The Battle Of Britain

August-September, 1940

The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date.

While attacks on shipping and ports in the English Channel began July 10, On August 8th "Adlertag" or Eagle Day, the codename for the first day of the air offensive against Great Britain, is launched.

The objective of the German campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), especially Fighter Command, before they can launch an invasion, which was being prepared on the continent.

Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy), had earlier told Hitler that an invasion could only be contemplated as a last resort, and only then with full air superiority. The Kriegsmarine had been nearly crippled by the Norwegian Campaign, with many of its ships having been sunk or damaged, while the Royal Navy still had over 50 destroyers, 21 cruisers and eight battleships in the British Home Fleet. There was little the weakened Kriegsmarine could do to stop the Royal Navy from intervening. The only alternative was to use the Luftwaffe's dive bombers and torpedo bombers, which required air superiority to operate effectively.
Although he agreed with Raeder, Hitler ordered the preparation of plan code-named Sea Lion to invade Britain; Germany's plan was to be able to cross the channel by mid to late September. Hitler also hoped that news of the preparations would frighten Britain into peace negotiations.

For the air attack, Germany's air force commander Hermann Goering assembled 2800 aircraft against Britain's 700 fighters. Initial Luftwaffe estimates were that it would take four days to defeat the RAF Fighter Command in southern England. This would be followed by a four-week offensive during which the bombers and long-range fighters would destroy all military installations throughout the country and wreck the British aircraft industry. The only alternative to the goal of air superiority was a terror bombing campaign aimed at the civilian population, but this was considered a last resort and it was expressly forbidden by Hitler.

The name of the battle derived from a famous speech delivered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the House of Commons: "The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin..."

Of crucial importance to the outcome of the battle were the performance of the British Hurricane and Spitfire fighters flying against the Luftwaffe Stuka, Heinkel bombers, and Me109 fighters. The performance of the Spitfire over Dunkirk came as a surprise to the Germans, although their pilots retained a strong belief that the 109 was the superior fighter. However, the Messerschmit Bf 109E had a much larger turning circle than either the Hurricane or the Spitfire.

Britain's fate rested upon the bravery, determination, and skill of its fighter pilots led by Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh "Stuffy" Dowding, a 'stiff-upper-lip' officer displaying the trademark proper British bearing. As a side note, Sir Laurence Olivier was picked to portray him in Hollywood movie Battle Of Britian.

The keystone of the British defense was the complex infrastructure of detection, command, and control that ran the battle. This was the "Dowding System", the core of which was implemented by Dowding himself: the use Radio Direction Finding (RDF, later called radar, for radio direction finding and ranging).
The first indications of incoming air raids were received by the RDF facilities located around the coastlines of the UK. In most circumstances, RDF could pick up formations of Luftwaffe aircraft as they organized over their own airfields.
Once the raiding aircraft moved inland over England, the formations were also plotted and reported by the Observer Corps. The information from RDF and the Observer Corps were sent through to the main operations room of Fighter Command Headquarters at Bentley Priory. The plots were assessed to determine whether they were "hostile" or "friendly". If hostile, the information was sent to the main "operations room", which was in a large underground bunker.
Here the course information of each raid was plotted by WAAFs who received information by a telephone system. Intelligence was also provided by the "Y" Service radio posts which monitored enemy radio transmissions, and the "Ultra" decoding center based at Bletchley Park.
Color coded counters representing each raid were placed on a large table, which had a map of the UK overlaid and squared off with a grid. As the plots of the raiding aircraft moved, the counters were pushed across the map by long rakes. This system enabled the main controller (usually of squadron leader rank) and Dowding to see quickly where each formation was heading and allowed an estimate to be made of possible targets. Because of the simplicity of the system, decisions could be made quickly and easily.

Göring stopped attacks on the radar chain. These were seen as unsuccessful, and neither the Reichsmarschall nor his subordinates realized how vital the Chain Home stations were to the defense. It was known that radar provided some early warning of raids, but the belief among German fighter pilots was that anything bringing up the "Tommies" to fight was to be encouraged.

Front line RAF pilots were acutely aware of the deficiencies of their own tactics. A compromise was adopted where squadrons used looser formations with one or two "weavers" flying independently above and behind to provide increased observation and rear protection; these tended to be the least experienced men and were often the first to be shot down without the other pilots even noticing that they were under attack.

18 August, which had the greatest number of casualties to both sides, was dubbed "The Hardest Day".

Although successful in previous Luftwaffe engagements, the Stuka suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Britain, particularly on 18 August, due to its slow speed and vulnerability to fighter interception after the dive bombing. As a result of the losses and limited payload and range, Stuka units were largely removed from operations over England and concentrated on shipping instead.

The whole of the Battle can be roughly divided into four phases:
* 10 July–11 August: Kanalkampf, ("the Channel battles"). These comprised a series of running fights over convoys in the English Channel and occasional attacks on the convoys by Stuka dive bombers.
* 12 August–23 August: Adlerangriff ("Eagle Attack"), the early assault against the coastal airfields.
* 24 August–6 September: the Luftwaffe targets the airfields. The critical phase of the battle. Göring ordered attacks on aircraft factories on 19 August 1940; then on 23 August he ordered that RAF airfields be attacked. Raids on airfields continued through 24 August, and Portsmouth was hit by a major attack. That night, several areas of London were bombed; the East End was set ablaze and bombs landed on central London.
In retaliation, the RAF bombed Berlin on the night of 25–26 August, and continued bombing raids on Berlin until the end of the war. Göring's pride was hurt, as he had previously claimed the British would never be able to bomb the city. The attacks enraged Hitler, who reversed his earlier stance on civilian targets and ordered retaliatory attacks on London to weaken civilian morale. These attacks were termed by Londoners as "The Blitz".
* 7 September onwards: the day attacks switch to British towns and cities. In the face of mounting losses in men, aircraft and the lack of adequate replacements, the Luftwaffe switched from daylight to night-time bombing.

The RAF had the advantage of fighting over home territory. Pilots who bailed out of their downed aircraft could be back at their airfields within hours. For Luftwaffe aircrews, a bailout over England meant capture, while parachuting into the English Channel often meant drowning or death from exposure. Morale began to suffer, and Kanalkrankheit ("Channel sickness") — a form of combat fatigue — began to appear among the German pilots. Their replacement problem was even worse than the British.

