http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/16.htm
June 16th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM:
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - oil plant at Gelsenkirchen.
Churchill composes a message to all the Dominion Prime Ministers in the Cabinet room at Downing Street. He explains that Britain’s resolve to continue the struggle alone “was not based upon mere obstinacy or desperation,” but upon an assessment of “the real strength of our position.”
Today, His Majesty’s Government offered to France a solemn union with Great Britain. The offer was conveyed to the Reynaud government by the British ambassador, Sir Ronald Campbell, who proposed that France and Britain should no longer be two nations but one Franco-British Union. The union’s constitution would set up joint institutions for defence, finance and foreign and economic policy, and every citizen of each country would become a citizen of the other - but France declines, they want release from it’s obligation not to make a separate peace.
Auxiliary Merchant Cruiser HMS Andania is torpedoed and sunk by German U-A (the ex-Turkish Batiray) about 230 miles WNW of the Faröes Islands. The ship sank slowly and the Icelandic trawler Skallagrímur takes off the crew, so only two men are injured. (This is the third AMC on Northern Patrol duties to be sunk within a month.) The trawler continues on its course to Hull, but a destroyer takes off the men 36 hours after the rescue. (Alex Gordon and Dave Shirlaw)(108)
ÉIRE: Dublin: The premier, Eammon de Valera, recognises the potential German threat and mobilises Eire’s armed forces.
FRANCE: La Charite-sur-Loire: 9 Panzer (General Hubicki) conquers this small town. While scouting German Senior Radio NCO Balzereit of regimental intelligence discovers the secret records of the French General Staff inside the freight car of a military transport train. They include the plans for Caucasus bombing operation, along with target maps and aerial photographs of Baku and Batum. A short time later copies of the plans found their way to Moscow.
Premier Paul Reynaud resigns and is replaced by Marshal Petain.
French representatives in the US allow the British to take over previously place French orders for armaments. This assists by avoiding the US “cash and carry” statutes.
In various evacuations from France to Britain 21,474 men will be evacuated from St. Malo during the next 2 days; 32,584 from Brest; and 57,235 from St. Nazaire and Nantes over the next 3 days.
Brooke withdraws his headquarters to Vitre and begins planning for the embarkation of all British troops from several ports in Brittany and Normandy all the while being interfered with by his masters in London.
Tomorrow planning and embarkation will continue. At midnight (on the 17th) he received reports that just under 60,000 troops had left France. (Jay Stone)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: RN: HMS Grampus (submarine) lost minelaying between Augusta and Syracuse, Sicily to torpedo boats ‘Circe’ and ‘Clio’. Grampus fires off one torpedo, but the three Italian A/S ships drop 61 depth charges over the same spot for 15 minutes, when there is a large underwater explosion followed by much wreckage rising to the surface.
Odin class submarine HMS Orpheus ordered to patrol off Benghazi, is last from on this date. Nothing further is heard from her and she is believed either to have been mined or the victim of an accident. (This is the third British submarine to be sunk within a week in the Mediterranean). (Alex Gordon)(108)
Submarine HMS Morse Mined and sunk off Kerkenna. (Dave Shirlaw)
CANADA: The French aircraft carrier Bearn, escorted by the training cruiser Jeanne DArc, sets sail from Halifax, Nova Scotia loaded with 44 aircraft for the Armeé de l’air.
Ch/Skr Clifford George Williams RCNR awarded Reserve Decoration. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: MS Wellington Star sunk by U-101 at 42.39N, 17.01W. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 290 June 16, 1940
Pro-armistice elements in French cabinet push for peace. Prime Minister Paul Reynaud is unwilling to negotiate a separate peace with Germany (either to preserve his honour or unable to face the failure of his policies). He is asked to resign by French President Albert Lebrun and replaced with 84 year-old Philippe Pétain, WWI hero of Verdun, who is determined to end hostilities with Germany. Reynaud will be arrested on Pétain’s orders in September 1940 and imprisoned by the Germans in the Itter Castle near Wörgl, Austria, until the end of the war. Pétain will be imprisoned after the war as a traitor and German collaborator, dying in prison in 1951.
Mediterranean. French sloop La Curieuse forces Italian submarine Provana to surface 30 miles South of Cabo de Palos, Spain. La Curieuse rams Provana, sinking her. British submarine HMS Grampus is sunk by depth charges from Italian torpedo boats Polluce and Circe, 105 miles East of Sicily (all 59 crew lost). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HMS_Grampus_(1910)_IWM_SP_954.jpg
Operation Ariel continues evacuating Allied troops from Cherbourg and begins at the ports of St Malo, Brest and St. Nazaire. Over the next 3 days, 21,474 are embarked at St Malo, 54,411 at St. Nazaire and 32,584 from Brest – mostly British.
Soviets have established bases in Estonia and Latvia, following agreements in 1939. Soviet army invades Estonia and Latvia, assisted by Soviet troops breaking out from these bases.
After tracking British armed merchant cruiser HMS Andania for 3 days, UA finally sinks her just after midnight, 230 miles west-northwest of the Faroe Islands. All 347 crew are rescued by Icelandic trawler Skallagrímur and transferred to British destroyer HMS Forester arriving at Scapa Flow June 17. At 4.45 PM, U-101 sinks British MV Wellington Star with torpedoes and deck gun, 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. All 69 crew drift in 4 lifeboats for 8 days. On June 24, 52 crew are picked up by the French steamer Pierre L.D. and the other 17 in 1 lifeboat make land at Figuera da Foz, Portugal. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/355.html
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