Tuesday 10 June 1941

Adolf Hitler and Romanian General Ion Antonescu at the Führerbau in München, 10 June 1941. Also visible are German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop and Field Marshal Keitel (Federal Archive Bild 183-B03212)

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: Operation Exporter, the British Commonwealth invasion of Syria and Lebanon, continues. Progress slows today, 10 June 1941.

Following its contested crossing of the Litani River, the Australian 21st Brigade advanced north past Tyre toward Sidon. However, the French stop it during the afternoon. In the center of the front, the 25th Brigade advances toward Merdjayoun. The Vichy French, though, are readying powerful forces to defend Merdjayoun and gathering forces at other points along the front as well.

Free French 1st Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade attack Kissoue south of Damascus. They capture several villages.

The French military orders the French 7 Squadron, 1st Fighter Group to "drive off small units of the British Navy." The Royal Navy effectively has been parking offshore and aiding the advance onshore. The fighters fail in this task because they quickly find out that the entire British 15th Cruiser Squadron is in action and fighters have no chance of making a dent in this force. The French 6 Squadron, 3rd Fighter Group (Capitaine Jacobi) is shot down by British anti-aircraft guns.

The RAF, for its part, forms No. 127 Squadron at Habbaniya, Iraq. It begins operations with four Hawker Hurricanes and four Gloster Gladiators.

"NEAR KHIAM, SYRIA. THE COMMAND POST OF "D" TROOP OF THE 12TH BATTERY OF THE 2/6TH FIELD REGIMENT DURING ACTION AGAINST THE FRENCH IN THE MERDJAYOUN SECTOR. NOTE THE PLOTTING BOARD IN USE, THE MEGAPHONE GIVING ORDERS TO THE GUNS AND THE RADIO AND FIELD PHONES FOR RECEIVING FIRE DIRECTIONS."  10 June 1941 (Australian War Memorial 008195).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Pembroke with 35 bombers during the night.

During the day, RAF Fighter Command sends Rhubarb missions over Belgium. After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Brest with 104 bombers. Their goal is to sink cruisers Prinz Eugen, Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau, but no hits are made.

East African Campaign: Operation Chronometer begins. British troops of the 3rd battalion of 15th Punjab Regiment based in Aden land at Assab, the last Italian port on the Red Sea. They are carried there by a transport escorted by light cruiser HMS Dido (which bombards the port from 05:05-05:12), armed boarding vessel Chakdina, and Indian sloops Clive and Indus. The troops land at 05:19 and achieve complete surprise. They capture five batteries of coastal guns manned by the Italian Navy. The port is captured by 06:00, with 547 Italians and 35 Germans going into captivity.

The capture of Assab is of huge importance because it enables the US Government to retract the designation of the Red Sea as a combat zone. Thus, once Assab is captured, US freighters no longer will have to unload their cargoes for transfer to British ships at Cape Town, but instead can sail uninterrupted up to Suez. This provides a huge efficiency advantage.

The Ainderby, sunk on 10 June 1941 by U-552.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-204 (Kptlt. Walter Kell), serving with Wolfpack West east of Newfoundland on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes and sinks 7886-ton Belgian freighter Mercier. There are 7 deaths.

U-108 (Kptlt. Klaus Scholtz), also serving with Wolfpack West on its third patrol out of Lorient, completes a day-long pursuit when it finally torpedoes and sinks 1992-ton Norwegian freighter Christian Krohg. Everyone on board perishes.

U-552 (Oblt. Erich Topp), on its third patrol out of St. Nazaire and operating off the northwest coast of Ireland, torpedoes and sinks 4860-ton British freighter Ainderby. There are 12 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 5404-ton British freighter Clearpool near Scarborough. There are two deaths. The Clearpool makes it to Tees and thence proceeds to Hartlepool for repairs.

British 1444-ton freighter Royal Scot, part of Convoy FN-477, hits a mine and sinks near 62 Buoy in the Humber River entrance. There are three deaths.