The position for Britain was grim in the extreme as from August 24th to September 6th 295 fighters had been totally destroyed and 171 badly damaged, against a total output of 269 new and repaired Spitfires and Hurricanes. Worst of all, during the fortnight 103 pilots were killed or missing and 128 were wounded, which represented a total wastage of 120 pilots per week out of a fighting strength of just under 1,000. Experienced pilots were like gold-dust, and each one lost had to be replaced by an untried man who for some time would be vulnerable, until he acquired battle know-how. During the whole of August no more than 260 fighter pilots were turned out and casualties in the same month were just over 300.

On 14 September Hitler called a meeting with the OKW staff. Goering was absent in France, as he had decided to direct the decisive part of the battle from there. At the meeting Hitler raised the question, "Should we call it off altogether?". Hitler had accepted that an invasion with massive air cover was no longer possible. Instead he opted to try to crush British morale, while maintaining the threat of invasion.
At this point Hitler was against canceling the invasion as "the cancellation would reach the ears of the enemy and strengthen his resolve".
On 15 September two massive waves of German attacks were decisively repulsed by the RAF, with every aircraft of 11 Group being used on that day. The total casualties on this critical day were 60 German and 26 RAF aircraft shot down. The German defeat caused Hitler to order two days later the postponement of preparations for the invasion of Britain.

Overall, by 2 November, the RAF fielded 1,796 pilots, an increase of over 40% from July 1940's count of 1,259 pilots.
German fighter and bomber "strength" declined without recovery, and that from August - December 1940, the German fighter and bomber strength declined by 30 and 25 percent. 1,380 German bombers were on strength on 29 June 1940, 1,420 bombers on 28 September.
In July - September the number of pilots available fell by 136, but the number of operational pilots had shrunk by 171 by September. The training organization of the Luftwaffe was failing to replace losses. German fighter pilots, in contrast to popular perception, were not afforded training or rest rotations unlike their British counterparts. The first week of September accounted for 25 percent of the Fighter Command, and 24 percent of the Luftwaffe overall losses.

From July to September, the Luftwaffe's loss records indicate the loss of 1,636 aircraft, 1,184 to enemy action. This represented 47 percent of the initial strength of single-engine fighters, 66 percent of twin-engine fighters, and 45 percent of bombers. This indicates the Germans were running out of aircrews as well as aircraft.

(A note of trivia regarding the movie Battle Of Britain. When it was made in 1965, the fleet of aircraft assembled to film it was termed the "world's 35th largest air force". Out of 109 remaining British Spitfires, 27 were available for filming, 12 of which were flyable. Other aircraft used were 6 British Hurricanes (3 flying), 2 German Protukas (Stuka trainer), 32 Spanish-built German Heinkel bombers, 27 Spanish-built German Me109 fighters (17 flying), and 2 Spanish-built Junker transports.)

Due to the failure of the Luftwaffe to establish air supremacy, a conference assembled on 14 September at Hitler's headquarters. Hitler concluded that air superiority had not yet been established and "promised to review the situation on 17 September for possible landings on 27 September or 8 October. Three days later, when the evidence was clear that the German Air Force had greatly exaggerated the extent of their successes against the RAF, Hitler postponed SeaLion indefinitely."

Total British civilian losses from July to December 1940 were 23,002 dead and 32,138 wounded, with one of the largest single raids on 19 December 1940, in which almost 3,000 civilians died.

The Royal Air Force roll of honour for the Battle of Britain recognizes 595 non-British pilots (out of 2,936) as flying at least one authorized operational sortie with an eligible unit of the RAF or Fleet Air Arm between 10 July and 31 October 1940.[76][77] These included 145 Poles, 127 New Zealanders, 112 Canadians, 88 Czechoslovaks, 32 Australians, 28 Belgians, 25 South Africans, 13 French, 10 Irish, 7 Americans, and one each from Jamaica, the British Mandate of Palestine, and Southern Rhodesia.

The failure of Germany to achieve its objectives of destroying Britain's air defenses, or forcing Britain to negotiate an armistice or an outright surrender, is considered its first major defeat and one of the crucial turning points in the war, with air superiority seen as the key to victory.

Winston Churchill

Now that things in 1940 are really taking a swing into full-blown war, I occasionally want to showcase individuals who really made an impact on the course of events.

Since August is the month that The Battle Of Britain took place, now is the time for a little background on Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, who was one of the more publicly recognized political figures at the time. People living in Britain all knew him, and most of Europe as well (if they ever listened to radio news). His name and face had been a feature in our news as well.

Winston served as prime minister of England from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.
To date, he is the only British prime minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the first person to be recognized as an honorary citizen of the United States.

Born to the aristocratic Spencer family 30 November 1874, died 24 January 1965.
His ancestor George Spencer had changed his surname to Spencer-Churchill in 1817 when he became Duke of Marlborough, to highlight his descent from John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough.
Independent and rebellious by nature, Churchill generally did poorly in school. He attended Harrow School in 1888, where his military career began. Within weeks of his arrival, he had joined their Rifle Corps. He earned high marks in English and History and was also the school's fencing champion. It is not hard to imagine this boys-school hothead, imperiously taking on challenges and boyhood rituals that led to the steely-eyed spokesman he became. Just looking at his expression in the photo above, I can almost hear his thoughts of making sweeping changes, only his shrewd calculating intelligence keeping him from lighting political firestorms, preferring to outmaneuver his opponents with words.

During his army career, Churchill saw military action in India, the Sudan and the Second Boer War. He gained fame and notoriety as a war correspondent and through contemporary books he wrote describing the campaigns. He also served briefly in the British Army on the Western Front in the First World War, commanding the 6Th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He did not intend to follow a conventional career of promotion through army ranks, but to seek out all possible chances of military action and used his mother's and family influence in high society to arrange postings to active campaigns.
In 1899 he accompanied a scouting expedition in an armored train, leading to his capture and imprisonment in a POW camp in Pretoria. His escape made him a minor national hero for a time in Britain, though instead of returning home, he rejoined the army on its march to relieve the British at the Siege of Ladysmith and take Pretoria.

During the First World War he continued as First Lord of the Admiralty until the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign caused his departure from government. He returned as Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for Air.
At the forefront of the political scene for almost fifty years, he held many political and cabinet positions.

Churchill was a fierce critic of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Adolf Hitler and in a speech to the House of Commons, he bluntly and prophetically stated, "You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war."
After the outbreak of the Second World War, Churchill was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain on 10 May 1940, he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Coining the general term for the upcoming battle, Churchill stated in his "Finest Hour" speech to the House of Commons on 18 June 1940, "I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin."
Churchill was always noted for his grandiose speeches, which became a great inspiration to the British people and to the embattled Allied forces. His first speech as prime minister was the famous "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat". He followed that closely with two other equally famous ones, given just before the Battle of Britain.

