The Battle of Dombås continues. On 16 April, No. 1 Company, IR 5 under the command of Kaptein Botheim arrived on the scene of battle. No. 1 Company attacked the German strongholds from the south while II/IR 11 attacked with one company from the north. The northern onslaught was supported by two 81 mm (3.19 in) mortars and numerous Colt M/29s.
After a short fire fight, a white flag appeared at the German positions, and one of the Norwegian soldiers captured in the previous day’s ambush was sent over to the Norwegian forces. The released prisoner of war brought with him a demand that the Norwegians surrender and told the Norwegian officer in charge that Schmidt threatened to shoot his prisoners unless the fire ceased. This was probably based on a misunderstanding between the Norwegian POW and Oberleutnant Schmidt, the real meaning most likely being that the prisoners held were endangered by the mortar fire that the German positions were subjected to. In response to the surrender demands a German Feldwebel that the Norwegians had captured was despatched back to Schmidt calling for his surrender. The Germans likewise refused to give in.
While the fruitless negotiations were taking place the Fallschirmjägers were preparing to move away from their stronghold and find a new place to fight from. The arrival of the two Norwegian mortars had completely changed the tactical situation and the German force’s supply of ammunition was also running dangerously low. Schmidt decided that he had to move his troops into a new and more defensible position. Negotiations were kept up to buy time so the paratroopers could slip away into cover of darkness. Schmidt believed that strong German forces were advancing up the Gudbrandsdal valley and that if he could hold out for a little while longer the situation might still be salvaged. The reality of the situation was, however, that the German advanced units were stuck just north of Minnesund far to the south of both Gudbrandsdal and Dombås.
As negotiations collapsed, the Norwegians opened fire again, but a sudden ground blizzard blinded the gunners and allowed the Germans to make a counterattack and break out of their encirclement. The attack threw back the Norwegian forces in the north, whose commander ordered a general retreat to Dombås. On the night of 16/17 April, the Fallschirmjäger under Schmidt—having thrown back the nearest Norwegian forces—disengaged and began to make their way south in the direction of Dovre. The 16th of April also saw the continuation of mopping up operations by Norwegian units. Twenty-two Germans were captured at Kolstad near Lesja and another 23 at Bottheim train station. The prisoners were initially held in the basement sitting room of Ulekleiv Hotel in Dombås.
The British 24th Infantry Brigade landed at Harstad north of Narvik. The ill-equipped British 24th Brigade landed at Harstad, Norway 37 miles north of Narvik. Allied forces land on the Norwegian coast, near Narvik. The Royal Navy suffers heavy losses to German air attacks. The entire expedition is poorly prepared and timidly executed.
Meanwhile, at Namsos, the reserve unit 148th Territorial Brigade boarded cruisers HMS Carlisle and HMS Curacoa for Trondheim, without their anti-aircraft weapons due to lack of space.
British 146th Infantry Brigade begins landing at Namsos, north of Trondheim, during the night and is immediately moved inland to Steinkjer..
Elements of German 138th Mountain Regiment with an improvised armored train reach the Swedish border, cutting Norway in two east of Trondheim. German troops at the Norwegian iron ore port of Narvik have penetrated inland to the Swedish border, inflicting heavy losses on the Norwegian defenders and driving 200 of them across the frontier, it was claimed tonight in an official announcement. Approximately 200 Norwegian troops retreat up the Narvik rail line into Sweden. Elements of German 139th Mountain Regiment clear the rail line from Narvik to the Swedish border.
Numerous Norwegian formations are either surrendering outright or marching into internment in Sweden. They have no orders to do either. Norwegian morale is at rock bottom.
The standard line from Wehrmacht troops to the Norwegians: “We’re here to protect you from the English.”
Winston Churchill goes into rhetorical overdrive and says that British troops are there to “cleanse the German plague from the ancestral shores of the Vikings.”
Allied troops landed at the Faroe Islands, a constituent country of Denmark.
Norwegian aircraft attack Luftwaffe Ju 52 transports on frozen Lake Hartvigvann near Narvik. Remaining Luftwaffe Ju 52s on frozen Lake Hartvigvann are abandoned. Once again, Norwegian biplanes attack Junkers Ju 52 unloading supplies for Narvik on frozen Lake Hartvigvann. The landing area is deemed unsafe, and the remaining transports there are abandoned.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 20 aircraft to attack airfields at Stavanger overnight. The bombs start two big fires. All the British aircraft return. Other RAF planes attack Oslo and Trondheim.
