BRITISH BOMB BEIRUT, SYRIA IS TENSE (6/5/41)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 6/5/41 | C.L. Sulzberger, Otto D. Tolischus

[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. Also visit our general discussion thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
North Africa – Rommel’s First Offensive, 24 March-15 June 1941
Marcks’ Plan, August 5, 1940
Operation Barbarossa (Dir. 21), December 18, 1940
The Mediterranean Basin
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

[Homer_J_Simpson]

R.A.F. Raids French – 2-3
Japanese Claim a Great Victory – 3
Spain Will Create Manchukuo Legation – 3
Mosul is Occupied by British Troops – 4
The International Situation – 4
8,000 British Taken in Crete, Nazis Say – 5
Germans Deny Plan for ‘U.S. of Europe’ – 5
Hull Stresses Curb on Gasoline Exports – 5
The Texts of the Day’s War Communiques – 6

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/jun41/f05jun41.htm

Japanese bombing kills many Chinese

Thursday, June 5, 1941 www.onwar.com

In China... A Japanese air raid on Chungking results in 700 Chinese being entombed and suffocated in a tunnel shelter.

In Washington... The US Army Bill for 1942 is introduced into Congress. It calls for appropriations amounting to $10,400,000,000.

In the Mediterranean... The British submarine Taku sinks 3 Italian ships in a gun battle off the coast of Libya.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/05.htm

June 5th, 1941

UNITED KINGDOM: London: Speaking at the Labour Party’s annual conference, MP, Manny Shinwell says: ‘Roosevelt’s statement on our shipping losses did not disclose all the facts. It was a triumph of understatement. The position is much worse than he said. Unless we can speedily repair our vessels ... and replace ships lost ... I do not know whether victory is within sight, because ultimate victory rests upon the inviobility of seapower.’
SYRIA:3 British Blenheims raid Aleppo airfield, where a number of Italian CR.42 fighters and SM.79 transport aircraft had been observed. One aircraft and a hangar were demolished. Three French Morane 406 fighters tried in vain to ward off the attack.

PALESTINE: General Wilson directs that Maj-Gen Lavarack and HQ 1st Australian Corps will take over the direction of the Syrian campaign after Damascus and Beirut have been secured. Until then, Wilson proposes to command the invasion himself from the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Brig Rowell (Australian BGGS in Palestine) protests that this is not feasible and that 1st Aust Corps should command the invasion from the start. Wilson disagrees but later events will force the adoption of Rowell’s proposal.

Anticipating this, HQ 1 Aust Corps moves to Nazareth. (Michael Alexander)

CANADA: Corvettes HMCS Buctouche and Sherbrooke are commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Washington: The Roosevelt administration asks Congress for $10,400 million for defence spending in 1942, in the army appropriation. [This is equivalent to US $ 122.4 billion in Year 2000 dollars (Jack McKillop)]

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The first submarine is sunk by an RAF aircraft equipped with metre-wave radar and the new Leigh Light, a searchlight fitted beneath the wing. The pilot is PO W. Howell, a US citizen who had joined the RAF before the war. (Cris Wetton)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 643 June 4, 1941

Royal Navy continues rounding up German supply ships all over the Atlantic. 750 miles Southwest of Cape Verde islands, cruiser HMS London and destroyer HMS Brilliant intercept tanker Esso Hamburg which is then scuttled by her crew (all 87 hands rescued). 380 miles Northeast of the Azores, supply ship Gonzenheim is located by armed merchant cruiser HMS Esperance Bay and aircraft from carrier HMS Victorious. Battleship HMS Nelson and cruiser HMS Neptune intercept and attempt to board but then Gonzenheim is scuttled (63 crew rescued by HMS Neptune). In the same area, tanker Gedania (carrying 48 torpedoes) is captured by ocean boarding vessel HMS Marsdale. Gedania will be renamed Empire Garden and used by the British.

At 5.03 AM 1200 miles West of Brest, France, U-101 stops British SS Trecarrell with torpedoes (4 crew lost). 39 crew and 4 gunners abandon ship in 3 lifeboats and a raft (later picked up by British steam merchant Cornerbrook and landed at Halifax). U-101 tries to finish her off with the deck gun but Matrosenobergefreiter Horst Jackl is thrown overboard by the recoil and lost. At 6.40 AM, U-101 rams the wreck, bending her bow, and then gives up and allows SS Trecarrell to sink on her own.

British dredger Robert Hughes hits a mine (laid by U-69 on May 27) and sinks in Lagos Harbour, Nigeria (14 killed, 17 crew members rescued).

Dutch minelayer HNLMS Van Meerlant hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary (3 killed).

[PzLdr]

Isn’t today the start of Operation Battleaxe? Or am I getting senile?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I am not permitted to diagnose mental illness over the internet but, whatever the reason, you are off by ten days. According to Winnie it will begin early June 15.

[Genoa]

Homer, I see the date now, but you're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days.

[PzLdr]

Well, at least there was a “5” involved. Thanks!

[abb]

Now you’ve made me go and look up that operation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Battleaxe

All this desert warfare reporting is making me want to go and drag up some old episodes of The Rat Patrol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rat_Patrol

[henkster]

Ah...”The Rat Patrol.” What a show; I had a “Rat Patrol” lunchbox in elementary school.

[henkster]

Some more insight on the Iraq situation.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2730175/posts

My apologies if already referenced.

[PzLdr]

“The Rat Patrol”: When Eric Braeden was still Hans Gudegast.