"... we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

"Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'."

At the height of the Battle of Britain, his quote "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few", began the enduring nickname 'The Few' for the RAF fighter pilots who won it.
One of his most memorable war speeches came on 10 November 1942 at the Lord Mayor's Luncheon at Mansion House in London, in response to the Allied victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein. Churchill stated:

"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

During the war Churchill's good relationship with Franklin D. Roosevelt secured vital food, oil and munitions via the North Atlantic shipping routes under the U.S. Lend-Lease Program. The Russians referred to him as the "British Bulldog" for his patented stubborn tenacity that personified a nation.

Churchill's health was fragile, as shown by a mild heart attack he suffered in December 1941 at the White House and also in December 1943 when he contracted pneumonia. Despite this, he traveled over 100,000 miles (160,000 km) throughout the war to meet other national leaders. For security, he usually traveled using the alias Colonel Warden.

After victory in Europe, Churchill told a huge crowd in Whitehall: "This is your victory." The people shouted: "No, it is yours".

There is an interesting tale to tell about his most famous picture, the one in my posting below August 18 for his "Never in the field of human conflict" speech. The photographer had a limited amount of time to capture the photo, and Churchill of course was uncooperative, procrastinating until the photographer only had a couple minutes left and hadn't taken any shots still. One of Churchill's vices was smoking a cigar which also interfered with the photographers composition and lighting, so he reached over and plucked the cigar from Winston's mouth, resulting in the captured demeanor which has been compared to resemble every grumpy newborn child.

After losing the 1945 election, he became Leader of the Opposition. In 1951 he again became prime minister, before finally retiring in 1955. Upon his death, the Queen granted him the honor of a state funeral, which saw one of the largest assemblies of statesmen in the world.

Scottish piper who led troops on D-Day passes

One more old hero passes on. Billy Millin stands out among the many courageous people of World War II for the uniqueness of his contribution to the Allied victory: He played the bagpipes.

Piper Millin was on the personal staff of the legendary commando leader Lord Lovat. Both were Scots and fiercely proud of their nation.

When the 1st Special Service Brigade hit the Normandy beaches on D-Day, Lovat ordered Millin to strike up his pipes. Millin jumped into the knee-deep water in his kilt and belted out “Highland Laddie.” He kept going, even when the man behind him was shot dead.

On the beach, Millin marched up and down the water’s edge under withering enemy fire, urging his comrades forward with his music and boosting their morale.

One soldier said many years later that the skirl of Billy’s pipes had lifted his spirits, reminding him of home and why he was fighting.

Millin stayed with his unit as it advanced through France over the following days, playing whenever he was ordered to by Lovat.

As they reached Pegasus Bridge – another famous chapter in the history of those days – Millin again piped the troops across under sniper fire. “It seemed,” he said, “a very long bridge.”

After the slaughter of the First World War, the British government had barred pipers from leading the charge. Lovat told Millin: “But that’s the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn’t apply.”

German prisoners said they hadn’t shot Millin because they thought he had gone off his head. They’d confused courage and pride with madness.

Millin died on Tuesday at 87. His gallantry won him the French Croix de guerre, and was memorialized in the movie “The Longest Day.” A statue is being erected in his honor near Sword Beach.

His family described him as a “great Scottish hero.”

(article edited from NBC News World Blog by Christopher Hampson)


My own tribute to the captivating character of Mr. Millin, I copy here the lyrics to the classic early 19th century tune "Minstrel Boy". Apologies for using an Irish fighting song to honor such a proud Scotsman, but the words and tune just fit (especially when played on bagpipes... google it).

The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;"
Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!"

A little perspective

In late August 2010 the last American combat troops leave Iraq, with plans to completely withdraw from the country by January of 2011, putting a close to nearly 8 years of war. In contrast, The United States involvement in WWII lasted only just 4 years. Here are a few more contrasts.

Total U.S. military deaths in Iraq: 4,419
Total U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan: 1,249
Total U.S. military deaths in WW2: 405,399

Total Allied military deaths in Iraq: 318
Total Allied military deaths in Afghanistan: 784
Total Allied military deaths in WW2: 14,429,059 (not counting POWs, partisans or resistance, or Chinese forces)

Total enemy deaths in Iraq: estimated between 10,000-20,000 (Reliable figures for insurgent casualties are not available. The Pentagon stopped supplying figures for what it called "non-compliant Iraqi forces" in mid-summer 2003. )
Total enemy deaths in Afghanistan: 15,219 (estimated from the Wikileaks data)
Total enemy deaths in WW2 (counting impressed soldiers): 6,581,684

Total civilian deaths in Iraq (their own estimates): 96,000-105,000
Total civilian deaths in Afghanistan (U.S. figure, again from the Wikileaks files): 3,994
Total civilian deaths in WW2 (counting the Holocaust, Chinese Nationalist and Socialist armies, partisans & resistance forces, and POWs. Again a huge estimate and the figures will never be truly known): 34,794,743

Grand Totals:
Iraq, 2003-2011: 129,737 deaths
Afghanistan, 2001-2010(ongoing): 21,246 deaths
World War II, 1939-1945: 56,210,885 deaths

Who says Armageddon hasn't already happened.

Note that in none of these figures are the wounded and psychologically traumatized.

(Side note, entered September 1st, 2010: This morning President Obama officially announced "America's combat mission in Iraq has ended".)

Senator Ted Stevens' WWII Service

The longest serving Republican U.S. senator, Ted Stevens died in a plane crash in his home state of Alaska last week. His political record was full of many accolades and he set the bar for accomplishments that few senators have been able to match. He was called the 'patron saint of Alaska' for the billions in federal dollars he brought to his constituents. But his accomplishments started at a much younger age. Copied below is the article and picture from "Turnagain Times", news from his home area.


By Ted Spencer
Special to the Turnagain Times

The Prince William Sound Museum in Whittier has perhaps the only museum exhibit in the state honoring Sen. Ted Stevens. The exhibit entitled, “China Skies–The WWII Service of Lt. Ted Stevens”, showcases the little known details of Sen. Stevens’ World War II military service. Installed in 2007, the exhibit had the direct assistance of Senator Stevens and his staff.

Senator Ted Stevens was a true WWII combat veteran and hero who was highly decorated as a pilot for the US Army Air Force.

