Eighty years on. 5th July 1940

Historical

Nine Swordfish biplanes from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle flew from from Sidi Barrani, Egypt, to bomb the Italian naval base at Tobruk, Libya.  The destroyer Zeffiro was sunk and the destroyer Euro had her bow was blown off.  The liner Liguria was beached to prevent her sinking.  The Merchant vessel Manzoni was sunk and Serenitas was badly damaged.

South-west of Ireland U-34 torpedoed the British destroyer HMS Whirlwind.   Whirlwind stayed afloat and was scuttled by HMS Westcott.  Nearby, U-99 damaged the Canadian steamer Magog (carrying timber).  Because of the cargo she stayed afloat but was abandoned by the crew.

As part of Operation Fish (the shipment to Canada of British gold and negotiable securities, for storage in the Bank of Canada vault in Ottawa), the battleship HMS Revenge and the cruiser HMS Bonaventure, with the troopships Monarch Of Bermuda, Sobieski and Batory left Greenock with $1.75 billion in gold and securities aboard, escorted by the destroyer HMS Garth.  

The British submarine HMS Shark was badly damaged by German auxiliary minesweepers Spitzbergen, Cuxhaven and Mulsum in Boknafjord near Stavanger, Norway.

The French Vichy government broke off diplomatic relations with Britain in retaliation for the attacks on French ships on 3^rd July.

Rumania (a.k.a. Roumania or Romania), aligned with the Axis nations.

In Stockholm the Swedish government signed an agreement for the Germans to use Sewedish railways for transport of troops and supplies to and from Norway.

President Roosevelt signed an order banning the export of minerals, chemicals and aircraft parts from the U.S.A. to Japan.

Game day 309.  Japan

Japan collected twelve Industrial Resource Points.  At this rate of growth it was becoming desperate that the situation in China be resolved, the resources of Kwangtung province were desperately needed, and China must be prevented from any further incursion.

Ten Infantry units disembarked at Shanghai.  In Japan twelve armoured units and six infantry units moved south-west for transport to Kwangtung.  Until they arrived little could be done about the Chinese troops in the south of Kwangtung, but two attacks were carried out by forces in China, supported by air units.

At 113,38 (Note the new map reference style carried over as a default from another game) a single Chinese infantry unit was attacked from the north and east by seven Japanese infantry units and wiped out.

At 113,43 two Chinese infantry units were attacked by three Japanese infantry units with the support of three bomber units from Manchukuo.  The Japanese lost an infantry unit but the Chinese lost both of theirs.  The Bombers returned safely.

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.