military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (01/10/90)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Wednesday, 10 January, 1940 Hitler informs Goering, Rader, and von Brauchitsch that the invasion of France will commence on 17 January. Meanwhile, however, a German aircraft, carrying two officers bearing plans for Fall Gelb, makes a forced landing near Mechelen-sur-Meuse, Belgium. The plans are captured by Belgian troops, compromising the invasion and alerting Belgium and Netherlands to the threat to their nations. A German blockade runner, the Bahia Blanca, strikes an iceberg and sinks northwest of Ireland. German destroyers lay mines off Newcastle and Cromer. Germany announces plans to pay 10% of workers wages in promissory notes, aka scrip. Japan warns French authorities in Shanhai that, unless arms shipments to China from French Indo-China are halted, Japan will destroy every bridge along those countries' borders. Henry Stimpson, former Secretary of State, proposes that Congress enact measures to cut off arms and raw materials sales to Japan. Admiral Stark, US Chief of Naval Operations, discloses that the Navy plans the construction of a new class of heavy cruisers, between 12,000 and 20,000 tons, with size, speed, and armament superior to those of any other nation. He also discourages the notion of 60,000 ton battleships, favoring ships not exceeding 52,000 tons. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@cbnews.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "The navy believes there is nothing on the ways anywhere that is superior to the ships we are building or contemplating." - Admiral Harold R. Stark