Monday, August 2, 2021
Lex Anteinternet: Friday August 1, 1941. New things.
Sunday, June 20, 2021
June 20, 1941. The Army Air Corps becomes the Army Air Forces.
On this day in 1941, expressing its growing significance and the need to increase its autonomy, the United States Army Air Corps became the United States Army Air Forces.
The date I learned here:
Today in World War II History—June 20, 1941
The evolution had been occurring for some time so the increased degree of separation from the rest of the Army was not surprising. None the less, it stopped short of full separation, as Air Force would not become a separate branch of service until 1947.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
July 16, 1941. The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport opened.
It was the Washington National Airport in 1941.
The airport opened, obviously, just before the United States' entry into the Second World War, it's 1941 opening partially explained by a prohibition in airport funding that was lifted in 1938.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Lex Anteinternet: May 18, 1941. Airy Matters.
May 18, 1941. Airy Matters.
On this day in 1941, Stalin's government began a purge of Soviet air force officers, which I'm aware of only due to this item:
Today in World War II History—May 18, 1941
By this point in 1941 the signs were there that Germany was getting set to invade the Soviet Union. Eliminating air force officers was a bizarre thing to do, given the risk of impending war. But much about Stalin's reign was bizarre.
Speaking of things airborne, the RAF inserted a company of British troops on the Baghdad road in Iraq by air, using Vickers Valentia's to do so.
The German Navy commenced Operation Rheinübung with the Bismarck. It would prove to be a short sortie.
It's mission was to raid British convoys.
Petty Officer Alfred Sephton would receive the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions in directing anti aircraft fire on the HMS Coventry on this day in 1941. The Coventry was aiding the Aba, a hospital ship under attack by German dive bombers.
More about that can be found here:
Petty Officer Sephton wins the Victoria Cross
Prince Aimone, the Duke of Aosta, was crowned the King of the Independent State of Croatia. He never went there, however, and refused to do so over the issue of Italian annexation of Dalmatian land, making him a particular odd character in that he was an Italian and an officer in the Italian navy. Following Italy switching sides, he resigned his presumptive kingship and served again in the Italian Navy. He resigned his ducal title upon the fall of the Italian monarchy.
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Lex Anteinternet: May 11, 1941. Things airborne
May 11, 1941. Things airborne
On this day in 1941 France brokered a deal with Germany for the release of POWs who were World War One veterans, save for professional soldiers, in exchange for German use of Syrian airfields in the German effort to aid Iraq.
Many of those French soldiers would only have been in their late 30s and 40s, well within military age, but not young men either.
German aircraft flew in Iraq for the first time on this day as well, although the Iraqis were already losing ground.
Hitler received the news that his second in the Nazi Party, Rudolph Hess had flown to the United Kingdom. It came in the form of a letter from Hess. Hitler was shocked.
The Blitz, as we noted yesterday, was over.
Monday, May 10, 2021
Lex Anteinternet: May 10, 1941. Hess jumps, the Luftwaffe quits, Be...
May 10, 1941. Hess jumps, the Luftwaffe quits, Belgian workers walk.
On this day in 1941 Rudolph Hess, operating on his own initiative, took a German aircraft and flew himself to the UK with the expressed intent to broker a peace between Germany and the British Empire.
It's easy to sum up Hess as delusional, which he was. He was peculiar in other ways, however, which is saying something as the Nazi leadership was overall peculiar. He'd spent his youth in Egypt, where he was born of German parents, where he acquired an intense racism against non Europeans, rather than being broadened in his views as a person would suspect. He also, from that experience, came to admire the British. He'd served in World War One and emerged into an economy in which his family's business interests, of which it had been intended he'd be part of, had been badly damaged by the war, and in particular by the British seizing German interest in Egypt. He was a very early member of the Nazi Party. He became the Deputy Fuhrer of the party, an extremely high position in the German Nazi regime. Following the start of the war his antisemitism grew.
On this day in 1941 he flew a Bf110 to Scotland in the belief that he could establish contacts with friendly British interest and negotiate a peace with the UK. Based on the statement he intended to deliver at the Nuremburg Trial and again attempted to issue in written form in 1986, he actually believed that he'd be able to negotiate a peace and bring the UK into the war against the Soviet Union, something that was then on the near horizon in German planning.
Hess used a Bf110 for his mission, which was a substantial aircraft. He ran out of fuel near his target, a British estate that he mistakenly believed would house a sympathetic family, and bailed out, breaking his ankle and resulting in his capture by a Scottish farmer. He was placed in the Tower of London where he spent the rest of the war. The mission was hugely embarrassing to the Germans as Hess was a significant figure in the Nazi Party, and it was somewhat embarrassing to the British at it was both a reminder of there having been some significant members of British aristocracy who had sympathized with the Nazis before the war and because such a substantially sized aircraft had penetrated over Scotland without detection.
