Saturday 10 August 1940

A naval launch from the Widder approaches the Killoran on 10 August 1940. The Killoran will be sunk shortly.

Battle of Britain: A tentative date for Operation Adlerangriff, or "Eagle Attack," is set for 13 August. The exact start date depends upon the weather forecast. Poor weather prevents a start to the operation today, 10 August 1040, and releases the pilots to do other things, such as go to the movies and out to dinner.

The day is fairly quiet, with few losses by both sides. Luftwaffe raids increasingly are done by solo bombers, and also later in the day and especially at night. The pattern of morning attacks on shipping and evening/night attacks on factories and military objectives such as railways and aircraft factories continues.

The Luftwaffe raids shipping off Swanage and Beachy Head in the morning, then west of Pembroke. The RAF intercepts the attacks and shoots down a Dornier Do 17.

Later in the morning, the Luftwaffe attacks airfields at West Malling, injuring 10 people. RAF No. 501 Squadron chases the bombers but does not make contact.

Around midnight, II,/KG 27 bombers fly over British ports from Bristol to South Wales, dropping bombs and leaflets. The bombs hit the railway viaduct near Swansea, killing four.

The Luftwaffe damages British freighter Blairclova and Haulerwijk about 20 miles northeast of Holyhead in the Irish Sea.

The Luftwaffe sinks 929-ton freighter Varia about 60 miles southeast of Fastnet in the southwest approaches. There are seven deaths.

RAF Bomber Command conducts day raids on airfields along the coast, such as Amsterdam/Schiphol, Caen, Flushing, Querqueville, and Dinard. Night raids target oil installations at Frankfurt and Homburg, supply networks at Soest and Hamm, and the docks at Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg.

Hans-Joachim Marseille joins I. (Jagd) Lehrgeschwader 2 at its airfield at Marck, France.

The Killoran heading for the bottom.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-56 (Oberleutnant zur See Otto Harms) torpedoes and sinks 16,923-ton British armed merchant cruiser HMS Transylvania north of Ireland a few minutes after midnight. There are 36 deaths (accounts vary) and about 300 survivors. The Royal Navy mounts a massive operation to find the U-boat, but it eludes them. U-56 used its last torpedo on the ship, which takes some time to sink.

German raider Widder is operating south of the Azores when it stops classic Finnish sailing bark Killoran, disembarks the crew, and sinks it with explosives. The 18 men in the crew either are interned or are returned to their home countries depending upon their nationalities. The crew of the Widder is torn about sinking the ship, which really is a strikingly beautiful old clipper ship. However, an officer's duty is a duty.

German raider Orion is operating off Brisbane, Australia and also spots a ship. However, her prey, the troopship Triona, is too fast for her to catch.

British freighter City of Dundee is traveling with Convoy FS 247 when she runs aground off Southend and is lost.

Danish/British 1196 freighter Kirsten hits a mine and sinks off of Denmark.

Dutch 329 ton freighter Albula is sailing in Convoy OA 196 when it collides with US freighter Crescent City and sinks.

A 100-ton British drifter, Young Sid, collides with a collier in the Moray Firth and sinks.

British troopship HMT Neuralia leaves Gibraltar with 2000 evacuees, heading for Madeira, which is neutral.

Convoy FN 248 departs from Southend, Convoy MT 136 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 248 departs from the Tyne.

WS 1 (Winston Special Convoy) has arrived in Bombay with British troops. Convoy BN 3 departs from there with the troops from WS 1 bound for the Suez.

U-94 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch) is commissioned.

British destroyer HMS Holderness (L 48, Lt. Commander Douglas E. Holland-Martin) is commissioned.

The HMT Neuralia leaves Gibraltar on 10 August 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: It is another quiet day in Malta. The only enemy plane spotted is an Italian flying boat well south of the island, perhaps patrolling for submarines. Malta has experienced an extended period without attacks, so the dockyard is returning to somewhat normal conditions. The RAF on the island conducts photo reconnaissance over the Sciacca and Gela airfields on Sicily.

The government of Malta plans to set up underground chambers as food storehouses to maintain a six-month supply of food. Empty oil tanks also are to be used.

Whitehall makes the difficult but farsighted decision to ship tanks to the Middle East. Prime Minister Churchill authorizes the transfer despite the continuing threat of invasion.

British Somaliland: Italian forces under Lt. General Carlo De Simone continue cautiously closing upon the British positions around Berbera. There is no heavy fighting yet, but De Simone is in the final planning stages. The British put the Scottish 2nd Black Watch into the line.

German/Vichy France Relations: Pierre Laval does his bit to help the German war effort by offering to supply 200 pilots to the Luftwaffe for Channel operations. The pilots have "volunteered." Hermann Goering brushes off the offer and states that the Luftwaffe does not need them.

Anglo/Belgian Relations: The first Free Belgian Brigade - Unite Combattante Belge - is formed in England. It begins with 100 members.