Royal Navy patrol sloop HMS Pintail hits a mine and sinks off the Humber while escorting Convoy FN-477. There are 52 deaths, including master Lt. J.L.E. McClintock, and 22 survivors.

Minelayers HMS Agamemnon and Menestheus lay minefield SN-64 in the Faroes North Rona sector.

Convoy OB-333 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 132 departs from Halifax, Convoy SC-34 departs from Sidney CB bound for the Clyde, Convoy AP-41 (VK-12) departs from Wellington escorted by HMAS Australia.

Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Pintail, based in Harwich. The Pintail is near 62-Buoy about 30 miles off the Humber when a ship it is escorting, the Royal Scot, hits an acoustic mine. The Pintail goes to the scene but also triggers an acoustic mine. The Pintail blows up and sinks within seconds.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The encircled Tobruk garrison is beset with artillery fire and air raids. There are several casualties. One of the main difficulties for the Australian defenders, though, is flies - there are hordes of them in the cookhouse. Many of the Luftwaffe bombs turn out to be duds, so there are many unexploded bombs scattered about the port. Discipline is lagging in certain quarters due to the extended encirclement, with men falling asleep while on guard duty and the like. The siege of Tobruk is a war of nerves along with one laced with bullets and bombs.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay, operating in the Dardanelles, makes two unsuccessful attacks on ships due to defective torpedoes. The third attack is the charm, as it torpedoes and sinks 3319-ton Italian freighter Giuseppina Ghirardi about 15 miles from Cape Helles.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 7241-ton British freighter Durenda near Port Said. The Durenda makes it to Port Said for temporary repairs, and thence to Bombay for permanent repairs.

An Axis convoy of six vessels departs from Naples bound for Tobruk.

POWs: Lord Simon meets with prisoner Rudolf Hess for over two hours. Hess urges the British to seek peace with Germany.

"Looking from the top of the hangar of HMS SUFFOLK toward the arctic ice fields." June 1941. © IWM (A 4193).

US/Bolivian Relations: Rejecting a Japanese offer, Bolivia agrees to sell its tungsten to the USA for the next three years. Tungsten is important in machine tools and anti-tank shells. Axis war production is short of tungsten carbide throughout the war, Germany's main source in China ended in July 1937 when the Japanese invaded. All of this relates to an important but little-remembered war over economic resources during World War II.

US/Portuguese Relations: The US State Department reassures Portugal that it has no designs on its islands in the Atlantic.

The Arado Ar 232 Tausendfüßler (German: "Millipede"). Its first flight is in June 1941. The AR-232 was intended as a replacement for the Junkers Ju 52, but, though development continued throughout the war, only about 20 were built.

US/Italian Relations: Benito Mussolini makes a speech to the Grand Council of Fascism on the first anniversary of the entry of Italy into the war. He states that, while the United States has entered a de facto state of war with Germany and Italy, "America's attitude does not bother us excessively... American intervention would merely lengthen the war and would not save England."

German/Romanian Relations: Continuing his round of diplomatic audiences in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, Adolf Hitler hosts Romanian strongman General Ion Antonescu at the Fuhrer's Building in Munich. Also attending are Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop and Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel. They have a reception afterward. Hitler spends several hours talking with Antonescu - and Hitler indeed usually does all the talking at such meetings - and it is likely that he briefs Antonescu on preparations for Operation Barbarossa.

Japanese/Russian Relations: Japanese and Soviet negotiators, concluding secret talks taking place in China, reach an agreement on Manchurian/Russian border delineation. Japanese diplomats at Hsinking, Manchukuo also send reports to Tokyo and the embassy in Moscow concerning 27 Soviet armored trains carrying 800 trucks they notice en route between Chita and Manchuli. The Japanese interpret this as possible warlike intentions by the Soviets.

German troops preparing for Operation Barbarossa. The original caption: "The equipment has gotten better. The group before the departure. The men know each other, are attuned to each other, the best possible fighting power can be brought out." 10 June 1941 (Farmer/Bauer, Federal Archive, Bild 146-1991-077-20).