At RNAS Hatston, Acting Captain C. L. Howe, RN decides that the Squadrons would fly small armed reconnaissance missions to Bergen. 803 Squadrons was selected, and dispatched two Skuas armed with a single 250 pound SAP bomb and 8 x 20 pound Cooper bombs with orders to proceed to Bergen and then separate and approach the fjords from the North and South. The aircraft took off at 0500, separated at 0650, and crossed the coastline at 0705 at 4,000 feet
Each aircraft made a high-speed run, descending to below 1,000 feet as they reconnoitered the surrounding fjords. On the way in, one aircraft sighted, attacked, and badly damaged a small auxiliary vessel flying the German flag, the patrol vessel Tarantel N. B. 18. On the way out, the other sighted and attacked a U-58 that was proceeding up the fjord on the surface. It was believed that the bombing damaged the submarine, as it did not attempt to dive thereafter. Both aircraft returned safely at 0925.
HMS Furious, now seriously short of fuel, was ordered to Tromsø to refuel, anchoring there at 0630. She was thereafter to report to Flag Officer Narvik.
Heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk (Captain J. W. Durnford) and destroyers HMS Hereward, HMS Janus, HMS Juno and HMS Kipling departed Scapa Flow at 1700/16th for Operation DUCK, the bombardment of Sola airfield near Stavanger.
The Norwegian cargo ship Favorit was bombed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (60°06’N 8°32’W) by Luftwaffe aircraft. All 23 crew were rescued by the British trawler Commander Horton and HMS Lincoln.
The Swedish cargo ship Mertainen was bombed and sunk in the Trondheimsfjord, Norway by Luftwaffe aircraft.
The German Navy vorpostenboot V-1703 was torpedoed and sunk by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Narwhal. V-1703 was later repaired and returned to service.
German U-boat U-3 and British submarine HMS Porpoise engaged in combat with torpedoes 10 miles southwest of Egersund, Norway in position 58.18N, 05.47E. No hits were scored.
Great Britain issued a mobilization order for men who turned 27 years of age during the months of April and May 1940.
From an unusual rostrum — the pulpit of London’s famous City Temple — Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain today reaffirmed his belief in an Allied victory and denounced Germany in some of the strongest words he has ever used against the Nazi Reich.
On the Western Front today the Germans turned their attention to the British and made an attack in a sector held by them. The action was accompanied by considerable artillery fire, but eventually the enemy was driven back with many casualties. No details of this attack are yet available, nor is its scale indicated.
The only thing that could bring Belgium into the war, said Paul-Henri Spaak, Minister of Foreign Affairs, speaking in the Senate today, was that she should have to defend her independence. In that case she would fight, he said, but she is determined to maintain her neutrality policy up to the limit short of that.
The Swedish Government today placed an embargo on the sale of fuel oil and closed more ports to shipping, while gas companies, to save coal, proposed to shut off gas from all homes where wood fires are available.
Iceland declares its independence and asked the United States to recognize it as such.
Foreign Minister Count Ciano announces over Rome radio that “the bugles will soon sound,” which some take to mean that Italy is about to enter the war on the side of the Axis. The world is awash with jokes on both sides about Italian fighting prowess:
Germans: Hitler is told Italy joining war. “Send 2 divisions, that’ll finish them!” “Mein Führer, they’re on our side!” “Oh! Send 10.”
At a dinner with Winston Churchill, German Minister Ribbentrop had said that, in a future war with Britain, Germany would have the Italians on its side. Churchill responded: “That’s only fair – we had them last time.”
Churchill: “Italians lose wars as if they were football matches and football matches as if they were wars.”
Churchill: “My Generals tell me that if Italy joins our side we shall defeat Germany in a year, and if they join the German side, six months.”
Rumania moved to put her Black Sea and Danube ports under navy rule tonight as the first step in an intensive program to prepare the nation for the possibility of war.
The Red Army convenes a conference in Moscow to analyze whatever lessons can be learned from the Winter War.
With approval by Parliament within the next few days, a law just written by the Egyptian Cabinet will make espionage or treason against Egypt or its Allies punishable by death. This is one of many measures that the Egyptian Government is now rushing through at top speed.
Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal departs Gibraltar at 1700 in company with the destroyers HMS Vortigern (local escort), HMS Westcott and HMS Bulldog, bound for the Clyde.
Aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, in company with the destroyers HMS Velox and HMS Watchman continues towards the Clyde.
Convoy OA.130G departs Southend.
Convoy OB.130 departs Liverpool.
Convoy FN.147 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Valentine and sloop HMS Weston. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 18th.
The War at Sea, Tuesday, 16 April 1940 (naval-history.net)
Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK (Captain J. W. Durnford) and destroyers HEREWARD, JANUS, JUNO and KIPLING departed Scapa Flow at 1700/16th for Operation DUCK, the bombardment of Sola airfield near Stavanger. The heavy cruiser launched two Walrus aircraft for spotting duties. Both Walrus flew to Scotland after the operation. Early on the 17th, this force contacted submarine SEAL which was acting as a beacon ship off Stavanger. From 0513 to 0602, SUFFOLK bombarded Sola airfield, following which she was ordered north to check for German destroyers at sea, reported late on the 16th. SUFFOLK and her destroyers began a high-speed northbound sortie that took them away from their rendezvous with air cover for their retirement, and she was soon taken under German air attack at 0825 and subjected to seven hours of bombing.
SUFFOLK received heavy damage; the most serious was a hit at the base of X turret at 1037 by a 500-kilogram bomb. X turret magazine had to be flooded to prevent its explosion. SUFFOLK was wrecked by numerous near misses. Probationary Temporary S/Lt (E) F. H. Collins RNVR, and twenty-nine ratings were killed and two ratings died of wounds. Lt J.K. Gardiner RM, Acting Warrant Engineer A.L.C. Walters, Paymaster Cadet M. Hay, and thirty-eight ratings were wounded. Destroyer KIPLING was damaged by two near misses. Eight Skuas of 803 Squadron finally arrived at 1415, followed by nine Skuas of 801 Squadron and Sea Gladiators of 804 Squadron, but they were unable to prevent four more German attacks. Battlecruisers RENOWN and REPULSE proceeded through Fair Isle Channel to join SUFFOLK. Destroyers TARTAR, JAVELIN, ORP GROM, and ORP BŁYSKAWICA, which departed Scapa Flow at 1345/17th, anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA and destroyer FURY, and destroyer ECLIPSE from escort duty, joined the battlecruisers. They were joined at sea by destroyers KIMBERLEY and FORESTER.
SUFFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow at 0545/18th with her quarter deck awash and steering by propellers, under tow of tug BUCCANEER, which joined off Torness. Tugs IMPERIOUS and HENDON joined the cruiser off Switha. RENOWN and destroyers HYPERION, which had joined from Sullom Voe, KIMBERLEY, FORESTER, FURY, KIPLING, JANUS, JUNO, and HEREWARD, arrived with SUFFOLK. She was grounded at Scapa Flow until 3 May for temporary repairs, departed on 5 May and taken to the Clyde. Repairs began on 24 May and lasted until 24 February 1941.
Destroyer KIPLING departed Scapa Flow at 1510/19th for Southampton where she arrived on the 22nd, for repairing and refitting until 16 July.
At 2140, submarine PORPOISE unsuccessfully fired six torpedoes at U-3 off Egersund in 58 18N, 05 47E. U-1, sometimes credited to PORPOISE in this attack, was probably lost with all twenty-four crew, on a mine laid by submarine NARWHAL on 4 April in 57 37N, 06 35E.
The 21st Anti-Submarine Group of trawlers DANEMAN, LADY ELSA, MAN O’WAR, and WELLARD and the 23rd Anti-Submarine Group of trawlers INDIAN STAR, MELBOURNE, BERKSHIRE, and RUTLANDSHIRE arrived at Namsos on the 16th. Both groups went on to Skelfjord arriving on the 20th.
U-65, which had been undergoing trials at the start of the Norwegian campaign, arrived in Vaagsfjord.
U-13 attacked a Tribal class destroyer north of the Shetlands.
German minesweeper M.8 carried out an anti-submarine attack off Horten in Oslofjord. German minesweeper M.7 joined to assist.
