http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/mar40/f18mar40.htm
Hitler meets Mussolini
Monday, March 18, 1940 www.onwar.com
In Occupied Austria... Hitler and Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass in the Austro-Italian Alps in their first meeting since Munich, 1938. Mussolini says that he is ready to join Germany and its allies in the war against Britain and France “at the decisive hour.”
In London... A new organization is formed to liaise between British and French colonial authorities. Meanwhile, Walt Disney’s new film Pinocchio opens to a warm reception from the critics.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/18.htm
March 18th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: London: Walt Disney’s new film Pinocchio opens to a warm reception from the critics.
London: A new organisation is formed to liaise between the British and French colonial authorities.
Destroyer HMS Highlander commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
NETHERLANDS: Submarine HNLMS O-24 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: U-202 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
ITALY: Brennaro: Hitler and Mussolini met today on the railway station on the Austrian border, and set the world speculating on the possibility of a peace plan. Contrary to the speculation, within two hours of discussion, Hitler extracted a promise that Italy would, eventually, come into the war.
Mussolini was the first to arrive, in his armoured train, 30 minutes later Hitler’s train steamed in to a fanfare of trumpets and two national anthems, followed by the Deutschlandlied and the Horst Wessel song. The two dictators exchanged fascist salutes and walked the length of the platform to Mussolini’s saloon car for talks over a small table behind drawn blinds. They were joined later by their foreign ministers, Count Ciano and von Ribbentrop. It is understood that Ciano is strongly opposed to Italian intervention. The atmosphere at the talks was described as cordial.
U.S.A.: Destroyers USS Edison and Ericsson laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)