Posted on 11/16/2009 4:35:01 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
November 16, 19399
Field Marshal Hermann Goering, the Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan orders increased recruitment of Polish workers.
Under the Four-Year Plan, Goering had complete control over the economy including the private sector, especially after the Minister of Economics, Hjalmar Schacht, began to lose favour with Hitler because of his opposition to growing military expenditures.
he project’s achievements outperformed Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal both in size and scope.
The USSR’s Second Five Year Plan, provided several ideas borrowed by the Nazi regime, especially in the area of militarization. The Soviet Plan was reaching its conclusion just as the German equivalent was beginning.
“Russians Berate Helsinki Leaders; Finland is Calm”
On 16 November, 1939, the Commander in Chief of the Leningrad Military District orders the People’s Commissar of Defense to prepare a Plan for Stalin’s celebration of the conquest of Finland in Helsinki, which he plans to personally attend.
“According to various sources, Shostakovich found himself obliged to compose the piece on the orders of the Soviet Ministry of Culture - and for presentation in Helsinki at a celebration to mark the conquest of Finland by the Red Army and the country’s having been occupied and made into a “Soviet Socialist Republic of Finland”.
Someone is counting Chickens too early, I think....
16 November, 1939
GERMAN-SOVIET AGREEMENT ON THE TRANSFER OF
GERMAN PEOPLE’S FROM THE HOBBY ZONE OF THE SOVIET UNION AND THE RETURN OF UKRAINIAN AND BELARUSSIAN PEOPLE FROM THE SPHERE OF GERMAN INTERESTS AND AREAS OF THE FORMER POLISH STATE
Signed by:
Kurt von Kamphoevener
Litvinov
(16. NOVEMBER 1939)
with additional protocol
Section I: General
Article 1
Both Contracting Parties undertake, in the signature of this
Agreement, pursuant to Part III of the relocation of German origin People take that on the territory of the former Polish state in the present Field of interest of the USSR living - as is the relocation of all Ukrainian,
Russian and Ruthenian people, who in the field of the former Polish state in the current area of interest of the German Reich to live.
The relocation is subject to only those persons listed in paragraph 1, which have expressed the wish for resettlement, and their recording principal or approved area is represented by the corresponding page.
The resettlement is voluntary and can therefore no direct or indirect coercion will be exercised. The desire to migrate is to be expressed orally or in writing.
The right to resettlement extends to persons who are in detention and to those which have been previously pursued by the Polish government.
Feldpost Projekt:
Hans Simon, Letter home to his parents on 16.11.1939
(This is the same as the “Letters Home” from WW2 projects in the US and Britain)
Just for Mom!
My dear Mom!
16 November 1939! November 1939!
A year ago today I came to the army. With mixed feelings, I admit honestly. Today, however, the service gives me a lot of fun.
What I’ve seen? Everything this year. East Prussia. On the streets endless Kollonnen draw attention to the border. For hours, with short breaks it is the whole night, and the next morning still.
An old woman Stood watching our train, the tears stood in her eyes. “So zogen 1914 auch die Soldaten”.
(”As 1914 drew the soldiers.”)
Then the first day in Poland. The first casualties are coming back. An armored train brings back a wounded comrade. He lies on a stretcher and with every breath sounds like a moaning to our ears, we are upset.
I hesitated for a minute on my courage to fight. Am I too young, too soft? Well, I clenched my teeth.
After killing only two Poles, I had a Poland to the sword. Not out of lust for murder, only a sense of duty, iron reasoning was that my true feelings or diverted. This is war.
A soft boy has become a tough soldier and yet I do not think that the softness is completely gone from my feeling that he is zurückgestimmt. Precisely, it is not in place.
We have war. If we are: We are going to sing against England. With the same feelings we may have sung this song 1914
Whether you have then guessed the outcome of the war. Where’s the victory yet so often seemed on our side? I forgot about it in the minutes before the attack.
On 1 Sept. at 4.45 war was fixed so the invasion began. Neither exuberant nor enthusiasm for a certain depression dominated us. Well, it was impossible to even think clearly and soberly. Man war Realist.
There was a realist book The Commission has brought me this year. There were just some thoughts.
What has brought us this year in what is beautiful!
I was looking forward to your letter. I see how you feel about o me. For you have certainly had little time. I look forward to double. You have at home so much worry.
The fact that you got a letter at home after a long time no hearing from me, I’m sorry, for I have written every day at home and when I once had no time, I wrote in short, a note.
This is probably due to the delivery.
Dad has now perhaps prospects come to the middle school, I am very happy. I hope he comes.
I hope it is daddy with the neck better soon. Where’s Daddy just now serve the neighboring communities, must be particularly strained his neck.
You’ve probably just very difficult. Ich muß noch immer an die Geschichte denken, die Du mir von Tante Mariechen und Tante Cila erzählt hast.
I still think about the story that you told me of Aunt Maria and Aunt Cila. You know what I mean, where they trained me with chocolate and sweets. Today, it will probably be the same.
Pity I can not tell you come to the assistance, for you have certainly seen a hard time I hope costing, what’s playing.
