Posted on 07/21/2010 4:38:30 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Sky Battles Fierce 2-3
London Cardinal Urges Crusade Against Nazis 3
The International Situation 3
Konoye Leisurely in Cabinet Choices 3
A French Warship Now in Control of the British (photo) 4
British Raid Bases of Italy in Africa 5
Trade Halt Reported in Syria and Lebanon 5
Shanghai Guards American Writers 6
New Governor Takes Office in Indo-China 6
A Defensive Manoeuvre in a Mediterranean Sea Battle 7
Texts of the Days War Communiques 8
News of the Week in Review
Twenty News Questions 9
The New Deal is the Issue, Conventions Reveal 10-11
Removal of Children a Live Issue in Britain 12-13
How the British are Taught to Recognize the Enemy 13-14
U.S. in Pacific Held to Be Impregnable (by Hanson W. Baldwin) 15-16
Japan Girds to End Her War (by Hugh Byas) 17
Answers to Twenty News Questions - 17
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jul40/f21jul40.htm
USSR annexes Baltic states
Sunday, July 21, 1940 www.onwar.com
From Moscow... The Soviet Union formally annexes Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and they become constituent republics of the USSR.
In Berlin... In an OKH conference Hitler again says that Germany must prepare to attack the USSR. Although the generals would prefer to deal with Britain first, they raise no objections. Later in the month Jodl tells an OKW planning section that Germany will attack in the east in the spring of 1941 and that planning for the movement of the armed forces to eastern Europe should be begun.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/21.htm
July 21st, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - marshalling yards at Hamm and Soest and aircraft factory at Kassel.
51 Sqn. Three aircraft to Hamm. One bombed - direct hits. Opposition heavy.
77 Sqn. Ten aircraft to Kassel. Nine bombed. Eight fighters sighted but none attacked.
78 Sqn. Five aircraft to Hamm and Soest. Four bombed, one FTR
102 Sqn. Ten a/ to Kassel. One returned early, nine bombed. Two fighters seen but none attacked.
2 Group ( Blenheim). 107 Sqn. Bombing - Caen, Morlaix and Querqueville.
GERMANY: Hitler again brings up the attack in the East in an OKH conference. Planning for troop movements east will begin later this month.
BALTIC STATES: The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania today succumbed to Russian pressure and “unanimously” decided to become Soviet Republics and join the Soviet Union.
The newly-elected parliaments of the three countries met to announce their decision, but the Soviet influence was easy to see under the facade of democracy. Estonias parliamentary session was attended by Stalins representative, Mr Zhdanov, and the hall was decorated with Soviet flags. The Baltic peoples are bitter at losing their hard-won freedom from Russia, but there is nothing they can do in the face of Soviet might.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 2239, the unescorted Ellaroy was torpedoed and sunk by gunfire by U-30 about 180 miles west of Cape Finisterre. The master and 15 crewmembers landed at Vigo, Spain. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 325 July 21, 1940
Battle of Britain Day 12. Overnight, 15 Handley Page Hampden bombers from 61 and 144 Squadron attack German battleships Admiral Scheer and Tirpitz at dock in Wilhelmshaven. Neither battleship is damaged but 3 Hampdens are shot down. With fine weather again, Germans focus on attacking convoys in the English Channel instead of bombing raids over land targets. Görings strategy is to bring British fighters into the air over the Channel, while exposing his aircraft to minimum danger. RAF loses a Hurricane and a Spitfire while Luftwaffe loses 3 fighters and 1 Dornier Do17 bomber. British losses since July 10 are about 45 fighters destroyed, but production of new aircraft has kept pace. More worrying is the loss of trained pilots who are not so easily replaced. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-air/20582-69-years-ago-tonight-20-21-july-1940-a.html
After being bombed near Dover yesterday, HMS Brazen sinks while under tow. Destroyer HMS Boreas takes off the crew but 1 sailor is killed.
U-30 sinks British steamer Ellaroy 180 miles West of Cape Finisterre, Spain. The crew abandons ship in lifeboats. All 16 crew are rescued by Spanish trawler Felix Montenegro and landed at Vigo, Spain.
Soviet Union annexes Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, following elections held on July 14 voting for union with USSR. These countries will be under Soviet control until 1989, apart from a period of German occupation from 1941-1944.
Thus begins the number of enemy planes shot down daily claims.
Sorry, I never got past “BRITISH BEAT OFF...”.