Finnish Military: The Finnish military begins mobilizing for Operation Barbarossa. This will be known in Finland as the "Continuation War." As the Finns do not know about Operation Barbarossa, at least officially, the military call-up is for "maneuvers." The troops are ordered to deploy according to wartime plans even though there is no war - yet. 

US Military: The US Army Air Corps forms the 3d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron.

William "Wild Bill" Donovan, a Roosevelt crony, submits a proposal for a new intelligence agency based on his contacts with British Intelligence (MI6) during his recent trip to Europe. The United States at this time has no formal spy agency, and Donovan proposes one. This will lead to his being appointed Coordinator of Information on 11 July. This results eventually in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which becomes the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Lisbon, 10 June 1941. A group of Jewish refugees waits in line to board a ship to the United States. Photo: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

British Government: Prime Minister Winston Churchill appears before the House of Commons to defend the government's handling of the failed defense of Crete. He has testy exchanges with former Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha, a frequent adversary, who notes correctly that, "For the first time in history an island has been captured by an airborne attack." Churchill lamely claims that the German capture of Crete was a good learning experience and diverts the focus to British triumphs instead:

I have not heard that Herr Hitler had to attend the Reichstag and say why he sent the Bismarck on her disastrous cruise. I have not heard that Signor Mussolini has made a statement about losing the greater part of his African Empire.

Comparing himself to Hitler and Mussolini is a remarkable moment for Churchill, who does not see anything wrong with that - and something that a minority of Great Britain's people would see as entirely appropriate for very unflattering reasons. Churchill expresses irritation that the House is interfering with his conduct of the war, suggesting that the government - meaning him - should decide when the House debates war issues. There is little question that this is a low point of the war for Churchill.

French Homefront: Vichy Vice-Premier Admiral François Darlan makes a radio broadcast to the French nation. he warns that some are "trying to darken the nation's understanding." By this, he means both Free French General Charles de Gaulle and "Communist propaganda," which have:

the same goal - to create disorder in the country, to increase the misery of the population, to prevent the rebirth of the nation ... Frenchmen, beware and help the government in its heavy, very heavy task. This task of the government is triple: to ameliorate the French people's situation, to prepare for peace in that measure a conquered nation can, and to prepare France's future in a new Europe.

The occupation authorities expel more foreign diplomats from occupied Paris.

King George VI at Merton, 10 June 1941 With Walter Lines, His Majesty is observing munitions made by toy manufacturer Lines Bros. (V&A Museum of Childhood).

British Homefront: King George VI visits the Lines Bros. Ltd. factory at Merton, South London. He inspects the munitions production being undertaken by the Lines Bros, which is a toy manufacturer.

American Homefront: New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio gets a close call from the official scorer which extends his hitting streak to 25 games. In the seventh inning, he hits a sharp liner directly at Chicago White Sox' third baseman, Dario Lodigiani. Lodigiani is "handcuffed" by the sharply hit ball and cannot make a play. This call could go either way, but the scorer marks it down as a hit. Since the game is played in Chicago's Comiskey Park, it definitely is not an instance of "homefield scoring" in favor of Dimaggio.

Future History: Mickey Jones is born in Houston, Texas. He becomes a drummer for musical acts including Trini Lopez, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Rivers, and The First Edition. He also acts in films such as "Sling Blade" and "Tin Cup." Micky Jones passes away on 7 February 2018.

Jürgen Prochnow is born in Berlin, Germany. He becomes an international film star in films such as "Air Force One" (1997) and "Beverly Hills Cop II" (1987). Prochnow is born one day after the final success of U-46, which is the U-boat after which the one in "Das Boot" (1981) - his most famous film - is modeled. Prochnow continues to act as of this writing, splitting his time between English-language and German productions. Prochnow receives US citizenship in 2003.

King George VI at Merton, 10 June 1941 With Walter Lines, His Majesty is observing munitions made by toy manufacturer Lines Bros. (V&A Museum of Childhood).