Italian Military: Italian Commando Supremo plans missions against the major British bases at Alexandria and Gibraltar for the autumn.

The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Thunderbolt") prototype MM.445 makes its first flight. It is an advanced "second generation" design by top designer Mario Castoldi and a sign of life in the faltering Regia Aeronautica. The airframe is comparable in quality to that of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and the addition of a Daimler Benz DB 601Aa engine makes it competitive with any fighter in the world. In retrospect, the Thunderbolt is considered Italy's best and most effective fighter and makes a definite impact on the war in Italy.

German Government: Baldur von Schirach, who has led the Hitler Youth since its inception, is promoted to Gauleiter of Vienna. Artur Axmann replaces von Schirach as the leader of the Hitler Youth.

The Killoran's final plunge on 10 August 1940.

US Government: US Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg John Cudahy has stirred up a hornet's nest the past few days with his observation that civilians in the Low Countries are going hungry due to the British blockade and his prescription that humanitarian aid should be allowed through the British blockade. Today, he is recalled to Washington. He stands by what he has said.

President Roosevelt boards Presidential yacht Potomac and inspects the Portsmouth Navy Yard in New Hampshire and Boston Navy Yard.

Luxembourg: The occupation government makes the odd decision to ban the French language.

Belgium: The occupation government makes listening to the BBC illegal.

Romania: The government passes more laws targeting Jews, such as a ban on marriages between faiths and banned from attending state schools. This is part of the government's continuing effort to ingratiate itself with the German government in Germany.

Syria: Vichy French Syria closes its border to British troops. France retains an army and two airfields in the country. The British are concerned that the French will open Syria and Lebanon up to German forces for an invasion of Palestine and, eventually, Egypt and maybe eventually Iraq.

French Indochina: General Catroux departs for Europe via Singapore.

China: Japan extends its blockade of China to cover all of southern China.

Future History: Bobby Hatfield is born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. He goes on to a singing career in the 1960s with the Righteous Brothers and passes away in 2003.

Universal carriers and cyclists of 6th Battalion, The Black Watch, passing through Haven Street on the Isle of Wight, 10 August 1940.

August 1940

August 1, 1940: Two RN Subs Lost
August 2, 1940: Operation Hurry
August 3, 1940: Italians Attack British Somaliland
August 4, 1940: Dueling Legends in the US
August 5, 1940: First Plan for Barbarossa
August 6, 1940: Wipe Out The RAF
August 7, 1940: Burning Oil Plants
August 8, 1940: True Start of Battle of Britain
August 9, 1940: Aufbau Ost
August 10, 1940: Romania Clamps Down On Jews
August 11, 1940: Huge Aerial Losses
August 12, 1940: Attacks on Radar
August 13, 1940: Adler Tag
August 14, 1940: Sir Henry's Mission
August 15, 1940: Luftwaffe's Black Thursday
August 16, 1940: Wolfpack Time
August 17, 1940: Blockade of Britain
August 18, 1940: The Hardest Day
August 19, 1940: Enter The Zero
August 20, 1940: So Much Owed By So Many
August 21, 1940: Anglo Saxon Incident
August 22, 1940: Hellfire Corner
August 23, 1940: Seaplanes Attack
August 24, 1940: Slippery Slope
August 25, 1940: RAF Bombs Berlin
August 26, 1940: Troops Moved for Barbarossa
August 27, 1940: Air Base in Iceland
August 28, 1940: Call Me Meyer
August 29, 1940: Schepke's Big Day
August 30, 1940: RAF's Bad Day
August 31, 1940: Texel Disaster

2020

Monday 5 August 1940

Spitfires over England, August 1940.

Battle of Britain: It is typical summer weather for a change on 5 August 1940, and the Luftwaffe gets busy. It is not a bad day for its forces at all. The Luftwaffe still is preparing for its maximum effort, though, so this is just another warm-up.

First thing in the morning, bombers attack shipping south of Selsey Bill. They have no success and wisely depart upon sighting RAF fighters.

Another formation of Junkers Ju 88s attacks the convoy about an hour later, around 08:00. The Spitfires of No. 65 Squadron based at Hornchurch intervene, and a dogfight erupts between them and Bf 109s of I,/JG54. The British lose a plane and the Luftwaffe has two damaged.

Another battle erupts around the same time along the coastline near Kent. RAF No. 64 Squadron sends its Spitfires up against more JG 54 fighters, both sides losing a fighter and another Bf 109 damaged.

The afternoon features the main event of the day. Junkers Ju 88s escorted by Bf 109s of JG 51 once again fall on Channel shipping. RAF Nos. 41 and 151 Squadrons intercept. A wild melee develops, with 7,/JG51 claiming three Spitfires for one loss of their own.

