The Battle of Britain: Luftwaffe activity during the day appeared to have further decreased and those aircraft with few exceptions approaching the coast seemed to devote their attention to reconnaissance of shipping and to attacks when opposition was not immediately encountered but turned away when fighters were in the vicinity. [battleofbritain1940 web site]
Tactics changed on the 23rd, as the Channel was almost free of all shipping movements. Dowding had earlier suggested that convoys use the east coast route, go around the top of Scotland and head out into the Atlantic from there. The reason was that convoys were becoming to easy a target for the Luftwaffe conveniently positioned all along the French coast. The other advantage of this, was that any attacking bombers would not have the luxury of fighter escort as the distance would be too great from any of their bases. Although a number of convoys did enter the Atlantic via the Shetlands, convoys still navigated the Channel.
Luftwaffe activity during the night was again at somewhat lesser scale and almost exclusively confined to coastal flights, presumably minelaying.
RAF Statistics for the day: 182 patrols were flown involving 495 aircraft. Luftwaffe casualties: Fighters – 1 unconfirmed; Bombers – 2 confirmed.
RAF Casualties: July 23, 1940
None today.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 10 Blenheims to attack St. Aubin airfield in France, only 1 bombed, no losses.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 85 aircraft of all types to various targets overnight; 1 Blenheim lost. 6 O.T.U. sorties.
At Malta, there are false air raid alerts during the day, but overnight the Italians raid Hal Far airbase and Kalafrana.
At Malta, an examination of downed Regia Aeronautica aircraft reveals that the Italians are using explosive bullets that have a detonator in the nose cap. Governor Dobbie sends a report to the War Office because such bullets — at least arguably — are prohibited by international treaties.
War nerves remain tight on this day. There is a false invasion alarm at 19:58 when British aerial reconnaissance reports a large group of Kriegsmarine ships, including destroyers and possibly transports, heading northwest in the North Sea. The British Home Fleet makes ready to cast off, and RAF Skua and Swordfish torpedo planes are sent to attack.
There are indeed ships there, and the RAF planes go to work, with one plane sustaining damage but no hits made on the ships. In fact, it is just a relatively routine Kriegsmarine minelayer force out of Wilhelmshaven composed of the minelayers Kaiser, Konigin Luise, Roland, Cobra, and Hansestadt Danzig, escorted by a large formation of torpedo boats. The German ships lay their mines (minefield “NW 2”) without further interference. The entire incident reveals how murky the entire situation is and how difficult it is for the Admiralty to know exactly what is going on.
The Local Defence Volunteers organization was renamed the Home Guard at Churchill’s suggestion. The British Secretary of War announced that 1,300,000-strong Local Defence Volunteers was to be renamed the Home Guard.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood announced the third War Budget, rise in various taxes, and the estimation that war expenditure would be about £3,470,000,000 in the following next year. The British third war budget raised Income Tax to 8 shillings and 6 pence per pound. A 24 percent tax was imposed on luxuries.
The Czecho-Slovak National Committee in London announced today that Great Britain had recognized a new government for “Free Czecho-Slovaks,” headed by Dr. Eduard Benes, who was President of the old Czecho-Slovak Republic. Britain recognizes the Czech National Committee as the Provisional Czech Government and forms a military alliance with it.
General Wladisłas Sikorski, commander-in-chief of the Polish Army in Great Britain, announced today to his troops conclusion of a new Polish-British military convention. The agreement, he said, confirmed the political Polish-British alliance and the decision to continue the common fight until victory is won.
The British Minister of State for Air Sir Archibald Sinclair reported that the British bomber fleet was capable of dropping 65-70 tons of bombs on Berlin every night for one week. It was a goal to increase that number of 200 tons in the near future.
Sydney Camm, Chief Designer at Hawker aviation, managed to get the Typhoon and Tornado programs reinstated with reduced priority after the British Air Ministry had decided to throw all resources at the manufacture and repair of existing types.
The German reaction to the speech of British Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax is that it was the official British refusal of Chancellor Hitler’s “generous offer” to end hostilities by negotiation and that nothing that Prime Minister Winston Churchill did or did not say this afternoon in the House of Commons could in any way change either the tenor of Lord Halifax’s speech or Germany’s determination now to fight the war to the finish of the British Empire.
