75 years ago today… January 14, 1940 Soviet warplanes fly over both Swedish and Norwegian territory. In response to the Mechelen Incident King Leopold III of Belgium sent a message to Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, via Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, a friend of the King’s who had established himself as the secret link man to the British Government, asking for certain guarantees. The guarantees included assuring that the Allies would not open negotiations for a settlement of any conflict without Belgiums agreement. Keyes added a rider that he believed Leopold might be able to persuade his government to call the Allies immediately if the guarantees were forthcoming. This was of interest to the Allies because both Britain and France had been trying to persuade Belgium to let their troops in ever since the war had started. The French are informed of King Leopold III of Belgium’s message to Britain, although there was no reference to the fact that Keyes was only giving his opinion about the calling in of the allies. The French record stated that the King would ask his Government to ask the Allied armies to occupy defensive positions inside Belgium immediately, if the Belgians received satisfaction in related guarantees. Edouard Daladier, the French President, quickly told the British Government that, as far as France was concerned, the guarantees could be given. The French believed that the Belgians would receive a satisfactory response from the British Government in relation to the guarantees, and would then immediately invite the Allied Armies to march in. At 3:50 p.m. Daladier informed French supreme commander Maurice Gamelin that the Belgians had in principle agreed to a French advance and asked whether he was ready to execute it. Gamelin was very pleased, responding that due to heavy snowfall at the Belgian-German border the Germans would be themselves be unable to advance quickly, that a German invasion was therefore unlikely and that this posed an ideal situation for a French entrenchment, adding We must now seize the occasion. Gamelin ordered that the Allied troops under his control during the night of January 14-15 should make their approach march to cross the Franco-Belgian border so that they would be ready to enter at a moments notice. In reaction to the Belgian alert concerning information received from Dutch Military Attaché in Berlin Gijsbertus Sas’ the previous evening regarding the In response to the Mechelen Incident, Dutch supreme commander Izaak H. Reijnders ordered that no leave was to be granted to any soldier and to close the strategic bridges while fuses should be placed within their explosive charges. In the afternoon the population became worried by the radio broadcast about the leave cancellation as it was feared that the Germans would take advantage of the severe cold to cross the now frozen New Hollandic Water Line. The Kriegsmarine takes over planning the invasion of Norway and begins revising & expanding Studie Nord. They considerably increase the commitment of troops from one division to a full army corps (mountain division, airborne division, motorized rifle brigade & two infantry divisions) & propose a simultaneous occupation of all strategic targets to reduce the threat of Norwegian resistance (& retaliatory British intervention). To achieve coordinated arrival of troops along the Norwegian coast and increase the element of surprise, they will use German warships as troop transports instead of the much slower merchant ships or air transports with limited range. This bold plan assures operational success but risks exposing ships & troops to attack by the Royal Navy. British Minister in Panama Charles Dodd transmits response of British government to note sent by the President of Panama on behalf of the 21 American Republics concerning the violation of American neutrality that occurred in the Battle of the River Plate. The British reserve their full belligerent rights in order to fight the menace presented by German action and policy and to defend that conception of law and that way of life, which they believe to be as dear to the peoples and Governments of America as they are to the peoples and Governments of the British Commonwealth of Nations (see 12 February and 8 March) The British trawler St. Lucia struck a mine in the North Sea and sank with the loss of all 12 crew. The coaster Hullgate collided with Moyle (also British) in the Scheldt, Belgium and sank. The German merchant Phaedra (619 GRT) is captured in the North Sea by the British destroyer HMS Greyhound (Cdr. W.R. Marshall-ADeane, RN). The German cargo ship Albert Janus was intercepted by the French auxiliary cruiser Victor Schoelcher, 75 nautical miles (139 km) west of Cape Finisterre, Spain and was scuttled by her crew. Convoy OG 14 forms at sea for Gibraltar. Convoy HX 16 departs Halifax for Liverpool. The U.S. freighter SS Narbo, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities the previous day, is released to continue her voyage to Italy, Yugoslavia, and Greece, but not before some items from her cargo are removed as contraband The FBI announces the arrest of 18 members of the Christian Front on charges of conspiring to overthrow the U.S. government. Auxiliary Bear (AG-29) reaches Bay of Whales, Antarctica. Along with Interior Department motorship North Star, Bear will establish the two bases to be used in the U.S. Antarctic Services 1939-1941 expedition under Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USN (Ret.). Chinese Winter Offensive: Chinese 5th War Area begins six days of attacks around Kaocheng, Shihlingszu, Wangchiatai, Sunchiatien, and Chuchiamiao. Japanese Prime Minister, General Abe Nobuyki, and all his Cabinet resign and Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa is chosen to form a new government. U-432 laid down. https://youtube/watch?v=KXAGiW7ubpY
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:06:59 +0000
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