Stevens went through pilot training at Douglas, Arizona, and earned his Army Air Corps wings in May, 1944. “I went in when I was 19, and got my wings when I was 20,” Stevens recalled. “Three of us in that class were immediately sent to China. Chennault sent a 47 (C-47) out to pick us up for the flight through Burma.

He needed some replacement pilots in for the 14th Air Force Transport Section. The 14th was the successor to the old Flying Tiger Transport Section, who had been flying for Chennault before the US government turned Chennaults’s group into the 14th Air Force. The new group became the 322nd Troop Carrier Squadron.” The 322nd was designated a combat troop carrier unit. Lt. Ted Stevens, 20, was flying Douglas C-47’s and Curtiss C-46’s for General Claire Chennault deep in the mainland of China.

Chennault, who began fighting the Japanese invaders to China with his famous American volunteer Flying Tigers prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and now commanded the 14th Air Force.

“We knew the Japanese could hear our airplanes, but a modified exhaust collector hid the exhaust flames from view at night. We did most our flying across the Japanese lines at night and would try to get to our destination at about daylight. We would land and camouflage our planes during the day and then take off again at night.”

Lieutenant Ted Stevens flew over the some of the most treacherous terrain of the Himalayan Mountains in some of the worst weather on the planet. The heavily loaded planes would fly over mountain ranges in excess of ten thousand feet encountering extreme turbulence, thunderstorms, and icing. Losses for the flights over the “Hump” were more than 400 aircraft and 800 men. For his courage Lt Ted Stevens was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals and the Chinese order of Yuan Hai for his service having “distinguished himself by heroism and extraordainary meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.”

The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Anchor Inn Hotel in Whittier.

(Ted Spencer is the curator of the Whittier Museum.)

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few…”

August 20, 1940 3:42PM, London

The exact time that Winston Churchill gave his famous speech about the Battle of Britain over the radio.

There are many sources online for reading the full transcript or listening to a recording of the broadcast of one the most famous and inspirational speeches of all time. My favorite passage, his closing comments I copy below, written this day August 18th, 1940.

"Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'

End of the War

Today is the 65th anniversary of the victory over Japan in the Pacific and the signing of the armistice which formerly ended World War II.

More details of the events leading up to this date will be filled in as they pass the 70 year mark.

There were commemorative events held in the United States, Japan, South Korea, China Australia, and New Zealand. 'Spirit of ’45 Day' was observed nationwide, with taps played at 7 p.m. in cemeteries, parks and veterans’ memorials from the Outer Banks to the Pacific Northwest.
“We’re going to be gone,” says Ray Stewart at one such celebration surrounded by fellow veterans. “In another 10 years, every one of us is going to be gone.”
“It brings back memories of the ones I was with who were either wounded or killed in action,” said Stewart, an Army veteran who served in the 2nd Armored Division. “We do this to keep it alive, I guess.”

1st and 71st Anniversary of 'The Wizard Of Oz' movie

August 12th, 1940 & 2010

To the world in 1940, the movie 'Wizard Of Oz' starring Judy Garland was one year old. It has withstood the test of time to become the classic it is today at 71 years old. Here are 71 facts about the movie.

1) So frightening was Margaret Hamilton's performance as the Wicked Witch of the West that most of her scenes were heavily edited or cut entirely.

2) When the script was written, the part of the Wizard had been earmarked for WC Fields.

3) Judy Garland's white dress was actually pink as it was easier to shoot in Technicolor.

4) A sequel using the original cast was mooted, but scrapped after Garland became such a big star and Hamilton expressed doubts over the feasibility of such a project.

5) The film has numerous lines in Premiere magazine's poll to find the 100 Greatest Movie Lines. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" came in at No 24.

6) "There's no place like home" came in at No 11.

7) "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" was at No 62.

8) "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!" was No 99.

9) The same magazine named it one of the 20 most overrated movies of all time.

10) Judy Garland's childlike physique was achieved with the help of a corset.

11) Several actors playing Winged Monkeys were injured when the piano wires holding them up snapped during a shoot on the haunted forest scene.

12) An unused screenplay was written by Ogden Nash.

13) Reports suggest each Munchkin earned $50 per week, while Toto bagged $125 per week.

14) Jell-O crystals were stuck over all the horses in the Emerald City palace to lend them their colour. The scenes were shot speedily, before the horses began to lick them off.

15) The running time is 101 minutes, but the original cut was 112 minutes – only audiences at test screenings have seen the additional 11 minutes.

16) MGM toned down the gore in L Frank Baum's novel, which involves scenes showing "Kalidahs" (tiger-bear hybrids) being dashed to pieces in a crevasse, the Tin Woodman using his axe to decapitate a wildcat and 40 wolves, and bumblebees stinging themselves to death against the Scarecrow.

17) The production costs came in at $2,777,000 – a vast sum for the time. On initial release, the film only earned $3m.

18) MGM head Louis B Mayer had the idea of changing the colour of the slippers from silver to ruby.

19) The song Over the Rainbow came in at No 1 on the American Film Institute's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films. It was adopted by American troops in Europe in World War II as a symbol of the United States.

20) The film is rated No 1 on the AFI's 2008 list of the 10 greatest fantasy films.

21) In their 2007 list, the AFI ranked it as the 10th greatest film of all time.

22) So scary were the costumes worn by Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley that they had to eat meals in their dressing rooms, lest they alarm other diners in the MGM cafeteria.

23) Bert Lahr's costume weighed 90 pounds

24) In 1989, a pair of real ruby slippers were made to mark the 50th anniversary. These are valued at $3m.

25) Louis B Mayer's trigger for getting the film into production was to trump the critical and commercial success of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

26) Five different directors and 14 writers were involved in various stages of pre-production.

27) Judy Garland won an Oscar Juvenile Award in 1939 for her role; a gong she would later refer to as the Munchkin award.

28) L Frank Baum received $75,000 for the rights to his book.

29) Standard industrial paint, bought from a hardware store several blocks away from the studio, was used to coat the bricks on the Yellow Brick Road.

30) The oft-quoted line "Fly my pretties, fly" is a falsely remembered bit of dialogue – it's actually "Fly, Fly, Fly."

31) The fire that engulfs the Witch's hands as she's trying to remove the ruby slippers is actually apple juice spewing out of the shoes – the film was then sped up to make it look more like fire.

32) The uniforms of the Flying Monkeys match those worn by the Witch's castle guards (or Winkies).

33) A recycled bit of score from the film Marie Antoinette (1938) can be heard during the castle escape film – the music for both films was composed by Herbert Stothart.