There also are various small-scale raids around Dungeness, with RAF No. 145 downing a Junkers Ju 88 and Henschel Hs 126, but also losing a Hurricane. Around 15:12, a lone raider bombs Norwich and causes more damage than you might think, blowing up a railroad installation and some nearby lumber yards. Lone intruders also hit various unconnected spots such as Brighton, Leighton Buzzard, Milford haven, Isle of Grain and Middlesborough. There also are some bombs dropped basically in the middle of nowhere around midnight in Northumberland, likely by a lost bomber or two. The attacks are random and scattered, thus difficult to defend against.

Another convoy attack takes place during the afternoon off Yarmouth. RAF No. 242 Squadron downs a bomber or two.

For its part, RAF Bomber Command continues its raids on airfields and ports in northwest Europe, attacking its usual targets of Schiphol/Amsterdam, Borkum, Hamburg, Kiel and nearby areas.

Most accounts give the day to the RAF by a wide margin, but a close look at the individual actions suggest a much closer score.

1,/JG51 suffers perhaps the most serious loss on its home field when Staffelkapitän Hptm. Douglas Pitcairn of 1./JG 51 runs into his wingman on takeoff. He has to be replaced by Oblt. Hermann-Friedrich Jöppien.

Stukas, August 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-56 (Oberleutnant zur See Otto Harms) stalks Convoy OB 193 off the Western Approaches. Just after dark, at 21:38, it fires off two torpedoes, one of which hits the 5408-ton British coal freighter Boma. There are 50 survivors, 3 crew perish.

276 ton trawler River Clyde hits a mine and sinks off Aldeburgh Light float, a dozen men perish.

British 5112 ton rice freighter Cape St. George hits a sunken wreck southeast of Cape Verde and sinks. All 65 aboard survive.

German raider Atlantis embarks the captured freighter Tirranna with 274 prisoners - all that will fit, there are still almost 100 left on the Atlantis - and sends it back to France with a prize crew.

Troop convoy WS 2 departs a British port, bound for British garrisons in India and Egypt via the Cape of Good Hope.

The Queen Mary enters a graving dock in Singapore for full conversion to a troopship, complete with paravanes.

Convoys MT 131 and OA 194 depart from Methil, Convoy FS 243 departs from the Tyne.

Battle of the Mediterranean: On Malta, there is an air raid alert at 15:15, but it is only an Italian decoy mission to attempt to engage the new Hurricane fighters. They fly over the island for a while, then fly off after briefly tangling with one of two Hurricanes which rise to challenge them. The Italians may figure that the new pilots brought in on the 2nd via Operation Hurry are inexperienced and thus would be easier to dispose of now rather than after more time passes - a view shared by Malta's Governor-General Dobbie.

General Sir Archibald Wavell flies in from his headquarters in Alexandria. Visits like this are extremely important for island morale. This is the first leg on an extremely hazardous journey to London for consultations, and of course, the entire thing is extremely hush-hush.

British Somaliland: The Italian invasion from Abyssinia continues against light opposition. Two of the three Italian columns capture their objectives, Hargeisa and Zeila, without much hindrance. The third column is approaching its objective, Odweina. Italian bombers are active throughout the region, attacking various British strong points on the coast such as Berbera, Burao, and Zeila. The British have virtually no air presence in the region.

Anglo/US Relations: Imperial Airways flying boat Clare makes the first of a series of mail/courier flights from Great Britain to New York's La Guardia Field aka New York Municipal Airport via Newfoundland.

British Ambassador Lord Lothian presents his government's proposal for a swap of certain British possessions in exchange for 50 or 60 old US destroyers.

French Vice-Admiral Georges A.M.J. Robert, in command of Vichy forces in the French West Indies, meets with American Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade regarding the powerful French naval forces in the Western Hemisphere. This is a touchy subject: while the US and France are both technically neutral, the US has been supporting the British and Vichy France has been actively collaborating with Germany. However, every overseas French command has been making its own individual decision about who to support.

US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark coordinates the exchange of scientific information with Sir Henry Tizard's British mission, which has just arrived.

Life Magazine, 5 August 1940, has a big spread on US Vacations.

Anglo/Polish Relations: The British sign another set of agreements with the Polish government-in-exile. Already, the Poles have staffed two RAF Squadrons which to date are performing extremely well. There have been some agreements before, but the situation continues to evolve. General Sikorski, now Polish Prime Minister and Commander in Chief, signs the agreement. The agreement enables Polish military forces in England to retain their national identity and military customs, such as marches and salutes. They remain under Polish Command in conjunction with the British War Office - ultimately, of course, under British command. They wear British uniforms (with certain modifications to badges and insignia to reflect national traditions) but adopt British Army staff methods, procedures, and organizations. Many locals are taken aback by the presence of the foreign-speaking soldiers with weird badges.

German/Italian Relations: Hitler and Mussolini have discussions. For once, Mussolini has something to brag about in British Somaliland.

