JAPAN PROTESTS BRITISH ARRESTS AND OIL CURB BY UNITED STATES (8/4/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 8/4/40 | Raymond Daniell, Hugh Byas, Bertram D. Hulen, James MacDonald, Louis Stark, Hanson W. Baldwin

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

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.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour

[Homer_J_Simpson]

London Holds Two – 2
Washington Gets Tokyo Complaint – 3
Americans Charge Curb by Japanese – 3
New Japanese Move in Indo-China Seen – 4
Supply Difficulties for China Decrease – 4
The International Situation – 4
Nazi Bases Bombed – 5
French Said to Seek U.S. Aid in Blockade – 5
300,000 on Move to Big War Games, Record for Peace – 6
Gallup Survey Gives Willkie Lead In Electoral Vote of the Nation – 7-9
Hiram Johnson Hits Roosevelt ‘Purge’ – 9
Fletcher’s Opinion on the Application of Hatch Act – 10
Independent Vote Seen as Decisive – 11
Reports Big Order for Relief Checks – 11
Exmoor Brings 33 from Near East – 11
Auto Union Votes Censure of Soviet – 12
Kern Again Insists That He be Heard – 13
New Zealand Moves to Speed Production – 13
Churchill Urges British Vigilance – 14
Nazis Call Hamburg ‘Pulverization’ False; Exhibit City to Foreign Writers to Prove It – 14
Birthday Greetings Sent To Haakon by President – 14
U.S. Cash Policies Curb Brazil Trade – 15
New Jamestown Bridge Is Officially Opened; Spans Narragansett Bay to Canonicut Isle – 15
41,000 Hold Pilot Rating, Rise of 15,000 in a Year – 16
Major Sports Yesterday – 16
Invasion or Attrition? – 17
Texts of Day’s War Communiques – 18

News of the Week in Review
British Bombers that Carry the War to Germany (photo) – 20
International Summary – 21-22
National Summary – 22-23
Twenty News Questions – 23
The Strategic Battleground of the War (map) – 24
Descent upon England a Strategist’s Puzzle (by Herbert Rosinski) – 25-26
One More Week Passes, and No British Invasion (by Edwin L. James) – 28-29
Answers to Twenty News Questions - 29

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/aug40/f04aug40.htm

Royal Navy concentrates in home waters

Sunday, August 4, 1940 www.onwar.com

In the Mediterranean... British Force H leaves Gibraltar for home waters to counter the German invasion threat.

In the English Channel... There are German attacks on shipping.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/04.htm

August 4th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - oil plant at Sterkrade.
58 Sqn. Five aircraft. All bombed primary. One fighter seen, but no attack.

RAF Fighter Command: Weather, mainly fine. Little enemy activity reported. No aircraft lost.

Luftwaffe night raids on Mildenhall, Ely, Newark and near Debden, bombs fall for the first time on Cwmbran in Wales.

FRANCE: The Paris Soir newspaper reports that General Charles de Gaulle had been condemned to death in absentia for treason by a Vichy military court. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: The 30-minute radio show “Crime Doctor” debuts on CBS on Sunday at 2030 hours Eastern time. The plot has a unique twist. The hero, Dr. Benjamin Ordway, was a criminal who lost his memory when hit on the head but he built a new life studying medicine and went into psychiatry and after regaining his memory, he specializes in criminal psychology. The show remained on the air until October 1947 and Ordway was later played by John McIntire, Hugh Marlowe, Brian Donlevy and Everett Sloane. (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0922, the Newfoundland-registered Anglo-Newfoundland Steamship Co., merchantman Geraldine Mary (7,244 GRT) in Convoy HX-60 was torpedoed and sunk by U-52 about 270 miles WNW of Bloody Foreland. The master and 27 survivors were picked up by a British escort vessel and landed at
Methil on 8 August. Six survivors were rescued and landed at Liverpool and 14 others landed at Uig, Isle of Lewis. Among the survivors were four passengers. One passenger and two crewmembers were lost. GERALDINE MARY was part of the 60-ship Halifax to Liverpool Convoy HX-60 and was loaded with 6,112 tons of newsprint.

At 0335 and 0338, U-52 fired torpedoes at Convoy HX-60 about 300 miles WNW of Bloody Foreland and sank the King Alfred and Gogovale. All men from Gogovale were picked up by HMS Vanoc and landed at Liverpool.
The King Alfred broke in two, the bow sank and Vanoc, which also picked up the master and 33 crewmembers and landed them at Liverpool, sank the stern. Seven crewmembers were lost.

At 2120, the Pindos, a straggler from Convoy SL-40, was hit by two torpedoes from U-58 and capsized to port before sinking. The U-boat misidentified her as the British-flagged Limerick.

Trawler HMS Marsona mined and sunk off Cromarty.

Trawler HMS Drummer lost to unknown causes. (Dave Shirlaw)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 339 August 4, 1940

Battle of Britain Day 26. Despite fine weather over England, there is almost no Luftwaffe activity with just a few reconnaissance missions and half-hearted raids on shipping. However, 1 British pilot, J.P.Walsh of 616 Squadron, is killed when his Spitfire spins out of control during combat practice. There is no bombing overnight due to widespread fog.

