until they lay still."

The British troops at Andalsnes, now under the command of General Paget, are joined by a landing at Moldes, with the British establishing another base there. This is the southern pincer directed at Trondheim. The British 148th Brigade (Brigadier Morgan) had been transferred between ships back in England and in the shuffle lost much of their equipment. General Morgan has written orders to advance 150 miles northeast to Trondheim but also has received oral instructions from Chief of the Imperial Staff General Ironside to support the Norwegian troops currently to the Southeast defending the Gudbrandsdal and Østerdal valleys leading up from Oslo. He does not have enough troops to do both adequately.

The Germans appear to recognize their danger at Trondheim and reinforce the garrison there. The German 181st Infantry Division arrives in numerous transport planes, a conventional transport ship and two submarines operating as transport ships.

At Dombås, the Fallschirmjäger force under Oblt. Schmidt is surrounded to the north by a battalion of I/IR 11 and to the south by I/IR 5. There are several other Norwegian units helping out, and fenrik (Second Lieutenant) L. K. Løkken of the Raufoss Anti-aircraft Command has brought a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun. The 40 mm gun is positioned at Dovre Train station and used as artillery. The Norwegians attack from the south at dawn, raking the stone barn with heavy fire. The Germans are trapped in the barn with ammunition running low.

The situation looks dire, but unexpectedly a Junker Ju 52 flies over and drops ammunition, warm clothing, provisions, medical supplies and the radio frequency for communicating with headquarters. These are their first supplies of the operation. Later, a Norwegian officer approaches demanding surrender, which Schmidt rejects. The Norwegians then resume fire with the 40 mm gun. The barn becomes untenable, and at the end of the day, the Germans retreat to the farmhouse where the POWs are being held.

At Hegra Fortress, the Germans make another infantry assault, which fails. They continue raking the fortress with a very heavy machine gun and mortar fire. The weather turns sour, and a German attack is foiled by a blizzard. In the snow, the Germans sometimes fire at each other in confusion. In the evening, two Norwegian doctors ask for and receive permission to evacuate the wounded from the fortress. All operations are temporarily suspended. One of the doctors is held as a hostage to make sure the operation goes as promised. They evacuated nine Norwegian wounded and a German POW, Gefreiter Bayerle, who the Norwegians released as a sign of good faith. The Norwegian wounded do not become POWs per agreement.

The Norwegians holed up in Hegra Fortress are mounting a successful defense of their position, but it is strategically of minor importance. The guns are in fixed emplacements that point away from the only target of any strategic value, the airport being used by the Luftwaffe. The Norwegians under Major Holtermann attempt to re-direct the guns toward the airport, but this proves impossible. The only other value the fortress has is as a point of juncture for other Allied forces, but the Allied forces are nowhere nearby.

Norway Naval Operations: U-26 acts as a transport and arrives at Trondheim carrying needed ammunition, weapons and other equipment.

Battle of the Atlantic: British cruiser HMS Suffolk, attacked by Ju 88 bombers after bombarding Stavanger, barely makes it back to Scapa Flow without sinking.

HMS Sterlet (Lt. Commander Gerard H. S. Haward) is declared overdue and presumed lost in the Skagerrak south of Larvik, Norway. Theories as to her fate range from hitting a mine to being sunk by Kriegsmarine anti-submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126, and UJ-128. All hands are lost.

British submarine HMS Seawolf sinks German ship Hamm.

U-99 (Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer) is commissioned. It is a Type VII B U-boat.

Convoy OB 132, Convoy HG 27F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy OG 26 forms off Gibraltar, and Convoy HX 36 departs from Halifax.

British Military: General Dill takes over as Chief of the Imperial Staff.

Switzerland: The Swiss government makes preparations for a possible surprise attack and mobilizes more men.

A group of ten men stands next to a 1940 Mercury gasoline mileage test car, April 18, 1940. The group is in front of the O'Shea-Rogers Motor Company, 1345 M Street. Nebraska State Historical Society.

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

Thursday 15 February 1940

A Finnish infantryman.

Winter War: With the front starting to slip at Summa, Marshall Mannerheim issues an order at 20:00 on 15 February 1940 for II Army Corps holding the Summa sector to retreat to the second line of defenses. Soviet assault battalions already have captured Summa itself and are around Leipaesuo, northeast of Summa, only 20 miles from Viipuri.

The next, intermediate line is the "V-line" further back on the isthmus. It is not as well-prepared as the Mannerheim Line, but has some natural advantages. The question is whether the Finns still have enough men to hold it.