Following the war he was a defendant at the Nuremburg trials. Being convicted, he spent the rest of his life a prisoner at Spandau Prison in Berlin where he remained an unrepentant Nazi, and he remained a prisoner far longer than any other figure sentenced to prison. As he had very little in the way of a role after the war started, and served so many more years than any other German prisoner, there were fairly serious efforts to secure his release in later years, which tended to discount that his views had not changed at all. Neither had the Soviets, however, who vetoed any release as they firmly believed that he was aware of plans to invade the Soviet Union and, therefore, could have warned the British who would have warned them. At least according to one story, on a single occasion when the Soviets failed to veto his release, the British did. The prison was torn down following his death in order to avoid having it turned into a Nazi shrine. His grave did become one, however, so in 2011 the Lutheran church on whose grounds it was located had the remains removed and the tombstone destroyed.
On the same day that Hess flew to Scotland, the Luftwaffe bombed London again. You can read of both events here:
Today in World War II History—May 10, 1941
Huge raid on London
The London raid was the Luftwaffe's last largescale aircraft bombing raid on the city of the war. The Blitz was winding down and in fact the nighttime raid, which also covered the following morning, ended the campaign. German air raids over the UK would continue to the end of the war in a lesser capacity, but the largescale nighttime raids that had commenced after the German failure to win an aerial victory ended. The Germans lost the Battle of Britain and they'd lost the Blitz. They were not going to knock the UK out of the war through the air, and they gave up trying. Of course, they also had limited air assets and began to rededicate them to the planned campaign against the Soviets Union. Indeed, the termination of the campaign supported the British suspicion that the Soviet Union was next, something the British would attempt to warn the Soviets of.
While Hess went on his delusional mission, Belgian workers went out on strike. The strike was remarkable not only for the fact it occurred in occupied country, but that even the Belgian Communist Party supported it. At the time, the Communists everywhere were generally somewhat pro Nazi or at least not anti Nazi due to the non aggression pact that had been entered into between the Soviet Union and Germany still being in effect.
The strike lasted eight days and ended when the Germans agreed to a wage raise.
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Lex Anteinternet: March 28, 1941. Ford's Willow Run plant commences operations.
March 28, 1941. Royal Navy victory in the Mediterranean, manufacturing victory in Detroit.
Ford Motor Company began building B-24s components at Air Force Plant 31 in Michigan. The plant is better known as the Willow Run plant. Ultimately it would construct entire aircraft, something that was not foreign to Ford which had manufactured civilian aircraft prior to the war. The facility was actually leased, rather than owned, by Ford, which had an option to purchase it. It would decline that option post war.
The plant was taken over by Kaiser after the war, a Ford competitor, which manufactured automobiles there until the Korean War, at which time it also manufactured C-119 cargo aircraft. Kaiser was formed in July 1945, so it was a post war startup, and was originally the Kaiser-Frazer Company. It technically lasted only until 1953, but it didn't disappear at that time but merged with Willys Overland, whose forte at that time were its 4x4 vehicles, lead by the Jeep. It sold Willys to American Motors in 1970, but retained a minority interest in that company. American Motors continues in operation today, contrary to the common assumption, as AM General, the manufacturer of the military and civilian variants of the Hummer.
It was a bad day for the Italians in the Battle of Matapan as a heavy cruiser and two destroyers were sunk by the Royal Navy. More on that here:
Today in World War II History—March 28, 1941
Italian fleet surprised at ‘The Battle of Matapan’
On the same day, the Italians suffered further losses in Eritrea.
Day 575 March 28, 1941
King Peter assumed the Yugoslavian throne to cheering crowds.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Lex Anteinternet: March 19, 1941. Training, threatening, and planning.
March 19, 1941. Training, threatening, and planning.
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Lex Anteinternet: March 10, 1941 Lend Lease, War Production, and Lo...
March 10, 1941 Lend Lease, War Production, and Long Lived Actresses.
President Roosevelt signed the Lend Lease Bill, which we've written about previously, and it became law.
