The Nazis appointed Josef Terboven Reichskommissar of Occupied Norwegian Territories. Germany tonight announced “unrestricted German control” over the occupied areas of Norway. Full Nazi government of the occupied regions, under a system similar to that existing in conquered Poland, was proclaimed after Chancellor Hitler’s appointment of 42-year-old Josef Terboven as Commissioner for these German-held areas. Herr Terboven, Nazi Gauleiter [district leader] of Essen and publisher of Field Marshal Hermann Göring’s newspaper, will be responsible only to Herr Hitler. Herr Terboven, it was understood, has already arrived in Oslo. Authorized spokesmen intimated that the Terboven rule would replace the Nazi-sponsored Oslo “Administrative Council” set up under Ingolf Elster Christensen after a brief administration by Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian Nazi sympathizer. With Herr Terboven in charge in Norway, Herr Hitler will give orders directly to him without consultation with any Norwegian figures.
U.S. Naval Attaché (Lt. Commander Ole E. Hagen) taking up where the deceased Robert E. Losey left off, escorted a party of American citizens evacuated from Oslo to the interior of Norway and then across the border into neutral Sweden and into Stockholm.
Elements of German 196th Infantry Division are pushing north toward Kvam.
German forces in the Osterdal reach Rendal.
British 15th Infantry Brigade, after landing at Åndalsnes, deploys at Kvam to halt spearhead of German 196th Infantry Division advancing from Lillehammer.
The German 196th Infantry Division has crushed the British 148th Infantry Brigade, which, down to about 300 men, retires past the Paget’s troops at Kvam to Otta. Otta is another key road junction in the chain of defiles that bisect Norway. The Germans are hot on the heels of the 148th Infantry Brigade and run into the fresh 15th Infantry Brigade.
At Hegra Fortress, the incessant German bombardment continues. Today, the Germans knock out the second and last of the 7.5 cm guns in the fortress, making it even less of a threat to the Germans. After this point, the Germans use an assortment of unusual or captured weaponry to gradually wear down this non-threatening nuisance.
Troops of the Norwegian 6th Brigade attacked German positions north of Narvik, Norway; Gratangsbotn was briefly re-captured by Norwegian troops. German troops repelled a British attack near Trondheim.
The German mountain troops under General Dietl hold the attack at Lapphaug Pass. The crafty Germans circle back through an undefended pass near Gratangsbotn on Fjordbotneidet mountain and ambush the Norwegians, who have relaxed for the night. The Germans kill 34, wound 64, take 130 prisoners and set up a new position at Gratangsbotn, for casualties of their own of 9 dead and 16 wounded. The Germans at Narvik are elite troops, with high morale and well-led.
Battered British 148th Infantry Brigade withdrawn to Otta north of Lillehammer and Kvam.
In Norway, aircraft carrier HMS Glorious flies off Gladiator biplanes for shore operations. Two sections of nine Gladiators each accompanied by a two-seat Skua (with navigator) leave Glorious. 18 Gladiator biplanes of the 263 Squadron RAF arrived at the frozen Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Norway, which was to become their base of operations. The makeshift field had no anti-aircraft defense.
The RAF raids five Luftwaffe airfields which are supporting German ground operations in Norway: Aalborg, Kristiansand, Oslo, Stavanger, and Westerland on the island of Sylt. During the raid, the RAF sinks two German patrol boats north of Sylt. Luftwaffe fighters challenge the British bombers over Stavanger.
Luftwaffe bombers attack targets in the Åndalsnes area.
The RAF conducts armed reconnaissance over Trondheim Fjord.
Fleet Air Arm fighters from RN aircraft carrier Ark Royal engage Luftwaffe aircraft over Trondheim.
