military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (12/21/90)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Saturday, 21 December, 1940 Two German auxiliary raiders, the Komet and Orion, stop at Emirau Island in New Guinea to land nearly 500 survivors from 10 Allied merchant ships sunk since August. The Luftwaffe hits Liverpool for the second straight evening, while the RAF raids Porto Marghera, near Venice. Lord Halifax is named the new British Ambassador to the United States. His position as foreign secretary is filled by Anthony Eden, and David Margesson takes over as army minister. Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald dies in Hollywood, at age 44. References: C.Argyle, _Chronology of World War II_ R.Dupuy and T.Dupuy, _The Encyclopedia of Military History_ J.Keegan, ed., _The Times Atlas of the Second World War_ C.Messenger, _Atlas of World War Two_ J.Piekalkiewicz, _Tank War 1939-1940_ C.Salmaggi and A.Pallavisini, _2194 Days of War_ Brig. P.Young, _The World Almanac of World War II_ The New York Times, daily editions Time magazine Newsweek -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@att.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "Both the future security of the United States and the total defense for our democratic principles in this world-wide contest demand that every resource of capital and management and maximum effort on the part of labor shall be ceaselessly employed to provide the means for defense against attack." - William S. Knudsen, chairman of the newly-formed Office for Production Management