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020

Wednesday 7 May 1941

"Smouldering grain cascades slide into the river at Hull after the raid on the night of 7/9 May 1941." © IWM (HU 660).

Anglo/Iraq War: In a cable on 7 May 1941 to Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill noted that "It would seem that the Habbaniya show has greatly improved, and audacious action now against the Iraqis may crush the revolt before the Germans arrive." Churchill sends Wavell the actual text of an Ultra decrypts of Wehrmacht wireless communications, something that very few people even within the highest levels of the military were privy to.

The British troops at Habbaniya continue pushing the Iraqi troops back toward Baghdad. Further south, the Indian 20th and 21st Brigades sortie out of the port of Basra and attack nearby port Ashar. Brigadier Slim arrives at Basra as chief of staff to General Edward Quinan.

The Italians have some planes in Iraq, and today they score a rare success when they damage 176-ton British tanker barge Safiyeh in the Persian Gulf. The barge is towed to Abadan for repairs.

Both sides are planning to send reinforcements - the Germans via Viche-held Syria - but the British have troops already on the march and already are having success on the ground in Iraq.

The Germans send Fritz Grobba to Iraq to become their official representative in Baghdad.

One of 50 Guy Mk IA armored cars, seen here during anti-invasion exercises in Southern Command, 7 May 1941. It sports a 15 mm Besa MG.

European Air Operations: The May Blitz reaches its climax. The Luftwaffe pattern of focusing on single cities over multiple nights continues as they begin raids on Kingston on Hull for the first of two consecutive nights. There is massive damage, and an estimated 40,000 are made homeless. In the harbor, 53-ton freighter Ril Ida sinks at Victoria Dock, Hull.

The May Blitz on Liverpool and Merseyside continues for a seventh consecutive (and last) night. The entire dock area is destroyed or still in flames. A hit on a school shelter kills 160 people, and a hospital sees 60 patients and staff perish.

There is more destruction in the harbor, too. Destroyer HMS Hurricane takes a direct hit and sinks, but fortunately, it is in shallow water and is raised and returned to service by January 1942. Destroyer Viscount and CAM ship Maplin also are damaged by the ship, with the Viscount also out until January 1942. 43 ton flat Ellesbasnk sinks at Stanley Dock, and 201-ton tug Hornby also is sunk, but later raised and returned to service. Other ships hit at Liverpool:

• 46-ton sailing barge Ida Burton (sunk)
• 4672-ton British freighter Clan Macinnes (damaged).

There are fires throughout Liverpool, but it continues to function both as a city and a port (though the port is reduced to only 25% of previous capacity now). As has been done before in other cities, troops are brought in to maintain order and clear debris. Cars are no longer permitted downtown - where streets are full of debris anyway - and most of the phone system is out. Overall, it is estimated that 1450 people have been killed since the bombing began on 1 May.

Other Luftwaffe attacks occur on Tynemouth Borough in Northumberland, West Hartlepool, Hartlepool and Billingham in Co Durham and Middlesbrough in Yorkshire. The attacks are not large - Hartlepool is bombed by nine planes - but they stretch out British air defenses and cause a lot of pain and suffering and damage to property.

The Luftwaffe continues attacking British shipping elsewhere as well, sinking 260-ton minesweeping trawler Susarion east of Humber Light Vessel and 96-ton naval drifter Gowan Hill at the port of Greenock. Also sunk at Greenock is 106-ton British freighter Bluestone (everyone survives).

The RAF conducts a Roadstead Operation to Gravelines. After dark, Bomber Command sends 15 bombers against the U-boat pens at St. Nazaire and another 89 bombers against the port of Brest. There also are attacks by 16 planes against coastal targets.

RAF ace Douglas Bader shoots down a Bf 109 during the day and also claims another probable.

The first B-17 Flying Fortress in RAF service arrives in Great Britain at RAF Watton. RAF No. 90 Squadron, a World War I unit, is reformed to handle the heavy bombers, which soon will relocate to West Raynham.

East African Campaign: The situation at Amba Alagi temporarily settles down into garrison duty as the Allied forces await the arrival of reinforcements.