German Military: OKW Chief of Staff Franz Halder reviews the first operational plans for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union planned for 1941. They have been prepared by staff officer General of Artillery Erich Marcks. It is called Operation Draft East. It proposes two thrusts to reach the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line (the "A-A Line") during a summer campaign. This would require the capture of Leningrad, Kyiv, Moscow, Stalingrad, the occupation of all territory west of the Volga, and most of the industrialized areas of the USSR, the entire Donetz basin, and the Grozny/Maikop oil fields before the snows hit.

While first drafts are not expected to be perfect, the draft's fantastic assumptions demonstrate the extreme confidence - over-confidence - of the Wehrmacht in its outlook following the victory in France. The fact that Marcks is not laughed out of Halder's office, but instead has his draft taken seriously, speaks volumes. Having an artillery officer draft the plans, which will call for extravagant panzer thrusts and highly mobile operations just to occupy that amount of territory in that amount of time, much less pry it out of the hands of the Soviets, shows how unrealistic the entire planning process is.

The Manly ferry in Sydney Australia approaches wharf number three in Circular Quay, August 5, 1940 (Photo from the Fairfax archives).

US Military: Heavy cruisers USS Wichita and Quincy continue their "show the flag" cruise to ports in South America, departing from Bahia for Pernambuco, Brazil.

US Government: President Roosevelt and US Attorney General Robert H. Jackson appear before the Governors of 42 States and urge the passage of laws against foreign spies and "Fifth Columnists."

Baltic States: Latvia joins its fellow Baltic States in "voluntarily" becoming the Soviet Socialist Republic of Latvia.

Holocaust: Germans are now required to carry a Certificate of Ancestry, the Ahnenpass, showing their racial purity stretching back to 1800. Interesting, several German leaders, including Adolf Hitler himself, might have some difficulty producing such documentation themselves.

In Holland, butchers are arrested for violating a new law banning the kosher preparation of meat.

US Homefront: Frederick Albert Cook passes away in New York. He claimed to reach the North Pole a year before Robert Peary in 1908, and while that (along with other claims) soon was dismissed, he did make important discoveries during his expeditions.

"Commander of Britain's Defense" Sir Alan F. Brooke graces the cover of today's Time Magazine.

August 1940

August 1, 1940: Two RN Subs Lost
August 2, 1940: Operation Hurry
August 3, 1940: Italians Attack British Somaliland
August 4, 1940: Dueling Legends in the US
August 5, 1940: First Plan for Barbarossa
August 6, 1940: Wipe Out The RAF
August 7, 1940: Burning Oil Plants
August 8, 1940: True Start of Battle of Britain
August 9, 1940: Aufbau Ost
August 10, 1940: Romania Clamps Down On Jews
August 11, 1940: Huge Aerial Losses
August 12, 1940: Attacks on Radar
August 13, 1940: Adler Tag
August 14, 1940: Sir Henry's Mission
August 15, 1940: Luftwaffe's Black Thursday
August 16, 1940: Wolfpack Time
August 17, 1940: Blockade of Britain
August 18, 1940: The Hardest Day
August 19, 1940: Enter The Zero
August 20, 1940: So Much Owed By So Many
August 21, 1940: Anglo Saxon Incident
August 22, 1940: Hellfire Corner
August 23, 1940: Seaplanes Attack
August 24, 1940: Slippery Slope
August 25, 1940: RAF Bombs Berlin
August 26, 1940: Troops Moved for Barbarossa
August 27, 1940: Air Base in Iceland
August 28, 1940: Call Me Meyer
August 29, 1940: Schepke's Big Day
August 30, 1940: RAF's Bad Day
August 31, 1940: Texel Disaster

2020

Friday 12 July 1940

A Heinkel He 111 P of Stab/KG 55 which crash-landed at Hipley in Hampshire on 12 July 1940. It was shot down by Hurricanes of ‘B’ Flight, No. 43 Squadron over Southampton Water. Crashed Luftwaffe bombers are still a novelty at this stage of the war.

Battle of Britain: 12 July 1940 is the third day of the "official" Battle of Britain. The weather is poor, overcast and rainy, and prevents many RAF fighter interceptions.

There is one major RAF interception around the Thames estuary when Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 and Dornier Do 17 bombers attack convoy "Booty" off the Norfolk/Suffolk coast. The RAF loses two Spitfires and a Hurricane but prevents any ship losses.

The Luftwaffe also attacks Portland and Exeter with Stukas covered by Bf 110s. The Bf 110s, evocatively nicknamed "destroyers," are extremely well thought of by the Luftwaffe hierarchy and considered capable fighters on a par with the nimble and fast Bf 109. Today's action shows that this confidence is misplaced, as the twin-engine planes have difficulty protecting the vulnerable Stukas, two of which are shot down.

The Luftwaffe launches a day raid on Aberdeen, killing 60 people.