34) To show Dorothy's house falling from the sky, a miniature house was dropped onto a sky painting on the stage floor, then the film reversed to make it appear the film was falling towards the camera.

35) Jack Haley's Tin Woodsman costume was so stiff that he had to lean against a board if he wanted a rest.

36) The film is meant to be one of the most watched in the western world, partly because of its heavy presence on TV schedules.

37) The head winged monkey is called Nikko – also the name of the Japanese town home to the shrine featuring the Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys.

38) In 2007, the Munchkins were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Seven of them attended the ceremony: Mickey Carroll, Ruth L Robinson, Margaret Pellegrini, Meinhardt Raabe, Karl "Karchy" Kosiczky and August Clarence Swenson.

39) Baum thought up the name for Oz when looking at his filing cabinets, organised A-N and O-Z.

40) Jack Haley regularly claimed that making the film was far from enjoyable. "Like Hell, it was; it was work!", he was say.

41) Judy Garland couldn't stop giggling while filming the scene in which Dorothy slaps the Cowardly Lion. So the director, Victor Fleming, took her aside and slapped her. She returned to the set and filmed the scene in one take.

42) The line "What makes the dawn come up like thunder?" in the Cowardly Lion's speech about courage is a reference to a line in Rudyard Kipling's Mandalay: "An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!"

43) The tornado was a 35-foot-long muslin stocking, spun around among miniatures of a Kansas farm and fields in a dusty atmosphere.

44) Lux Radio Theater broadcast a 60-minute CBS Radio adaptation of the movie on Christmas Day 1950 with Judy Garland reprising her film role as Dorothy.

45) In 1985 Disney made a sequel to Wizard of Oz named Return to Oz. It has since become a cult classic.

46) The musical Wicked is based on the Witches of Oz. It's essentially a back story to The Wizard of Oz, and shows the Wicked Witch of the West is a positive light.

47) The stage version of The Wizard of Oz returns to London's West End in February 2011. The role of Dorothy was decided by BBC talent show Over the Rainbow, which aired in spring 2010.

48) Four sets of slippers were used in the film, one pair of which was stolen from a museum in Minnesota in 2005. They were insured for $1m.

49) The film won two Oscars for best original score and best original song, and was nominated for best art direction, best cinematography and best effects.

50) A Cairn terrier called Terry played the role of the dog Toto.

51) Spotlights and shadows from camera equipment are visible on the grass as Dorothy and the Scarecrow dance off singing "We're off to see the Wizard".

52) Hamilton was hospitalised with severe burns after a botched explosion in a take of the moment in which she disappears into a cloud of smoke.

53) In the final version of this scene Hamilton is clearly visible making her exit through a trap door.

54) In the original novel, the gift given to the Tin Man is not a heart clock but a stuffed satin heart put into the Woodsman's chest and then patched over with tin.

55) When George Cukor started as the director, Garland wore a blond wig and heavy, "baby-doll" makeup. Cukor changed Judy Garland's and Margaret Hamilton's makeup and costumes and instructed Garland to act more naturally, necessitating wholescale reshoots.

56) Most actors on the five-month shoot worked six days a week and had to arrive at the studio at four and five in the morning to be fitted with makeup and costumes. They would then work till seven or eight at night.

57) The early Technicolor process required a huge amount of lighting, which would often heat the set to over 100 degrees.

58) Jack Haley's aluminium paste makeup gave the actor a severe eye infection.

59) Margaret Hamilton's makeup could not be ingested, so she lived almost entirely on a liquid diet during filming.

60) A persistent rumour suggested one of the Munchkins can be seen having committed suicide by hanging himself in the background of one scene. But it's been proved false: it was actually a wild crane used in the forest scene.

61) When Margaret Hamilton returned from hospital following her burns accident, she refused to do the scene in which she flies on a broomstick that billows smoke, so the directors brought in stand-in Betty Danko instead. Danko was severely injured doing the scene.

63) The New York premiere at Loew's Capitol Theater on 17 August 1939 was followed by a live performance with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. They would continue to perform there after each screening for a week, extended in Rooney's case for a second week and in Garland's to three.

64) The film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress, which selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1989.

65) In June 2007, the film was listed on Unesco's Memory of the World Register.

66) Last year the San Francisco Chronicle devoted a film section front page to the film, in which Mick LaSalle declared that the film's "entire sequence, from Dorothy's arrival in Oz to her departure on the yellow brick road, has to be one of the greatest in cinema history — a masterpiece of set design, costuming, choreography, music, lyrics, storytelling and sheer imagination."

67) A prequel to Wizard of Oz is scheduled to be released in 2013. The working title is Oz: The Great and Powerful. It will be directed by Spider-Man's Sam Raimi and is likely to star Robert Downey, Jr.

68) The pairing of the 1973 Pink Floyd music album The Dark Side of the Moon with the visual portion of the film produces moments where the film and the album appear to correspond with each other in a music video-like experience. This juxtaposition has been called Dark Side of the Rainbow.

69) The Observer Music Monthly voted it the greatest film soundtrack of all time.

70) On the Rotten Tomatoes website, 100% of critics give the film positive reviews.

71) The film is at No 10 on the BFI's list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14.

(copied from Google Anniversary Commemorative article)

The beginning of The Desert Fox

In all my reading of World War II, both European and Pacific theaters, from both allied and enemy points of view, the one soldier's story that stands out from the rest for me would be that of General Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944). To fully understand his current status as Germany's greatest war hero, and his downfall during the war, a few more details than just the battles he fought with tanks need to be understood. There are many books and treatises but my favorite has to be David Irving's "Rommel: The Trail Of The Fox", garnered from some 2000 letters Rommel wrote to his wife Lucie and his own diary. This book is available as a free download online, just google it.

Condensed below are excerpts from Wiki detailing the events leading up to the fall of France, and while launching his career as an innovative general and figurehead of German propaganda, so to began his unpopularity with Germany's morally bankrupt military leaders.

On 6 February 1940, only three months before the invasion, Rommel was given command of the 7th Panzer-Division, for Fall Gelb ("Case Yellow"), the invasion of France and the Low Countries. This string-pulling provoked resentment among fellow officers. The Chief of Army Personnel had rejected Rommel's request on the grounds of his having no experience with armor, instead suggesting he was more suitable for commanding a mountain division lacking a commander. Rommel had, however, emphasized the use of mobile infantry and had come to recognize the great usefulness of armored forces in Poland. He set about adapting himself and learning the techniques of armored warfare rapidly and with great enthusiasm. In fact, his division became known as the "Ghost Division" because the pace and extent of their attacks put them so far forward that they were frequently out of communication with the rest of the army, leaving their exact position unknown to this day.