Destroyers MATABELE, MASHONA, NUBIAN, AFRIDI (D.4), and SIKH landed two battalions of British troops, which had been embarked from Layton’s liners, at Namsos during the night of 16/17 April. The destroyers then re-embarked the landing parties from light cruisers GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD at 0400/17th. The destroyers joined the troopships which had put to sea from Lillesjona. Due to the threat of air attack, troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt) transferred her troops to CHROBRY (11,442grt) and was sent home, with some 170 tons of stores still on board, escorted by destroyers VANOC and WITHERINGTON. The transport and her escort safely arrived in the Clyde at 0014/20th.
Heavy cruiser YORK, light cruiser EFFINGHAM, anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA, and destroyer ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow at 0300/16th. At 2200/16th they were sent into the Aandalsnes area to prevent the Germans from landing troops there and to cover CALCUTTA which was also reconnoitring in the area. Urgency was given this duty as the disabled destroyers HEINEMANN and ECKHOLDT were sighted off Stavanger at 1900 steering course 360. The destroyers were returning to Germany from Trondheim but the Admiralty decided that they might be en route to Aandalsnes to land troops. CALCUTTA sighted a U-boat on the surface three miles west of Aandalsnes, and proceeded to seaward having been unable to attack the submarine with depth charges due to proximity to the shore. Destroyer ASHANTI carried ashore a landing party from CALCUTTA early on the 17th to hold the area until the arrival of the PRIMROSE force in the night of 17/18 April.
French steamers AMIENOIS (3715grt), CAP BLANC (3315grt) and SAUMUR (2915grt) departed Brest escorted by French destroyers CYCLONE (Capitaine de Vaisseau Y.F.C.A.M. Urvoy de Portzamparc) and MISTRAL (Capitaine de Corvette E.R. Lavene) and accompanied by tanker MEKONG. All arrived safely at Greenock on the 19th.
Two Swordfish of 803 Squadron (Lt W.P. Lucy with Lt M.C.E. Hanson and Lt H.E.R. Torin with Midshipman T.A. McKee) attacked targets at Bergen during a reconnaissance. Lucy claimed sinking a patrol boat and Torin reported bombing a coastal submarine leaving port. Patrol boat TARANTEL N.B. 19 was near missed and had one crewman dead and nine wounded. U-57 did leave port that day and U-58 and U-59 arrived at Bergen on this date. U-58 was attacked, but sustained no damage.
Submarine TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Submarine was attacked by friendly aircraft on the 15th in the sanctuary. The submarine was not damaged.
Submarine CLYDE arrived at Blyth after patrol.
Submarine SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol.
French submarine AMAZONE departed Harwich on patrol
U-58 reprovisioned at Bergen.
Norwegian torpedo boat BRAND and minelayer ULLER were placed in service by German troops as troop carriers at Bergen. Norwegian torpedo boats HVAS, HAUK, FALK, KJAEK, and minelayer OTRA were placed in service as auxiliary patrol boats and renamed SEESTERN, KROKODIL, QUALLE, SCHILDKROTE, and TOGO, respectively, based at Tonsbjerg.
Swedish steamer MERTAINEN (4531grt) was sunk by German bombing off Trondheim, but the crew was rescued and landed at Kristiansund.
Destroyers KEITH, BASILISK, BRILLIANT, BEAGLE, BROKE, CAMPBELL, and VESPER carried out exercises south of Colbart Ridge.
Convoy FN.147 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VALENTINE and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 18th.
Panamanian steamer ALBA (3444grt) ran aground on the Goodwins, 3½ miles 55° from Deal Coast Guard Station. Tug LADY BRASSEY and salvage vessel DAPPER proceeded from Dover to assist. After jettisoning cargo and the efforts of seven tugs, she was finally refloated at 1830/17th, brought to the Downs and anchored.
French aircraft carrier BEARN, escorted by destroyer PANTHERE, passed Gibraltar en route from Brest to Toulon. The destroyer called at Gibraltar to refuel. Both ships arrived on the 18th and the destroyer began repairs.
French steamer PROVIDENCE departed Marseille on the 16th, escorted by destroyer L’AUDACIEUX from Gibraltar. The steamer arrived at Brest on the 21st.
French submarine REQUIN arrived at Gibraltar for anti-submarine exercises with the Gibraltar Force.