During the night, the Luftwaffe raids Bristol and Cardiff. There are other small raids at Newport and Highbridge. In addition, there are scattered attacks at Billingham, Thornaby, Cupar, Dunfermline, and Helensburgh.

The RAF raids the northern ports of Emden and Kiel with 23 bombers.

Some sources state that during the day, the Luftwaffe loses about 10 planes, the RAF 3 Hurricanes - other sources say it is six RAF fighters and 7 Luftwaffe bombers.

A Boeing 314 used on US Foreign Air Mail (FAM) routes.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-99 torpedoes and sinks 4860 ton Greek freighter Ia about 200 miles west of Cape Clear in the Southwest Approaches in the Atlantic at 02:48. There are 27 survivors and 3 perish.

At 22:31, U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) spots 2136 ton Estonian freighter Merisaar and attempts to torpedo it, but fails due to rough weather. Kretschmer crew then disembarks the freighter's crew and has a talk with the ship's master. Unable to sink it due to rough weather, the crew of the Merisaar is allowed to reboard the ship under the condition that they sail it to Bordeaux.

U-56 (Oblt.z.S. Otto Harms) spots the British liner Dunera, which is carrying 2,542 Axis prisoners, German sympathizers and Jewish refugees to Australia. The Dunera is engaged in a very controversial journey during which the passengers are mistreated by the conditions and the British guards. The U-boat's torpedo strikes the ship but glances off and fails to explode. The Dunera sails on.

The Luftwaffe sinks British freighter Hornchurch off the Aldeburgh Light Vessel. Everybody survives when picked up by sloop HMS Widgeon.

The Luftwaffe sinks 255-ton British trawler Volante 20 miles west of Hvalbam, Faroe Islands. There is one death, the ship's master.

Kriegsmarine S-boat S-23 hits a mine and eventually sinks.

The Luftwaffe damages British freighter Josewyn about 8 miles off the Isle of Wight.

US liner Manhattan leaves Lisbon, Portugal for the US carrying about 800 Americans.

Kriegsmarine aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, incomplete, reaches Gotenhafen/Gdynia, Poland in tow.

Convoy OA.183 departs from Methil, Convoy OG 37 forms at Gibraltar.

Pan Am airmail pilots on the Auckland, New Zealand route, 12 July 1940. Pan Am is awarded the prestigious route FAM-19 ("FAM" an acronym for Foreign Air Mail) to Auckland from Hawaii today. Typically, they fly a Boeing 314.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Italians attack British shipping in Alexandria Harbor, sending 112 sorties without success.

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Malta at 16:12 and drops a few bombs near Verdala. The Italians also resort to an odd tactic that they have used elsewhere and drop bags of candy, apparently to curry favor with the locals.

The Malta authorities put in place code words in case of an invasion. "Asia" means full war expected, "Europe" for attack unlikely. Lines of defense are established and a "last-ditch" citadel-type area around Valletta and the port facilities. The Maltese authorities chastise the populace for leaving air raid shelters before the "all clear" sounds. In particular, dog fights have become attractive bait for people to take risks to view them.

The Italians also attack British battleship HMS Warspite and cruiser HMS Liverpool at 08:50. The British lose one sailor, the Italians one plane.

Italian airplane losses are estimated to top 100 today. This is significant because the Regia Aeronautica neither has a large standing fleet nor factories which produce large quantities of planes quickly.

On 12 July 1940, Mrs Carter enjoys a Sunday lunch with her evacuated children Michael and Angela (seated either side of her at the table) during a day trip to their foster home in Hayward's Heath. The children had been evacuated from their home in London and are staying with several other evacuees in the home of Mrs Cluton, seen here serving potatoes to Michael. This is a common, touching and little-remembered type of scene in England during the war.

North Africa: The Italians in Libya send two columns against Fort Capuzzo, which the British repulse.

Soviet Government: Moscow's key Finnish lackey, Otto Wille Kuusinen, is appointed chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR. Kuusinen had been the head of the Finnish Democratic Republic aka Terijoki Government, the Soviet puppet government during the Winter War which was marginally effective as a propaganda tool and achieved nothing else. Kuusinen now governs over the extensive territory gained by the USSR during that war.

British Government: The British ships carrying gold from Great Britain arrive at Halifax pursuant to Operation Fish. They have US$1,750,000,000 worth of gold and securities from the Bank of England. The remainder of the journey will be by truck to the Bank of Canada's vault in Ottawa.

French Government:  Pierre Laval assumes his title of Vice Premier of Vichy France. He is Marshal Pétain's appointed successor, which is no small matter given the Marshal's advanced age. Laval has strong fascist tendencies and runs the day-to-day operations of the Vichy government.

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny becomes a Grand Officier of the Ordre national de la Légion d' honneur.

24-year-old Czech pilot officer Václav Bergman, here struggling into his flight suit, joins No 310 Squadron RAF on 12 July 1940, then being formed at RAF Duxford.

