Year 1940

Diary for Friday, July 12, 1940: Air War Hurricane fighters destroy four bombers attacking convoy off Suffolk coast. Night raids on Aberdeen (60 casualties) and Cardiff. Neutrals Russia: Kuusinen, former […]

Diary for Thursday, July 11, 1940: Neutrals Vichy France: President Lebrun resigns; Petain proclaims himself ‘Head of the French State’, abolishes Republican Constitution of 1875, and dismisses Senate and Chamber

Diary for Wednesday, July 10, 1940: Air War BATTLE OF BRITAIN (for Britain DAY 1; but in fact the real German operation was starting more than one month later, on

Diary for Tuesday, July 9, 1940: Sea War Mediterranean: Naval action off Calabria (Battle of Punta Stilo). British Mediterranean Fleet attempts to cut off Italian Fleet from its Taranto base,

Diary for Monday, July 8, 1940: Home Fronts Britain: 9 BEF divisions, rescued from Dunkirk, have now been reorganized. Tea rationing begins (2 oz (ca. 76 g) per person per

Diary for Sunday, July 7, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: British naval forces disable battleship Richelieu at Dakar, following French rejection of ultimatum: motor launch drops depth charges under battleship’s stern

Diary for Saturday, July 6, 1940: Home Fronts Germany: Hitler returns to Berlin in triumph after eight weeks ‘in the field’. Sea War French battlecruiser Dunkerque crippled at Mers-el-Kebir by

Diary for Friday, July 5, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: Destroyer Whirlwind sunk by U-boat U 34 southwest of Ireland. Vichy-French warships and submarines capture three British merchant ships in reprisal

Diary for Thursday, July 4, 1940: Sea War Ju 87 Stukas and German E-boats attack convoy, south of Portland, sinking five merchant ships and auxiliary anti-aircraft (AA) ship Foyle Bank.

Diary for Wednesday, July 3, 1940: Sea War THE MERS-EL-KEBIR AFFAIR (Operation Catapult): British ‘Force H’ opens fire on French naval squadron in Mers-el-Kebir naval base, Algeria, after failure of

Diary for Tuesday, July 2, 1940: Sea War British liner Arandora Star (15,501 t), carrying 1,500 Italian and German internees and PoWs to Canada, sunk by U-boat U-47 west of

Diary for Monday, July 1, 1940: Occupied countries Channel Islands: German occupation completed. Air War Hull and Wick (northeast Scotland) bombed in daylight; 12 killed, 22 injured. 12 Hampdens bomb

Diary for Sunday, June 30, 1940: France Franco-German-Italian Armistice Commission in session at Wiesbaden. Surrender of 220,000 French troops cut off in underground fortresses of Maginot Line. Occupied countries Channel

Diary for Saturday, June 29, 1940: Politics German Government White Book published containing details of Allied plans to ‘invade’ Low Countries.

Diary for Friday, June 28, 1940: Neutrals Romania: Rumanian Government submits to Russian ultimatum of June 26. Russian paratroops and armored forces enter Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina; several major clashes

Diary for Thursday, June 27, 1940: Sea War Britain announces general blockade of European Coastline from Bay of Biscay to North Cape of Norway. British destroyers and Sunderland flying boats

Diary for Wednesday, June 26, 1940: Politics French Ambassador in London (M. Corbin) resigns. Russian ultimatum to Romania demanding immediate handover of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina districts.

Diary for Tuesday, June 25, 1940: Home Fronts Germany – Armistice celebrations: Hitler issues proclamation announcing ‘the end of the war in the West’ and ‘the most glorious victory of

Diary for Monday, June 24, 1940: Politics FRANCO-ITALIAN ARMISTICE signed at Villa Inchesa, near Rome, by General Huntziger and Marshal Badoglio. Armistice Terms: demilitarized zones to be established along Franco-Italian

Diary for Sunday, June 23, 1940: Occupied countries France: General de Gaulle forms French National Committee in London. Hitler makes sightseeing tour of Paris. France Italians occupy Riviera resort of