I will pray at night, then maybe you have it easier. Something like this makes such a mellow, Winfried especially when you just need so badly.
Simply, it is not certain. Frankly, I would often go out of the skin. But does it not, shalt rise up before the hoary head thou. Well, mommy’s, daddy and hopefully open the eyes, so you have it easier. If I had to put myself in your situation!
At the moment I am very nervous. You will certainly double in the work may be. Where do you taking from his strength? As costing is, she is already thinking as far as self-employed, that she sees what’s going on? Well, Mom’s, I hope you have it easier than before. You have suffered so much already in this respect. But I hope that Omutti to take root.
Maybe you can find something that they fully claimed, except that you will not gefuscht in the economy. Omutti means it must be very good. She pushes it in one way.
If you were in Estonia on a visit, it was beautiful, but in daily life it is something different. As you may have cost the victim, Omutti record. Perhaps Uncle Arthur may unconsciously compensate. We certainly hope this is not best?
If you always think of the past, eating its way deeper and deeper with grief and everything becomes harder. Maybe there is something that Omutti so interested that Omuttis of occupation is fully satisfied. Well, they will turn up something.
Dear Mom’s, Please do not let this letter go into other hands. He may perhaps see trouble and discontent that is not hereby intended. Best if you burn it. I am sick over him especially.
At Winfried You probably have your trouble, but probably also your joy? .... Costing the brave .... , She torments probably still so with mathematics. Pity I can not help her.
I Order you please extend my warmest greetings to Winni please from me.
Has she really got my note? Later I will write him again. Was
What can you send me from time to time, are a few apples and a little jam. Of the other wishes, I wrote in recent letters. Assuming you have enough.
And do not forget our brave Tutti in Derneburg. She has certainly much to do. I also try to write to her every day.
From vacation, I wrote to you already. A slight glimmer of hope?? I dare not believe.
So mom’s, I hope that you will not have it too hard.
Would love to time (if time) have a brief physical description of our tenants. It still lives on with his thoughts at home. A few times a day for a walk, my thoughts to you at Kloster Malchow.
Please give my regards all. Pappi my best regards. Daddy I will also write some times.
If this letter is yet to arrive on Sunday, so I wish you a happy and beautiful Sunday. We will probably live firing on a military training area.
Well good luck and thank you, dear Mom’s
Your Hansi
Hans Simon, was born in 1920 in Mecklenburg Rostock. Simon was born into a Protestant family, was unmarried and childless. After leaving school he joined the Reich Labor Service in 1938, and after that the armed forces. His entire military time was with Infantry Regiment 27 (12. Infantry Division). He fought in Poland, France and some of the Eastern Campaign. In 1944 he was a sergeant, and was declared Missing-In-Action later that same year.
The Cleveland and Columbia were finally launched in early November and mid December 1941 respectively as CL 55 and 56. Both ships served in the Pacific and survived the war. (Cleveland initially participated in the North Africa invasion.)
Given that they were armed with 12 6 in and 12 5 inch guns, the plan to make them competitive with pocket battleships was apparently abandoned.
The USS Benson:
(DD-421: dp. 1620; l. 348’2”, b. 36’1”, dr. 17’6”; s. 36.5 k.; cpl. 276, a. 5 5”, 10 21” TT.; cl. Benson)
Benson (DD-421) was launched 15 November 1939 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass.; sponsored by Mrs. W. S. Benson, widow of Admiral Benson; and commissioned 25 July 1940, Lieutenant Commander C. A. Fines in command.
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, Benson patrolled along the east coast until 1 July 1941 when she commenced escorting convoys to Iceland. By the end of the year she had escorted six convoys between Newfoundland and Iceland. She remained on the Ic eland escort run until 29 March 1942 when she switched to escorting trans-Atlantic convoys to Britain and North Africa. On 19 October 1942, during one of these crossings, Benson was extensively damaged in a collision with Trippe (DD-403). Following repairs at New York she returned to convoy duty until May 1943 when she went to the Mediterranean.
She took part in the invasion of Sicily (6 July-21 August 1943), during which she had 18 men wounded by the near miss of a bomb (11 July), and the Salerno landings (5-21 September 1943). After escorting Mediterranean convoys during October-December 194 3 she returned to New York for repairs and training which lasted until 20 April. She returned to the Mediterranean for convoy duty (May-July 1944) and participated in the invasion Of southern France (13 August-17 September 1944). From 30 September 1944 to 18 January 1945 she furnished fire support along the French and Italian coasts and then returned to the United States for overhaul. After one convoy run to Britain (April 1945), Benson transferred to the Pacific. She arrived at Pearl Harbor 28 May and during 13 20 June screened the air strikes against Wake Island. From July to October 1945 she escorted convoys between Ulithi and Okinawa, and between the Philippines and Japan. Benson reported to Charleston Navy Yard 7 December 1945 to commen ce inactivation and went out of commission in reserve there 18 March 1946. She remained in reserve until transferred to Nationalist China 26 February 1954.
Benson received four battle stars for her service in the Mediterranean.
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