HMS Somali in a prewar 1939 photo. The Somali captured German weather ship Munchen on 7 May 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-94 (Kptlt. Herbert Kuppisch), on its fourth patrol, spots Convoy OB 318 southwest of Iceland, and the convoy's escorts spot it as well. The escorts drop 98 depth charges but fail to sink Kuppisch's boat. After shaking the Royal Navy ships off, Kuppisch resumes stalking the convoy and torpedoes and sinks 5658-ton Norwegian freighter Eastern Star (three dead) and 10,263-ton British tanker Ixon (everyone survives). The escorts attack U-94 again after this, but Kuppisch gets away.

Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli spots 4310-ton Norwegian freighter Ferlane a few hundred miles off of Guinea Bissau and sends it to the bottom. Everybody aboard survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 12-ton fishing trawler Waterlily at Bessom Creek, West Mersea (near Clacton-on-Sea).

British 72-ton steam barge Kineenan hits a mine and sinks at Liverpool. All five men aboard are killed.

U-93 (Kptlt. Claus Korth) is on its fourth patrol near Greenland when it has an incident involving its machine gun. Three men are wounded, but the U-boat continues its patrol.

Two Italian submarines, Archimede and Guglielmotti, complete the long journey from Eritrea when they arrive in Bordeaux.

Convoy OB 319 departs from Liverpool.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Mignonette is commissioned.

Destroyer USS Woolsey is commissioned (Lt. Commander William H. Von Dreele).

U-352 is launched, U-260 and U-662 are laid down.

A flak gun deployed in front of the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, a short distance from Constitution Square in the center of Athens. Mt Hymettus is in the background. May 1941 (Heber, Federal Archive).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The at Tobruk has turned into normal patrols and artillery exchanges. The Royal Navy has begun a nightly supply shuttle from Alexandria, with fast destroyers dashing in, unloading and returning to port before dawn.

The pace at sea is picking up, though. Operation Tiger, which left Gibraltar on the 6th, continues steaming toward Alexandria. The transports carry tanks, but the more important tank personnel are still sent on the much longer, but safer, route around South Africa.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS Ajax and destroyers Havock, Hotspur and Imperial are passing by Benghazi to meet the Tiger convoy when they detour to bombard the city. They sink Italian freighters Capitano Cecchi and Tenace.

The Luftwaffe attacks Tobruk Harbor and scores some successes. Sunk is minesweeper Stoke, while minesweeping whaler Svana is damaged by a near miss.

The Luftwaffe raids Suda Bay, the center of British operations on Crete. They damage 1545-ton Greek freighter Tanais, which the Germans later raise and return to service.

The Germans are still consolidating their hold on mainland Greece. The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1216-ton Greek freighter Katina P. at Astakos on the west coast.

Italian 2939 ton freighter Pascoli hits a mine and sinks near Saseno (Sazan) Island (near Vlore).

Churchill allows General Freyberg, commander in Crete, to receive actual Ultra decrypts of German wireless transmissions using the Enigma code machine. These decrypts show in real-time that the Luftwaffe is planning an aerial assault by paratroopers. However, the Secret Intelligence Service cautions Freyberg not to act on the Ultra decrypts unless and until he received independent verification of their contents so that the Germans would not suspect a security breach. Freyberg dutifully complies, and thus does not rearrange his defenses from the beaches to prospective aerial landing zones at Maleme Airfield and elsewhere despite having a very clear picture of how the battle will develop.

During his speech to the House of Commons (see below), Winston Churchill states that:

The loss of the Nile Valley and the Suez Canal and the loss of our position in the Mediterranean, as well as the loss of Malta, would be among the heaviest blows which we could sustain. 

Basically, Churchill confirms the wisdom of German Admiral Raeder's "peripheral strategy" which so far has worked well and still retains a lot of promise.

At Malta, there are several air raid alerts. The planes attack Luqa Airfield and some other military positions, and the RAF loses two Hurricanes when the planes collide (one pilot killed).

