[soc.history] 50 Years Ago: Monday, 15 July, 1940

military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (07/13/90)

From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker)
Monday, 15 July, 1940

As Hurricane fighters blunt an attack on a Channel convoy by Do 17
bombers, Ju 88's take advantage of low-lying cloud cover to strike
a number of targets in southwest England, including 2 airfields.

In response to yesterday's speech by Prime Minister Churchill,
German spokesmen announce that London will no longer be considered
an open city, and might be bombed at will by the Luftwaffe.

The first seven American volunteers for RAF Fighter Command report for
operational duty to considerable fanfare.   Three of them had originally
attempted to re-create the World War's "Lafayette Escadrille."

The US Army contracts with the Pacific Car and Foundry company
for production of 627 new tanks, to be formed into two armored 
divisions recently formed following the German model.


(1) Referencee: _The Man Called INTREPID_ , William Stevenson

Reporters: rbeville%tekig5.pen.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET (Bob Beville)
           boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert)

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Bill Thacker			            military@att.att.com
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"England is fighting for her possessions... they will spend every hour 
figuring how to bring us in." - Ambassador Kennedy (US envoy to England)
to President Roosevelt (1)