Battleship HMS Warspite, light cruisers HMS Effingham, HMS Enterprise, and HMS Aurora, destroyer HMS Zulu, screened by destroyers HMS Encounter, HMS Escort, HMS Faulknor, HMS Foxhound, HMS Havock, HMS Hero, and HMS Hostile and Polish destroyers Blyskawica and Grom, bombarded Narvik. Light cruiser HMS Effingham sank the captured British steamer Riverton (5378grt) moored along an outlying pier. The steamer’s crew of thirty three was interned in Sweden. British troops were embarked on repair ship HMS Vindictive at Bogen to be landed at Narvik should the Germans be induced to surrender. However, the Germans made no such overtures and these troops were disembarked after the operation and returned to Harstad. Low visibility prevented an assessment of the bombardment. Destroyers HMS Faulknor and HMS Encounter were left off Narvik to patrol the area. The destroyers were joined later that day by anti-submarine trawler HMS Northern Spray (655grt) and the next day by light cruiser Enterprise and Polish destroyer Blyskawica. After this bombardment, battleship HMS Warspite with destroyers Havock, Hostile, Hero, Foxhound left the Narvik area for Scapa Flow in preparation for Warspite’s return to the Mediterranean. Battleship Warspite arrived at Scapa Flow at 1615/26th, Warspite departed for the Clyde on the 27th at 1100. Battleship Warspite arrived in the Clyde escorted by destroyers HMS Inglefield, HMS Hero, and HMS Foxhound at 1100/28th.
Submarine HMS Truant departed Rosyth for Operation KNIFE in the Sognefjord area. Operation KNIFE was to supply arms and ammunition to the Norwegian forces in Sognefjord. On 25 April, off the Norwegian coast, a mine exploded close ahead and Truant was forced to return badly damaged to Rosyth for repairs. Submarine HMS Clyde, which had departed Blyth on patrol on the 24th, was recalled to replace submarine Truant. Submarine Clyde arrived at Rosyth on the 26th and departed Rosyth on the Operation on the 27th.
Heavy cruiser HMS York, light cruisers HMS Manchester and HMS Birmingham, and destroyers HMS Acheron, HMS Arrow, and HMS Griffin departed Rosyth at 0700 with 1600 troops, the rest of the 15th Brigade. At dusk on the 24th, light cruiser Manchester disembarked troops at Molde and heavy cruiser York and light cruiser Birmingham disembarked troops at Åndalsnes. General Paget, which had taken passage in Manchester, boarded Norwegian destroyer HNoMS Sleipner, which carried him to Åndalsnes. U.23 made two unsuccessful attacks on heavy cruiser York as she was leaving the area on the 25th.
In heavy air attacks on Åndalsnes, anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa (Captain E. A. Aylmer DSC) was badly damaged when she was struck by a bomb below the bridge at 2000 and it exploded between decks killing forty five ratings and wounding thirty six, including Aylmer and navigator Lt Cdr R.M.P. Williamson. Antiaircraft cruiser Curacoa was escorted seaward by sloop HMS Flamingo which relieved her as the Åndalsnes guard ship. Light cruisers HMS Sheffield and HMS Glasgow and destroyers HMS Witch, HMS Campbell, and HMS Vansittart closed to provide cover. The destroyers were low on fuel and proceeded directly to Scapa Flow. Cruiser Curacoa arrived at Scapa Flow on the 26th escorted by light cruisers Sheffield and Glasgow. Cruiser Curacoa departed Scapa Flow with damaged destroyer HMS Hotspur at 2030/26th and arrived at Chatham on 1 May was repairing until late August 1940.
U-23 spots British cruiser HMS York while it is steaming back to Scapa Flow after having deposited Paget’s troops at Åndalsnes. Despite two attempts, the U-boat fails to hit the fast cruiser.
Polish troopship Chrobry (11,442grt) escorted by destroyers HMS Veteran and HMS Viscount departed the Clyde at 0545 for Namsos. They arrived at Namsos at 1010/28th, but due to port congestion, it was not possible to unload her. She was sent back out to sea at 1315. At 2230, they returned and the destroyers ferried the troops and stores to the jetty. The ships unloaded until 0700/29th when they all sailed. All ships safely at Scapa Flow at 0700/30th.
The German cargo ship Cronshagen struck a mine off Copenhagen, Denmark and sank.