US/Latin American Relations: The light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL 46) visits Valparaiso, Chile on its "show the flag" mission.

Destroyers  USS Walke (DD 416) and USS Wainwright (DD 420) visit Pará, Brazil. They also are on a "show the flag" mission, but carry marines to join those in heavy cruisers USS Wichita (CA 45) and USS Quincy (CA 39) on their own "show the flag" mission.

Anglo-Japanese Relations: The British and Japanese reach an agreement closing the Burma Road over the Himalayas. The British use the Burma Road to supply Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces. The Japanese essentially are holding Hong Kong hostage, threatening to invade the defenseless territory if the British refuse to cave. Chiang is outraged at the British decision.

Holocaust: Vichy France bans Jews from holding civil service positions.

Turkey: The Prime Minister reaffirms its commitments to its allies.

China: Mao Tse-tung (Zedong) orders his troops to attack Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist troops in Jiangsu Province, China.

The Japanese raid Chungking again, continuing their fierce aerial campaign against the city.

American Homefront: "Stagecoach War, released on July 12, 1940, sees Hopalong Cassidy help capture a gang of singing stagecoach bandits led by a happy fellow called Smiley.

Joachim Peiper and Max Wünsche at the Berghof in Berchtesgaden, July 1940.

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

Tuesday 23 January 1940

The Swedish Volunteer Corps fought with the Finns against the Red Army in the area of Salla, during the Winter War. A Bofors 37 mm AT gun is left standing as part of a memorial at the site.

Winter War: General Semyon Timoshenko, considered one of the "modern" Soviet Generals, on 23 January 1940 completely changes Meretskov's failed plan for the invasion of Finland. Meretskov had attempted to overwhelm the Finns by attacking all along the long border, but the terrain and weather had been too much for the Soviets to overcome. Timoshenko ends that strategy, stops the advances in the north and pinpoints the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmus as the focus of an overwhelming assault.

Winter War Army Operations: The Soviets mount another attack on the Finnish line at Taipale, but it is beaten back after hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches.

At Salla, many of the advanced Soviet troops have been pushed back to the town. A small, isolated force remains at Maerkaejaervi a few miles further down the road, but it is cut off. Supplies are being air-dropped to it.

Finnish 9th Division, the victors at Suomussalmi under (now General) Siilasvuo, arrive in Kuhmo. Their next mission is to attack the Soviet 54th Division. This is one of the divisions that Timoshenko's plan leaves without a purpose, and it is to receive no reinforcement and reduced priority. Basically, the Soviet division has been left to live or die on its own where it stands and using its own resources.

The Soviet 7,000 shell daily bombardment of Summa continues.

Battle of the Atlantic: One of Germany's most successful U-boat commanders, Joachim Schepke, gets two victories.

U-19 (Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke) torpedoes and sinks 1,598-ton Norwegian freighter Pluto off the southeast Scottish coast. All 22 crew survive, the ship had just left convoy HN-8 and was traveling further south unescorted. The attack is at 08:43.

U-19 quickly scores another kill, the 1,528-ton British freighter Baltanglia. It also had been in Convoy HN-8 and was traveling down the coast unescorted. All 28 crew survive and are picked up by local fishing boats. This attack is at 08:55, just a dozen minutes after the previous one. Schepke uses one torpedo on each ship.

Finnish 1,333-ton freighter Onto hits a mine laid by U-56 on 8 January 1940 and sinks near Smith's Lightvessel, Cross Sand. All 18 crew survive and are picked up by a British destroyer and a Greek freighter.

The British at Gibraltar release the two US freighters Excambion and Excellency that it has seized. The authorities confiscate 470 sacks of mail bound for Italy and Germany.

Britain and France jointly warn that they will attack German shipping encountered in the Pan-American neutral zone.
Convoy OA 78 GF departs from Southend.

Western Front: Performers sent to entertain the BEF troops report that the ENSA entertainment organization is in a "chaotic muddle." ENSA officials are told to report to the War Office.

South Africa: General Hertzog, leader of the opposition, delivers a speech to the South African Parliament in support of peace which is widely interpreted as pro-German. Jan Smuts immediately rebuts it.

Yugoslavia: Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano and Ustaše leader Ante Pavelić discuss plans for an insurrection that would separate the province of Croatia from Yugoslavia. Italy considers the Balkans to be within its sphere of influence.

Japan: Japan lodges a formal protest over the British seizure of 21 German passengers on the Asama Maru on 21 January 1940.

Polish Government-in-exile: The Polish National Council meets in Paris for the first time instead of Anvers, with all Polish parties represented. Ignacy Paderewski is chosen as Speaker of the National Council of Poland, the Polish Parliament-in-exile.

British Homefront: The Government, alarmed at the sharp rise in road accidents due to the blackout (1200 killed in December alone), decides to take action: it lowers the speed limit in built-up areas during darkness from 30 mph to 20. The blackout continues despite the fact that there have been no Luftwaffe raids on British cities.