Today in Washington, President Roosevelt attended the opening game of the baseball season; conferred with leaders of Congress on the legislative situation; reappointed Thomas M. Woodward of Pennsylvania to be a member of the Maritime Commission and conferred with numerous members of the Senate and House.
The Senate passed the bill creating three Circuit and six District Federal judgeships and recessed at 1:55 PM until noon tomorrow. The Naval Affairs Committee heard Admiral Stark on the Naval Expansion bill and the Finance Committee named a subcommittee to study the old-age Social Security Act.
The House continued debate on the Logan-Walter bill and adjourned at 2:05 PM until noon tomorrow.
Direct diplomatic relations probably will be established in the near future between the United States and Iceland, the State Department announced tonight.
A luncheon conference today between President Roosevelt and Postmaster General Farley, “the man behind the ballots” in the Democratic victories in 1932 and 1936, set off new political speculation in the capital.
Governor Harold E. Stassen of Minnesota was selected keynote speaker for the Republican national convention today as Kenneth F. Simpson, national G.O.P. committeeman from New York, promised “a hell of a fight” against what he described as an attempt by Dewey-for-president managers to purge him from the Republican party leadership. Stassen, 33, is regarded as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 1944, He was chosen by the convention arrangements committee from among four candidates. Others nominated were Gov. Ralph Carr of Colorado, Gov. Harlan J. Bushfeld of South Dakota, and Wendell Willkie, public utility executive who later withdrew his name.
Representative Joseph W. Martin of Massachusetts, minority floor leader, was selected as the convention’s permanent chairman. Simpson stole the show, however, because of the possibility the New York party row may develop into a stop-Dewey movement within the 82-vote delegation which will represent the state at the nominating gathering on June 24. It was indicated here that both Frank E. Gannett, publisher, and Wendell Willkie, public utilities executive who charges that the new deal is “out to get me,” will gain by any diversion of New York state convention votes away from Dewey. Neither is regarded as a top contender for the G.O.P. nomination. But their candidacies would offer anti-Dewey delegates a safe place to start during early balloting.
Admiral Harold R. Stark, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, recommended today that Congress add another $45,000,000 to the $965,000,000 appropriated by the house for the Navy for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Testifying before the Senate Naval Committee on another matter, Stark said that the increase was needed because the United States was faced with an emergency. An extra $45,000,000, he added, would permit a start of construction of 25 additional ships and provide funds for some shore facilities. The Senate has received the naval bill from its appropriations committee, but has not yet acted upon it.
The Senate version calls for an outlay of $963,797,478, a figure slightly lower than the house approved sum, but $123,514,099 below President Roosevelt’s budget estimate. Stark made his estimate of needed funds at a senate committee hearing on another house-approved bill, authorizing but not appropriating for an 11 per cent expansion of the Navy at an estimated eventual cost of $655,000,000. The admiral urged that the authorization bill be amended to provide for a 25 per cent expansion. This would be necessary, he said, to restore the five to three ratio of American and Japanese naval strength, which was maintained formerly by treaty.
Congress was asked to enact the Anti-Lynching and Anti-Poll Tax Bills by the Young Women’s Christian Associations of the United States at the close of the sixteenth national biennial convention today.
A bill to create nine new Federal judgeships, three for the Circuit Courts of Appeal and six for District benches, was passed by the Senate today, 47 to 21, after defeat of amendments by Senator Reed, Kansas Republican, to strike out all the authorizations.
Contracts for the first large-scale orders of American-made warplanes by France and England since the outbreak of the European war last September probably will be signed before the end of the week, it became known yesterday.
On behalf of MI6, William Stephenson meets with J. Edgar Hoover about cooperation with FBI in regard to British intelligence activities in the United States.
First planes fly out of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Bay, Florida.
U.S. Navy Captain Albert C. Read relieves Captain Aubrey W. Fitch as Commandant Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.
Major League Baseball:
Opening Day.
Every White Sox player ends the day with the same batting average he starts with. Working in 47–degree weather, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians throws an Opening Day no-hitter, winning 1–0 at Comiskey Park. Edgar Smith is the losing pitcher. Rollie Hemsley has the only RBI. To date it remains the only major league no-hitter ever pitched on Opening Day.
In the earliest start of today’s openers, the Reds shade the visiting Cubs, 2–1. Derringer outguns Lee, with all the runs coming on homers: McCormick, Goodman, and Galan for the Cubs.