French destroyers engage Kriegsmarine patrol boats in the Skagerrak.
Two British destroyers, HMS Griffin and Acheron, are on patrol in the North Sea when they stop a freighter for inspection off Andalsnes, about halfway between Bergen and Trondheim on the Norwegian coastline. The ship’s captain claims that it is an ordinary Dutch trawler. The British boarding party from Griffin does a thorough inspection and finds that it is the disguised Kriegsmarine surface raider Schiff 26 — the Polares. It is trying to bring supplies to Narvik.
The German crew acts quickly and throws a weighted bag overboard. The British act even quicker and retrieve the bag before it sinks. It turns out to contain some of the German Enigma machine coding machine keys for the period 23–26 April, including the procedures for scrambling the rotors.
These are quickly sent to Bletchley Park, site of the Ultra decoding project. The cryptanalysts there use the information to program their “Bombe” electro-mechanical computers. The machines prove that they can decode German transmissions from this time period.
This is a clear breakthrough for the Ultra team. Now, they have proven that their system works. From this point on, the Royal Navy is tasked with finding new “cribs” such as the ones from the Polares to enhance their code-breaking. Ultimately, this enables the Bombes to break German codes even without recent cribs.
Das Schwarze Korps, Berlin press organ of the elite SS guard, examined with distaste today the American comic strip “Superman” and concluded that it must be drawn by a Jew. It reprinted a number of the strips, one depicting “Superman” destroying Germany’s Siegfried line. “It is pitiful,” Das Schwarze Korps concluded without a trace of irony, “that American children who must live in this atmosphere do not even recognize the poison they swallow daily.”
On the French front last night was quiet. During the day there were two skirmishes between patrols east of the Moselle River, in which the French claim the advantage.
France urged Italy to stay out of the European War.
The Daily Herald, organ of the Labor party, said today that the British government is seriously considering taking steps to suppress the British Communist party. France has banned the Communist party since the start of the war, and has taken drastic measures against its former leaders. The Daily Herald said Sir John Anderson, home secretary, and other ministers have been reviewing reports of the party’s recent activities. They are believed “concerned with allegations that the party has been acting as direct agent of a foreign power in close and friendly relations with the enemy.”
The British House of Commons approved a trade agreement with Spain; it was the first since the Spanish Civil War.
Great Britain is willing to enter trade talks with Russia but only on a basis on which Britain can make these talks help her blockade of Germany.
The Hungarian House of Deputies in Budapest was the scene of a stormy debate today between Nazis and Government Deputies. Before the session had ended one Deputy had been ordered to appear before the disciplinary committee. A Nazi Deputy accused the government of Count Pál Teleki of political persecution. Minister of the Interior Franz Keresztes-Fisher retorted that the police were not concerned with politics but only with public order. In investigations of municipal works and the State railways, he said, a widespread criminal plot had been uncovered that might have political significance.
Police authorities of Lubljana, Yugoslavia were searching tonight for a German engineer named Wilhelm Fritsch, in whose house it is reported a consignment of arms and German uniforms have been discovered.
It is discussed to fit floats to Spitfires. Work is begun to convert a Mk.I, R6722, with floats from the Blackburn Roc. This “Narvik Nightmare” version is never completed.
The Luftwaffe bombs Scapa Flow during the night. After dropping some bombs on land and machine-gunning a road, the RAF and anti-aircraft drive them off.
The British cargo ship Haxby was torpedoed and sunk in the Caribbean Sea north east of the Dominican Republic (31°30’N 51°30’W) by the German raider Orion with the loss of 17 of her 40 crew.
The British cargo ship Girasol collided with the British ship Contractor in the North Sea north of Margate, Kent and sank. All 11 crew were rescued by the Belgian ship Richard.
The British cargo ship Rydal Force struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Ramsgate, Kent with the loss of 11 of her 13 crew. The survivors were rescued by the Royal Navy trawler HMS Sarah Hide.
The British cargo ship Stokesley struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary north of Birchington, Kent (51°32’N 1°16’E) with the loss of 15 crew.
