[Homer_J_Simpson]

Liner Sunk by Mine – 2-3
Merchant Ships Sunk In War – 4
British Soldier Praises Resigned War Secretary – 4
Intense Cold in Moscow Closes Schools, Movies – 4
The International Situation – 4
35 Planes Make Miami-Cuba Jump – 5
Incidents in European Conflict – 5
For United Europe – 6-7
Russians Inactive on Finnish Fronts – 8
Finns Make Front Almost Like Home – 9
$100,000 More is Sent to Finland by Hoover – 9
French Writer Urges War on Russia As Way to End Soviet-Reich Threats – 10
Plea of President Kallio – 11
Nazis Remind Finns of ‘Hate’ for Reich – 11
British Air Force in France Unified – 12-13
52,000 Ton Limit Favored by Stark – 14
Nazis Scoff at Our Plane Output, Doubt Enough Aid for the Allies – 15
Isolationists Defy Atlantic Bombers – 16
U.S. Relief in Poland is Proposed by Fish – 16

[abb]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jan40/f10jan40.htm

German plans revealed to Allies
Wednesday, January 10, 1940 www.onwar.com

The German Me108 carrying the secret plansOn the Western Front... Two German officers carrying copies of the plan for the attack in the west are forced down when their plane strays off course over Belgium. The plane, on a flight from Munster to Cologne, became lost in thick cloud. It lands at Mechelen, in Belgium. Major Helmut Reinberger, a Luftwaffe staff officer, makes an unsuccessful attempt to burn the papers he is carrying, which are operational plans, complete with maps, for a German airborne attack on the west, to begin on January 14th with saturation bombing attacks on French airfields. They are unable to destroy their documents and the Belgian authorities pass on details to the British and French.

In Germany... Hitler tells his generals that is is his intention to launch an attack on the Western Front on January 17th. The generals raise numerous objections to Hitler’s timetable.

In Stockholm... The Swedish government rejects the Soviet claim that Sweden is pursuing an “unneutral” policy. (A claim made on January 5th.)

In Britain... Widespread complaints about train delays are excused by the Railway Executive on the grounds of the blackout, which prolongs the loading of goods vans and makes for late starting. It also blames unexpected arrivals at ports of shipments of fresh foods, which have to be distributed hurriedly by commandeering trains. Troops movements are also a factor.

[abb]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/10.htm

January 10th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: Widespread complaints about train delays have been excused by the Railway Executive on the grounds of the blackout, which prolongs the loading of goods vans and makes for late starting. It also blames unexpected arrivals at ports of shipments of fresh food, which have to be hurriedly distributed by commandeering trains. Troop movements are also a factor.

This doesn’t explain why so many trains run late in the daytime. Even daily commuter journeys habitually take half-an-hour longer than advertised, if not more.

RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group. Daylight Anti-shipping sweep over the North Sea. 77 Sqn, 2 aircraft. 102 Sqn, 2 aircraft. No enemy shipping sighted.

North Sea Reconnaissance - One German aircraft destroyed, one RAF Blenheim lost.

BELGIUM: A German military Me 108 courier aircraft on a flight from Munster to Cologne deviated from its heading due to bad weather while carrying important deployment documents, and had to make an emergency landing at Mechelen-sur-Meuse, Belgium. Luftwaffe headquarters in Berlin is in turmoil after learning of the crash-landing from the German embassy in Brussels. One of the passengers had tried to set fire to papers he had taken from his briefcase, but Belgian soldiers closed in and retrieved the partly burnt papers. The passenger was Major Helmut Reinberger, a Luftwaffe staff officer, and the papers were operational plans, complete with maps, for a German airborne assault on the west to begin on 14 January with saturation bombing of French airfields. Extra.

When told of this Hitler is reported to have said, “It’s things like this that can lose us the war.”

GERMANY: Hitler tells his generals that he has set 17 January as the date for the attack on the Western Front.

The Luftwaffe High Command (the OKL) instructed the German press that it was forbidden to publish any information about the Me 110, Ju 88 and Me 210 bomber aircraft, mine-laying aircraft, one ton bombs, and the aircraft controlling and reporting service [Flugmeldedienst].

U-144 is laid down. (DS)

SWEDEN: The Swedish government rejects the Soviet claim that Sweden is pursuing an “unneutral” policy. (Jack McKillop)

AUSTRALIA: Four passenger liners depart Sydney, New South Wales, carrying the Australian 16th Brigade bound for Egypt. The ships, escorted by the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, will rendezvous with the convoy carrying the New Zealand 4th Brigade that sailed from Auckland on 6 January. (Jack McKillop)

[BroJoeK]

"52,000 Ton Limit Favored by Stark – 14"

Back to the great battleship debate.

The article notes eight battleships then under construction, plus two more being considered. Those would be:

• Two North Carolina Class 36,000 tons (standard)

  

• Four South Dakota Class, 35,000 tons (standard)

  

• Two Iowa Class ordered, two more under consideration, 45,000 tons (standard)

  

• The issue being debated was whether to add five more of the larger Montana Class, 65,000 tons (standard). Admiral Starke here says, "no".

  

• What's most curious, in all this discussion is lack of mention of the new Essex Class aircraft carriers, 27,000 tons (standard), of which two were authorized in 1938, and 32 eventually ordered, 24 of them completed.
  In the end, the Montana battleships were sacrificed to build more Essex aircraft carriers.
  But already, in January 1940, Admiral Starke is not asking for more battleships.
  I wonder what he knew... ?