Eighty years on. 1st July 1940

Historical

A planned invasion of Britain, Unternahmen Seelöwe (Operation Sealion), was first mentioned by the German General Staff (OKW).

The island of Jersey in the Channel Islands surrendered to German occupation.  The liner SS Arandora Star left Liverpool carrying 565 German and 734 Italian internees to camps in Canada, plus 374 British crew and military guards.  86 were Germans POWs, but most were Italians and Germans living in Britain including Jews who had escaped from the continent.  They were suspected of being German agents helping in planning the invasion of Britain.

The Luftwaffe began strategic bombing of British industrial centres.  Hull and Wick were bombed in daylight.  12 civilians were killed and 22 injured.

The French government relocated from Bordeaux to Vichy.  Pétain’s administration became generally known as Vichy France.

300 miles West of Brest U-30 sank the British MV Beignon, carrying wheat, in convoy SL-36 She was also carrying survivors from the Avelona Star, torpedoed the previous day.

In the same convoy U-102 sank the British SS Clearton, but U-102 was sunk by the British destroyer HMS Vansittart with depth charges.  In the same area, U-65 sank the Dutch SS Amstelland and U-29 sank the Greek SS Adamastos.

U-26 damaged the British SS Zarian from convoy OA-175.  U-26 was depth charged by the corvette HMS Gladiolus and then bombed on the surface by an Australian Sunderland aircraft.  Unable to dive, U-26 was scuttled and the crew captured.

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane entered operation in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Rumania renounced Anglo-French border guarantees and sent a deputation to Berlin.

Game day 305.  Neutral Nations

The Neutral nations collected their new monthly industrial points.

Hungary mobilised six infantry units for defence purposes following the Soviets’ annexation of parts of Rumania.  Rumania mobilised six armoured and six infantry units.

(No game map today)

Credits:   Historical information:  http://www.worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com, Wikipedia, Chronicle of the Second World War (JL International Publications, 1994).  Background image to game maps: Hasbro Ltd.   Other maps and photographs Odhams Press Limited.