Even units still holding their forward positions in the Summa sector are down to fractions of the men they started with. The 274th Rifle Regiment, for instance, has lost 30-40% of its men. The brigade has resorted to reinforcing it with the unit's horse drivers who are not trained infantry. The Finnish 1st Brigade has lost about 60% of its men, with only 400 men remaining. Some units are wiped out completely, not all units are even able to report casualty figures. Of course, Soviet casualties are high as well - but there are endless streams of men and supplies backing the Soviet troops up, which is not the case for the Finns.

North of Lake Ladoga, the Finns are having better luck. The Finnish 9th Division destroy the motti at Lavajärvi village, taking 2 tanks, 5 field guns, 2 antitank guns, 8 trucks, 3 machineguns, 4 field kitchens, numerous rifles and ammunition. The Finns also surround what is left of the Soviets' "Dolin" Siberian ski brigade, which was sent as a relief force and now is minus its commander Dolin and down to 800 men.

Battle of the Atlantic: The German government states that, since First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill has announced that all merchant ships in the North Sea will be armed, the U-boat fleet will treat all such ships as armed combatants. U-boats henceforth are directed to attack without warning any ship appearing to be under British control. In essence, this converts the entire sea around the British Isles into a zone of unrestricted underseas warfare.

U-50 (Kapitänleutnant Max-Hermann Bauer) torpedoes and sinks 4,895 ton Danish freighter Maryland at 02:07 far out in the north Atlantic. The entire crew of 34 perishes.

U-37 (Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann) torpedoes and sinks 1,206 ton Danish freighter Aase at 05:45 southwest of England. There is one survivor, and 15 perish.

U-26 ( Kapitänleutnant Heinz Scheringer) torpedoes and sinks 2,477 ton Norwegian freighter Steinstad at 08:37 about 75 miles west of Aran Island, Ireland. Thirteen perish, 11 crew survive.

U-48 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Schultze) torpedoes and sinks 8,971 ton Dutch tanker Den Haag (Master C. Wijker) at 14:00 about 150 miles west of Ouessant, France. There are 13 survivors, while 26 perish. Schultze has been patient, as he sighted the tanker well before noon but had to wait for a Coastal Command flying boat to clear the area.

Convoy OB 92 departs from Liverpool, Convoy OA 92 departs from Southend, Convoy OG 18 forms at Gibraltar.

Anglo-Soviet Relations: Sir Stafford Cripps, a British Labour politician who is open about his Marxist leanings, visits Moscow.

German Military: Generalmajor Erwin Rommel, who coordinated Hitler's personal protection detail in Poland, is promoted to take command of the 7th Panzer Division. This is Rommel's choice, as he wished for an active divisional command, but not just any command. He already has turned down a mountain division of the sort in which he served (and gained national fame) during World War I. In essence, he calls in his favor with Hitler to get the panzer division that he wants.

British Military: General Wavell's position is recast as Commander-in-Chief Middle East.

US Government: President Roosevelt embarks on the heavy cruiser USS Tuscaloosa at Pensacola for a cruise to Panama and through the canal to the west coast of Central America. He will inspect the Panama Canal and discuss Pan-American defense with leaders along the trip.

The Dutch tanker Den Haag.

February 1940

February 1, 1940: Second Battle of Summa
February 2, 1940: Soviet Assaults at Summa February 3, 1940: Soviets Capture a Bunker
February 4, 1940: Peace Talks in Stockholm
February 5, 1940: Allies to Invade Norway
February 6, 1940: Careless Talk Costs Lives
February 7, 1940: IRA Terrorists Executed
February 8, 1940: Spies!
February 9, 1940: The Welles Mission
February 10, 1940: Confiscation of Jewish Goods
February 11, 1940: Soviets Attack Mannerheim Line
February 12, 1940: Breaches In Mannerheim Line
February 13, 1940: Soviets Inching Forward in Finland
February 14, 1940: Soviets Batter Mannerheim Line
February 15, 1940: Finns Retreat
February 16, 1940: Altmark Incident
February 17, 1940: Manstein and Hitler Discuss Fall Gelb
February 18, 1940: Operation Nordmark
February 19, 1940: King Gustav Says No
February 20, 1940: Falkenhorst Commands Weserubung
February 21, 1940: Radar Advances
February 22, 1940: Friendly Fire
February 23, 1940: Soviets Present Their Demands
February 24, 1940: Fall Gelb Revised
February 25, 1940: Mr. Welles Comes to Visit
February 26, 1940: Battle of Honkaniemi
February 27, 1940: Finns Retreat Again
February 28, 1940: Overseas Volunteers Help Finland
February 29, 1940: Finns Accept Soviet Terms In Principle

2019