[Homer_J_Simpson]

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.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

[heiss]

thanks!

[PzLdr]

Interesting that the U.S was contemplating 65,000 ton battleships [page 1] in 1939, considering the Japanese were in the process of building the three 72,000 ton battleships YAMATO, MUSHASHI, and SHINANO [converted to an aircraft carrier]. Wonder if the 65,000 tonners would have been equipped with larger than the 16” guns that showed up on the IOWAs.

[CougarGA7]

Day 24 of the Winter War, December 23, 1939

Ladoga Karelia: Finnish troops counterattack at Kollaanjoki, but the attack is broken off during the course of the evening.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Finnish unemployment falls well below 1,000

• Karelian Isthmus: the Finnish II Army Corps launches a fragmented counteroffensive at 6.30. The commander of II Army Corps suspends the offensive at 14.30. Overall losses in the unsuccessful offensive total 1,328 men: 361 dead, 777 wounded and 190 lost in action.

• Ladoga Karelia: Finnish troops counterattack at Kollaanjoki, but the attack is broken off during the course of the evening.

• In the Tolvajärvi sector, battalions from Detachment Pennanen win control of the Aittojoki parallel. The fighting at Tolvajärvi-Ägläjärvi comes to an end.

• Northern Finland: the vanguard of the Soviet 44th Division comes into contact with the Finnish troops on the Raate road.

• Karelian Isthmus: the Soviet long-range 'ghost gun' in the Perkjärvi sector wreaks havoc and confusion in Viipuri, damaging numerous buildings in the city.

• Turku archipelago: the armoured coastal vessels Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen move out of the archipelago into the open sea at Kihti to protect vital shipping routes threatened by Soviet aircraft operating out of Estonia.

• Unemployment statistics show that Finnish unemployment has fallen well below the level of one thousand.

• Abroad: Argentina's positive response to the League of Nations' appeal for aid to be sent to Finland has been joined by a similar response from Ecuador, Haiti, Peru, the Union of South American States, Bolivia, Venezuela and Mexico.

• United States: Gunnar Bärlund, the Finnish heavyweight boxer resident in the USA, beats Italo Golonello, with the referee stopping the bout in the seventh round. Bärlund donates part of his proceeds from the fight to the Finnish Relief Fund.

[beebuster2000]

bump

[PAR35]

Looks like Meretskov survived his removal in Leningrad, survived a later (1941) purge, and ended the war as an honored leader. He died in 1968.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1939/dec39/f23dec39.htm

In Ireland... In Dublin, IRA activists steal the entire reserves of small arms ammunition of the Irish Army (some 1.1 million rounds) stored in Phoenix Park. The bulk of the ammunition is recovered during massive Army-police searches over the next 11 days.

In the Winter War... A Finnish counterattack on the Karelian Isthmus is sharply rebuffed. The Finns suffer about 1500 casualties and call off the attack at nightfall. A stalemate ensues.

From Washington... A Pan-American protest is issued to the governments of Britain, France and Germany about the fighting inside the “security zone” during the battle of the River Plate. The detention and destruction of German merchant ships by British warships is also noted.