The French cruiser Georges Leygues was ordered to sail to Mers-el-Kébir, French Algeria.
The French cruiser Duquesne was assigned to Force X stationed in Alexandria, Egypt.
Convoy OA.135G departs Southend.
Convoy OB.134 departs Liverpool.
Convoy OB.135 departs Liverpool.
Convoy FN.154 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers HMS Wallace and HMS Valorous. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 26th.
Convoy MT.58 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers HMS Westminster and HMS Wolsey. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.154 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers HMS Westminster and HMS Wolsey. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 26th.
The War at Sea, Wednesday, 24 April 1940 (naval-history.net)
Submarine TRUANT departed Rosyth for Operation KNIFE in the Sognefjord area. Operation KNIFE was to supply arms and ammunition to the Norwegian forces in Sognefjord. On 25 April, off the Norwegian coast, a mine exploded close ahead and TRUANT was forced to return badly damaged to Rosyth for repairs. Submarine CLYDE, which had departed Blyth on patrol on the 24th, was recalled to replace submarine TRUANT. Submarine CLYDE arrived at Rosyth on the 26th and departed Rosyth on the Operation on the 27th.
Submarine CLYDE departed Blyth on patrol.
Submarine SEVERN departed Rosyth for Dundee where she arrived later that day.
Submarine NARWHAL departed Blyth for Immingham to embark mines.
French submarines PASTEUR, THETIS, and CALYPSO departed Harwich. The first with defects and returning to Cherbourg and the second two on patrol.
French submarine ORPHEE arrived at Harwich after patrol. Submarine ORPHEE had defects which required repair before patrol could be resumed. The defects were found to be serious and the submarine was sent with submarine PASTEUR back to Cherbourg for repairs.
S/Lt S. Lyver was killed when his Swordfish of the Gosport Torpedo Training Unit hit the sea on a practice torpedo run on auxiliary minesweeper ROYAL DAFFODIL northwest of Troon.
Lt V.C. Marryat RM, was killed when his Gladiator of 759 Squadron crashed southwest of Wilton.
Trawler LEONARD (217grt) was sunk by German bombing in the North Sea.
Battleship WARSPITE, light cruisers EFFINGHAM, ENTERPRISE, and AURORA, destroyer ZULU, screened by destroyers ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, HAVOCK, HERO, and HOSTILE and Polish destroyers ORP BŁYSKAWICA and ORP GROM bombarded Narvik. Light cruiser EFFINGHAM sank captured British steamer RIVERTON (5378grt) moored along an outlying pier. The steamer’s crew of thirty-three were interned in Sweden. British troops were embarked on repair ship VINDICTIVE at Bogen to be landed at Narvik should the Germans be induced to surrender. However, the Germans made no such overtures and these troops were disembarked after the operation and returned to Harstad. Low visibility prevented an assessment of the bombardment. Destroyers FAULKNOR and ENCOUNTER were left off Narvik to patrol the area. The destroyers were joined later that day by anti-submarine trawler NORTHERN SPRAY (655grt) and the next day by light cruiser ENTERPRISE and Polish destroyer BŁYSKAWICA. After this bombardment, battleship WARSPITE with destroyers HAVOCK, HOSTILE, HERO, and FOXHOUND left the Narvik area for Scapa Flow in preparation for WARSPITE’s return to the Mediterranean. Battleship WARSPITE arrived at Scapa Flow at 1615/26th, WARSPITE departed for the Clyde on the 27th at 1100. Battleship WARSPITE arrived in the Clyde escorted by destroyers INGLEFIELD, HERO, and FOXHOUND at 1100/28th.
Heavy cruiser YORK, light cruisers MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM, destroyers ACHERON, ARROW, and GRIFFIN departed Rosyth at 0700 with 1600 troops, the rest of the 15th Brigade. At dusk on the 24th, light cruiser MANCHESTER disembarked troops at Molde and heavy cruiser YORK and light cruiser BIRMINGHAM disembarked troops at Aandalsnes. General Paget, which had taken passage in MANCHESTER, boarded Norwegian destroyer SLEIPNER, which carried him to Aandalsnes. U-23 made two unsuccessful attacks on heavy cruiser YORK as she was leaving the area on the 25th.