East Africa. To reach Berbera (the main port and capital of British Somaliland), 125 miles away from the Ethiopian border, Italians need to cross rugged mountains almost 1 mile high. The main thrust takes the most direct route on the main road via Hargeisa, through the Karrim Pass, its flank protected by a smaller column a few miles to the East. Further West, another column advances along the border with French Somaliland. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Somaliland_Italian_invasion.png

At 9.20 PM, U-58 sinks Greek steamer Pindos (carrying 7590 tons of grain from Sierra Leone to Britain) 10 miles from the Irish coast, with 2 torpedoes (3 killed). 29 survivors reach County Donegal, Ireland, in the lifeboats. 300 miles Northwest of Ireland, U-52 sinks 3 British steamers in convoy HX-60 - SS Geraldine Mary (1 passenger and 2 crew killed, 4 passengers and 44 crew rescued and return to Britain), SS Gogovale (all 37 crew picked up by destroyer HMS Vanoc and landed at Liverpool), SS King Alfred (7 dead, 34 crew also picked up by HMS Vanoc). U-52 is then depth charged by Royal Navy escort vessels, causing significant damage. U-52 is able to sail to Kiel, Germany, for repairs and will be out of action until November 17. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/452.html

3 British minesweeping trawlers HMT Drummer (2 killed), Marsona (11 killed) and Oswaldian 12 lives lost, 7 survivors) are sunk on German mines laid at various points around the British coast. German antisubmarine trawler Perseus (UJ-175) hits a mine and sinks off Ameland Island on the Northwest coast of Holland.

A bad day for Norwegian merchant shipping. British submarine HMS Sealion sinks Norwegian steamer Torun 1 mile off the South coast of Norway. After dark, German armed merchant cruiser Widder stops empty Norwegian tanker Beaulieu with her guns (4 killed), in the middle of the North Atlantic 1700 miles East of Florida. 28 survivors take to the lifeboats and will be picked up by British tanker Cymbeline on August 13 and landed at Gibraltar. Widder is threatened by her own torpedo which becomes a circle runner and Beaulieu is finally sunk with scuttling charges. Widder’s Captain Helmuth Ruckteschell will be tried as a War Criminal in May 1947 and found guilty of other charges but acquitted of abandoning these survivors from Beaulieu.

[CougarGA7]

Battle of Britain Campaign Diary

Date: 4 August 1940

• Weather: Fair to fine early. Cloudy with bright intervals at midday, clearing in the evening.
• Day: Reconnaissance along the south coast and Bristol Channel.
• Night: Little activity.

  Enemy action by day

  Enemy activity has been slight during the day, possibly because of the bad weather conditions in various areas. A number of enemy reconnaissances have been made over the sea, mainly along the south coast and in the Bristol Channel area. No attacks have been reported. Several of the raids approaching the south coast were probably concerned with a convoy which was anchored in St Helen's Roads, Isle of Wight, owing to fog.

  Interceptions were hampered by weather conditions. One raid over the Isle of Wight was reported by the Observer Corps to have been intercepted.

  North and East Coast

  Only three raids were reported in this area during the day, two of which were probably Zenit flights. The third was plotted 50 miles east of Kinnaird's Head, approached to within 15 miles of the of the coast, and then turned back.

  East Coast

  One raid appeared off Whitby at 1446 hours, proceeded over Thornaby, re-crossed the coast over Flamborough Head, flew over a convoy and faded eastwards.

  South East Coast

  Four raids, all of which faded on the east coast, were reported. Fighters were despatched, and on one occasion they reported seeing a raid but were unable to contact the enemy.

  Southern Area

  Several raids approached the Isle of Wight during the day, of which four flew towards the convoy at anchor at the entrance to Spithead. These turned back when fighter patrols were despatched. Two raids crossed the coast; one near Poole passed over Southampton and out to sea again over Portsmouth; the other near Bournemouth, passing Middle Wallop and Upavon, re-crossed the coast near Poole, fading in the Baie de la Seine.

  West of England

  Six reconnaissance flights were plotted across Cornwall to the Bristol Channel and South Wales area, and five reconnaissance flights were plotted in the Cornwall and Devon areas searching for shipping and giving weather reports.

  One unidentified aircraft was detected patrolling for an hour on various courses between seventy and one hundred miles north east of Dunkerry Head.

  France

  Patrols were detected in the Calais and Dunkirk areas during the day.

  By night

  Widespread fog was reported. Less than half a dozen hostile raids were plotted.

  At about 2300 hours two raids crossed the coast near Immingham; Hull and Grimsby were under "red" warning. At the same time two raids crossed over Harwich, which went up through the Midlands as far as Derby, returned near London (purple), and passed out over the Kent coast having fired the correct signal.

  A further raid crossed in over East Anglia and appeared to attempt to locate aerodromes in the Cambridge area.