On 10 May 1940 a part of XV Corps under General Hoth (nod to Star Wars fans: origin of the name?), advanced into Belgium to proceed to the Meuse river near the Walloon municipality of Dinant. At the Meuse, 7th Panzer was held up owing to the bridges having been destroyed and to determined sniper and artillery fire from the Belgian defenders. The Germans lacked smoke grenades, so Rommel, having assumed personal command of the crossing, ordered a few nearby houses to be set on fire to conceal the attack. The German Panzergrenadiers crossed the river in rubber boats, with Rommel leading the second wave. The Division dashed further inland, always spurred on by Rommel and far in front of any friendly forces.

On 20 May Rommel's tanks reached Arras. Here he wanted to cut off the British Expeditionary Force from the coast and Hans von Luck, commanding the reconnaissance battalion of the Division, was tasked with forcing a crossing over the La Bassée canals near the city. Supported by Stuka dive bombers, the unit managed to force a crossing. The British launched a counterattack (the Battle of Arras) on 21 May with Matilda tanks, and the Germans found their 3.7-cm guns useless against the heavy armor. A battery of 88 mm guns had to be brought up to deal with the threat, with Rommel personally directing the fire.

After Arras, Hitler ordered his tanks to hold their positions, while the British, in Operation Dynamo, evacuated their troops at Dunkirk, and the 7th Panzer Division was given a few days of much-needed rest. On 26 May, 7th Panzer continued its advance, reaching Lille on 27 May. For the assault on the town, General Hoth placed his other tank division, 5th Panzer Division, under Rommel's command, to the chagrin of its commander, General Max von Hartlieb. The same day, Rommel received news that he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; he was the first divisional commander to be so honored during the campaign. This award, which had been secured for Rommel at Hitler's behest, caused more animosity among fellow officers, who were critical of Rommel's close relationship with Hitler. They believed that this was further evidence that Hitler seemed to give Rommel preferential treatment.

On 28 May, while making the final push into Lille and far in front of friendly forces, 7th Panzer came under heavy fire from French artillery. Rommel drove his forces on, capturing Lille, trapping half of the French First Army, and preventing their retreat to Dunkirk. After this coup, Rommel's forces were again given time to rest.

Rommel, resuming his advance on 5 June, drove for the River Seine to secure the bridges near Rouen. Advancing 100 kilometres (62 mi) in two days, the Division reached Rouen only to find the bridges destroyed. On 10 June, Rommel reached the coast near Dieppe, sending his "Am at coast" signal to the German HQ.

On 15 June, 7th Panzer started advancing on Cherbourg. On 17 June, the Division advanced 35 kilometres (22 mi), capturing the town on the following day. The Division then proceeded towards Bordeaux but stopped when the armistice was signed on 21 June. In July, the Division was sent to the Paris area to start preparations for Operation Seelöwe, the planned invasion of Britain. The preparations were half-hearted, however, as it became clear that the Luftwaffe would not be able to secure air superiority over the Royal Air Force.

The Day the First Bomb Fell

Today marks the 65th anniversary of America's atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan during World War II. And for the first time ever, a U.S. representative participated in the annual commemoration.
Hiroshima's mayor welcomed Washington's decision to send U.S. Ambassador John Roos to Friday's commemoration, which began with an offering of water to the 140,000 who died in the first of two nuclear bombings that prompted Japan's surrender in World War II.
The site of the world's first A-bomb attack echoed with the choirs of schoolchildren and the solemn ringing of bells Friday as Hiroshima marked its biggest memorial yet. At 8:15 a.m. -- the time the bomb dropped, incinerating most of the city -- a moment of silence was observed.
On August 9, 1945, three days after Hiroshima, the U.S. bombed Nagasaki, killing around 80,000 people. Japan surrendered a week later, on August 15, thereby ending WWII.

(from edited Huffington Post article, picture from Life.com/1945 Bernard Hoffman)

Erroll Flynn, the war years

The Tasmanian-born Flynn had looks, charm and athleticism to spare. He became an overnight sensation with the swashbuckling 1935 classic "Captain Blood" and followed that with 1936's "The Charge of the Light Brigade," 1938's "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and 1940's "The Sea Hawk."

That success notwithstanding, Flynn, who became a U.S. citizen in 1942, was turned down by every branch of the military because of a weak ticker, recurrent malaria, chronic back pain, chronic TB and a variety of venereal diseases. So the actor fought World War II in five eclectic action-adventure movies, which are being released on DVD this week by Warner Home Video.
Here's a look at the films:

"Desperate Journey"
Made in early 1942 before his rape trial, "Desperate Journey" is the least successful of the films in this collection. Directed by Raoul Walsh, it's almost a comedic romp through Germany. The film revolves around an RAF Flying Fortress whose crew is assigned to bomb deep into Germany. After they are shot down, they must take on the Nazis to get back to England. Flynn plays a charming Australian and Ronald Reagan is a fun-loving American.

"Edge of Darkness"
Far more dramatic is this adventure, directed by Lewis Milestone, about the inhabitants of a small Norwegian fishing town who rise up against the Nazis. Flynn is at his heroic best as the leader of the resistance.
Production was difficult because Flynn was dealing with the rape trial and had trouble concentrating on acting. But perhaps the biggest scandal was that Flynn spent his downtime romancing costar Ann Sheridan, who was married to George Brent.

"Northern Pursuit"
With Walsh directing again, Flynn stars as a Canadian Mountie of German descent who captures a downed Luftwaffe pilot (Helmut Dantine) who is also the head of a secret spy ring. Flynn is recruited to pretend he is sympathetic to the Nazi cause in order to crush them.

"Uncertain Glory"
Flynn gives an understated performance as a French roué on the lam for murder who decides to turn himself in as a saboteur in order to save the lives of 100 people in a small French village. Paul Lukas plays a dogged French detective. Walsh directed.
The film was made just after Flynn had signed a big new contract with Warner Bros. that granted him more power over story, casting and directors. He later told an interviewer that the role was "the best I've ever had."

"Objective, Burma!"
A more mature Flynn heads the ensemble cast of Walsh's lengthy but inspiring 1945 epic, which the British later condemned because the film paid no attention to the role that England played in Burma. It also has come under criticism for its depiction of the Japanese people, but in 1945 those negative depictions were de rigueur. A huge critical and commercial hit, the film was nominated for three Oscars, including for Franz Waxman's pulsating score.
Flynn was reportedly well-behaved on the set. Walsh later said that "Errol was on his good behavior because he was writing a book when I was not using him. Between being gung ho with his men and typing his life story, he had no time for anymore than half a dozen drinks, which to him was almost total abstinence."

