Chronology of World War II

Sunday, October 1, 1939

In Poland... German troops enter Warsaw and begin disarming the Polish garrison (estimated to number 100,000 officers and men). Polish garrison, commanded by Admiral Unrug, on the Hela Peninsula surrenders after a gallant fight. As well as land attacks they have endured a considerable naval bombardment.

In France... Polish cryptologists arrive with a cargo of two Enigma machines.

In London... The first news of the German pocket-battleships, Graf Spee and Deutschland, reaches the British Admiralty.

In Britain... Winston Churchill makes his first radio broadcast of the war, saying the Soviet Union has "pursued a policy of cold self-interest" in Poland. He adds that "we could have wished that the Russian armies should be standing on their present line as the friends and allies of Poland instead of invaders. But that the Russian armies should stand on this line was clearly necessary for the safety of Russia against the Nazi menace."

In China... The Japanese 11th Corps begins withdrawing from northern Hunan province, ending an abortive attempt to capture Changsha and the Tungting Lake area. The fighting is known as the first battle of Changsha and it is a major victory for the Chinese Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek.

In Tokyo... Several senior officers of the Kwantung army, the Japanese army stationed in nominally independent state of Manchukuo (formerly Manchuria), have been dismissed in the wake of the agreement signed in Moscow, settling the border war with the USSR.

Monday, October 2, 1939

In Panama City... The Inter-American Conference, with 21 countries participating, establishes a 300-mile security zone off the American coast in which any act of war is to be interpreted as a hostile act against the country concerned.

In Britain... Special tribunals begin to deal with an estimated 50,000 enemy aliens registered in the London area.

In France... A Franco-Czech agreement is signed providing for the raising of a Czech National Army in exile.

In Berlin... The German government advises the United States that all merchant ships in international waters will be subject to boarding by German naval forces to search for contraband.

Over Germany... The RAF makes its first nighttime leaflet raid on Berlin.

Tuesday, October 3, 1939

On the Western Front... The British 1st Corps of the BEF take over responsibility for an appropriate section of the Franco-Belgian frontier. French forces complete their withdrawal from advanced positions in German territory (the Warndt Forest and the Saarbrucken Salient).

In Poland... The last significant units of the Polish army surrender near Luck. The Germans have taken 700,000 prisoners and the Soviets 200,000. Polish casualties have been severe. The Germans have lost 10,000 dead and 30,000 wounded. Many Poles have escaped and will gradually find their way to the west. Although tank units have played a notable part in the campaign, it is interesting to note that the contemporary German official appreciation lay more stress on the traditional-style infantry battles. The tank forces are seen at this stage, except by enthusiasts like Guderian, as little more than useful auxiliaries who can help the infantry do the real work. The first plans for the attack in the west will reflect this official attitude. Meanwhile, the German 10th Army begins to redeploys from Poland to the west.

In Britain... Chamberlain dismisses recent German peace proposals outright.

Wednesday, October 4, 1939

In Occupied Poland... Nikita Krushchev (Secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party) announces the "Communisation" of eastern Poland.

In Germany... The Reichstag is summoned to meet on Friday, October 6th.

In Ireland... U-35 lands the 28-man crew of the torpedoed Greek transport, SS Diamantis, on the Kerry coast, in the southwest.

In Britain... Members of the Glamorgan Agricultural Committee met to voice concerns about "gossip and goings-on" between Land Army girls and soldiers billeted around the farms in the area. A strict 9 o'clock curfew was urged for the girls, aged 17 to 40. Alderman David Davis defended the women, saying: "They are good-looking English girls with the right spirit. Good girls do not need looking after."

Thursday, October 5, 1939

In Poland... Hitler tours the conquered capital of Warsaw, reviewing the victory parade, before returning to Berlin. Meanwhile, German forces continue mopping up operations against Polish troops still at large between the Vistula and Bug rivers.

In Germany... The Nazi anti-Semitic weekly, Der Sturmer, publishes a "Hymm of Hate" calling England the "curse of the world."

In Moscow... The Soviets continue their moves to strengthen their position in the Baltic by asking the Finnish government for new talks on altering their boundaries. Meanwhile, a Soviet-Latvian Pact is signed, giving the USSR the use of sea and air bases in Latvia. This pact is the second in a series designed to ensure Soviet control of the Baltic.

In the North Atlantic... Eight British and French hunting groups are formed to hunt for the Graf Spee. At this stage the British and the French can afford to divert considerable forces to such a task. Meanwhile, the German pocket battleship Deutschland sinks the SS Stonegate.

