military@cbnews.att.com (09/17/89)
From: military@cbnews.att.com Sunday, 17 September, 1939 RUSSIA INVADES POLAND Troops of the Red Army enter Polish territory against only scattered resistance. One area of resistance is the rail junction of Moledeczno, between Minsk and Vilna. However, with its back already broken by the Wehrmacht, the Polish forces cannot offer organized defense against two Soviet army groups. Soviet Minister Molotov declares Poland a non-existant country. The German deep pincer closes at Wlodawa on the River Bug, as tank spearheads of Army Groups North and South meet. The citadel at Brest-Litovsk falls. The Polish government leaves its current seat at Kuty and enters Rumania; all surviving Polish air crews also fly to that country. All are interred by the Rumanians. The British aircraft carrier H.M.S. Courageous receives two torpedo hits from the German submarine U 29, commanded by Herr Schuhart, while maneuvering in the Bristol channel. She displaced 22000 tons, and could carry 48 aircraft; converted in 1924, she was one of the Royal Navy's first carriers. Contributing Reporter: Rudnei Dias da Cunha (RUDNEI@SBU.UFRGS.ANRS.BR) References: C.Argyle, _Chronology of World War II_ J. Piekalkiewicz, _Tank War 1939-1940_ R.Dupuy and T.Dupuy, _The Encyclopedia of Military History_ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@cbnews.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "...because these territories had been illegally included in the composition of Poland in 1920, the Soviet Union took under its protection the life and property of the Western Ukrainians and Western Byelorussians." - from _The Russian Version of the Second World War_, Graham Lyons, ed.