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Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime”.)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

The captured German papers reveal . . . one of the best-kept secrets of the war: the Soviet Union’s help in providing ports on the Arctic, the Black Sea and the Pacific through which Germany could import badly needed raw materials otherwise shut off by the British blockade.

On November 10, 1939, Molotov even agreed to the Soviet government’s paying the freight charges on all such goods carried over the Russian railways. Refueling and repair facilities were provided German ships, including submarines, at the Arctic port of Teriberka, east of Murmansk – Molotov thought the latter port “was not isolated enough,” whereas Teriberka was “more suited because it was more remote and not visited by foreign ships.”

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

Not to worry. The British and French will have an easy time moving their forces northward should the Germans invade Holland. /s

I see from the story at the bottom that Hitler even replaced Guy Fawkes as the effigy on Guy Fawkes Day.

NAVAL EVENTS-Friday, 10 November Destroyers GIPSY and GLOWWORM were searching 60 miles south of Milford Haven for a reported submarine. ____ On Northern Patrol were two cruisers between the Orkneys and Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait. The Northern Patrol, from the 10th to 23rd, sighted 57 eastbound ships and sent 50 into Kirkwall for inspection. Nine German ships were sighted and dealt with. _____ Light cruisers GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON, AURORA and BELFAST and ten destroyers were formed as a Striking Force under the command of Captain E de F Renouf CVO as a Commodore at Rosyth. _____ Following a refit, light cruiser BELFAST departed the Clyde on the 8th and on the 10th transferred from the 18th Cruiser Squadron to the Humber Force. _____ Armed merchant cruiser RAWALPINDI arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol duty, and CALFORNIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. _____ Armed merchant cruiser SCOTSTOUN was damaged by an ice flow which buckled her frame and started plates, but she was able to continue patrol in the Iceland-Faroes Channel. _____ Destroyer IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort steamer MARYLYN (4555grt), but when it was found the steamer would not be ready to sail until the 13th, she returned to Scapa Flow. _____ Destroyers JUNO, JANUS, JAGUAR and JERSEY departed Immingham. _____ Convoy OA.33 of 12 ships departed Southend escorted by destroyers WREN and WITCH on the 11th and 12th. Submarines CACHALOT and SEAL departed Gosport and escorted the convoy from the 10th to 15th. The convoy was dispersed on the 15th and the submarines proceeded independently to Halifax where they arrived on the 25th for escort duty. _____ Convoy OB.33 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers VERSATILE, VOLUNTEER and MONTROSE until the 13th. _____ French submarines ORPHEE and ANTIOPE departed Brest escorted by auxiliary patrol vessel HEREUX. _____ Heavy cruiser YORK, repairing boiler defects at Bermuda, began repairs to A-turret that were to be completed by the end of the month. _____ Convoy BC.13S of steamers ATLANTIC COAST, BARON GRAHAM, BRISTOL CITY, BRITISH COAST, CERVANTES, CITY OF DERBY DELIUS (Commodore), DORSET COAST, GRETA FORCE, GUELMA, LYCAON and SANDHILL departed the Loire escorted by destroyers VIVACIOUS and VESPER. The convoy safely arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 12th. _____ French light cruiser LA GALISSONIERE departed Casablanca, escorted by large destroyer CHEVALIER PAUL and later arrived at Brest; her escort being detached at sea. _____ Convoy HX.8 departed Halifax at 1200 escorted by Canadian destroyers FRASER and ST LAURENT, which detached on the 11th. Ocean escort for the convoy was battleship REVENGE, and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 25th. _____ Light cruiser MANCHESTER departed Bombay en route to the Home Fleet, calling at Aden on the 13th‑14th and arriving at Port Said on the 17th. Vice Admiral Geoffrey Layton, commanding the 1st Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet, was ordered to the Home Fleet to command the 18th Cruiser Squadron and embarked on MANCHESTER which called at Malta on the 18th‑20th. She departed Gibraltar on the 22nd, with destroyer KEPPEL as local escort, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 25th to begin a refit lasting until 21 December. She departed Portsmouth on 22 December, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 24th, and left on the 26th on patrol. _____ Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND departed Buenos Aires patrolling en route to Capetown, but was diverted on the 18th to Rio de Janeiro, leaving there on the 22nd for the Rio de la Plata area. Heavy cruiser EXETER departed Mar del Plata to repair at Capetown, but was recalled for patrol in the Rio area. New Zealand light cruiser ACHILLES arrived at Rio de Janiero, then left on the 12th for local patrol. She was ordered on the 17th to patrol in the Rio de la Plata area. _____ Light cruiser DANAE departed Mauritius for Colombo, where she arrived on the 18th. _____ Heavy cruisers DORSETSHIRE and CORNWALL departed Colombo to join aircraft carrier EAGLE and Australian destroyers VENDETTA and WATERHEN on patrol at sea. The Force arrived back at Colombo on the 18th. _____ Netlayer PROTECTOR arrived at Freetown on the 10th to lay indicator nets. The lay was completed in mid-February 1940 and she departed Freetown on the 17th to return to England.