Hitler planning invasions of Britain and Russia at the same time. Madness.
A good SciFi novel about this time period in England is called “Blackout” by Connie Willis. Time travelers from 2060 come back to witness the evacuation of Dunkirk then get stuck in London during the Blitz. The spotting of enemy aircraft (as described in one of the stories above) is discussed in the book.
Thanks!
Thank you sir. I have been posting these articles more or less since January 2008. Yours is the first contribution I recall that gives an actual first-hand account of the time. A wee little boy’s notwithstanding.
I love the article about the political conventions...
The Dems didn’t even want to mention the fact that FDR was running for an unprecedented Third Term... they, just marched on with it...
I also love how, the Republicans were saying, “the NEW DEAL is following a worldwide trend toward National Socialism”... and they didn’t want to give up on the American system. I’ve often wondered whether people at the time realized that they were embracing Socialism... I guess, they were... and, just didn’t care.
Sort of like today... :-(
Date: 21 July 1940
Enemy action by day
The main activity of the day was centred in the Channel and the Straits of Dover, convoys being the objectives. A few isolated raids penetrated inland.
South and South West
In the morning, the enemy carried out shipping reconnaissance in the Channel and shortly afterwards made two unsuccessful attacks on convoy "Peewit". At 1458 hours another large raid approached this convoy but retired when three squadrons were despatched to intercept. On Spitfire is reported lost whilst on convoy patrol at about 0930 hours.
At 1520 hours, 9+ aircraft were approaching Portland; this formation turned 90° and attacked "Peewit". In the engagement one Me109 was shot down certain and one Hurricane of the escorting flight is missing. Meanwhile, one flight of Hurricanes sent to Portland to intercept, chased and shot down 10 miles from the French coast 1 Me110 confirmed, and 1 Me110 unconfirmed.
Several other large formations approached convoys but retired after our fighters had been sent up.
Of the raids which penetrated inland, on Me110, which shot down a Hector near Old Sarum, was shot down by Hurricanes near Goodwood. Hurricanes also shot down a Do17 near Blandford.
North and East Coasts
There was little enemy activity off the North and East coasts. The enemy carried out reconnaissance work off Wick and East Anglia.
France
Numerous patrols were maintained over the Calais - Dunkerque area, particularly over Calais.
By night
Enemy operations appear to have been on a smaller scale than usual, but cover a large area. Minelaying was suspected in Plymouth area, Thames Estuary and immediately north of it and in the Tyne area.
Attacks on the West Country seem to have started mostly from Cherbourg district. Some 6 or 8 raids crossed the coast between 2330 and 0300 hours at various places. Two raids went as far as Barrow-in-Furness and returned via Liverpool and over Yorkshire. Other isolated raids went over Leeds, Church Fenton, Tyneside, over Norfolk and Wiltshire. Bombs are reported to have been dropped in Tyneside, near Derby, Driffield and Hornsea, but no serious damage has been so far reported. It is reported at 0520 hours that an unsuccessful attempt was made on a convoy off the Lincolnshire coast.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 21 July 1940
Casualties:
Additional Information From information since received, enemy casualties reported yesterday are now:
Patrols:
Balloons:
Aerodromes:
Organisation:
Air Intelligence Reports
Home Security Reports
I remember those days so very well, collecting news papers, tying them up in bundles with string, put pots and pans out by the curb, momma talking about how it was hard to buy things in a store. I really remember turning the raido on at night, blankets over the window so the slightest light would not be seen.....
I know my daddy didn’t like Roosevelt at all.....
And that's not all.
They are also, in the summer of 1940, considering another invasion -- which would have been relatively easy, and might even have won the war: Gibraltar.
At the time of his Nuremberg trial, Hermann Goering said Hitler's failure to take Gibraltar was the biggest mistake of the war.
Closing off Gibraltar to the British would have made Rommel's march to the middle east oil fields a cake walk.
And German control of the middle east would have changed strategic equations in the Soviet Union.
Now, everyone knows that Spanish dictator Franco dissuaded Hitler from taking Gibraltar.
But how many know who it was pulling Franco's strings, and why?
If you had, you'd learn of that French war ship now in control of the British. Just one warship controlling all those Brits!
Did our language change, or is it just me? ;-)
Franco and Spain were war-weary. It hadn’t been that many months since the Spanish Civil War ended, and they just weren’t up for another round.
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