Friday, October 6, 1939

In Berlin... In a major speech to the Reichstag, Hitler speaks of his desire for peace with Britain and France. Hitler says that up to now he has done nothing more than correct the unjust Versailles Treaty and that he has no war aims against France or Britain. He blames warmongers like Churchill for the present state of affairs and calls for a European conference to meet and resolve the few remaining differences.

In Poland... The last remnants of the Polish Army, some 8,000 men, surrender to German forces at Kock, in southeastern Poland.

In Finland... The Finns mobilize their standing military forces.

In China... Chinese forces repel Japanese forces to win the First Battle of Changsha. Over 40,000 Japanese troops are estimated to have died in the 11-day battle in which the Japanese expeditionary force suffers its first major setback against Chinese Nationalist forces since the fighting began 2 years ago. As well as heavy troop losses, the 120,000-strong Japanese force has also lost large quantities of arms as it was ambushed by Chinese troops defending Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.

Saturday, October 7, 1939

In France... The transportation of the British Expeditionary Force is completed -- without loss -- under the protection of British and French naval forces. A total of about 161,000 troops, 24,000 vehicles and tanks and 140,000 tonnes of supplies have been delivered to France.

On the Western Front... Small German forces conduct raids of the French lines. There are artillery duels between the Moselle and Saar rivers.

In Germany... Hitler appoints Himmler as Commissioner for Consolidation of the German Race; his task is to eliminate "inferior" peoples from the Reich. Meanwhile, Hitler issues a decree ordering Poles to be evicted from western Poland or killed.

In Washington... The US State Department announces that the United States government will continue to recognize the Polish government-in-exile, presently located at Angers in France.

Sunday, October 8, 1939

In Riga... German and Latvian representatives sign an agreement for the patriation, to the Third Reich, of German-speaking citizens of Latvia. An estimated 50,000 ethnic Germans are involved.

In Helsinki... The Finnish government accepts a Soviet invitation to send a delegation to Moscow to discuss border disputes. Finland also declares its determination to maintain its independence and its neutrality in the war.

In Berlin... Hitler formally incorporates formerly Polish territory into Germany.

In Ottawa... The Canadian government announces that a division of 20,000 troops will leave for overseas early next year.

Monday, October 9, 1939

From Berlin... Hitler issues Directive No. 6. Its message is simple: "Should it become evident in the near future that England and, under her influence, France also, are not disposed to bring the war to an end, I have decided, without further loss of time to go over to the offensive." The offensive is to be directed across the Low Countries and is intended to defeat strong sections of the French and British armies when these arrive to help the Dutch and the Belgians. The ground taken is to provide protection for the Ruhr and to give bases for the air war against Britain. The aims of the plan are, therefore, limited when compared with the Schlieffen Plan of 1914 or with the scheme which is actually adopted in May 1940. There is no mention of completely defeating France. This order is a further blow to the autonomy of the German army. Their view is that, although it lies within Hitler's authority as head of state and Commander in Chief of the Wehrmacht to order an attack to be prepared as soon as possible, the army should be asked where and how this attack should take place. Even Keitel argues against Hitler on this issue.

In Paris... Thirty-five of the 46 Communist deputies in the French parliament are arrested for agitating against the war.

In Britain... War conditions have allegedly brought food profiteering, with tenpenny steaks quadrupled in price.

In Finland... Finland calls up military reservists in response to Soviet pressure for border revisions.

In the North Atlantic... The US cargo ship, City of Flint, is captured by the German pocket battleship Deutschland. The Germans search the ship and seize it when contraband supplies for Britain are found on board, under the Prize Rules for war at sea. The ship, with a prize crew, heads for the Soviet port of Murmansk. This incident influences American public opinion in favor of modifying the Neutrality Act, currently being debated in Congress.

In China... There is a Chinese victory at Changsha.

Tuesday, October 10, 1939

In Berlin... Admiral Raeder mentions to Hitler for the first time the possibility of invading Norway to secure naval and especially submarine bases (see December 8, 1939 and January 27, 1940). Churchill is, at this time, arguing in the British Cabinet that Norwegian coastal waters should be mined to interfere with German iron-ore traffic.

On the Western Front... German patrols are reportedly active and artillery exchanges take place.

In Paris... The French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier, formally rejects the German peace proposals, made by Adolf Hitler on October 9th, in a national radio broadcast. He states that France will continue to fight for a definite guarantee of security in Europe.

