KING SAYS SWEDEN WILL GIVE FINLAND ALL POSSIBLE HELP (1/12/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 1/12/40 | K.J. Eskelund, James B. Reston, Leland C. Speers

[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” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
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]

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Reinberger promptly reported to Luftwaffe headquarters in Berlin through his embassy in Brussels that he had succeeded in burning down the [German plans and maps for the attack in the West] to “insignificant fragments, the size of the palm of his hand.” But in Berlin there was consternation in high quarters. Jodl immediately reported to Hitler “on what the enemy may or may not know.” But he did not know himself. “If enemy is in possession of all the files,” he confided to his diary on January 12, after seeing the Fuehrer, “the situation is catastrophic.” That evening Ribbentrop sent a “most urgent” wire to the German Embassy in Brussels asking for an immediate report on the “destruction of the courier baggage.”

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

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Winston S. Churchill, The Gathering Storm

[Homer_J_Simpson]

King Says Sweden Will Give Finland All Possible Help – 2
2 Soviet Attacks Broken, Finns Say; Air Raids Continue – 3-4
The International Situation – 4
100-Gallon Still in Home Just for Private Stock – 4
Nazi Fliers Range Wide British Area – 5-6
British Build New Fighting Planes To Master the Nazi Messerschmitts – 7
Fleeing Nazi Ship Sunk By Iceberg – 8
Our Proposed Navy Considers Chance of Allies’ Defeat – 9-10
Japanese Assail Our ‘Big Navy’ Talk – 10-11
Allies Are to Buy 12,000 Planes Here – 11-12
Driver, 19, is Jailed For Fatal Accident – 12
Major Air Victory Claimed By Japan – 12
French Penetrate the German Lines – 13
Shake-Up of Red Army Officers Indicated; Trials Reported Over Failures in Finland – 13
Incidents in European Conflict - 14

[abb]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jan40/f12jan40.htm

Soviet attack flank of Finn line
Friday, January 12, 1940 www.onwar.com

The Winter War... The battle of Taipale begins. Red Army forces launch a major offensive to break through the left flank of the Mannerheim Line. The Soviet effort is aimed at achieving a crossing over the frozen Taipale River.

In France... The government bans the sale of meat (except pork, goat and horseflesh) on Mondays and Tuesdays.

In Germany... General Albert Kesselring is given command of the Luftwaffe’s 2nd Air Fleet.

[abb]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/12.htm

January 12th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM:

RAF Bomber Command: 4 Grp. Leaflets and Reconnaissance - Vienna - Prague. 77 Sqn. Three aircraft from Villeneuve. No opposition.

‘Security Patrols’ - Hornum - Borkum. 102 Sqn. Two aircraft. Opposition light.

Flying Oficer T.J. Geach in N1357 and Flying Officer G.E. Saddington in N1347 were tasked with reconnoitoring Vienna and performing a leaflet drop. Flying Officer J.B.J. Boardman in N1348 was detailed to perform a similar sortie over Prague. These were the first RAF aircraft to fly over Austria and Czechoslovakia during the war and achieved the deepest penetration of German airspace so far. They all took off at 17:00 from Villeneuve, crossing the frontier at 14,000 over Karlsruhe. The temperature was minus 20 Fahrenheit, but a clear and starry night with good visibility. The Vienna bound aircraft made for their next pin point at Munich while the Prague ship headed for Nuremburg. The crews reported that black-out precautions at both Vienna and Prague were very poor and that opposition over the routes and the targets was negligible.

At 0650, SS Denmark was hit by one torpedo from U-23 when she was anchored in a Bay in the Shetlands. She exploded, broke in two and drifted ashore. On 21 January, the afterpart sank and the forepart was refloated, taken to Inverkeithing and used as storage hulk. (Dave Shirlaw)

FRANCE: The government bans the sale of meat (except pork, goat and horseflesh) on Mondays and Tuesdays; Fridays have been meat-free since 10 December 1939.

