Friday, April 29, 2016

November 12, 1939: Peace Efforts Made and Rejected

Sunday 12 November 1939

12 November 1939 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Admiral Byrd snow cruiser
Admiral Byrd's snow cruiser snarls traffic in Massachusetts, 12 November 1939.
Western Front: Unintentionally furthering the appearance of a "Phoney War," on 12 November 1939 there is a concert staged by ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) for British and French troops in France, starring Maurice Chevalier and Gracie Fields.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-41 (Kapitänleutnant Gustav-Adolf Mugler) torpedoes 11,019-ton Norwegian tanker Arne Kjøde near the Outer Hebrides. Five men die and 34 survive. It also torpedoes (after disembarking the crew) and sinks 275-ton British freighter Cresswell. Six men die and seven live on the Cresswell. These are vessels flying under neutral flags, but that is becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Survivors of the Cresswell reportedly are sheltered by the attacking U-boat for six hours. The seven survivors later are picked up by another trawler.

British vessels Carmarthen Coast and King Egbert are sunk by mines.

German vessels Mecklenburgh and Parana are scuttled to avoid capture by the Royal Navy.

The Home Fleet escorts a British iron ore fleet from Narvik.

Convoys OA 34 and OB 34 depart from Southend and Liverpool, respectively.

U-37 (an identical U-boat to U-41) at Lorient in 1940.
Peace Efforts: King Carol of Romania offers to mediate between the two sides. King George and French President Lebrun offer muted words in response to the recent Dutch/Belgian peace initiative. The initiatives all get quickly shot down.

The peace initiatives from continental powers are not being taken well by the British and French because of the sneaking suspicion that they are acting in favor of Hitler.

Allied Relations: The Dutch and Belgian foreign ministers meet at Breda.

Finnish/Soviet Relations: The Soviets issue a statement expressing dissatisfaction with the current status of negotiations.

British Propaganda: First Lord of the Admiralty Churchill broadcasts a speech summing up the conflict to date, stating, “If words could kill, we should be dead already.”

German Opposition: There are said to be thousands of people arrested in the continuing Munich Bürgerbräukeller bomb explosion. Those detained include the usual victims of the Germans - such as Jews - but also people who have very tangential relationships to the affair. For instance, Munich locksmith Max Niederholer, who sold an item used in the bomb to the prime suspect, Johann Georg Elser, is being subjected to imprisonment and beatings. Elser's home town of Königsbronn becomes known by the Gestapo as "Assassinville" and is treated as an outlaw city. The net is being cast wide.

American Homefront: Admiral Byrd continues his demonstration drive of his Snow Cruiser with unintended results. At Framingham, Massachusetts, on November 12, 1939 traffic is snarled for 20 miles in a jam that involved 70,000 automobiles, as the curious flock for a glimpse of the gigantic Snow Cruiser. It is the ultimate rubbernecking attraction.

12 November 1939 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Winged Victory of Samothrace
"Winged Victory of Samothrace" being removed for protection from the Louvre, as seen in the 12 November 1939 New York Times.

November 1939

November 1, 1939: The Jet Flies Again
November 2, 1939: The Soviets Devour Poland
November 3, 1939: Amending the Neutrality Act
November 4, 1939: Roosevelt Signs Neutrality Laws
November 5, 1939: The Spirit of Zossen
November 6, 1939: First Dogfight
November 7, 1939: More Lies About SS Athenia
November 8, 1939: Hitler Almost Killed
November 9, 1939: The Venlo Incident
November 10, 1939: Dutch Panic
November 11, 1939: Poignant Armistice Day
November 12, 1939: Peace Efforts Made and Rejected
November 13, 1939: First Bombing of Great Britain
November 14, 1939: The Dyle Plan
November 15, 1939: Elser Confesses to the Bürgerbräukeller Bombing
November 16, 1939: Martial Law in Prague
November 17, 1939: International Students Day
November 18, 1939: Magnetic Mines
November 19, 1939: Walls Around the Warsaw Ghetto
November 20, 1939: First RN Submarine Victory
November 21, 1939: Salmon & Gluckstein on the Prowl
November 22, 1939: British Recover A Magnetic Mine
November 23, 1939: HMS Rawalpindi Sunk
November 24, 1939: Japanese Enter Nanning
November 25, 1939: The Olympics are a War Casualty
November 26, 1939: Soviets Stage an "Incident" at Mainila
November 27, 1939: German Marriage Becomes Perilous
November 28, 1939: Judenrats in Poland
November 29, 1939: The Soviets Prepare to Invade Finland
November 30, 1939: Winter War Begins

2019

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