In heavy air attacks on Aandalsnes, anti-aircraft cruiser CURACOA (Captain E. A. Aylmer DSC) was badly damaged when she was struck by a bomb below the bridge at 2000 and it exploded between decks killing forty-five ratings and wounding thirty-six, including Aylmer and navigator Lt Cdr R.M.P. Williamson. Antiaircraft cruiser CURACOA was escorted seaward by sloop FLAMINGO which relieved her as the Aandalsnes guard ship. Light cruisers SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW and destroyers WITCH, CAMPBELL, and VANSITTART closed to provide cover. The destroyers were low on fuel and proceeded directly to Scapa Flow. Cruiser CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 26th escorted by light cruisers SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW. Cruiser CURACOA departed Scapa Flow with damaged destroyer HOTSPUR at 2030/26th and arrived at Chatham on 1 May was repairing until late August 1940.
The heavy air attacks continued on the 25th at Aandalsnes and Norwegian torpedo boat TRYGG and anti-submarine trawlers BRADMAN (452grt) Lt A.N. Blundell RNR), HAMMOND (452grt, Skipper A. McKay RNR), LARWOOD (452grt, Skipper P. Quinlan RNR) were badly damaged and run aground. Skipper A. McKay RNR, of trawler HAMMOND was wounded. The entire crew of the trawler BRADMAN was rescued. The trawlers were all units of the 22nd AntiSubmarine Group. The four ships were later salved by German forces for their own use and renamed ZICK, Vp.6112 (trawler FRIESE), Vp.6115 (trawler SALIER), V P 6111 (trawler FRANKE), respectively.
Sloop BITTERN relieved sloop AUCKLAND as anti-aircraft guard ship and for wireless duties at Namsos at 1935/24th.
Destroyers ASHANTI, MOHAWK, NUBIAN, and SIKH departed Scapa Flow at 1800 to operate in the fjords around Trondheim against German coastal shipping. The destroyers cruised the fjords from 0900 on 26 to daylight on the 28th supported by light cruisers MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM without success. Destroyers NUBIAN and ASHANTI operated in Kraakvaagsfjord and off Fro Havet. Destroyers MOHAWK and SIKH operated in the Trondheim Leads. On 27 April in Kraakvaagsfjord, destroyers ASHANTI and NUBIAN explored the fjord while MOHAWK and SIKH patrolled at the mouth of Trondheimsfjord. Destroyer ASHANTI was taken under attack by German bombers which were able to damage her with near misses. Destroyers ASHANTI and NUBIAN arrived at Scapa Flow at 0900/29th. Destroyer ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow at 1000/30th for repairs at Dundee until 23 May when she arrived back at Scapa Flow for duty.
Destroyer JUPITER departed Scapa Flow at 0800 to search for a Walrus seaplane of light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON, flying from Hatston, last reported twenty miles from 59 30N, 2 00W. The search was unsuccessful and the destroyer returned to Scapa Flow at dusk. Petty Officer Airman C.L. Smeathers of light cruiser EDINBURGH, Midshipman (A) P.L. Furber and Naval Airman 1/c C.E. Adams of SOUTHAMPTON were lost on the Walrus of 700 Squadron.
Damaged French cruiser EMILE BERTIN departed the Clyde for Brest escorted by French destroyers ALBATROS and VAUTOUR.
French convoy FP.3 of troopships COLOMBIE (13,391grt), MEXIQUE (12,220grt), CHENONCEAUX (14,825grt), PROVIDENCE (11,996grt), escorted by French destroyers VALMY, VERDUN, and LEOPARD, arrived in the Clyde. French troopship GENERAL METZINGER (9312grt) was damaged in a collision on the 25th in St George’s Channel en route and arrived at Liverpool. French troopship VILLE D’ALGER (10,172grt) departed Scapa Flow on the 26th escorted by French destroyer FOUDROYANT and destroyer ANTELOPE to embark the troops from the damaged troopship. On 27 April, the French troopship and destroyer FOUDROYANT arrived at Liverpool.