  

  ________________________________________

  Statistics

  Fighter Command Serviceable Aircraft as at 0900 hours, 4 August 1940

• Blenheim - 66
• Spitfire - 249
• Hurricane - 375
• Defiant - 21
• Total – 711

  Casualties:

• Enemy: Nil.

• Own: Nil.

  Patrols:

• 90 patrols despatched involving 275 aircraft.

  Balloons:

• Flying 1484. Casualties 30.

  Aerodromes:

• Catterick is today reported to be unserviceable.

  Organisation:

• Middle Wallop Sector came under the control of No 10 group at 1300 hours, 4th August. No 604 Squadron (Blenheims), No 238 Squadron (Hurricanes), No 609 squadron (Spitfires) and No 152 Squadron (Spitfires) are therefore now operating under No 10 Group control.

  Air Intelligence Reports

• Several reports have been received of the general success of our [bombing] raids, which are reported to have been considerably more effective in the last week of July. The quality of our pilots and aircraft are now being openly commented upon and the public are nervous as to what will happen in the Spring, when we may have air superiority. They are at present buoyed by the hope, so frequently promised, of the rapid defeat of England, and if this should not happen, the patience of the public, already sorely tried, may well become exhausted and internal difficulties follow. It is reported that the raids have been particularly felt at Kiel and Aachen.
• A highly placed neutral passing through Berlin reports that the indifference of the population to the German victories has to be seen to be believed.
• In Holland, a highly placed neutral reports that our attacks on aerodromes have been most effective and the inhabitants of Amsterdam got no sleep at all towards the end of June.

  Home Security Reports

• Date: 3rd/4th/5th August 1940

• General Summary

• Shortly before midnight on the 3rd August enemy aircraft visited Gloucestershire and in the early hours of the morning of the 4th August South Wales and Scotland.
• There was no activity during the day of the 4th August but at about midnight and in the early hours of 5th August enemy aircraft were active over Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire.

• Detailed Summary

• At 0014 hours on the morning of the 5th August the military camp at Kennett (Cambridgeshire) was bombed which resulted in one soldier being killed and twelve being injured.
• Further leaflets of Hitler's speech were dropped during the early morning of the 4th August at Langstone, Raglan, Glais (near Swansea), Helmsley, Wass (Yorkshire), Elan Valley (South Wales), Clydach (Glamorgan), Rogerstone and Christchurch (near Newport, Monmouthshire).

  Battle of Britain

[CougarGA7]

Interesting that the Italian invasion of British Somaliland is not getting much play in the newspaper or the daily recap websites with only one brief mention in the worldwar2daybyday blog. I assume that the Times just hasn't gotten the wind of this yet since it is just getting started and the news from this region is bound to move slowly. But interesting enough, even the British National Archives has sparse mention of the event. The Daily Reports in the War Cabinet do not take the matter up until the 7th of August and the weekly report for August 1st through 8th only has this to say:

British Somaliland.

18. The Italian invasion of British Somaliland began on 4th August. The following day a strong Italian attack developed from the East and South-East. In the face of vastly superior number our garrisons at Hargeisa (one company N. Rhodesia Regiment and one company Somaliland Camel Corps) and Oadweina (two troops Somaliland Camel Corps) carried out a withdrawal. The Italians have also occupied Zeilah.

The enemy will probably endeavor to obtain a series of rapid successes before the cessation of the rains. On the other land frontiers of Italian East Africa military activity has been confined to reconnaissance.

The British Somaliland Camel Corps certainly has a Lawrence of Arabia look and feel to them.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I assume that the Times just hasn't gotten the wind of this yet since it is just getting started and the news from this region is bound to move slowly.

The story will build up to big headlines within a few days. Well, medium-big, anyway. I mean, where the heck is British Somaliland?

[CougarGA7]

Well, medium-big, anyway. I mean, where the heck is British Somaliland?

Heck, I don't know, but I think that's where MGM got those Munchkins for that Wizard of Oz movie last year.

[PAR35]

Two points about one of the stories.

-Sounds like the girl didn’t have enough faith.

-I thought the snakehandlers used rattlesnakes, not copperheads.

[BroJoeK]

"Gallup Survey Gives Willkie Lead In Electoral Vote of the Nation – 7-9"

Whew! Finally, after eight long years of FDR's insane economic policies, Americans are coming to their senses, and will elect a new, more conservative President to restore prosperity, and keep us out of foreign wars.

It is so good to know that Americans do, eventually, "get it" and reject unconstitutional socialistic and redistributionist policies -- once they are proved ineffective.

No doubt the lesson will have to be repeated again -- by, oh, say, 2010?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Whew! Finally, after eight long years of FDR's insane economic policies, Americans are coming to their senses, and will elect a new, more conservative President to restore prosperity, and keep us out of foreign wars.

I don't know. I'm afraid you and Dr. Gallup are underestimating the seductive power of the free lunch agenda the Democrats will be running on until it doesn't work any more.

In case you missed it, Dr. Gallup conducted a poll of movie fans, which appears on the August 9 movie review thread. I'm not sure what to conclude from the results, except that northeasterners are cheaper than the average American.