Lord Gort arrives at Gibraltar as the new Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

The front page of the New York Daily News, 7 May 1941.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin is operating in the Arabian Sea a few hundred miles off Somalia when it spots and sinks 3663-ton British tanker British Emperor. There are 45 deaths total; while many men are taken on board the Pinguin, it will sink on the 8th and take them to their deaths. This is because the radio operator on the British Emperor manages to get off a distress call, which draws in Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Eagle and heavy cruisers Cornwall and Hawkins from the port of Mombasa. New Zealand light cruiser Leander and light cruisers Glasgow and Liverpool also join in the search for the Pinguin.

Spy Stuff: In an unusual incident, the Royal Navy has diverted three light cruisers (HMS Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Manchester) from their coverage of minelaying Operation SN 9A to seek out a German weather ship off Iceland. This is Operation EB, and it succeeds when the cruisers capture 306-ton German weather ship Munchen. The weather ship is taken to Thorshavn.

Capturing the German ship itself, though, is not the real prize. Among other things, quick action by men on destroyer Somali recovers valuable Enigma codes from the Munchen. Such codes can be extremely valuable so long as the Germans don't know they have been broken because Kriegsmarine Enigma operators are extremely careful and it is difficult to break their codes otherwise. Such codes also typically remain in effect for extended periods.

Australian/Canadian Relations: After an exhausting trip across the Atlantic by flying boat from Portugal to New York, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies boards a Douglas bomber and flies up to Ottawa for talks with Canadian leader MacKenzie King. Australia and Canada have a tight relationship because many Australian pilots are being trained in Canada at Empire Air Training Schools in Canada. Menzies gives five speeches and shows films of bomb damage in England.

View from the Victoria Monument in Derby Square, Liverpool during the May Blitz (Stewart Bale).

British Government: Winston Churchill gives a speech, giving a nod to his erstwhile French allies by making kindly references to Napoleon (who British troops defeated, caught and exiled, of course):

Some have compared Hitler’s conquests with those of Napoleon. It may be that Spain and Russia will shortly furnish new chapters to that theme. It must be remembered, however, that Napoleon’s armies carried with them the fierce, liberating and equalitarian winds of the French Revolution, whereas Hitler’s empire has nothing behind it but racial self-assertion, espionage, pillage, corruption and the Prussian boot.

During his remarks, Churchill bashes Leslie Hore-Belisha, the former Secretary of War under Neville Chamberlain. He accuses Hore-Belisha at length and in great detail for not focusing sufficiently on tank development and production. Hore-Belisha, who is present, retorts that Churchill is "indulging in petty recriminations," has not been in that position "for 20 months," and that Churchill has "enjoyed unprecedented powers" since becoming Prime Minister and thus - presumably - should bear the blame for any current deficiencies. The exchange reflects deep worry among the British about the state of their tank forces as compared to the feared panzers.

The House of Commons holds a vote of confidence in the government, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill prevails by 447 to 3. This evidences a slight firming in his overall support despite recent reversals in Libya and Greece.

China: The Battle of South Shanxi, aka the Battle of Jinnan and Zhongtiao Mountains Campaign and the Chungyuan Operation, begins. The Japanese Imperial Army's North China Front Army with six divisions and three brigades under Hayao Tada attacks to secure the Zhongtiao Mountains. The Japanese 3rd Air Group supports ground operations. The Chinese defense is hampered by extreme friction between the separate Nationalist (Kuomintang) and Communist (CPC) forces. The Japanese quickly move to surround the Nationalist Chinese forces, and they call on aid from nearby Communist forces of the 8th Route Army.

Serbia: The Sanski Most revolt continues. Ustaše authorities take prominent hostages at the railway station army barracks to prevent any more attacks on their people. The Germans respond to Ustaše calls for assistance and send 42 soldiers from their base at Prijedor and secure the area of the revolt. However, word has gotten out about the revolt to the surrounding area, and Serbs begin to pour into Tramošnja looking for a fight. The Ustaše kill three Serbs, while the Germans take three casualties. The day ends with Serbs forming a defensive perimeter on the slopes of Kijevska Gora above Sjenokos. The Germans order more troops to the area.