More on that here:
Today in World War II History—March 11, 1941
The law stated:
AN ACT
Further to promote the defense of the United States, and for other purposes.Be it enacted by the Senate add House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States".SEC. 2. As used in this Act -(a) The term "defense article" means -(1) Any weapon, munition. aircraft, vessel, or boat; (2) Any machinery, facility, tool, material, or supply necessary for the manufacture, production, processing, repair, servicing, or operation of any article described in this subsection; (3) Any component material or part of or equipment for any article described in this subsection; (4) Any agricultural, industrial or other commodity or article for defense.Such term "defense article" includes any article described in this subsection: Manufactured or procured pursuant to section 3, or to which the United States or any foreign government has or hereafter acquires title, possession, or control.(b) The term "defense information" means any plan, specification, design, prototype, or information pertaining to any defense article.SEC. 3. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the President may, from time to time. when he deems it in the interest of national defense, authorize the Secretary Of War, the Secretary of the Navy, or the bead of any other department or agency of the Government -(1) To manufacture in arsenals, factories, and shipyards under their jurisdiction, or otherwise procure, to the extent to which funds are made available therefor, or contracts are authorized from time to time by the Congress, or both, any defense article for the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States. (2) To sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government any defense article, but no defense article not manufactured or procured under paragraph (1) shall in any way be disposed of under this paragraph, except after consultation with the Chief of Staff of the Army or the Chief of Naval Operations of the Navy, or both. The value of defense articles disposed of in any way under authority of this paragraph, and procured from funds heretofore appropriated, shall not exceed $1,300,000,000. The value of such defense articles shall be determined by the head of the department or agency concerned or such other department, agency or officer as shall be designated in the manner provided in the rules and regulations issued hereunder. Defense articles procured from funds hereafter appropriated to any department or agency of the Government, other than from funds authorized to he appropriated under this Act. shall not be disposed of in any way under authority of this paragraph except to the extent hereafter authorized by the Congress in the Acts appropriating such funds or otherwise. (4) To communicate to any such government any defense information pertaining to any defense article furnished to such government under paragraph (2) of this subsection. (5) To release for export any defense article disposed of in any way under this subsection to any such government.(b) The terms and conditions upon which any such foreign government receives any aid authorized under subsection (a) shall be those which the President deems satisfactory, and the benefit to the United States may he payment or repayment in kind or property, or any other direct or indirect benefit which the President deems satisfactory.(c) After June 30, 1943, or after the passage of a concurrent resolution by the two Houses before June 30, 1943, which declares that the powers conferred by or pursuant to subsection (a) are no longer necessary to promote the defense of the United States, neither the President nor the head of any department or agency shall exercise any of the powers conferred by or pursuant to subsection (a) except that until July 1, 1946, any of such powers may be exercised to the extent necessary to carry out a contract or agreement with such a foreign government made before July 1,1943, or before the passage of such concurrent resolution, whichever is the earlier.(d) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize or to permit the authorization of convoying vessels by naval vessels of the United States.(e) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize or to permit the authorization of the entry of any American vessel into a combat area in violation of section 3 of the neutrality Act of 1939.SEC. 4 All contracts or agreements made for the disposition of any defense article or defense information pursuant to section 3 shall contain a clause by which the foreign government undertakes that it will not, without the consent of the President, transfer title to or possession of such defense article or defense information by gift, sale, or otherwise, or permit its use by anyone not an officer, employee, or agent of such foreign government.SEC. 5. (a) The Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, or the head of any other department or agency of the Government involved shall when any such defense article or defense information is exported, immediately inform the department or agency designated by the President to administer section 6 of the Act of July 2, 1940 (54 Stat. 714). of the quantities, character, value, terms of disposition and destination of the article and information so exported.(b) The President from time to time, but not less frequently than once every ninety days, shall transmit to the Congress a report of operations under this Act except such information as he deems incompatible with the public interest to disclose. Reports provided for under this subsection shall be transmitted to the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of representatives, as the case may be, if the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case may be, is not in session.SEC. 6. (a) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated from time to time, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such amounts as may be necessary to carry out the provisions and accomplish the purposes of this Act.(b) All money and all property which is converted into money received under section 3 from any government shall, with the approval of the Director of the Budget. revert to the respective appropriation or appropriations out of which funds were expended with respect to the defense article or defense information for which such consideration is received, and shall be available for expenditure for the purpose for which such expended funds were appropriated by law, during the fiscal year in which such funds are received and the ensuing fiscal year; but in no event shall any funds so received be available for expenditure after June 30, 1946.SEC. 7. The Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, and the head of the department or agency shall in all contracts or agreements for the disposition of any defense article or defense information fully protect the rights of all citizens of the United States who have patent rights in and to any such article or information which is hereby authorized to he disposed of and the payments collected for royalties on such patents shall be paid to the owners and holders of such patents.SEC. 8. The Secretaries of War and of the Navy are hereby authorized to purchase or otherwise acquire arms, ammunition, and implements of war produced within the jurisdiction of any country to which section 3 is applicable, whenever the President deems such purchase or acquisition to be necessary in the interests of the defense of the United States.SEC. 9. The President may, from time to time, promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry out any of the provisions of this Act; and he may exercise any power or authority conferred on him by this Act through such department, agency, or officer as be shall direct.SEC. 10. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to change existing law relating to the use of the land and naval forces of the United States, except insofar as such use relates to the manufacture, procurement, and repair of defense articles, the communication of information and other noncombatant purposes enumerated in this Act.SEC 11. If any provision of this Act or the application of such provision to any circumstance shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the Act and the applicability of such provision to other circumstances shall not be affected thereby.Approved, March 11, 1941.
We've gone into this before, so we won't dwell on it here, but the amount of material supplied to Allied nations, starting before the US was an official Ally, was massive, and included everything from shoes and food to heavy weapons.
Indeed, some of the equipment supplied became more associated, to some degree, with our Allies, than it did with the US, while other items were used, but not really liked.
First Halifax bomber mission
On this day in 1941 Lotte Koch, Belgian-German film actress appeared on the cover of Die Junge Dame (The Young Woman). Born in Brussels in 1913, the then 27 year old actress' career had just taken off. It's interesting in that we don't tend to think of daily life in wartime Germany in this fashion. Germany may have been at war, but some Germans were buying magazines about young women.