After dark there was a German air raid on Scapa Flow. The area west of Cava was closed until it was declared free of mines at 1530/25th.
Tanker ALDERSDALE (8402grt) arrived at Skelfjord at 0300 escorted by destroyers BEAGLE and VOLUNTEER.
Polish troopship CHROBRY (11,442grt) escorted by destroyers VETERAN and VISCOUNT departed the Clyde at 0545 for Namsos. They arrived at Namsos at 1010/28th, but due to port congestion, it was not possible to unload her. She was sent back out to sea at 1315. At 2230, they returned and the destroyers ferried the troops and stores to the jetty. The ships unloaded until 0700/29th when they all sailed. All ships safely at Scapa Flow at 0700/30th.
Destroyer VANOC departed Sullom Voe at 1800 for Devonport for refitting. The destroyer arrived at 1400/27th.
German U-boats were disposed on the 23rd with U-14, U-17, U-24 off Bergen, U-23, U-57, U-58, U-59 east of Orkneys, U-13 and U-61 and five large boats between the Shetlands the Minch.
Destroyer VESPER escorted steamers BELLEROPHON (9019grt) and LYACAON (7350grt) from Plymouth to the Clyde.
A German submarine was reported off Start Point. Destroyer WAKEFUL departed Plymouth at 1810. Destroyer BULLDOG departed Plymouth at 1714. Destroyer VESPER and corvette ARABIS were also ordered to search. Destroyer VESPER departed Plymouth at 2053 and corvette ARABIS departed Plymouth at 2230 to search.
Convoy FN.154 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers WALLACE and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 26th.
Convoy MT.58 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers WESTMINSTER and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.154 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers WESTMINSTER and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 26th.
Steamer GIRASOL (648grt) was sunk in a collision northeast of Spit Buoy.
German steamer CRONSHAGEN (1787grt) was sunk and Latvian steamer GUNDEGA (3583grt) was badly damaged on mines off Drogden, near Copenhagen.
Light cruisers NEPTUNE and ORION departed Gibraltar for Malta. Destroyers DECOY and DEFENDER, escorting repair ship RESOURCE, departed Gibraltar for Malta.
German armed merchant cruiser ORION sank steamer HAXBY (5207grt) in the South Atlantic in 31 30N, 51 30W. Seventeen crew were lost.
The Senate considered the Rivers and Harbors Bill and recessed at 5:19 PM until noon tomorrow. The Campaign Expenditures Investigating Committee announced the undertaking of inquiries in Nebraska and West Virginia.
The House held memorial services for deceased members, received the Lea bill to kill the President’s Fourth Reorganization Order and adjourned at 1:03 PM until noon tomorrow. The Agriculture Committee voted to investigate lobbying charges against A. G. Black, Governor of the Farm Credit Administration; the Banking and Currency Committee reported a bill authorizing the freezing of Danish and Norwegian credits, and the Dies committee heard testimony on Communist activity in the maritime unions.
The Senate investigation into excessive campaign expenditures was broadened today to include at least five States when investigators were sent to West Virginia to look into charges growing out of a muddled situation in that State. Senator Gillette of Iowa, chairman of the Special Campaign Investigating Committee, simultaneously confirmed reports that agents had been sent into Nebraska, leaving little question that they had gone there to inquire into accusations growing out of Thomas E. Dewey’s successful campaign against Senator Vandenberg in the Presidential primary. Mr. Gillette would not confirm or deny that investigators had been sent into Wisconsin to investigate alleged expenditures there in behalf of Mr. Dewey. States in which the committee chairman said inquiries were underway were West Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.