American Homefront: A monster snowstorm hits large portions of the eastern United States, and much worse than predicted. It is known as "the Great Snow of 1940." Women city workers in Richmond, Virginia (over 16 inches of snow) are told they can stay home, but male workers are still expected to show up because the Mayor can walk to work.

China: The Japanese 22nd Infantry Division is attacking toward Shaohsing against the 3rd Chinese War Area.

A reporter rides a mule during the Great Snow of 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland.

January 1940

January 1, 1940: Finns Carve up the Soviets
January 2, 1940: Finnish Counterattacks Continue
January 3, 1940: Soviets Trapped
January 4, 1940: Soviet Breakout Attempts Fail
January 5, 1940: Dicing Up the Soviets
January 6, 1940: Soviet 44th Division Runs
January 7, 1940: Shakeup in Soviet High Command
January 8, 1940: Ratte Road Battle Ends
January 9, 1940: British Submarines in Peril
January 10, 1940: Mechelen Incident
January 11, 1940: Finns Surround More Soviets
January 12, 1940: New Soviet Attacks at Taipale
January 13, 1940: Fall Gelb Postponed
January 14, 1940: Japan's Government Falls
January 15, 1940: Soviets Prepare More Carefully
January 16, 1940: German Atrocities Uncovered
January 17, 1940: Bletchley Park in Action
January 18, 1940: New Hope for Allied Shipping
January 19, 1940: Finnish Attacks at Salla
January 20, 1940: Churchill Urges Cooperation
January 21, 1940: Asam Maru Incident
January 22, 1940: Dissension Within British Government
January 23, 1940: Dissension in South Africa
January 24, 1940: NKVD Blocking Detachments
January 25, 1940: Auschwitz Site Selected
January 26, 1940: Millionaire Bunker Destroyed
January 27, 1940: U-20 Sinks Four Ships
January 28, 1940: Softening Up the Finns
January 29, 1940: Moscow Willing to Talk
January 30, 1940: Hitler Throws Down the Gauntlet
January 31, 1940: Timoshenko Is Ready

2019

Saturday 2 December 1939

Doric Star ~ Coup de grâce by a torpedo from the Admiral Graf Spee ~ The track visible on right-hand side  ~ 2/12/1939 ~ Courtesy Ron Young.

Winter War: The Finns on 2 December 1939 claim 36 tanks destroyed and 19 planes shot down. They also claim to have sunk a Soviet warship off the island of Russaro (the ship was only damaged, though with numerous casualties).

Winter War Army Operations: Finnish troops are slowly withdrawing to the Mannerheim Line. They are proving adept at ambushing Soviet tanks and setting booby traps. There are some 13,000 front-line Finnish troops on the Karelian Isthmus facing several times their number. The lines are still well ahead of the major Mannerheim Line defenses.

At the north end of the Front, the Soviets have occupied Petsamo and are advancing toward Rovaniemi against light opposition. The Finish 10th Separate Company and 5th Separate Battery, both part of the Lapland Group, face two Soviet Divisions (the 52nd and the 104th).

Soviet 8th Army north of Lake Ladoga captures Suojarvi.

Winters in Finland are cold. December 2, 1939. Suvilahti, Finland.

Finnish Government: The government issues an appeal to the League of Nations.

Soviet Propaganda: The Soviet government signs a "pact of mutual assistance" with its puppet Finnish People's government.

German Propaganda: The German state media launch a campaign against Sweden. This contributes to the general sense of unease felt throughout Scandinavia.

Western Front: A French communique states that it is "a quiet day."

Battle of the Atlantic: Battleship HMS Renown and cruiser HMS Sussex attack the German freighter Watussi off South Africa, whose crew scuttles it. HMS Renown rescues the 155 crew and 43 passengers and deposits them for internment in South Africa.

Admiral Graf Spee's Arado floatplane spots the 10,086 British Blue Star Line freighter Doric Star near St. Helena. Captain Stubbs has the British crew radio a distress message and disables the ship. Admiral Graf Spee then takes off the crew and sinks it after taking all worthwhile moveable objects such as sextants and binoculars.

U-56 (Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Zahn) torpedoes 3,829-ton British freighter Eskdene off Tyne in the North Sea. All 28 crew survive and abandon ship. The Eskdene remains afloat, though abandoned.

U-56 also sinks Swedish vessel Rudolf.

British freighter Calisto hits a mine and sinks.

Convoy OA 45G leaves Southend, Convoy SL 11 leaves Freetown, and Convoy HXF 11 departs from Halifax.

Doric Star, sunk by the Admiral Graf Spee.

European Air Operations: The RAF sends 24 Vickers Wellington bombers of 115 Squadron against the Kriegsmarine base at Heligoland. A bomb is dropped on land when it "hangs up" in the bomb bay and eventually drops on Heligoland Island, where it apparently quite fortuitously hits an anti-aircraft battery. This marks the first RAF bombs dropped on the Reich in World War II.

