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 […]
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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
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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