American Homefront: Detroit Tigers baseball star Hank Greenberg, who was drafted on 16 October 1940, is inducted into the US Army and reports to Fort Custer at Battle Creek, Michigan. Greenberg initially was turned down by the draft board (marked 4F) due to "flat feet," but Greenberg requested to be readmitted and ultimately was found fit for military service. He states: "I made up my mind to go when I was called. My country comes first." He trains as an anti-tank gunner and ultimately, with a temporary break in service, will serve for 47 months, the longest of any major league player.

"Ronald Ford (aged 7) climbs a drainpipe to show that there are no ill effects following his inoculation against diphtheria, which took place the day before (7 May 1941) at Argyle Street School Clinic." © IWM (D 3179).

May 1941

May 1, 1941: British Hold Tobruk
May 2, 1941: Anglo-Iraq War
May 3, 1941: Liverpool Hammered
May 4, 1941: Hitler Victory Speech
May 5, 1941: Patriots Day
May 6, 1941: Stalin In Command
May 7, 1941: May Blitz
May 8, 1941: Pinguin Sunk
May 9, 1941: U-110 Captured
May 10, 1941: Hess Flies Into History
May 11, 1941: The Hess Peace Plan
May 12, 1941: Tiger Arrives Safely
May 13, 1941: Keitel's Illegal Order
May 14, 1941: Holocaust in Paris
May 15, 1941: Operation Brevity
May 16, 1941: Blitz Ends
May 17, 1941: Habbaniya Relieved
May 18, 1941: Croatia Partitioned
May 19, 1941: Bismarck at Sea
May 20, 1941: Invasion of Crete
May 21, 1941: Robin Moore Sinking
May 22, 1941: Royal Navy Destruction Off Crete
May 23, 1941: Crete Must Be Won
May 24, 1941: Bismarck Sinks Hood
May 25, 1941: Lütjens' Brilliant Maneuver
May 26, 1941: Bismarck Stopped
May 27, 1941: Bismarck Sunk
May 28, 1941: Crete Lost
May 29, 1941: Royal Navy Mauled Off Crete
May 30, 1941: Sorge Warns, Stalin Ignores
May 31, 1941: British Take Baghdad

2020

Friday 5 January 1940

The Grand Mufti with Adolf Hitler.

Winter War: More volunteers continue flooding into Finland on 5 January 1940. The first contingent from Sweden arrives.

Winter War Army Operations: The Finns encircle the Soviet 18th Division.

Captain Lassila's battalion holds its roadblock against rabid Soviet attempts to break through and takes 96 casualties among its 1000-man force.

The Finns (Task Force Fagernas) blow up the Purasjoki River bridge five miles from the border at 22:00. This further isolates the Soviet troops further west. Task Force Fagernas thus prevents a relief force of the NKVD 3rd Regiment from reaching the bulk of the 44th Rifle Division on the Ratte road.

In the evening, the Finns destroy the HQ of the 25th Rifle Regiment, which had been leading the way west. They also attack the HQ of the 146th Rifle Regiment, which has been a source of strength in the middle of the column and wipe it out. The commander sends a last radio message, "God help us, we are dying here." Many of the Soviet men escape through the woods but have nowhere to go.

Winter War Naval Operations: Soviet cruiser Kiroff is damaged by Finnish coastal batteries (near misses) and is towed back to the Soviet naval base at Liepāja.

Soviet submarine SC-311 sinks Swedish freighter Fenris.

Convoy OA 67 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 67 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 14F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy SL 16F departs from Freetown.

Battle of the Atlantic: German tanker Nordmeer completes a journey from the Dutch West Indies to Vigo, Spain.

Western Front: The first Indian troops start manning the BEF front lines.

There is German artillery shelling along an extended 125-mile section of the front.

