BRITISH ATTACKS FORCE BACK ROMMEL; NAZIS HAMMER WEDGE INTO SOVIET LINE (7/6/42)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 7/6/42 | A.C. Sedgwick, John A. Hetherington, Ralph Parker, Hanson W. Baldwin

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Southwest Russia, 1942: German Summer Offensive, Operations, 7 May-23 July 1942
North Africa, 1940: Rommel’s Second Offensive, 21 January-7 July 1942
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941: Status of Forces and Allied Theater Boundaries, 2 July 1942
India-Burma, 1942: Allied Lines of Communication, 1942-1943

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Nazis Lose Ridge – 2-3
Hopes Soar at Desert Base on Wings of Allied Air Might (Sedgwick, Hetherington) – 3-4
War News Summarized – 4
At Don, Foe Claims (Parker) – 5-6
Coney Plans a Dimout Curtain 18 Feet High and 14 Blocks Long – 7
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the Fighting in Various War Zones – 9-10
The Russian Campaign (Baldwin) – 10

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1942/jul42/f06jul42.htm

Hitler plans stadium for 2 million
Monday, July 6, 1942 www.onwar.com

In Berlin... Hitler comments that he has “given orders that the venue of the rally [the annual NSDAP rally in Nuremberg] is to be enlarged to accommodate a minimum of two million in the future.”

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/frame.htm

July 6th, 1942

UNITED KINGDOM:

London: Norman Brook, the wartime deputy Cabinet secretary makes a note (in shorthand) that Churchill said: “Contemplate [that] if Hitler falls into our hands, we shall certainly put him to death. Not a Sovereign who [could] be said to be in hands of Ministers, like Kaiser. This man is the mainspring of evil. Instrument — electric chair, for gangsters no doubt available on lend-lease.” (William Ritchart)

U-502 becomes the first U-boat to be sunk in a night attack by a Leigh Light equipped RAF Wellington. (22)

The RAF invites the US Eighth Air Force to share membership in important RAF operational committees dealing with targets, operational research, interception, and bomber operations. VIII Air Force Service Command sets up headquarters at Bushy Park with Major General Walter H Frank as Commanding General. 6 B-17s arrive in the UK via the North Atlantic ferry route. (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: U-367 is laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.S.R.: The Germans launch Operation Swamp Flower, a massive sweep of partisan fighters in Dorogobuzh.

At 1638, the John Witherspoon was torpedoed by U-255 about 20 miles from the shore of Novaya Zemlya. The ship had been in convoy PQ-17 which was dispersed on Admiralty orders in the Barents Sea on 4 Jul 1942. One torpedo struck on the starboard side between the #4 and #5 holds, followed by a second torpedo about one minute later underneath the bridge. At 1655, two coup de grâce were fired, which struck on the port side amidships and broke the ship in two, causing her to sink within minutes. At this time, the eight officers, 31 crewmen and 11 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four .50cal and two .30cal guns) already abandoned ship in three lifeboats and one raft. One seaman fell overboard and drowned. The U-boat approached the boat of the master and asked for the master and about the cargo, offered food and water, promised to send a message for the survivors, gave directions to the nearest land and then left. On 9 July, most survivors were picked up by corvette HMS La Malouine but 16 crewmembers and three armed guards in another boat had been trapped in the ice for 53 hours and had been unable to get free. The El Capitan picked them up in a heavy fog, after the chief mate spotted the boat after hearing the tone of a bos’n pipe. On 9 July, this ship was bombed by a German aircraft and later sunk by U-251. The survivors from the John Witherspoon had to abandon ship again and were picked up by trawler HMS Lord Austin and taken to Archangel. (Dave Shirlaw)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 0526, the Hero with three escort vessels, was hit by two torpedoes from U-375. The first torpedo struck in the bow and the second after 30 seconds in the stern. The ship was blown to pieces and sank within 50 seconds. Four Norwegians, two British and 24 Chinese crewmembers died. Only 14 men that had been on deck survived by jumping overboard. They were picked up by an escort vessel and taken to Jaffa two hours later. The master was among the rescued, but died on board the escort ship and was buried the next day at the military cemetery in Ramleh, near Jaffa. The completely destroyed wreck of the Hero removed in March 1944. (Dave Shirlaw)

AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Ararat is laid down.

destroyer HMAS QUIBERON is commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Japanese have started construction of an airfield on Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands. (Jack McKillop)

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: In the Aleutian Islands, the 11th Air Force dispatches 4 B-24s and 1 LB-30 to fly bombing and weather missions to Kiska Island; the results are not observed. No 111 (Fighter) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is ordered to Cape Field on Umnak Island. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.A.: Baseball!