Hitler travels to Bayreuth to attend a performance of Wagner’s “Die Gotterdammerung.” A week later he will issue orders for the invasion of Great Britain and a few days later plans are presented for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Albert Speer and a number of historians believe Wagner provided the inspiration for this crucial point in WWII.
Apparently seeking to consolidate Balkan peace before embarking in the all-out war on Britain, Germany called the leaders of the Rumanian and Bulgarian Governments to Salzburg for week-end conferences on their long-smoldering territorial dispute over the former Bulgarian province of Drobuja.
The Vichy government states that former Prime Minister Daladier and three members of his Cabinet will be prosecuted for causing the war. The Pétain Government of France ordered a judicial investigation of the roles played by former Premier Daladier and others in the military catastrophe as the first step in a “moral purge” of the nation. Virtually a prisoner since France’s fall, M. Daladier returned from Africa yesterday. Mass trials such as had not been held since 1870 were envisaged.
The Italian press and “political circles” reacted with resentment and ridicule to Viscount Halifax’s reply to Chancellor Hitler.
German Abwehr leader Admiral Canaris arrives in Spain for secret investigation of possibilities for capturing Gibraltar.
Pro-Nazi demonstrations occur by local Germans in Budapest, Hungary.
Joseph Louis Anne Avenol announced his intention to resign as Secretary-General of the League of Nations.
In Estonia, the Soviet puppet assembly rubber-stamps the Soviet takeover, transforming the nation into the Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR). The new Soviet backed assembly transformed Estonia into a Soviet style republic, disregarding its existing constitutional framework for government restructuring.
Pro-Vichy General Germain replaces Pro-Free French General Legentilhomme in French Somaliland.
At 1958 hours, British aircraft reported eight destroyers and six camouflaged vessels in 57-18N, 4-23E, steering 315. All cruisers at Scapa Flow raised steam, and destroyers HMS Cossack (D.4), HMS Zulu, HMS Maori, HMS Fortune, HMS Fury, and HMS Firedrake came to immediate notice. At 2356, notice was lengthened to one hour, and all ships reverted to four hour notice at 0930/24th. Nine Skuas of 801 Squadron, led by Lt Cdr H. P. Bramwell, and six Swordfish of 823 Squadron, led by Lt Cdr D. H. Elles, departed to attack this force. The Swordfish located and attacked the German ships without success. One Swordfish was damaged and her observer was wounded. The ships were German minelayers Roland, Konigin Luise, Kaiser, Preussen, Cobra, and Hansestadt Danzig, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 23rd, screened by torpedo boats T.5, T.8, T.6, and T.7 of the 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla and Falke and Jaguar of 5th Torpedo Boat Flotillas and minesweepers M.18 and M.19. German minefield “NW 2” was completed in the northwest North Sea ninety miles east of Aberdeen at 0010/24th. They arrived back safely on the 25th.
Destroyers HMS Arrow, HMS Anthony, HMS Amazon, and HMS Achates departed Harwich at 1800 to join the Home Fleet for minelaying operations. En route, Anthony and Amazon were diverted for a rendezvous with steamer Lochnagar off Aberdeen for passage to Lerwick. On the 24th, also en route, Arrow and Achates searched for a German submarine reported by aircraft in 57-58N, 3-17W at 1255, were then ordered at 1110/25th to Scapa Flow , and arrived later on the 25th. Anthony and Amazon reached Lerwick, delivering Lochnagar at 1030/25th. They then set off for Scapa Flow and en route searched for a submarine in 60-55N, 0-53E reported by aircraft on the 24th. The destroyers swept through Fair Isle Channel, and arrived at Scapa Flow at 2150/25th.
Submarine HMS Clyde arrived at Dundee.
Submarine HMS Truant was bombed in the North Sea, but sustained no damage.
Steamer The Lady Mostyn (305grt) was sunk on a mine one and half miles 79° from Formby Light Vessel. All the crew was lost.
