Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 328
September 23, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 23, 1940
Bantam jeep, towing a 37 mm Gun M3 piece, jumping over a small hill, New River, NC, 1941 (Library of Congress)
75 Years Ago—Sept. 23, 1940: Free French and British attempt to land at Dakar in French West Africa, but are repelled by Vichy forces. The design for the jeep is submitted to the US Army by Bantam, originally called the Pilot.
September 22, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 22, 1940 & 1945
Statue of Paul Revere, Boston, erected 22 September 1940. (Photo: Sarah Sundin, July 2014)
75 Years Ago—Sept. 22, 1940: Vichy France ratifies treaty allowing Japanese to occupy air bases & harbors in Indochina. In Boston, the statue of Paul Revere is unveiled in Paul Revere Mall near the Old North Church.
70 Years Ago—Sept. 22, 1945: Patton publicly criticizes US “de-Nazification” process for German officers. In Japan, US Marines land at Sasebo, Kure, and Nagasaki.
Pile of rubble from a destroyed Buddhist Temple in Nagasaki, Japan, 24 Sep 1945. (US National Archives)
September 21, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 21, 1940 & 1945
Air raid shelter in a London Underground station during the Blitz. (US National Archives)
75 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 Aldwych tube station.
70 Years Ago—Sept. 21, 1945: Henry Ford II succeeds his grandfather, Henry Ford, as president of Ford Motor Company.
September 20, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 20, 1940 & 1945
Morrison shelter in use. (Imperial War Museum)
75 Years Ago—Sept. 20, 1940: In Britain, the patent is filed for Morrison indoor air raid shelter. Movie premiere of The Westerner, starring Gary Cooper.
70 Years Ago—Sept. 20, 1945: British and US warships anchor at Shanghai, China. German rocket engineers begin work in US rocket program.
September 19, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 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)
75 Years Ago—Sept. 19, 1940: In raid on London, the Luftwaffe uses parachute mines with timed fuses for the first time.
70 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. Shirley Temple (age 17) marries Sgt. John Agar, US Fourth Air Force, in Los Angeles.
September 18, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 18, 1940 & 1945
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Anthony rescues survivors from a lifeboat from SS City of Benares which had been been adrift for nine days after the ship sank on 17 September 1940. (Imperial War Museum)
75 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 77/90 children). Italian offensive in Egypt halts near Sidi Barrani for 3 months due to supply difficulties.
70 Years Ago—Sept. 18, 1945: Henry L. Stimson resigns as US Secretary of War.
September 17, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 17, 1940 & 1945
German barges for planned invasion of England, at Wilhelmshaven, 1940 (German Federal Archive: Bild 101II-MN-1369-10A)
75 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 “Seelöwe” indefinitely.
70 Years Ago—Sept. 17, 1945: Forty-five Nazi SS officers go on trial at Lüneburg for crimes at Auschwitz and Belsen.
September 16, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 16, 1940 & 1945
President Roosevelt signs the Selective Service Training and Service Act on Sept. 16, 1940 (US Government photo)
75 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. First flight of Lockheed YP-38 Lightning fighter plane, in Burbank, CA.
70 Years Ago—Sept. 16, 1945: Japanese forces in Hong Kong officially surrender to the British.
September 15, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 15, 1940 & 1945
Condensation trails left by British and German aircraft after a dogfight over Britain, 18 September 1940 (Imperial War Museum)
75 Years Ago—Sept. 15, 1940: Battle of Britain Day: RAF deters a 500-plane attack on London and downs 60 German planes, while losing 26. Gandhi says the All-India Congress Party will neither aid nor impede British war effort.
70 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. Movie premiere of Along the Navajo Trail, starring Roy Rogers & Dale Evans.
September 14, 2015
Today in World War II History—Sept. 14, 1940 & 1945
King Michael of Romania and Gen. Ion Antonescu, August 1941 (public domain)
75 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.
70 Years Ago—Sept. 14, 1945: US War Refugee Board is dissolved; it had helped 200,000 European Jews come to US.
