Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 33

Today in World War II History—December 3, 1939 & 1944

The 1,154-ft ft bridge across the Chindwin River in Burma as it neared completion; this would be the longest Bailey Bridge ever, 2 Dec 1944 (Imperial War Museum: SE 835)

85 Years Ago—Dec. 3, 1939: As Soviets advance in Finland, Finnish troops drop back to the Mannerheim Line.

An RAF Wellington accidentally drops bombs on Helgoland Bight in Germany, the first British bombs on German soil in WWII, but no damage is done.

80 Years Ago—Dec. 3, 1944: Civil war breaks out in Greece between communists and royalists.

British Eighth Army opens drive for Bologna, Italy.

British begin a major offensive in Burma, with the Indian 20th Division crossing the Chindwin River at Kalewa.

The word genocide is introduced in the Washington Post from the book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, coined by Polish Jewish immigrant Raphael Lemkin.

Col. Elliott Roosevelt, son of the president, marries actress Faye Emerson.

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Today in World War II History—December 2, 1939 & 1944

Posters for the planned 1940 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, then in Helsinki (both in public domain)

85 Years Ago—Dec. 2, 1939: 1940 Summer Olympic Games—originally scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan, and then changed to Helsinki, Finland—are cancelled due to the war.

New York Municipal Airport (later named LaGuardia) opens for traffic.

80 Years Ago—Dec. 2, 1944: Army-Navy football game is played at Baltimore’s Municipal Stadium with proceeds going to war bonds; Army wins 23-7.

New song in US Top Ten—“Don’t Fence Me In.”

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Today in World War II History—December 1, 1939 & 1944

Edward Stettinius, 1941 (Library of Congress)

85 Years Ago—Dec. 1, 1939: After previous day’s Soviet invasion of Finland, Risto Ryti replaces Aimo Cajander as Prime Minister of Finland.

Britain designates the Orkney & Shetland Islands as a protected area; only residents, service members & police are allowed without a permit.

80 Years Ago—Dec. 1, 1944: Edward Stettinius becomes US Secretary of State after Cordell Hull’s resignation.

Gen. Jules Bastin, commander of underground Belgian Armée Secrète, dies at Gross-Rosen concentration camp.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory launches “Private A” at Camp Irwin, CA, the first American multistage ballistic rocket.

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Today in World War II History—November 30, 1939 & 1944

Burning building in Helsinki, Finland after Soviet bombing, 30 November 1939 (public domain via Wikipedia)

85 Years Ago—Nov. 30, 1939: Soviet Army invades Finland, beginning the Winter War.

80 Years Ago—Nov. 30, 1944: Poland puts Nazi commandant and guards from Majdanek concentration camp on trial.

HMS Vanguard is launched at Clydebank, Scotland, the world’s last battleship to be launched (she will not see service in WWII).

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Today in World War II History—November 29, 1944

Battle flag of submarine USS Archerfish, WWII (US Navy photo)

80 Years Ago—Nov. 29, 1944: Submarine USS Archerfish sinks Japanese carrier Shinano on her maiden voyage, at 59,000 tons the largest warship sunk by any sub during the war.

German spies William Colepaugh and Erich Gimpel are landed by U-boat U-1230 at Hancock Point, ME; both are arrested by 1/1/45.

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Today in World War II History—November 28, 1939 & 1944

Oil being unloaded from SS Fort Cataraqui at Antwerp, 30 Nov 1944, the first ship to berth at the port after Allied takeover (Imperial War Museum: 4700-29 B 12260)

85 Years Ago—Nov. 28, 1939: USSR denounces its 1932 non-aggression pact with Finland.

80 Years Ago—Nov. 28, 1944: Allies open port of Antwerp, Belgium, as the first convoy of supply ships arrives.

Albania is secured by partisans as Germans evacuate.

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Today in World War II History—November 27, 1939 & 1944

US Secretary of State Cordell Hull, September 1944 (US Department of State)

85 Years Ago—Nov. 27, 1939: Nobel Committee announces cancellation of 1939 Peace Prize.

Japanese capture Nanning, China, an important railhead.

An earthquake of magnitude 8 kills over 20,000 in Erzhcam, Turkey.

80 Years Ago—Nov. 27, 1944: Aircraft from British carrier Implacable sink German freighter Rigel carrying 2248 Soviet POWs; 415 survive.

Explosion at an underground bomb dump in Hanbury, England, kills 67 and leaves a ¼-mile-wide crater.

Cordell Hull resigns as US Secretary of State.

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Today in World War II History—November 26, 1939 & 1944

B-24 Liberators of the US 491st Bombardment Group, 1944 (US Air Force Historical Research Agency)

85 Years Ago—Nov. 26, 1939: Soviets shell Mainila, Russia, and claim the Finns did it, to justify their upcoming invasion of Finland.

80 Years Ago—Nov. 26, 1944: US 491st Bombardment Group loses 15 of 28 B-24 Liberators over Misburg, Germany, in only 15 minutes.

First Allied boats traverse the Scheldt Estuary safely, allowing the port of Antwerp, Belgium to open.

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Today in World War II History—November 25, 1939 & 1944

Poster for the 1940 Winter Olympics, scheduled to be held in February 1940 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and canceled (University of Oslo)

85 Years Ago—Nov. 25, 1939: 1940 Winter Olympic Games, originally scheduled to be held in Sapporo, Japan, then St. Moritz, Switzerland, and then Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, are cancelled due to the war.

Lt. Gen. Mark Clark and Lt. Gen. Lucian Truscott in Italy, Dec 1944 (US Army photo)

80 Years Ago—Nov. 25, 1944: German V-2 rocket hits Woolworth department store in London, killing 168.

Nazis demolish crematoria and gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Gen. Mark Clark is named to command 15th Army Group (Allied Armies in Italy); Gen. Lucian Truscott will replace him over US Fifth Army in Italy.

Reg Saunders becomes the first Aborigine commissioned officer in the Australian Army.

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Today in World War II History—November 24, 1939 & 1944

US airmen reading a bulletin announcing their Saipan-based unit’s first bombing of Tokyo, Japan on 24 Nov 1944 (US National Archives 56681 AC)

85 Years Ago—Nov. 24, 1939: Gestapo executes 120 Czech students accused of participating in an anti-Nazi conspiracy.

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) is created by Act of Parliament.

Map of Allied 6th Army Group front, 26 Nov 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—Nov. 24, 1944: US B-29 Superfortress bombers bomb Tokyo for the first time.

Japanese capture Nanning, completing a land corridor between occupied China and Indochina.

In controversial decision, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower orders the 6th Army Group not to cross the Rhine but to drive north and assist Patton’s Third Army.

In Terrace, BC, Canadian conscripts (many are French-Canadian) mutiny when they hear they might be sent overseas, the largest mutiny in Canadian history; put down by 11/29; news of the mutiny is censored.

France establishes Commission de Récupération Artistique (CRA) to return looted artwork, with curator Rose Valland as secretary.

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