US Government: President Roosevelt proposes a "moral embargo" on the sale of American arms to unnamed countries perpetuating "terror bombing."

British Government: The government extends conscription to all men aged between 19 and 41 years. There are very limited occupational deferments.

Italy: There are pro-Finnish demonstrations in Rome as the Vatican condemns the Soviet attack.

Sweden: The Army calls up reserves. The Foreign Minister resigns when the government refuses to send troops to help Finland.

Olympics: The IOC announces that, just as in November they had canceled the Winter Olympics at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, they also now were canceling the summer 1940 Games. Those Games had been planned for Helsinki, but the Winter War makes holding them there impossible.

American Homefront: US politician Harry Reid is born in Searchlight, Nevada. He becomes Senate Majority Leader in the 2000s.

LaGuardia Airport opens.

On December 2, 1939, LaGuardia opened to commercial traffic when a TWA DC-3 from Chicago landed minutes after midnight. Within a year, LaGuardia was the busiest airport in the world.

December 14, 1939: Quisling Meets Hitler
December 15, 1939: Chinese Winter Offensive in High Gear
December 16, 1939: Battle of Summa
December 17, 1939: End of Admiral Graf Spee
December 18, 1939: Battle of Heligoland Bight
December 19, 1939: British Disarm Magnetic Mines
December 20, 1939: Finnish Counterattacks Continue
December 21, 1939: Finns Plan More Counterattacks
December 22, 1939: Enter Chuikov
December 23, 1939: Failed Finnish Counterattack
December 24, 1939: Soviets on the Run
December 25, 1939: Fresh Soviet Attacks
December 26, 1939: Vicious Battles at Kelja
December 27, 1939: Grinding Finnish Victories
December 28, 1939: Liberators
December 29, 1939: Finns Tighten the Noose
December 30, 1939: Finnish Booty
December 31, 1939: Planning More Soviet Destruction

2019

Monday 30 October 1939

The German-American Bund marches in New York City, 30 October 1939.

Western Front: There is some local activity all along the front, including artillery fire, but no major operations on 30 October 1939.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-56 torpedoes British battleship HMS Nelson, but the two torpedoes are defective and fail to explode. Nelson is the flagship of the Home Fleet, and its loss would have been of immense propaganda value.

Defective torpedoes have been a problem for the Germans since the beginning of the war. Several German U-boat attacks have failed, and U-boats lost, because of them. U-boat Captains are returning from missions furious with anger at lost opportunities and the resultant peril of detection. German technicians at the Torpedo Directorate are working furiously to isolate the problem and find a solution, which seems to have something to do with the detonators. No solution is yet in sight, but reports from the field are flowing in about the continuing problem.

U-59 (Oberleutnant zur See Harald Jürst) sinks the British anti-submarine trawler HMS Northern Rover west of the Shetland Islands. There are no survivors, 27 perish.

U-13 (Kapitänleutnant Karl Daublebsky von Eichhain) torpedoes and sinks 4,666-ton British merchant Cairnmona. Three die, 42 survive. It is part of convoy HX-5.

U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Werner Hartmann) stops 3,693-ton freighter Thrasyvoulos, finds contraband, disembarks the crew, and sinks it.

The City of Flint makes it back to Tromsø. The Norwegians finally put an end to the saga, which is causing an international incident. They provide the ship with an armed escort to make sure that the freighter leaves Norwegian waters and does not continue provoking the British.

The British Admiralty reports that two of its destroyers were attacked by German bombers south of the Dogger Bank, with no damage.

The British detain the US freighter Scanpenn in the Orkneys, and they detain the US freighter Hybert at the Downs.

European Air Operations: Various reports of Luftwaffe reconnaissance over the northeast and southeast England, but no shoot-downs. There also are Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights over France.

The RAF, in turn, makes reconnaissance flights over north German airfields.

German/Soviet Relations: A Soviet purchasing mission places orders for German warships, ship engines, and turrets.

British Government: There is a government White Paper on the conditions in German concentration camps and the mistreatement of Poles, Jewish people, and others.

Poland: The USSR formally annexes its share of occupied Poland.

Latvia: Germany and Latvia sign a treaty for the evacuation of ethnic Germans from Latvia.

British Homefront: "The Lion Has Wings" is released. It is the first film about the current conflict and has actual war footage.

American Homefront: The German American Bund, which is very active on Long Island, has a parade on East 86th Street in Manhattan. The organization also goes by the name German American Federation (German: Amerikadeutscher Bund, also Amerikadeutscher Volksbund).

Future History: Grace Slick is born in Highland Park, Illinois. She becomes famous as a singer with the Jefferson Airplane (later Starship) in the 1960s and various other incarnations of the group thereafter.

Grace Slick in twenty years after her birth on 30 October 1939.

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