Monday November 27 1939

Holland Amerika Lijn liner Spaarndam sinking, 27 November 1939.

False-Flag Incidents: On 27 November 1939, Finland quickly concludes from its investigation that it was impossible for Finnish troops to have fired upon Mainila, Russia. The reason is that Marshall Mannerheim, wise to "provocations," previously had ordered all artillery out of range of the border. The Finnish government issues a diplomatic note to Moscow denying any involvement in the incident. The Finns suggest a mutual withdrawal of troops. The Soviets in the Kremlin, of course, know exactly what happened and are planning their next steps.

Western Front: Local infantry and artillery action east of the Moselle River.

Battle of the Atlantic: King George signs an order in council approving reprisals against Germany for the indiscriminate mining of shipping lanes without warning. Meanwhile, the British Admiralty is seizing German exports on the high seas.

U-48 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Schultze) torpedoes 6,336-ton Swedish tanker Gustaf E. Reuter near Fair Isle off the northeast coast of Scotland in the North Sea. One crewman perishes, the rest are rescued by the Royal Navy trawler HMS Kingston Beryl. The ship does not sink at once after it is abandoned, so it is taken in tow. However, it sinks during a gale during the night.

Dutch liner Spaarndam hits a mine at the Thames estuary and the entrance to the Lock Deep, two miles from the Tongue lightship, and sinks. The mine had been laid during the night of 12/13 November 1939 by Kriegsmarine destroyers. There are six victims. The liner had been en route from New Orleans to Rotterdam via London. There apparently are no US casualties.

The US freighter Effingham is detained at Ramsgate and the freighter Azalea City is detained at London by the British. They release the US freighter Excambion.

The Luftwaffe drops more mines off the English coast.

Battle of the Pacific: The Japanese launch Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier Zuikaku ("Auspicious Crane").

Sweden: The government protests to the German government about the mining done within its territorial waters.

Holocaust: In the Reich, the marriage of "Aryans" to "Jews" is made illegal. Those so married are given one year to divorce. Just who is an Aryan and who is a Jew - always a huge issue in Germany - becomes a subject of much more deliberation.

Norway: The Nobel Committee in Oslo announces that no awards are to be made for 1939.

American Homefront: Private individuals form two corporations for the collection of war relief for Great Britain and France.

A giant cat pulled by little tin men from the 1939 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as taken on 23 November 1939 and published on 27 November 1939 (AP Photo).

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