Sunday 26 October 1939

Slovakian Prime Minister Jozef Tiso.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Soviet government on 26 October 1939 protests Great Britain's right to stop and detain Soviet merchant ships bound for Germany. Great Britain and the Soviet Union, of course, are not at war. The Soviets also challenge the expansive definitions of "contraband" the British are applying. In fact, several nations are casting a leery eye at the British over this heavy-handed practice, but few are in a position to protest.

Perhaps coincidentally echoing the Soviet protest on the same day, US Consul at Gibraltar William E. Chapman informally questions the British officials there about their detainment practices regarding US-flagged ships. Some of the ships are being detained for lengthy periods and having their cargo removed before release. In addition, US mail is not being delivered to the Continent.

Murmansk authorities (no doubt in communication with Moscow) are mulling over what to do with the City of Flint. The German prize crew remains in detention. The Soviet issues with the British over detentions of neutral vessels may be affecting this vaguely similar issue, too.

The U-16, lost yesterday, washes up on Goodwin Sands with 50 crew dead inside.

US freighter Black Eagle is detained by the British.

Convoy OB 25 departs from Liverpool. Convoy OG 4 forms.

Western Front: Nothing much going on between occasional meetings between patrols and lackluster artillery exchanges.

Population Transfers: Berlin confirms that Hitler wishes to "return" ethnic Germans to the Reich, a program that has been in place for some time.

Australian Propaganda: An Australian radio station begins beaming anti-German content.

Poland: Hans Frank becomes the Governor-General of occupied Poland, with his headquarters in Krakow.

Rhodesia: The Southern Rhodesia Air Force (SRAF) offers to contribute three air squadrons to British defense.

Iran: Ahmad Matin-Daftari becomes Prime Minister.

Finland: The Finnish government seeks Swedish support in their diplomatic battle against the Soviets.

Slovakia: Jozef Tiso, until now Prime Minister, becomes President of Slovakia. Tiso, a priest, is also a fervent German sympathizer. He appoints Vojtech Tuka, a fellow right-wing radical who formed the Hlinka Guard paramilitary force in Slovakia, to replace him as Prime Minister. Slovakia may now be considered a German satellite.

China: Claire Chennault returns to San Francisco to tour aircraft factories as he continues reorganizing the Chinese air force.

Japanese combined arms operations against Lanchow, with some 100 planes attacking.

Holocaust: Jewish males between 14 and 60 years of age are forced to perform manual labor in Poland.

American Homefront: President Roosevelt is quoted in the New York Herald Tribune Forum, October 26, 1939:

“The United States of America, as I have said before, is neutral and does not intend to get involved in war.”

Goodwin Sands at low tide. At normal times, it is several meters below sea level.

October 1939

October 1, 1939: Occupation of Warsaw
October 2, 1939: Hel Peninsula Falls
October 3, 1939: The Diamantis Incident
October 4, 1939: Otto Kretschmer Gets Rolling
October 5, 1939: Polish Resistance Ends
October 6, 1939: Hitler Peace Effort
October 7, 1939: The British Have Arrived
October 8, 1939: First RAF Kill from UK
October 9, 1939: "City of Flint" Incident
October 10, 1939: Lithuania Under Pressure
October 11, 1939: The Atomic Age Begins
October 12, 1939: England Rejects Hitler's Peace Offer
October 13, 1939: Charles Lindbergh Speaks Out
October 14 1939: Royal Oak Sunk
October 15, 1939: Cuban Rockets
October 16, 1939: First Aircraft Shot Down Over UK
October 17, 1939: Marshall Mannerheim Returns
October 18, 1939: Prien Receives His Award
October 19, 1939: Preliminary Plan for Fall Gelb
October 20, 1939: Hitler Grapples with the Jews
October 21, 1939: Hurricanes to the Rescue!
October 22, 1939: Goebbels Lies Through His Teeth
October 23, 1939: Norway the Center of Attention
October 24, 1939: German "Justice" Gets Rolling
October 25, 1939: Handley Page Halifax Bomber First Flies
October 26, 1939: Jozef Tiso Takes Slovakia
October 27, 1939: King Leopold Stands Firm
October 28, 1939 - First Luftwaffe Raid on Great Britain
October 29, 1939: Tinkering with Fall Gelb
October 30, 1939: Defective Torpedoes
October 31, 1939: Molotov Issues an Ultimatum

2019