In Finland... The Finns call up their reserves and begin the evacuation of some frontier districts, including Helsinki and Viborg.

In Moscow... A Soviet-Lithuanian Pact is signed, giving the USSR the use of bases in Lithuania. Vilna is restored to Lithuania from which it was annexed by Poland in 1922. This pact is the last in a series designed to ensure Soviet control of the Baltic.

In Riga... The Estonian government resigns. Uluots is appointed the new Prime Minister and Piip becomes the new Foreign Minister.

In Britain... Recruitment into the Women's Land Army is suspended after 25,000 have enrolled.

Wednesday, October 11, 1939

From Washington... Fearing war between the USSR and Finland, President Roosevelt appeals to Soviet President Mikhail I Kalinin for restraint and to "make no demands on Finland which are inconsistent with the maintenance and development of amicable and peaceful relations between the two countries, and the independence of each."

In Finland... In large towns, machineguns and anti-aircraft guns are being mounted.

In the United States... Roosevelt orders American scientists to investigate the feasibility of building an "atomic bomb."

In Britain... The War Office moves to increase weekly production of mustard gas from 310 to 1200 tons. Britain now has 158,000 troops deployed in France, according to the British Secretary of War, Leslie Hore-Belisha. Meanwhile, in a by-election at Clackmannan and East Stirling, a pacifist candidate draws 1060 votes.

In Germany... A false radio report stating that the British government has fallen and an armistice has been declared leads to open rejoicing.

In London... Polish government-in-exile foreign minister, August Zaleski, consults with the British prime minister and Lord Halifax. Meanwhile, a commercial agreement is signed by the British and Soviet governments by which timber will be imported in exchange for rubber and Cornish tin.

Thursday, October 12, 1939

In Germany... The deportation of Jews from occupied Austria and Czechoslovakia to occupied Poland begins under the direction of an SS administration headed by Eichmann.

In Moscow... Soviet and Finnish representatives meet to discuss border revisions. The Soviets want the cession of some territory near Leningrad, control of the islands in the Gulf of Finland, use of the port of Hanko and other rearrangements of the border in the far north near Murmansk. In return they offer rather more land than they demanded in the Suomussalmi area. The Finns only feel able to offer a much smaller range of concessions.

In London... Chamberlain officially rejects the call for a European conference, to meet and resolve differences with Germany, made by Hitler on October 6. He says that to consider such terms would be to forgive Germany for all aggressions and he warns that German must choose between permanent security arrangements in Europe and "war to the utmost of our strength." Furthermore, he states that "past experience has shown that no reliance can be placed upon the promises of the present German goverment."

On the Western Front... The British Expeditionary Force is now fully deployed along the Franco-Belgian border, between Maulde and Halluin.

Friday, October 13, 1939

In the United States... In a radio broadcast, Colonel Charles Lindbergh questions the right of Canada "to draw this hemisphere into a European war because they prefer the Crown of England to American independence." He appears to meet charges that he is pro-German by calling for both Nazi and Communist influence in America to be "stamped out." He also says that British and French colonies in the Caribbean should be handed over to the US to pay war debts.

In Moscow... Soviet and Finnish representatives continue to meet to discuss border revisions.

From Stockholm... The King of Sweden invites the sovereigns of Denmark and Norway and the president of Finland to a conference.

On the Western Front... Skirmishes are reported east of the Moselle River. French forces demolish three bridges over the Rhine River.

In Britain... In Bletchley, three people die when two express trains collide in the blackout.

Saturday, October 14, 1939

In Britain... At 0130, the British battleship, Royal Oak (29,150 tons), is sunk at anchor in the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands, by U-47 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Prien. Three of 7 torpedoes hit and in 13 minutes the ship capsized. British losses are about 800 dead (786-810) and 414 survivors of a crew of 1200. German aerial reconnaissance photographs had revealed a 50-foot gap in the defenses at the entrance to Kirk Sound -- wide enough for a U-boat. This is a major blow to British prestige as well as an indication of a very serious real weakness in the defenses. Meanwhile, the Polish submarine Orzel reaches British waters after a daring escape from the Baltic Sea.

On the Western Front... General Gamelin, French Commander-in-Chief, issues an Order of the Day predicting a massive German offensive "at any moment."

In Latvia... The first group ethnic German Latvian citizens leaves for the Third Reich leaves by sea.

In Moscow... Soviet and Finnish representatives conclude the talks to discuss border revisions. There is little change in the terms offered by either side. Finnish counterproposals for a land exchange on their mutual border are refused by the Soviet negotiators.

In the United States... Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, and the New York Herald Tribune, as well as many Canadians, protest the comments made by Charles Lindbergh in a radio broadcast last night.

In France... The escaped Polish Intelligence team resumes code-breaking operations with their highly secret replicas of the German "Enigma" machine.

Sunday, October 15, 1939

In Riga... A German-Estonian treaty is signed providing for the transfer to the Third Reich of Estonians of German ethnic origins.

In Finland... The government introduces compulsory national service.

In Kaunas... The Polish minister in protests to the Lithuanian government against the incorporation of Vilna, on the grounds that the Soviet Union has no right to dispose of this territory.

On the Western Front... German forces are reported massing behind the lines. Reconnaissance forces are active on the whole front.

In Neutral Territory... The first exchange of British and German consular officials takes place.

In Occupied Poland... There are reports of a typhoid and cholera break out in Warsaw.

Monday, October 16, 1939

On the Western Front... Initially, German forces strike along a 4-mile frontage immediately east of the Moselle River. French gunfire is credited with ending this advance. Later in the day, German forces attack on a 20-mile frontage east of the Saar River. The French "covering forces" retire, according to plan. Within 48 hours, the Germans push the French back from the gains of the Saar offensive in September. There are few casualties on either side though the Allies claim German forces suffer 5000 casualties in the operations.

In Britain... Nine of the new Ju88 dive-bombers attack warships at Rosyth, Firth of Forth. An unexploded bomb penetrates the cruiser HMS Southampton. HMS Edinburgh also sustains damage. The crew of the destroyer HMS Mohawk suffers casualties. RAF Spitfires, piloted by "part-time" pilots of the Glasgow and Edinburgh Auxiliary Air Force squadrons, engage the German aircraft.

From Berlin... German warships receive modified instructions for attacking: "All merchant ships definitely recognized as enemy ones (British and French) can be torpedoed without warning. Passenger steamers in convoy can be torpedoed a short while after notice has been given of the intention to do so."

In Berlin... The German High Command announces the official end to the Polish Campaign. Some Polish regulars continue to resist in remote areas.

In Paris... The Polish embassy claims that Polish troops continue to hold out against German and Soviet invaders in Suwalki, in the Carpathian Mountains, and in the Pripet Marshes at Bialowieza.

Tuesday, October 17, 1939

In Britain... German Ju88 bombers strike the British naval base at Scapa Flow. The training battleship Iron Duke (which was the flagship of Admiral Jellico -- 1914 to 1917 -- during World War I) is damaged and has to be beached.

In the North Sea... German destroyers lay mines by night off the Humber estuary.

In Paris... The French report sharp infantry engagements on the front near Saarbrucken.

In Berlin... The Germans report "absolute quiet" on the Rhine Front. A lone German soldier was accidentally killed by falling shrapnel from a German anti-aircraft gun.

In Moscow... Turkish representatives break off talks for a defense treaty with the Soviet Union. While the prolonged Turkish-Soviet negotiations end without agreement there are professions of mutual friendliness. Soviet representatives paid tribute to Turkish Foreign Minister Sarajoglu before his departure. Last minute Soviet proposals conflicted with Turkish engagements to Britain and France and these were rejected by Sarajoglu.

Wednesday, October 18, 1939

In Stockholm... The president of Finland meets with the kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden to consider the threat resulting from Soviet demands for a revision of the Finnish-Soviet border. Hitler has already assured the Swedes that Germany will remain neutral in a war between Finland and the USSR and strongly advised the Swedes to do the same.

In London... Prime Minister Chamberlain announces that 8 German aircraft have been shot down, and Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, claims that one in three of the German submarine force have been sunk.

In Britain... German aircraft reportedly approached Scapa Flow, the base of the British Home Fleet, but no bombs were dropped. The planes were engaged by anti-aircraft fire.

In Ankara... General Wavell, commander of British land forces in the Middles East, and General Weygand, former chief of the French General Staff, arrive by air for talks with the Turkish General Staff. Meanwhile, the German Ambassador to Turkey, von Papen, is recalled by his government.

Thursday, October 19, 1939

From Berlin... OKH issues Fall Gelb (Operation Yellow) in response to Directive No. 6 issued by Hitler on October 9th. It provides for a holding action on the French border with the main attack being sent through central Belgium and some attention being devoted to the Dutch. Meanwhile, Hitler officially incorporates western Poland into the German Reich.

In Occupied Poland... The first Jewish ghetto is established in Lublin, the center of a Jewish "reserve" in eastern Poland.

In Ankara... An Ango-French-Turkish Treaty of Mutual Assistance is signed. Allied commanders General Maxime Weygand and General Archibald Wavell represent France and Britain respectively. The term of the treaty is 15 years. The Turks pledge to aid the Allies if the war reaches the Mediterranean, but not if such aid could bring Turkey into conflict with the Soviet Union. In return, Turkey receives control of the disputed Sanjak of Alexandretta from French Syria.

In Britain... Two German airmen, half the crew of a bomber shot down over the North Sea on Tuesday, drifted ashore in a collapsible rubber boat near Whitby.

In London... The Ministry of Transport announces that in September, first month of the black-out, the total number of persons killed on the roads of Britain was 1130, compared with 617 in August.

Friday, October 20, 1939

From Berlin... The German government warns that neutral merchant ships joining Allied convoys will be sunk without warning. It is also announced that Hitler has signed a decree by which 3,000,000 Jews now living in Poland will get their own territory in eastern Poland, with a Jewish capital at Lublin.

On the Western Front... There is patrol and reconnaissance activity between the Moselle and the Saar rivers.

In Britain... The war office recommends that soldiers at the front read both Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto.

In Melbourne... The prime minister, Robert Menzies, announces the reintroduction of compulsory military training, for home service, in January 1940.

Saturday, October 21, 1939

In Paris... General Gamelin, the Allied Commander-in-Chief, says that he has no intention of attacking the Germans. He has issued orders that if the Germans attack in strength, the French should retreat behind the Maginot Line fortifications.

On the Western Front... The opposing forces exchange artillery fire in heavy rain.

In Rome... An agreement is signed by the German and Italian governments for the transfer to the Third Reich of ethnic Germans in South Tyrol.

In the North Sea... RAF fighters shoot down 4 out of 9 He115 seaplanes attacking a British convoy. No casualties are suffered by the British aircraft, nor is any damage done to the convoy or escorts.

In the North Atlantic... The French Force de raide (including the world's fastest destroyers) escorts a large Atlantic convoy (until October 30th) and intercepts the German SS Sante Fe.

Sunday, October 22, 1939

In Germany... The propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels, calls Winston Churchill a liar in a radio broadcast.

On the Western Front... Sporadic artillery exchanges take place. The no-man's-land on the Moselle-Rhine is described as a sea of mud.

In Occupied Poland... Soviet elections are held in the Soviet controlled western Ukraine and western Belorussia (formerly Polish territory).

In Ankara... British General Wavell and French General Weygand leave at the conclusion of successful talks with the Turkish General Staff.

In India... The Congress Party declines to support the British war effort and condemns British imperialism.

Monday, October 23, 1939

In Moscow... Soviet and Finnish representatives meet to discuss border revisions. The Finnish delegation is led by Paasikivi and accompanied by Tanner, the Minister of Finance. There is little change in the terms offered by either side.

In the Soviet Union... North of Murmansk, a German prize crew steers the US ship City of Flint into Kola Bay. The steamer was seized as contraband by a German cruiser.

On the Western Front... Patrolling units engage in combat in the region west of the Saar.

In Paris... Sir Eric Phipps, the retiring British Ambassador, leaves.

In the North Sea... The British Home Fleet escorts an iron ore convoy from Narvik, Norway (arriving on October 31st).

Tuesday, October 24, 1939

In Paris... The Polish gold reserves arrive, having traveled via Romania and Syria. The value of the gold is estimated at over £15,000,000.

In London... The Polish Consul-General announces that Poles in Britain will be mobilized for service in the Polish Army in France.

On the Western Front... A fairly sharp engagement takes place towards the southeastern border of the Forest of Warndt, where a German attack on a French outpost is driven back.

In Moscow... A Soviet-German trade agreement is signed. The USSR agrees to supply 1 million tonnes of grain and fodder to Germany. Meanwhile, the Finnish delegation leaves to consult with their government on new proposals put forward by the Soviet government, concerning boundary revisions.

In Danzig... The Nazi Foreign Minister, Ribbentrop, delivers a speech in which he accuses the British government of systematically preparing, over a period of years, to make war on Germany.

Wednesday, October 25, 1939

In Britain... The Handley Page Halifax bomber makes its maiden flight.

From Germany... Three U-boats are dispatched to the Mediterranean; only U-26 arrives and has no success.

On the Western Front... French troops reportedly repulse a German detachment in the region close to the Moselle. As a whole, conditions on are reported to be quiet.

In Mexico... In Mexico City, Leon Trotsky is reported to have said that "Stalin is afraid of Hitler, and is right to be so."

Thursday, October 26, 1939

In Berlin... Hans Frank, former Reich Minister of Justice and a high-ranking Nazi official, is designated to become governor of the General Government region of former Poland. His administrative capital is to be located in Cracow.

In Moscow... The Soviet government denies the British claim to have a right to stop Soviet merchant ships bound for Germany.

In the United States... On the eve of the Senate vote on amending the Neutrality Act, President Roosevelt delivers a fireside chat: "In and out of Congress we have heard orators and commentators and others beating their breasts proclaiming against sending the boys of American mothers to fight on the battlefields of Europe. That I do not hesitate to label as one of the worst fakes in current history. It is a deliberate setup of an imaginary bogy."

In Britain... The Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps is formed.

In London... Chamberlain responds to claims made by the Nazi Foreign Minister Ribbentrop that Britain sought and plotted for war with Germany. He says "the whole world knows that this is not true."

On the Western Front... Wintry conditions prevail with much rain and snow. Minor encounters between patrols and artillery fire from both sides is reported.

Friday, October 27, 1939

In Belgium... King Leopold III, in a broadcast to the USA, declares that Belgium is determined to defend its neutrality.

From the Vatican... Pope Pius XII issues his first encyclical, condemning racism, dictators and treaty violations.

In Germany... Newspaper commentaries complain about anti-Nazi propaganda in Belgian newspapers and suggest this is a breach of Belgian neutrality.

In Berlin... Hitler again commands his generals to prepare for the western offensive.

On the Western Front... There are reports of German troops massing in the Saar, along the Belgian, Dutch and Swiss frontiers and along the German North Sea coast.

In Washington... The US Senate approves amendments to the Neutrality Act, repealing the arms embargo provision.

Saturday, October 28, 1939

In Britain... A German He111 bomber was shot down by RAF fighters east of Dalkeith in southeastern Scotland -- it is the first German airplane shot down over the British Isles. Tow of the 4-man crew survived. The aircraft is part of Luftflotte 2 which is based in the extreme north of Germany and is engaged in attacking shipping off the northern and eastern coasts of Scotland.

In France... The British Expeditionary Force is reported to have enough food to feed its nearly 200,000 troops for 46 days.

In Berlin... Himmler issues his Lebensborn decree, urging single German women to dispense with the "bourgeois custom" of marriage to bear racially pure children.

In Occupied Czechoslovakia... German police fire on student demonstrators in Prague marking the 20th anniversary of the former Czechoslovakian independence. Street fighting later breaks out in the city center with ethnic Germans clashing with Czech nationalists. One student is killed and a total of 16 casualties are reported. Some 3500 people are arrested.

In Bratislava... Joseph Tiso becomes the first president of independent Slovakia (formerly part of Czechoslovakia).

In Moscow... Molotov -- in a speech before the Supreme Soviet -- asserts the that USSR has a right and duty to adopt strong measures to insure security and publicly demands territorial concessions from Finland.

Sunday, October 29, 1939

From Tokyo... Reflecting the rising number of Chinese defections to the Japanese, the US military attache reports that there are 100,000 armed Chinese serving as Huang Hsieh Chun (Imperial Assisting Troops).

From Berlin... OKH issues a revision to Fall Gelb (Operation Yellow) with the main thrust shifted slightly south and less strength being sent against Holland. There is an ongoing debate as to how it should be modified further. Also, German warships and U-boats are given permission to attack passenger ships in convoys.

In Latvia... The first contingent of Soviet troops begin occupation of bases allotted by the Latvian-Soviet agreement.

In Paris... An official French communique reports all quiet generally during the day.

On the Western Front... An increasing number of British heavy artillery is moved into position.

Monday, October 30, 1939

In Moscow... The USSR formally annexes the occupied Polish territories.

In Berlin... A German-Latvian treaty for the evacuation of Germans from the Baltic regions is signed.

In the North Atlantic... U-56 hits the British battleship HMS Nelson, the flagship of the Home Fleet, west of the Orkneys but the two torpedoes fail to explode.

In Britain... The first war film of the conflict, The Lion Has Wings, is premiered, featuring newsreel of a British air attack on a German fleet.

In London... A government white paper exposes Nazi brutality towards dissidents and Jews, including the concentration camp system.