British Force H departed Gibraltar with aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, light cruiser HMS Enterprise, and destroyers HMS Faulknor, HMS Escapade, HMS Foresight, and HMS Forester to launch an air attack on Bordeaux. This operation was cancelled due to bad weather and the forces returned to Gibraltar on the 26th.
Light cruiser HMS Orion with destroyers HMAS Vampire and HMS Vendetta departed Alexandria and appeared off Castellerizo on the 24th as a diversion for the movement of convoy AN.2. After the demonstration on the 25th, Orion proceeded to Haifa, and the destroyers to Port Said. As mining was suspected in the approaches, minesweeper HMS Abingdon was sent to sweep off Port Said and the destroyers proceeded to Alexandria.
Convoy OB.188 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyer HMS Winchelsea, sloop HMS Enchantress, and corvette HMS Clarkia from 23 to 27 July. The sloop and the corvette were detached to convoy HX.58.
Convoy OB.189 did not sail.
Convoy FN.230 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Vivien, sloop HMS Lowestoft, and patrol sloop HMS Sheldrake, and arrived in the Tyne on the 25th.
Convoy MT.118 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.230 departed the Tyne, escorted destroyer HMS Wolsey and sloop HMS Egret, and arrived at Southend on the 25th.
Convoy HX.60 departed Halifax escorted by Canadian destroyer HMCS Ottawa and auxiliary patrol vessel HMCS French at 0730, which were detached on the 24th. The local escort turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, armed merchant cruiser HMS Ausonia at 2105. The armed merchant cruiser was detached on 4 August.
Convoy BHX.60 departed Bermuda on the 22nd escorted locally by sloop HMS Penzance and an ocean escort of armed merchant cruiser HMS Alaunia. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.60 on the 27th and the armed merchant cruiser was detached. On 4 August, destroyers HMS Fortune, HMCS St Laurent, HMS Vanoc, and HMS Winchelsea with sloop HMS Sandwich joined the convoy. Fortune was detached on 5 August, and Vanoc and Winchelsea on the 6th. The remaining escorts and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 August.
Canadian troop convoy TC.6 departed Halifax escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS Assiniboine and HMCS Saguenay with troopships Batory (14,287grt), Antonia (13,867grt), Monarch of Bermuda (22,424grt), Sobieski (11,030grt), Duchess of York (20,021grt), and Samaria (19,597grt) which carried 1198, 881, 1328, 1611, 1061, 982, and 1016 troops, respectively. Troopship Empress of Australia (21,833grt) departed with the convoy and was detached to Iceland. Ocean escort was Battleship HMS Revenge and light cruiser HMS Emerald which departed Halifax with the convoy. The convoy, less Monarch of Bermuda which safely arrived at Glasgow, arrived safely at Greenock at 1430 on 1 August, escorted by destroyers HMS Inglefield (D.3), HMS Amazon, HMS Sikh, HMS Keppel, HMS Wanderer, HMS Viscount, HMS Highlander, and HMS Vanquisher.
The War at Sea, Tuesday, 23 July 1940 (naval-history.net)
At 1958, British aircraft reported eight destroyers and six camouflaged vessels in 57-18N, 4-23E, steering 315. All cruisers at Scapa Flow raised steam, and destroyers COSSACK (D.4), ZULU, MAORI, FORTUNE, FURY, and FIREDRAKE came to immediate notice. At 2356, notice was lengthened to one hour, and all ships reverted to four hour notice at 0930/24th.
Nine Skuas of 801 Squadron, led by Lt Cdr H. P. Bramwell, and six Swordfish of 823 Squadron, led by Lt Cdr D. H. Elles, departed to attack this force. The Swordfish located and attacked the German ships without success. One Swordfish was damaged and her observer was wounded.
The ships were German minelayers ROLAND, KONIGIN LUISE, KAISER, PREUSSEN, COBRA, and HANSESTADT DANZIG, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 23rd, screened by torpedo boats T.5, T.8, T.6, and T.7 of the 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla and FALKE and JAGUAR of 5th Torpedo Boat Flotillas and minesweepers M.18 and M.19. German minefield “NW 2” was completed in the northwest North Sea ninety miles east of Aberdeen at 0010/24th. They arrived back safely on the 25th.
