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Today in World War II History—September 23, 1940 & 1945

Bantam jeep, towing a 37 mm Gun M3 piece, jumping over a small hill, New River, NC, 1941 (Library of Congress: LC-USW33-027832-ZC DLC)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 23, 1940: Free French and British troops attempt to land at Dakar in French West Africa, but are repelled by Vichy French forces.

The design for the jeep is submitted to the US Army by Bantam, originally called the Pilot.

Rubble from a destroyed Buddhist Temple in Nagasaki, Japan, 24 Sep 1945 (US National Archives: 127-N-136176)

80 Years Ago—Sept. 23, 1945: Egypt demands modification of Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 to end British military presence in Egypt and to annex Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (not complete until 1954-56).

US Marines land at Nagasaki, Japan.

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Today in World War II History—September 22, 1940 & 1945

Statue of Paul Revere, Boston, erected 22 September 1940 (Photo: Sarah Sundin, July 2014)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 22, 1940: Under Japanese pressure, Vichy France ratifies treaty allowing Japanese to occupy air bases and harbors in Indochina; Japanese troops enter French Indochina later that night.

In Boston, the statue of Paul Revere is unveiled in Paul Revere Mall near the Old North Church.

US Gen. George Patton and Soviet Gen. Georgy Zhukov, Berlin, Germany, 7 Sep 1945 (US National Archives)

80 Years Ago—Sept. 22, 1945: Gen. George Patton publicly criticizes US “de-Nazification” process for German officers.

In Japan, US Marines land at Sasebo and Kure for occupation duty.

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Today in World War II History—September 21, 1940 & 1945

Air raid shelter in a London Underground station during the Blitz, 1940-41 (US National Archives: 195768)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 21, 1940: Britain officially sanctions Underground stations as air raid shelters (already being used); electric rails are turned off at night to open more room for shelter.

British Museum artifacts, including the Elgin Marbles, are hidden in the Aldwych tube station.

80 Years Ago—Sept. 21, 1945: Henry Ford II succeeds his grandfather, Henry Ford, as president of Ford Motor Company.

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Today in World War II History—September 20, 1940 & 1945

Morrison shelter in use, WWII (Imperial War Museum: D 2055)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 20, 1940: In Britain, the patent is filed for the Morrison indoor air raid shelter.

US correspondent Edward R. Murrow makes his first live radio broadcast for CBS from London rooftops.

Movie premiere of The Westerner, starring Gary Cooper.

German Abwehr agent Wulf Schmidt is arrested in Cambridgeshire, where he parachuted in the previous day; he will be turned by MI5 to become double agent “Tate” and will send false messages to Germany through May 1945. (Read more: “Double Cross – Britain’s Double Agents in World War II”)

80 Years Ago—Sept. 20, 1945: British and US Seventh Fleet warships anchor at Shanghai, China.

German rocket engineers begin work in US rocket program.

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Today in World War II History—September 19, 1940 & 1945

Police and Army bomb disposal officers with a defused German 1000kg ‘Luftmine’ (parachute mine) in Glasgow, 18 March 1941 (Imperial War Museum: H 8281)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 19, 1940: In raid on London, the Luftwaffe first uses parachute mines with timed fuses.

Secret Polish Army (TAP) leader Witold Pilecki voluntarily has himself sent to Auschwitz so he can report on activities and organize resistance in the camp; he escapes in 1943.

80 Years Ago—Sept. 19, 1945: British and French troops suppress Vietnamese nationalist insurgents in Saigon.

Congress Party of India begins negotiations with British about independence.

US Sixth Army arrives in Japan for occupation duties.

Shirley Temple (age 17) marries Sgt. John Agar, US Fourth Air Force, in Los Angeles.

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Today in World War II History—September 18, 1940 & 1945

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Anthony rescues survivors from a lifeboat from SS City of Benares which had been adrift for eight days after the ship was sunk, 26 Sept 1940 (Imperial War Museum: CH 1354)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 18, 1940: In the North Atlantic, U-48 sinks Children’s Overseas Reception Board ship SS City of Benares carrying evacuees from Britain to Canada (260 killed, including 77 of 90 children).

Italian offensive in Egypt halts near Sidi Barrani for 3 months due to supply difficulties.

Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Washington, DC, 10 Aug 1945 (US National Archives: 199142)

80 Years Ago—Sept. 18, 1945: Henry L. Stimson resigns as US Secretary of War.

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Today in World War II History—September 17, 1940 & 1945

German barges for planned invasion of England, at Wilhelmshaven, 1940 (German Federal Archive: Bild 101II-MN-1369-10A)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 17, 1940: The RAF and Royal Navy have now sunk 12% of the German invasion fleet (21 transports & 214 barges).

Hitler postpones the invasion of England, Operation “Seelöwe,” indefinitely.

In a gale, British barrage balloons break loose, cross the North Sea, and cause damage to Swedish and Danish power lines, radio stations, and rail.

80 Years Ago—Sept. 17, 1945: Forty-five German SS officers go on trial at Lüneburg for crimes at Auschwitz and Belsen.

US begins returning 7 million Japanese soldiers and civilians in formerly Japanese-occupied areas to Japan.

Canada removes controls on employment that barred changing jobs and required work in war industries.

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Today in World War II History—September 16, 1940 & 1945

President Roosevelt signs the Selective Service Training and Service Act on Sept. 16, 1940 (US government photo)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 16, 1940: President Roosevelt signs the Selective Service Training and Service Act: men aged 20-36 are required to register for the draft, the first peacetime draft in US history.

First flight of Lockheed YP-38 Lightning fighter plane, in Burbank, CA.

Alice Duer Miller’s bestselling narrative poem The White Cliffs is published.

80 Years Ago—Sept. 16, 1945: Japanese forces in Hong Kong officially surrender to the British.

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Today in World War II History—September 15, 1940 & 1945

Condensation trails left by British and German aircraft after a dogfight over Britain, 18 September 1940 (Imperial War Museum: 4700-37 H 4219)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 15, 1940: Battle of Britain Day: RAF deters a 500-plane attack on London and shoots down 56 German planes, while losing 26.

Gandhi says his All-India Congress Party will neither help nor hinder the British war effort.

Patch of the US Fifteenth Air Force, WWII

80 Years Ago—Sept. 15, 1945: US Fifteenth Air Force, which flew strategic bombing missions from Italy to Nazi-occupied Europe, is inactivated.

British ships arrive at Jakarta, Sumatra, but do not land due to conflict between Indonesians and Japanese.

A hurricane and subsequent fires at Richmond Naval Air Station, FL, destroy 366 aircraft & 25 airships, greater loss of aircraft than at Pearl Harbor.

Movie premiere of Along the Navajo Trail, starring Roy Rogers & Dale Evans.

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Today in World War II History—September 14, 1940 & 1945

King Michael I of Romania and Gen. Ion Antonescu, August 1941 (public domain via Wikipedia)

85 Years Ago—Sept. 14, 1940: At ports in France and the Low Countries, RAF and Royal Navy destroy German barges loading for the invasion of England.

In Romania, Gen. Ion Antonescu of the Iron Guard establishes a fascist dictatorship.

80 Years Ago—Sept. 14, 1945: US War Refugee Board is dissolved; it had helped 200,000 European Jews and brought 1,000 to the US.

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