And he means it this time.
Reich Held Ready – 2-4
The International Situation - 3
Vatican Denounces Red Sympathizers - 3
Strong Navy Asked by Edison as Vital to a Free America – 5
20 Planes Sweep British Coast; Berlin Reports 9 Vessels Sunk – 6-7
British Army’s Dead Totaled 719 in 1939 – 7
Reich Reported Playing On Superstition in Turkey – 7
Raid on Kronstadt Reported by Finns – 8-9
11 U.S. Airplanes Near Finnish Goal – 9
Canadian Airmen Prepare to Depart – 10
U.S. Pilots to Train Canadian War Fliers Being Recruited in Preparedness Program – 10
Borchers Defends Reich as Humane – 11
British Captain Is Decorated for Daring During Skirmish in Frozen No Man’s Land - 11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_%28United_States%29
Social Security in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program.
The first monthly payment was issued on January 31, 1940 to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont. In 1937, 1938 and 1939 she paid a total of $24.75 into the Social Security System. Her first check was for $22.54. After her second check, Fuller already had received more than she contributed over the three-year period. She lived to be 100 and collected a total of $22,888.92.[24]
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jan40/f31jan40.htm
British order Italian fighter aircraft
Wednesday, January 31, 1940 www.onwar.com
In Italy... A secret British military mission orders 300 Caproni Re2000 fighters. (German intervention in April effectively vetoes the deal and British attempts to obtain the fighters through a Portuguese intermediary fail with the Italian declaration of war on June 10th.)
In Britain... The Barlow Report on the “Distribution of Industrial Population” is published, recommending the building of new towns.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/31.htm
January 31st, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: The Barlow Report on the “Distribution of Industrial Population” is published, recommending the building of new towns. (Jack McKillop)
U-15 (Type IIB) is sunk in the North Sea at Hoofden, after being rammed in error by the German torpedo boat Iltis. 25 dead (all hands lost). (Alex Gordon)
GERMANY: Admiral Raeder visits the commerce raider ‘Atlantis’ in dock at Kiel, and presents the captain with his operational orders. (Alex Gordon)
FINLAND: The Finnish Prime Minister Risto Ryti travels to Stockholm and presents the Swedish government a request for 30 000 men with equipment. (Mikko Härmeinen)
GIBRALTAR: U.S. passenger liner SS Washington is detained for several hours at Gibraltar by British authorities, but is allowed to proceed the same day; the freighter SS Jomar is also detained there. (Jack McKillop)
ITALY: A secret British military mission orders 300 Caproni Re2000 fighters. (German intervention in April effectively vetoes the deal and British attempts to obtain the fighters through a Portuguese intermediary fail with the Italian declaration of war on 10 June.) (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Start sunk by U-13.
SS Vidar sunk by U-21 at 58.39N, 02.00E - Grid AN 4245. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Day 153 January 31, 1940
Just after midnight, U-13 sinks Norwegian steamer SS Start (carrying coal from Sunderland) with 1 torpedo halfway between Stavanger, Norway & Aberdeen, Scotland (all 16 lives lost). http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/222.html
U-21 has torpedo troubles. 2 torpedoes fired at Danish SS Vidar (carrying steel from Grimsby) malfunction but the third strikes Vidar (16 lives lost), immobilizing her 25 miles East of Aberdeen. Danish steamer SS Disko stops to pick up 18 survivors; U-21 fires another dud torpedo at her. SS Vidar finally sinks the next day. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/223.html
Commander Timoshenko has spent 3 weeks preparing to assault the Mannerheim Line. He has 12 fresh divisions on the Karelian Isthmus & artillery lined up side by each. Opposite the Summa gap alone, he has 400 heavy artillery pieces (200 mm calibre or more) and innumerable smaller 75 & 45 mm guns, which are not camouflaged due to the Finns lack or artillery & attack aircraft. Soviet artillery has been pulverizing Finnish forts all month. Timoshenko is ready.