Destroyers ARROW, ANTHONY, AMAZON, and ACHATES departed Harwich at 1800 to join the Home Fleet for minelaying operations. En route, ANTHONY and AMAZON were diverted for a rendezvous with steamer LOCHNAGAR off Aberdeen for passage to Lerwick. On the 24th, also en route, ARROW and ACHATES searched for a German submarine reported by aircraft in 57‑58N, 3‑17W at 1255, were then ordered at 1110/25th to Scapa Flow, and arrived later on the 25th.
ANTHONY and AMAZON reached Lerwick, delivering LOCHNAGAR at 1030/25th. They then set off for Scapa Flow and en route searched for a submarine in 60‑55N, 0‑53E reported by aircraft on the 24th. The destroyers swept through Fair Isle Channel, and arrived at Scapa Flow at 2150/25th.
Convoy OB.188 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyer WINCHELSEA, sloop ENCHANTRESS, and corvette CLARKIA from 23 to 27 July. The sloop and the corvette were detached to convoy HX.58.
Convoy OB.189 did not sail.
Convoy FN.230 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VIVIEN, sloop LOWESTOFT, and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE, and arrived in the Tyne on the 25th.
Convoy MT.118 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day.
Convoy FS.230 departed the Tyne, escorted destroyer WOLSEY and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 25th.
Convoy HX.60 departed Halifax escorted by Canadian destroyer HMCS OTTAWA and auxiliary patrol vessel FRENCH at 0730, which were detached on the 24th.
The local escort turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, armed merchant cruiser AUSONIA at 2105. The armed merchant cruiser was detached on 4 August.
Convoy BHX.60 departed Bermuda on the 22nd escorted locally by sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort of armed merchant cruiser ALAUNIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.60 on the 27th and the armed merchant cruiser was detached.
On 4 August, destroyers FORTUNE, HMCS ST LAURENT, VANOC, and WINCHELSEA with sloop SANDWICH joined the convoy. FORTUNE was detached on 5 August, and VANOC and WINCHELSEA on the 6th. The remaining escorts and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 August.
Canadian troop convoy TC.6 departed Halifax escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS ASSINIBOINE and HMCS SAGUENAY with troopships BATORY (14,287grt), ANTONIA (13,867grt), MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt), SOBIESKI (11,030grt), DUCHESS OF YORK (20,021grt), and SAMARIA (19,597grt) which carried 1198, 881, 1328, 1611, 1061, 982, and 1016 troops, respectively.
Troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (21,833grt) departed with the convoy and was detached to Iceland.
Ocean escort was Battleship REVENGE and light cruiser EMERALD which departed Halifax with the convoy. The convoy, less MONARCH OF BERMUDA which safely arrived at Glasgow, arrived safely at Greenock at 1430 on 1 August, escorted by destroyers INGLEFIELD (D.3), AMAZON, SIKH, KEPPEL, WANDERER, VISCOUNT, HIGHLANDER, and VANQUISHER.
Submarine CLYDE arrived at Dundee.
Submarine TRUANT was bombed in the North Sea, but sustained no damage.
Steamer THE LADY MOSTYN (305grt) was sunk on a mine one and half miles 79° from Formby Light Vessel. All the crew was lost.
British Force H departed Gibraltar with aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, light cruiser ENTERPRISE, and destroyers FAULKNOR, ESCAPADE, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER to launch an air attack on Bordeaux. This operation was cancelled due to bad weather and the forces returned to Gibraltar on the 26th.
Light cruiser ORION with destroyers HMAS VAMPIRE and HMAS VENDETTA departed Alexandria and appeared off Castellerizo on the 24th as a diversion for the movement of convoy AN.2. After the demonstration on the 25th, ORION proceeded to Haifa, and the destroyers to Port Said.
As mining was suspected in the approaches, minesweeper ABINGDON was sent to sweep off Port Said and the destroyers proceeded to Alexandria.
Compulsory U.S. military training moved a long step nearer reality today when the senate military committee approved a revised Burke-Wadsworth bill providing for registration of 42,000,000 men, of whom 1,500,000 would be drafted m the first year. Details remain to be worked out, but in the main the measure calls for 1. Registration of all males between 18 and 64. 2. Actual conscription of about 1,500,000 men between 21 and 30 during the first year, starting Oct. 1, 1940. There are an estimated 1,500,000 between these ages, 3. A training period of one year for those selected. 4. Base pay equal to that of the lower grades of the regular armed forces, starting at $21 a month, 5. Later draftees to be chosen from the 21 to 45 age groups.
