Diary June 21, 1940

War Diary, 06-1940, Diary WW2, Year 1940 / 1 minute of reading

Marshal Foch's railway carriage from 1918 — Marshal Foch’s railway carriage from 1918, used again by orders from Hitler for the armistice between France and Germany in 1940.

Diary for Friday, June 21, 1940:

Politics

Hitler attends Franco-German armistice negotiations in Forest of Compiegne.

Air War

50 German aircraft make scattered night raids over many parts of England, guided by radio beams.

Secret War

Specially equipped RAF Anson aircraft detects radio beam transmitted from Germany in direction of Rolls-Royce works, Derby. Counter-measures are quickly devised against this system (German code name Knickebein, or ‘bent leg’).

Sea War

Atlantic – two U-boats disappear: U-122 (June 21) and U-102 (June 30) missing off North Channel (Irish Sea); possibly sunk by mines. Two ‘Special Service Vessels’ (decoy ships) sunk by U-boats, West of Ireland: Prunella (June 21) and Williamette Valley (June 29).

Neutrals

Romania: King Carol forms ‘National Party’ inc. members of Iron Guard (Jews excluded from membership).
USA: Death of Colonel Thompson, inventor of the Tommy Gun (a sophisticated sub-machine gun), aged 80.

About The Author

Kretaner

My name is Norman 'Kretaner' and since my childhood I am interested in history and strategy games. Later, I have learned programming and the development of computer games, and finally with the Internet, also web design. I'm in the fortunate position to combine all my interests with my work and to live on a place of my choice, on Crete. All information, figures, specifications and statistics used here had been compiled from a variety of sources and the large, over decades collected, library of the author about military history, WW2 and weapons.