President Roosevelt turned his attention today to fiscal problems. After bidding farewell to Prime Minister Mackenzie King of Canada, his guest since yesterday, Mr. Roosevelt summoned Lauchlin Currie, White House executive assistant, for an hour’s discussion. The Canadian Prime Minister, who yesterday became the first head of a belligerent government to confer privately with President Roosevelt, left the Warm Springs Foundation without seeing White. House reporters, nor did he issue any statement. Mr. Currie, who was adviser to the Federal Reserve Board before he became an executive assistant to the President on fiscal matters, arrived here Monday, but was prevented from seeing the Chief Executive by the arrival of Mr. King. He told reporters he had come here for a vacation, but Mr. Roosevelt said he expected to discuss the science of economics.
[Ed: Lauchlin Currie was a Soviet spy, in the service of the NKVD, both before and during the war, and an example of how thoroughly the Soviet intelligence apparatus had penetrated Washington and the Roosevelt Administration. We KNOW this, from two lines of evidence; the VENONA wartime intercepts of Soviet radio traffic, and the post-Cold War Mitrokhin Archive. He was a traitor, like Hiss and Rosenberg and so many others; End of Story.]
The Navy Department has called for bids on nets to be stretched across harbors to protect them from submarines, torpedoes and mines. Materials are to be delivered to the Mare Island Navy Yard, and one report is that a giant experimental chain net is to be put across the entrance of San Francisco harbor. That bids had been asked on chains, nets, wooden floats, and other materials necessary for the construction of “latest type” nets was admitted by the Navy Department, but its officials appeared reluctant to discuss the project further. Delivery at Mare Island, they explained, had been called for because that yard would be used for the assembly of parts ordered separately from a number of manufacturing concerns. The purpose was to obtain nets for all strategically important United States harbors.
Foreign military attachés will not be invited to the army maneuvers to be held in the Texas-Louisiana area next month, the War Department disclosed today. More than 70,000 troops will take part in the largest peacetime exercises yet held.
A special grand jury investigating graft in high places struck its largest wholesale blow today by indicting former Detroit Mayor Richard Reading, 89 police officials and patrolmen, and John Roxborough, co-manager of heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis. A total of 135 defendants were named in warrants charging acceptance or payment of gratuities to permit operation of lotteries which the grand jury alleged did a business of $10,000,000 a year.
The British Ministry of Aircraft Production gave North American Aviation 120 days to produce a fighter prototype to specifications, which resulted in the highly successful P-51 Mustang, the first aircraft to utilize the NACA low-drag wing based on prolongation of laminar flow. Low-turbulence wind tunnel tests (completed in 1938) had led to five different families of low-drag wings by the end of 1939.
Issue #1 of the comic book Batman was published, starring the character of the same name who was already popular from his appearances in other comics over the previous year. This first issue marked the debut of the Joker and Catwoman (initially called The Cat).
Major League Baseball:
At Philadelphia, the Yankees whip the A’s, 9–4, behind Red Ruffing. Master deceiver Frankie Crosetti pulls off at least his 6th successful hidden ball trick (as noted by Bill Deane) when he nabs the A’s Al Brancato.
Detroit’s Tigers moved into a second-place tie with Boston in the American League today by defeating the Chicago White Sox, 2–1. Tommy Bridges pitched five-hit ball and Rudy York got his first home run of the season.
Big Bill Lee, who beat the Pirates in five out of six games last year, picked up today where a he left off and steered the Cubs to a 9–4 victory in the final game of their series. For Pittsburgh it was the first setback in four starts.
Baseball legend Lou Gehrig makes what is believed to be his final dugout appearance during a Yankees game.Washington Senators 9, Boston Red Sox 6
Boston Bees 6, Brooklyn Dodgers 8
Detroit Tigers 2, Chicago White Sox 1
Philadelphia Athletics 4, New York Yankees 9
New York Giants 5, Philadelphia Phillies 2
Chicago Cubs 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 4
Cleveland Indians 6, St. Louis Browns 4
The Chinese claim to have inflicted 1,800 casualties on Japanese troops in and around Kaifeng, in Honan Province on the Lung-Hai Railway, in an engagement climaxed yesterday by Chinese occupation of part of the former provincial capital. Ninety-seven officers, including a major, are said to have been among the Japanese fatalities. Chinese here cite the Japanese admission of the entry of Chinese attackers into Haifeng as proof of success in the assault upon the city. Storming Kaifeng walls after preparatory shelling, reports from the front reaching here say, the Chinese dislodged the Japanese from street defenses and set fire to, barracks and supply depots.