DiMaggio had 'defective attitude' toward military in World War II

Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio held a “defective attitude” toward military service during his World War II service, U.S. Army documents recently published.

According to Army medical reports, DiMaggio exhibited a “conscious attitude of hostility and resistance” toward his duties. DiMaggio served for 2-1/2 years as a physical instructor in the Army’s Special Services division, though he never saw combat nor was deployed overseas.

The two reports were written shortly before DiMaggio’s discharge in September 1945 by officers in the Army’s Medical Corps. In the reports, doctors say DiMaggio complained of persistent abdominal pain he believed was an ulcer and led to repeated hospitalizations.

But Major Emile G. Stoloff wrote that “no evidence” of an ulcer could be found. Major William G. Barrett contended that DiMaggio was hoping his medical complaints would “lead to release from his present unhappy situation” in the military.

During the interviews, DiMaggio complained that the Army was using his status as a baseball star for public relations. Barrett said DiMaggio felt “exploited” by having to play in Army baseball games. The records note that DiMaggio “resisted all such attempts ”by Stoloff to investigate why DiMaggio exhibited an “aversion to the use of his special skill.”

At the time, DiMaggio was 30 and had recently divorced his wife, who had custody of his young son. The doctors described DiMaggio as being more interested in his personal problems than in his “obligations to adjust to the demands of the service.” Stoloff concluded DiMaggio could still be of use to the Army under certain conditions, including that he not be required to play baseball, sign autographs, or do interviews.

DiMaggio returned to the Yankees in 1946, winning the American League MVP one year later and leading the Yankees to a World Series title.

(edited from New York Post uncredited article)

The Fall Of France

May 12-14, 1940
German forces reach the Meuse River, the crossing of which is critical for the advance into France. Dive-bombers pound French positions and inflatable rats are used to establish bridgeheads at Sedan and Dinant on the 13th. Despite Allied air attacks, German armor advances westward rapidly, opening a 50 mile (75km) gap in the Allied line.

May 15, Air War, Germany
Britain launches its first strategic air attack on Germany with 99 aircraft hitting oil plants and railroad yards in the Ruhr region.

May 16-20, Western Front, France
The French General Reserve and units south of the German forces are ordered to form the Sixth Army to bolster the vulnerable Allied lines, but this fails to halt the German Bltizkrieg.
Brigadier Gerneral Charles de Gaulle's 4th Armored Division sttempts to counterattack around Laon-Montcornet on May 17-19 but fails.
German tanks reach Cambrai on May 18, and finally the seat at Abbeville two days later. It now becomes critical for the Allies to cut the 'corridor' made by the panzers or risk the isolation of their armies to the north from the forces in the south. The dismissal of General Maurice Gamelin, the Allied commander-in-chief, and the appointment of Maxime Weygand as his successor on the 19th further delays military decision-making, which reduces the potential for any action.

The appointment of Marshal Petain as Vice Premier on the 19th prepares France for its coming capitulation to Germany.

May 20
The German Army reaches the English Channel, cutting the Allied forces in two. The commander-in-chief, von Brauchitsch, wants to round up trapped Anglo-French and Belgian troops, but Rundstedt decides to halt and regroup his forces. Eager to preserve his panzers for conquest of Paris, Hitler confirms these orders giving Goring's Luftwaffe the chance to distinguish itself by destroying the Allied armies in the Dunkirk Pocket. However, the sands reduce the effect of aircraft's bombs. British aircraft resist the attacks enabling the Allies to prepare for evacuation.

May 21-28, Dunkirk
British tanks battle with the 7th Panzer Division at Arras until May 23. General Heinz Guderian moves toward Boulogne and Calais unaffected by the Allied "Weygand Plan", which attempts to split the tank spearhead from troops and supplies in the German 'corridor".
On the 27th, British start evacuations of troops, "Operation Dynamo", including French and Belgian, from the beaches at Dunkirk to England.
Surviving constant harassment by German shelling, the evacuation doesn't end until June 3rd. Over 300,000 soldiers are taken to England, two-thirds of them British, but without their equipment and weapons. Another 200,000 are evacuated from other ports. This tremendous feat was possible by establishing a defensive perimeter between several canal lines, and by using any available ship, pleasure craft, commercial or personal fishing boats, and naval vessels brave enough to make the crossing and recrossings under fire. Despite many losses, few boats within range turn down the call.

May 28, King Leopold of Belgium surrenders, suffering 7550 men killed. The surrender leaves the left flank of the Allied line increasingly vulnerable, and there is no hop of holding out in Belgium.

May 31, United States
President Franklin D. Roosevelt launches a billion-dollar defense program to bolster the armed forces.

June 1-9, Norway
After Britain and France reveal to the Norwegians that they are to begin an evacuation, troops begin to withdraw. King Haakon and his government leave for Britain on the 7th, and 24,500 troops are evacuated. The king finally orders the Norwegians to stop fighting on June 9th, after losing 1335 men. Entire Allied losses include 5600 men, one carrier, two cruisers, nine destroyers plus other smaller craft, and 100 aircraft. German losses total 3692 men, 19 warships, and 242 aircraft.

June 4th, the Germans occupy Dunkirk and capture 40,000 French troops.

June 5-12
The German Army resumes its offensive, moving south and west into France using 119 divisions under "Operation Red". Guderian takes the French defensive Maginot Line in the rear and encirles a large part of the remaining French Army, which is now totally demoralized.
General Fedor von Bock's Army Group B attacking along the Somme River, reaches the Seine River west of Paris by June 9th. General von Rundstedt's Army Group A, moving toward the Moselle River in front of the Maginot Line, launches an offensive east of Paris.
Rundstedt's tanks, reinforced by Army Group B panzers, overcome resistance to break through at Chalons-sur-Marne on the 12th.
France's response, the Weygand Line, stretching along the Somme and Aisne Rivers, aims to protect Paris and the interior. Some of France's 65 divisions fight determined actions, but many units lack manpower and equipment. Air attacks and ligistical problems also undermine General Maxime Wegand's vulnerable forces.

June 8th, North Sea War
The German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sink three empty vessels and the British carrier Glorious while hunting for convoys from Norway. These losses are blamed on the British failure to provide sufficient naval escorts.