The Sumner Welles’ Declaration: The United States applied the precedent of an earlier U.S. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson Declaration to the Baltic States, pursuing a policy of non-recognition of annexation of the Baltic States de jure. Sumner Welles was the U.S. Under-Secretary of State. Most other Western countries maintained similar position until the restoration of the Baltic States’ sovereignty in 1991.
President Roosevelt made caustic references at his press conference to four Democrats who are supporting the Republican nominee. He referred to John W. Hanes and Lewis W. Douglas, former fiscal aides of his, as amiable young men whose slant of mind ran more to dollars than to humanity. He said of Senator Burke, Nebraska Democrat, who was defeated for renomination, that the Democratic party had bolted the senator. And he asserted that former Senator James A. Reed of Missouri had opposed the Democratic ticket in 1936 and 1932 and perhaps in 1928, and made mention of what he termed a sweatshop matter. (A labor board action against a firm which Mrs. Reed heads is pending in a circuit court of appeals).
Three Democratic senators opposed to the violation of the no-third term principle said they nevertheless would vote for President Roosevelt. They were Senators Van Nuys of Indiana, Adams of Colorado and Wheeler of Montana. Senators McCarran, Nevada Democrat, and George, Georgia Democrat, who also oppose a third term, said they had no statement at this time.
The rank and file of Republican voters are strongly in favor of an anti-third term amendment, while the Democrats are even more strongly against it, a poll just completed by the American Institute of Public Opinion shows, according to its director, Dr. George Gallup.
Wendell L. Willkie, in a shirt-sleeve address in the basement of the Masonic Temple in Cheyenne, Wyoming tonight, told more than 800 members of the Republican State organization that their party, under the new leadership of younger men, would curb both big business and big government if he attained the White House, and would exterminate forever corrupt political machines. Mr. Willkie’s speech was made at the end of a day of talks from the rear platform of the special excursion train on which he traveled to this city to attend a Frontier Days celebration. Big business, he said, must not be permitted to gain a vital hold on the corporate and economic life of the country, and he pledged himself, if elected, to its regulation, without, however, what he termed “the vicious administration of the New Deal.” At the same time, Mr. Willkle said, “big government and the use of taxpayers’ money to maintain corrupt political machines” must go.
The British are in desperate need of aircraft, so the British Purchasing Mission secures permission (Roosevelt must approve) to purchase up to 40% of U.S. aircraft production. The mission is headed by Scottish-Canadian Montreal businessman Arthur Purvis (head of Canadian Industries Ltd (CIL)), who had performed essentially the same function during World War I. Purvis also wants destroyers and torpedo boats. Generally, everyone in the US military cooperates with the British even though technically they could prevent sales of anything deemed necessary for national security. A notable exception is Admiral Stark, who is adamantly opposed to parting with the US Navy destroyer inventory even though many of the destroyers are virtually obsolete World War I types.
The air defense program of the country, which some experts feel is off to a rather slow start two months after the President’s first request for extraordinary defense funds, is predicated upon the eventual acquisition by this country of 50,000 military and naval planes of all types and eventual increase of our aircraft production rate to 50,000 planes and more than 125,000 engines a year.
Testimony that there would be a serious shortage of skilled labor when the Navy’s construction program gets into full swing was given today to the House Naval Affairs Committee by Rear Admiral Ben Moreell, Chief of the Navy’s Civil Engineers. Admiral Moreell testified regarding the Vinson bill to authorize the Navy to proceed with construction of public works in connection with. the defense program. He said that there would be a shortage of skilled labor when the program goes into high speed, although, he added, “organized labor will not agree with me.” He said, in reply to a question how work could be speeded up, that the only way was to “pass a law placing more hours in a day.”