GERMANY: General Albrecht Kesselring is given command of the Luftwaffe’s 2nd Air Fleet.

FINLAND: The Svenska Frivilligkåren (Swedish Volunteer Corps, SFK) ( CO Lt. Gen. Ernst Linder), sees action for the first time when the planes of the Flygflottilj 19 (Gloster Gladiators and Hawker Harts) began to fly combat missions. At the same time SFK’s AA-artillery took the responsibility of the aerial defence of northern Finland. (Mikko Härmeinen)(203)

U.S.A.: A mine explosion in the Pond Creek No. 1 mine in Bartley, West Virginia, kills 91. (Jack McKillop)

[C19fan]

Is the “mystery” new British fighter the Mosquito? Of course, the Me-110 would turn out to be a major dud.

[CougarGA7]

When I saw that Narkom Mikhail Kaganovich was “relieved as commisar” I was pretty certain that it meant killed. It turns out he was actually demoted and placed in charge of the N24 aircraft plant in Kazan (though he will commit suicide June of next year). His younger brother is a more infamous Kaganovich.

[CougarGA7]

Day 44 of the Winter War, January 12, 1940

Over 400 enemy aircraft bomb several localities across Finland; the main focus of the bombing is in the southwest.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Over 400 enemy aircraft bomb southwest Finland

• Northern Finland: after intense combat with a force of Soviet troops who had made a surprise advance in the Juntusranta sector, Group Susi takes up defensive positions on the Tormua parallel.

• Over 400 enemy aircraft bomb several localities across Finland; the main focus of the bombing is in the southwest.

• Ladoga Karelia: the commander of the Soviet 56th Army requests an aircraft to lift him out of the Kitelä-Syskyjärvi-Koirinoja triangle. Finnish troops manage to damage the aircraft, which has to make an emergency landing on the frozen Lake Ladoga.

• Northern Finland: the F19 airforce regiment of Swedish volunteers goes into combat for the first time at Märkäjärvi.

• The Ministry of Supply urges evacuees to adapt to their new circumstances and attempt to support themselves, if possible, and to work for their hosts who are providing them with shelter.

• London: the Daily Express reports a Dutch source as saying that Hitler is keen to act as broker in the conflict between Finland and the Soviet Union.

• Sweden: an art shop is opened to raise funds for Finland.

• The International Federation of Trade Unions issues a resolution calling on governments around the world to fulfil their obligation of solidarity with Finland.

[CougarGA7]

I wondered that myself. The Mosquito gave Goring fits. In fact he will even command the Abwehr to send an agent to England to sabotage the plant that makes the Mosquito. Unfortunately for the Germans the agent they used was a double agent and with the help of Jasper Maskelyne they made it appear to the Germans that they had succeeded in seriously damaging the plant. The double agent in question I will be giving an update on this June (right now he is in prison on the Isle of Jersey).

[magslinger]

I guess the time line fits. The first Mosquito won’t fly until November and lumber yards will be turning them out in 1941.

[Tijeras_Slim]

If you like Mosquito’s and Giant Claw special effects check out this clip of “633 Squadron”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Shn_HL9zk&feature=related

BTW, do you know where they hid the 16 channel PCB amplifier? Fred’s looking for it.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

BTW, do you know where they hid the 16 channel PCB amplifier? Fred’s looking for it.

Sorry, guys. I took it home because it was just the right size to stick under the leg of my wobbly desk. Can Fred use the 12 channel amplifier?

[CougarGA7]

Last time I saw that PCB was in the storage down south. Do we even have that storage down there anymore? Might want to call James down there.

[CougarGA7]

I’m pretty sure that’s what Fred wants to use it for.

[CougarGA7]

Oh, and did that Mosquito just get shot down by a Piper Malibu Mirage?

[Tijeras_Slim]

Renzo thinks it might be in storage, is it possible we chucked it on that truck last year? :)

[CougarGA7]

Yikes. Anything’s possible. I hope we didn’t.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I doubt it, but don’t worry it’s SOP to blame the guy who’s not around anymore.