Wednesday13 September 1939

A Panzer III of Panzer Division Kempf advancing in Poland.

Battle of Poland: On 13 September 1939, Modlin, the headquarters of the Modlin Army, is attacked by the East Prussia Panzer Unit (Panzer-Division Kempf), the 2nd Light Division and four supporting infantry divisions. About 100 Luftwaffe planes take part. It is a defensive strong point for the Poles, an essential part of the defense of Warsaw. The Polish government is full of good military news, everything is going well.

According to the newspapers on 13 September 1939, the war is going well for the Poles.

French Government: Premier Édouard Daladier forms a war cabinet.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-27 under the command of Johannes Franz sinks the British trawler Davara. The French minelaying cruiser Pluton explodes in Casablanca with 186 casualties while unloading some mines.

American Homefront: Early Wynn makes his major league debut for the Washington Senators. He goes on to win 300 games, becoming famous for his knuckleball late in his career. He is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 1972.

Future History: Richard Kiel is born in Detroit, Michigan. He becomes famous in the 1970s for playing comic villain Jaws in the James Bond films.

Richard Kiel, born on 13 September 1939, as "Jaws," with Roger Moore.

September 1939

September 1, 1939: Invasion of Poland
September 2, 1939: Danzig Annexed
September 3, 1939: France, Great Britain Declare War
September 4, 1939: First RAF Raid
September 5, 1939: The US Stays Out
September 6, 1939: Battle of Barking Creek
September 7, 1939: Polish HQ Bugs Out
September 8, 1939: War Crimes in Poland
September 9, 1939: The Empire Strikes Back
September 10, 1939: The Germans Break Out
September 11, 1939: Battle of Kałuszyn
September 12, 1939: The French Chicken Out
September 13, 1939: The Battle of Modlin
September 14, 1939: Germany Captures Gdynia
September 15, 1939: Warsaw Surrounded
September 16, 1939: Battle of Jaworów
September 17, 1939: Soviets Invade Poland
September 18, 1939: Lublin Falls
September 19, 1939: Germans, Soviets Hook Up
September 20, 1939: the Kraków Army Surrenders
September 21, 1939: Romania Convulses
September 22, 1939: Joint Soviet-German Military Parade
September 23, 1939: The Panama Conference
September 24, 1939: The Luftwaffe Bombs Warsaw
September 25, 1939: Black Monday for Warsaw
September 26, 1939: Warsaw on the Ropes
September 27, 1939: Hitler Decides to Invade France
September 28, 1939: Warsaw Capitulates
September 29, 1939: Modlin Fortress Falls
September 30, 1939: Graf Spee on the Loose

2019