Testimony was interrupted when the committee was urged by Representative Maas of Minnesota to “fix up Guam,” by authorizing $5,000,000 toward a fortified base on the Pacific island. Representative Vinson of Georgia, chairman, attempted to cut short the argument over the Guam base, an appropriation for which was defeated earlier this year in the House. “We’ll take up that matter next session,” Mr. Vinson said, “and we’ll have a knock-down, drag-out fight over it. It is customary when a bill is killed during a session not to revive it in the same session.” “We may have to get Japan’s permission by that time,” Mr. Maas retorted.
Former Louisiana Governor Earl Kemp Long, younger brother of the late “Kingfish” Huey Pierce Long, was indicted by the Orleans parish (county) grand jury tonight on two counts charging embezzlement and one of extortion.
The heads of the Baltic diplomatic missions in London and Washington, D. C. protested against Soviet occupation and annexation of their countries.
Major League Baseball:
The Reds sweep their 10th doubleheader of the year, beating the Dodgers 4–3 in 11 innings, and 9–2. The first game is marked by a huge brawl in the 8th inning as Reese and Frey get into it after a hard slide at second base. Frey and Coscarart get chased and Reds pitcher Junior Thompson leaves after getting spiked in the fight. Whit Wyatt, who was injured last year in a collision with Frey, wails on him with a glove and will get fined $25 for it. The brawl is bigger than the one in Chicago 4 days earlier. The Reds now lead the N.L. by seven games.
The Giants’ Carl Hubbell set the Pirates down with only five hits and one unearned run in carving out a 9–1 victory. The Giants pounded out seventeen hits against an assortment of Pirate hurlers. High spots of the drive were five successive singles by Burgess Whitehead and a homer and two singles by Mel Ott. Every one joined in the merriment except Glen Stewart, even The Hub treating himself to a double.
Ken Raffensberger’s southpaw slants baffled the Boston Bees in all but the first inning today and the Cubs opened the Boston club’s long home stay by subjecting it to a 6–1 drubbing. Zeke Bonura reported to the Cubs in time to take over the first base assignment and he beat out a roller for a hit and handled five fielding chances cleanly.
St. Louis shelled Cy Blanton for ten hits in the first five innings today to open its Eastern invasion with an easy 7–3 victory over the Phillies before a ladies’ day crowd of 4,000.
The league-leading Tigers dropped a 6–3 decision today to the Senators, who were sparked by the seven-hit pitching of southpaw Kendall Chase. Although Dick Bartell and Rudy York both nicked Chase for four-baggers, the big left-hander kept the Tiger blows well scattered. Only in the ninth, when Detroit counted its third run, could the league leaders put together two hits in an inning. A ten-hit Washington barrage, which included four doubles, plus a triple by Cecil Travis, drove Johnny Gorsier to the showers with the score 5–1 at the end of the sixth.
The world champion Yankees started with great promise, scoring three runs in the first. They started all over again after the St. Louis Browns had pulled even before the exciting opening frame ended, and in the second inning took a lead of a run. But the Browns came back with three more in their half and the net result of their heavy attack was a 9–5 victory. Two Yankee hurlers were hammered for fourteen blows, featuring two mighty homers by Walter Judnich, who used to be a Yankee farmhand.
Al Milnar pitched his thirteenth victory of the season tonight as the Cleveland Indians beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 1–0, to draw within half a game of the league-leading Detroit Tigers. Roy Weatherly singled home the deciding run in the hurling duel between Johnny Babich and Milnar, each giving up six hits. Both pitchers fanned four, but Milnar got in some tight spots through issuing five walks. The Cleveland southpaw has lost five games while Babich now has eight setbacks against the same number of victories.
Reaching the .500 mark in the percentage column for the first time this season, the White Sox defeated the Red Sox, 8–7, today, mainly on the timely hitting of Julius Solters. After driving home five runs, Solters scored the deciding marker in the ninth on Mike Tresh’s single.
The Dodgers buy Pete Reiser from Montreal.
The Braves give up on pitcher Lou Fette (0–5), handing him his release. Fette, an all-star last year, injured his arm last season. His last victory was one year ago today. The Dodgers will sign him for two games and he will come back with the Braves in 1945 and go 0–2.