At Griffith Stadium, President Roosevelt throws out the first ball for the Washington-Boston game. Roosevelt’s errant ceremonial first pitch smashes a Washington Post camera. Red Sox hurler Lefty Grove then allows just two hits as Boston edges the Senators, 1–0.
Before 20,187 at Shibe Park, Chubby Dean outlasts Red Ruffing as the A’s defeat the defending champion Yankees, 2–1, in ten innings. It is Dean’s first complete game in the majors. New York’s only run is unearned in the 3rd inning, but the A’s tie it up on a Bob Johnson solo homer. Chubby Dean’s long sacrifice fly in the 10th off Ruffing drives in the winning run.
At Detroit, the majors’ largest crowd — 49,417 — watch the Browns upset the Tigers, 5–1. Detroit castoff George Coffman is the winner over Buck Newsom.
The highest score of the day is the 6–4 Pirates win over the Cards, with pitchers collectively turning in one of the best openers in history. The Philadelphia Inquirer attributes this to the new rule that allows pitchers to start their delivery with one foot off the rubber. The rule change was made because of the complaints that the lively ball had given the advantage to the batters.
Thanks to the five-hit pitching of John Whitlow Wyatt, Brooklyn’s crippled ace, and the timely hitting of Dolf Camilli, the Dodgers took the opener from the Bees today, 5–0, beating Sailor Bill Posedel and erasing Casey Stengel’s smile.
Gus Suhr hit a three-run, eighth inning home run to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3–1 win over the New York Giants and Carl Hubbell.
Brooklyn Dodgers 5, Boston Bees 0
Cleveland Indians 1, Chicago White Sox 0
Chicago Cubs 1, Cincinnati Reds 2
St. Louis Browns 5, Detroit Tigers 1
Philadelphia Phillies 3, New York Giants 1
New York Yankees 1, Philadelphia Athletics 2
Pittsburgh Pirates 6, St. Louis Cardinals 4
Boston Red Sox 1, Washington Senators 0
Japanese attention is now focused on American reactions to the statement of Foreign Minister Hachiro Arita that Japan would oppose any change in the status quo in the Far East. Inquiries for clarification are expected as a minimum and the possibility that Britain and the United States may reply by similar declarations of their interest in maintaining the status quo in the Pacific is being considered. By basing his action on Japan’s concern for peace and stability in the Pacific Mr. Arita has taken a ground that other nations can share.
Australia, however, is Java’s nearest neighbor, apart from British Malaya. Japan is some 3,500 miles distant, and so Britain’s strategic interests are greater than Japan’s. The United States is deeply interested in the peace of the Pacific and a change in the strategic balance of power would be a matter of “deep concern” to Washington as well as to Tokyo.
It is admitted that while Amerlcans do not talk of “lifelines” in other nations and territories the United States also has important economic interests in the Netherlands East Indies. One factor that could immediately remove the question from the academic to the active sphere would be an American oil embargo. Japan’s purchases of oil are now secret but in times of peace approximately 25 percent of Japan’s oil imports came from the Dutch East Indies. An American embargo would create an instant necessity for expanding the East Indies supply.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 148.18 (-1.54)
Born:
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (reigned 1972–2023), in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Benoît Bouchard, French Canadian public official and former politician, in Roberval, Quebec, Canada.
Paul Cox, Dutch-born Australian director (“Lonely Hearts”), in Venlo, the Netherlands (d. 2016).
Dick Versace, NCAA and NBA coach (Bradley University, Indiana Pacers), broadcaster (TNT), and NBA executive (GM Memphis Grizzlies), bon in Fort Bragg, North Carolina (d. 2022).
Dick Compton, NFL and AFL split end and halfback (Detroit Lions, Houston Oilers [AFL], Pittsburgh Steelers), in Colorado City, Texas.
Keith Kinderman, AFL fullback and defensive back (San Diego Chargers), in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2018).
Garry Roggenburk, MLB pitcher (Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Pilots), in Cleveland, Ohio.
Died:
Charles W. Bartlett, 79, English painter and printmaker.
Naval Construction:
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-437 is laid down by F Schichau GmbH, Danzig (werk 1479).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Mayborough (J 195) is laid down by Walkers Ltd. (Maryborough, Queensland, Australia).
History Diaries 