June 10th
Italy's Benito Mussolini eager to capitalize on France's collapse, declares war on Britain and France moves troops into southern France.
The French government leaves Paris, first to Tours, then to Bordeaux.
Some 11,000 British and other French troops begin to evacuate from St. Valery and Le Havre to Britain.

June 12-14, Mediterranean Sea War
Britain launces a naval bombardment against the Italian base of Tobruk, Libya. The French Navy bombards the ports of Genoa and Vado on the 14th. British air raids are also made on Turin and Genoa. Libyan and East African airfields are raided.

June 13
President Roosevelt signs a $1.3 billion navy bill to improve the service. Shipments of arms also leave the country in response to Winston Churchill's request for surplus weapons.
Paris is declared an "open city" in order to save it from destruction and all French forces withdraw south of the capital.

German troops enter Paris on June 14 as thousands flee the capital.
Germany's Army Group C, deployed from the Maginot Line to the Swiss border, breaks through French defenses, advancing in all directions, crossing the Rhine and Loire Rivers. All the coastal ports between Cherbourg and St. Nazaire are soon captured.

By the 15th, the evacuation of the remaining Allied troops in northwest France begins. "Operation Ariel" extends this to the Biscay ports by the 16th. Some 214,000 troops are saved, although 3000 perish when the liner Lancastria is sunk on the 17th.

Prime Minister Paul Reynaud of France releases France from its agreement with Britain not to make any separate peace, rejecting a union between the two countries. After losing support, he is replaced by Marshal Henri-Phillipe Petain.
Petain requests Germany's armistice terms and the signing takes place at Compiegne, site of the World War I armistice agreement on the 22nd. Using the same railway carriage where the Germans surrendered in November, 1918.
Under the terms Germany occupies two-thirds of France, including the Channel and Atlantic coastlines. The south, which becomes known as Vichy France, will have a nominal French administration and keep its colonies.
Hitler imminently expects the surrender of Great Britain, which will enable him to turn his attention to the East. Meanwhile, the Soviets move into Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and make them Soviet Republics.
After Italy's armistice with France on the 24th, a cease-fire occurs on all fronts. French casualties since May 10 total more than 85,000 men, British 3475, and German losses reach 27,074.

On June 27th, Britain announces a total blockade of the Continent.

Belgium Invaded

May 10-17th, 1940

Northern Front, Norway
The re-embarkation of Allied troops leaves the Germans in control of southern and central Norway. At Narvik in the north, 2000 German Alpine troops are slowly pushed back by 20,000 Allied troops.

Western Front, Belgium
Hitler moves to his forward headquarters, Felsennest (Cliff Nest) at Bad Munstereiffel, about 30 miles (48km) from the Belgian frontier, and issues the codeword 'Danzig' which sets off 'Fall Gelb' Operation Yellow, a strike through the Ardennes towards the English Channel to defeat the British and French.
Aircraft hit prearranged targets, while paratroopers prepared to seize vital objectives.
Before the Netherlands are attacked, a key frontier bridge is taken by "Brandenburgers", small groups of Dutch-speaking and sometimes Dutch-uniformed troops. Parachute troops are landed near The Hague and communications are soon in German hands.
Fort Eben Emael, guarding a bridge on the Begian border, is taken by German troops landing gliders on top of the caissons. Two panzer divisions move into Belgium.
Rotterdam is heavily bombed on the 14th to hasten the Dutch surrender. Rundstedt's Army Group A moves through southern Belgium, with a panzer corps under Guderian moving through the Ardennes' hills and forests.
The French, taken by surprise at armor coming through the "unpassable" Ardennes, wait for them to halt at the River Meuse. But Rommel's 7th Panzer Division crosses the river.
The same day, all of Guderian's panzers are across and racing through the open country beyond, with Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers clearing opposition before them. Their goal is to dislocate resistance.
General Ritter von Leeb's Army Group C covers France's Maginot Line, the subterranean forts and other defensive positions running along its border with Germany.
This is classic Blitzkrieg: to sustain the momentum of the advance by avoiding centers of resistance to strike the enemy's rear areas and lines of communication and supply. Bold commanders take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. Rommel solidifies his position as a brilliant and take-hands-on charge of front-line tank combat strategist.

Dutch resistance to the German attack crumbles, despite opening the flood gates and mining the Rhine River to obstruct the enemy. German forces begin to approach the Allied Dyle Line, while Belgian defenders are driven back from the Albert Canal.
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands escapes with the Dutch government to Britain on May 13. The city of Rotterdam is bombed before a cease-fire is declared on the 14th.


May 15th
The Dutch Army surrenders. One of Guderian's divisions is 40 miles (64km) beyond the Meuse and still advancing west.

May 17th
The Belgian capital, Brussels, is taken.

Chamberlain replaced by Churchill

May 7-10, 1940
Politics, Britain
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who signed the 'Peace In Our Time' headlined treaty with Germany, is severely criticized over the Norwegian campaign during a House of Commons debate. Chamberlain resigns after a significant fall in government support in a vote of confidence and the opposition Labour Party's refusal to serve under him in a coalition.
Winston Churchill replaces him and forms a coalition government

(These events closely parallel what happened in Britain this summer, 2010, when the government regime under Tony Blair was replaced by the coalition under their new prime minister David Cameron.)

Norway struggles to defend itself

April 15-30, 1940

Western Front, Norway
After securing their initial objectives, the German army begin their conquest of Norway. Major General Carl Otto Ruge, Norway's new commander-in-chief, leads a stubborn defense around Lake Mjosa and the Glomma valley.

An Allied expeditionary force of over 10,000 British, French, and Polish troops push back. Its objective to recapture Trondheim to secure a base, but its units are ill-prepared for the campaign. There has been little liaison with the Norwegians and various units lack cohesion. Lack of training in artic warfare, key supplies, air cover, and anti-aircraft weaponry exacerbate the situation.

German aircraft launch counterattacks. British and French troops eventually evacuate on May 1-2.

(I said I would catch up on the day-to-day events, and here it is three months later.)

April 10-14th, 1940
Northern Front, Norway
Anglo-French troops are landed at Narvik near Trondheim but are unable to do more than hold some of their landing areas.

Atlantic Sea War
U-49, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Johann Egbert von Gossler, is sunk by HMS Brazen and HMS Fearless. Secret documents, probably connected with the German "Enigma" cyphering machine, float to the surface and are then captured by the British.

Sea War, Norway
Five British destroyers launch a surprise attack on 10 German destroyers to the west of Narvik. Each side loses two, while eight German merchant vessels and an ammunition carrier are also sunk.