Heavy fighting was said to be continuing north, south and southwest of Kaifeng as Chinese intercepted Japanese columns. The railway east and north of the city was said to be cut. Meanwhile, major hostilities raged throughout Southern Shansi, where the Japanese are launching a new drive to dislodge Chinese from the Chungtino Mountains, in Southwest Shansi; from the Ching Valley, Southeast Shansi, and from strategic crossings of the Yellow River. The Chinese claimed they were checking Japanese drives. from Changtse, Changchih, and Hukwan southward and had recovered Maotsingtu, Pinglu, and Hwangho, ferry points. Casualties on both sides numbering thousands were admitted in dispatches from Tungkwan.
After a sanguinary ten-hour street battle Japanese forces in Kaifeng succeeded in dislodging and forcing the retreat from the city of two to three hundred Chinese troops, who forced Kaifeng’s west gate during a surprise attack yesterday, said a Japanese spokesman in Peiping today. He declared that about 2,000 Chinese regulars, supported by sufficient artillery, bombarded Kaifeng’s north, west, and south walls. while other detachments, believed guerrillas, forced an entry through the west gate. During the ensuing fighting all traffic in Kaifeng streets was suspended by a military order, it was said.
Official Japanese reports said that after Kaifeng had been cleared 150 Chinese dead were counted, and five Japanese soldiers, including one major, had been killed. Japanese and Chinese civilian casualties were not reported. Japanese forces were reported to be pursuing the Chinese attackers. Chinese forces were inside the walls of Kaifeng from 5 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon, it was said, but the city was reported normal this evening, with shops reopening. Meanwhile Shansi, Hopeh, and Suiyuan continue to be centers of Japanese activities against Chinese forces. Hardly a day passes without either official or semi-official Japanese admissions of widespread encounters.
Japanese planes bombed the outskirts of Chungking heavily today. About 43 planes took part in the raid, coming over in waves.
Japanese troops force local Chinese police units out of outlying villages and into Portuguese colony of Macao.
The People’s Council at Batavia, Netherlands Indies, is discussing a bill for enlarging the navy there. The bill, when passed, will be presented to The Hague Parliament. It provides for an expenditure of 283,000,000 guilders and includes the building of three 27,000-ton battlecruisers costing 71,000,000 guilders each, one tanker, twelve fast 100-ton submarine chasers and a drydock. The ships will be built in the Netherlands for delivery about May, 1944.
[Ed: It’s clearly far too late for any such plan. The East Indes do not have two years, let alone four.]
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 148.45 (-0.48)
Born:
Sue Grafton, American author of detective novels (“‘A’ Is for Alibi”), in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 2017).
Michael Parks, American actor (“Tusk”, “Then Came Bronson”), in Corona California (d. 2017).
Naval Construction:
The Royal Canadian Navy Bangor-class (VTE Reciprocating engined) minesweepers HMCS Cowichan (J 146), HMCS Malpeque (J 148), and HMCS Ungava (J 149) are laid down by North Vancouver Ship Repairs Ltd. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada).
The Вое́нно-морско́й флот СССР (ВМФ) (Soviet Navy) “S” (Stalinec)-class (3rd group, Type IX-modified-2) submarines S-15, S-16, S-17, and S-18 are launched by Krasnoye Sormovo (Gorkiy, U.S.S.R) / Yard 112.
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Bluebell (K 80) is launched by Fleming & Ferguson Ltd. (Paisley, Scotland).
The Royal Navy Hunt-class (Type I) escort destroyer HMS Cleveland (L 46) is launched by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland).
The U.S. Navy Gleaves-class destroyer USS Meredith (DD-434) is launched by the Boston Naval Yard (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.).
History Diaries 