British Government: Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for War, falls victim to a political purge and resigns. The rap against him is that he is a "warmonger" who cannot get along with the Generals such as Lord Gort, the leader of the BEF. He also feels that the troops should be treated better. There is some opinion that the fact that he is Jewish and thus has an unusual stake in prosecuting the war has led to much of the opposition to him. He is replaced by Oliver Stanley. Lord Macmillan, Minister of Information. Sir John Reith replaces Lord Macmillan. Sir Andrew Duncan joins the Board of Trade.

Soviet/Scandinavian Relations: The Soviet government accuses Norway and Sweden of not being neutral in the Winter War.

Soviet/Bulgarian Relations: The two nations conclude a trade treaty.

Palestine: Grand Mufti Mohammad Amin Al-Husayni, who is an admirer of the Germans, closes Palestine to anyone with a German passport. This affects primarily Jewish refugees.

United States Military: Colonel Eisenhower arrives in San Francisco from the Philippines aboard the liner President Cleveland. He is ordered to report for staff duty at 4th Army HQ.

New Zealand: Bernard Freyberg receives his appointment to command the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The first liner carrying them, the Straithard, sets sail

China: The Chinese Winter Offensive heats up again:

• 2nd War Area in fierce battles around Yenchang, Hsia Hsien, Wenhsi, and Anyi, and it captures Hsiushan, Tashan, and Nanchia;
• Chinese 4th War Area captures Chingtang and Yingteh;
• Chinese 5th War Area battles around Wangchiatien and the 31st Army Group launches attacks around Hsuchiatien, Hsintien, Yuchiatien, Huashan, Tamiaofan, and Pingchingkuan;

The Japanese counter-attack the Southern Honan Army of the Chinese 5th War Area near Pingchangkuan. In the Battle of South Kwangsi, there is a temporary lull as the Chinese consolidate recent gains.

New Zealand expeditionary forces set sail.

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

Wednesday 11 October 1939

The Iroquois arrives in New York City, 11 October 1939.

Western Front: Heavy artillery duels and probing attacks on French outposts on 11 October 1939.

Battle of the Atlantic: The passenger liner Iroquois arrives in New York, accompanied by a coast guard cutter and two US destroyers. It thus arrives safely despite the Admiral Raeder warnings of a potential false-flag sinking.

The British detain the US freighter Sundance in London and the US freighter Black Tern at Weymouth. The British release the US freighter Black Gull.

Finland: Anti-aircraft and other defensive armament being installed in all large Finnish towns. Voluntary evacuations continue. Paasikivi arrives in Moscow.

Anglo-Soviet Relations: The British and Soviets sign a trade agreement. The Soviets will trade timber for rubber and Cornish tin.

Population Movements: Ethnic Germans are being "returned" to Germany from the Baltic states.

Polish Government: The Poles have set up a government-in-exile in Paris. Foreign Minister August Zaleski arrives in London for consultations with Lord Halifax.

British Government: Secretary of War Baron Leslie Hore-Belisha reports to the House of Commons on the state of the BEF.

In a by-election in Clackmannan and East Sterling, the Labour Party candidate receives 15,645 votes, the Pacifist candidate only 1,060.

British Military: The War Office increases weekly production of mustard gas from 310 to 1200 tons.

US Government: President Roosevelt attempts to intercede in the Soviet/Finnish negotiations, urging Soviet President Mikhail Kalinin to "make no demands on Finland which are inconsistent with the maintenance and development of amicable and peaceful relations between the two countries, and the independence of each."

Manhattan Project: FDR finally receives the Einstein–Szilárd letter from last August. He orders investigation into the technical possibility of an "atomic bomb."

German Homefront: There is an erroneous radio broadcast that the British government has fallen and the new government wishes to make peace. This leads to widespread rejoicing.

Future History: The passenger liner Iroquois will be acquired by the US Navy on 22 July 1940. The Navy will put it into service as a hospital ship at Ford Island, Honolulu, Hawaii, where it will be on 7 December 1941.

Albert Einstein and Leo Szilárd re-enact their August 1939 meeting about the letter the latter had drafted to President Roosevelt about the atomic bomb.

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