Sunday 14 January 1940

Leopold III, Belgium's monarch from 1934, reviewing Belgian troops in early 1940.

Winter War Air Operations: Soviet bombers on 14 January 1940 apparently mistakenly violate Norwegian airspace and drop bombs on Lulea, Sweden. Both file diplomatic protests. Another flight of 40 planes bombs the Petamo front in the far north, and Helsinki is bombed twice.

Mechelen Incident: While Hitler has postponed his invasion, the Allies still anticipate it. On the morning of the 14th, Dutch Supreme Commander Izaak H. Reijnders cancels all pending leaves, closes strategic bridges and plants them with explosives. Belgian King Leopold messages Winston Churchill asking for guarantees should the Germans invade.

The mood does not improve during the day, and General Gamelin orders his troops to advance to the Franco-Belgian border during the night. This causes a diplomatic row between France and Belgium, which had never consented to French troops on its neutral territory. Meanwhile, Belgian Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Édouard van den Bergen, who acted precipitously on the night of the 13th to cancel leave in a dramatic national broadcast, falls into disgrace when the invasion he expects on the 14th fails to occur.

In essence, the Mechelen Incident is turning into one of the most successful, albeit completely unintended, subversive operations to unnerve and split the enemy of the entire war.

Battle of the Atlantic: The British government replies to the concerns of the American governments that have complained about violations of neutrality during the Battle of the River Platte. British Minister to Panama submits a diplomatic note stating that:

"The British "reserve their full belligerent rights in order to fight the menace presented by German action and policy and to defend that conception of law and that way of life, which they believe to be as dear to the peoples and Governments of America as they are to the peoples and Governments of the British Commonwealth of Nations."

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Greyhound captures German freighter Phaedra.

US freighter Narbo is released from detention at Gibraltar, but the British seize some of her cargo.

Convoy OG 14 forms at Gibraltar and HX 16 departs from Halifax.

German Military: The plan for the invasion of Norway was Admiral Raeder's idea originally. Hitler delegates proposed Operation Weserubung off to the Kriegsmarine to work up (it is still called Studie Nord). The operation is scaled larger, with an increase from just one division to a full oversized army corps (mountain division, airborne division, motorized rifle brigade & two infantry divisions). The planners also expand the initial targets to suppress resistance and forestall British intervention. Denmark is added as a target to create a land bridge in the direction of Norway. Warships are to be used as troop transports to speed and the element of surprise. The plan becomes more comprehensive but also exposes the force to potential Royal Navy attacks.

Japan: Faced with serious and unexpected reverses in China from the Chinese Winter Offensive, the Abe government resigns. Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai replaces him and forms a new government.

China: The Chinese 5th War Area is still on the attack. It launches probes against Kaocheng, Shihlingszu, Wangchiatai, Sunchiatien, and Chuchiamiao.

Holocaust: Death by starvation and maltreatment in the Jewish Ghetto of Warsaw are estimated to be running at 70 people per day.

American Homefront: The German-American Bund in New York City is raided and eighteen people arrested.

An event of the German-American Bund at Madison Square Garden. Note the skeptical-looking cop at the lower right.

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 13 January 1940

Soviet submarine ShCh-324.

Mechelen Incident: Belgian Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Édouard van den Bergen broadcasts at 22:30 on 13 January 1940 an immediate recall of all 80,000 Belgian troops on leave. He also orders barriers between France and Belgium removed. Bergen has convinced himself that the attack will occur on 14 January. He risks displeasure for these dramatic acts because he has acted entirely on his own initiative, without requesting permission from the Crown, which takes a very active role in public affairs. Holland declares a "state of readiness."

The Germans in fact have been considering moving the attack date forward from the 17th, as contemplated in the lost plans, to the 14th. This is because that would give the Allies less time to shift their own forces to meet the attack. However, somewhat perversely, because the Belgians have temporarily convinced the German high command that they did not have the plans, the issue is not a priority. Before talking to Hitler, General Jodl postpones the date tentatively to the 15th or 16th, depending on further news. When everybody sits down to hash it out, Hitler ultimately intervenes and definitively postpones the attack until 20 January, supposedly due to the weather. By now, though, in light of the frantic Allied military moves, it should be clear that the Allies know all about the plan.

Winter War Army Operations: At Sallaa, the Soviet 9th Army orders the 122nd Division to retreat to the Märkäjärvi village. This helps the two prongs of the Soviet effort, on the north and south forks of the road, to form a tighter overall perimeter.

Winter War Air Operations: The Soviets bomb Helsinki, Turku, and nearby towns.

Winter War Naval Operations: Soviet submarine ShCh-324 surfaces within a convoy in the Sea of Åland, then it fires a torpedo, and misses. Finnish naval escort Aura II, which previously had been the Presidential yacht, damages ShCh-324 with depth charges. However, one of the depth charges explodes on the ship, utterly destroying it. There are 15 survivors and 26 perish. ShCh-324 escapes.

Western Front: There is artillery fire west of the Vosges Forest and east of the Moselle.

European Air Operations: The RAF conducts extensive surveillance over the Reich. It also drops propaganda leaflets over Vienna and Prague.

The RAF shoots down a Heinkel He 111 over the Firth of Forth.

The first flight of the Yakovlev Yak-1. It suffers from oil overheating issues.

Battle of the Atlantic: At 04:20, U-20 (Oberleutnant zur See Karl-Heinz Moehle) torpedoes and sinks 1,524-ton Swedish freighter Sylvia northeast of Aberdeen. All 20 crew perish, only one body is recovered on a raft.

The British at Gibraltar detain the US freighter Narbo. They release US freighter Tripp, though not with all her cargo.

Convoy OA 72 departs from Southend, OB 72M departs from Liverpool, and HG 15F departs from Gibraltar.

British Military: General Wavell's Middle East Command takes charge of East Africa.

French/Spanish Relations: The two nations sign a trade agreement, whereby Spain receives wheat, fertilizers, and manufactured goods and France receives iron, ore, and various minerals.

Norway: The new defense budget raises the overall government budget to the highest in history.

German Homefront: So many men are now employed in the Wehrmacht that the male industrial workforce is falling. NSDAP party leaders bruit about encouraging women to work outside the home, which is against Hitler's convictions.

Holocaust: Hans Frank issues new labor laws for Jews in occupied Poland.

Yakovlev Yak-1.

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