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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.

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Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour

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Thought you might be interested in an article in the 6th image, "New Curbs Placed on Jews in Reich," from the NY Times of 70 years ago (August 3, 1940).

ML/NJ

Date: 3 August 1940

Weather: Mainly dull with bright patches. Cloud base 4,000ft. Visibility two to five miles.
Day: Mainly shipping reconnaissance in Channel.
Night: South Wales, with some raids continuing to Liverpool, Crewe and Bradford areas.
Enemy action by day
Enemy activity was again confined to reconnaissances of shipping off the south and south east coast, and only a few raids approached near coasts; of these only two crossed inland.
Interceptions were attempted but none were successful. Low cloud and poor visibility was prevalent up to midday.
South and West
Four raids approached the coast between Swanage and Land's End in the morning and one of these crossed the coast at St Alban's Head. It flew to Bristol and Cardiff by the usual route and returned on the same track. This aircraft is reported to have bombed a trawler which claims to have shot it down off St Alban's Head. The type is unknown.
One reconnaissance was made of the Isle of Wight; two tracks were reported south of Beachy Head, and in one case inshore coastal patrols are reported to have been bombed. One track was plotted over Wexford.
Sections of our fighters were ordered to intercept various raids.
South East

Reconnaissances were made off Pevensey and Dover in the forenoon, and four raids of 15+ aircraft in all approached Dover at various times in the afternoon, fading before reaching the English Coast. Other indeterminate reconnaissances were made in the Straits, none of which came further than halfway across. Interception was not effected.
East
The East Coast was approached at Harwich, Cromer and Orfordness where a convoy was inspected. Off the Tyne a meteorological flight took place in the early morning.
North East
Two meteorological flights took place between 1100 and 1600 hours, one near the Orkneys and one off St Abb's Head. In the late evening a raid was detected 25 miles east of Aberdeen.
France
Various tracks were plotted throughout the day mostly in the Baie de la Seine and Cherbourg areas.
By night
Although enemy raids were again widespread there does not appear to have been an exceptional number of enemy aircraft involved, since in several instances one aircraft was responsible for a succession of areas to go "red7quot;.
At 2135 hours a raid came in via Southend to North Weald, and a split off this raid turned towards Chelmsford. London Central was "purple" as a result.
At 2245 hours the usual activity developed along the East Anglian coast and some raids crossed inland. Similarly the usual raids crossed in over Weymouth area and proceeded to South Wales. As on the previous night some of theses passed on to Crewe,
Liverpool, Manchester and Bradford areas. At about 0100 hours a further raid was sound-tracked on the same course to Crewe and Liverpool. It then turned east to Leeds and flew a track over Digby, North Weald and out over Beachy Head towards a point between Dieppe and Le Havre.
Heat fog was reported between the Thames and Duxford, which made interception difficult.
Activity between Kinnaird's Head and the Forth was rather heavier than usual, and in addition to minelaying, many raids crossed inland. Other minelaying is suspected in the Thames Estuary, East Anglia and Humber to Berwick.
Two raids appeared over the Pembroke area, but few plots were obtained.
________________________________________
Statistics
Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 3 August 1940
Blenheim - 61
Spitfire - 244
Hurricane - 365
Defiant - 24
Total – 694
Casualties:
Enemy: Nil.
Own: Nil.
Patrols:
144 patrols despatched involving 437 aircraft.
Balloons:
Flying 1485. Casualties 30.
Aerodromes:
No reports.
Organisation:
No changes.
Air Intelligence Reports
None.
Home Security Reports
Date: 3rd/4th August 1940
General Summary
In the early hours of the morning of the 3rd August enemy aircraft activity was of a general nature, several individual raiders making extensive flights south-west and north-west of England, also Derbyshire and Scotland.
There was no activity during the day but it was renewed on the night of the 3rd/4th August by visits to Essex, Kent, South Wales, Cheshire and Scotland.
Detailed Summary
At 2155 hours on the 3rd August unexploded bombs were reported to have been dropped at the military camp at Laindon Hills (Essex).
Further dropping of leaflets of Hitler's recent speech is reported from Epping, Tonbridge and Waltham Cross (Essex) during the early hours of the 3rd August.
Battle of Britain

Lots of interesting items in today’s paper. I noticed that they mentioned that Chamberlain was down after having surgery. Not a lot of detail as to what his condition is.

I had to laugh when I read the article on the First Army maneuvers. With the mechanized vehicles having the sirens to simulate Stuka bombers. What it seems like they are practicing is the ability of infantry to fend off an attack from an ambulance brigade.