military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (06/21/91)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Saturday, 21 June, 1941 After several days of hard fighting near Damascus, Free French forces occupy the city. In Italian East Africa, Jimma is captured by the Allied forces, and 15,000 Italians are taken prisoner. Churchill, upset by the loss of the "Tiger Cub" tanks which were shipped to Egypt with great effort, orders General Auckinleck to succeed Wavell as CinC in the Middle East. Wavell is appointed CinC over India, and many of his senior officers are replaced, including Generals Creagh and Beresford-Peirse. The Soviet Union begins the evacuation of 1.5 million children from its western cities. President Roosevelt orders Italian consulates in the US to be closed by 15 July. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@att.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "In view of the sinking of the Robin Moor and abandoning her passengers and crew 700 miles from land, in violation of a solemn agreement agreement signed by von Ribbentrop to refrain from such acts, how can any sane person or one professing to be an American think of a negotiated peace with such persons ?" - William Gurrin, in a letter to the New York Times