Commissioner Landis rules that Red Sox farmhand Larry Jansen is a free agent and the Judge fines Boston $500 for its mishandling of Jansen’s contract. Jansen won’t arrive in the majors until 1947 but will be 21–5 in his rookie year with the Giants.
Cincinnati Reds 4, Brooklyn Dodgers 3
Cincinnati Reds 9, Brooklyn Dodgers 2
Chicago Cubs 6, Boston Bees 1
Boston Red Sox 7, Chicago White Sox 8
Philadelphia Athletics 0, Cleveland Indians 1
Washington Senators 6, Detroit Tigers 3
Pittsburgh Pirates 1, New York Giants 9
St. Louis Cardinals 7, Philadelphia Phillies 3
New York Yankees 5, St. Louis Browns 9
The quest for practical measures to solve the economic problems of their respective countries appeared today to be taking precedence over other items of the agenda in the minds of Latin-American delegates attending the conference of American Foreign Ministers here.
The machinery by which the American republics could take over any Western Hemisphere possession of any European country in case of its attempted transfer to other non-American sovereignty was rapidly taking shape today. There were increasing signs that this problem would be the outstanding one during the second consultative meeting of American Foreign Ministers.
U.S. Navy destroyers USS Walke and USS Wainwright arrived at Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil.
If America and Americans do not abandon their “hostile attitude and withdraw from Asia forthwith, Japan will take further steps as soon as the new Japanese Cabinet is organized.” This is the threat contained in an extraordinary proclamation just issued by the Japanese residents of the city of Hangchow. This is evidence of the rapid spread of an officially nurtured and bitter anti-Americanism campaign in Central China. This particular proclamation further declares:
“Since the occurrence of atrocities by American Marines upon some Japanese gendarmes at Shanghai, the American Government has tried to avert its responsibility, one way and another, and the case is not yet settled up to the present. This kind of hostile attitude on the part of Americans can never be tolerated by us. Americans have gradually lost their influence in Europe. In the past the United States, as the representative of other third powers, has tried to obstruct the accomplishment of the Japanese sacred campaign. We have long tolerated their hostile acts. But at present our anger has been aroused to such a high point that we want to warn Americans. It is the firm stand of the Japanese people. They will not retreat, and it is hoped that this determination will not be overlooked by others. This is our warning.”
Word from Americans in Hangchow says that within the last week there have been three mass meetings at which inflammatory anti-American speeches were made. In one case demonstrators afterward went to all the American missions and the homes of Americans, successively, shouted slogans and posted proclamations on their gates. The fact that this anti-Americanism is sponsored by the Japanese Army seems substantiated by the charge that the demonstrators rode about Hangchow in Japanese Army trucks.
“Definite action to maintain order in the International Settlement of Shanghai” was threatened today by the Central China Daily News, mouthpiece of Wang Ching-wei’s Japanese-supported regime at Nanking.
New Japanese Premier Prince Fumimaro Konoe, indicating closer cooperation with Germany and Italy, said tonight that Japan should take a guiding role in establishing a “new world order.” In a nationwide broadcast he voiced unwillingness to relinquish Japan’s independent position and did not name the axis powers, but the implication was clear. “It is necessary for Japan to push on from an independent stand,” he said. “This is not passive diplomacy; Japan must be determined to cooperate in the establishment of new world order.”
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 122.23 (+0.17)
Born:
Don Imus, American radio talk show host (WNBC), in Riverside, California (d. 2019).
Hank Allen, MLB outfielder, pinch hitter, and third baseman (Washington Senators, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox), in Wampum, Pennsylvania (d. 2024).
Gary Stites, American pop vocalist (“Lonely For You”), in Denver, Colorado.
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Wallflower (K 44) is laid down by the Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.).
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Dale-class fleet tanker RFA Darkdale is launched by the Blythswood Shipbuilding Co. (Scotstoun, Glasgow, Scotland).
The Royal Canadian Navy armed patrol yacht HMCS Husky (S 06; later Z 13, Z 28, Z 24) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Harry (“The Horse”) Freeland, RCNR.
The Вое́нно-морско́й флот СССР (ВМФ) (Soviet Navy) “M” (Malyutka)-class (3rd group, Type XII) submarine M-99 is commissioned.
History Diaries 