Public opinion polls ask:

Would you like to see the United States join a league of nations after the war is over?

Yes 73%

No 27%

The answers to the above question were broken out by regions of the United States and held to within three percentage points of the above. (Jay Stone) (64)

Minesweeper USS CHAMPION is laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

CANADA: Gulf of St. Lawrence: At 0521 and 0522, U-132 fired torpedoes at Convoy QS-15 and reported three ships with 13,000 tons sunk. In fact only two ships, the Anastassios Pateras and the Hainaut were hit and sunk. Anastassios Pateras remained afloat for some time, but later sank at 49°12N/66°55W. Hainaut remained afloat for some time, but later sank in 49°13N/66°49W.

At 0646, U-132 attacked Convoy QS-15 for a second time in the St Lawrence River south of Clarke City, Quebec, and observed one hit amidships accompanied by a large column of fire after a running time of 1 minute 35 seconds. The ship hit was the Dinaric, which later sank in 49°15N/66°43W on 9 July. Four crewmembers were lost. The master, 27 crewmembers and six gunners were picked up by minesweeper HMCS Drummondville and landed at Sydney.

Minesweeper HMCS Wallaceburg laid down Port Arthur Ontario. (Dave Shirlaw)

NORTH ATLANTIC: At 0036, the unescorted Avila Star was torpedoed and sunk by U-201 NE of the Azores. The master, 66 crewmembers and 17 passengers were lost. 93 crewmembers, six gunners and 13 passengers were picked up by the Portuguese destroyer Lima and sloop Pedro Nunes and landed at Ponta Delgada, Azores. (Dave Shirlaw)

CARIBBEAN SEA: At 1837, the Lalita was shelled and sunk by U-154 in the Yucatan Channel. MS Bayard sunk by U-67 at 29.35N, 88.44W. 21 survivors were picked up by a seaplane and taken to New Orleans for medical care. (Dave Shirlaw)

Argentina: Buenos Aires: President Castillo announces that Argentina will remain neutral in the war.

[Peter W. Kessler]

Last inning of the 1942 All Star Game at the Polo Grounds; teams were battling each other, and a blackout curfew:

http://ia701200.us.archive.org/0/items/1942RadioNews/1942-07-06-MBS-All-Star-Game-NYC-Blackout-Bottom-Of-9th.mp3

Here’s the box score, key players:

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/asgbox/yr1942as.shtml

[ETL]

Let's not forget that the Soviets, 3 years earlier, had signed a non-aggression pact with the Nazis.

Above: Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov signs the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact while German Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop and Soviet leader Stalin look on under a portrait of Lenin, August 23, 1939. News of the Pact stunned the world and paved the way for the beginning of World War Two with Hitler assured the Germans would not have to fight a war on two fronts.
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/pact.htm
___________________________________________________

"...at the time of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the Communists suddenly transformed the 'Anti-Nazi League' into the "Hollywood Peace Forum," calling for American neutrality and using the slogan 'Let's Skip the Next War.'..."
--Ronald Radosh, from his book, Red Star Over Hollywood: The Film Colony's Long Romance With the Left
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4251
___________________________________________________

"[Pete] Seeger was antiwar during the period of the Nazi-Soviet Pact; pro-war after the Soviet Union was the ally of the United States; and anti-war during the years of the Cold War and Vietnam." --Ronald Radosh (former communist)
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=01133F31-CE9A-40BC-B797-47CBB0023EF4

[CougarGA7]

I was really looking forward to getting today’s LIFE up, but my photobucket account is not cooporating. I’ll get it posted when I get home from work tonight.

[CougarGA7]

I just remembered an alternative.