military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (04/14/90)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Saturday, 13 April, 1940 A British force consisting of the battleship HMS Warspite and 9 destroyers attack 8 German DD's at Narvik; 3 British destroyers are damaged, and all the German ships are sunk or fatally damaged. The landing of British troops at Narvik, however, is postponed. Germany claims that the Luftwaffe has vanquised the Royal Navy. A group of Hampden bombers conduct Britain's first aerial mining mission, off the coast of Denmark. In Norway, more German troops are landed, and progress near Oslo continues in the face of strong Norwegian resistance. According to Swedish press agencies, General von Falkenhorst, commanding German troops in the area, threatens to impose martial law, which would subject Norwegian resisters to the death penalty. President Roosevelt condemns the invasion of Norway and Denmark. "Reliable information" reaches Washington indicating that Japan is constructing in secret a huge battleship fleet of some 8 to 12 "super- dreadnoughts" of 40000 to 45000 tons. Four are said to be nearing completion. These ships would give Japan equal battleship tonnage to the US Navy. The information comes on the night before the Senate hearings for the Naval Bill. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@cbnews.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "If [the Norwegian Government] still holds out Germany will be unsparing. Martial law will be introduced and Norwegians resisting will be sentenced to death." - General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst