Will do, Js. She was a great ship. If I remember rightly, she carried one of the atomic bombs, was sunk by a Japanese submarine, and her surviving crew barely survived, due to shark attacks; and her CO (whose name escapes me) eventually committed suicide.
At 1/350, that’s going to be a major project. I look forward to watching your progress.
I’ve updated the participant’s list.
Welcome aboard! Glad you could join us.
The News for 18 August, 1939—Friday
RKO Pictures releases “In Name Only,” with Carole Lombard, who receives top billing over Cary Grant
The Chicago White Sox defeat the Cleveland Indians, 1-0, at Comiskey Park
Joe Azcue (baseball player), Johnny Preston (singer), Molly Bee (actress), Harald Heide-Steen Jr. (Norwegian actor and comedian), Robert Horton (British businessman) are born
In London, signs appear asking: “What price Churchill?”; The Times publishes a letter urging Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin to include Winston Churchill in his cabinet; it is signed by 375 academics
HMS Pintail, a patrol vessel, is launched
Admiral Doenitz sends 18 U-boats to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and 17 to the Baltic Sea, preparing for operations against Poland and perhaps the Soviet Union
Georgi Zhukov reports that he is ready to begin a counter-offensive against the Japanese (Lake Khasan and Khalkin-Gol)
W.B. Yeats dies in the south of France (Irish poet and playwright)
Louis Armstrong and his orchestra record “Jeepers Creepers” for Decca Records
Thirteen days of peace remain.
The News for 19 August, 1939—Saturday
Adolf Hitler orders the Kriegsmarine to prepare for Fall Weiss, the invasion of Poland; Admiral Graf Spee and Deutschland (pocket battleships) leave for their assigned positions
Joseph Stalin allegedly makes a speech to the Politburo describing Soviet strategy in the present geo-political climate; in the speech, Stalin reportedly claims that a European war would weaken the West and provide the Soviets with an opportunity for territorial expansion; Stalin denies the veracity of the report, and historians will continue to debate the issue
The German-Soviet Credit Agreement is signed in Berlin
The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds reach a tie, 3-3, at Crosley Field
Neville Chamberlin is fishing in Scotland; Winston Churchill is in France, inspecting defenses there
Corvettes HMS Hollyhock, Sunflower, Apostolis and Hyacinth are launched
In Luxembourg, the Chamber of Deputies grants the Grand Duchess and her cabinet full executive and legislative powers for the duration of the approaching war
Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs Molotov produces a draft memorandum for a Soviet-German pact; he invites German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop to Moscow on the 26 or 27 August
Twelve days of peace remain.
The News for 20 August, 1939—Sunday
In Berlin, Hjalmar Schacht, president of the Reichsbank, is dismissed from office
The Battle of Khalkhin Gol, between Japanese and Soviet forces, enters its final stages; Soviet commander Zhukov wins a decisive victory
At Yankee Stadium, the Philadelphia Athletics defeat the NY Yankees, 5-4
The Boston Red Sox defeat the Washington Senators, 10 to 5
The first black bowling league is formed in the US (National Bowling Association)
The announcement of the German-Soviet trade agreement is a surprise to most of the world
An advertisement in the Minneapolis Star-Journal reveals that “9 out of 10 screen stars use Lux Toilet Soap”; the advertisement features RKO radio star Anne Shirley
There are eleven days of peace remaining.
The News for 21 August, 1939—Monday
Joseph Goebbels blames the Jews for the attitude of the US toward Nazi Germany
American swimmer Eleanor Holm is featured on the cover of TIME magazine
British cargo ship Sire runs aground in the St. Lawrence River; she is refloated later in the day
The Cincinnati Reds defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-0
The Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-1
Orson Welles signs a contract with RKO Pictures to write, direct, produce and act in two movies for the studio
Cowboy actor and singer Gene Autry performs at the Paramount Theater in Glasgow, Scotland
In Alexandria, Virginia, attorney Samuel W. Tucker and six African-Americans stage a “sit-in” at the Barrett Branch of the Alexandria library, after being denied library cards
Peace remains for ten days.
The News for 22 August, 1939—Tuesday
Fearing a German invasion, Holland puts border guards into position; Dutch prime minister DeGeer summons home Dutch vacationers from Germany’s Black Forest
In Obersalzberg, Adolf Hitler delivers a speech to German commanders-in-chief; the speech includes information about the upcoming invasion of Poland and his sinister plans for the Polish population
In the UK, The Times reports German troops massing on the Polish border
With a rousing speech broadcast by the BBC, Prime Minister Chamberlain renews the British government’s pledge to support Poland; an appeal is sent to the German government for a truce to prevent open war; the government indicates a willingness to discuss German claims in exchange for peace in eastern Europe
Prime Minister Chamberlain summons Parliament to meet on 24 August
The passenger ship SS Normandie leaves LeHavre; she carries a boatload of Americans heading for the US before the outbreak of war
At Comiskey Park, the Chicago White Sox are defeated by the NY Yankees, 14-5
The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-5, at Ebbets Field
George Orwell records in his journal that German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop will fly to Moscow on 23 August, to sign a non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union
England plays a touring West Indies team at the conclusion of a three-day cricket match; England wins the series, 1-0
TV actress Valerie Harper is born
There are nine days of peace remaining.
The News for 23 August, 1939—Wednesday
A non-aggression treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, is signed in Moscow between Nazi Germany and Communist Soviet Union; the world is stunned; a secret protocol provides for the division of Poland betwenn the two nations
King George leaves Balmoral and returns to London
Lloyd’s of London increases war-risk insurance premiums
HMS Kelly (destroyer) is launched
US President FDR is returning to New Jersey from Halifax, Nova Scotia, aboard USS Tuscaloosa; FDR writes to Italian king, Victor Emmanuel: “The Government of Italy and the United States can today advance those ideals of Christianity which of late seem so often to have been obscured. The unheard voices of countless millions of human beings ask that they shall not be vainly sacrificed again.”
France begins mobilization; French citizens are advised to leave Paris; Winston Churchill leaves France and returns to England
Belgium proclaims her neutrality
In Italy, Benito Mussolini offers his services as a mediator
At Khalkin-Gol, Russian troops kill 600 Japanese soldiers in hand-to-hand fighting; Soviet commander Zhukov begins to “reduce” trapped Japanese forces
Responding to fears of war, the Dow Jones in New York drops $3.25 (US dollars) at closing
The NY Yankees again defeat the Chicago White Sox, 16-4
John Cobb from the UK drives 365.85 MPH (593.48 KPH) at Bonneville Flats
There are eight days of peace remaining.
The News for 24 August, 1939—Thursday
Details of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact become public; Ribbentrop returns to Germany from the USSR and immediately meets with Adolf Hitler
In the UK, Parliament convenes and passes a War Powers Act
The Royal Navy (UK) is ordered to prepare for war; all leaves are cancelled; naval and coast defense reserves are called up
The governments of both France and Great Britain order their citizens to return home from Germany
HMS Juno (destroyer) is commissioned
Lord Lovat is mobilized as captain in the “Lovat Scouts,” Territorial Army
Herman Goering meets with Birgir Dahlerus (Swedish businessman), proposing he (Dahlerus) should act as a mediator between Germany and Great Britain
Sidney Cotton, flying a modified Lockheed Electra, flies the last British civilian flight out of Berlin; while departing, he manages to photograph the German fleet at Wilhelmshaven; Cotton will become head of the RAF Photo Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) when the war begins, but will be sacked quickly, after conflicts with higher-ups in the RAF
In the USSR, Marshal Voroshilov goes duck hunting
US President FDR telegraphs Adolf Hitler, saying: "I appeal to you in the name of the people of the United States, and I believe in the name of peace-loving men and women everywhere, to agree to the solution of the controversies existing between your Government and that of Poland through the adoption of one of the alternative methods I have proposed.”
In her column, “My Day,” Eleanor Roosevelt writes: “A government salary does not necessarily represent an incompetent individual. Salaries are low in government circles. “
From the Vatican, Pope Pius XII says: “The danger is imminent, but there is still time. Nothing is lost with peace; all can be lost with war. Let men return to mutual understanding! Let them begin negotiations anew, conferring with good will.”
Albert Forster, National Socialist leader in the free city of Danzig, proclaims himself the city’s “supreme head”
Leader of “Murder, Incorporated,” an association of hit-men employed by the Mafia and others, surrenders to newspaper columnist Walter Winchell in New York City; Winchell then turns him over to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover
In New South Wales, convicted axe murderer John Trevor Kelly becomes the last man executed there by hanging
The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the New York Giants, 4-3
The Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-2
One week of peace remains.
The News for 25 August, 1939—Friday
The film, “The Wizard of Oz,” opens in theaters throughout the US; the film will not be passed by the British Board of Film Censors until November, 1939—and only then with an adult permit, “because the Witch and grotesque moving trees and various hideous figures would undoubtedly frighten children”
The Agreement of Mutual Assistance is signed between the UK and Poland
Germany cuts off all telegraph and telephone communications with the outside world, in compliance with the plan of Fall Weiss
Originally scheduled to begin the invasion of Poland on 26 August at 0430, Adolf Hitler postpones Fall Weiss for five days; he has received a message from Benito Mussolini, informing him that Italy will not honor the Pact of Steel if Germany attacks Poland—unless Germany assists Italy with armaments; Hitler is also perplexed by the agreement between Britain and Poland and that the announcement of the German-Soviet non-aggression pact has not caused the fall of Chamberlain’s government in Britain, as he expected
A bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army explodes in Coventry, England; five people are killed
US President FDR again urges Adolf Hitler to find a peaceful solution to impending crisis in Europe
In her newspaper column, “My Day,” Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt writes: *“*Days like the present, where you pick up a newspaper every day wondering what you will find and trying to understand what lies back of the news you read, require of all educated people disciplined minds and disciplined characters. Blindly to ask for peace is no help in the present situation, for peace may be bought today at too high a cost in the future. It may be wise to buy it, but you must do so knowing what your objectives are for the future and accept the conditions which are a part of the price which is paid. None today can afford to allow a prejudice or a one-sided point of view to dominate their minds, they must examine every side of a question and must be sure they are not allowing any personal considerations to enter into the ultimate standards which they decide to set up for themselves and for their nation.
“According to the newspapers, by six o’clock this evening, one man may decide to plunge Europe into war. Undoubtedly he hopes to achieve what he desires without war. The thing which must appall every citizen in a democracy is the fact that this important decision rests with one man.”
In Germany, that “one man” meets with the British ambassador; he again demands that Britain give him a free hand to deal with Poland
In Poland, the number of border “incidents” continues to increase; German soldiers take over the courthouse and railway station in Makeszowa, near Katowice; Polish troops wreck the offices of a German newspaper; Polish reserves are called up; cars and horses are requisitioned
Yugoslavia grants autonomy to Croatia
The German ship Deutschland leaves Wilhelmshaven for station in the North Atlantic
Six days of peace remain.
The News for 26 August, 1939—Saturday
The first major league baseball game is broadcast on television (W2XBS New York City, owned by NBC); Red Barber announces; the double-header is split between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers
The football season opens in the UK
The military chiefs of staff in the UK advise the cabinet that 1 September is the earliest possible date for any ultimatum to Germany
In Europe, Belgium mobilizes
The Kriegsmarine orders all German-flagged merchant ships to move immediately to German ports
Some German troops along the Polish border, uninformed that Hitler has postponed Fall Weiss, launch attacks against objectives in Poland
U-43 is commissioned in Germany
French Premier Daladier appeals to Hitler for a peaceful resolution of the Danzig-Polish crisis
In France, horses, cars and certain property are requisitioned
At Khalkin-Gol, a Japanese attempt to relieve trapped forces is repulsed by the Soviets; over the last two days, the Soviet air force claims 74 Japanese aircraft destroyed
Canada mobilizes certain army units, including many militia units
There are five days of peace remaining
I am glad you avoided the word soccer Check. [t$t]
These are great historical updates you are giving us.
Thanks, Bish. And I actually thought of using the “s” word, but decided against it. Didn’t want to cause an international incident.
i agree. i enjoy the daily updates too.
the new BA-10 soviet 6x6 armored car looks interesting too. its due out i believe about the same time as the T-35
Thanks, Wayne. Did the Soviets use either of those vehicles when they took over eastern Poland? I don’t know much about Russian AFV’s.
Check, I could find anything on the T-35, I don’t know much about Soviet armour either. But I found this pics of BA-10’s at apparently at Lublin in Poland in 1939. Notice all the German soldiers.
Now that would be an interesting dio.
i know the T-35s were in Finland in '40 and were moving against the Germans during the opening of Barbarossa, i believe in the soviet armies along the route of German Army Group North but i don’t think any actually got into combat .
I agree Bish, that would be a pretty cool diorama
I have somewhere in my stash a 1/72 resin kit of the T-35 (or was it the T-28). Anyways, can’t remember and can’t find it right now, but out of curiosity, tried to find out if this behemoth was in Finland.
Apparently a photo of a captured Soviet vehicle was incorrectly identified by the Germans, as a T-35C. I found a Russian website
http://www.battlefield.ru/t35.html
You will have to use google translate, but it too states on the fourth page, that it was not used in Finland:
“Before the Great Patriotic tanks T-35 is not involved in any fighting. Mentions in the western and some domestic publications on the use of these machines in the Winter War did not correspond to reality.”
regards,
Jack
That BA-10 armored car certainly has some interesting lines to it–a lot of character there. And consorting with a bunch of German soldiers makes it even more eye-catching.
It looks like a large caliber weapon it’s carrying.
Was the T-35 a later design than the T-34, or don’t the numbers indicate the sequence of design and use?
It appears from the website Jack cited that there were quite a few variants.
Thanks for the information, Wayne, Jack, Bish. Always good to learn something you don’t know anything about.
The News for 27 August, 1939—Sunday
Adolf Hitler replies to French Prime Minister Daladier, saying he hopes for peace with France, but continues to insist on his demands against Poland; Hitler demands Danzig and the Polish corridor
In the UK, the cabinet learns that Lord Halifax has been meeting with “Mr. D” (Birgir Dahlerus), sent by Hermann Goering to negotiate with the British; by midnight, “Mr. D” is back in Berlin
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands meets with German ambassador Grave Zech
Erich Warsitz makes the first manned jet-propelled flight, flying a Heinkel He-178; a bird sucked into the engine cuts the flight short; the aircraft will be destroyed by Allied bombing in 1943
Poland agrees to an exchange of population between predominantly German and predominantly Polish areas
Poland plays Hungary in “The Last Game” of football; unexpectedly, Poland wins 4-2; Hungary’s team is regarded as one of the best in the world
In New York City, the World’s Fair sets an attendance record of 306,480 people
The NY Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers, 13-3
The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox, 2-0
USS Helena (light cruiser) is launched for the US Navy
There are four days of peace remaining.